When it comes to travelling, the world truly is our oyster. But technology really can open it up even further. Research has shown that using a smartphone and the apps available to the adventurous traveller can make planning, booking and exploring the world more informative, exciting and in many ways, a lot easier.

Apps have been created for a wide range of purposes, and this shortlist helps us to find just a few that may make travelling a better experience for you.

Hotels, hostels, guest houses and more

Whatever your budget, you'll be wanting to find somewhere to stay. Rather than taking a gamble, many would agree that having access to a review site is a wise way of finding accommodation that has been previously rated well by other travellers. Two such apps include Orbitz and TripAdvisor, which offers lots of photos that have been uploaded by people, rather than those stock photos we often find on the advertiser's website. This gives us a true representation of the hotel and the app makes it quick and easy to search different accommodations seamlessly.

Camping more your thing?

When it comes to camping, a decent campsite is about more than just good toilets. You'll want to be close to local anemities, as well as knowing the campsite is safe, of course. iCampsite is one app to help you locate a campsite from over 9000 acorss the UK and Europe. You can filter results to suit your exact preferences and locate campsites using GPS coordinates.

Too much to read?

When you're on the go, booking tickets for accommodation and travel can be a minefield. So much to book, so many bits of paperwork, and too many terms and conditions to read! This can lead any traveller to a disorganised state. So, to make it easier for you, download an app to help. TripIt and TripCase are two such apps, which automatically collate the most essential travel information from your confirmation emails, so that you are presented with an easy to understand, chronological itinerary.

Last minute changes

Any traveller who wants to truly feel free will want to be able to make quick, last minute plans or changes so that they can take advantage of whatever it is they have found interest in. Befriended a group of like-minded people and want to spend an extra night with them? Realised there is a festival on and don't want to miss it? You don't always have to turn away from these opportunities; after all, that's what travelling is all about. So, download a few apps on your smartphone that can help you to live the trip you want filter apps. HotelTonight and Roomer allow you to find inexpensive accommodation alternatives quickly. Gogobot is another app you won't want to live without. It can help you find places to eat and sleep based on where you're staying and your personal preferences.

Ever think the USA has a lack of roundabouts?

In the UK, roundabouts are the norm. Travelled too far in the car? That's OK, simply turn around at the next roundabout. But, if you're travelling in the USA, you'll find a distinct lack of roundabouts and if you travel too far, it could be that you're waiting 30 minutes until the next exit. Ah - cue the next app. iExit tells you the various services that are at different highway exits, so you can decide to turn off when you like. Roadtrippers is another suitable app for car travel. This app finds all the highly rated USA roadside attractions that are near your route.

How I hate not having signal

Well, any traveller is likely to go out of range of any 3G signal or wifi every now and again. This deems your smartphone useless, so get an app that works well offline. Maps.Me is a great example, as it keeps your maps offline. It's also very accurate, even if you find yourself off the beaten path. Don't waste your storage space downloading too many maps for offline use, though. It really can take up a lot of space on your phone - valuable storage space you'll want to use on videos and photos of your travels!

How about a bit of packing

Trouble knowing what to pack? If you find it a struggle, apps like PackPoint, discussed on TechRadar's blog post, is a good app for you. It tells you everything you need to pack depending on where you're going. A handy app for those less organised amongst us!

For more great travel apps, timeout.com discusses over 50 different travel apps to suit any traveller's need.

Gemma is a long time experienced writer, interested in exploring and discussing technology related topics as well as new and current issues in the tech industry. Gemma has worked for Regizmo, a leading iPhone spare parts supplier, for some time now, and has written similar articles discussing topics that include working on the go, connecting to wifi in different countries, business travel advice, and a vast range of other tech/travel topics.