With the prevalence of smart phones and a focus on lighter travel, travel apps can be extremely useful. Many booking services store your confirmation information in the app, making them easy to pull up when checking in or picking up a rental. A person can plan an entire trip, check in for transportation and accommodation, find local hot spots, use maps to get around, and keep in contact with friends and family back home. Below are more than 30 useful apps for travelers. All are available on iOS and Android.

Accommodations

I have used many of the below companies to reserve places to stay, sometimes using multiple apps for different stays on a single trip. It is important to shop around to compare prices and find available bookings. Some companies will have access to a property that others do not.

  • Agoda – Agoda is a booking service for properties, flights, and airport transports in the Americas, Asia, Europe, Oceania, and the Middle East. It is especially popular in Asian countries.
  • Airbnb – Airbnb allows you to book accommodations in approximately 200 countries. You can rent a room, house, or unique accommodation. If you need a last-minute booking, search for properties that don’t require pre-approval.
  • Booking.com – Booking acts as a travel agency for lodging, flights, airport transfers, and rental cars. The app allows you to book flights and hotels together.
  • Expedia – Expedia is a booking service for hotels, flights, cruises, and rental cars. You can bundle deals on flights, stays, and cars.
  • HotelTonight – HotelTonight offers last-minute discounts and reservations on same-night accommodations. You can also book up to seven days before your stay.
  • RV Parks & Campgrounds – RV Parks shows public and private RV parks, campgrounds, rest areas, and gas stations in North America. It has 40,000 facilities which can be sorted by their amenities.
  • Vrbo – Vrbo stands for “vacation rentals by owner” and it has properties in over 190 countries. Similar to Airbnb, it lets you filter your search options.
  • Brand-specific apps such as Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, and Wyndham.

Cars/Road Trips

Domestic travel, especially road trips, has become increasing popular in the last few years. Lyft and Uber are available in multiple countries, but I have only used them in the United States. I have used RentalCars to reserve vehicles in both the United States and South Africa.

  • Citymapper – Citymapper provides real-time information on mass transit, commuter trains, ferries, bike sharing, and car services. There are step-by-step instructions on where to find the nearest stations. It works in the Americas, Asia, Australia, and Europe.
  • GasBuddy – GasBuddy helps users find the cheapest gas in their area using GPS or users can search by zip code. Its features include price maps, cost calculators, outage trackers, and filters for options like restrooms.
  • iExit – iExit is a highway/interstate exit guide that lists nearby businesses such as food, gas, or accommodations.
  • Lyft – Lyft offers ride-hailing, vehicles for hire, motorized scooters, bicycle-sharing, rental cars, and food delivery.
  • RentalCars.com – RentalCars arranges reservations with rental companies. You can search, compare, book, and then pick up your car at the branded rental company e.g., Avis, Enterprise, and Hertz.
  • Roadtrippers – Roadtrippers is a trip planning and itinerary app which recommends destinations, food, scenic stops, attractions, and more along the route.
  • Uber – Uber allows users to request on demand rides, motorized scooters, and food delivery. Users can also reserve rides up to 30 days in advance.
  • Waze – Waze provides turn-by-turn navigation, real-time traffic, and user-submitted route details. Users can report accidents, traffic jams, and speed traps.

Communication

Communication is one of the more basic challenges international travelers face. The below apps can help overcome travel hesitancy. Some countries rely heavily on WhatsApp, even for businesses. When I ran into car trouble in South Africa, the rental company wanted me to call and send photos through the app.

  • Google Translate – Google Translate offers translations into 109 languages by typing the phrases you want translated. You can also translate 94 languages using your phone’s camera to take photos of signs, menus, and more.
  • WhatsApp – WhatsApp is a messaging service that uses an internet connection rather than incurring SMS fees or buying a local SIM card. You can call, video chat, and send text messages, images, and voice memos.

