23 Must-Have Travel Apps to Download Before Your Next Trip
I love to travel, whether it’s around my own lovely country or exploring somewhere abroad. Whether it’s weekend breaks in the Peak District or bigger adventures abroad, I’m always looking for ways to make travelling easier and more organised.
We’re incredibly lucky now to have so much technology at our fingertips that can help us plan a trip, get around once we’re there, and even speak the language.
My phone is so important for me to have with me (and fully charged!) when I am away somewhere – I honestly don’t know how I managed before smartphones when travelling. I wouldn’t even be able to get around London without it, especially on the tube!
So I thought I would share some of the best travel apps that can help you plan your trip, navigate your way around a new place, find the perfect hotel, manage flights, and keep everything organised while travelling.
The Best Travel Apps You Need Before Your Next Trip
Whether you’re planning a big adventure abroad or a quick trip closer to home, these apps can make travelling a lot easier.
23 Best Travel Apps
Travel Planning Apps
Apps that help organise and plan your trip.
Skyscanner
Skyscanner is one of the best apps for finding cheap flights, and it’s incredibly easy to use when you’re planning a trip. You can search for flights across hundreds of airlines and travel websites to compare prices and find the best deals. One of the most useful features is the “Everywhere” search, which lets you see the cheapest destinations you can fly to from your nearest airport if you’re feeling flexible about where to go. The app also allows you to set price alerts, so you’ll get notified if fares drop for routes you’re interested in. As well as flights, you can also search for hotels and car hire, making it a really handy all-in-one travel planning tool.
Available free on iOS and Android.
Rome2Rio
Rome2Rio is a fantastic app when you’re travelling somewhere new and trying to work out the best way to get from A to B. You simply enter where you are and where you want to go, and the app shows you all the different transport options available – including flights, trains, buses, ferries, taxis, and driving routes. It then compares travel times and estimated prices, which makes it much easier to decide the best route for your journey. It’s particularly helpful when travelling abroad or planning longer trips where you might need to combine different types of transport.
Available free on iOS and Android.
Trainline
Trainline is incredibly useful if you’re travelling around the UK or Europe by train. The app lets you quickly search for routes, compare ticket prices, and book your journey in just a few taps. You can store your digital tickets in the app, which makes getting through stations much easier as you don’t need to print anything. It also sends updates about delays or platform changes, which is really helpful if you’re travelling somewhere unfamiliar. If you’re planning a day trip or exploring a new city by train, Trainline can make the whole process much simpler.
Available free on iOS and Android.
Tripit
Tripit is also a great app that works in a similar way to the no longer available Google Trips. Tripit pulls together your travel information that you send to the app via your email and it will organise it all for you as one itinerary. You can also share the plans with others if you are travelling as part of a group.
Available on iOS and Android for free (with an optional annual upgrade fee).
Hopper
Hopper is a fantastic app for finding cheap flights and hotels. It analyses billions of prices every day and predicts when flight prices are likely to go up or down, so you know the best time to book. You can also set up alerts for routes you’re interested in and the app will notify you when prices drop. If you’re flexible with your travel dates, Hopper can be a great way to find bargains and save money on trips abroad.
Available free on iOS and Android.
Wanderlog
Wanderlog is a really helpful app for planning your whole trip in one place. You can create a detailed itinerary, organise your flights, hotels, and activities, and see everything mapped out together so it’s easier to visualise your plans. It’s particularly useful if you’re travelling with friends or family, as everyone can collaborate on the same trip and add suggestions or notes. You can also track your travel budget and keep all your reservations organised in the app. It’s a great tool for keeping everything together so you’re not constantly switching between different apps while planning a trip.
Available free on iOS and Android, with optional premium features.
Hotel Tonight
I absolutely love the Hotel Tonight app and have used it lots of times, in fact, every time I am going for a spontaneous night or two away, I check this app first. The app finds you hotels in the area you are heading to at great discounts, up to 7 days in advance so you can get some real bargains at some really nice hotels. I got a room at the Threadneedles Hotel in London, which is absolutely beautiful for £119 and then I had a discount code which meant I paid £104 – which is a crazy price for a 5-star hotel in London!
