Here are five new apps that employ algorithms, geo-location and insider knowledge to make your travel adventures smarter.

 

Triposo
Free, Google Play, Apple

Described as the “number one app for people who appreciate spontaneity and serendipity”, Triposo creates travel guides and maps using algorithms and data from the internet. Open the app in the destination you have arrived in, and it will use geo-location co-ordinates to recommend places of interest near you.

It will also tell you the weather forecast, where the police station is, the nearest bus stops and hotels, and the best spots to eat and drink based on millions of online user reviews. The MiniGuides also give you access to really niche experiences, from brewpubs in Buffalo to street food in Hanoi.

So far it has had more than six million downloads and covers 45,000 destinations – and the great thing is you can use it offline so you won’t rack up hefty roaming charges.

Urbanologie
£100 per year, Google Play, Apple

Dubbed a “must-have VIP app”, virtual members’ club Urbanologie gives you the lowdown on the latest hotel and restaurant openings, trendy pop-ups, must see exhibitions, and coolest bars and clubs in five major business cities (London, LA, New York, Dubai and Miami). It’s also covers Ibiza, Montenegro and Mallorca.

The guides are updated on a daily basis using a network of locally based freelancers and in-house staff, and often reveal news before any other outlet to help you stay ahead of the game. There’s also a clever pull-out map that works well on touchscreens.

Dojo
Free, Google Play, Apple

City discovery app Dojo began in London and, from this summer, also came online in Paris. The platform “carefully curates suggestions of places to go and things to do based on a user’s location, past-behaviour, local time and weather” based on an algorithm.

Dojo’s vision for the end of next year is for people to be able to arrive in any city, check into a room with Airbnb, book an Uber and find the coolest bars, restaurants, sights and events day by day, all via the app.

It also integrates Citymapper, Apple Maps and Google Maps, as well as instant messaging via Whatsapp, and allows users to search for inspiration by category (think Street Food, Rooftop Bars and Just Opened).

Seasonal Cities
Free, Apple (cities cost 79p each)

Disappointed that you can’t do the bike ride you planned? This app will suggest things to do in 11 cities (including Barcelona, Berlin, New York, Rome, Moscow and Shanghai) based on real-time weather forecasts.

Rewritten by professional journalists every three months, the travel guides provide five recommendations for shops, restaurants, bars, clubs, events, sights and hotels according to the season and across a range of budgets.

You can use it to build an itinerary up to three days ahead and see places of interest geo-tagged on maps. Seasonal Cities was created by editor and travel journalist Marcus Waring.

Ventoura
Free, Google Play, Apple

This peer-to-peer app launched in the spring and is designed to help people connect with locals in the places they are travelling to. They can set up tours (for a fee), meetings or hangouts, and get insider tips. All you have to do is publish your itinerary on your profile and then start talking to fellow travellers or residents.

The app also recently partnered with British Airways meaning you can book BA and Oneworld partner flights at the same time as creating your programme. It can be used in 30 European cities including London, Barcelona, Paris, Madrid and Amsterdam.

By Jenny Southan

For more new travel apps, look out for the October edition of Business Traveller magazine.