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Travel, after tacos of course, is something we all want more of in our lives! Thanks to modern technology and rock bottom travel deals, there's no better time to book that bucket list vacation! We've rounded up the Top 50 Travel Apps in 2020 that every traveler should have on their phone.
These apps will help organize your trip itineraries, get you the lowest prices on hotels and let you navigate your way through foreign cities like a pro. You'll be hitting up hotspots and eating like a local Anthony Bordain style, in no time.
Top Travel Apps to Research Your Trip
Nobody wants to show up at a luxury beachfront resort only to realize it’s a roach-motel from hell, nor does anyone want to choose the only seat on the plane that doesn’t recline. Doing ample research before any trip is a great way to ensure you spend more time relaxing and less time stressing! These Top Travel Research Apps will satisfy your inner Type-A and help you get the best bang for your buck.
Google Maps
Does this app really need any introduction? It’s Google freaking maps! You know, the company that literally took satalite pictures of the entire Earth and let driverless cars zoom around taking pictures of streets. If you need to know directions, time to your next destination, look at reviews, or do anything remotely associated with a map, this app should be your go-to.
Download: iOs / Android
TripAdvisor
The holy grail for trip research. Trip Advisor has the biggest collection of peer reviews on hotels, flights, vacation rentals, attractions and things to do. One of the best features is the ability to search by keyword within a certain property to pull up the reviews that match the info you need. For example, say you want to know if the pool at a certain hotel is freezing or not, you can search ‘cold pool’ while on it’s review page to pull up what people are saying about the swimming temperature. People can not only upload their reviews but also grade the attraction or property on different criteria, add photos, and leave a tip for future visitors.
TripAdvisor also JUST launched a ‘feed' that looks like a mini Facebook. You can share articles, photos, reviews and follow fellow travellers. Follow me on Trip Advisor HERE.
Download: iOs / Android
Yelp
Seat Guru
Hello extra leg room! Those sneaky airlines don’t always tell you the full story when you are choose your seat on an upcoming flight, while SeatGuru will. Brought to you by TripAdvisor you simply put the airline and flight date into the app and it will pull up a full seat map with all the dirty secrets. It shows you less desirable seats (like the ones that don’t recline) or seats that passengers have rated as more desirable (like extra leg room or other sweet perks). This free app gives you insider info you can choose your seat with confidence.
Download: iOS / Android
Elk Travel Currency Converter
Goodbye clunky calculator and confusing currency charts. Elk is a stunning and easy to use currency converter app that tells you how much things really cost with handy rate tables. And bonus points for working with Apple Watch for even more convenient use. It’s free to download, comes with a 14 day trial and allows you to unlock all currencies for $3.99.
Download: iOS
Top Travel Apps for Booking Hotels
Nothing is more satisfying than scoring the perfect deal on a luxury hotel or finding a gorgeous rental well within budget. These Top Travel Apps for Booking Accomodation are the best tools for finding anomaly pricing, grabbing the perfect long term rental and taking advantage of last minute deals.
HostelWorld
If you are looking for dirt cheap (and safe!) accommodations, voila… HostelWorld has that covered. 10 million reviews of over 36,000 hostels in 170 countries are at your disposal.
You can search for ultra cheap shared dorms or private hostel rooms, use a ‘hostels near me' location search function and filter by price. In addition to having super affordable hostels, this app can also help you find unique motels, bed and breakfasts and tiny boutique hotels.
Download: iOS / Android
This hotel comparison app takes it to the next level with it’s ability to let you focus in on exactly the kind of property you want. One of the best search features lets you put in your total budget and date range and it will find all hotels that will fall within your price range, in your currency, with taxes included! You can also search by type of accommodation, guest ratings, map view, and your previously bookmarked favourites.
