Smartphones can be an incredible tool when traveling. However, they’re practically useless if you don’t have the right apps! Here are some of the best travel apps I use on nearly every trip I take, and my favorite international cell-phone plan!

 

 

The Best Travel Apps for Flights

Skyscanner

Skyscanner is probably my most used app for finding affordable flights. Not only will Skyscanner search through budget airlines and mistake airfare to find you the cheapest ticket, but it will also allow you to “explore everywhere” to find affordable flights to destinations you never even considered! On the mobile Skyscanner app, you can also organize different trips by organizing your flight, hotel, and other important information in one place. Skyscanner is free on Apple and Android, and helps you find affordable hotels and car rentals as well as flights!

Hopper

Hopper is an excellent app to track down that exact moment you should purchase your airfare. If you have a specific destination, date, or both in mind, Hopper will send you notifications when ticket prices drop or are expected to rise. This is an excellent way to save a few bucks when you already know when and where you want to go! Hopper can also help you find hotels, homestays, and car rentals. Pretty great for a free app!

Airline Apps

I always use various airlines’ specific mobile apps. They allow me to check in on my phone, download my ticket, and get direct notifications about gate changes, delays, and other important information. I highly recommend having the free app for whatever airline you are flying with at the time of your trip!

Lounge Buddy

Lounge Buddy is an app that can grant you access to nearly any airport lounge around the world. Whether you need a quiet place to work, a stiff drink, a quick shower, or simply a comfy chair, lounges can drastically improve your travel days. Lounge access varies in cost, but starts at $25 with the app. This can be a steal compared to high membership rates, credit card fees, and other ways people typically gain lounge access. Plus, you may earn all that money back with the free amenities inside! 

 

The Best Travel Apps for Accommodation

Airbnb

Everybody knows Airbnb. It’s the easiest way to rent a local’s home or apartment while traveling the world! Airbnb has a fantastic app that lets you book stays the day of, or months in advance of your trip. You can message hosts directly from the app, manage stays in your own home, and plan for trips at various destinations. You can even book experiences and tours with locals! If you use Airbnb, you need the free app!

Get up to $67 off your first stay or experience with Airbnb here!

 

The balcony of an Airbnb cabin I stayed at in Gatlinburg, Tennessee!

 

Hostelworld

Hostels are my favorite way to meet other backpackers and save some money traveling the world. Hostelworld is my go-to app for booking hostel stays because the reviews are so easy to find! I’ve stayed in my fair share of bad hostels, so being able to immediately read reviews and see a list of amenities and photos definitely makes me feel better about booking a hostel. The Hostelworld app also lets you book the night of or well in advance of your trip, choose your rooms, and organize your different trips in the app.

Hotel Tonight

Hotel Tonight is one of my favorite apps for road trips! This free app allows you to search for hotels in an area for seriously discounted hotel rooms for that night. You cannot book rooms in advance with this app, but it makes finding a last-minute room easy. Almost every single room will be majorly discounted as well because those hotels want to fill the rooms! The app also rewards you the more you stay, offering bigger and bigger discounts. Perfect for road trips!

Use code SMINTNER to get $25 off your first booking!

Couchsurfing

Couchsurfing is another free app that allows you to stay FOR FREE in someone else’s home. Couch surfing is a great way to meet locals and find a free place to crash for the night, although you may end up sleeping on the floor or sofa! Couchsurfing also has a meetup option for travelers who don’t need a place to stay, but want to meet and hang out with locals! You can pay to have a background check run, and many active hosts will have had this completed. However, Couchsurfing is mostly run by reviews and word-of-mouth. It’s completely safe as long as you check reviews and background checks, stick to your judgment, and take proper precautions. Read more about Couchsurfing from a pro here!

 

 

The Best Travel Apps for Road Trips

Google Maps

Always, always, ALWAYS download the local map on Google Maps on your phone. The downloaded map will still load and show you where you are through satellite, even if you can’t get direct directions through internet access. This has saved me from getting horrendously lost more times than I can count in a new city! Google Maps also lets you star specific locations on your maps, such as your hostel or that museum you’re trying to get to. 

Roadtrippers

Roadtrippers is an awesome app for, well, road trips! You can visually map out your road trip, and the app will offer some exciting activities or popular restaurants in areas you will be driving through. The app is also full of city guides, travel tips, and more. I used Roadtrippers to help plan my 2018 road trip, and it SERIOUSLY helped!

The road trip map I made with Roadtrippers!

The app has a free version, or you can try RoadTrippers Plus for free here!

GasBuddy

GasBuddy can help you save some serious money on the road. The app will show you the current gas prices at local gas stations, allowing you to find the cheapest option. In addition, you can get the free rewards card to save up to 25 cents a gallon at every gas station in the US. GasBuddy can also track your gas usage and give you advice on how to be more fuel-efficient!

 

Other Travel Apps you Should Have

Uber and Lyft

Everyone should have at least one rideshare app on their phone. Whether you can’t find (or don’t trust) local cabs in a new city, or you have just had a few too many drinks to safely drive home, you need access to vetted drivers to help you out. I have both Uber and Lyft on my phone because some cities only have one available, and sometimes prices vary wildly when both are available in the same place! Some credit cards even offer rewards for using one app over the other, so do your research on which is best for you!

Use the code STACIA36830 for a discount on your first Lyft ride

Use the code stacia273ui for a discount with your first 3 rides with Uber

xe Currency

Xe currency does two major things: sending money abroad and calculating currency conversions. Because I mostly use other money share apps, I mostly use this app to calculate exchange rates!

Exchange rates can vary wildly from day to day. Knowing the exact exchange rate will help you keep closer track of your money while traveling, and help you stick to your budget! For those running online stores or businesses, knowing the daily exchange rate is crucial for charging the correct amount in the other person’s currency as well. 

Omio

Omio is a transportation app that allows you to find tickets for trains, buses, car rentals, and flights across Europe, Canada, and the US. It’s my favorite way to decide what mode of transportation I want to use to get to a different destination! This is excellent to help decide the fastest, cheapest, or easiest transportation to use while backpacking. 

Ready to ride? Get $11 off your next booking with stacil1v4q4b !

Transit

Transit is an Apple app that uses Apple maps to simplify a commute across a city. The travel app compares travel times, distances, cost, and wait times for various modes of local transportation including ride shares, cabs, metros, busses, trains, and more to help you save time and money. It’s one of the best travel apps not only for travelers making their way across a new city, but for daily commuters too!

Google Translate

Just like with Google Maps, you can download a specific language with Google Translate onto your phone for access without internet access. While Google’s translations aren’t always perfect, the app is super handy in a pinch and even has a voice to text option to communicate back and forth with someone in a different language. This saved me in Ecuador trying to book transportation across the country!

 

With pocket-sized computers at our disposal, the right apps can completely change your travel game. For frequent international travelers, I highly recommend using T-mobile’s international cell phone plan! I switched in 2018, and have saved a lot of money on international fees. The plan includes free texting and data in over 210 countries. That’s what usually racks up those fees with other companies!

 

What are your must-have apps when you travel?

 

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