Best iPad Apps

Chapter 6. Out and About

The smartphone, it’s clear, is the Swiss Army Knife for those who travel. You really can’t beat its miniaturized, multiple talents: from phoning home to finding emergency watering holes, these mobile app kits have changed the way we move around. But trips happen in multiple phases and not all steps on that path are best served by such a small screen. For instance, you’re probably not gonna whip out your iPad at a restaurant to calculate the tip (you wouldn’t do that, would you?). It is clear, however, that as a traveler’s aid, the iPad can help plan, manage, and for those who’ve shelled out for the 3G version, even do a bit of mobile navigating. Sometimes the help you need is in navigating your own neighborhood, or those nearby. From finding restaurants to “staycation” sightseeing, your iPad stands ready to serve as your own personal Julie McCoy. When it’s time to venture farther afield, your little black pad’s got plenty of ways to ensure you travel right: find cheap airfares and hotels, manage those many-tentacled itineraries, and make reservations so a good seat’s ready for you upon arrival. And when you get there—whether it’s Zanzibar or Albania—a fleet of virtual point-of-interest guides and translators are on call. As are some stunning worldwide photo tour collections for those who want to make believe they’re tripping from, say, inside the office. And, ...