Download: iOS / Android
AirBnB
If a chic downtown apartment or chill poolside villa is more your style, seems like AirBNB will have the properties you’ll love. You can search houses, apartments and even castles in 191 countries starting from $5 night all the way up to some ridiculous number that I can’t even fathom. Great for longer term stays, but still can be used for a night or two, depending on the hosts settings. It’s no wonder that AirBnB is changing the entire hospitality industry with the unique properties and experiences that will fit any budget. Claim your $35 credit towards your first stay HERE.
Download: iOS / Android
Booking
One of the OG booking platforms. Booking is great for offering users things like extended check out, displaying walking distance from main attractions, and showing you perks like included breakfast or welcome gifts, all at first glance. They have stunning photos of properties for you to ogle over and allow you to book many hotels without paying upfront. Their loyalty program is also incredible, because it gives you a $25 credit and your friend another $25 credit each time you refer someone who makes a booking. It’s a win/win! Claim your $25 credit to use for your first trip HERE
Download: iOS / Android
Last Minute Travel
At over 50,000 hotels in its search results, LMT might not have as many hotels as other comparison sites, but the properties they do have come with big discounts! Over the years we have found some incredible anomaly deals on this site that came in over 50% lower than any other booking site could offer. They also have a loyalty program that allows you to accumulate points to use towards future trips and a $25 credit for both you and a friend when you refer someone to download the app and book a stay.
Download: iOS / Android
Top Travel Apps for Booking Flights
Getting a great deal on flights can mean the difference between taking a vacation to The Caymen Islands…or Lincoln Nebraska.
These Top Flight Booking Apps will make sure you are getting the best price possible and open up your travel budget like you've never imagined!
Google Flights
Okay, so this is the only NON-app that I have put on this list. For some reason, Google hasn’t turned this mighty tool into an app, but that doesn’t mean they soon won’t. For now it’s a mobile friendly site, so can’t we just all pretend it’s an actual app for the time being?
Their matrix software is incredibly powerful and gives you months worth of results in seconds. All flight research should begin with Google Flights.
Check it out HERE
Momondo
This free flight search app is great for comparing different dates of travel to ensure you are flying on the cheapest day. You can book right within the app, or share the results with someone else to help plan group trips. The filters are super easy to use and the app has just added destination suggestions and even hotel bookings as well.
Download: iOS / Android
Hopper
If you have ever wondered “Maybe if I wait, the flight will go down in price”, then Hopper is your kind of app! Your travel guide, the Hopper bunny, will give you his advice on whether he thinks paying $500 for a flight to Paris is a rip off, or the deal of a lifetime. It’s been said the bunny can predict future prices with 95% accuracy, so he seems to know his stuff. You can also set up price alerts to nudge you if a flight has fallen into your budget.
Download: iOS/ Android
SkyScanner
For the serious wanderlust, this app has an ‘EVERYWHERE’ search option which helps indecisive travellers pick a destination. You put in your departure airport, choose the ‘everywhere’ option and the world is now your oyster. The Skyscanner app is a great booking tool as well because it allows you to collect many frequent flyer miles on top of getting you the best deal possible.
Download: iOS /Android
Top Travel Apps for Getting Around
No matter if you are exploring a new city by car, foot, train or bus, you'll want to look like a savvy pro while you do it. These Top Travel Apps for Getting Around will help you not get lost and traverse the streets like a local.
Waze
This app that doesn't just tell you how to get somewhere, but gives you ALL the tips along the way. While it directs you in real time it will warn you of accidents, traffic, speed limits, cheapest gas stations, where to park and more. Plus you can listen to your music or podcasts through the app, so you don't have to choose between getting lost or being bored.
One you start using Waze you'll never stop!
Download: iOS / Android
Uber
Don’t have local currency on hand to jump in a taxi? No problemo. Uber doesn’t need you carry around archaic fiat currency in order for you to get a ride. The app secures your prefered payment method making it easy for you to seamlessly order, pay and even tip for your transportation. You can get ride estimates in the app, as well as choose from different levels of service, like ‘Uber Black’ which sends a luxury car to pick you up. Claim your first ride for FREE (up to $10)
Download: iOS / Android
GRAB
If you are heading to South East Asia, GRAB needs a front and centre spot on your phone. GRAB the UBER of Asia, but even cheaper! You can order a private car, a cheap ride on the back of a motorbike, and even your next meal with GrabFood. It works in countries like Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Cambodia.
