Free travel apps that make for a great holiday

Holiday planning can be a headache.

From organising your itinerary to figuring out how many outfits you can pack without your suitcase bursting, the pre-trip hustle can drain all the fun.

And being in a new country can be stressful too.

Thankfully, there is no shortage of great travel apps out there to help you.

The best part? They are free.

To ensure your luggage has everything you need...

• Use: PackPoint (Free, Android and iOS)

Your days of frenzied packing are over. Based on your destination, holiday duration and activities, PackPoint suggests packing lists to make sure you never forget anything.

It also provides the weather forecast so you know if that thick coat is a go or not.

To calculate if that branded bag is cheaper back home...

• Use: XE Currency (Free, Android and iOS)

This currency conversion app has over 40 million downloads.

There are rates available for every currency and you can compare up to 10 currencies at any one time.

You can even use XE Currency sans mobile data - it saves the last updated rate.

To navigate labyrinth-like cities like a pro...

• Use: Citymapper (Free, Android and iOS)

Getting from Point A to Point B overseas has never been easier.

Citymapper is a comprehensive journey planner which calculates travel times, offers multiple route suggestions by various modes of transport, lists the fares and includes departure and disruption information.

It is available in over 30 cities, including Tokyo, New York, London and Singapore.

Citymapper is also not without a unique personality.

Just for laughs, it tells you how long it will take to get to your destination by unconventional "transport" modes such as catapult and jetpack.

And with the Go feature, you can find out how many calories were burnt, as well as trees and money saved each time you travel.

All these, coupled with its user-friendly interface and adorable icons, make it a win.

To find travel recommendations to get excited about...

• Use: Cool Cousin (Free, iOS only)

Find a "cool cousin" with helpful travel tips from anywhere in the world with this app.

Simply pick a city, narrow down your list of "cousins" based on age range and gender, then choose your interests from a list that includes food, culture, activities and more.

The app then shows like-minded people who have provided "maps" or cool recommendations based on your selected interests.

You can even message them to ask about their suggestions. Say goodbye to boring holiday recommendations.

To speak like a local (or at least try to)...

• Use: Duolingo (Free, Android and iOS)

Consider Duolingo your language crash course before you jet off to a new country. Essentially, it is a language-learning app which lets you set daily goals and practice duration. Overnight fluency might be a stretch, but Duolingo is great with helping you with key words and phrases you are likely to use.

• Use: Google Translate (Free, Android and iOS)

How many times have you pored over a menu in a foreign country desperately trying to order a dish that sounds like something you might recognise?

Google Translate gives you a pretty good idea when translating words or phrases.

Alternatively, point your camera at a text and it translates it immediately.

Pre-download translations to use the app without mobile data.