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In the modern age of travel, your smart phone is the best tool to have on hand. From booking accommodations and transportation to budgeting and translations, there’s an app (or several) to help make every facet of travel easier. Over the years I’ve tried out a number of apps to see what works and what doesn’t, and to come up with this list of my favorite travel apps.
Contents
1. Itinerary2. Flights
3. Hotels & Accommodations
4. Transportation
5. Maps & Navigation
6. Money Matters
7. Language & Translation
8. Communication
9. Inspiration & Tracking
Itinerary
TripIt
I’ve been using the TripIt app for years and it is definitely among my very favorite travel apps that I use for every single trip. TripIt is an app for your trip itinerary where you can add the name and dates of your trip along with all your reservations and plans. It’s very user friendly to add your trip reservations as you can choose to have TripIt automatically scan your emails for travel confirmations or manually forward them to a designated email address. My partner likes TripIt to automatically import his travel plans from his email while I use a combination of forwarding the confirmations to the designated email address and manually adding plans in the app.
The app allows you to add the dates, times, addresses, confirmation numbers, and many other details of your itinerary which can be helpful to have saved in one spot. Another nice feature is that the app will remind you of your upcoming travel, including reminders to check in for flights or if you’re missing accommodations for part of your trip. Additionally, the TripIt app works offline so having cell phone service isn’t required to view the itinerary you have planned. All your past trips are saved in the app, so if you can’t quite remember when you took that trip to Tokyo or the name of that fabulous hotel you stayed at in London, TripIt has you covered.
One of my favorite features is the ability to add other TripIt users to trips, either as fellow travelers or simply as viewers. My partner will add me as a viewer to his work trips so I don’t have to ask him 17 times when his flight home is and I’ll know what city/state he’s in this week. When we travel together, we add each other as travelers on our trip so we can both edit the itinerary as needed. I also like to send our trip itineraries to an emergency contact like my sister in case anything goes wrong while we’re traveling.
Flights
Skyscanner
Skyscanner is a great resource to find flights before a trip since it allows you to search with more flexible parameters than going to a specific airline’s website to look at their flights. On Skyscanner, you can add multiple airports you’re willing to fly in and out of as well use flexible dates to find the best deals. I particularly love the “Explore Everywhere” feature that allows you to select your local airport and browse destinations with the cheapest flights. If you’re considering a specific trip, you can set up alerts to be notified when prices change on the flights.
While I love Skyscanner to search for flights and find the best pricing, I then book directly through the airline’s website. In case there’s any delays, cancellations, or problems with the flight, the best customer service will be provided if it was booked with the airline directly. I’ve heard far too many horror stories of people struggling with resolving issues after booking through third party, and have had my own bad experiences with the same situation.
Airline Specific Apps
In this day and age, I think nearly every airline has their own app. When you book a flight with an airline, I would advise you to seriously consider also downloading their app. I often fly with Southwest Airlines and love having their app which reminds me to check into my flight in advance and gives me access my mobile boarding pass which allows me to skip visiting the airline’s service counter for a paper ticket.
Using the airline’s app can come with perks as well, not only will you have the most up to date information regarding your flights, but some airlines will provide incentives for using their app. A friend of mine was upgraded to business class on a flight because she had used their new app to check in and they were trying to get more customers to use their app!
Hotels & Accommodations
Booking.com
It comes as no surprise to me that Booking.com is one of the most popular hotel booking sites available. I’ve used Booking.com in a number of countries to find accommodations ranging from hotels, to hostels, and renting out apartments. Sometimes I’ll book my stays well in advance on my laptop on the website, and other times I’ll be hopping on the app to search for somewhere to sleep that night. Either way I make my booking, I love that I can easily access all my reservation information right on the app.
There’s a lot of different search parameters you can utilize to find the right stay for you, with customer ratings and reviews easily viewable. I love that I can see all the available stays on a map as well when searching since I may want to make sure my accommodation is close to certain attractions or transportation hubs. It’s also nice that they have their own loyalty program to provide discounts and perks to return customers.
Airbnb
I enjoy the Airbnb app for finding accommodations that might be a little more unique in nature than just hotels. It’s also great if you’re looking to stay with locals in their home for a cheaper and more immersive experience. One of my favorite Airbnb experiences was staying in a vintage camper when we visited Austin, Texas, it was affordable, adorable, and fun!
