These smartphone apps travel well

As the annual family summer vacation approaches, some among us ponder packing lists. "I'm afraid I am going to forget something," my daughter told me recently.

I know I won't. I have a packing app on my smartphone with a list of Madeline Island essentials. Last year, I refined the list while we were on the island, when I realized I should have brought a chef's knife but needed fewer pairs of shorts.

The app is called Travel List, and it is only one of several on my smartphone that eases travel planning and helps me get the most of my trips once there. Here are some others.

AroundMe directs me to nearby banks, gas stations, movie theaters and other handy places.

My TSA notes wait times at airport checkpoints. It also offers guides to dressing and packing smart for the airport, having acceptable forms of ID and carrying liquids. Its "Can I Bring" function answers questions about what you may carry onto an airplane. (Knitting needles, for instance, are allowed; thread cutters are not.)

As I plan a trip to Rome, I am polishing my very rusty Italian with an app called Duolingo. This language tool is molto bene, encouraging me through various levels, reinforcing lessons as I go and tracking how many consecutive days I study.

Once in Italy — when the shortcomings of my daily Italian lessons hit home — I'll turn to Google Translate, which translates 103 languages online and 52 languages without an Internet connection. Point my phone's camera at a sign or menu, and it can translate that, too.

Another app I plan to use even before I head overseas is XE Currency. This easy-to-use currency converter helps me quickly determine which hotels fit my budget.

When I am far from city lights — that's a true vacation for me — I turn to Star Rover. With that app, I point my phone to the night sky, and it shows me the constellations and anything else I see.

Send your questions or tips to Travel Editor Kerri Westenberg at travel@startribune.com, and follow her on Twitter: @kerriwestenberg.