The Best Travel Apps to Download Before Your Next Trip

From luxury safaris to spontaneous city getaways, I’ve learned that having the right apps on your phone can be just as important as packing the right clothes. The right digital tools help you stay organized, save money, avoid stress, and even uncover hidden gems you might otherwise miss.

In this post I’ll provide a list of the best travel apps I recommend every traveler download before takeoff.

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Searching and Booking Flights

Top Choice: Hopper

• What it does: Hopper is my one-stop shop for travel planning. It predicts future flight and hotel prices with remarkable accuracy, helping you decide whether to “book now” or “wait.” Booking is done directly in the app, and it also lets you lock in a price for a small fee, giving peace of mind if you’re not quite ready to commit.
• Bonus Features:
  • Real-time alerts when prices drop
  • Flexible date search so you can find the cheapest days to fly
  • Book rental cars and hotels directly in the app
  • Special offers and deal days, as well as “Carrot Cash” earned on every booking which can be used for future bookings
• Con: They will try to sell you additional fees during the booking process for things like additional ground support or price locks. It’s only slightly annoying to go through the opt-outs, but worth it for the apps many benefits.
• Availability: iOS & Android

Backup App: Google Flights or Kayak

Use the ‘Explore’ feature on either of these apps to find the best flight prices from your home airport. It’s a great tool for searching and comparing, but you will need to book on a carrier or third-party site.

Pro Tip: Planning travel without a plan is the best way to see more of the world for a lower cost. Using the “Explore” feature on Google flights or Kayak allows you to see where and when you can go for the lowest cost from your home airport. If you have less freedom in either your time or destination then use Hopper to set up tracking for future trips and allow the app to notify you when prices drop.

Managing Travel Itineraries

Top Choice: CheckMyTrip

• What it does: Keeps all your travel bookings, including flights, hotels, car rentals, and more, in one easy-to-read itinerary by importing confirmations automatically from your email, or add them manually.
• Bonus Features:
  • real-time flight alerts
  • offline access to your itinerary
  • check-in reminders
  • local extras like weather updates and nearby attractions
  • book add-on services such as airport transfers or lounge passes directly through the app
• Con: While it’s a great tool for organizing and monitoring trips, booking options within the app are limited compared to dedicated booking platforms.
• Availability: iOS & Android

Backup App: TripIt

This app has many of the same itinerary organization and offline viewing features as CheckMyTrip, some even say that the itinerary interface and synchronization with your email out paces the above, but if flight tracking and real-time alerts are important to you, these features are only available with the paid Pro version of TripIt.

Pro Tip: Gone are the days of searching through your inbox for important travel information! These apps sync with your email for hands-free itinerary building, but if you are uncomfortable with the app crawling your inbox you can turn that feature off and simply forward your important emails to the app or add information manually.

Navigation & Maps

Top Choice: Google Maps

• What it does: Google Maps goes far beyond just directions: it helps you plan routes for driving, walking, cycling, and public transport, plus lets you explore neighborhoods, restaurants, and attractions in detail.
• Bonus Features:
  • Download maps for offline use (a lifesaver when traveling abroad)
  • Explore user reviews and photos of places
  • Save custom lists of spots you want to visit
  • Street View for a realistic look at destinations before you get there
  • User-driven data on road hazards or traffic traps
• Con: Battery-heavy if left running for long navigation sessions, and offline maps don’t always include every layer of info (like transit schedules).
• Availability: iOS & Android

Backup App: Maps.me

This app has excellent offline features with strong navigation capabilities without cell service, even for hiking trails or off the beaten track points of interest. It will even give you information on elevation, which is invaluable for bikers and hikers. The only thing that is lacking is the real-time traffic data or transit schedules that can be found on Google Maps

Pro Tip: Download maps ahead of time for any cities or countries you’ll visit, especially helpful in remote areas or abroad. I often create my own walking tours using Google maps. As long as you download the map while connected to Wifi it will work offline.

