These Are the 10 Best Apps for People Who Commute

February 10, 2015 7:00 AM EST

Putting in an honest day’s work can be challenging enough, so commuting shouldn’t make it any harder. But between freak snow storms, soul-crushing traffic, and off-schedule public transit, the daily migration to and from the office can be enough to make a person “work from home.”

Whether you drive, ride, walk, or do a mixture of all three, these ten smartphone apps will help you get to the office (and more importantly, back home) on time and in good spirits.

Driving…

MotionX GPS Drive

Lauded by gear-heads and techies alike, this GPS app does it all, from providing turn-by-turn voice guidance to giving you quick access to nearby pit stops like coffee shops and gas stations. Clear maps, speed limit readouts and lane-assist visuals make it a must-have weapon for any road warrior.

MotionX GPS Drive is available for $.99 on the App Store.

PHOTOS: The Rise of Mobile Phones from 1916 to Today

**1916** A German field telephone station in the Aisne department of northern France during World War I.Paul Thompson—FPG/Getty Images

**1970** French singer and actor Johnny Hallyday in a scene from the film 'Point de Chute' (aka 'Falling Point').Keystone/Holton/Getty Images

**1980** An early mobile phone during the Iranian Embassy siege at Princes Gate in South Kensington, London.Kypros/Getty Images

Bob Maxwell, general manager of Englewood-based Mobile Telephone of Colorado, places a call on FCC-approved radio frequency while driving to work. — **1983** Bob Maxwell, general manager of Englewood-based Mobile Telephone of Colorado, places a call on an FCC-approved radio frequency while driving to work.Lyn Alweis—Denver Post/Getty Images

THE A-TEAM -- "The Say U.N.C.L.E. Affair" Episode 5. (l-r) Eddie Velez as Frankie Santana, Robert Vaughn as General Hunt Stockwell, George Peppard as John 'Hannibal' Smith. — **1986** THE A-TEAM "The Say U.N.C.L.E. Affair" Episode 5. (l-r) Eddie Velez as Frankie Santana, Robert Vaughn as General Hunt Stockwell, George Peppard as John 'Hannibal' Smith.Bill Dow—NBC/Getty Images

Bill Clinton, Ray Flynn — **1992** Democratic presidential nominee Bill Clinton talks on a cell phone while meeting with Boston Mayor Ray Flynn in a New York hotel on Sept. 25.Mark Lennihan—AP

**1993** Whoopi Goldberg during ShoWest in Las Vegas.Jeff Kravitz—FilmMagic/Getty Images

**1997** A farmer with his family sitting on a Bullock Cart and talking on a mobile Phone, in Delhi.India Today Group/Getty Images

World Trade Center Terrorist Attack. — **2001** A woman watches smoke pour out of the World Trade Center Towers in New York on September 11.Nicholas Goldberg—Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images

A rebel militiaman speaks on his mobile phone after capturing territory from government troops on March 25 2 in Ben Jawat, Libya. — **2011** A rebel militiaman speaks on his mobile phone after capturing territory from government troops on March 25 in Ben Jawat, Libya. John Moore—Getty Images

**2011** A youth films the aftermath of tear gas police fired at protestors in Muhammed Mahmoud Street near Tahrir Square on November 23 in Cairo.Peter Macdiarmid—Getty Images

**2012** Audience members take pictures of President Barack Obama at Florida Atlantic University on April 10 in Boca Raton, Florida. Marc Serota—Getty Images

**2014** A teenager takes a selfie in front of Queen Elizabeth II during a walk around St. Georges Market in Belfast. The Queen has apparently voiced her dismay that when she carries out engagements she is greeted by a sea of mobile phones.Peter Macdiarmid—PA Wire/Press Association Images/AP

Triplog

There are few work tasks more mundane — or important — than logging your mileage. Triplog takes the sting out of it by automatically starting when your phone is plugged in and you’re moving faster than five miles per hour. With comprehensive tracking reports that are IRS compliant, Triplog lets drivers focus on the road — not on the paper trail — ahead.

Triplog is available for free on the App Store and Google Play.

ETA

You have places to be, and ETA is all about getting you there. Use this app to tag your usual haunts (home, work, the gym, your favorite bar), and it automatically calculates the length of time required to get there. If you happen to be in some random locale, tapping on your hotspot will give you driving directions in a pinch. ETA even works if you choose to walk, rather than drive. Just swipe right, and ETA toggles between steering and strolling.

ETA is available for $.99 on the App Store.

Waze

Google’s crowdsourced traffic app, Waze, has been making waves lately, with police requesting that the search giant remove the program’s cop-flagging capabilities. But even if Google does that, this app is a favorite among drivers because it shows real-time traffic and road information. With everything from expected-time-of-arrival to reported gas prices (as well as maps and directions, of course), Waze is basically a smart car in a handset, supercharging commutes for weary drivers.

Waze is available for free on the App Store and Google Play.

Walking…

Citymapper

An Apple app of the year for two years running, this trip planner will get you where you want to go by stitching together public transit, bike sharing, ride sharing and walking information into one place. Only available in certain cities (so check the link before you download), the app gives you multiple options for getting to and fro, but the cool part for walkers is how it calculates walking time and calories. Sure, walking apps do that too, but they can’t help you out if you bail on the journey halfway through.

