There’s an abundance of travel apps nowadays and during the pandemic, it’s made a lot of us realise how important travel is to us.
It’s amazing for the mind, body and soul. But it’s hard to know where to start with all this information glaring at us from our smart phones!
Figuring out which ones are actually worth the effort can be boring, time consuming and down right frustrating (especially scrolling past the endless ads!)
If you’ve got a trip coming up, here are some of the best free travel apps for iOS and Android to help you along the way.
1. Skyscanner
If you’re looking to book some cheap flights, the Skyscanner app will search flights from airlines and major travel sites to find you the best deal. There’s also the option to pin your search onto your start screen so that you can monitor price fluctuations.
2. Booking.com
If you’re anything like me, planning in advance is a pretty rare thing! But all is not lost…
Booking.com app is the spontaneous traveller’s saviour, as well as the early bird’s handy accomplice. Tantalising world-wide accommodation is ‘up for grabs’, for all budgets and travel styles.
From the beach huts in The Maldives to a wooden lodge in the fishing villages of Norway, the world is at your fingertips with Booking.com.
3. Duolingo
Fancy yourself as a linguist as well as a traveller? Duolingo is a rather snazzy travel app for those eager to learn the local lingo. Take your pick from 19 different languages… Maybe Polish? Or perhaps Vietnamese?
Fluency isn’t aways the name of the game, as learning a language takes time, but you’ll certainly have plenty of key phrases tucked up your sleeve when exploring a new country. Chuyến đi hạnh phúc (which leads neatly onto the next app if you don’t ‘yet’ speak Vietnamese!).
Duolingo really is one of the best language apps.
4. Google Translate
If you’re clueless when it comes to the local lingo, do not fear, Google Translate is here! This app provides you with the tools to learn essential key words and phrases, ideal for those spontaneous trips where you’ve run out of time to learn a whole new language.
With over 200 million people using it monthly, they must have got something right. Able to translate 109 languages, which should cover pretty much all destinations, Google Translate also comes with a snazzy speech option to ward off any embarrassing pronunciation mishaps.
Let’s face it, nobody wants to accidentally order confit of frog instead of that rice dish you’ve had your eye on!
5. XE Currency converter
Never get ripped off again by adding the XE Currency Converter app to your phone! In some wonderful, worldly countries (as you may well know) there is ‘tourist tax’, where you’ll pay extra for food, sightseeing and even bottles of water.
This app will let you know how much you’re being charged at the current rate, leaving you to decide how you want to part with those hard earned pennies. XE Currency converts money in real time so you are always up to date with the current exchange rate.
By now you may even know a few essential phrases, which will make it much easier to haggle down the price of those spangly new flip flops at the local market.
6. Google Goggles
If you’re out sight-seeing but can’t be bothered to trawl through your guide book to find out what that important building is, then just use this app. Point your phone’s camera lens towards the building and, providing its well-known enough, the app will take you to various articles giving you information about it.
7. Mastercard ATM Hunter
There’s nothing worse than being stuck in an unknown city and realising you have no money. Sometimes trying to find an ATM can be a nightmare if you don’t know your way around, but with this app you can find the one nearest to you. It covers 220 countries so it doesn’t matter where you are in the world.
8. HopStop
A great little app which gives you public transport timetables for 68 different countries.
9. WorldMate
When you’re booking hostels and travel arrangements, it can be difficult to keep track. With this app you can forward all of your booking confirmation emails and it will formulate an itinerary for you. You can even get alerts about disruption to your travel if you update to the premium version.
10. Bla Bla Car
Bla Bla Car is the up and coming way to hitch hike safely. Staggeringly it covers 21 countries so far, and can help you travel for cheap without the worry of squeezing onto a cramped train or bus. So, if meeting new people, taking the scenic route and having many laughs along the way sounds appealing, then this app is for you!
Jump aboard the Bla Bla bandwagon (so to speak!) and choose from captivating routes such as Cornwall to Scotland or London to France, amongst a whole heap of alternatives. You simply pay directly through the app which avoids any embarrassing money moments with your new found friends. This ingenious way of sharing our journeys not only cuts the cost but also creates a certain freedom to get on the move without those annoying train changing trains every 30 minutes.
Oh, and tasty treats tucked in your bag for sharing on the journey will make the perfect ice breakers!
There are some great travel apps out there, whether you’re still in the planning stages of your trip or already out on the road.
Apps are one of those things where you didn’t realise just how useful they are until you’ve downloaded them. Many apps can make life a little simpler but they can also be indispensible if you find yourself lost or in a tricky situation.
Have you used any apps which have come in handy on your travels?
