For seasoned globetrotters and first-time adventurers alike, mastering the art of travel involves a blend of meticulous planning and spontaneous discovery. Even with experience, certain aspects of travel, like navigating unfamiliar transportation systems or deciphering foreign languages, can present challenges. Thankfully, a plethora of Travel Phone Apps are available to streamline these complexities and enhance your journey. From booking flights and accommodations to finding your way around new cities and managing your budget, the right travel app can be your indispensable companion. Afar’s editors and contributors, seasoned travel experts, recommend these essential travel phone apps to ensure smoother, more enjoyable, and stress-free travel experiences.
1. Pack Smart: PackPoint
Packing efficiently is crucial for any trip, and PackPoint simplifies this often-dreaded task. This travel phone app personalizes your packing list based on your destination, travel dates, and planned activities. Simply input your destination, trip duration, and activities, and PackPoint generates customized packing recommendations tailored to the weather and your itinerary. It even considers details like laundry access, helping you pack lighter and smarter. Whether you’re aiming for minimalist travel or just want to ensure you don’t forget essentials, PackPoint is your digital packing assistant, helping you channel your inner Marie Kondo and pack like a pro.
2. Organize Your Itinerary: TripIt
TripIt is a top-rated travel phone app for itinerary organization, automatically consolidating your travel confirmations into a single, easily accessible itinerary. By simply connecting to your email, TripIt gathers confirmation emails for flights, hotels, car rentals, restaurant bookings, and event tickets, organizing them into a master travel schedule. This makes sharing your plans with family or friends effortless, eliminating the need for repetitive updates and simplifying airport pickups. The free version also includes a Travel Stats page for data enthusiasts, tracking your travel history. For more advanced features like real-time flight alerts and security wait times, TripIt Pro is available for a yearly subscription, making it a powerful tool for both casual and frequent travelers.
3. Learn Key Phrases: Drops
For international travel, knowing a few basic phrases in the local language can significantly enhance your experience. Drops is a language learning travel phone app that utilizes gamification and mnemonic devices to help you quickly learn essential vocabulary. Unlike apps focused on grammar, Drops emphasizes practical vocabulary acquisition through engaging, flashcard-style exercises. With over 50 languages available, including less common ones, Drops is perfect for travelers wanting to grasp key phrases for smoother interactions in unfamiliar countries, making language barriers less daunting.
4. Navigate Transportation Options: Rome2Rio
Rome2Rio is an invaluable travel phone app for planning transportation logistics. Input your starting point and destination, and Rome2Rio displays all feasible travel options – planes, trains, buses, cars – along with estimated durations and costs. For public transportation routes, it provides specific train and bus details, including alternatives, and links to booking websites. Having all options clearly presented empowers you to make informed decisions about the best way to get from point A to point B, optimizing your travel time and budget.
5. Expedite Airport Customs: Mobile Passport
Skip the long customs lines with Mobile Passport, a travel phone app that streamlines your entry into the United States. This app allows U.S. citizens and eligible Canadian citizens to submit their passport and customs declaration information digitally. Upon arrival at participating airports and ports of entry, you can access expedited Mobile Passport Control lines, often resulting in significantly faster processing times compared to regular lines. For travelers who value efficiency and wish to minimize airport wait times after international flights, Mobile Passport is a game-changer.
6. Access Airport Lounges: Priority Pass
Enhance your airport experience with Priority Pass, a travel phone app that grants access to a global network of over 1,500 airport lounges. While membership is often included with premium travel credit cards like Chase Sapphire Reserve or American Express Platinum, the Priority Pass app digitizes your membership for convenient access. The app allows you to search for eligible lounges by airport, providing information on amenities. Even economy travelers can enjoy the comfort and quiet of airport lounges, making layovers and flight delays more relaxing and productive.
7. Find Your Calm: Rain Rain
Travel can be stressful, and finding moments of tranquility is essential. Rain Rain is a relaxation travel phone app offering a wide variety of ambient sounds, including numerous rain variations and real-life soundscapes. Whether you need to drown out distractions on a plane, relax in your hotel room, or simply unwind after a day of exploring, Rain Rain provides a customizable sound environment to help you de-stress and find your zen. With no ads and a timer feature, it’s a perfect companion for promoting relaxation on the go.
