Whether you’re an avid backpacker who jets around the world or simply an occasional weekender, there are countless incredible travel apps out there that will help you snag amazing accommodations, cheap flights, set budgets and more. Thankfully for us, over the recent year the travel app industry has absolutely boomed, providing us greater and greater tools to use on our trips.
Here are some of the top apps out there for your next great adventure.
Momondo
Momondo is hands down the best travel search engine to date for the average flier. Multiple tests have been run that have proven that Momondo gets the lowest fares out of any other site around 80% of the time. I’ve personally used them to book the majority of the flights I have taken and I’ve always loved their user interface and the deals I can score. The best feature is the ability to see the cheapest fares over a two week period around the time you’d like to fly.
Grab
Grab is a great app for those of us who hate having to walk all over an airport just to find something reasonably edible. Airports are one of the most chaotic environments in the world, full of people rushing to catch flights as well as overbooked restaurants. Avoid the hassle and download Grab so that you can dig into every restaurant’s menu fro your phone, place orders, and get directions to it. It’s currently in 17 airports, but that will hopefully grow quickly.
CouchSurfing
If you’re one of the avid adventurers in the world and you’re up for a fun experience, then try out CouchSurfing. I am an avid user of this app and use it for everything from meet-ups to a place to stay. CouchSurfing is full of adventurers and the primary goal of this app is to crash on someone’s couch for free. It’s free to set up an account and you send people messages from there. Each person is reviewed by past surfers and verified by the company. I’ve used it in Wales, Nicaragua, Scotland, England, and Ireland with incredible success.
HostelWorld
If CouchSurfing isn’t your thing, then maybe hostels are. Hostels aren’t all 12-bed mixed dorms, either. You can still find privacy (and occasionally good bars) while staying at a hostel and thankfully pay less than you would at the hotel next door. This app is a must-have for finding great places to stay on the cheap at the palm of your hand while you’re on the go.
Journy
If you have a little extra cash that you want to put towards your own personal travel agent, then this app is your dream come true. The fees for this app begin at $15 per day and it will help you to build an extensive travel itinerary for your trip. You’ll be able to find all the top restaurants and sights to see and create an organized timeline of activities.
PackingPro
I love this app because of its simplicity: it helps you pack and that’s it. This is a pro version so it will run you $3. If you prefer to not pay for the packing assistance there are a number of free apps that do essentially the same thing. Either way, a packing app is a great idea when you know you’ll be gone for awhile and don’t want to run into any inconveniences. The app is full of great packing advice and makes sure you don’t forget a thing.
Trail Wallet – Travel Budget & Expense Tracker
My favorite app on this list, Trail Wallet will help you keep on track with your spending budget. You’ll be able to set daily spending goals where you can log your purchased items to see if you’re staying on track. I use mine every time I head out on a trip and find that it keeps me from blowing money on things I’ll regret such as silly souvenirs.
Google Translate
While Google Translate isn’t known for having the most accurate translations on the planet, it’s accurate enough to get you comfortable speaking simple questions or commands while you’re in a foreign country. I’ve used it a number of times when no one around me speaks English and can’t recommend it enough to help get you out of a jam. It’s helped me order at restaurants, ask hotel staff to wake me up the next morning, and more. It’s a great tool for any traveler.
The Weather App
The Weather App is often an overlooked app, but useful to quickly see what the temperature and weather is doing before you go off on a day’s adventure outside. The weather can quickly derail your travel plans, so downloading this to see the days weather ahead could save you from a very wet day.
OANDA Currency Converter
Currencies are constantly changing and OANDA stays on top of it all by following the latest in monetary changes around the world. You’ll be able to check what the standard rates are for countries so that you know if you’re getting a good deal or not when you change over your cash. You’ll also be able to judge if your travel budget is enough to cover daily expenses in the new currency even before you travel.
GasBuddy
GasBuddy is a fun app to keep you fueled up and on the go. It will let you know where the nearest gas stations are as well as their approximate pricing. This is a hit or miss app as some people love scoring the best deal while on the run and knowing if their favorite gas station is nearby, but others hate using it while driving and find it can occasionally be inaccurate with prices.
GateGuru
Another life-saving airport app, GateGuru will let you know where your gate is and how long it will take to get there. It even gives you directions to it. Travel through any airport in the world with ease using this app and have your airport experience forever bettered.
Revolutionize your travel experience by utilizing these apps to make your life a bit easier while reducing the stress travel can bring.
Image by Retune.com
I first post this article at https://que.com/12-travel-apps-for-the-techie-traveler/
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