Smartphones and handheld tablets are changing the way we interact, from minute-by-minute updates on Facebook and Twitter to daily photo sharing with Instagram. They're also making travel easier than ever before, with simple applications like currency converters, Wi-Fi finders and the ever useful digital map, making exploring the furthest reaches of the planet just a flick of the finger away.

Luckily for guests at luxury vacation rentals, these mobile devices allow travelers to stay connected to family and friends back home. If you happen to be bringing your smartphone along for your luxury getaway, here are some apps that you simply have to download:

Instagram

Even though it's totally free to use, Instagram was recently bought out by Facebook for an astonishing $1 billion - not too shabby for a company that has been around for little more than a year. This fun and easy-to-use app allows you to make all of your vacation photos retro and cool, while giving you the chance to instantly share your vacation with friends and relatives wherever they are. Be sure to tag your images with a location, especially if you're staying at luxury rentals, so that you can keep a personal catalogue of all the amazing places you've been.

Gogobot

Imagine Instagram, Yelp and a travel magazine all rolled into one. With Gogobot, you can post photos of your luxury getaway and provide a review of accommodations, locations and restaurants to an audience of hundreds of thousands of users. Like Instagram, you can edit your photos to look like they were taken with a vintage camera. Once you get your photos online, you can become a travel authority and let everyone know about secret restaurants and hidden beach coves you happened upon during your getaway.

TripIt

There's nothing worse than losing your trip itinerary, and if you're still fumbling with a manila folder filled with printed plane tickets, it's time to enter the 21st century with the TripIt application. With this handy program, you can organize not only your flight information, but also your daily itinerary as you travel around the areas near your vacation rental. If you're exploring wine country while staying at villas in France, this application will make it easier for you to keep track of all the vineyards.

Weather Channel

You won't have to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit if you have the Weather Channel app, which allows you to be one step in front of the forecast. Rainy days ahead? You might want to change your plan to go on a bike ride through Tuscany and instead spend the day at a museum. This application has forecasts up to 10 days in advance, so no matter how long you're staying at luxury rentals, you can rest assured that you'll have enough time to reconfigure your itinerary if the weather turns sour.

Are you interested in luxury vacation rentals?  Contact Villas of Distinction today at 800.289.0900 where a qualified villa expert will help you explore which luxury villa best suits your lifestyle.