Download: iOS / Android
CityMaps2Go by Ulmon
AllTrails
GPS and maps for hiking, biking, climbing, jogging and just enjoying the greta outdoors! This app has detailed info and reviews on over 50,000 trails, which should keep any adventure junkie busy for a while. You can search based on type of outdoor activity, difficulty, or whether the trail is kid/dog friendly or even accessible!
Download: iOS / Android
Turo
A great alternative to renting a car is to use the Turo peer-to-peer car sharing app. More than 200,000 vehicles are available for rent across Germany, the UK, Canada and the US. You can rent them for a few hours, days or weeks…whatever you need! Great for filtering features like ski racks, bike rack, 4 wheel drive, convertible, and more. It's the AirBnB of car rentals!
Download: iOS / Android
Blacklane
Best Travel Apps for Staying Organized
Paper and pen is so last century. Plus anything that can make my purse lighter is a life saver in my books. Keep all your travel plans organized and easy to access with these Top Travel Apps for Staying Organized.
PolarSteps
The lazy way to beautifully record where you've been! Just by having your phone in your pocket, this app will track your steps and create beautiful visuals maps of your travels. (Don't worry, it only uses 4% of your battery!) You can invite your friends or worried parents to join your maps so they can see your locations in real time. At the end of your trip, you can order a colorful and memorable printed photo album that makes a great coffee table book. It's a modern day travel journal that you'll be glad you set up!
Download: iOS / Android
Amazon Prime Photos
If you have ever lost a phone while travelling, you remember that losing your photos was one of the most devastating parts of the whole ordeal! Most people have a subscription to Amazon Prime anyway, but what they don’t realize is that it comes with free unlimited photo storage! I already have over 10,000 photos sitting in their cloud right now and I’m not stopping anytime soon. It’s easy to upload you pics and the app will sort them based on date or you can make your own albums as well. It also has it’s own ‘on this day’ memory feature which is fun to reminisce with. The Prime Photos app is free with your Prime account.
Download: iOS / Android
Stocard
Organization for all the point collecting maniacs out there. Who wants to carry around every point card they own? Nobody. The free Stocard app will allow you to take photos of all your loyalty and points cards and it will store them all for you, so you can empty out your overcrowded wallet. The app will generate a bar code for you when a shop would normally scan the plastic card and gives you a ‘note’ section so you can record passwords and other info you might always be forgetting.
Download: iOS / Android
AirHelp
One of my favorite parts of travel is when the airline screws up and ends up paying ME money. It really happens folks. Flights in the US or Europe that are cancelled or delayed over 3 hours can equal money back in your pocket. This app helps you identify which cancelled/delayed flights might owe you cash and collects it on your behalf. Just scan your boarding pass or enter your flight detail info. Easy!
Download: iOS / Android
Pack Point
Overpack much? Instead of throwing things mindlessly into the depths of your luggage, try using PackPoint. It’s a free travel app that will suggest items for you to pack based on length of trip, weather, and what activities you have planned! You can share your perfect pack lists with friends so you can all marvel at what responsible packers you’ve all become.
Download: iOS / Android
Top Travel Apps for Staying Connected
Let’s face it, we are all totally addicted to staying in touch with each other and our social media feeds. These Top Travel Apps for Staying Connected will help keep your roaming bills down, but your social clout way up!
If you are traveling to Latin America, Europe or Asia, WhatsApp is still the king of communication. It's really the first method of contacting someone outside of North America. (I wonder why it never caught on there?) If I need to book a car, contact a store or message friend abroad, you can bet I'm messaging them on WhatsApp. One of the handiest communication apps to have on your phone hands down!
