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When the smartphone was in its infancy and app stores were not yet operational, its best built-in app to help travelers was the Maps app. There were no walking directions provided, just a map that you needed to interpret to help you get to your destination. These days, smartphones have so spoiled us that we wonder how we have lived without it. For example, the technologically-advanced descendant of the first map app now features not only driving and walking directions, but also directions for those who take public transportation (for some countries, at least). This has made it easier for travelers to navigate through some foreign countries the same way that natives do. With the right apps, you can turn your smartphone into an indispensable travel companion that can save you money; if your pockets cannot afford travel just yet, you can even do a little armchair traveling from your smartphone. Below are some handy apps to have when exploring foreign territory: > Bla Camera Pro ($0.99, iOS) > Camera Plus Pro ($1.99, iOS) > Google + > Google Maps (Free, iOS/Google Play) > City Maps to Go (Free, iOS/Google Play) > VSCO Cam (Free, iOS/Google Play) > Pin Drop (Free, iOS) > Metro (Free, iOS)

Whether we're innocently stalking our crush on Facebook or tweeting our deepest feelings into the depths of cyberspace, our iDevices have become integral to our daily social networking needs. Knowing this, app creators work tirelessly to come up with new ways to integrate various aspects of life into a social framework - new reasons to connect people. In this regard, developer Toby Gunston has come across a rather unique proposition: we all love to travel, but who wants to travel alone? That's where Travel Buddies comes in… The Travel Buddies app is the the mobile component of an already successful online hub for world travellers, and brings with it a rather useful suite of social functions for holiday-makers, road trippers and weekend wanderers. Aimed at users with a penchant for meeting new people and discovering new places, Travel Buddies builds a social network around the concept of looking for travel partners.

The most important thing to consider when travelling alone is safety. While today's world of smartphones, instant communications and i-everything provides some comfort, there are still some more ' traditional ' ways to stay safe. Here are some tips when traveling solo... Keep up communication Always inform family and friends where your heading, how you can be reached and provide them with a full itinerary of flights and transport. If you're being collected from the airport, ask the tour operator or hotel sending the transportation for the name of the person or service picking you up along with their phone numbers as well as those of the destination. Also, select flights that arrive during daylight hours, and try to connect with people on the other side using social media. Leave valuables at home Apart from your passport, wallet and any other travel documentation you might need for your specific destination, it's best to leave valuables in the form of expensive jewelry and gadgets at home. Keep the trip light and casual, leaving more room to pick up souvenirs from the destination itself. The same rule applies for large sums of cash. We all hate bank charges, but not as much as getting a a load of money stolen, so withdraw money when you get there. It's just not work the risk.

1. Start out with a checklist. 2. Identify your suitcase. 3. Create separate travel bags. 4. Designate a travel packing area a week prior to your flight. 5. Purchase magazines at the airport. 6. Bring an extra set of reading glasses, cell charger, and ear buds. 7. Don't get caught without important phone numbers. 8. The name on the reservation and identification should match exactly 9. For special requests, alert the airline in advance. 10. Fly nonstop whenever possible. See here: Summer Travel Tips Bonuses: The Corliss Group Voyage The Corliss Group Luxury Travel Agency

I fancy myself a backpack-carrying, adventure-seeking traveler, at home in hostels and on hiking trails. But there I was, on a luxury cruise ship, sipping wine with silver-haired foxes, fox-trotting with male escorts in the ballroom, and escorting myself on a tapas-like tour around Europe, sampling cities for a day via ship, bus, foot and bike. It was the biking aspect that had led to my unlikely sojourn on the ship, Crystal Cruises ' Serenity. Months before, my cyclist-enthusiast ears perked up when I heard about the cruise, with biking-based itineraries in several port cities. The regimented itinerary of a cruise with its scheduled ports of call, and the idea of spending that much time on a ship, wasn't all that appealing to me, but the prospect of biking around a few different European cities was. So I packed my sneakers, some cute bike shorts and an open mind. Embarking in Dover, England, I was sure I was the only passenger hauling a backpack on board when the butler assigned to my cabin floor did a double-take at the sight of my luggage. But after a restful sleep, rocked by the waves of the Atlantic and the gentle hum of the ship's engine, thoughts of hostels were but a distant memory. On the first of my 10-day adventure hitting seven cities in four countries, my cousin and fellow cruiser Olivia Female, I, and a few other cyclists biked around Guernsey, one of the Channel Islands, on cruisers we were given. We traversed the quaint, compact island, two-wheeling by fawn-hued cows, primary-colored fishing boats and World War II bunkers.