Apps can be a life saver in a variety of situations. They can help you find directions, entertain you when you’re bored, keep you updated on news or even save you some money when you’re out shopping. The Collegian did some research into popular apps available for free that will help students find their way on spring break.

Yelp: Yelp is a great resource for travelers looking for fun activities to do or great local places to eat on a budget. It allows you to find places to shop or eat that are near your location and lets you filter the results by cost–an added benefit for college students on a budget. The other great part of this app is that it lets you leave a review for other users, so you can see what people have to say about a location and you can provide a rating after your personal experience.

Uber or Lyft: Uber and Lyft are both apps that help a traveller transport from one location to the next. You can book a ride directly from your phone and enter in the destination information and pay for the ride all in one app. The app provides a designated driver in minutes, helping everyone get home safely. 

TripIt: This app allows you to forward all of the information from your travel documents to one spot. Once you forward all of your trip confirmations, be that hotel, transportation, activities, – the app sets everything up in order and creates a daily itinerary for your trip. This saves you from having to dig through your email inbox while in a rush to get somewhere. 

Find My Friends: While this may seem creepy, this app could prove very useful while on spring break. Popular places, such as South Padre Island or Panama City Beach, are packed with people, making it easy to lose your friends. The app helps keep you safe and makes it easier to find your friends (hence the app name) by allowing you to see their location by syncing up to their GPS. As with any app, it can be deleted once you return home and don’t want your friends stalking your every move. Unfortunately, this app is only for apple device users. 

Weather Channel App: Many people probably already have this on their phone, and it may seem an obvious resource. However, it can help not only on the trip but before you leave. By checking the forecast ahead of time, you can make more informed decisions on what you pack for clothes.