From planning to exploring, travel can be stressfull, overwhelming and exciting. Our phones have come a long way and there are so many apps out there that make our lives easier. here are the apps that I lean toward to make my traveling easy, fun and enjoyable!
- Google Maps & City Mapper: No cellular service no problem. Getting around is made easy thanks to Google Maps. You do need to download the map when your phone is connected to wifi or cellular data. I typically download a city map the night before. You can also add in the places you want to visit, everything will be saved and available offline.
- Google Trips & Pinterest: I honestly don’t know what I’d do without Pinterest. From planning outfits, to finding hidden gems in far away destinations, I find it all here. With over 80 boards and 1.2k pins currently in my “Wanderlust” board, planning a stay-cation or far away destination, all my inspo can be found here. Like Pinterest, Google Trips allows you to add all your findings, flight details, and hotel accommodations all on one itinerary. You can add addresses that will then pop up on a google map. Download the map when your device is connected to WiFi or data and you’re all set to go!
- App in the Air & Flight Aware: Find out where your plane is coming from, where your flight is departing from and alerts of gate and departure time changes. It’s the best way to stay in the know of your flight or if your picking someone up from the airport.
- Skyscanner: Flight away is probably the best app out there when it comes to buying airline tickets. They scan through all the airlines for the best priced tickets. Best part, you buy the ticket directly with the airline. The app will also send you notifications when the price of the ticket drops and raises.
- Air Bnb: The best alternative to staying at hotel. Staying in someones home is going to give you the authentic feeling vs. staying in a hotel. You can come across great prices and amazing homes.
- Currency Converter: plan how much money you’re going to need and when shopping you can get an idea how much things costs and if it’s worth the purchase.
- Hostel World: sometime you need a cheap, safe and clean place to stay. Depending where you’re going, hotels and air bnb’s can be pricey, hostels are the next best option. There’s a negative stigma associated with hostels, but I’ve stayed at two so far out of all my travels and they were awesome! So clean, safe, fun and the best part, they offer a female only floor. From single rooms to shared, there’s so many options. So if you’re looking to save a little money that can be used else where in your trip, this app can help you find the best hostel in your destination. QUICK TIP: before booking check out the hostel’s Instagram and tagged photos.
- Mobile Pass: the best kept secret!!! Skip the longggg lines in customs by filling out the customs questionnaire before hand. This is like the Disneyland fast pass but even better because unlike Disneyland, you won’t be standing in line for long.
- Google Translate: learn the basics of the native language. (Hello, goodbye, please, thank you, excuse me, yes, no thank you, beer, bathroom, water, etc.) my biggest pet peeve is when some Americans expect EVERYONE in the world to speak English. Especially when the mentality of these certain individuals is, “this is America, speak English”. One the dumbest things I’ve ever heard.
- Any airline app: save paper by having your boarding pass on your phone, many airline apps have other amenities available as well. Such as, baggage tracking, seat changes and notifications. The “Gogo Entertainment ” is Delta’s entertainment system available from your phone or iPad. I can still watch movies on the flights that don’t have movie screens.
- Whatsapp: this is THE universal texting app. Phone calls are also Ava. This is perfect for those that don’t have the ability to use data internationally. Connect to WiFi, and make all the calls your heart desires, for free!
