Gone are the days of fumbling about with huge paper maps and furiously going through the very limited German vocabulary in your head to find the equivalent for “Is there a decent restaurant around?” Apps are definitely the way to go and having the right ones on your phone can help you make the best of every leg of your trip and save yourself some time and money too.

We asked some frequent travellers for their app recommendations and compiled a list of our own favourites (in no particular order) to help you tap into those apps! All are available on Apple Store and Google Play for free, which is part of the reason why they made it to our top five.

1. Scan the skies for the best price with Skyscanner

Skyscanner’s award-winning app keeps getting better and better, allowing you to keep track of the cheapest flights without much effort.

• Our Favourite Feature: Weekend Trips – great for travellers who are more into spur-of-the-moment adventures, as with just one tap you can find the best getaway options for the upcoming weekend.
• Recommended by Jennifer, 26, Recruiter: “Just love the PriceAlerts feature, which sends you a notification when the price for a flight you’re interested in changes.”

2. Satisfy your holiday cravings with Foodspotting

What’s a holiday without a taste of local dishes? Using user-generated recommendations, Foodspotting allows you to scan the location you are in for the eateries that would best satisfy your cravings.

• Our Favourite Feature: The possibility to share great dishes and eating places with other foodspotters, because food definitely tastes better when shared!
• Recommended by Matthew, 38, UX Designer: “The search-by-dish functionality is divine. Wondering who whips up the best carbonara in Rome? Trust Foodspotting to whip up the answer.”

3. Hop in and get whisked to your destination with Uber

When you’ve partied yourself out, spent all your cash and need to get to your hotel as soon as possible before your legs give way, what do you do? Hail a cab via Uber, of course. The app guarantees that you’ll find transport at any time of the day and that you’ll get to your destination even if you don’t have a euro in your pocket.

• Our Favourite Feature: uberPOOL – ideal for those who are on a budget holiday, as it allows you to share a car and the costs with other travellers headed your way.
• Recommended by Maria, 23, Teacher: “Getting a taxi without having to make a call or risking your life to flag down one is just awesome.”

4. Avoid a Tower of Babel situation with Google Translate

Travelling to a country where not a word of English is spoken might add allure to an adventure, but certainly not when the language barrier gets in your way of getting around!

• Our Favourite Feature: The World Lens Tool – allowing you to point your phone camera at a sign and getting a real-time translation. Nifty!
• Recommended by Sean, 42, Sales Representative: “My flair for languages is pretty much non-existent, which is why the Google Translate app has become my trusted travel companion!”

5. Explore the city without going about in circles with CityMapper

There are people who possess that enviable super power called a sense of orientation, which enables them to find their way almost anywhere without getting lost. Then there are those who need the help of an app like CityMapper to discover a place without wasting time going round in circles.

• Our Favourite Feature: The live traffic updates, notices of diversions, and public transport updates, ensuring you are never held up.
• Recommended by Vanessa, 22, student: “With CityMapper on my phone, I almost feel like a modern-day Colombus, ready to discover the city around me. Seriously.”