It’s approaching that time of year when we start planning the vacations we’ll take during warmer months. One of the most popular journeys among spring and summer travelers is the road trip! It’s liberating and fun, and the self reliance factor is part of what makes it so exciting. The success of your travels rests on your shoulders because you have to be especially well prepared for a trip that puts you at the helm of everything. Thankfully, the process is now a lot easier because we have the modern advantage of phone apps. There are numerous apps on the market, some free and some paid, which do wonders for a road trip. Here are our recommendations for the Top 5 best road trip apps that you shouldn’t leave home without!

1. Road Trippers – the most comprehensive app for intenerating your trip ahead of time. Create routes that include the sights and places you plan to see along the way. The app gives excellent suggestions as well, offering ideas you may not know about. They even have themed tours, such as all of the places where one of your favorite movies was filmed. There is a community aspect to the site as well. You can leave comments as you go, thus giving other users feedback on your experience. Want to make it a group affair? Link your itinerary to your social networking accounts and share your adventure along the way. 
2. Gas Buddy – a community based app wherein users make real time updates about the location of the most affordable gas in the area. It’s really that simple. Skip the overpriced truck stop!
3. Waze – a community based app wherein users make real time updates about traffic conditions, accident and delay alerts, different routes to the same place, and speed trap warnings. This app won’t just get you there, it will get you there with the least stress and frustration possible.
4. Spotify – a streaming music service that offers a massive, almost mind-boggling, catalog of music. It stands out as being perfect for road trips because it has an offline function. This allows you to download the music of your choice to your phone or device before you leave on your trip. Then listen to it anywhere, anytime, because it won’t require any connectivity
5. Hotel Tonight – an app that helps you find a hotel pronto. Despite careful planning, travelers sometimes find a sudden need for a hotel for the night. This app helps you conquer the goal speedily by connecting you to nearby hotels that have a vacancy, and it’s managed by a 24/7 customer support team. You can choose between budget-friendly or luxury options.

Don’t forget to read our latest posts about the ultimate road trip packing list.  Happy trails!