The Ultimate Travel Companion for iPhone – Tripit

We’ve finally consummated our relationship with Tripit, thanks to today’s release of the first official native iPhone app from the creators of the Tripit web site. And best of all, it’s free.

You may have already read our coverage of Tripit here on Touchtip, but in case you haven’t here’s a quick summary of this fantastic service. In a nutshell, Tripit is a travel planning app that builds interactive itineraries for you that go way beyond the simple chronological action lists provided by similar services. Tripit’s itineraries are filled with extra goodies like integrated maps and driving directions, weather, local sightseeing spots, recommended restaurants, and so on. All of this is contained into a single master itinerary that can be easily accessed from web or mobile, and shared with your network of friends.

In this day and age, a handy travel service like Tripit really does require mobile access in order to be truly useful to the traveler. Tripit recognized this early on and for a long time has offered a mobile version of its web site which worked fine on mobile Safari. However, in order to use the mobile web site with your iPhone meant you had to be online. The Tripit iPhone app allows you to access your itineraries online, offline, or in airplane mode.

Part of Tripit’s secret sauce is the way you get your data into the itinerary. There’s no cut-and-paste, no long forms to fill out. You simply forward your travel confirmation emails (flights, hotels, rental cars, reservations) to “plans@tripit.com” and the site does the rest for you. It parses the confirmation emails for dates, times, geographic locations, and other details to put your travel plans into a single view. It then adds interactive maps and supplemental information that add tremendous value to your itineraty. Tripit is a must-use service for any frequent traveler.

In addition to having online and offline iPhone access to your itineraries, the iPhone app gives you one-tap maps and directions. Information about airlines, restaurants, hotels and other travel services are also linked into your itinerary. And any phone numbers listed here will be auto linked so you can tap for quick calls on your iPhone.

The Tripit iPhone app is a terrific first release, but it is missing a couple of key features found on the web site. One of the great things about the web version is its social aspect that enables you to share itineraries with your network. There’s also the ability to locate members of your network who may be traveling in the same geographical location as you at the same time. Both of these features make Tripit ideal for travel groups like family vacations or company events.

The free Tripit iPhone app is an essential part of any iPhone traveler’s toolkit. Don’t leave home without it.

• Tripit for iPhone and iPod touch – Free [app store]

 

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