Five PC apps for smoother traveling

Introduction

I travel almost constantly, so I'm always on the lookout for applications that make life on the road easier. Here are five PC apps that have made my travels more fun and hassle-free.

Note: If you'd prefer to view this information as a blog post, check out this entry in our Five Apps blog.

NeatReceipts

Whether you need to file a travel expense report for the sake of reimbursement or you're saving receipts for tax time, managing travel receipts can be a pain. NeatReceipts simplifies the task by letting you scan receipts into a proprietary database using a portable scanner. It uses OCR to extract information from the item you scan and saves that information in a searchable format alongside an image of the item. NeatReceipts can also create PDF files of scanned items.

NeatReceipts

I use the current version of the NeatReceipts on a regular basis, and I've found only one problem: Multi-page documents or receipts must be scanned as individual pages and then combined. Unfortunately, NeatReceipts tends to combine the pages in random order. It can be challenging to get the pages properly arranged.

Streets & Trips

Another application I use constantly is Microsoft Streets & Trips. This mapping software suite can be invaluable for trip planning. It can give you directions to a destination and includes a database of many points of interest. You can also use it in conjunction with a GPS.

Streets & Trips

Yes, most cell phones do a lot of the same things Streets & Trips does. But when I am planning a trip, it's easier to view information on a full-size computer monitor than to work through the process on a cell phone.

Skype

Cell phones may work well on short trips, but for longer trips, video conferencing via Skype can make the road a bit less lonely.

Skype

There are several Skype rate plans to choose from, but even the free plan allows for one-to-one voice and/or video calls between Skype users. The paid Skype plans offer additional services, such as the ability to place a call to a telephone, SMS messaging, group conferencing, and even the ability to call your Facebook friends.

Flight4all

Anyone who has done much traveling within Europe knows that airfare between European destinations can be expensive. Flight4all is a handy app that checks the rates of all the discount airlines that operate within Europe.

Flight4all

Flight4all includes a wizard that guides you through the process of selecting a departure and arrival airport and a set of travel dates. You can also just use the planner instead. Flight4all lets you base a search on the number of days you'll be gone, which days of the week you want to travel on, or on a set of specific travel dates.

Hotspot Selector

Sometimes, it can be tough to find wireless hotspots if you are in an unfamiliar place. Hotspot Selector is a utility that lets laptop users search for wireless hotspots anywhere in the world.

Hotspot Selector

Hotspot Selector offers a basic search interface that enables you to look for hotspots by site name, street name, town, postal code, or country. Its advanced search interface lets you do a search based on things like connection types, operators, and distance.