London can be a tricky place at times, which if why we often rejoice in our Smart phones and how easy they can make life for us. From daily exercise to getting about town, it helps to have a little army of helpers in your pocket.

We began to put together a list of some of the best apps that will help you with London life but realised there are actually quite a few that are worth mentioning (also quite a few that were fun) so we are doing a two part post, the second installment of which will be with you tomorrow.

Best for buses is the London Bus Live Countdown : Now that it’s winter you won’t want to be standing out in the cold waiting on a bus that you’ve just missed. With this app you can leave just at the right time to catch your bus as it has the same count down as the shelters have. It also shows you the direction in which buses are going for anyone, like us that have a little trouble working out which side of the road they should be on. (free)

Best for tubes is the Journey Pro London UK App : This app does the same thing as the bus one but for tubes – no more waiting around on platforms or wondering what time the last train is. It also gives you travel times and service updates. (free)

If you are more of a driver or cycler around the city then you need Traffic View London : This app is amazing as it actually shows you what the roads look like through the CCtv cameras. A great and up to the minute way to avoid traffic. (free)

A little help with cycling is given by the London Cycle Maps and Routes App : You can pin point where you want to cycle to and this app works out the best possible routes. You can also save your favourite routes for when you might want to use them again.

Had a rough day? Want to destroy the world? Your Oyster Card ran out, your boss screamed at you and it started raining when you didn’t bring your umbrella in? Then download Traffic Panic London for your way home. You can take all your frustrations out on the tube as you rampage through London with a tank and smash through Big Ben. (free)

If you’re not angry with the world, you’re just bored then why not help out a hob with ihobo? iHobo is a little bit like a vagrant homeless tamagotchi. He sleeps and lives on your phone and you need to feed him and keep him warm and dry. If he get’s himself into trouble then you get notified and have to sort it out.

Getting home in a rush, got caught in the rain? In one of those areas that just has no cabs? No matter, install Hailo, the free cab app on your phone. Hailo finds where you are and send the nearest cab straight to you. It also eliminates that age old problem of having no cash as you can make the payment for your ride home on your phone.

Need a drink at the end of a long day but want to go somewhere a bit different? Try the Barchick app that lists all sorts of great bars by type, location, price and more. It may not be quite as slick in design as some of it’s contemporaries but it certainly does a good job.
Another app that’s not totally easy on the eye but does a brilliant job is the Aroundme app. Click on the category of anything you fancy finding and Aroundme will find the nearest option to you.

Hopefully the rest of your week will turn out much smoother after you get all these onto your phone. Tomorrow we’ll be listing the best London apps under a pound as sadly they’re not all nice and free like these ones.