If you’re planning a trip to a foreign land – where people speak a foreign language – you will want to plan for some lost in translation moments.

Gaps in understanding caused by a language barrier can be funny . . . or they can get you turned around in a strange city, in a really scary way. Fortunately, you can take control of the situation with some very simple solutions. Here are five great translation apps for travelers:

Google Translate. This is a free app with the Google name on it. You’d probably think it doesn’t get much better than that, and you’d probably be right. Google Translate delivers accurate translations in sixty-three languages. Plus, it can handle voice input for seventeen languages and perform text to speech translations in twenty-four languages.

Word Lens. Imagine being able to aim your phone’s camera lens at a sign, snap a picture, and instantly receive a translation of the words on the sign. With Word Lens, you can do exactly that. It’s a novel idea that could come in handy in an endless variety of situations. Word Lens is compatible with English, French and Spanish.

Vocre. This app is perfect for when you need to have a one-on-one conversation with someone who speaks a foreign language, and you don’t have a translator. Simply put your phone in between you and the other person and tap the screen when it’s your turn to talk. Vocre will serve as the translator for both you and your conversation partner.

Jibbigo. Developed by Lonely Planet, a company famous for publishing high-quality travel guides since the 1970s, Jibbigo is a handy, off-line app that allows you to speak a word or phrase into your phone in order to get an immediate translation. The app even speaks the translation for you, so you don’t have to worry about bungling the pronunciation when you’re in a travel-related bind.

Language Guides by World Nomads. This is a super-simple app that basically acts as a storehouse for hundreds of common phrases in twenty-five different languages. The phrases are organized into categories – like directions, food, dates, numbers, and introductions – for easy reference. What’s more is that the basic app, containing over two-hundred phrases, is free . . . and the paid version (with over five-hundred phrases) will only set you back $1.99.

As you can see, there is no shortage of apps designed specifically for you, the language-handicapped traveler. Avoid many of the common bungles and pitfalls associated with being a tourist in a strange land by arming yourself with these five awesome translation apps.

About the Author: Loria Hyser loves to travel and is always looking for apps to keep her life simple. She’s currently planning a Brazil tour and when she returns she’ll be working on planning a trip to Indonesia.

Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net – Stuart Miles