Top 10 travel apps and gizmos

Whether you’re travelling interstate or overseas for your honeymoon, an exotic destination wedding or just a fun trip away with the gals for one last pre-wedding getaway, there are dozens of apps, services, tools and gizmos available for ensuring your trip is a whole lot less hassle free – and just a little bit fun, too!

Here are 10 of our all-time favourites:

Roll up! Roll up! Roll up!

This device is pure genius, especially if you’re going away with friends, all of whom will, no doubt, have their own smartphones and cameras to charge. Not only does it refuel multiple devices at a time, the simple bar design minimises clutter and cable tangle. It contains four USB connectors: two 30-pin apple cords and two micro USB cords, and all devices sit on a slip-proof panel to prevent them moving about. Oh, and you only need a single outlet to charge up to four devices. We particularly love the fact this seriously high-tech travel gear pays homage to the past with its slick retro leather look design.

Bridal bag tags

If you’re heading off on your honeymoon – or, perhaps, for your destination wedding – and there are suitcases involved, you’re not going to be able to resist these fabulous wedding-themed Mr and Mrs/Bride and Groom luggage tags. They’re just a little bit of wedding travel fun and, since you’ll (hopefully) only get one chance to use them, why shouldn’t you shout to the world that you’re a newlywed – and proud of it!

Wedding planning in the palm of your hand

Ok, we’re not being entirely unbiased when we say that Easy Weddings’ directory app is incredibly useful for brides-to-be who are hitting the road because, well, it is! The app, which is available free for both iOS and Android phones, allows you to continue your wedding planning in the palm of your hands by giving you mobile access to more than 4000 Australian wedding suppliers of everything from bomboniere and wedding photography to vintage cars and, of course, wedding gowns. So, unless you’re headed off on your honeymoon, you can continue your hunt for the perfect supplier no matter where in the world (or just in Australia) you may be.

Cutting-edge couteau

Despite its 130-year history in crafting army knives, Victorinox has certainly kept abreast with the times. Their @Work 32Gb USB knife is a brilliant addition to any trip and will quickly become indispensable. Not only does it contain the usual and very useful knife and scissor attachments that tend to come in very handy if your honeymoon involves adventure travel or camping, but with a 32Gb USB drive included, it’s great for storing digital documents, all the music and video you love and, of course, backups of your honeymoon happy snaps.

Cash is king

Ah, long gone is the humble travellers’ cheque. Today, adventurers are savvy enough to know they can avoid monstrous international transaction and conversion fees by purchasing pre-paid travel cards while on home soil – and in their own currencies.  We particularly love Qantas Cash, which lets travellers load funds in 11 currencies, including US, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong and Canadian dollars, as well as Great British Pounds, Thai Baht, Japanese Yen and UAE Dirham.  Qantas Cash doesn’t charge load fees, so you can lock in the exchange rate at the time you load your currency of choice, which means you can spend your hard-earned dosh on fabulous treats, trinkets and experiences rather than hefty fees. Users can top up their Qantas Cash cards online and the best bit is that whether you’re honeymooning overseas or having a hen’s week away interstate, Qantas cash can be used both overseas and domestically.

If you do need cold hard cash, however, you can always buy foreign currency here.

Passports with pizazz

Ok, ok, we admit they’re a little corny, but we don’t care because we absolutely LOVE these oh-so-funky Bride and Groom passport organisers, which are particularly useful for avoiding getting your precious documents mixed up while on the road. Naturally, there’s a spot for your all-important passport but also cash and various other crucial tid-bits you need to keep safe and with you at all times.

Travel for all budgets

Skyscanner does a fantastic job of seeking out not just flights, but also hotels and car hire across Australia and across the globe. Its customisability and range of options makes it a winner amongst the flight search platforms, especially since it checks for fares on full-service carriers as well as on budget airlines such as Jetstar, a real boon for those of us travelling on budgets. Using geo-location data, Skyscanner’s app will locate your nearest airport and, if you’re just in the mood to get on a plane and head off somewhere, Skyscanner can also serve up a selection of economy flights, domestic and international that are on special and immediately available. It’s a great option for those jetting off for their wedding, driving to a wedding or just looking for somewhere to stay during a fun hen’s or buck’s weekend away with their bridal besties.

Safety first

While travel can be lots of fun (especially a pre-wedding road trip), it also has a very serious side and you do need to be a little bit practical. This portable Go Travel 32-piece First Aid kit can slip into a car boot or a suitcase easily and contains a range of gear, such as bandages, gloves, plasters and antiseptic wipes, which will be handy for ensuring those small scrapes and cuts don’t become something worse. Hopefully, you won’t need it, but if you do, this lightweight, well-organised safety kit will ensure that, should things go a little pear shaped or you can’t get to a hospital, you can at least care for yourself and your travelling companions until help arrives.

An eye on your holiday prize

Where Skyscanner allows you book flights, the Lonely Planet-owned TouristEye allows you to build a ‘wishlist’ of travel destinations and experiences in one spot. With this iOS and Android apps, you can plan a quick three-day pre-wedding break or your ultimate six-month European honeymoon. You can also share your bucket list with friends and family or collaborate with your spouse-to-be to plan your dream trip away together based on the experiences of tens of thousands of travellers who have already been there and done that.

Pack like a pro

Possibly the most arduous step in the whole pre-travel process is packing the suitcase. What should you take? What shouldn’t you take? What are you almost certain to forget to take? The Packing Pro app makes it (slightly) less painful by allowing you to create multiple packing lists on-the-go, based on a traveller’s itinerary, days they’ll be away, destination and even clothes-washing preferences. Don’t judge this app by its slightly out-dated appearance because behind its simple interface likes a very useful little app that calls on a database of 800+ items to ensure you won’t forget anything, be it your toothbrush, your snorkelling goggles or your wedding night lingerie!