T+L's Top Travel Apps 2010

Welcome to the brave new world of smart-phone apps. What started as an iPhone phenomenon—download an application to perform a special function—has turned into a digital revolution. Now, with more than 200,000 titles, the iPhone leads the pack. But its competitors are quickly gaining ground: at press time, Google’s Android Market had about 60,000 programs—and counting. And then there’s the iPad: not a smart phone but a versatile (and glamorous) e-reader poised to take apps even more mainstream.

For travelers, carrying an app-loaded phone can transform everything from planning a trip to nagivating a new city. Though the first travel-focused smart-phone programs were mainly gateways to existing websites or stand-alone guidebooks, today it’s all about location, location, location. Most new titles—from restaurant finders and shopping tools to turn-by-turn navigation programs—use the average smart phone’s built-in GPS to help find nearby points of interest. Which means the world around you has never been more annotated—or accessible. But perhaps the best part is discovering apps for needs you never knew you had: calculating a tip, keeping a virtual travel journal, and even avoiding traffic tickets.

Happy downloading!

T+L Tip: Apps can drain your phone’s energy in less than a day, so be sure to take along an extra battery or a portable charger like the Mophie Juice Pack Air (mophie.com; $80) when you’re on the road.