Language Translation

Top Choice: Google Translate or Microsoft Translator

• What it does: Both apps are versatile translation tool that handles text, voice, and image translation; Google translates 249 languages, while Microsoft works with over 100 languages. Both have offline capabilities and allow for real-time conversation translation, although Microsoft seems to edge out Google in multi-person conversation mode.
• Bonus Features:
  • Offline translation packs so you can work without cell service
  • Instant camera translation (including via Lens) so you can just point your phone at a sign and see it in your language in real time
  • Improved contextual translation (idioms, alternate meanings) so translations feel more natural
  • AI integration is making these tools faster and more accurate than ever before
• Con: Some of the more advanced features (long conversation transcripts, very high-quality image OCR, etc.) may require good lighting, quiet settings, or internet connection. Also, though many languages are supported offline, the translations tend to be more basic compared to when connected.
• Availability: iOS & Android

Backup App: DeepL Translate

DeepL is known for producing exceptionally accurate and natural sounding translations, especially for written text. You can type, speak, or upload images and files to translate between more than 30 languages. Alternative translation tools let you choose formal or informal versions of output. However, some features and unlimited translations are hidden in the paid Pro version, so you may come across character limits or usage caps.

Pro Tip: Download the offline language pack before departure to avoid relying on Wi-Fi or data.

Currency Conversion

Top Choice: Xe

• What it does: Xe is a powerful all-in-one currency app and the one I use consistently. You can check live exchange rates, convert between hundreds of currencies, and even send international money transfers directly through the app.
• Bonus Features:
  • Real-time rate alerts — set a target and get notified when the rate hits it
  • Historical charts and trend visuals (up to 10 years) to track currency movements
  • Secure money transfers to over 200 countries in 130+ currencies, with transparency in fees and tracking
  • Ability to convert and monitor multiple currencies at once, with “favorite” currency lists
• Con: Some functions (especially money transfer features) require account setup and may involve fees. Also, when offline, some rate updates or transfer features may not work fully.
• Availability: iOS & Android

Backup App: My Currency Converter

This app has a clean, user-friendly design. It has many of the same features as Xe including trends graph and real-time updates. While it doesn’t offer money transfers, it does support cryptocurrencies.

Pro Tip: Use this for trip planning and while traveling at markets and ATMs to stay aware of conversion rates and avoid overpaying.

International Messaging

Top Choice: WhatsApp

• What it does: WhatsApp is a messaging app that keeps you connected around the world through text, voice, and video. You can send messages, make voice or video calls, share photos/videos, make group chats, and share locations. It is the number one app for international communication, especially when booking and communicated with overseas providers. Additionally, end-to-end encryption helps protect your privacy.
• Bonus Features:
  • Disappearing messages & “view once” media for added privacy in chats
  • Document scanning and sharing, plus ability to send high-resolution images and videos between iOS and Android devices
  • Lock chats behind a passcode or biometric so sensitive conversations stay private
  • Companion mode & multi-device support—use WhatsApp on desktop/tablet while phone is another device
• Con: Some features depend on having a stable Internet connection (video calls, message translation, etc.), so performance can drop when you’re offline or in rural/remote locations.
• Availability: iOS & Android (plus desktop/web versions)

Backup App: Telegram

Telegram has similar features as WhatsApp, such as secure and secret chats, file sharing capabilities, and group travel chats. It uses cloud storage, which means your chats are accessible from multiple devices, and file sharing limits are higher (files up to 2GB), which is great for sharing maps, itineraries, travel photos, or PDFs without worrying about compression.

Pro Tip: Many international hotels, drivers, and tour operators prefer WhatsApp over email or SMS.

Restaurant Reservations

Top Choice: OpenTable

• What it does: OpenTable is a restaurant reservation app that helps you find and book tables at thousands of restaurants worldwide. You can search by cuisine, location, time, and even see real-time availability and reviews.
• Bonus Features:
  • Dining rewards & points system: earn credits or rewards at participating restaurants you frequent.
  • Filters and waitlist options: occasionally you can join waitlists if your desired time is full.
  • Rich restaurant profiles: menus, photos, reviews, hours, and directions all in one place.
  • Syncs with your calendar so you never forget a dinner reservation.
• Con: Not every restaurant is on OpenTable; in smaller towns or foreign countries, coverage may be limited. Additionally, pay attention to reservations as some restaurants may require deposits or credit card guarantees or have differing cancellation polices.
• Availability: iOS & Android

Backup App: TheFork

Book restaurants, mainly in Europe, Australia and some Latin American countries, with discounts and reviews. Some restaurants have special “Forked” offers or prix fixe menus for app users. Filter by cuisine, location, ambiance or availability.

