Vacations can oftentimes be more tiring than relaxing with that many things you have to plan, keep track of and carry around. This is especially true when it comes to family holidays. Bringing all the luggage, essential needs, maps, games, books, it takes a lot of your mental space. This is the time to consider the full potential of your smartphone.

It’s like Mary Poppins’ magic bag. It has in it everything you need, with few unexpected hidden adventures here and there. It is sure to relieve you of extra luggage as well as stress that comes with it. Here are some notable apps to make your trip both easy and fun in a modern way.

Packing and Planning

Popular and widespread apps such as TripIt and Uber have become indispensable for many travelers. But now there is a family-friendly uber drive service called UberFamily, that provides the seatbelts for children and other facilities.

A PackPoint packing list is of tremendous help when it comes to preparations. Based on the destination’s weather, length of the trip and activities you’re planning, the app will tell you what to bring with you and prepare a checklist.

Nursing

Nursing moms on the go will find apps such as Mamava and Sound Sleeper extremely helpful. Mamava is intended for moms and their babies to find lactation rooms in new cities, or other quiet, private and secure places for breastfeeding and pumping. Even where such facilities are provided, it can be hard to locate them, and with this app, you can find comments, ratings, and tips from other moms.

Sound Sleeper has various sounds of nature and white noise that will put your baby to sleep in seconds. Also, you can play your own recordings and track baby’s sleep pattern. Unlike noise machines, it is easy to carry around with yourself.

Stop-By

When you’re out venturing there are some facilities you need to be close to when you have your kids with you. SitOrSquat will help you find the nearest restrooms and you can filter out the results depending on your needs.

KIDzOUT is a similar app that helps you find diaper changing stations, but also kid-friendly facilities, restaurants with kids menus, playgrounds and other fun activities. You can check and single out the details concerning these places.

To avoid extra charges, you’d want to know where the nearest WiFi zones are. With Free WiFi Finder you can find the nearest places where you can connect to.

Entertainment

Yuggler is the number one app when it comes to finding fun family activities, events, and attractions. Based on the weather or type of entertainment you’re seeking it can provide you with a full-time entertainment program during your trip, with comments and recommendations from other users. Dragons Adventure World Explorer can also bring imaginative activity to kids who love fantasy. And, of course, My Disney Experience is what you’ll need upon visiting Disneyland, and maybe all you’ll need.

A different type of entertainment can be old school postcard sending with Postino or Touchnote. Keeping a Trip Journal will be both good for your child’s growth and lovely to have as a memory later on. Among the most popular, however,  is the Postagram, which is another modern and creative way of sending postcards to loved ones.

Learning and Exploring

Sometimes the best and the most engaging entertainment springs out of curiosity and learning. Traveling is a great opportunity for broadening knowledge, experiences, and tastes. PeaPod apps are a big learning base for toddlers. If bored during long trips, you can use this time to teach them colors, letters, numbers and more. Duolingo is another app that lets you and your kids learn the basics of different languages, which is not only fun but useful when they arrive in a foreign country. With this, consider Travel Bingo for entertainment during the trip.

For cultural, geographical and historical exploration you can check out the UNESCO World Heritage app, which describes in detail the world’s most famous cultural sites. Also, CamFind, with just a quick photo of a building, you can find out the story behind it. Sights and streets are not all, the stars can be a sight to behold as well. With Star Walk 2 you can find out more about constellations and celestial bodies in 3D above you.

Also, with more modern ways and facilities that help you travel around, more and more families are quickly adopting this lifestyle. You can always check in with their blogs and look and see them share some Pretty sweet experiences, itineraries, and tips.