State Department Launches iPhone Travel App

WASHINGTON -- The State Department now has an app for intrepid travelers and wary tourists alike that will offer danger alerts, provide directions to the nearest U.S. embassy or just help keep itineraries straight.

The new "Smart Traveler" for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, released Tuesday, allows easy access to information on the department's travel website.

The app provides frequently updated travel alerts and warnings, maps, embassy locations and updated country information. It also allows travelers to enroll in the U.S. government's free Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) so they can receive consular help in case of an emergency while in another country.

In addition, the app offers useful information on entry and exit requirements, local penalties for criminal offenses such as drug possession and a customized itinerary planner. For those long layovers in foreign airports, the app offers information on random countries at the shake of the iPhone.

"We created this app because political upheaval and natural disasters – whether earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, or hurricanes - can happen anywhere, anytime," the State Department said in an email to The Huffington Post. "We wanted a way to let Americans traveling abroad find out what’s going on and get alerts and warnings quickly and easily."

While the app is free, the roaming charges one might have to pay to get up-to-the-minute warnings about the latest civil unrest or tsunami are not.