The Best Apps for Travelers

If there’s one thing I always have on me while I’m traveling, it’s my phone. Even without international data, your phone can provide a ton of amazing and helpful resources to make your travels easier than ever. How? Apps (and no – not the kind you can eat).

Whether you need help navigating, translating, or keeping your endless trip details organized, apps can help you every step of the way. I’ve tried out many different services during my travels and today I’m recapping some of my most useful and favorite apps!

PS – nothing in here is sponsored or affiliated and all apps are free unless otherwise noted.

Most of us don’t have fancy international data plans. Instead, we rely on WiFi to check in on social media or look things up. The WiFi Map helps you find connections across the globe – tipping you off on nearby locations with WiFi service. The information is crowd sourced and updated in real-time, too. If you rely on internet connections to make your smart phone a…well, smart phone, this is a must have app for you.

Between booking hotels, tours, flights, dinner reservations, car rentals and more, there are a lot of details that go into planning a trip. It can be easy to get lost or overwhelmed with keeping it all straight. Tripit is the perfect app if you need some organizational help. Whenever you get a confirmation email, simply forward it to plans@tripit.com – they’ll take care of compiling all the important stuff into one master itinerary! How easy is that?

Language barriers exist, but they don’t need to stand in your way. I have a whole post about what to do when you don’t speak the local language HERE, but one of my tricks is Google Translate. You can translate over 103 languages with a connection and 59 are available to download onto your phone for offline use. Even better – 37 different languages have visual translation capabilities. This means you can snap a picture of a sign and get it translated instantly!

If you’ve ever traveled with a group, you know how chaotic it can be playing Venmo tag to make sure expenses – like bar tabs or Ubers – are split up evenly. With Splittr, you can easily keep track of who owes who what. Everyone can simply add expenses as they go, noting who paid. The app works offline, syncs with your travel buddies, and can even handle currency conversions. At the end of the trip, the app will clearly show you who owes what to who! This app isn’t free ($0.99) but it can come in handy!

Not all plane seats were created equal. While a seat map will show you window, aisle, and middle seats, it doesn’t always tell you all the details. Some seats don’t have a window, or have limited recline. There are some areas of a plane that might be busier, nosier, and brighter than others – making it a bad idea if you planned to catch some sleep. Seat Guru is an app where you can get reviews for airplane seats! Might as well make your plane ride as enjoyable as you can.

Sometimes figuring out conversion rates, especially on the fly, can get confusing. If mental math isn’t your forte, Elk Currency Converter is perfect for you. With a friendly user interface, this app allows you to quickly see exchange rates. It doesn’t stop there – you can quickly swipe across the screen to see a variety of values. For example, a swipe to the left will show you the exchange rate for $10 instead of just $1USD.

Public transportation is a wonderful thing – it’s cheaper and usually quicker than taxis. Walking is even better. But navigating a foreign city can be daunting and getting lost is usually a top concern. City Mapper allows you to enter where you want to go and get directions on how to get there – both with public transport and on foot. While there are plenty of similar apps, this is the only one I came across where the locals gave it an A+. It’s only available for 39 larger and more popular cities, but it continues to grow.

Setting a trip budget is great, but how often do we keep tabs on it during our travels? Trail Wallet can keep you on track if you need to keep an eye on your spending abroad. You can quickly add your expenses while you go and get totals on how much you’re spending and on what. It’ll help prevent sticker shock when the trip is all done and help you make better decisions about splurging on something that catches your eye on your vacay.

I hate turbulence. I have a whole post HERE dedicated to how I deal with it, but the Turbulence Forecast app is my definite go-to. I like knowing what to expect before getting on a plane – this app gives you real-time turbulence reports from pilots. You can’t prevent a bumpy flight, but at least you can be prepared! Surprise turbulence is always the worst.

Our phones are always at our side – might as well make them as useful as possible! These apps are perfect for those on the go and were made with travelers in mind. Make your next vacation or trek abroad as stress-free as possible with these services and tools.

Do you have a favorite app? Mine is probably Instagram – though I’m still a sucker for Snapchat!

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