Posted on August 31, 2010 by Fiona Hilliard

Move over maps. Get lost guidebook.  Take a hike compass.  We’ve found a new, much cooler travel companion….the app.

So says the 2010 Portrait of American Travellers report. According to its findings, three in 10 mobile phone users in the US now own an iPhone or smart phone. Of all of these smart phone owners, 19% have downloaded a travel application.

The report bases its facts on a survey carried out on 2,524 US households in February.

So why do we all heart the travel app?

Well, if we take a closer look at the report’s facts and figures, we can see…

• 47% of travel app users have found their way to their destination using a GPS
• 29% have compared airfares and hotel rates
• 28% have shared travel photos using their smart phone
• 18% have booked flights or accommodation
• 15% have gone to a site that provides information on things to do and places to see when visiting a destination

That’s all very impressive, but it looks like smart phones have a new rival in the sleek and sophisticated form of the iPad…

With its versatility and light-as-a-feather mobility, not to mention “envy factor” the iPad is fast nudging the iphone out of the way, jumping into your backpack and agreeing to share with you all of its worldly knowledge.

The iPad’s best travel apps:

The current number one iPad travel app on iTunes is The World Clock.  From a selection of over 230 countries, you can display up to eight analog or digital clocks on the same screen at any one time.

The iPad’s LocalEats restaurant guide follows closely behind.  For free you already get the Urbanspoon app which lets you search restaurants, geolocate them on a Google map, read reviews and try a slot machine-style wheel that even includes a slot machine.  For 99p ($1) extra, LocalEats searches many of the same cities, but also offers you a “nearby” option. This locates restaurants close to where you’re standing. Sometimes, a LocalEats restaurant listing will even point you in the direction of a money saving coupon that can be redeemed by showing it to your waiter onscreen. How space age is that?!
Well….about as revolutionary as UpNext 3D Cities.  This app actually lets you rotate a 3D map of New York,  Austin, Washington or Boston 360 degrees without having to physically move your iPad. Another nice feature is the information about the city’s major train and bus lines, as well as its stops and stations.

You can also get a complete overview of the whole city via the aerial view function. This will give you an instant insight into where all the best shops and restaurants are clustered.