Nowadays, you can look up everything on your phone while traveling. By purchasing a local SIM card, you can access the Internet anywhere and easily look up the nicest spots, restaurants and hotels. We’ve been traveling around the world for a while, so in this article we share the 10 best travel apps we use a lot while traveling.
Content of this blog:
1. Google Maps
Of course, Google Maps is number one. Google Maps is not just used to determine routes these days. You can also see photos, opening hours of attractions, as well as reviews from visitors. That way you can research for yourself whether the activity is worthwhile, or which restaurant you want to eat at. Google Maps is really a must when traveling, provides a lot of convenience and is one of the best travel apps.
2. Maps.me
When you’re hiking in the jungle or on top of a mountain you often don’t have an Internet connection, of course. Google Maps doesn’t work then but you still want to look up and determine the route. If you have downloaded maps.me in advance, you can do this easily. This app, after downloading, works completely offline so you can use it anytime. In advance, download the map of the country or province where you are (or want to go). Then you can easily follow the hiking trails indicated in the app offline.
3. Tripcoin
Tripcoin is a free travel app where you can keep track of all your expenses. This helps to understand exactly where your money on travel is going, as well as making sure you are sticking to your budget a bit. You can create a new list per country in local currency. You can also set a budget, in the overview you can then see exactly which days you went over or under the budget. An ideal travel app for the (budget) traveler who wants to keep good track of finances. In this article, read all about the app and tracking your expenses.
4. Polarsteps
Polarsteps is a handy travel app that allows you to keep the home front informed at once. You can add your own trip when you are traveling. You can share the link of the trip with everyone so they can follow you. You can type a story, share photos and you can also see on the map exactly where you are. Ideal if you don’t want to send 10 of the same texts to people but want to update everyone about your trip all at once. An indispensable travel app for the traveler who wants to maintain good contact with the home front.
5. Skype
Skype has been used less and less for video calling in recent years. In fact, we always do this easily via WhatsApp. Still, Skype is a handy app to keep handy while traveling. In fact, you can add credit to your Skype account and then call home using your own phone number. This is especially useful if you need to speak to your insurance (as we unfortunately had to during our hospital visit in Cambodia). A 15-minute call costs about €0.20 and the connection (provided you have good wifi) does an excellent job! This makes Skype a handy travel app for practical matters.
6. Grab/Bolt/Uber/Gojek
Don’t feel like endlessly negotiating a cab ride? Neither do we. This is one of the least fun things about traveling we think. That’s why the Uber travel app (and all of its siblings) is ideal. You enter where you want to be picked up, where you want to go, and you immediately see the price of the ride. The nearest driver will be notified and will take you to your destination. You can choose whether to pay in cash or have the amount charged to your credit card. Travel apps do not work in every country or destination. It is smartest to download all 4 apps and then check for each destination to see if you can use it. Grab is most commonly used in Asia, Bolt also sometimes in Asia and Europe and Gojek in Indonesia.
7. Booking.com
Booking is the most widely used platform for us. Compare accommodations, check the location on the map and read reviews from other travelers. After years of traveling, we have become an expert at picking a good accommodation quickly. Therefore, we have created comprehensive overviews of the best accommodations per city as well as the best hostel overviews for solo travelers.
8. 12Go.Asia
While traveling, of course, you often take the bus/boat/train/plane. Some routes are popular with travelers and therefore sell out quickly for a given date. On 12GO.Asia, you can always see the exact route to get from point A to point B. You can also see the times and purchase tickets online. It may cost a little more (5 to 10%) to book your ticket through 12GO.Asia but it offers more security and convenience.
9. Duolingo
Want to learn the local language a little? In Asia, few travelers bother to do this but in Central and South America it can make your trip a lot easier and more enjoyable. Easily learn a few words of Spanish through the language app Duolingo. You go up one level at a time where you learn words and phrases in a fun and playful way. You can also use this to take your English level to the next level. Duolingo is a super fun and useful travel app for learning to communicate globally with locals.
10. Google Translate
Where would we be without the option to easily translate a text? In most (tourist) countries, local people can speak a reasonable word of English. When you go to less touristy areas, it can be a challenge to make clear what you want to know. Google Translate provides the solution to this by translating words and phrases into the local language. If you cannot read a menu because it only has characters or local text, Google Translate also offers a solution. In fact, there is the option in the travel app to open the camera that allows you to scan the text. You then see in the places where the local text is, it is translated into English. What’s totally convenient: you can download the language ahead of time so you can use Google Translate offline, too!
In addition to these 10 handy travel apps, of course, you also have the unmissable apps like Netflix and Spotify that will make your long travel days a little more enjoyable. Which travel apps do you use the most?
