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These travel apps were essential to navigating our way through some remote places, saving money, and communicating with locals to experience unforgettable encounters and find unique places to stay.
Whether you’re looking to reserve a hotel room, dorm bed or apartment, book cheap flights, bus or train tickets on the go, translate a restaurant menu, ride local transport or chat with a local in a foreign language, we’ve compiled a list of the best travel apps you should have!
Let’s Dive In! 20 Best Travel Apps To Make Travel Easy
Table of Contents
Skyscanner is the best travel flight app out there! It’s so easy to use and the prices are unbeatable!
Skyscanner is a metasearch engine that compares multiple airlines for the best prices. Just enter your departure airport, destination, and date to find cheap flights.
You can filter results based on stops, duration, and airline. With the ‘everywhere’ option, discover the cheapest flights from your departure airport.
Don’t miss out on this one, it’s hands down one of the best travel apps for nabbing cheap flights! It’s worth mentioning here that the Skyscanner app is also a metasearch engine for searching cheap car hire and hotels too.
Our Favourite Feature: Skyscanner allows you to compare multiple airlines, flight times, and prices.
No travel app comes close to beating Booking.com to reserve your accommodation for your trip. From budget dorm beds in hostels and affordable hotels in great locations to luxury accommodations, including villas, apartments and everything in between, Booking.com is hands down one of the best travel apps for reserving a place to stay.
Once you’ve made several reservations on Booking.com, you can reclaim awards and discounts on accommodation too. We’ve reached Genius Level 3 from using this app, saving us up to 15% on future reservations.
The Booking.com app makes it easy to keep all your bookings in one place, and you can impress taxi drivers with the app’s handy hotel address feature, translated into the local language.
Download this must-have travel app before you leave on your adventures!
Our Favourite Feature: Booking.com has in-app only deals and discounts
Nowadays, the best way to stay connected on your travels is with Airalo eSIM.
The Airalo travel app has been essential for us to stay connected in multiple regions and countries as we traverse the globe.
This travel app allows you to download an eSIM for 190+ countries effortlessly. It’s so easy, and it’s affordable too! Just download, activate and go!
We LOVE this product. Read more about why we choose eSIM for International Travel.
Our Favourite Feature: Discover eSIMs that cover up to 130+ countries on one eSIM! Choose from Data Only eSIM or Data, Call & Text eSIM to save you huge $$$. View ALL Discover eSIM Packs here.
Skype is an excellent means to stay connected with loved ones back home while you’re away.
We use the Skype app when we need to call a business or private number that isn’t on Whatsapp.
One of the best things about the Skype app is the ability to make free video calls globally, provided that both parties use Skype.
Additionally, you can place calls to landlines or mobile phones for a fee.
Keeping your Skype credit topped up with $10-20 allows seamless calling from your mobile or landline, making it a cost-effective way to communicate worldwide.
With access to a wifi signal, the possibilities are endless; you can reach any number globally with super affordable bills.
For digital nomads and business owners who are constantly on the move, Skype proves to be an indispensable app. It lets you quickly jump on work calls, making it an ideal tool.
Best feature: Make free calls/video calls to any country worldwide.
Google Maps is an essential app for every traveller. It’s one of our phones’ most frequently used travel apps. We especially love that you can save cafes, hotels or places you want to visit and mark that spot with selected labels.
We use the ‘heart’ label to add our favourite places to eat, and in the notes section, we just add what dish we’d like to eat there.
We like to use the ‘green flag’ label for places we’d like to visit, including attractions and landmarks. There’s a ‘blue bag’ label to pin accommodation options too, this is handy to save our hotel or apartment address and you can customise the label and add notes here too.
Our Favourite Feature: The option to download and save offline maps.
WISE is an online account that lets you send money, get paid, and spend money internationally.
This service has saved us loads of money in international transactions & ATM fees. With a Wise account, you can get paid in other currencies and send money overseas. The app is lightning-fast and super savvy.
This is a must-have travel app for every traveller, especially if you’re planning to travel long-term.
Sign up for a WISE account here and send your first International transfer for FREE!