Flights/Airports

Most flight and airport apps are used to find cheaper flights or make your travel days less stressful. If you have a long layover or dislike waiting at the gate, apps can let you know about nearby stores, lounges, and last-minute changes in gates or boarding times.

  • App in the Air – App in the Air stores itineraries, boarding passes, and frequent-flyer program data. It also details check-in requirements, wait times for security and customs, baggage tips, boarding times, and gate information.
  • FlightAware – FlightAware tracks flights, giving alerts for delays, cancellations, and gate changes, which is especially useful with a tight connection. It can also help with timing if you are picking someone up at the airport.
  • LoungeBuddy – LoungeBuddy tells you which airport lounges you have access to based on your flight, airline status, and credit card benefits. It also tells you what lounges are free or helps you book a day pass.
  • Mobile Passport Control – Mobile Passport Control streamlines a traveler’s entry process into the United States by reducing inspection time and overall wait times. After you submit answers to declaration questions, the app gives you a QR code to show the customs and border protection agent.
  • MyTSA – MyTSA is the Transportation Security Administration’s official app to check wait times at security checkpoints.
  • Priority Pass – Priority Pass gives access to 1,300 lounges worldwide. The app will list the lounges you have access to, including location, hours, and amenities. Some credit cards offer Priority Pass membership free for cardholders, but you can also pay an annual fee to be a member.
  • Skyscanner – Skyscanner allows you to book flights, hotels, and car rentals. Two unique options include the “Everywhere” and “Greener Choice” features. Everywhere let cost-conscious travelers who don’t have a specific destination in mind find inexpensive flights. Greener Choice filters which flights emit less carbon dioxide (CO2) and indicates the reduced CO2
  • Brand-specific apps such as American Airlines, Emirates, Delta, Lufthansa, Turkish Airlines, and United Airlines.

Health and Safety

I recommend that all U.S. citizens traveling to another country enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). The Smart Traveler app gives you all the real-time notifications about safety conditions in your destination country. I was in Southern Africa at the very start of COVID-19 and got tons of alerts.

  • Flush – Flush locates nearby public restrooms using its database of over 200,000 toilets. The app lists if the restroom has a fee, requires a key, or has disabled access.
  • Smart Traveler – Smart Traveler is specifically for U.S. travelers. Register your trip on the app and if there is a disaster or emergency, the local embassy can get in contact with you. It also helps you plan your trip with details about required visas and vaccines.

Maps

Map apps can be used for real-time directions, trip planning, or tracking your progress around the world. Whenever I find an interesting spot, I use a feature in Google Maps to pin it as a place I want to go. Then, when I am ready to plan a trip, I open the app and see all the places I’ve pinned nearby.

  • been – been provides a simple visual of countries you’ve visited. It also automatically calculates the percentage of countries visited on each continent and the world overall.
  • Goggle Maps – Google Maps gives walking, driving, public transport, and ride-hailing directions. You can also make restaurant reservations, check hours, and read and write reviews.
  • Maps.me – Maps.me has offline maps with turn-by-turn directions. The app also has travel guides and ready-made routes.
  • Places Been – Places Been lets you search cities, airports, and UNESCO sites then mark them as “been,” “want,” or “fav” for planning and keeping track of your travel statistics. It automatically generates a list of visited countries and their corresponding flags.

Miscellaneous

  • AllTrails – AllTrails offers trail guides for hiking, biking, running, and camping. It provides details on length, location, trail conditions, and comments from other hikers.
  • Metric Conversions – Metric Conversions helps you easily convert volume, weight, temperature, and more.
  • TripIt – TripIt will create an itinerary of your trip simply by forwarding confirmations or linking your email account. The app will show flight information, tickets, hotel confirmations, and rental car reservations.
Download Travel Apps List

While there are thousands of travel apps, these are my top choices. Hopefully they can help you plan your next trip or help make life easier while traveling. Do you have another favorite app? Comment below!

Related Posts

International, United States

Tagged in:

, , , , , , ,