You can use the app in most big cities, including abroad (I have been very tempted to book a last-minute trip to Seville many times!) and it tells you their rating for each hotel, like basic, solid, and luxe, which is really helpful. It’s really easy to book a hotel through the app, and the more you book, the more ‘perks’ and discounts you get.
Get it here on iOS and Android.
Packing & Preparation Apps
Duolingo
With Duolingo you can learn loads of different languages, create goals, and choose how many minutes a day you want to practice for. It’s great for learning some basics before you go abroad, as well as whilst you are there. It starts off really simply so that it’s not overwhelming, and it’s really fun to use and pick up the basics. The app guides you through levels that you need to complete, and then tells you how proficient you are in that language! I find it quite addictive once I start using it! There are 23 languages to choose from.
There are ads in between each stage, or there is a paid version to remove them, but it’s a monthly price and it’s expensive so not worth it in my opinion.
PackPoint
PackPoint is a really useful app that helps you create a packing list for your trip so you don’t forget anything important. You simply enter where you’re going, the dates of your trip, and the activities you’re planning, and the app generates a personalised packing list for you. It even checks the weather forecast for your destination and adjusts the suggestions accordingly. It’s particularly helpful if you travel often or tend to forget things at the last minute, and it’s great for making packing a lot less stressful.
Available free on iOS and Android, with optional premium features.
Flight Tracking Apps
Apps that help you manage flights and airport travel.
Flighty
Flighty is a brilliant app for tracking your flights and staying updated about everything that’s happening with your journey. Once you add your flight details, the app gives you real-time updates on delays, gate changes, boarding times, and even where your incoming aircraft is coming from. That means you can often see potential delays before the airline officially announces them. It also provides helpful airport information such as terminal maps and flight history, so frequent travellers can keep track of the routes they’ve flown. The app is especially useful for keeping an eye on connecting flights and avoiding unnecessary stress at the airport.
Available free on iOS, with paid upgrade options.
FlightAware
If you don’t have an iPhone, then FlightAware is one of the most reliable apps for tracking flights in real time. You can enter a flight number, route, or airport and instantly see live information about departures, arrivals, delays, and gate changes. It also shows the aircraft’s route on a map, which is surprisingly addictive to watch if you’re waiting for a flight or tracking someone else’s journey. The app pulls data from airlines and air traffic control systems, so it’s often very accurate when it comes to delays and schedule changes. It’s particularly useful if you’re travelling with connections or want to keep an eye on a flight before heading to the airport.
Available free on iOS and Android.
Navigation & Getting Around Apps
Apps that help you find your way once you arrive.
Citymapper
I have mentioned the brilliant Citymapper app before – over the last couple of years it has helped me find my way around London via the tube, which I just found impossible by myself before. It’s so easy to use – you can put in where you are (or it finds you itself) and where you want to go and the type of transport you want to use and it tells you where you need to go from and when, how many stops, how long it takes, the best exit to leave the station from and more. It’s bloody brilliant.
It also has Uber integration and is available in 30 cities around the world.
Citymapper is free on iOS and Android.
Google Maps
I’m sure most of us already use Google Maps, whether wandering around a big city or as a sat nav in our car. It’s brilliant for helping you navigate around an unfamiliar place, and is really easy to use too. You can also use it to find particular types of places around you, such as restaurants, shops, or places to visit.
It is free on iOS and Android.
Maps.me
Whilst Google Maps is brilliant in cities, Maps.me is great for offline travel and exploring remote areas.
Maps.me is a fantastic navigation app to have when travelling, especially if you won’t always have access to mobile data. The app allows you to download detailed maps of countries and cities in advance so you can navigate completely offline. It includes walking directions, points of interest, and helpful information about nearby attractions, restaurants, and accommodation. This makes it particularly useful when travelling abroad or exploring more remote areas where your internet connection might be unreliable.
Available free on iOS and Android.
Translation & Travel Tools
Apps that help with language and understanding your surroundings.
Google Translate
This is great for really quick translations on the go. You can type in a word as normal, but you can also take a picture of some words you come across on your travels and want to understand, so it’s really useful to have with you whilst abroad. The app supports 103 languages (in type mode).
