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- The best travel apps on the market for travel-lovers across the globe 🌎 📱
🗺 The 25 travel apps that we can't live without👌
Almost (if not) everyone has a smartphone nowadays, and there are so many apps on offer that it can be quite overwhelming. So, we've compiled the top 25 apps that will help you on your travels. They'll make booking flights or accommodation, packing for a trip, or paying in foreign currency (without excessive fees) a lot easier.
Let us know what you think of our list, and if there are any other essential travel apps you can't live without!
Apps to help you plan your holiday
Every trip starts by planning it, whether you're buying plane tickets, booking accommodation or reserving a car. Here are some apps to help you plan your next holiday.
1. HolidayPirates
A bit of a shameless self-plug here, but we can hand-on-heart say that this is one of the best apps to help you plan your holiday! You can book flights, accommodation, cars, attractions, package holidays, tours and more, all through our app. You may follow us on Facebook or Instagram already, but this app gives you access to every deal the HolidayPirates team find in real time!
It gets better... you can also set up push notifications so you get alerted when the hottest ones land! If you're looking for a specific type of getaway, you can also set up alerts for particular destinations, and you'll be notified as soon as a deal is published on our app that matches your criteria!
2. Couchsurfing
The idea behind the app is to share your 'couch' with the entire couchsurfer community. Basically, you share a space in your flat for free and in return someone else can host you when you're in need of a place to crash. It's also a great opportunity to learn about the local culture or typical food of a region/country directly from the person living there.
3. Instagram
Most of you will use Instagram to share photos or videos with people in your network, but when used right, this app is a great place to research the best restaurants, hot spots and to get inspiration for a particular destination. All you have to do is follow the official accounts of cities, regions or tourist agencies, because they will post photos of the best places to see and the best things to do in that area. You can also search for places via hashtags or by using the Places search engine on the app.
Do you take photos of food in restaurants? You are not alone. On Instagram, you can see what the food looks like in restaurants in the area and decide where to go for dinner based on this!
4. Park4Night
This is an app created by its users for its users. On the map, you will find information about car parks (both paid and free), camp sites and places where you can park your camper. Most importantly for some, it also tells you about the sanitary facilities in the different parks.
5. RoadTrippers
This app is for people who enjoy roadtripping and are travelling to the USA or Canada (unfortunately, outside these two countries, the info is very limited). All you have to do is enter your starting point and your destination, and the app will tell you about points of interest and attractions along the way to help you plan your sightseeing itinerary.
6. Timeshifter
An app for those who find time zone shifts difficult and suffer from jet lag whenever they travel long haul. The app will help you prepare for your trip in advance and plan your daytime routine so that you won't be hit by jet lag as soon as you start your holiday.
Navigation apps
Are you looking for apps to help you get to your destination, or to help you find local transport? Here are some of our suggestions.
1. Google Maps
This app needs no introduction. Google Maps works all over the world and can be used both online and offline. They will certainly help you plan your sightseeing or get you to your destination.
2. Maps.me
Maps.me is a great app with maps that you can use offline. It allows you to search for a location and then you can download the location map. There are also free guides to show you the most interesting places in a given area.
3. Rome2Rio
An application that shows you all the possible routes and modes of transport you can use to get from one place to another. Once you have filled in your starting point and destination, it'll show you the various methods, how long each one will take and how much it'll set you back. So you can make an informed decision on how you get from A to B.
4. CityMapper
This app allows you to instantly compare your travel options within a city in real-time. Similar to Rome2Rio in the way that it tells you the most efficient route, gives you the duration of each route, the mode(s) of transport needed and the varying cost, but it does all of it in real-time. So you know exactly how long it'll take you to get from point A to point B.
Since it's in real-time, it'll also calculate the route info based on current delays, strikes, cancelled public transport etc!
5. Mapy.cz
This app is particularly useful for fans of hiking and cycling. On the app, you'll find hiking maps with marked trails, cycle routes and contours, aerial maps and maps useful for winter sports. You will be able to plan your route on mountain trails, cross-country skiing or canoeing.
6. AllTrails
Another one for the hikers among us. AllTrails is the perfect app to plan your hiking trails, find ideas for hikes and (here's where it gets interesting...) you can also download GPX tracks. This means no more getting lost, as you can load your chosen hike onto your smartphone, and it'll give you the directions while you're on your hike.
