Standing at the terminal on a recent trip to Japan, I faced a small but nagging question: Should I pay an extra $70 each way to select my seat? It was the longest flight I’d ever taken, and I wanted to arrive as comfortable and pain-free as possible…

I just returned from a two-week solo trip to Japan. Whether you’re traveling across the world or just heading out of town for a few days, a few simple apps can take the mystery out of being in a foreign land and make your trip so much more fun.