Our Favourite Feature: Fees are transparent and generally low, with no markup on exchange rates. Leave the big fees to the big banks and switch your banking needs to Wise!
What a savvy travel app this is! Google Translate is the best travel language app to help you communicate with the people you meet.
The app translates languages incredibly fast! With 100+ languages to access, you’ll breeze through interactions with locals.
From ordering the best meal, asking for directions or purchasing the correct train ticket or bus route, Google Translate has you covered.
This app was an absolute gem to help us travel in China, that fantastic trip to Taiwan and decode menu items in Japan and Central Asia.
Our Favourite Feature: Save particular words or phrases so you can access them quickly when needed.
Imagine checking just one place for ALL your travel details and getting notifications if things happen that may affect your trip. TripIt app is your personal travel organiser, and it will make your travelling life a breeze!
TripIt can organise your travel plans no matter where you book. Simply forward your confirmation emails to [email protected] and in a matter of seconds, TripIt will create a comprehensive itinerary for every trip.
We used TripIt to keep our flights, accommodation, bus & train tickets and even reservations for day tours organised so we could access the app at any time and quickly source the information we needed.
Believe me, you need this in your life! TripIt is free and it’s one of the best travel apps to help you stay organised and stress-free when you’re on the road.
Our Favourite Feature: You can also sync your plans with your calendar—no copy and pasting necessary.
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a must-have tool to protect your privacy and increase your internet security.
Surfshark VPN safeguards your connection with military-grade encryption, so you can log into your accounts, make bank transfers, and shop online without worrying that your data may be compromised or hacked.
It works by encrypting communications so you’ll have an anonymous IP address. Surf Shark (or other good VPNs) allows you to access websites that are inaccessible in other countries.
If you’re in a country such as China that bans many social media networks such as Facebook, by turning on Surfshark VPN, you can still access Facebook if you’re travelling here.
Download Surfshark VPN to put your mind at ease on your travels.
Our Favourite Feature: Fast connection, easy-to-use app
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Trainline is an international rail and coach booking platform. The user-friendly app allows you to buy instant train tickets and railcards and gain free access to live train times and railway station information.
It’s so handy; we use the Trainline app to book all our train tickets on the go. It’s especially helpful for those of you wishing to travel around Europe by train.
Our Favourite Feature: The app has a section called ‘my tickets’, which is helpful for quick access to your already purchased train reservations.
RELATED POST – 7 Best Tips for Traveling to Europe
This app is excellent for comparing transportation options between destinations.
Once you enter your origin and destination, the Rome2Rio app searches for train, flight, bus, and ferry options between locations. Cleverly, it also shows the driving distance for trips by car so you can quickly and easily see which option is best for your timing and budget.
We use this app frequently to get a quick idea of the options available to get from A to B anywhere in the world.
Our Favourite Feature: If you see a journey you’d like to book there and then, the Rome2Rio app connects you with transportation providers to make a reservation.
Travel with ease! GetYourGuide is great for discovering excellent experiences and tours. Just enter your city, and the app does the rest!
Find the best food tours, city tours, cruises, wildlife safaris, island hopping adventures, private transfers, skip-the-line entrance tickets and more!
GetYourGuide offers city passes like the ‘Vatican City & Rome’ Pass. This sightseeing pass provides free entry to Rome’s most popular attractions and museums, saving you up to 55%!
They’ve got everything from thrilling motorcycle tours in Vietnam to invigorating 14-day hikes in Nepal; reserve your spot here.
Book excellent activities, compare prices and read past guest reviews for peace of mind.
The best part is their flexible cancellation policy, no hidden fees, and mobile-friendly tickets.
Our Favourite Feature: GetYourGuide offers a flexible free cancellation policy.
The ultimate activity and tour booking companion! Viator is a top-notch travel app with a stellar reputation.
Like GetYourGuide, Viator is one of the best travel apps to book day tours, multi-day adventures, local experiences, entrance tickets and more!
Viator offers excellent customer service, free cancellation, flexible payment options, and an overall excellent product.
