I am always searching for ways to make traveling safer, easier and more fun. Today, I will list 3 of my absolute favorite apps for your mobile phone (stay tuned for more as I am planning on writing more apps articles in the next few weeks!)

Help Call - 911 does not work in every country!

You read that correctly.  If you dial 911 in France, nothing will happen! Help Call has the most important emergency numbers (Police, Fire Department, Ambulance and a Friend) in 126 different countries, and automatically pulls them up based on your location. No need to be paranoid, but better safe than sorry.

TripIt - Travel Organizer

This app helps you stay organized! I recommend this app to all my fellow business travelers (to the point that TripIt should start giving me a commission! ;). TripIt replaces the multiple hotel, airline and rental car confirmations with a single “trip centric” view. Simply forward your electronic travel confirmations to plans@tripit.com and TripIt will intelligently list them all into one place.  It also adds in useful related information, such as maps, weather, etc. And best part?  It’s free! However, I highly recommend TripIt Pro (the paid version) as it also includes real-time flight tracking and gate information (it will send you an email to remind you  that it is time to check-in online for your flights, or alert you if your flight is late).  It also tracks all your frequent flier and frequent guest programs and informs you how close you are to reaching elite status.
Tip: Those of you that have an American Express Platinum card can get TripItPro for free.

GateGuru - featuring Airport Maps

Should I eat before I get to the airport? Will there any decent restaurants past security? I forgot to buy something for my husband, are there any good shops for presents in my terminal? Is there a Continental lounge at this airport?

Well, I don’t stress over things like this anymore since I have been using GateGuru. GateGuru tells you exactly what to expect at the airport, and near your gate: food, shops, ATMs, Wi-Fi, and more….