Brittney JohnsonTraveling can be an exciting experience, but it can also be stressful, especially when you’re in a foreign country. Fortunately, there are plenty of free travel apps available that can make your journey smoother and more enjoyable. In this post, we’ll explore the best free travel apps to use while abroad. Check ’em out!
Google Maps
Google Maps is an essential app for any traveler. It provides detailed maps, directions, and real-time traffic updates, making it easy to navigate unfamiliar streets. It also has a feature that allows you to download maps offline, which is incredibly useful when you don’t have access to Wi-Fi or mobile data.
Airbnb
Airbnb is a popular app for finding affordable accommodations while traveling. It allows you to rent a room, apartment, or house from a local host, providing a unique travel experience. You can also filter your search by location, price, and amenities, making it easy to find the perfect place to stay.
Duolingo
Duolingo is a language learning app that can help you communicate with locals and navigate foreign countries. It offers lessons in various languages, including Spanish, French, German, and Italian. The app uses a game-like interface, making learning a new language fun and engaging.
XE Currency
XE Currency is a currency converter app that can help you keep track of exchange rates while traveling. It allows you to convert over 180 currencies, making it easy to calculate prices and stay within your budget. The app also stores the last updated rates, so you can use it even when you don’t have internet access.
Google Translate
Google Translate is an app that translates words and phrases into different languages. It offers translations in over 100 languages and can even translate text from images using your smartphone camera. The app can be incredibly useful when trying to communicate with locals or reading signs in a foreign language.
Citymapper
Citymapper is a transit app that provides real-time information on public transportation in major cities around the world. It offers detailed transit maps, schedules, and estimated travel times, making it easy to get around. It also provides information on bike-sharing and ride-sharing services, as well as walking directions.
Waze
Another good app for the road, Waze gives you community-based data about traffic jams, and information to locate points of interest like the cheapest gas stations and the fastest routes to your destination. Live maps include voice-guided navigation to easily guide you.
Free Now
If you are looking for a ride share app to use, specifically in Europe, Free Now is the app to use. Similar to Uber and Lyft, Free Now allows you to book the nearest taxi, private hire vehicle, car sharing or micro-mobility option such as eScooters, eMopeds, and eBikes within the app.
Timeshifter
If you’re sick of the jet lag battle that inevitably comes with travel, check out Timeshifter, an app that helps you to avoid jet lag long before your flight departs. Thanks to neuroscience research on circadian rhythms and sleep, the app provides personalized recommendations that take into account your age, gender, typical sleep patterns, and specifics about your trip. The app will tell you when you should avoid or seek daylight, and when you should stay awake or take a nap. The result? A gentle jet lag experience, which translates to more time exploring your destination.
FlightAware
If you have a tight connection or are picking up friends or family from the airport, look to FlightAware for help. The app tracks flights in real time, so you can see exactly where the aircraft is at any given moment. In addition to providing arrivals and delays, you can also see if weather will have any affect on certain locations.
Headout
Want to know what local events are taking place at your destination? Headout will show you the top attractions, shows, tours, and experiences in popular cities like New York, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Orlando, Hawaii, Dubai, and more.
Activities range from catching a Broadway show, yoga in the hills, or taking a helicopter tour, with exclusive last-minute offers that can be up to 80 percent off.
Hostelworld
Hostelworld is where you’ll find more than 17,000 hostels, hotels, B&B’s, and communal spaces in 178 countries. The app is great for solo travelers looking to meet fellow vacationers during their trip, including a Noticeboard that highlights events and meetups, and a translator that will help you communicate in up to 43 languages.
WeatherBug
WeatherBug provides forecasts for millions of locations around the world, with current, hourly, and even 10-day options. The app also has specific weather maps to track everything from lightning and wind to pressure and humidity, and makes staying on top of changes to the weather easy with instant alerts.
Flush
Trying to locate a public restroom can be tricky, especially in a new destination. That’s where Flush comes in. The app has a database of more than 200,000 toilets, and quickly provides travelers with nearby bathrooms. You can search without an internet connection, and the app will also notify you if a restroom requires a fee.
Wise
While banks may charge you a fee for transferring money abroad, Wise allows you to make a transfer based on real-time currency exchanges, so you can send money at rates the company says are up to eight times cheaper than what you’d find at traditional banks.
TripIt
TripIt makes it easy to put together a cohesive travel itinerary. Simply forward your confirmation emails, like your hotel and flight reservations, or your rental car reservation, and TripIt will build a full itinerary to help you stay organized with all of your plans.
With real-time alerts, you’ll know if your flight is delayed or canceled, while the flight finder can help you book a new option should a cancellation occur.
Hopper
The prices of flights can fluctuate, making it tricky to decide if you should book right away or hold off. That’s where Hopper comes in, predicting the best time to find the cheapest fares, saving up to 40 percent. The app also has a price-monitoring feature so that you can select a particular flight and receive alerts if the price drops. Through Hopper, users can also compare the prices and amenities of more than 250 airlines and get alerts about airfare flash sales.
Grab
If you don’t have much time to spare at the airport, Grab allows you to check out what food selections are near your gate, and gives you the option to pre-order your meal so you can pick it up on the way. The app currently operates at over 60 airports worldwide, giving you plenty of bites to choose from on your next trip.
GasBuddy
GasBuddy is the app you’ll want if you’re taking a road trip. GasBuddy tracks down where to find the cheapest gas prices, allowing you to filter by price, location, brand, and amenities. It also provides you with deals at nearby convenience stores and price hike alerts so you can nail down the best prices every time.
PackPoint
PackPoint takes the hassle out of packing by creating a customized list of what you’ll need for your getaway. Enter your destination, travel dates, length of stay, and activities that might require special gear, like hiking or swimming, and the app will create a custom packing list you can save for future use. Besides checking weather conditions for you, the app also allows users to share their packing lists with fellow travelers.
AllTrails
If you’re looking to get outdoors, this app will provide you with the area’s best hiking, biking, and running trails. In addition to details on length, starting location, and trail quality, AllTrails includes reviews and photos from a community of hikers and outdoor enthusiasts. You’ll find useful information like what to pack, obstacles you’ll find along the route, and the best scenic spots to check out.
Dayuse.com
If you find yourself in the middle of a long layover, Dayuse can get you into a hotel room for a few hours for up to 75 percent less than what the typical overnight rate would be. The app features 5,000 hotels in 23 countries, and allows you to make free cancellations at the last minute, in case you manage to catch an earlier flight.
Selections include everything from business hotels to wellness accommodations, with payments made directly when you arrive. You also get full use of the hotel’s amenities for the duration of your stay.
Download these apps before your next trip and have a stress-free journey!
Great post! I frequently use Google Maps, Google Translate, and Airbnb.I will try using the other apps you mentioned. Thanks for sharing.
You can never have too many resources haha Thank you for commenting! 🙂