7 Travel Apps That Might Save Your Relationship

There's a 95 percent chance Senior Editor Christine Sarkis is thinking about travel right now. Follow her on Instagram @postcartography and Twitter @ChristineSarkis.

Christine Sarkis is an SATW-award-winning journalist and executive editor at SmarterTravel. Her stories have also appeared on USA Today, Conde Nast Traveler, Huffington Post, and Business Insider. Her advice has been featured in dozens of print and online publications including The New York Times, Conde Nast Traveler, and People magazine. She has also shared travel tips on television and radio shows including Good Morning America, Marketplace, and Here & Now. Her work has been published in the anthologies Spain from a Backpack and The Best Women's Travel Writing 2008. She is currently working on a travel memoir.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: The Trtl Pillow. It's easy to pack and comfortable, and makes it so I can actually sleep on flights.

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: Seeing the Aurora Borealis from the comfort of somewhere warm, like a glass igloo or hot spring.

Travel Motto: Curiosity is an amazing compass.

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: Aisle all the way.

Email Christine Sarkis at editor@smartertravel.com.

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Vacations are meant to bring us together, not tear us apart. But tensions can run high when couples explore the world together, especially when it comes to planning, communicating, and navigating in an unfamiliar destination. That’s where apps can help. Your phone may not be able to solve all your relationship issues, but these seven travel apps offer the cool-headed objectivity of third-party advice—no therapy required.

Waze

Don’t argue over whose route is best; instead, let Waze decide. Because here’s the thing: Waze is right way more often than either of you. By using real-time crowd-sourced traffic data, and an active network of drivers reporting accidents, police traps, and road hazards, Waze offers efficient and sometimes unusual driving routes, mostly in the U.S. but also in Europe and Central and South America.

Cost: Free

Platforms: iOS, Android, Amazon

Waze

Cost: Free

Platforms: iOS, Android, Amazon

TripIt

Never again debate who has the copy of the hotel reservation or the car rental booking. Instead, centralize and share your master itinerary with TripIt. Any time you book a new travel service, simply forward your plans to your TripIt account, and then both you and your partner can track your entire trip on your phones. The paid Pro version allows you to track airfare price drops, keep tabs on better seat availability, and stay up to date on your airfare points.

Cost: Basic version free; TripIt Pro $49/year

Platforms: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Amazon

GoogleTranslate

Poor communication can spell doom for a relationship, but it’s a fact of life when you’re traveling in a place where you don’t speak the language. To minimize misunderstandings, enlist the help of a translation app like Google Translate. Translating on the fly adds a layer of complication to interactions with locals, but it’s far easier (and more effective) than miming, and it should dramatically cut down on interactions that end in a haze of confusion. Plus, moving competently through unfamiliar places will reduce tensions and allow you and your partner to enjoy the adventure more.

Cost: Free

Platforms: iOS, Android

Maps

Imagine a world in which you don’t have to disagree with your significant other about directions. Then make it a reality by downloading a non-Wi-Fi-dependent city map so that, even when you don’t have data on your phone, you can have access to smart maps and dynamic directions. Apps like Citymaps2go and HERE Maps mean you won’t find yourself lost or in a lengthy and pointless debate about which one of you thought it was a good idea to take that last left turn.

Cost: Citymaps2go basic version free; Citymaps2go Pro $6.99 for iOs and $5.99 for Android.

Platforms: Citymaps2go iOS (free and Pro), Android (free and Pro); HERE Maps iOS and Android

Video Calling

Being away from your partner can be far worse than weathering the bumps of traveling together. And staying in touch can be a challenge, especially if your phone plan doesn’t offer decent rates for your destination. The cheap and easy way to stay connected when you’re away from home is via a Wi-Fi based text or calling app. Wi-Fi video calling on Skype is free, as is Wi-Fi-based messaging via WhatsApp. Facetime is another popular option if both people have iOS devices. In both cases, both you and your partner will need the app to use it for free.

Cost: Free

Platforms: Skype: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Amazon; Facetime: iOS; WhatsApp: iOs, Android, Blackberry

HotelTonight

For most couples, getting stuck somewhere in transit comes with a lot of baggage. The wrench in your travel works means extra expenses, rebooking hassles, and missed commitments at your destination. Rebound faster by keeping a last-minute hotel booking app like HotelTonight at the ready. Next time you find yourself waiting out a delay or stranded after missing a connecting flight, you’ll be ready to act fast and save yourself and your partner the discomfort of sleeping at the airport.

Cost: Free

Platforms: iOS, Android

XE

Remove one more stressor on your trip by outsourcing currency calculations (at least until you’ve got the hang of it), not to your partner but to your phone. The XE Currency app is hugely popular (it has been downloaded more than 40 million times) and offers live exchange rates. It also stores the last updated rate so you can get a currency estimate even if you don’t have Internet access.

Cost: Free or $1.99 to $2.79 for Pro

Platforms: iOs (Free and Pro), Android (Free and Pro)

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Christine Sarkis loves traveling with her husband, and regularly uses all of these apps. Follow her on Twitter @ChristineSarkis and Instagram @postcartography for more advice about making every vacation the best vacation.

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