Download: iOs / Android
Hushed
While this app might look a little sketchy at first glance, it’s not just for people who want to have a secret line for clandestine texting. Hushed has a super efficient application for travellers, giving them a phone number they can make and receive calls, text messages, even voicemail on, all through using wifi. Let’s say you travel to Europe for 1 month and you put your cell back home on vacation disconnect, but you still want a phone number for people to call you on. Hushed lets you choose a number that you can use for calling, texting, voicemail, etc for as long as you need it. Hushed to Hushed calls are free and other phone plans start at only $1.99. We use this while abroad all the time instead of trying to use roaming on our current numbers.
Download: iOS / Android
Google translate
Part of staying connected is knowing what the heck the other person is trying to say to you. The Google Translate app lets you translate 103 languages over wifi and 59 languages when you have no connection. And get this, you can even take pictures of signs or speak directly into the app to do your translations instead of fumbling with a keyboard.
Download: iOS / Android
Wifi-Finder
Even you if have a local SIM card, a hotspot, or a killer roaming package, FREE WiFi is never something to be ignored. The WiFi finder app will search down wifi connections around you at any given time that you can connect to for free. They have catalogued hotspots in over 50,000 cities, passwords and all! You can even save places for later offline use, because let’s face it, if you are searching for wifi in the first place it likely means you don’t have a connection to begin with!
Download: iOS / Android
Express VPN
Frequent travelers will feel me on this one…Have you ever gotten to your destination, opened up Netflix to continue watching your show, and it's GONE!? Yep, different countries serve up different shows, unless you use a VPN. Express VPN is one of the best VPN's out there and one of the easiest to use. Other than being able to watch your fav Netflix show, VPN's are also good for keeping your information safe online, especially when using sketchy hotel or airport wifi.
Download: Express VPN
Top Enrichment and Learning Travel Apps
There is always a ton of downtime on the road. I find it much more productive to learn a new skill or improve myself in some way instead of succumbing to boredom, shopping, or overeating! Here are a few of the Top Travel Apps that help with learning new facts, memory recall, or self improvement.
EatWith
Enrich your travel experience by getting to eat with locals and learn a piece of their culture. In over 130 countries you can handpick culinary experiences for memories of a lifetime. They range from enjoying a cocktail with a local in Tokyo, right up to getting an in-depth cooking lesson of grandmas secret pasta recipe in Rome.
A great way to feel at home no matter where you go!
Duolingo
Duolingo is hands down the best way to learn a new language fo’ FREE! Unleash your inner polyglot and choose from languages like Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, French, Korean, Swedish and even Esperanto. The lessons are easy enough for beginners and more advanced speakers can ‘test out’ to jump to a higher level of learning. If you want an ad free experience or offline access, you can always upgrade to Duolingo Pro for $12.99 a month.
Download: iOS / Android
Maps of Our World
Have you ever asked yourself: “hmm, I wonder what the population of Belarus is?”…well wonder no more! Maps of our World lets you check out stats and even try your hand at guessing capital cities and locations of countries. I never realized just how many countries I couldn’t locate on a blank map until taking their quiz. Great game to play with someone else when waiting for a flight.
Download: iOS
Calm
Screaming baby got you trippin? Does jet lag have you up in the middle of the night? Using Calm’s free meditation and sleep improvement app is a great way to shut out the noisy world and get some relaxation. The narrated bedtime stories have me sleeping within minutes! There are many free meditations and long white noise tracks, but of course you can upgrade to unlock the entire library and masterclasses for $59.99 a year.
Download: iOS / Android
Beachbody On Demand
Let’s face it, long international flights, airport food, and hotel room service can be a total buzz kill to a healthy lifestyle. ‘BOD’ is a virtual library of workout videos you can play on demand, making it just like Netflix, but all fitness videos instead of movies. There are hundreds of different exercises ranging from 10 minutes to over 1 hour and can be streamed worldwide! Bonus points for allowing offline play of up to 7 workouts for the times you don’t have access to wifi. BOD offers a free 14 day free trial with quarterly and annual memberships starting at $39.