Google Lens
Google Lens is a surprisingly helpful tool to have when travelling. You can use your phone’s camera to instantly translate signs, menus, or instructions in another language just by pointing your camera at the text. It can also help identify landmarks, plants, buildings, or even dishes you see in restaurants. It’s especially useful when exploring somewhere new and you want quick information without having to type anything into a search engine.
Available free on iOS and Android (built into the Google app on many devices).
Activities & Experiences Apps
Apps that help you discover things to do.
GetYourGuide
GetYourGuide is a fantastic app for finding tours, activities, and experiences once you reach your destination. You can browse and book everything from guided city tours and museum tickets to cooking classes, boat trips, and skip-the-line entry to popular attractions. It’s really useful when you arrive somewhere new and want ideas for things to do without spending ages researching. Many experiences can be booked instantly through the app, and you can store your tickets digitally on your phone, which makes everything very convenient when travelling.
Available free on iOS and Android.
Money & Budgeting
Apps to help you manage your budget and convert the currency.
XE Currency
XE Currency is great for travellers as it converts every currency for you, so it’s great to use abroad to check how much something costs. I also use it when I’m at home to quickly check how much someone has offered me for a blog post when it is in dollars. It’s also great because it saves the last updated rates, so that you can use it offline as well, if you’re abroad and trying to save your data.
Wise
Wise is a brilliant app to have when travelling abroad, especially if you want to avoid high bank fees when paying in other currencies. The app lets you hold and convert money in multiple currencies at real exchange rates, and you can use the Wise debit card to pay for things while travelling, just like a normal bank card. It’s often much cheaper than using your regular bank card overseas.
You can also send money internationally, which can be handy if you’re splitting costs with friends or paying for accommodation in another country. The app is easy to use and gives you a clear breakdown of fees and exchange rates before you make any payments.
Available free on iOS and Android.
Travel Journalling & Memories Apps
Apps to document your travels.
Polarsteps
Polarsteps is a brilliant app for documenting your travels and keeping a record of everywhere you’ve been. The app automatically tracks your route as you travel and maps out your journey, allowing you to create a digital travel diary without having to remember to log everything yourself. You can add photos, notes, and highlights along the way, making it easy to look back on your trip and relive the memories later. It’s also fun to share your adventures with friends and family, who can follow your journey as it unfolds. Once your trip is finished, you can even turn your travel diary into a printed photo book as a lovely keepsake.
Available free on iOS and Android, with optional paid features.
LiveTrekker
LiveTrekker is a really cool little app that creates a digital journal of your travels, which allows you to look back on your trips on an interactive map. It tracks you as you go with a red line on the map, so you can see exactly where you’ve been, and you can also add extra details along the route as you go, such as photos and text.
Available free on iOS and Android.
Entertainment for Travelling
Apps to pass the time on long journeys.
Kindle
Although not strictly a travel app, the Kindle app is brilliant to have on your phone when you’re travelling. You can read books, magazines and ebooks you have downloaded from Amazon whilst you are travelling, without taking another tablet or a load of heavy books with you, and it will sync with any other Kindle product you use. It’s perfect for when you’re flying abroad or travelling long distances, especially if you’ve downloaded a few titles from my latest Amazon Kindle book deals roundup! You can also enable a book to be available offline, which is perfect for flying, on the underground or anywhere else you don’t have a signal.
Read more:
How to share Kindle books with your family
How to get books on your Kindle for free
Audible
Audible is a fantastic app to have when travelling, especially if you enjoy listening to books on long journeys. The app gives you access to a huge library of audiobooks, podcasts, and Audible Originals that you can listen to on your phone. You can download titles in advance and listen offline, which makes it perfect for flights, train journeys, or anywhere you might not have a reliable internet connection. It’s a great way to pass the time while travelling without needing to carry physical books with you.
Available on iOS and Android with a monthly subscription.
These are some of my favourite travel apps for planning trips, finding cheap flights, navigating new cities, and making travelling easier.
Are there any other apps for travel that you would recommend? Do you have any faves out of these?
