Gone are the days of getting around with a printed map, eating at terrible restaurants and having to go to a travel agency to organize a holiday. Technology has come a long way in recent decades and one of the easiest ways to access all of these new tools is via apps on your smartphone. Cutting to the chase, here are some apps that will be saviors on your next trip.
Rome2Rio
Great for planning your trip whether it be months or hours before. Type in your exact location and exactly where you need to go and it will calculate how long it will take and how much it will cost. It combines travel by air, sea, rail and road. It can even calculate the amount of petrol it will cost if driving is the best option.
Price: Free
Uber
Uber is taking the world over from the forever rising price of taxis. Sign up using Paypal, select your pick up location and it will send a private driver straight to you. It almost halves the cost of taxis and as a majority of the profits go to the driver, your helping out the little guys. And don’t stress on the quality of service, as Uber does background checks, demands driving records from all new drivers and only accept drivers with modern and safe vehicles.
BONUS: Get a $30 voucher just for signing up!
Price: Free
Yelp
Great for food lovers. Use your location to find eateries near you and read reviews from recent customers.
Price: Free
FourSquare
This app goes a step further by asking questions about your tastes in food, drinks and atmosphere. By ‘getting to know you’ along the way, it can recommend restaurants, bars and more that are suited to your likes.
Price: Free
Foodspotting
Taking it up another notch than both Yelp and FourSquare, Foodspotting helps you find specific dishes in your area, or even what to get in each restaurant. Craving some authentic pasta in Rome? Let some locals or other travelers show you where to find the best!
Price: Free
iTranslate
Learning another language can be tricky, especially if you are only going to need it for a few weeks. This app is especially handy in Europe, with so many languages to learn in close proximity. It quickly translates over 90 languages and whilst you wont learn enough to be fluent overnight, it will help you learn the basics. Locals appreciate it when you give it a go and don’t just arrogantly expect everyone else to speak English.
Price: Free
XE currency
The best in free currency converter apps. The live currency rates means it will always be accurate and converts to every currency the world has to offer. You can use it without wi-fi, perfect for overseas travel and it even shows you what types of coins/notes they use and their nicknames. What more could you want?
Price: Free
Packing Pro
Great for the first time traveler that has no idea what to pack. Add your destination, length of your stay and who will be accompanying you and the app does the rest. If you’re not ready to commit to paying for something like this, Pack The Bag is a similar one you can try for free, although not quite as good.
Price: $3.79
Skyscanner
By far my favorite flight search engine and now it’s in app form! Skyscanner will search all across the web to find you the cheapest flight and with the ‘any day’ and ‘any destination’ options, you can really find the cheapest option. With the app you can even ‘watch’ flights so they are only a click away when you come back.
Price: Free
Hostelworld
For booking accommodation on the go. Find the best hostels in the area all reviewed by other travelers to find the best one for you.
Price: Free
Travel Safe
A necessity for peace of mind whilst traveling. This app will have the emergency phone numbers for each country and other important travel information. Using your location, it even takes the stress out of explaining your whereabouts to the operator. Great for everyday, not just traveling.
Price: $1.39
Tripit
This app puts all of your travel plans together in one easily accessible spot. Just forward your confirmation emails from flights, accommodation etc to the apps email address and they will put it all together in a personalized travel itinerary. Very helpful for busy trips with multiple flights/trains so you don’t miss a thing!
Price: Free
HopStop
Navigate your way around over 600 cities via different public transport mediums and walking/biking. It will estimate the time and cost of each journey and give you different options. It will also show you real-time delays and any changes to your journey.
Price: Free
Musement
Find everything from museums to tours to city passes and then book them right there and then. This app can even be used offline making it a perfect travel tool. I would never leave the country without it!
Price: Free
Skype – Whatsapp – Viber
Saw this one coming? And for good reason. Skype is perfect for video calling and can be a fun way to show your loved ones back home around the city (if you find public Wi-fi). WhatsApp is great for messaging and connecting with people you meet along the way (because everybody has it). Viber offers messaging and calls, but I found the voice calls to be of better quality than Skype.
Price: All Free
Word Lens – now part of google translate
I was told about this app by a friendly man seated next to me on a flight en route to Mexico (it always pays off to pull out the headphones and get chatting). As I spoke very little Spanish, he recommended this app and I have to say, it blew my mind. Point your camera at a menu or sign in a different language and it will translate it live, right in front of your eyes on your smartphone screen. It was recently bought out by Google, so it’s now a part of the Google Translate app. Still just as effective and it’s now free!
Wi-fi finder
Pretty self-explanatory. Need to check some emails or phone home whilst out exploring? Use this app to find a place to do so.
Price: Free
TripAdvisor
So this should come at no surprise. It can be used to book flights and accommodation, but I usually just use it for it’s reviews on attractions. It’s the first website/app I check when I am researching a city or have just arrived and need to know the best things to do.
Price: Free
HearPlanet
Great for the solo traveler, or one looking to save money and skip a tour guide. HearPlanet is the world’s largest audio guide and will provide history, interesting facts and all you need to know about a famous landmark or town. No reading required, just plug in and go as a guide speaks to you.
Price: Free
Have any other apps you love to use whilst traveling? Let us know!