8. Navigate Like a Local: Google Maps
Google Maps is an indispensable travel phone app for navigation and local discovery. Beyond basic directions, it helps you locate essential services like banks and gas stations, provides public transportation routes, and maps walking and cycling paths. Features like location sharing and custom map creation with saved points of interest enhance group travel and offline accessibility. Whether you’re exploring a bustling city or a remote countryside, Google Maps is your reliable guide for getting around and discovering local gems.
9. Master City Transit: Citymapper
For urban explorers who rely on public transportation, Citymapper is a specialized travel phone app designed for navigating city transit systems. Covering over 100 cities worldwide, Citymapper provides detailed routes, real-time updates, and fare information for buses, trains, subways, trams, ferries, and even bike-sharing services. Features like “Share Your ETA” enhance safety and coordination when traveling with companions. Citymapper excels in making complex urban transit systems accessible and understandable, even in unfamiliar cities.
10. Explore National Parks: National Park Trail Guide
For outdoor enthusiasts and national park visitors, the National Park Trail Guide app is a valuable travel phone app for planning and exploring. It offers comprehensive guides to over 60 U.S. national parks, monuments, and recreation areas, including information on trails, accommodations, activities, and climate data. Ideal for trip planning and on-site navigation, this app enhances your national park adventures, providing essential details for a safe and informed experience in nature.
11. Discover Hiking Trails: AllTrails
AllTrails is a leading travel phone app for hikers, bikers, and runners, helping you discover trails worldwide. With detailed information on trail difficulty, length, elevation gain, conditions, and route type, AllTrails empowers you to choose the perfect trail for your skill level and preferences. User reviews and photos provide valuable insights, and the premium AllTrails+ version offers offline map downloads and wrong-turn alerts for enhanced safety and navigation in remote areas.
12. Break Language Barriers: Google Translate
Google Translate is an essential travel phone app for overcoming language barriers in international destinations. Supporting translation in over 200 languages, it allows you to translate words, phrases, and sentences via text or voice input. The camera translation feature enables real-time translation of text in images, like menus or signs. Offline translation and a personal phrasebook make Google Translate a versatile tool for communication in any foreign language environment.
13. Secure Last-Minute Hotels: HotelTonight
For spontaneous trips or last-minute accommodation needs, HotelTonight is a go-to travel phone app for booking discounted hotel rooms. Focusing on same-day and next-day bookings, HotelTonight offers curated selections of hotels in various categories, from basic to luxury, often at significantly reduced rates. Ideal for unexpected travel changes or impromptu city getaways, HotelTonight provides access to quality hotels at bargain prices.
14. Convert Currencies Instantly: Xe Currency
Xe Currency is a must-have travel phone app for international travelers needing quick and accurate currency conversions. Supporting virtually every world currency, Xe Currency provides real-time exchange rates and allows you to convert prices instantly. Offline rate access ensures you can use it even without internet connectivity. Whether shopping, dining, or budgeting, Xe Currency eliminates currency conversion headaches and helps you manage your travel expenses effectively.
15. Split Travel Expenses: Splitwise
Traveling in a group? Splitwise is a travel phone app that simplifies shared expense tracking. It eliminates the awkwardness of splitting bills and ensures fair contribution from everyone in your travel group. Simply input shared expenses, and Splitwise calculates who owes whom, preventing financial disagreements and making group trips more enjoyable and equitable.
16. Find Vegan & Vegetarian Food: HappyCow
HappyCow is an essential travel phone app for vegetarian and vegan travelers. Like Google Maps for plant-based dining, HappyCow locates vegetarian and vegan restaurants and options nearby. Filters for price, gluten-free options, and restaurant features help you find the perfect meal. User reviews and details about menu items ensure informed choices. With a vast community and international coverage, HappyCow makes finding suitable food options easy and enjoyable for vegetarian and vegan travelers worldwide.
Explore More Travel App Recommendations from Afar
→ The Most Helpful Translation Apps for Travelers
→ 6 Awesome Hiking Apps for Adventurous Travelers
→ Navigate the National Parks Better With These Essential Apps
→ Free Apps and Websites That Make Eco-Friendly Travel Easy
This article was originally published in 2019 and was most recently updated on July 10, 2024, with new information.
