App: TripAdvisor.
Available on: Apple, Android, Windows and BlackBerry devices.
Cost: Free.
TripAdvisor is known for its community of users who review hotels, but the site and its smartphone apps also include information on several restaurants and vacation attractions, says DeRenzo.
Reviewers are average people, not professional critics, so it's possible that some reviews may not be accurate, says Kissiloff. For that reason, he says if one person's evaluation is really good or really bad, he tends to disregard it.
Fortunately, the popularity of the app means restaurants and attractions tend to have multiple reviews from several users. "On balance, I've found that if you read 10 or more reviews, you can generally see what people think about a place," says Kissiloff.
"For many people, TripAdvisor is a trusted name they know, so a lot of people will turn to them," says DeRenzo. People who use the app get the benefit of using a product that's simpler and less cluttered than the website, with easy-to-find search options by price and location, he says.