It’s crazy to think that the small computers we carry around in our pockets have everything we need accessible with just a few clicks. Nowadays, if you go to the Apple app store for iPhones and other iOS devices, or the Google Play store for Android, you’ll find one for basically any issue you might have, and for traveling it’s no different.
Apps can assist you in a variety of ways. Whether you need to find a restaurant to eat, convert currency, or find unusual, off-the-beaten-path activities, these applications can help take those tasks off your plate by providing answers in seconds or less.
So if you’re headed on your next trip and want to get all the tips on the best apps to download before you set off, keep reading!
Accommodations
Best for Number of Accommodations: Booking.com
Booking.com is an online trip planning and booking app that lets you book hotels, hostels, and homestays. Apart from offering cheap prices, Booking.com also offers a genius rewards program that gives you discounts and other perks the more you travel. Booking.com also helps you easily check in, make cancellations, update credit card information, and more.
The app is quite handy to contact the hotel or lodging host and manage your reservations while on a road trip.
Try searching for hotels using the app since some hotels have a "mobile-only price" that is cheaper than reserving on the internet.
Best for Monthly/Long-Term Accommodations: Airbnb
You can reserve shared or private rooms, as well as full homes, on Airbnb for short or extended periods of time. If you're searching for a monthly or long-term stay, this is definitely the best option since most hosts provide discounts for stays of more than 28 nights.
Airbnb can provide a more local experience than reserving a hotel room given some hosts are frequent travelers who wish to give back to the travel community by sharing their homes. They can also provide itinerary advice and even spend time with you.
Additionally, you can locate experiences on Airbnb that help you to better understand the local culture and traditions.
Best for Last-Minute Deals on Hotels: HotelTonight
This is definitely your best option if you need to book a hotel for the same day, whether due to a change of plans or a spontaneous vacation.
HotelTonight negotiates deals with hotels for unsold rooms, letting you reserve last-minute places and save money. Simple categories allow you to search for the kind of hotel you want to stay in, and you can book with only a few taps. Additionally, the longer you use the app, the greater the discounts you will receive.
Transportation Apps
Best for booking flights: Skyscanner
Are you searching for cheap flights? By presenting a vast number of travel options from all airlines, Skyscanner assists you in customizing your vacation.
Skyscanner is the perfect tool to guide you in planning a multi-destination trip, looking for the lowest prices from your city to any destination worldwide. It’s also helpful for checking on flight delays, wait times, and layovers, as the mobile app will send you notifications and flight alerts if you want.
Use the filters to find exactly what you're searching for, or search "anywhere" for ideas on where to go and when to go. After that, Skyscanner will provide you with a list of providers along with a link to their website where you can complete your booking.
Best for Navigating: Waze, Maps.me & Google Maps
For all road trippers, it can be challenging to navigate a new place when you first arrive. And, while touring the city without a map can be enjoyable and lead to the discovery of interesting and beautiful sites, it's always a good idea to rely on technology in the event of an emergency.
Google Maps is perhaps the most famous navigation app, and it has an offline version if you don't have access to the internet. You can also use Waze, which provides traffic, toll information, and even the least expensive gas stations.
If you want to go hiking, Maps.me can help you out since it offers a lot of routes that you won't find on most web maps. You can use your maps offline by downloading them which will help you save data as well.
Best for Itinerary Mapping: Rome2Rio
Are you looking for the quickest or cheapest way to get to a specific location using your car, a rental car, or public transportation? Rome2Rio is perhaps the most comprehensive itinerary mapping tool, including local buses and trains that are frequently unavailable on other programs such as Google Maps.
Simply enter your departure point and destination, and you'll be presented with all of the possible options, along with a pricing range and a link to the operator.
Best for flight tracking: FlightStats
Flight stats gives you real-time flight details and airport tracking, as well as the ability to share flight details such as departure and arrival times, disruptions, and even weather conditions.
It will also provide terminal and gate information, allowing you to avoid walking around the airport looking for information, which is very useful if you are running late. Use it to find flight information or to follow the flights of your friends or family so you know when to join them.
