Three images side-by-side. The first is Parc Guell in Barcelona. The second is a photo of hands taking a picture on an iPhone.. The third is a building inside the Summer Palace in Beijing.

Travel apps are a great way to help you plan your trips and navigate new destinations. I’ve tried lots of apps during my travels, but only really rely on a select few. I’d recommend every traveler has some standard apps: a translator, maps, and a currency converter; but below is a list of my top ten favorite travel apps to make your journeys a little smoother. Gute Reise!

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Best of the best travel apps

WithLocals • www.withlocals.com
WithLocals allows you to book affordable private tours with locals who can show you the ins-and-outs of a destination. By far my favorite travel app, I’ve had so many amazing experiences with WithLocals guides throughout Europe (there are tours available in the Middle East, Asia, and North America as well!). In my mind, as a budget traveler, private tours were kinda bougie, and most that I’d come across online could cost hundreds, but WithLocals’ experiences are super affordable (as low as $20 per person for some tours), hand-crafted by the tour guides, and completely customizable. Whether you’re looking for an acclimation tour of your city, a local buddy to experience the nightlife with, a private cooking class, or a day trip to the countryside, you can do it all with a knowledgeable guide by your side. You can even choose your local guide based on their background – why not explore Lisbon’s art scene with a graphic designer, or learn about Prague’s castle with a historian? Obviously, I can’t speak highly enough about this app, so do me a favor and try it out on your next trip.
TripIt • www.tripit.com
Ahhh, TripIt. 😍I learned about it from the recommendation of Christina at Happy to Wander, and damn if it didn’t change my travel game! If you’re an obsessive travel planner, you freakin’ need this. TripIt scans your email inbox for confirmations related to your trip bookings and loads them up in chronological order so you can have a neat digital itinerary of all your travel plans. If you’re traveling with someone else, you can invite them to the itinerary so everyone has an easy reference right in their phone. You can also manually add, delete, and edit the info that goes into your itinerary. Add in details like Airbnb host phone numbers, your dinner reservation times, emergency contact info, vouchers, tickets, and flights. TripIt even has a built-in flight tracker, so you can easily check if your flight is on-time, see what your gate is, how long your flight will be, a map of the airport, check on your carbon footprint, and get a breakdown of your transportation options to and from the airport. It can even tell you if you might be eligible for compensation if your flight is delayed or canceled. You can see your itinerary in list or map view, so you’ll always be able to navigate to your activities. How cool is that?
Kayak • www.kayak.com
Of course, there are lots of similar aggregate sites/apps—Google Flights, Skyscanner, Orbitz, etc.—but I fell madly in love with Kayak’s easy interface and great features years ago, and I haven’t turned back. When searching for round-trip and one-way flight options, Kayak will show the average price ranges for your dates, giving you the option to check out when you might get the best deal. Kayak can also provide you with “hacker fare” options (booking separate flights to create your own layover for a better price), or the ability to search for your favorite airline to rack up those miles. One of my favorite features is Kayak Explore, where you can punch in your home airport and see all of your flight options to anywhere in the world. Leave your dates open to see the most options or find out what’s available on a holiday weekend for a quick getaway. I mainly use Kayak to search for and book flights, but you can book hotels, trip packages, restaurant reservations, car rentals, and even measure your carry-on suitcase.
Hopper • www.hopper.com
Hopper uses data to predict when the best times to purchase flights will be. Set up alerts on different flight routes and keep an eye out for notifications on the lowest prices for your trip! I recommend setting up your alerts about 6-8 months out so you’re prepared to snap up the best deal. You can also price lock your flights for a few bucks if you need 24 hours to decide if you want to buy, which could end up saving you some cash. Hopper also allows you to book cars, hotels, and homes.
Splitwise • www.splitwise.com
Splitting up costs with friends while traveling can get a little messy, but Splitwise makes it really easy to divvy up meals, hotel costs, flights, and basically anything else you can accrue on your travels. Invite your traveling pals to a group and input the cost of each expense. Splitwise will let you know what each person owes, so at the end of your trip you can settle up.
Headout • www.headout.com
Headout is great for booking attractions, show tickets, day expeditions, and museums. The interface is super easy to use, and this app has gotten me out of a bind in more than one occasion. I’ve found that Headout usually has tickets when I can’t find them elsewhere, so if you find yourself trying to get into La Sagrada Familia the day of, check out Headout before you change your plans!
Omio • www.omio.com
If you’ve traveled to Europe, you’re probably familiar with Omio. Omio is a travel aggregate for bus, train, and plane travel across Europe. The interface on the app and desktop site is beautiful and easy to use, and you can compare prices and times, and then book all through the app. Train and bus travel is so cheap and easy in Europe, so having alternate travel options besides flying right in your pocket is so necessary! Hop on a quick bus from Switzerland to Austria or travel through the Czech countryside for $20. Why not?
Tripadvisor • www.tripadvisor.com
I’m pretty sure everyone on Earth knows about this one, but it’s for good reason. Tripadvisor has reviews from real travelers on hotels, restaurants, tours, activities, and about a million other things so you can make informed decisions about your trip. I personally love it most for finding restaurants and booking reservations, because you can search for allergy-friendly spots in your destination. Tripadvisor is a great place to start when planning your itinerary because it gives you a quick overview of all the must-sees, and what travelers thought of their experiences. You can also build trips in the app and save the hotels, transportation, restaurants, and activities that you’re liking or have booked so they’re all in one place.
Google Docs • www.docs.google.com
Maybe not the typical travel app, but I use Google Docs to plan my itineraries in depth. Braindump all of your ideas, plan out itinerary pacing, link all your Airbnb options, and create a calendar of your trip. I keep records of my spending, flight times, and a rough day by day itinerary to keep me on track. This is also a great place to include any emergency info, insurance contact numbers, and confirmation numbers for bookings in case you lose any tickets. I then transfer a simplified version of this itinerary to TripIt for easier viewing, but you can save your docs offline just in case you need them on the go.
Meetup • www.meetup.com
Meetup allows you to meet new friends via groups based on interests. Moving abroad? Find other new expat friends to ease your transition into your new home. Learning a new language? Find friends at the same level so you can chat and improve your skills. Traveling solo? Meet with other backpackers to bar crawl with! I especially like that you can find people who share really specific interests. If you’re into fitness or want to join a feminist group, you can pretty much find anything. And if you can’t, then just create your own. Meetup has pivoted really well through COVID and you can still meet with your new friends online for a bit of social interaction while we all have to maintain our distance.