Since Airbnb can have some pitfalls, here are some things to keep in mind when using it. Make sure that Airbnb is legal in the place you’re visiting since in recent years some cities and states in the US have placed restrictions on short term rentals like those available on Airbnb. If possible, try to only book stays with hosts that have the Superhost status to ensure they’re experienced, responsive, reliable, and receive overall positive ratings from guests. Lastly, make sure you’ve read and understand the entire listing including what amenities are included and any house rules. These tips can help you have the most positive experience while staying at an Airbnb property.
Transportation
Turo
When traveling, especially in the US, I like renting a car to get around as it gives us the most freedom to go where we want, when we want. Turo, which is based on a similar idea as Airbnb where you can rent someone’s car directly from them, has become our go-to source to look for car rentals. You can be more selective about the specific car you rent, and it’s often cheaper than renting through a bigger agency. Of course, as with Airbnb, that can come with a different set of challenges if something goes wrong.
Turo isn’t available everywhere, but we’ve used it all over the US and even in the Bahamas! So far we’ve had very positive experiences using Turo to book rental cars, and have met some really lovely hosts who gave us great local recommendations for our visit.
Uber
Ride sharing has become very popular since it was first introduced, and there are a few apps that provide this service. Generally speaking, Uber is my preferred ride sharing app, and has become available far beyond its origins in San Francisco, California. It’s hard to beat the convenience of tapping a few buttons on your phone to summon a car to take you where you want to go for fees that are usually pretty reasonable. As a woman who takes rides alone sometimes, I love the safety features they’ve added over the years such as sharing your ride(s) with friends and family.
Before trying to use Uber in new countries, look up whether it’s available and legal there, especially in places where taxis have strong influence. Bear in mind that even in places where it’s legal, airports often ban ride sharing in favor of authorized taxi services. You’ll also need to have cellular service with which to request a ride.
BlaBla Car
Similar to Uber, BlaBla Car is a kind of ride sharing app, but that’s basically where the similarities end. It’s less like a taxi for short rides within a city and meant more for sharing longer distance trips between cities or bordering countries. Available in about 22 countries which are mostly European, it can be a great way to get around if train schedules don’t align with your plans or are expensive. It’s also a great way to connect with locals and fellow travelers as drivers don’t make a profit off their passengers. Riders are charged a fee based off the estimated cost of the fuel for their ride.
We were introduced to BlaBla Car on our three week trip to Europe when our friends in Germany convinced us to cancel our train tickets for the next day to spend an extra day in their city with them. It was such a great tool that we used it couple more times on our trip when the rides were cheaper than rail tickets.
Maps & Navigation
Google Maps
Google Maps is an app that is pretty obvious for navigation purposes, but it has several features that make it one of my favorite travel apps. Not only can it give directions for whatever mode of transportation you’re using (walking, driving, public transport, etc.), but you can also download maps for offline navigation. This is a great feature for traveling internationally when you may not have cellular service.
I also love to save places to lists when planning travel so that I remember where my accommodations are as well as the restaurants and attractions that I want to visit. You can also add your own notes to the spots you save such as ‘try the crab cake’ or ‘pretty window displays’. This has been so helpful for me as I like to keep my plans flexible while traveling. It makes it easy for me to pull up my map to see what restaurants are nearby that I wanted to try out after I finish wandering around a museum.
Waze
When it comes to GPS and driving directions, you can certainly use Google Maps, but I prefer using Waze the majority of the time instead. Waze utilizes the same maps as Google Maps (Google actually acquired Waze back in 2013), but it adds some features you won’t find on the Google Maps app.
One of the best parts of the Waze app is the alerts that drivers can add. Users can report when traffic is moving slow which the app can confirm if all the cars using it are going below the speed limit, and it will use that information to re-route its users around the traffic jam if possible. Other reports that can be made include weather warnings like fog or ice, cars that are parked along the shoulder, debris in the road, and even where police cars have been spotted. I think the Waze app makes it easier to get directions for a multi-stop drive and to find gas stations, restaurants, and more along the route you’re already taking.
AllTrails
The AllTrails app is my go-to resource when looking for hiking trails both at home and when traveling. I’ve always used the free version where you can search for trails with the ability to save them to lists such as bucket list hikes or trails in Maryland. While on the trail you can use the app to track the stats of your activity and to navigate the trail you’re following. You can also take advantage of the social aspect, setting up your profile to follow friends and share reviews and photos of your hikes.