Citymapper is available for free on the App Store and Google Play.

Walk with Map My Walk

If you’re looking to get a workout in on your way to work, this well-trodden walking app is the way to go. Calculating everything from calories burned and speed to elevation and duration, Map My Walk lets you save your information or even integrate it into Apple’s Health app. And if you’ve got co-workers who are also hoofing it, you can share your fitness activity with them through links to social networks such as Facebook and Twitter.

Walk with Map My Walk is available for free on the App Store and Google Play.

Transit

What’s another public transport app doing in the “walking” section? Well, with Transit, it’s all about getting to your destination. So if you’re walking and you suddenly realize that you’ll be late, pull up this app and check out all your nearby options for alternate modes of transportation. Showing nearby departures from various subway and bus lines, as well as how long it will take to hail an Uber, the easy-to-read app will give you a fresh look at your commuting options.

Transit is available for free on the App Store and Google Play.

The 10 Best Classic PC Games You Can Play Right Now

**The Oregon Trail (1990)** Nostalgia for this elementary school library favorite has never faded — probably because they’ve relaunched the game so many times. Originally released in 1971, the Internet Archive’s edition is from 1990, but don’t worry, you can still die of dysentery in it. MECC

**Lemmings 2 - The Tribes (1993)** A cute puzzler, the object of this game is to lead the little rodents to safety, using lemmings’ specialized digging, blasting, and building skills to navigate the landscape of each level. DMA Design Limited/Psygnosis Limited

**Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade - The Action Game (1989)** This 1989 title was a Holy Grail for gamers, because it gave them control of Indiana Jones, one of the 80's coolest characters.Tiertex Ltd./LucasArts, U.S. Gold Ltd.

**Wolfenstein 3D (1992)** The precursor to Doom, Quake, and many of the gore-fests roaring across consoles today, this 1992 first-person shooter has you, as allied spy B.J. Blazkowicz, racing to escape the Nazi's clutches.id Software, Inc./Apogee Software, Ltd.

**4D Prince of Persia (1994)** Children of the 1990s will fondly recall this run-and-jump platformer as a top-notch adventure game, with great graphics and gameplay — and it has infinite lives. Score! Brøderbund/Terebilov KA

**Leisure Suit Larry 1 - Land of the Lounge Lizards (1987)** Tame by today’s standards, this 8-bit, adult-oriented title was the Grand Theft Auto of its time, following the exploits of Larry Laffer as he strolls the city of Lost Wages, looking for love. Sierra On-Line, Inc.

**Dungeons & Dragons - Eye of The Beholder (1991)** Roll the dice in this 1991 Dungeons & Dragons role playing game — there’s nothing like the nostalgia of being a chaotic good paladin roaming the dark passages beneath the city of Waterdeep.Westwood Associates/Strategic Simulations, Inc.

**The Hobbit (1983)** Open door. Go East. Enjoy game. If you want to go really old school, you can turn the graphics off in this text-based game, guiding Bilbo through Middle Earth using only your imagination as your eyes. Milbus Software

**BurgerTime (1982)** Guide Peter Pepper in this hamburger-assembling action game, as he tries to build the biggest mouthfuls while being chased by enemy eggs and pickles and hot dogs.Data East Corporation/Mattel Electronics

**Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego (1985)** This educational title rocked elementary school kids’ worlds back in the 1980s, putting their geography and history smarts to the test. (How would you do with it, today?) Perhaps the best part of this browser version is its throwback sound effects.Bro/derbund Software, Inc.

Riding…

Moovit

If getting there is half the fun — forget that — Moovit only cares about getting you there. This no-nonsense trip planner uses real arrival times to map out a route through public transport, sending updates and push notifications when there are delays. The app also offers real-time buss tracking powered by other users, helping commuters in more than 60 cities from Albany to Wichita.

Moovit is available for free on the App Store, Google Play, and for Windows Phone.

Things

Got time to relax on your ride home? Of course you don’t — you’ve got stuff to do, and Things will help you keep them top of mind. A high-powered to-do list app, this isn’t your average box-checking organizer. Part of a suite of programs designed to keep you on task across your computers, Things pulls up a new list each day. It also lets you tag your items, categorize them any way you please, schedule them for later dates, and group them by project. Dive into it on mass transit to not only extend your day, but be ready for the next one, too.

Things is available for $9.99 on the App Store.

Watchup

If you feel like you have no time to stay current with the news, this personalized video feed is your new companion for your morning and evening commute. Just tell Watchup what kind of news you’re interested in (entertainment, sports, tech, and others) and what time you’d like your newscast ready. Then, using the latest news videos on the web, Watchup will cobble together a program from multiple outlets like Fox News, The Street, the Wall Street Journal, and others.

Watchup is available for free on the App Store and Google Play.

PHOTOS: The Rise of Mobile Phones from 1916 to Today

The 10 Best Classic PC Games You Can Play Right Now

More Must-Reads from TIME