Apps: Planning that vacation

It's spring break season, which hopefully means a vacation and some time with friends and family. Whether you are planning a flight or a road trip, hoping to hit the beach or want to see how much snowfall your favorite ski resort is getting, we have some app recommendations for you.

Hipmunk
(iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android; free)
Flying to an exotic location can lead to exciting adventures, but delays are a real pain. Hipmunk sorts flight options by a proprietary "agony" index, which accounts for factors such as layovers, flight delays and price. Once you decide on the least painful approach, the app connects you to either a third-party airline booking site such as Orbitz or the desired airline itself. Reviews from TripAdvisor are published in the app, and when you are ready to book, you are shown prices from various sites such as Hotels.com. Hipmunk's concept makes travel planning more fun (or at least a little less painful).

HipGeo
(iPhone, iPod Touch; free)
Part social network and part trip journal, this app lets you chronicle all the locations and experiences you enjoy on your vacation. Don't feel like tapping into the app to document every action? No worries. Let HipGeo's auto-record feature do the work for you. The app also lets you view "streams" posted by other travelers in your vicinity.

Sports Illustrated Swimsuit
(iPhone, iPod Touch; free with subscription)
The annual and iconic Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition comes alive with this free app, which does require a one-time fee of $6.99 (free for SI magazine subscribers) to unlock all the images and other premium content. The 2012 edition, also available on iPads and Android tablets through the regular SI magazine app, comes equipped with nearly 70 videos from exotic locales across the globe. Not only does it contain every photo in high resolution, but you can also rotate images 360 degrees, take advantage of pinch and zoom features, and even watch on Apple TV through AirPlay.

Ski & Snow Report
(iPhone, iPod Touch, Android; free)
While snowfall is a little low this year, there is no shortage of skiing information available through this free app for iOS and Android devices. View up-to-date info from participating resorts all around the globe, including open trails, recent snowfall, trail maps and more.

RoadNinja
(iPhone, iPod Touch; free)
If the interstate is your preferred route of travel, make sure to bring this handy app along for the ride. RoadNinja publishes information about what can be found at about 30,000 highway exits throughout the United States. Using your iPhone's global positioning system technology, RoadNinja can inform you ahead of time about where you can exit the turnpike for a bathroom break, a bite to eat or an entertaining roadside attraction. Have something good or bad to say about a particular stop? Share your thoughts through the app on Facebook or Twitter.

This story was compiled with reports from  Appolicious.com and Tribune Media Services