The essential tool for every globe trotter is fast becoming the Smartphone. Phone applications are these days as much a travel companion as a passport, with apps that can help travellers to start planning holidays, point in the direction of the best restaurants and entertainment, or even act as a personal translator.

With a large selection of travel apps now available on the Windows Phone platform, Aussie travellers can have the world at their fingertips. So for those people planning to escape the Aussie Winter, Windows Phone has listed ten of the top travel apps to ensure a smooth holiday:

Qantas

Available exclusively on Microsoft's Windows Phone, the free Qantas app will make travelling easier than ever before by helping passengers keep abreast of the current status of their Qantas flight schedule and prompting them to check in. In an Australian first for any airline, the app works out the customer's current GPS location and factors in the estimated travel time required to get to the airport. A 'Live Tile' on the start screen will prompt them when it's time to leave - helping the customer arrive in time for the booked flight.

goCatch

For something a little more local, goCatch enables people to see where taxis are on the goCatch map and allows passengers and taxi drivers to connect directly using their Smartphones. Passengers can rate drivers out of 5 stars. Available in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and now even taxis in Croatia and Singapore.

my Trips

Once the trip is booked this app acts as a mobile travel itinerary as it synchronises travel plans and shows people a list of upcoming flights, accommodation, car rental and other travel plans. Additionally My Trips will give travellers detailed flight information such as departure and arrival dates, times and locations, confirmation numbers, airline information and passenger information.

Once synchronised, MyTrips works offline so there is no need for a Wi-Fi or mobile internet connection to view travel plans. Travellers can also Tweet and post to Facebook so friends and family can keep up with their holiday. 

Polyglot

Polyglot is your personal translator which puts the power of multilingual translation in the palm of your hand. The ability to translate text back-and-forth between more than 30 languages, as well as playback audio of the translation and voice-to-text, means that this app is the perfect companion for trips anywhere in the world.

XE Currency

This app provides live rates and charts of every currency and precious metal in the world. It allows people to simultaneously monitor up to 10 currencies and can even be used offline with the latest rates stored in the phone.

SkyDrive

For those travelling for business, SkyDrive from Microsoft is the place to store your files so you can access them from virtually any place or device. Windows Phone has built-in access to SkyDrive right from the Office and Pictures hubs. It can also automatically upload pictures to SkyDrive, so they are backed up straight away. SkyDrive makes sure those picture memories are stored safely. 

Skyscanner

Looking for the best price on a flight? Casual holiday makers and frequent flyers alike will love this app which searches millions of routes across over 1,000 airlines to find the cheapest flight to a desired destination. Keep track of the prices by creating a Live Tile on the Windows Phone which will give hourly updates on flight prices for the selected route.

Lonely Planet Top Cities 2011

Need help on deciding where to go? Check out this app which lists some of the top destinations around the globe. For each city, Lonely Planet's travelling authors reveal the facts, fun activities and travel opportunities to add to the 'things to see' list. 

Ispeedy

This app allows people to book flights, hotels and cars in Australia and in some international destinations. People can also change a flight, check-in and generate a flight boarding pass, enabling them to board the flight using Windows Phone at any airport with mobile check-in facilities. 

World Clock

Travelling through time zones can often mean people lose track of what time zones they are in. World clock will ensure travelers keep track on the time in multiple cities around the world, and also make sure that those calls to family and friends are at reasonable hours! 

More information and for prices on apps available on Windows Phone........