The pro version, AllTrails+, is an annual subscription that gives users access to a number of premium features. One of the most useful is the ability to download their maps for offline navigation which is important when you may not have the best cell phone reception. There are additional map details that will be unlocked and you can receive alerts when you make a wrong turn as well.
Money Matters
XE Currency
This is the best app for converting currencies on the go when you’re traveling and one of my favorite travel apps that’s been on my phone for years. You can select several currencies to show on the Convert screen which is especially useful if your itinerary includes multiple countries using different currencies. The app saves the most recently loaded rates to continue working even when you’re offline which is an important feature when traveling.
Knowing the correct conversion for currency is essential when traveling to help you avoid overspending and to avoid scams. In fact I think it’s so important that I’ve even included it among my travel money tips.
Language & Translation
Google Translate
The Google Translate app is great for translating language in real time when you’re traveling whether it’s verbal or written. Travelers and locals can speak into the phone for the app to translate on the screen what was said or you can use the camera of your phone to translate menus or street signs visually on your screen. Users can also download languages in advance of travel to be able to use the app when offline.
Duolingo
Duolingo is a fun free app you can use to learn and practice other languages. I love that the exercises don’t take long which can make it easy to fit it into your daily schedule and that you can have the app remind you each day to open it and practice. The lessons feel like you’re playing a game which is so much better than sitting through a boring lesson.
I wouldn’t recommend using Duolingo by itself to become fluent in a language, but I do find it helpful to learn a bit of the local language and pronunciation in preparation of traveling. While some of the sentences it has you practice can seem a little silly (“My black cat sells sandwiches.” comes to mind), it does help you keep practicing which is helpful in itself. There is a monthly subscription which eliminates ads and offers additional features, but I’ve never used it seriously enough to feel the need to subscribe.
Communication
If you’re visiting another country and don’t have reliable cellular service, it can be difficult to call and text people. This is where WhatsApp comes in since it can be used to make phone calls, video calls, and send voice or text messages when connected to wifi. As a matter of fact, in some countries this is the preferred method for calling and messaging rather than using a standard cell phone plan.
Inspiration & Tracking
been
The been app is one of my favorite travel apps for tracking all the places I’ve visited! I love both maps and lists so this app is the perfect way for me to keep track of the places I’ve been as both lists and visual maps. I find that the app is very easy to use as you can just click the + button to add countries you’ve been too and then enjoy the visual maps it creates showing your personal travels.
I’ve used it for years and recently paid for the premium mode to unlock some additional features such as being able to track the regions of countries you’ve visited. The free app is plenty for most travelers and I highly recommend it if looking at a map of the places you’ve been makes you as happy as it makes me.
TripBucket
There are a number of bucket list apps available, and TripBucket is the one I’ve been using for some time now. I love that there are so many different categories of ‘Dreams’ aka the experiences and places to visit that you can add to your personal ‘Want to Do’ or ‘Checked Off’ lists. I also find the ‘What’s Nearby’ and maps features really helpful as you can find Dreams near you even as you’re traveling.
Users can add photos and leave reviews of the Dreams they’ve checked off for others to see on the app. If you feel something is missing or isn’t quite right, you have the option to submit corrections or new Dreams to the app’s team for other users to enjoy.
I’ve been an avid Pinterest user for years and absolutely love using it to find travel inspiration, itineraries, and tips and tricks for travel. Even though I don’t necessarily use it a lot during travel, it’s one of my favorite travel apps for the inspiration and planning stages of my travels! If you’re not familiar with Pinterest, it’s kind of a visual search engine and you can save webpages and articles to your account as ‘pins’ and organize your pins onto ‘boards’ as a personal digital bulletin board.
Pinterest has been a great way for bloggers, including myself, to get their content in front of audiences that are looking for it. You can find my Poky Little Wanderer Pinterest here!
Thanks for Checking Out My Favorite Travel Apps
There are so many helpful apps out there these days that choosing the best ones to make your travels easier can be overwhelming. I hope sharing all my favorite travel apps helps you narrow which ones will be on your phone during your next trip!
Have you used any of these apps when traveling? Share your favorite travel apps in the comments below!
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