Best apps for your summer vacation

Make your vacation the best ever with these great apps!

If you are packing up for your summer vacation, you're going to want to make sure you pack a few important things, like a toothbrush, clean socks, an extra pair of shoes, and these apps, which will help you make your trip unforgettable.

TripIt

TripIt is, in my opinion, quite possibly the best vacation planning app in existence. It organizes your hotel, plane, car, and dinner reservations into trip itineraries and all you have to do is forward your email confirmations. If you use Gmail, it does it automatically. When you are on your vacation, use TripIt to access your travel plans, even while offline. You'll see date and time schedules and have access to all of your confirmation numbers without having to dig through your emails. Each destination also connects to Google Maps for quick driving directions. It's a true time saver when you are lugging around a half dozen suitcases and a couple of screaming kids.

Use TripIt to keep your vacation plans organized.

• Free - Download now

OpenTable

One of my favorite things to do while vacationing in a new town is check out the local flavor. Using OpenTable, you can search for popular restaurants in the area by going to the Discover section. Check out new and hot eateries, local favorites, and OpenTable Insider Picks. Once you find something that makes your tummy rumble, make reservations right from the app without having to talk to anyone. You can be filling your gas tank and make plans for tonight's dinner with just a few taps.

If you love sampling local cuisine while on vacation, use OpenTable to reserve your spot.

• Free- Download now

Poison Maps

"What are we going to do today?" is a question I often ask while on vacation. When you're in an unfamiliar city, finding the hot spots can be difficult. Poison Maps shows you the points-of-interest (get it, POIson Maps...) nearby. Check out tourist attractions, nature hikes, churches, and even the closest restroom. If your traveling without a car, you can get an overview of the city's airports, buses, ferries, trains, and taxis. If you plan ahead, you can scope out POIs for your trip and save them for when you arrive.

Find everything worth checking out at your vacation spot with Poison Maps.

• $1.99 - Download now

Spark Camera

When you get back from your vacation friends, family, and coworkers are going to want to know how your trip was. Don't just tell them. Show them. With Spark Camera, you can keep your daily vacation montage going just by holding your finger on the screen to record. When you let go, it stops, but keeps the montage ready for more. So, you can get a few seconds of the kids playing in the pool, your first bite of that Cronut, and waving goodbye to the grandparents without missing a beat. You can then add filters and music from your iTunes library to make a mini movie to share with everyone.

Turn your memories into mini movies with Spark Camera.

• Free - Download now

Trail Wallet

As much as we want to pretend that we are independently wealthy when we go on vacation, we know we can't spend it all and often times worry about spending too much. With Trail Wallet, you can keep track of your daily spending to make sure you stay within your budget. Set a daily budget for your trip and every time you buy something, add it to your trip wallet. You'll see where you've spent the most (like food, transportation, bribes, etc.) and know how much money you have to get you through the rest of the day. If you're traveling in a foreign country, you can set the currency rate to your own, or the local denomination.

Use Trail Wallet to keep you from having to sell the kids to pay for your trip.

• Free - Download now

Your favorites?

What apps are invaluable to you while your on vacation? Share with us in the comments.