Arriving in a foreign city where you don’t know anyone and don’t know your way around can be a daunting prospect. Thankfully, that’s where your mobile phone can come to your aid.

A few weeks ago, I looked at Nokia’s own location tools on the Nokia Asha 311, but there are plenty of third party apps that could also prove useful when you are travelling.

Having just returned from my own holiday, I can speak with some experience that installing the right travel apps on your phone can make a real difference.

Here are some free apps in the Nokia Store for your Asha device that can help you make the most of your trips abroad.

TaxiPal

While I am not above slumming it with the locals on public transport, there is no doubt that riding in a taxi is a great time saver and much, much more convenient.

TaxiPal is a comprehensive taxi directory and booking application that covers 31 countries and nearly 3000 cities.

It is particularly reassuring because knowing which local taxi companies that are safe to use is often half the battle.

Currency Converter

Unless you are very handy at maths, then one of the major bugbears of travelling is constantly working out what the local currency means in your ‘real’ money.

Am I alone in thinking that foreign banknotes always looks like monopoly money? It’s a dangerous mindset to get into. What you need is a Currency Converter app to help you stay on top of your holiday spending.

This app is extremely simple to use and lets you convert over 20 major currencies.

Translator

Native English speakers are notoriously bad at learning other languages and, unfortunately, I am no different. 

Not being able to speak the local language is always a handicap, despite English being so widely spoken – trying to order food is always an adventure when there are no pictures on the menu.

Personally, I have always found that making the effort to at least say simple things, such as hello and thank you, goes a long way. That’s where this Translator app comes in handy. In a quick test, I found that its English to Filipino (Tagalog) translation was spot on. Salamat.

World Clocks

After converting currencies, the other numerical headache that blights the modern traveller is the time difference.

Trying to stay abreast of important events (OK, football kick off times) in one time zone while living in another time zone proved beyond my jetlagged brain.

Thankfully apps, such as World Clocks, saves your brain the unnecessary hassle of working out the time on the other side of the world.

Smart Travelling App

Key to a happy holiday experience is a stress-free journey to your destination and then staying in a good hotel.

This all-in-one app helps you to search for flight information and hotels in all corners of the world.

Once you arrive and get settled in your room, what you do with your holiday is entirely up to you. For guides to multiple destinations, search the City Guides and Maps category of the Nokia Store.

Alternatively, of course, you can also use Nokia Nearby to discover places of interest wherever you are.

Are there are any other travel apps that you can recommend for the Nokia Asha phones? Let us know in the comments below.