Favorite free travel apps

Good smartphone apps help you travel more efficiently, whether you need to get to that great Thai restaurant, find your hostel or figure out the difference between "push" and "pull" on public doors. Here are my favorite travel apps, based on:

• pay status (these are all free)

• usefulness and accuracy

• ease of use

Citymapper

Twice named among Apple's Apps of the Year, Citymapper picks up where Google Maps leaves off. It helps you streamline your navigation with public transit maps, departure information, delays and more. Note: this is an iPhone-only app, although a web-based version is available.

Flush

In non-U.S. countries, and even some major U.S. cities, public restrooms are tough to find, and it's a downer that you only understand if you experience it firsthand. At the lowest point on one trip, I felt like my whole day alternated between searching for a public restroom and searching for public WiFi.

The Flush app solves the public restroom problem (see WiFi Map, below, for more on the public WiFi dilemma). I like this app better than its more popular app, Sit or Squat, because I found Flush faster to use, and in my comparisons it shows dramatically more restrooms. In this case, more is better.

Google Maps

It's the old standby, and it's an app I use all the time - not just while traveling. It's geared more toward driving than walking, biking or taking public transit, but it's still one of the most accurate mapping apps I've found. Between Google Maps and Citymapper, you'll be well-positioned and well-informed.

Google Translate

Translation apps are notoriously inaccurate. But I've been using Google Translate for years, and it's outstanding, with a couple cautions.

It's ideal for getting the "gist" of written foreign languages, or to double-check your own text. Know, though, that it will not make you fluent or even conversational, and it will not help your pronunciation.

Although some apps and YouTube tutorials claim to teach you important phrases, in my experience nothing beats face-to-face instruction. Check with your local community center, cultural organization, college or university for that, and rely on Google Translate to fill the gaps. Travelers who bludgeon native languages deserve much more than the occasional grimace or eye roll the locals give them.

XE Currency

Sometimes you look at a price in a foreign country, and you can't decide whether it's a deal because you're doing math in your head to convert it to U.S. dollars. Quick - compared to the U.S. dollar, is it the euro or the sterling pound that runs about 10 percent more? Is it fair to pay 5,000 Icelandic krona for a sandwich during your Keflavik layover? Let the XE Currency app figure that out for you.

Tripcase

You have several choices to organize your trip data, from hotel confirmations and flight departures to late-hours museums and attractions schedules. Although Tripit gets more attention, I like Tripcase for its simplicity. You can also share your itinerary with others, like family or friends, so they know where you are (a good safety precaution).

Venmo

Let's face it, money matters, and it's possible that you need some extra cash or someone you know needs some extra cash (ahem, think college-age children). Venmo is a fast, easy way to do that. The money arrives within 2 to 3 days, unless you opt for the paid version for immediate deposit.

WhatsApp

Want to stay in touch with other people on your trip, or with people back home? Don't want to pay international talk, text and data charges? You'll like WhatsApp. We use it as a back-up to conventional communication tools. Hint: play around with this one at home so everything is set up before you leave. It's less intuitive than I'd like.

WiFi Map

Especially if you're trying to save a few dollars by keeping your phone in airplane mode and using free WiFi exclusively, WiFi Map saves you time and money. It claims to have more than 100 million WiFi networks in its database.

My only complaint is that this includes password-protected WiFi networks, but you can usually tell by the name of the network whether it's public or private. Even with that caveat, it's a convenient tool.

Other apps specific to your destination

Your airline, accommodations booking site, city public transit, country public transit, attractions and specialized transportation offerings, like walkit.com for the U.K., will make your trip more efficient. Download them beforehand so you know how to use them before you need to use them.