Explore 300,000+ experiences across the globe – USA, Asia, Europe, Australia, and beyond!
Need travel inspiration about where to travel next? Our guide on the cheapest countries to visit this year will help you decide.
Our Favourite Feature: Viator app offers 24/7 customer service & support.
Moovit provides travellers with a one-stop-shop journey experience to help them get from point A to B most quickly and efficiently.
You may be surprised at how savvy this travel app is; a game-changer in my opinion.
Get train, metro and bus times, maps, and real-time arrival information in cities and destinations worldwide to plan your trip confidently and get mooving!!
Our Favourite Feature: The app allows you to add a line (frequent journey) to your ‘favourites’ section for quick access and instant information.
Ride-sharing apps have been a saviour for us as we’ve made our way around the world.
As I understand, Uber was the first ride-sharing app to start the ball rolling, but now there are many fantastic ride-sharing apps that can make your life so much easier out there on the road.
Depending on what country or region of the world you are planning to travel to, we recommend you download the ride-sharing apps below.
And there are many more!
Most ride-sharing apps allow you to add your bank card to your profile to take care of the payment. We like this feature because you don’t need any local currency, and it cancels the chance of getting scammed by a taxi driver. Unfortunately, scams do happen.
Read our post about how to avoid 6 common tourist scams in China.
Our Favourite Feature: Seeing the estimated price and journey time before you make a booking.
Looking for a reliable way to stay connected with friends and family? Look no further than WhatsApp!
This is one of the best travel apps out there, and it’s used worldwide to keep people connected.
WhatsApp offers a range of features, allowing you to send messages, make calls, and even video call other WhatsApp users for free, as long as you have a wifi connection.
Not only is WhatsApp perfect for keeping in touch with friends and family, but it also comes in handy while travelling. Nations worldwide communicate easily with WhatsApp, so it’s our top choice for the best travel apps to download to your device.
WhatsApp helps you to easily stay in contact with locals, tour operators, hotels, and companies, as many of them are readily available on WhatsApp.
WhatsApp pairs perfectly with an international eSIM. An easy, reliable and affordable way to help you stay connected with the world.
Stay connected and travel easier out there – choose WhatsApp!
Our Favourite Feature: The ability to video call, voice call or message other numbers for free, providing you’ve got a wifi connection (or an Airalo eSIM)
Use the Xe Currency Converter app to instantly check live market rates for every world currency on your Smartphone or device.
That’s 170+ currencies that you can convert on the go. If you need to check the conversion of what 1 USD will give you in AUD, you can get your answer on this app within seconds.
We use this app to quickly check the latest exchange rates handing over any currency in an exchange office or even to a money changer on the street. We frequently used this during our overland travels across Central & West Africa.
If you’ve ever wondered about what it’s like to travel in this region of the world, here are 17 ESSENTIAL Things to Know Before Travelling to West Africa from our experience.
Maps.me app is similar to Google Maps in some ways, but it’s much better for navigating rugged terrains!
Whenever we go hiking, we ensure we’ve got our map downloaded on Maps.me; it rarely lets us down. It does a great job of showing the small trails that Google Maps doesn’t usually pick up.
It covers six continents, making it essential for unexplored or remote spots.
This travel app was handy in Africa, particularly when directing a taxi driver to our nominated address. Maps.me allows you to set up the navigation and press speak on the app, a voice will then guide you in the selected language. You should see the look on the taxi drivers’ faces when we do this; it’s pure amazement.
Maps.me is a must-have travel app for all travellers, especially those hoping to take off-the-beaten-track adventures.
Our Favourite Feature: Maps.me offers a bookmark collection that allows you to build your ultimate trip!
If you’re planning to travel long-term, Trusted Housesitters is one of the best travel apps I’d recommend you download right now.
Every traveller finds out that accommodation is one of the most significant expenses on the road, and this app can help cancel that out entirely!
Being a housesitter means free accommodation for you in return for looking after different homes around the globe. Choosing to join Trusted Housesitters was one of the best things we ever did!
Trusted Housesitters is a fantastic website for saving money and house-sitting worldwide.