Pro Tip: For vegetarians or vegans, or just anyone looking for a healthy meal, try HappyCow.

Ground Transportation

Top Choice: Omio

• What it does: Omio is a one-stop transportation app that aggregates trains, buses, ferries, rideshares, car rentals, and even micromobility options (like scooters and bikes) in one place. It’s ideal for travelers hopping between cities or navigating local transit systems.
• Bonus Features:
  • Mobile / digital tickets that you can store in the app and access offline; great for travel when connectivity is spotty
  • Live journey updates: delays, platform changes, and reminders for connections. Helps reduce travel stress
  • Flexible search: compare between transport modes (bus vs train etc.), see routes and prices across different providers, in multiple currencies
  • Extensive coverage: supports dozens of transport operators (rail, bus, ferry) and has reach into many countries; payments in many currencies, and language support
• Con: Prices via Omio can sometimes be higher than buying directly from the train or bus operator due to service fees. Some users report challenges around support and schedule updates.
• Availability: iOS & Android

Backup App: Rome2Rio

Supporting multiple modes of transportation and hundreds of countries and territories around the globe, Rome2Rio is a top tier app to get you from point-A to point-B, be it neighborhoods, landmarks or specific addresses. Price estimates are not always accurate when compared to the providers website, but for those concerned with options and efficiency this app delivers.

Pro Tip: Use Omio to streamline intercity travel during multi-stop itineraries; it saves hours of research by comparing routes and providers side by side. In a pinch, Rome2Rio, will get you from point-A to B efficiently.

Hotels & Accommodation

Top Choice: Kayak

• What it does: Kayak is a powerful hotel (and flight) aggregator that scans hundreds of booking sites to show you the best rates, deals, and availability all in one place. It’s “Stay” feature lets you filter by price, amenities, location, and even cancellation policies.
• Bonus Features:
  • You can apply smart filters (free cancellation, breakfast, rating, etc.) to narrow results quickly
  • Kayak also shows “Booking Insights” (trends, when prices are rising or falling) to help time your booking
  • You can bundle hotels with flights or rental cars for extra savings
  • It’s cross-platform (web + mobile), and you can “Save” hotels or alerts for price drops
• Con: Kayak often redirects you to third-party booking sites, which may have different cancellation policies or fees. Also, because they show many sources, pricing discrepancy can exist (same hotel room, different terms), and in some cases availability might change mid-search if inventory is tight.
• Availability: iOS & Android

Backup App: Expedia

Expedia allows you to search, compare, and book thousands of hotels globally. It also offers bundled options (hotel + flight) and shows member prices to Expedia loyalty members. Expedia offers rich hotel information, including virtual tours of the property and local or nearby attractions. Additionally, they offer users real-time notifications regarding your booking.

Pro Tip: Use Kayak to scout the best rates and uncover hidden deals, then check Expedia to see if their member pricing or bundle discounts give you even better value. If you want to go the extra mile, also check directly with the provider as many hotels offer special pricing or perks these days for booking directly. Either way, using these apps will save you time and likely money by comparing multiple properties in a single search.

Villas and Unique Stays:

Airbnb and VRBO are both great search options, but if you are interested in truly unique and luxurious stay, I would highly recommend contacting your travel consultant, this is where our services and industry contacts shine.

Road Trips

Top Choice: RoadTrippers

• What it does: Plan scenic and customized road trip routes, complete with curated stops, local attractions, quirky roadside sights, and great food along the way. You can build a multi-stop journey and see what’s worth visiting between your start and end points.
• Bonus Features:
  • AI-powered “Autopilot” that suggests stops based on your route and preferences
  • Offline maps and trip data (with premium plan) so you can access your itinerary without service
  • Route cost estimates (fuel, total time), filtering for RV and vehicle size in some regions
  • Sync across devices and share your route with travel companions
• Con: The free version is limited in the number of stops or saved trips. To unlock full capacities (more stops, offline maps, advanced features) you’ll need to pay. Additionally, POI data may be sparse or less detailed, especially outside the U.S.
• Availability: iOS & Android

Backup App: iExit

iExit helps you find what’s coming up at exits (up to 100 exits ahead) while you’re driving on U.S. interstates. It shows services like gas stations, EV charging, restaurants, hotels, rest stops, and other amenities by exit number and distance. The app is integrated with Yelp so you can see ratings, menus and reviews for nearby restaurants.

