top of page
Search

Best Travel Apps

Travel, when you think about it, is an amazing feat for humanity.

For most of our history on the planet Earth, we have been remarkably unable to access it. Today, however, I can board a plane and be in Africa, the UAE, or New Zealand in a matter of hours …and yes, sometimes they may still be painfully long and uncomfortable hours that seem to stretch on for eternity….but compared to most humans that have ever existed, we can actually get there!

This is amazing…I mean, really, it’s incredible!

I am so greatful to be living today in such a world where not only do we have the ability to travel the globe but we have a host of amazing technological tools at our fingertips that help us orchestrate the increasing complexities of this task. However, these tools are like any other, and their success comes from taking the time to develop the proper skills and understanding to use them effectively. This applies not only to each app individually, but the world of apps that now exists and how to traverse this in order to find the best ones for you.

This makes me think of something my parents said to me after I returned from my 2nd or 3rd trip where I visited a total of 5 different countries over 3 weeks. They asked, “how are you able to manage it all? It seems so incredibly overwhelming, where do you even start? I could never have done what you are doing when I was your age”. This made me think, my parents are smart and resourceful people, why couldn’t they? But then, I considered that when my parents were my age, there was no digital world of apps working for them. They had no cell phones, no computers, and no internet. Now, the internet isn’t everything in life, but technology does have an incredibly significant impact on travel. And, I realized the huge impact these tools have in my life and on my ability to realize my goals and dreams. This has made me appreciate them more than ever.

Now, the challenging part is sifting through it all and making good selection. And, in this new world of possibility there can also be the paralyzing effect of too much choice and the overwhelming experience of facing thousands of different options to consider. That is part of the reason I have put together my list of the best apps I have found in my experience and why I think they are valuable.

Enjoy

❤

LODGING:

Use this if you have an long layover or extra time and want to grab a nap or a shower etc. This app lets you rent hotel rooms by the hour!

A great app that shows a wide range of hostels and affordable motels. Includes over 9 million reviews with 35,000 hostels, hotels, and B&B’s in 170 countries.

Get room reservations straight from people who have had to cancel their stays and cannot get a refund from the property, also if this happens to you, you can sell your room here too.

Pulls from thousands of ratings and reviews to tell you the best areas to stay in each city. It has reviews by experts across the globe on destinations, hotels, restaurants, nightlife to curated travel guides and itineraries with hand-picked experiences.

One of my favorites! I have stayed at about 15 or so homes now through this app and, with the exception of one mediocre stay, they all have been incredibly amazing! There are so many unique options available, its affordable, and they even have a growing selection of events hosted by locals. I did a food tour in Paris through this feature and it was one of the best experiences of my trip!

I have started using this site & app more and more lately because of all the amazingly convenient features it has. Free cancellation and no pre-payment for many of the listings. They have a range of different types of properties including apartments and BnB’s as well as hotels. They also have a great free loyalty program and the more you book with them, the greater discounts you get. Plus the app keeps everything perfectly on hand for planning and arrival!

TRANSPORTATION:

Discover incredible places with city guides by trusted locals. Gives suggestions from that are off the beaten path and unique.

Good prices on rental cars, gives you an initial quote and then keeps updating you as prices change. Also, gives you lower prices that come up even after you have reserved !

Gives you the best directions to get where you want to go with your interests and preferences in mind so it brings up cafes etc along the way that you can stop at!

“You can see the highly rated places around you, including curated listings specially chosen by local bloggers. Personalize your route by tailoring it to your needs. Build and save routes virtually in your own or a different city. Share your route with friends so they can “follow in your footsteps”.

Rideways An app that allows you to book airport transfers to hotels etc in advance of arrival as well as view all of the different options available to take.

Pre-book quality airport transfers, taxi and chauffeur services, trains and buses in over 500 cities worldwide. Book online, save time and reduce hassle.

An app that lets you rent cars directly from their owners at much more affordable rates than rental car companies!

