There’s little doubt that technology has made travel much faster and easier.

These days, the most important item in your luggage is your smartphone or mobile device, which can connect you to numerous apps that not only keep you in the know 24/7 but simplify your travel experience, whether it’s confirming an immediate ride to the airport, checking in for your flight or finding the closest restaurant that suits your latest craving.

Traveling is certainly better when you disconnect and spend some much-needed time away from the screen but the benefits of these apps can’t be ignored.

Airline Apps

It’s always wise to download your favorite or most often used airline’s mobile app so that you can quickly and easily manage your reservations, check-in for your flight and even check its status up to the minute.

If you have an iPhone, you can also add your mobile boarding pass to your Apple Wallet for convenient scanning at the TSA checkpoint and at the gate.

Rideshare Apps

Rideshare apps such as Uber and Lyft are a must for getting to and from the airport when you don’t have a friend or family member to drop you off or pick you up.

These services are also an excellent alternative to rental cars, making it fast and easy to get around your destination when walking or public transportation aren’t options. Rideshare apps also keep you and others safe if you plan on indulging in the local nightlife.

Google Maps

Knowing where you’re going is everything, especially when you’re visiting a place for the first time. The Google Maps app is ideal for identifying your distance from and time to the next stop but also for picking out nearby attractions, sites, restaurants and bars beloved by other users.

With this app, you’ll not only know where everything is located but also what people are saying.

Google Translate

For those planning international travel to a country or destination where their primary language isn’t the most spoken, the easy-to-use Google Translate app is a must.

Features include text translation between a whopping 108 languages simply by typing. But users can also tap to translate by copying text in any app and tapping the Google Translate icon to translate in all languages. The app is even effective offline, translating with no internet connection in up to 59 languages.

XE Currency Converter

Similar to the Google Translate app, the XE Currency Converter app is a must when traveling to many overseas destinations or for those who travel internationally often. Users can get live mid-market rates for global currencies and find out the rate of exchange they’ll receive when sending their money with XE before they make their transfer.

Tripscout

Passionate travelers in search of the world’s most interesting travel content will want to consider the Tripscout app. Dubbed the essential app for the modern traveler by the likes of the New York Times, USA Today and Travel & Leisure, Tripscout delivers the top travel articles and videos directly to your device based on your personal preferences, and its travel maps and guides can be easily downloaded so that they work offline.

MyTSA

If you’ve got a flight in the future you’ll definitely want to download the MyTSA app to your smartphone. This app allows users to monitor flight delay information at their favorite airports nationwide as well as quickly search for which items they can and can’t bring with them.

As someone who likes to arrive at the airport as late as possible, my personal favorite feature is the ability to find out how busy the airport is likely to be on the specific day and time of your travel based on historical data.

However, this app also includes a TSA Guide on how to prepare for and get through the security checkpoint quickly, which is a great benefit for those who haven’t traveled in a while or don’t travel as often as they’d like to. Users can also find out which airports and airlines support TSA PreCheck and request live assistance from TSA through the AskTSA social media integration.

TripIt

“The app offers tools to help travelers throughout the travel process, like Neighborhood Safety Scores, which rate both daytime and nighttime safety and also offer women’s- and LGBTQ-safety scores for the areas you visit,” writes TravelPulse’s Lacey Pfalz.

“The app also offers a TripIt Pro service, which offers premium features for frequent travelers, from Interactive Airport Maps that act as a GPS for when you’re stuck in one of the 103 participating airports across the globe to providing security wait times at participating airports.”

Hopper

The Hopper app prides itself on predicting future flight and hotel prices with 95 percent recommendation accuracy and will even notify users the instant that there’s a deal. Meanwhile, Google Flights is another useful tool for travelers looking to compare prices and save money in just a few taps.

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