When it comes to travelling long distances, it can be difficult to know what to pack. While we can’t help you stuff everything into your suitcase, we can offer some advice on the best apps for your journey. Below, we’ve put together five apps that you need to download before you hit the road.

ChargeApp

Keeping your mobile phone full of charge on the go can be tough – especially when you’re travelling. Wherever you are, ChargeApp locates your nearest charging station and offers directions to the venue. Whether you’re low on battery and you’re in desperate need of a charge, or you just want to keep on top of your battery so you can tweet and Snapchat on the go, ChargeApp has you covered. It’s little wonder why it was awarded first place for Best New Mobile Technology in 2015 and has received rave reviews from critics and fans alike.

Spotify or Apple Music

Music can make even the most mundane of journey enjoyable, so invest in a premium Spotify or Apple Music subscription to listen to your favourite songs wherever you are. Remember that streaming music on the go will eat into your mobile data allowance, so if you’re travelling overseas, add your favourites to a playlist and download for offline playing. You can, of course, stick to your operating system’s default music application and transfer some of your favourite songs to your phone manually, but there’s nothing more convenient than having access to a whole library of music and listening to whatever you want, whenever you want to.

Citymapper

While Google Maps is one of the most commonly-used mobile navigation apps, Citymapper takes things to the next level. Playful and simple, the Citymapper app offers detailed journey planners, real-time information about tubes, trains, buses and motorways, and it offers Uber integration to help you get where you need to be on time. What’s more, with cycle routes and walks also covered, there’s no excuse not to start exploring your new city on foot – especially when calorie counts are included! Available in 30 cities around the world, Citymapper is the ultimate travel companion.

Wolfram Sun Exposure

We all know that overexposure to the sun and UV can cause cancer, but monitoring how much time you spend outdoors can be a challenge. This app allows you to enter your skin type and then calculates how much time you can spend in the sun before you get burned. The app also provides UV forecasts for your location and takes into account the time of day, where you are and the strength of your sun cream – perfect if you easily burn and want to keep your skin safe.

Google Translate

Arguably regarded as the world’s best translation service, Google Translate’s latest smartphone app takes travelling in the next direction. ‘Visual translation’ means that you can point your camera at text – whether that’s a signpost, a menu or a book – and an instant translation will appear on the screen. Simultaneous speech is another feature of the application’s latest upgrade – it will automatically translate your speech into another language. Available for Android and iOS, the most convenient part of Google Translate is the fact it can be used without a data connection.

There you have it – five of the most useful apps for travelling. Don’t forget to download your favourites before you travel, test them out with friends, and you’ll soon be off on your journey more prepared than ever.