Best for Rides: Uber & Lyft
Rather than taking a taxi, consider downloading a ridesharing app ahead of time. In some places of the world, these apps can be safer than regular taxis, and they have the added benefit of upfront pricing.
While not all countries permit ridesharing, the majority of them offer at least one option. Before your vacation, do some research to see whether ridesharing applications are available locally in the destination you'll be visiting. The most common ones tend to be Uber and Lyft, with Uber currently available in 71 countries.
General Travel Planning
Best for Reviews and Planning: Tripadvisor
Whether you're looking for a restaurant, attraction, tour, or adventure, Tripadvisor has a lot of them, and you can read reviews from other people about them. Millions of customers have left reviews on the platform, which can help you find information and plan your vacation.
Want to go on an organized vacation but aren't sure if it'll be safe? Check Tripadvisor to see if it's already listed and read the comments left by other guests.
Best for Automatically Organizing Itineraries: TripIt
You can use TripIt to organize your travel itinerary if you don't want to spend time doing it yourself. Send TripIt all of your flight, hotel, and other reservation confirmations, and it will add all of them to their planned itinerary.
Everything, including PDFs, boarding tickets, pictures, and other travel documentation, will be in one spot.
You can also get safety advice and help for your trips, such as vaccine requirements, admission restrictions, and valuable app recommendations.
Money
Best for Currency Conversion Info: XE Currency Converter
Have you ever been in a place where the currency is different from your own, ready to purchase something, but you're not sure how much it actually costs?
Download the XE app and you'll be able to check currency exchange rates from and to each and every currency in the world, with rates updated every minute. You can add your desired currencies on the home page so that you can view them at any moment.
Best for Borderless Accounts and Transfers: Wise (Formerly TransferWise)
Wise is an app that lets you send and receive money in just about all currencies from everywhere in the world.
Users can also request a debit card that works anywhere in the world and lets them pay or withdraw money in a variety of currencies for a modest cost and at the current exchange rate.
It's also possible to get account numbers for several places so that you can accept bank transfers from all across the world without having to pay high fees.
Languages
Best for Translation: Google Translate
Even though you might be able to get around in several countries only speaking English, you may encounter locals who do not speak any other language. And gestures are a universal language that can only take you so far.
Google Translate can be quite useful in instances where you are unable to converse, not to mention ordering food when there is no English menu available. Knowing what you're asking for is always a good idea.
It's a good option to get the offline version of the app ahead of time so you can use it to ask inquiries in restaurants, marketplaces, or other areas where wifi isn't available.
Best Free App for Lessons: Duolingo
If you don't want to lean on Google Translate for the whole of your journey, learn a few simple phrases and sentences in the language of your destination.
Duolingo is a fantastic software for learning the fundamentals of a different language, from writing to reading to pronunciation. You can study several languages for free with the basic version.
Duolingo won't make you fluent, but it will help you learn crucial words and expressions that will help you communicate.
Other Useful Apps To Try
In addition to the main entries on our list, check out the apps listed below:
- Hopper for airline prices
- PackPoint for customized packing lists
- Citymapper for offline maps without an internet connection
- Kayak for airfare and hotel information
- GasBuddy for tracking gas prices without the hassle
- LoungeBuddy for locating premium airport lounges
Conclusion
Using travel apps during your next getaway will significantly improve your vacation by taking care of a lot of the details that you might not have time or energy to organize.
When you're on the road, use these applications to make your life easier and more convenient. This way you can devote your time and attention to the things that are important on a vacation: having fun, discovering, relaxing in the sun, and creating memories.
Don’t forget that before embarking on your adventurous trip or much-needed holiday, a little forethought and awareness can go a long way, for example, going over the swimsuits you’ll be needing for your trip and giving your collection a little update with the new La Blanca styles. Head to our website to check out all the one-pieces, bikinis, and cover-ups you’ll need!
Sources:
25 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in the World | PlanetWare
22 Best Travel Apps Every Traveler Should Know About | Travel + Leisure