Top 10 must-have Android apps for road trips

Developer: Lamar Media

Price: $Free 

Roadninja is highly useful application if you find yourself in an unfamiliar city -- commonplace when attending conferences. The app lets you know what businesses are located at highway exists, where gas stations are, and where you can find restaurants, attractions and hotels. Other travelers can rate and review businesses on Roadninja's map, giving you a good idea of which places offer value for money. 

Via: Google Play

Developer: Waze

Price: $Free

Waze is a navigation system which uses crowdsourced traffic updates to give you the most up-to-date, local information concerning jams and diversions on the road. In addition to live maps, alerts, traffic notifications and turn-by-turn directions, the app also helps you find the cheapest fuel on your route. 

Via: Google Play

Developer: OpenTable 

Price: $Free

While you're on the road, you don't always think ahead when it comes to dinner plans. However, if you find yourself in an unfamiliar place and need to eat, consider using OpenTable to find local restaurants with available tables to make a last-minute reservation. 

Via: Google Play

Developer: Global Can of Worms

Price: $Free 

Unexpected weather conditions can see you stuck in traffic or missing important meetings -- and a simple weather checker can provide the opportunity to leave a little earlier or alter your route. Simple Weather Alert, which uses data from the official National Weather Service (NWS), is one of many free solutions available online. 

Via: Google Play

Developer: HotelTonight

Price: $Free 

Hotel Tonight is a last-minute search app to find hotels with empty beds in your local area. You can book a room for up to five nights until 2am in the morning -- useful for those on the road with cancelled or changed plans. 

Via: Google Play

Developer: TripIt

Price: $Free 

It's always useful to have your itinerary stored away if you have multiple stops to cover while you're traveling. Travel organisers like TripIt can store your flights, car rental agreements, schedules and hotel bookings in a clear, concise planner. 

Via: Google Play

Developer: Glympse

Price: $Free

Glympse is a free application for easily sharing your routes and estimated time of arrival at destinations with others in your network. After sending a 'Glympse' through Facebook, Twitter, email or a SMS, your details will be available to view for a specified time period. Not only can this app be useful for families and friends, but you can check-in with business contacts if traffic conditions are causing delays. 

Via: Google Play

Developer: Inrix

Price: $Free | Premium available

Inrix is a popular, well-regarded app which hosts a plethora of useful features. The application includes traffic, route and local event alerts, an accident reporting service, route submission and sharing with friends, police activity notifiers and gas price checkers in the premium version.

Via: Google Play

Developer: LateDroid

Price: $Free | Premium available

JuiceDefender is a critical app installed on my smartphone due to its real-time battery monitoring system. If you're on the road and beginning to run out of juice, you can use the app to preserve as much battery life in your mobile device as possible. You can also choose how aggressively to save power -- from a balanced system to keeping your smartphone alive against all odds. 

Via: Google Play

Developer: Frog Baby Apps

Price: $Free | In-app purchases

The traveler is an app suitable for those on road trips -- acting as a digital sketchbook and notepad for your experiences. You can capture and store photos, video, take notes and make sketches, mark your location and share your travel diary with friends and family.

Via: Google Play