Rent any car you want, wherever you want it, from our nationwide community of local car owners, or make extra money renting out your car.

This one is probably pretty obvious, its one of the standards I use all the time. Not only for turn by turn directions but to find great places to eat. I have found some of the most amazing restaurants in the world just by searching through this app. I know many people use Yelp and Trip Advisor but, personally, I don’t find them as usable.

AIR TRAVEL:

On average, airline flights cost 28% less with Kiwi.com – saving you up to 90% on direct prices. Finding bargains has never been simpler. Also has price calendar which shows if flight prices vary over different days of the week and customer service in over 17 languages.

Search, compare and book cheap flights, hotels and car rentals anytime, anywhere. Plus, price alerts 🙂

WELLBEING:

Binaural An app that helps you beat Jet Lag with sounds that create calm, relaxed, and focused states of mind that promote sleep and more effective work

A great meditation app that helps keep you in the right state of mind. Also includes 25 nature sounds that come in really handy when trying to sleep on the plane or while on the go.

PLANNING:

Pulls from your google account to create personalized itineraries and suggestions

An app that helps people traveling together create itineraries and add restaurants and stops etc plus share photos and track expenses

A great travel planning app that simplifies the itinerary process by allowing you to forward your conformation emails to them and a itinerary it put together for you! Then, it provides suggestions that relate to what you have already booked and where you will be. Can even access it all offline.

Is interesting because it brings you in-depth and authentic guides to some of our favorite cities around the world. With guides for New York, London, Los Angeles, and more, you’ll find well-known haunts, little-known gems, and plenty of insider resources, sourced from our own editors, Gwyneth, and friends of goop.

SOLO TRAVEL: 

If you are headed out into the world on your own, use this app to make connections to other like minded people along the way!

Travello is one of the world’s largest travel social networks with a community of travelling enthusiasts from 180+ countries. It connects you with fellow travellers, solo backpacking enthusiasts, digital nomads and even groups of friends & families to make your travel experience memorable. Travello enhances your trip experience by offering exclusive travel deals and a platform to share travel plans with your travel partners & post your latest vacation photos & videos on the feed!

TourBar is a travel dating app. It is a chance to find friends worldwide, visit a place of your dream, meet your soulmate, find a travel partner or a local guide when you are traveling.

ON THE GO: 

So handy!

• Translate between 103 languages by typing • Tap to Translate: Copy text in any app and your translation pops up • Offline: Translate 59 languages when you have no Internet • Instant camera translation: Use your camera to translate text instantly in 38 languages • Camera Mode: Take pictures of text for higher-quality translations in 37 languages • Conversation Mode: Two-way instant speech translation in 32 languages • Handwriting: Draw characters instead of using the keyboard in 93 languages • Phrasebook: Star and save translations for future reference in any language

Learn over 20 different languages while having fun. Really effective and great to use before leaving and while in country to brush up on some of the basics.

A great photo sharing app that allows you and your travel partners to share photos with each other. I love this because photos are important to me and I want the perspectives of all the people I am with. Can sometimes get overloaded and crash, but ultimately a good app.

A great photo manager. Has a good feature where your photos are constantly backed up (when connected to internet) so if you loose your phone you wont loose your pictures! Also has a great public option where you can create albums and share your photos with others plus check out other users photo streams.

Make your discoveries unforgettable by setting up your own food blog, travel diary, trip journals, travel blog, or catalog of experiences. Share them on Instagram, Whatsapp and Facebook as stunning videos created automatically!

Connect with community of 250,000+ globetrotters & wanderlusts worldwide and rediscover how amazing your city is. Find stunning hangout spots, cultural gems, shopping guide to flee markets, Rock Climbing adventures, undiscovered country, delicious waffle bakeries, sunset points, camping & trekking spots in and around your city all at a single place!

Another obvious one, but this app has connected me with so many people! Its also my favorite place to share my travel photos.

Blogging! A great way to document your travels and give people a way to follow along with your travels! Write, edit, and publish posts to your site.

 
 
 

Comments

bottom of page