Let’s be honest: traveling can be stressful. Trying to get the best airline price for your money, tracking what your money is worth in different countries, keeping track of time zones, finding the best places to see and dine, staying connected whenever possible, and knowing what to pack are all things on the mind of someone who’s about to jet set to their next destination. While some things can’t be avoided, such as long lines, bad weather, and flight delays, there are some fantastic apps that bring a little traveling ease right to your fingertips. Travel is one of those things made enormously easier thanks to technology. If you have a smartphone or tablet, then making your trip smoother from start to finish is possible with apps such as XE Currency Converter, Circa, Sidekix, Café WiFi, and PackPoint. With these great apps on your home screen, you’ll feel organized and ready to go, and your next trip will feel like a breeze.

While traveling, saving money is key, but it’s also important to know how far your dollar can take you. The XE Currency Converter app (http://www.xe.com/) is a robust currency converter app that is available for both iPhone® and Android. When traveling abroad, it’s important to have the latest currency exchange rates, and the XE Currency Converter app provides live exchange rates while you’re on the go. This app is updated constantly, so you know the exchange rates you see are the most up-todate. It also lets you calculate prices right from your tablet or smartphone. No Internet connection? XE Currency Converter stores the more recent rates so you can access them even when you’re offline. You don’t want to find yourself unaware of an exchange rate once you’ve landed, so XE Currency Converter can be a reliable app with accurate information right when you need it.

Any seasoned jetsetter knows the importance of staying on top of things even when you’re en route to your next stop, but this can be challenging when traveling across time zones. Whether it’s an important conference call, your departure and arrival time, or wishing a loved one happy birthday, keeping track of the time in different parts of the world is vital, especially when you’re in flight. If you find yourself bouncing between different countries and losing track of time zone changes, then Circa is an app that can really come in handy. Circa tracks time zones and lets you know what time it is where you are and where you’re heading. If you need to keep track of what’s going on at home when you’re on the road, you can easily add your home time to the app, as well. This helpful app also shows when both time zones overlap, so you know when both you and a person you want to reach will be awake. Circa has a simple, clean, and colorful interface that turns a time zone map into a color-coded circle chart that is simple to use. The app even shows office hours in different time zones to help with scheduling professional calls. Circa can also be used on the Apple Watch®, which makes it even more accessible for Mac® users.

Knowing what’s going on in different parts of the world when traveling helps you plan your days and keep track of your life back home, but it is just as important to make the most out of your days away, too. Sidekix is a navigation app designed for people traveling on foot, rather than in a car, so the map adjusts with your movements and turns. You can enter your interests and what you’re looking for, such as going to a coffee shop, farmers market, or laundromat and it pulls up locations that are nearby. This app caters to your individual needs, and is truly made for traveling by foot. When discovering a new city in your travels, it can be overwhelming to try to find your way around, discover new places and sightsee, and get where you need to go all at the same time. Sidekix simplifies that process, personalizes your experience, and helps you walk from point A to point B and have some fun along the way.

If your point B requires responding to emails, doing online research, or managing your work calendar, then having access to Wi-Fi is a necessity. Café WiFi is one of those apps you may not think you need, but once you have it, you won’t know what you ever did without it. Café WiFi is an app that helps you locate nearby cafés that offer free Wi-Fi to their customers. So many people work remotely or from a coffee shop on a regular basis that free Wi- Fi allows you to sip a latte while also being “in the office” without tapping into your data. Café WiFi utilizes the Foursquare app and user generated reviews to point you in the right direction. When traveling, the last thing you want to worry about is struggling to find a reliable Wi-Fi connection, especially when in a pinch, and Café WiFi has you covered.

There’s no worse feeling while exploring a new city than to reach in your bag and realize you left something you really needed at home. Whether it’s a phone charger, winter coat, wool socks, or a bathing suit, the PackPoint app has you covered on all fronts. Especially designed for list-making folks, PackPoint simplifies the process by making a packing list for you. When using this app, you enter your destination and dates of travel, which helps the app determine the weather you can expect on your trip. The app lets you enter an array of information pertinent to your travel: are you traveling with a baby? Planning to hike? Is this a business trip? PackPoint asks you to select activities that you may participate in during your trip. So, for example, if you’re planning to attend a wedding, conference, or music festival, it will determine the clothes and items you’ll need to bring along. PackPoint then generates a list based on your plans and needs, and even lets you edit the list as you see fit. Do you like outdoor activities but know that your hiking boots will suffice? Then you can remove running shoes from the list. PackPoint also lets you share your lists with friends so that you can make sure they bring along everything they’ll need as well.

With endless technology available to us twenty-four hours a day, it can sometimes feel like a nuisance to incorporate it into all aspects of our lives. Smartphone and tablet apps such as XE Currency Converter, Circa, Sidekix, Café WiFi, and PackPoint are designed to keep us organized and minimize stress while we travel, which for many people can be an exhausting experience. These apps inspire consumers to rely on them to take unnecessary concerns off their mind, so they can focus on what’s really important; saving money, staying in touch, getting their job done, staying organized, and, most importantly, enjoying their trip.

MORE APPS:

For a complete list of THOR’s favorite travel apps, including links to download each app, visit www.THORtravelservices.com and choose My Account>Resource Guide>traveler Resources>travel Apps.