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There are some things that you just can’t live without when you are traveling. We all know that a high-quality camera, a sturdy backpack, and walking shoes that can go from the street to the dessert are essential.
But your mobile phone is like a Mary Poppins bag – if you let it, it can carry everything for you. Whether it’s phone applications like Google Maps to help you find your way around or Tripadvisor to read the reviews and recommendations.
Why are mobile apps great for travelers?
Gone are the times when you and your traveling companion needed to sit with a badly folded map and hope that a motel or a hotel had an available room when you arrived.
We live in the age of ease, thanks to mobile technology. You can order food, book a hotel, learn a new language and even find part-time work anywhere in the world.
Mobile apps are great for travelers as they make it simpler and easier to enjoy your time away. Get insider tips like the best food spot to visit, a secret hotel that is cheap and has excellent mattresses, and even local events.
Below is a list of recommended apps and topics to consider when planning your next adventure:
Accommodation
Where you lay your head at night can set you up for the rest of the next day. These apps will help you find the most comfortable and affordable options.
Hotel Tonight
When you book flights fast, you need to be able to find accommodation quickly too. Hotel Tonight gives you that option.
Hotel Tonight allows you to book for the same day, or depending on where you are, up to 100 days in advance. However, seven days is the most likely available option.
You can quickly select rooms based on your needs like top deals, lowest price, or most premium.
In a dropdown menu, you can select the number of rooms you need and the amenities like gym, pets, or breakfast.
If you feel adventurous, they have a daily drop, and you only have 15 minutes to book it, with a single ‘unlock’ per day.
Hotel Tonight is available on iOS and Android and is free to download.
Airbnb
Airbnb is a must-have app for travelers and certainly for those who like to change plans on a dime.
You can quickly filter through cities and small towns to find a place to stay that suits your budget.
Booking through the Airbnb app is easy; you can also make adjustments to your trip. Once booked, you can look at local experiences and plan some more adventures.
Airbnb app is free and available on Google Play and iTunes. Their website is also a treasure trove of information.
Cozycozy
Cozycozy is a travel app for everybody who wants to get the best deals. With the help of this application, you can easily search and compare accommodation options and prices in a given destination. You can even read the reviews of the places to stay because cozycozy lists its results from every booking service. It is also available for Android and iOS.
Trivago
Trivago scans booking options and pricing from over 200 hotel websites, including the leading providers like Expedia and Booking.com.
Once you have entered your search criteria, you will get your best price for the dates you want to stay and the chance to snag a last-minute deal too.
You will see the distance from your location to the hotel, the rating, any offers or discounts, and pictures.
The Trivago app is available on both iTunes and Google Play and is free to use. To get the most from the app, it’s better to sign up for an account.
Flights and Travel
Flight and travel apps have opened up the ability to jet off with a few hours notice or find a hidden scenic route while driving. These apps help make your spontaneous dreams a reality.
Hopper
One of the most costly parts of traveling is the flights. Even domestic flights can set you back hundreds. If you don’t have set dates but have a rough idea of where you want to go, Hopper is the perfect app.
It’s straightforward to use. The green days are the cheapest; light orange is a bit more pricey, then coral and red will set you back a chunk of your traveling cash.
One of the most important reasons for getting the app is the Watch This Trip feature. You receive a notification when your desired trip is available.
You can download Hopper for free on Google Play and iTunes. The Hopper website also takes you directly to the app.
Roadtrippers
If you are putting flights aside and getting ready for a road trip, then Roadtrippers will be a must-have mobile application.
It will help you plan the route but has extra options like finding and booking hotels and local activities.
For those who have an adventure in mind, this app will help you find those places that ordinary travelers won’t get to enjoy.
The Roadtripper app is free, but to upgrade will cost you $29 a year. It’s available on iTunes and Google Play.
TripIt
Organization is a must when traveling; piles of messy documents make for a difficult time at the borders.
TripIt helps to keep your itinerary neat, and your documents are stored in an organized fashion.
Here are a few things that you can keep organized with TripIt:
- Flights
- Hotel bookings
- Airbnb confirmation
- Ferry tickets
- Directions for drivers
- Rental car information
With TripIt, you can also share all of the itineraries with people, making organization a breeze for group travel.
You can get the TripIt app for free on the Google Play Store or the iTunes store.
But beware that the pro version comes with a subscription cost, but it does come with extras like security waiting times, baggage claim information, and real-time flight alerts.
Entertainment
Filling the hours in the car or at the airport can be dull without some entertainment. These gaming apps are your perfect time-killing companions.
888 Poker
The wait times between flights and connections can be extensive, which is why the 888 poker app is perfect for killing time.
The app works with any smartphone or tablet, and you can access a wide variety of game modes to make the most of your game time.
The great thing about mobile gaming apps is that they are ready when you are. You can play a quick game while in the line for tickets or if you have the dreaded jetlag.
Hearthstone
The Hearthstone app is better suited to a tablet, but it is a great way to fill time.
To play Hearthstone, you’ll need to learn the basics of the card game. Like most card games, it’s a mix of skill and luck.
You can take beginner lessons in the app, and you get a free set of cards when you first start playing.
The boards you play on are well designed, and the interface is easy to use.
If you are familiar with Blizzard’s other releases like World of Warcraft, Overwatch, and Heroes of the Storm, this is an excellent app for travelers.
Hearthstone is available for free for Android and Apple. It is worth reading the guide first, though.
Netflix
Sometimes you aren’t in the mood to play game apps. Instead, you want to kick back and watch a movie or the latest Netflix series release.
When you find somewhere with WiFi, you can download an episode or a movie and watch it when you like.
Something to remember is that even if you download it, it can expire. So you should check all of your downloads when you hit a WiFi point.
You can use your data, but it can be expensive to download movies.
If you will experience anything different in the app as you travel due to your location, the Netflix app will notify you.
You can get the Netflix app on iTunes and Google Play; it works with iPhone, iPad, iPod, and you can also use the web player.
Room
Another app for the entertainment category, but one for those who like to get absorbed in puzzles.
As the name suggests, you will be presented with a room, and in each room, you will have a range of puzzles you will need to solve to progress.
Room uses your motion sensors and touchscreen to make it as interactive as possible.
There are a couple of the Room games available, so if you find you are hooked on the play style, there are plenty of options.
You can get Room on Steam, Google Play, App Store, Amazon Appstore, Apple Arcade, and more, depending on the mobile device you are playing on.
Planning your next trip and enjoying it to the fullest has never been so simple, thanks to the many mobile apps available.