Enroll for FREE TRIAL HERE
Download: iOS / Android
Detour
This guided tour app will fill your ears with all the need to know information on the most iconic places in the world. Once you get to hotspots like Buckingham Palace, The Vatican, or Central Park, pop in your earphones for an in-depth (and FREE) guided walking tour from Detour. You can even sync with your friends so you are all hearing the narration at the same time. This app gets bonus points for simultaneously helping you hit your daily step goal.
Download: iOS/ Android
Top Travel Apps for Needed Distractions
For many people, traveling means spending afternoons in the sun, sleeping in, and relaxing poolside with a beverage in hand. These top travel apps are a great way to make the most of your lazy day sun worshiping and hammock lounging.
Words with Friends 2
Kindle
Vacation is the best time to catch up on some major reading, but who has all that extra room in their luggage for hardcovers? (Not this girl!) Downloading the ebook version of your must reads are a great way to save space and allow you to pack as many titles as you want. The kindle app is free and gives you access to hundreds of free titles, but you can add in your purchased titles as well.
Download: iOS / Android
Podcasts
Podcasts are the cool kid in town. No matter what your thing is, there is bound to be a podcast show to give you an entertainment fix. Educational, political, true crime, science fiction, daily news, smutty gossip, entrepreneurial hacks, inspirational stories, the list is endless! Apps like Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Stitcher let you download your favourite shows and episodes for offline listening. Podcasts are always gloriously free.
Download: iOS / Android
Netflix
Some people preach to leave the TV at home, but nothing is as comforting as your favourite series in a strange city when you can’t sleep. The Netflix app will allow you to download tv shows and movies to your device for offline watching as well, making it a great backup if you land on a fight that doesn’t have seat-back entertainment. Netflix (if you are the one person on Earth that doesn’t have it already) is around $10 a month.
Download: iOS / Android
Top Photo Apps to Edit Travel Photos
One of the best parts of traveling is sharing epic photos of our adventures on the ‘gram. These Top Photo and Video Editing Apps will let you enhance, trim, brighten, crop and share your best travel shots across social media.
Adobe Lightroom CC
I am a newbie with Lightroom, but it really does improve anyones Insta game. If you want the ability to fine tune photos like a master, this app is for you. However, it's not beginner friendly unless you buy someone elses ‘settings' called PRESETS. Lightroom will either be your biggest frustration or your new best friend!
Download: iOS / Android
Snapseed
This free photo editing app from Google is great for fine tuning your image to bring out the best colors and make it Instagram worthy. A unique feature this app has over others is the ability to pic a particular part or color of the photo to edit, while leaving the rest alone, which is great for making the ocean more blue without turning people in the shot into oompa loompas.
Download: iOS / Android
UNUM
This app is a free Instagram layout planner, which is a great rabbit hole to get lost down when experiencing downtime during travel. You can drag and drop up to 18 of your photos into the app at once to play with the layout and order to determine if those shots are right for your social layout before actually posting them. It’s a great app for people who like to plan the visual layout of their grid without having to commit to making the photo public. They offer an exclusive upgraded plan for $6.95 for those who need extra grid planning space.
Download: iOS /Android
Top Luxury Travel Apps for Rollin like a VIP
The best of the best for high end travel and experiences. These Top Luxury Travel Apps will have you feeling like Royalty no matter where your travels bring you. The most elite experiences and services are much more attainable then you might think.
DUFL
If you hate packing, hate checking bags, and love the idea having a personal valet for less, then DUFL is for you. You will send them clothes you like to wear on the road or when you travel, they photograph them and put them in your app, giving you a ‘virtual closet’. You simply tap on the items you want for your next trip, enter the hotel, and voila… your DUFL suitcase packed with all your favourite items is waiting for you. No need to pack, do laundry, or even check a bag at the airport. Get 50% off your first trip with HERE with code “KASHLEE50’.
Download: iOS / Android
Priority Pass
Airport lounge exclusivity. This app will give you access to over 1000 airport lounges worldwide, with many of them offering perks like hot food, booze, showers and even nap beds! Having an annual lounge pass saves you money on wifi, food, pre-flight beverages, and hours of your time back in a quiet environment. New pass holders get 10% off HERE of annual plans starting at $99.