Join now with our invitation and receive a massive 25% off your membership!
Our Favourite Feature: Use the filters on the app to set alerts for preferred cities or countries you know you’ll be visiting in the coming months.
Omio is the best travel app and booking platform for travellers on the go.
The Omio easy-to-use app is seamless for booking tickets for trains, buses, flights, ferries, and airport transfers so you can focus on the journey.
They’ve got 1,000+ trusted travel partners listed across the platform, giving you many choices and options to book the most direct route at the best price.
It’s quick, reliable and most importantly, Omio offers the best deals too.
Our Favourite Feature: The Omio app keeps your list of ‘upcoming journeys’, which is helpful to ensure your travel plans are organised.
We love to share our knowledge of travelling, and you may enjoy reading our best-ever travel tips and our ultimate packing list for travellers.
For food lovers, don’t miss our top 10 best countries for foodies! And, if you’re more interested in history, these 30 amazing historical places in the world will fascinate you!
Perhaps you’re travelling on a budget? These 10 cheapest countries in Europe to visit may be just the tool you need to start planning an epic trip.
But, here are 8 things to know about traveling to Eastern Europe and it’s good to know these 7 misconceptions about Eastern Europe too.
Or, perhaps these 21 Cheapest Countries to Visit Right Now is just the thing you’ve been searching for.
We’ve got a bunch of tips for how you can save money to travel the world, and even when you’re out there travelling, maybe these 20 jobs that PAY YOU to travel the world will help you travel longer. It worked for us, and we bet it can work for you too.
Finally, these top 6 travel hacks to save you money are great to read when planning your travels.
And, if you’re planning a new trip, whether it’s for a week, a month, or even a few years, consider buying an eSIM to stay connected. This is our favorite travel product, and you can read more about what is in eSIM and why eSIM is so convenient for International Travel.
Check out the travel gear we use on the road, and for the products and websites we use to plan new trips, head to our Travel Resources Page.
✈️ Flights: We use Skyscanner to book cheap flights worldwide.
🏨 Accommodation: Booking.com is our preferred platform for booking hotels and accommodation.
🏥 Travel Insurance: We recommend Heymondo (Get 5% off Heymondo) & SafetyWing
🚌 Transportation: Trainline is the best website to reserve trains. We use Omio to book transport worldwide. For travel in Asia, we use 12Go.
🚘 Car Rental: We use DiscoverCars to book rental cars worldwide.
👫 Group Tours: G Adventures OR compare multi-day tours worldwide with Tourradar.
📸 Day Tours & Trips: GetYourGuide & Viator are the only two platforms you need.
📚 Lonely Planet: The Best Range of Travel Guides & Ebooks, and FREE Shipping! (use code RACHELDAVEY10 for a 10% discount)
🎒 Luggage: Osprey Farpoint 40L Backpack or Samsonite Luggage Range.
🛄 What to Pack: Don’t forget your Universal charger and a good power bank. To help you pack the essentials, here is our ULTIMATE Packing List for all Travellers.
🐶 Become a House Sitter: Join Trusted Housesitters and enjoy FREE accommodation worldwide. Use our invite to receive 25% off your new membership.
💰 Send Money Anywhere: WISE & Revolut are the best online accounts that let you send money, get paid, and spend money internationally. Both are so easy to use and way cheaper than any bank transfer.
📶 Stay Connected: Airalo eSIM allows you to get connected the moment you land at your destination, and you can avoid those expensive data roaming charges. We LOVE this product! Use promo code NOMAD15 for 15% off ALL eSIMs (new Airalo users only) OR use NOMAD10 for 10% off ALL eSIMs (for existing Airalo users)
✅ Check out our Travel Gear and Travel Resources for more valuable tips to save you money!
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1 Comment. Leave new
Heyy, very useful article, thanks! Perhaps to add on your list might also be this super useful app – ATM Fee Saver – gives ATM fees and withdrawal limits in many countries, really needed needed these days as atms abroad can become so expensive. Never seen anything like this before – it us sure to help lots of other international travellers like me!!!