Happy Spring Break, friends! My facebook timeline is filled with families on vacation, and although I’m not, I thought you happy Spring Breakers might enjoy my “Top 5 Spring Break iPhone Apps”!
Whether you’re hitting the slopes, lounging on the beach, or cruising with the top down on a road trip, you can put these to use! They also don’t require much pre-planning (as opposed to a hotel or flight booking app), so even if you’re on vacation at this very second, you could download and use them today!
Top 5 Spring Break iPhone Apps
1. Waze (free) – This app combines navigation
with convenience – perfect for a road trip! Other users can report accidents, traffic, and road conditions that might help you on your way across town or across the country. It also has a search feature for gas prices, restaurants, and other landmarks near you, which is nice if you just need to stretch your legs. One of my favorite features is the “Pick Up” option. You don’t need an actual address to find your way to a friend. Simply send a “location request” by text (or email) to the contact of your choice. If they accept, it will automatically send you directions to their location. This feature might be handy if you were in a ski town for instance – you could meet up with your friends at a bar or restaurant, even if they don’t know exactly where they are!
2. Weather Channel (free) – No matter where you’re traveling, it’s always good to know what the weather forecast is! You can scroll through the hourly forecast for the day, so you know when that next wave of snowfall is supposed to hit, or when the wind is expected to pick up. Wouldn’t you just hate to be headed to the beach an hour before the rain storm?
3. Shoot It (free) – This has been one of my favorite vacation apps in the past few years! Shoot It basically turns your phone into a post office. Take a photo (or choose one from your library), add a message, select the recipient from your contacts, and instantly your digital postcard is printed and mailed like a real one – straight from your phone to their mailbox! Pretty cool, huh? Each postcard is only $1.29, so you couldn’t even buy a postcard and mail it for that. Plus, it’s completely personalized with your vacation photos WHILE you’re still on vacation!
4. Food Network On the Road (free) – I’m a big fan of Food Network, so I love that this app has all of the featured restaurants from shows on the Food Network Channel. You can search by location, show (such as Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives), or upcoming featured events (like a St. Patrick’s Day Pub Crawl). If you’re a foodie, this is a great last-minute app for a road trip! On the other hand, if you’re more into planning your fine dining a few days ahead, you might try the Open Table app to snag a great reservation in your destination city.
5. Sleep Machine ($1.99) – When I’m away from home, I usually have a hard time falling asleep, so for me, this app is worth the $1.99! You can choose from a long list of ambient sounds (or use your own playlist), create a mix of sounds, and set a timer or alarm. My favorite noises are the fireplace crackle, Beach 3 (lapping waves) and light rain. As someone who always sleeps with a fan going, I can also customize a symphony of fan noise combined with rain. If you try it, I’d love to hear what combinations you enjoy! 
So there’s my top five iPhone apps for all you Spring Breakers. Do you have any must-have travel apps for vacay?
