So you know how there is always an app for practically anything? Well, when it comes to travel there is literally an app for every little tiny thing to make travel more "practical". However, when you are packed with a thousand apps do you really end up using them all? When you are traveling it is crucial to keep things simple and easy as you want to be the least overwhelmed possible. I have broken up 9ish apps you might already have and use that are extremely useful. I came to only these apps by choosing the ones I use almost every day when traveling and deleted all the others I found that are great but too much to handle. Get ready for a few downloads.
1. Google Maps
Yes, I know, you already have it but let me explain...
There is no other app I use more when traveling and it's not just because it gives me directions. Google Maps has helped me organize my daily itineraries of what I want to do and make note of any recommendation a friend makes. When connected to your Google account it's easy to save places with a tag called "Want to go" or "Starred places". Let's say you wake up in Vienna with no clue of what to do, here are a few steps I do that take a few minutes time: First, I ask around with friends of what they recommend on me doing, when the recommendations start coming through I start looking for them on Google Maps and saving them under "Want to go". Second, I google it, looking into blogs on what to do in the city and the things that bring my attention I also save them under "Want to go". Once I've saved a few places I zoom out of the map and start making a mental route that can easily take me from one place to another. Google Map's public transportation directions is also very easy to use making it extremely helpful to move around places as a local. Once I visit the places I start switching the ones I liked most and turn them into "Starred places". The ones I didn't like I simple remove from the tags.
2. Google Translate
This app is getting better and better by the second. Google translate is extremely helpful when traveling abroad. Since I was just a few weeks in Arabic-speaking countries with very few people knowing basic English, this app came in hand. You can use this app even when you have no data by downloading the specific languages you want to use. Only when having data, you can also record your voice and it can immediately translate as well as translating handwriting. No language barriers here.
3. Skyscanner and Hopper
These two apps help you find the cheapest flight itineraries and if a particular flight itinerary is too expensive, the app can alert you when the price goes down. I put these two apps together because I always use them simultaneously. About 90 percent of the time Skyscanner will have better deals than Hopper since it scans mostly all low-budget airlines. My theory is Hopper is very good in the States and it's UI design is so smooth and very easy to use but it's just lacking more international airlines. Either way, I suggest to use both even though I trust Skyscanner more.
4. Currency App
I not only use this app every day but a few times a day. Of course knowing exactly the amount of money you are spending is very crucial when traveling. When you are constantly changing currencies it's hard to keep track how much is what. The app I use I can compare up to 5 currencies at a time and can work even when you are offline. Spend smart kids.
5. Hostelworld, Booking.com, and Airbnb
These three apps I use everyday since I need a place to stay every single night, duh. Hostelworld is obviously for hostels, it is very easy to use and the reviews are always very fresh so they are very helpful when knowing how legit a place is. Booking.com is also very easy to use and you can book a place in a matter of seconds (no deposit needed), it gives you a wider range of options than Hostelworld but there are mostly less hostels there (depending on the location). In very remote places Booking.com can be a better option since it just has more options and not just hostels. Airbnb is great when traveling with friends since you can book a place all together, either way I used it when traveling solo through Switzerland since I wanted to stay in very remote areas where there were no Hotels or Hostels but places where people rent out their place or a room in their place.
6. Rome to Rio
This app is very helpful when trying to understand how to get from point A to point B. Let's say you want to see the best, cheapest, and fastest way to get from Paris, France to Sofia, Bulgaria. It will give you a list of options using plane, bus, train, etc. and give you the approximate time and price for each. I have never directly bought from the app but it helps me lay out my options and see from there what will be the best way to get there.
7. Uber
Uber just doesn't seem to stop growing and I can't possibly complain, it's just so easy. Many places that are packed with tourist, taxis seem to always want to take advantage of it and upper there prices when they know you are foreigner. Uber makes it equal for all and gives the same price whether you are a local or a visitor. In regards of security, it is also a lot better better than a taxi since you have the drivers information right on your phone and can easily report to Uber if something wrong happens. There are also a few competitors Uber has, in Europe there is Easy Taxi and My Taxi that link with local taxis at a similar price as Uber. But in the end, let's keep it simple and stick to one app and one app only.
8. AllTrails
If you are like me and love to go on a hike, this app is very nice to have around when choosing to go on a local hike in an unfamiliar place. It gives you the options of a few hikes based on your location, helps you give you directions on how to get there, and guides you throughout the hike. The app can also be used offline, you just have to download the trail before going and you can record your trail to see how much you hiked in total. I love to use this app as it encourages me to be more active and get to know the natural side of a particular place.
9. Been
This app is just a fun app to have. Been can help you keep track on how many countries you've been my checking them out. You can see the percentage you've been on each continent and the total percentage of the whole world. It helps me but myself on perspective by realizing just how big the world is and all that I have yet to see.
As there is always an app for everything there is always a good excuse for traveling.