Research suggests around 80 to 90 per cent of apps are downloaded and used only once*. In a bid to streamline your portable devices, The Club asked seasoned travellers and tech experts for the lifesaving apps they rely on when they’re travelling

Kieran Alger, editor-in-chief, T3
There’s nothing more annoying than your smartphone reverting to just being a phone because of hefty roaming charges. Onavo is a great app that reduces the amount of data needed to, say, download large emails, and leaves you free to use more megabytes for bragging about your trip on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Free on iOS and Android

Patrick Goss, editor-in-chief, TechRadar
I find Google Translate invaluable when I’m away. Not only does it have offline functionality, but the audio translations can also be a lifesaver. It’s not always perfect, but it’s near enough to lower that language barrier significantly.
Free on iOS and Android

Sarah Silbert, senior associate editor, Engadget
TripIt is my essential app for organising multiple itineraries. Just forward any flight and hotel itineraries from your inbox to TripIt, and the information will appear on a master list in the app, so you don’t have to trawl through old emails. You can also share your travel plans with friends and family.
Free on iOS, Android, Blackberry and Windows Phone 7

Tamara Heber-Percy, co-founder and CTO, Mr & Mrs Smith
Remember exactly where all those cool little places you stumble upon are with Pindrop. It uses GPS to let you drop a pin at your location on a map when you find your new favourite café, shop or anything else. Quick and easy to use, and it syncs to Instagram, too.
Free on iOS and Android

David Rowan, editor, WIRED magazine
Citymapper is simple, intuitive, clearly designed and relentlessly functional. It’s the way to navigate around London and now New York. And it has a sense of humour: its update release notes are so popular that they get their own fan mail.
Free on iOS and Android

Anisha Patel, deputy editor, The Club
Think of SitOrSquat as the TripAdvisor for comfort breaks – it helps locate the nearest toilet when you’re out of your comfort zone. So far, it has information on more than 52,000 toilets in 10 countries around the world. Users rate how hygienic the facilities are by encouraging people to ‘sit’ (clean) or engage those quads and ‘squat’ (not so clean).
Free on iOS and Android

Jenny Friedman, ‘Travel’ category winner at the 2013 iPhone Photography Awards
Snapseed is my go-to photo app when I travel. With tons more image manipulation options and fine-tuning features than any other app I’ve used, you can edit specific areas of your photo, and control the strength of filters so effects can be as subtle or dramatic as you choose.
Free on iOS and Android

*Source: Compuserve international survey of 3,500 people, 2013

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This article has been tagged Technology, Travel Tips