Download: iOS / Android
Journy
This app gives you a custom, pay per trip access to a personal concierge and trip planner. Starting at $25 per trip you will get customized itineraries, hotel options, unlimited chat access to your planner and other features to help you plan the most epic of trips. You can even add extra users to the account so everyone in the fam can have a say.
Download: iOS
Get My Boat
Why buy your own yacht when you can just use someone else? It started out as a way to rent boats but has now expanded into all sorts of water experiences including fishing charters, paddle board rentals, surfing lessons, rafting trips, kayak rentals, etc. They have boats for rent and experiences to book in 184 countries with prices that will jive with any budget, luxe or not.
Download: iOS / Android
PrivateFly
Basically Uber of the sky for the 1%. This app will allow you to search for different levels of private jets worldwide, but has another feature that might make private airline travel possible for the rest of us. PrivateFly lets you take advantage of ‘empty leg’ trips, when a jet might be headed to pick up a VIP but is empty for the trip there, which can get you huge discounts on your own private plane.
Download: iOS / Android
Hopefully this 2020 Best Travel Apps list has given you some great new tips for your next trip!
Any I missed?? Let me know in the comments what your favorite travel apps are!
The Top 50 Travel Apps for 2020
1. Google Maps
2. TripAdvisor
3. Yelp
4. Seat Guru
5. Gate Guru
6. Elk Currency Converter
7. HostelWorld
8. HotelsCombined
9. AirBnB
10. Booking
11. Last Minute Travel
12. Google Flights
13. Momondo
14. Hopper
15. Skyscanner
16. Waze
17. Uber
18. GRAB
19. CityMaps2Go
20. AllTrails
21. Turo
22. Blacklane
23. PolarSteps
24. Amazon Prime Photos
25. Stocard
26. Express VPN
27. Airhelp
28. Pack Point
29. WhatsApp
30. Hushed
31. Google Translate
32. Wifi-Finder
33. EatWith
34. Duolingo
35. Maps of our World
36. Calm
37. Beachbody on Demand
38. Detour
39. Words With Friends 2
40. Kindle
41. Podcasts
42. Netflix
43. Adobe Lightroom
44. Snapseed
45. UNUM
46. DUFL
47. Priority Pass
48. Journy
49. GetMyBoat
50. PrivateFly
foreverlostwanderer
Tuesday 1st of December 2020
I use most of them and others I will start using. Just apart from ExpressVPN I use PureVPN
Mike Lobes
Monday 8th of June 2020
Very informative! Thank you! But I think you missed an app. Your list needs a location tracking app too. Traveling with kids is a trying task. Especially with teens. You can let them have some fun on their own, but keep an eye on them remotely. And that is where Xnspy could help parents. It is designed for parents to keep an eye on children at all times and ensure their safety. The app gives you live location of the phone user, set alerts on locations, and draw boundaries on the map, and a lot more.
adam_h
Tuesday 28th of January 2020
For quite some time now, I was planning a trip for a month in Asia, so I was super happy to find this article with app suggestions. I have already been using apps such as Booking, Trip Advisor, Yelp, etc. Recently, my friend suggested looking into VPNs since the Internet connection might not be the safest there and recommended Surfshark. I decided to try it out before the trip so I could get used to the app and understand how it works, but I didn't need that since it's a user-friendly application. The Internet speed drop is minimal, I can access blocked sites, and most importantly, I know that my connection is always safe.
Daz
Tuesday 26th of November 2019
Thanks for the list. I've just launched a major update to my own travel app - wordoftravel. I'd love it if you'd check it out and consider adding to your list!
David Ander
Tuesday 6th of August 2019
Thanks for the list. It helps me to get an overview about other travel apps. I'm also working on my own on a travel app in my free time, which helps to create travel routes with AI. If you like it, you can maybe add it to the list :)
Greets David