I find myself questioning how we used to live in a world without smart phones. On top of that, how did we travel before smart phones?! There are so many great resources out there (most of which are free) to make traveling easier. Here are my 10 favorite apps you need for your next adventure!
TripIt
Tripit is a great way to organize all your travel plans in one place. Simply send confirmation emails to plans@tripit.com, and the app will create a master itinerary for every trip. You will also get reminders and alerts during your trip to make sure you don’t miss a thing.
Hopper
I love using Hopper to research and book my flights. The app is a great predictor of the best time to book your trip. The app uses a calendar to show you the average price for those days. Once selecting your days, Hopper will let you know whether to book or to wait. If you are not ready to book, you can simply watch the trip and get notifications when the flight price changes. Another cool feature is to freeze the price of your flight. By paying a small deposit you can freeze the flight price for a short time and come back and book later. This deposit will automatically be applied to your booking. You can also use all these features when booking a hotel.
Hotels.com
I love using Hotels.com to book rooms whether traveling internationally or domestically. Although I try to find the best room at the best price, I tend to generally book with Hotels.com because of their rewards program. With their rewards program, you collect “stamps” for every night you stay in a participating property (there are over 500,000 properties worldwide). After you collect 10 stamps, you are rewarded a free night that is worth an average value of the 10 stamps you collected. On top of the free night, participating in the Hotels.com reward program also unlocks secret prices for select properties. The best part of the program is that it is completely free to sign up and start collecting those stamps!
Airbnb/VRBO
If you want a little more space or to feel like a local on your trip, Airbnb/VRBO are two great apps that can help you find lodging for your trip. I have found some great houses for all sorts of trips. Get up to $65 off your first trip by using this sign up link.
Uber/Lyft
Uber and Lyft are popular car ride services. While Lyft only operates in the US and CA, Uber is a great option that provides services in select cities worldwide, as Katie found in Fortaleza, Brazil. Be sure to do your research if the city you are traveling to uses Uber.
When traveling overseas, many cellular phone plans can charge high international rates for texting and calling. WhatsApp uses very little data to send and receive text messages, which can save money if your cell plan has a smaller data allocation when traveling overseas. WhatsApp also connects to WiFi, so you can make calls to family and friends back home when you connect to WiFi.
Google Translate
Traveling to a new country where you don’t speak the language can be intimidating. It is always best to try and speak the native language when possible. Google Translate helps to talk to locals with simple questions. I love using the app to translate menus.
Trail Wallet
Keeping track of expenses while traveling and especially when going in and out of different countries and currencies can be extremely difficult. Trail Wallet is a budget and expense tracker designed specifically for traveling. In the app, you can keep track of spend, total trip budget, total budget remaining, daily budget, average spend per day, and percent of budget spent. This is a great way to make sure you don’t break the bank and have the best time based on your budget.
Splitwise
I love this app when traveling with a large group. It is an easy way to track costs from your trip and split them among the party. I first discovered this during a bachelorette party, and it was so convenient when we split costs for groceries and costs for the bride. You can split everything evenly or even allocate different expenses to different people. Everything can be settled through Venmo, which is another great tool not only for travel but for everyday life.
Netflix
Any long flight needs a binge-worthy show to watch, and Netflix is my favorite choice. I am always sure to pre-download some movies or a tv shows to keep me entertained through my flight, train ride or road trip.