Pro Tip: These apps are great for planning, even on the go, but neither use full navigation, so combine with Google Maps or Waze, and GasBuddy for real-time navigation, gas prices and traffic updates along your route.

Hiking

Top Choice: AllTrails

• What it does: Discover, map, and review hiking, biking, and running trails all over the world. Filter by distance, elevation, difficulty, and user ratings to find the perfect trail for your fitness level and interest.
• Bonus Features:
  • Trail discovery via filters (distance, difficulty, scenic value, elevation gain, etc.), plus map-view and list view, making it easy to find trails near you or during travel
  • Offline map downloads (in the Plus or Peak subscription plans) so you can use trail maps when you don’t have cell service
  • “Wrong-turn alerts” and “live trail sharing” (depending on subscription) to help with navigation safety and letting people know your location
  • Community features: user reviews, recent photos, park pages (hours, fees, points of interest), lists of favorite trails, and more. Helps you see what current users are actually experiencing
• Con: Many of the most helpful features (fully usable offline maps, some safety alerting, custom route building, more advanced mapping tools) are locked behind subscription tiers.
• Availability: iOS & Android

Backup App: Gaia GPS

Ideal for serious hikers and backcountry travelers, offering highly detailed topo maps and offline navigation. It’s many features can be cumbersome to learn and also consume battery life and storage space.

Pro Tip: I feel a little bit like a broken record here but, download your trail map before leaving your hotel or lodge. Even popular parks often have dead zones with no signal or signage. When hiking, never depend solely on apps or electronic devices, keep a compass handy just in case.

Camping

Top Choice: The Dyrt

• What it does: The Dyrt is a comprehensive camping app that helps you find and review thousands of campsites across the U.S., from national parks and state forests to private campgrounds and RV parks. It’s driven by a community of campers who share reviews, photos, tips, and ratings from first-hand experience.
• Bonus Features:
  • Filtered search: narrow by distance, campground type, amenities, rating, etc
  • Offline mode (with PRO): download maps and campground info so you can use them without cell service
  • PRO perks: access to discounted campsites (some up to 40% off), alerts for sold-out campgrounds, and access to tens of thousands of free dispersed camping locations
  • Some campgrounds allow you to book directly through The Dyrt without extra booking fees
• Con: The free version has limitations: many of the more powerful features (offline maps, some booking perks, access to free dispersed spots) require upgrading to PRO. Also, because of the user-generated content, it is possible that some listings may have incomplete or outdated info (amenities, conditions, etc.).
• Availability: iOS & Android

Backup App: Pitchup

Available for booking tent camping, glamping pods, RV sites, and unique stays across multiple countries without booking fees. They offer real-time availability and instant confirmations and even offer a search filter for accessibility.

Hipcamp is another helpful app that helps you search public parks and private land where you can pitch a tent for the night.

Pro Tip: Use The Dyrt to scout out lesser-known campsites and read honest reviews. Then check Pitchup for boutique stays like yurts, shepherd’s huts, or waterfront tent spots, especially great for last-minute bookings.

Airport Lounge Access

Top Choice: Lounge Review

• What it does: Replacing Amex’s LoungeBuddy app, LoungeReview provides a comprehensive global directory of airport lounges by airport. You can read user and expert reviews, see amenities, access rules, opening hours, and even figure out which lounges you have access to based on your credit cards, memberships, or frequent flyer status. It also lets you purchase access to many lounges directly via the app.
• Bonus Features:
  • Syncs with TripIt so your travel itinerary can automatically show which lounges you’ll pass through and which ones you might have access to
  • Filters so you can search by amenity (e.g. showers, food, Wi-Fi) or by rule (credit card access, membership)
  • Ability to add your credit cards, frequent flyer status, etc., so the app tells you which lounges you can use, not just which exist
  • Extensive lounge info, including menus, photos, and user comments
• Con: Because it’s a lounge-guide + marketplace, prices for “pay for access” lounges may vary, and availability may differ from what the app shows, depending on airport and time.
• Availability: iOS and Android

Backup App: Priority Pass

Priority Pass is a membership-based lounge access network (often included with premium credit cards). Their app allows members to search among 1,300-plus airport lounges and experiences globally, view the amenities each lounge offers, see opening hours, get membership entitlements, and use the Digital Membership Card instead of carrying a physical one.