It also keeps track of your route (if you go off-piste), can store the photos you take and it takes note of the elevation gain, distance, and record how long the hike takes you.
Apps to help you plan your visit
You've bought your flight tickets, booked your accommodation and arrived at your hotel. Now, it's time to plan your sightseeing and discover which attractions you can see while you're on your trip. The following apps will help you.
1. Freetour.com
In most cities around the world, there are "free" walking tours that you can join for free (you just need to tip the guide at the end of the tour). Freetour makes it easy for you to find out if there is a "free" walking tour in a particular area and how you can join one. The app also suggests other exciting ways to visit the city and the surrounding area (but that you might need to cough up a bit of cash for).
2. Meetup
The Meetup app allows you to join (or organise) meetings and events organised in a particular area. Events are divided into categories, and once you have selected the ones that interest you, you will see the whole list. Do you fancy yoga in the park in London, a book club meeting in Lyon or maybe a board game in Bangkok? Meetup has you sorted.
3. WiFi Map
Less useful for staycationers, but a great app for those who leave the UK is WiFi Map. As the name suggests, WiFi Map gives information on available public WiFi networks in a given area and suggests passwords for the less public ones ;)
4. Yelp
Many of you will regularly browse reviews about a restaurant on Google or Tripadvisor before choosing it, but you should also give the Yelp app a chance. There you will find a lot of reviews and information about restaurants and other eateries.
5. Visit A City
Fancy a weekend in Rome, but don't know how to go about planning your visit? Maybe you're wondering where to look for alternative attractions and hidden gems? The Visit A City app comes to the rescue, allowing you to easily plan your next city-break. The app allows you to create a full itinerary and then use the maps to walk the entire route.
You'll also be able to read reviews of various places added by other users, so you can be sure it's a great choice.
Apps to help you save money
Since you're visiting HolidayPirates.com, you must be interested in getting the best bang for your buck, whether it's finding great deals on holidays, getting the best rate on transaction fees or saving as much as possible while planning your trip and while you are already there. Here are a few apps that will help you save.
1. Revolut
Revolut will help you take care of your finances when travelling abroad. It allows you to open accounts in multiple currencies and then exchange funds between them at very favourable exchange rates (and with low fees). In addition, you can order a physical multi-currency card to use when you're abroad.
2. Curve
This is another financial app, in some ways similar to Revolut, as it also allows you to exchange currency on the cheap. But it also allows you to 'integrate' all your debit and credit cards into one Curve account, so you don't have to (as in the case of Revolut) transfer money from your ordinary bank to your Revolut app, and at the same time avoid an unfavourable currency conversion rate at your bank.
How does it work? We connect all the cards we own to our card in the app and then only use the Curve card for payments. There is no need to carry all your cards with you any more; all you have to do is select which card you want to use for payment.
3. Gas Buddy
A useful app for anyone using their car or hiring a car during their holiday. In short, it allows you to compare petrol prices at nearby petrol stations so that you do not overpay for your fuel!
Other useful apps
Apps that didn't fit into the above categories, but which certainly shouldn't be missing from a true traveller's smartphone. They will help you get around anywhere in the world, pack your bags and also find the nearest toilet.
1. Google Translate
A must-have for those who venture further afield than the UK. A translator app that enables you to translate the text you enter (also from photos) or speech into any language.
2. FlightRadar24
An app that allows you to track any flight in real time. You can find out where a plane is and how much time you have left until your other half, your friend or your family arrives. You can also see which aircraft is currently flying overhead (if you're into that kind of thing!)
3. Flush Toilet Finder
Flush Toilet Finder is the best way to find a public bathroom in a given area. It'll display the nearest toilets to you (even if you don't have an internet connection!) The app will also let you know the bathroom is suitable for people with disabilities and if there is a charge for using it.
4. PackPoint
If, before every trip, you wonder whether you have everything you'll need for your holiday, this is the app for you! Based on your gender, age, destination and length of stay, the app will check weather data and tell you what to prepare and pack.
5. Ventusky
You've probably all been in a situation where the weather has messed up your travel plans. The Ventusky app makes finding out the forecast in advance easy! You will find weather maps of any place in the world with lots of information about the current weather and future predictions.