Travel Technology at Your Fingertips
Smartphones have made our lives so much easier in a lot of ways, especially in the form of useful apps. Even traveling can become a breeze with the right app at your fingertips. Gone are the days of paper maps, trying to convert currency in your head and struggling to communicate with someone in another language. There’s an app for all of that and more!
The following is a collection of some of the best travel apps around, sure to ease the stresses of planning and traveling, whether you’re staying in the United States or venturing abroad.
Citymapper
Citymapper is an insanely useful app if you intend on traveling within a major city primarily by public transportation. The app is available for 36 cities around the world and counting.
It provides live schedules near you for buses, trains, subways and the like, and tells you when to expect the next one. You can also utilize its trip planner in order to get from point A to point B quickly and efficiently regardless of if you’re only using public transit or want to hire an Uber.
XE Currency
Currency conversions are kind of a headache. When traveling outside the United States, it can be difficult to remember what the dollar is currently worth in another country.
Leave it to the currency pros at XE to develop an app that does conversions for you in real time. Choose your home currency and instantly convert it into a foreign currency, or vice versa.
It’s an invaluable tool while shopping or deciding on things to do.
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Google Translate
If you find yourself in a non-English speaking country, you may find it difficult to communicate if you don’t know the local language. Instead of adding extra weight to your luggage with a phrasebook, download the Google Translate app.
It’s the simplest way to cope when you come up against language barriers. You can find out how to say specific words or phrases in over 103 languages and even translate text instantly using your camera.
Maps.me
If you’re going to choose one of the hundreds of map apps out there, make it Maps.me. Not only can you download maps for individual cities and regions when connected to WiFi, but you can use the app offline so it doesn’t use up your precious data.
No matter where you’re going in the world, Maps.me can help you navigate it and ensure you don’t get lost, even providing you with walking directions between destinations.
WhatsApp is a brilliant little messaging app that allows you to keep in touch with family and friends while traveling. When connected to WiFi, you can message and call anyone in the world for free.
The app uses an internet connection instead of call minutes or data. Regardless of if you want to share photos, videos, documents or even maps, you can do it all right within the app. It’s also available for your computer, so you can sync up ongoing conversations on a laptop.
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TripCase
Acting as your personal travel assistant, TripCase organizes all your trip information into one easy to use app. From flights to car rentals to event tickets, any type of reservation can be forwarded to their staff and added to your itinerary.
It’s great for business travelers or for coordinating larger family gatherings and vacations.
TVFoodMaps
For the obsessed foodie, there is the ingenious TVFoodMaps app. Two brothers created this app to track dining establishments nearby that have been featured on over 48 different food and travel shows.
Although the app only covers the United States, it features 4,000+ restaurants that come highly recommended by some of the most trusted connoisseurs no matter what your palate desires.
Airbnb
An essential app for budget-conscious travelers, Airbnb allows you to stay with people all over the world for a fraction of the price you’d pay for a hotel. Whether you’re a solo traveler, couple or with a group, you can choose to share a room, have your own, or even rent a whole house or apartment.
Unlike other hotel apps, you can also create lists for locations or interesting accommodations like yurts, teepees and airstream trailers.
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SkyScanner
There are tons of flight comparison websites and apps, but SkyScanner takes the cake. Aside from searching for flights to a specific destination, you can do an “everywhere” search for inspiration and to see where you can get the best deal on flights.
You can also see what months are the most expensive to travel on the route you’ve chosen, watch flights and get price alerts when the flight you’re watching is about to drop or increase.
TripAdvisor
TripAdvisor is one of the most trusted travel websites in the world. Their offline app allows you to see reviews, photos and information on hotels, restaurants and attractions all over the world.
You can leave your own reviews on the go and even find places around you that come highly rated with their Traveler’s Choice Award. It even has a Travel Timeline feature, which compiles all the places you’ve visited into one spot so you can recall them easily and leave a review later.