10 Useful Family Travel Apps for Fun Filled Vacation

Traveling with kids can be great, but it can also be a chore. Thankfully there are a bunch of apps available that can take the pain out of those low times and make the good times all the more sweet.

These apps cover all the bases, providing family entertainment on the road, finding amenities and points of interest nearby, and giving you valuable peace of mind on your trip. Read on for information on ten of the best travel apps available on the iPhone!

Image by Luke Ma, via Flickr

Mom Maps

Mom Maps is a free app which gives you maps and directions to family-friendly locations on your trip. It could be a restaurant, play center, or simply a park, anything that can keep your family occupied on the move. What’s more, the new iPhone 6 has the processing power to make using the app quick and painless.

Sit or Squat

Its title may be a little graphic, but this app is a semi-literal lifesaver. Sit or Squat shows you the public bathrooms in your area and tells you if they are available, which can be the difference between a harmonious journey and some very disgruntled kids (and adults!).

Hotel Tonight

Long car journeys can be fractious affairs, and there often comes a time when you just need to call it a night. For these times, Hotel Tonight finds you the most affordable – and more importantly, available – hotels in your local area, and is your ticket to some much-needed recuperation.

Glympse

Glympse is perfect for families traveling with slightly older kids. Teenagers crave independence and will want to check things out on their own. This free app helps you keep track of your wayward fledglings without resorting to endless, irritating phone calls.

iStoryTime

A free app with in-app purchases available, iStoryTime keeps youngsters busy on lengthy journeys. An illustrated e-reader for children’s picture books, the app also features audio narration. iStoryTime is a great app to use with the bigger and better new iPhone. It makes full use of the 4.7 inch screen and retina HD display that allow for powerful image rendering to help keep kids – and by extension, their parents – happy on the trip.

Postino

Nothing gets kids engaged on holiday like sharing the fun with their family and friends back home, and Postino taps directly into this. You can use the free to download app to make customized postcards of your trip and mail them to relatives at home. The full version costs $1.99.

Road Trip Bingo

In the old days we played I Spy, but in the modern world, such games just won’t cut it. Instead we have Road Trip Bingo, an app costing $0.99 which turns every journey into a game. The app provides pictures of things you might see en route, which players must check off when they spot them.

Family Matters

The modern smartphone is more than just a communication device. It has become a must-have tool for travelers, and never is this more the case than on a long journey. The $1.99 Family Matters app really brings out the best in this piece of tech, and is a one-stop shop for things to see on the road. Whether it’s a nearby doctor’s surgery, a restaurant, or a place of interest, Family Matters lists it.

Road Trip Scavenger Hunt

Similar to Road Trip Bingo, this $0.99 app puts a modern technological twist on a family-game classic. It also brings the whole family together, as players must compete with one another to spot the randomly selected object of your search, making Road Trip Scavenger Hunt a great conversation starter.

iExit Interstate Exit Guide

Last, but certainly not least, is the iExit Interstate Exit Guide. This app costs $1.99 to download from the App Store and takes care of one of road travel’s most fundamental questions: which highway exit do we need? iExit has information on the location of each exit and the facilities and attractions the exit is best for, leading to stress-free family travels.

Have you tried any of these on a recent journey? How did it go? Any others to recommend to us? Let us know!