Pro Tip: Even if you’re not a frequent flyer, some lounges allow day passes through Lounge Review or Priority Pass for a fee. If you are a frequent flyer, it is well worth a Priority Pass membership or applying for a travel credit card, such as Captial One Venture X or Chase Sapphire Reserve, that offers lounge benefits. Most lounges only allow access within a 3 to 4-hour window prior to your flight.

Packing & Organization

Top Choice: PackPoint

• What it does: PackPoint is a smart packing list app that helps you build a custom packing list based on your travel destination, length of stay, planned activities, and the weather forecast. You tell it where you’re going and what you’re doing (e.g., hiking, business meetings), and it comes up with what you should bring.
• Bonus Features:
  • Integrates weather forecasts: it adjusts your packing list based on predicted temperature, rain, etc.
  • Activity-based additions: if you plan to swim, hike, or dine fine, PackPoint adds those relevant items automatically.
  • Templates & reuse: you can save packing lists you’ve used before and reuse or customize them easily.
  • Shareable lists: send your list to travel companions so everyone can coordinate who brings what.
• Con: The free version has limits (some features locked behind premium, such as packing list syncing across devices). Sometimes the suggestions can be overly generalized as well, so you may still want to tweak for personal habits or preferences.
• Availability: iOS & Android

Backup App: Travel List

Travel List is a minimalist app that combines and organizes pre-trip travel tasks and packing lists in one place. It’s designed to be a travel planner + checklist so you can mark off tasks before departure. The interface is very bare bones and may lack certain features or polish that regular app users are used to.

Weather Tracking

Top Choice: AccuWeather

• What it does: AccuWeather offers hyperlocal weather forecasting down to your street address, plus real-time weather alerts, radar maps, and minute-by-minute precipitation forecasts. It helps you plan around weather changes throughout your day
• Bonus Features:
  • MinuteCast® gives you precipitation forecasts (type, intensity, start/end times) for the next hour, localized to your location
  • RealFeel® Temperature / RealFeel Shade™ to show how it really feels, adjusting for sun, wind, humidity, etc
  • Advanced radar and satellite views, including overlays, weather maps, and interactive maps showing storms, cloud cover, etc
  • Severe weather alerts & notifications, plus access to “WinterCast” for snow/ice forecasting
  • Forecast graphs and visualizations: updated app versions have revamped forecast displays and graph views for easier interpretation.
• Cons: Some of the best features (extended forecasts, more detailed alerts, ad-free experience) are behind a premium subscription. When offline, many dynamic features like live radar, updated alerts, or precipitation predictions may not work.
• Availability: iOS & Android

Backup App: Weather Underground

Weather Underground (Wunderground) provides hyperlocal weather forecasts driven by a vast network of personal weather stations. It offers interactive maps, radar, satellite imagery, and detailed local condition data (temperature, wind, humidity, etc.). Users can also contribute to local weather observations.

Pro Tip: Check the 10-day forecast a few days before your trip to fine-tune your packing list, and monitor hourly forecasts to schedule excursions or beach days around the best weather windows.

Final Thoughts

I am personally a huge advocate for using travel to unplug from technology and the everyday stress that total connection causes, but the truth is, while it can be a distraction in many ways, technological advances have made exploring the world easier and more fulfilling than ever before.

Travel should be about discovery, not digging through emails or worrying about logistics. With these top travel apps at your disposal, and a few minutes of prep, you’ll feel more organized, confident, and in control wherever your travels take you. Just remember, the best way to experience the world and all of its people and cultures is with your head up and eyes open, not with your head buried in your phone.

Happy Travels!

✈️ Still overwhelmed with planning? I can help you build a seamless, customized itinerary, and even show you how to use your travel rewards and credit card perks to unlock VIP experiences. Get in touch, and let’s design a trip worth remembering.