From city breaks to extended trips, you want to make the most of every minute. And even if you love researching destinations and creating itineraries, it’s good to have a little help sometimes. Travel apps can do just that, helping to take the stress out of travel so that you can focus on enjoying yourself.
From apps that tell you the history of a particular building or monument, to apps that will help you find your way around, there are some amazing selections out there to give your travels a boost. Here are 10 travel apps that are worth every penny.
1. Best for… Discovering the stories behind the places you visit: LocoPast
It’s easy to admire a beautiful building or walk along an historic street, but what if you could go a little deeper? LocoPast is a fantastic app that maps more than 3.5 million historic locations across the world. You can find them via the interactive map, or you can filter by topic to help you find what you’re looking for, including architecture, arts and even battle locations.
With LocoPast, there’s just a one-off fee of £4.99, so once you’ve paid, you won’t have to pay any further fees or subscription costs. It’s an app that will come in handy wherever you are, to help you learn more about the history of the places around you.
2. Best for… Finding your way around big cities: Citymapper
Public transport can be tricky to navigate in your hometown, let alone in a different country! But Citymapper makes it easy for you to get around. You can check trains, buses, walking routes and more using an easy-to-follow planner.
Citymapper also gives you real-time updates so you can avoid delays and always choose the quickest route.
3. Best for… Tracking your flights: Flighty
Airport websites can be difficult to navigate, so having an app that can track your flights can be a bit of a godsend. Flighty can help you track flights in real-time, while even making predictions for delays and gate information, so that you’re always one step ahead.
There are different pricing structures according to your needs, so if you’re a regular traveller, this could be an incredibly useful app for you and worth the investment.
4. Best for… Documenting your travels: Polarsteps
It’s great to document your trips, helping you relive past experiences and perhaps share them with others too. Polarsteps is an excellent travel diary that you can enhance with photos, videos and more. It’s easy to use and even provides you with some interesting travel stats that can give you information about your travel habits.
Not only is Polarsteps useful for documenting your travels, but it’s a good app for finding travel tips from others to help you make the most of your trip.
5. Best for… Upping your packing game: PackPoint
Packing can be one of the most stressful parts of travelling, especially if you’re prone to overpacking! PackPoint is a bit of a game-changer – it’s an app that creates a personalised packing list according to your destination, your activities and even the forecast.
If you want to cut back on your luggage or make sure you sit within your allowance, then PackPoint is the app for you. It could change how you pack for good!
6. Best for… Travelling with your friends: Splitwise
Is there anything more annoying than splitting bills or arguing about expenses on holiday? Splitwise makes it easy to manage your group’s travel finances. Everyone inputs what they’ve spent, and at the end of the trip, you’ll see who owes who what.
Splitwise now has additional fees for use, but it’s worth it to take the hassle out of splitting your trip costs.
7. Best for… Better communication: Google Translate
If you want to overcome language barriers while travelling, then it’s worth downloading the Google Translate app. It’s free, which is great, and it will allow you to translate into multiple languages in seconds. Not only can you translate phrases, but you can use it to translate menus, signs and even conversations – ideal for communicating with taxi drivers or asking for directions.
You can download languages to use offline, so if you anticipate having poor signal or low data, then it’s worth doing to have access to translation at your fingertips.
8. Best for… Finding public toilets: Flush
Is there anything worse than not being able to find a toilet while travelling? Public toilets may not be easy to spot, or have a fee when you haven’t got any change! Flush is an excellent app to help you find your nearest facilities, and has information about opening hours, accessibility, charges and more.
If you normally get bathroom anxiety, this could be a useful app to have downloaded so you’re never caught short looking for the loo.
9. Best for… Planning your route: Rome2Rio
Rome2Rio is a handy app to have when you’re travelling between cities or countries. It will give you all of the options to get you to where you need to go, including planes, trains, road and sea. You’ll also get the durations and availability to help you make the most suitable choice for your needs and budget.
They’ll also provide you with some handy travel tips to help you discover the best bits of your new destination.
10. Best for… Booking activities: Viator
Different activities and excursions can bring something extra to your travels, but it’s not always easy to find the best ones. Viator brings together different activities from different providers, helping you find the ideal choices for your trip. You can choose from guided tours, cooking classes and other unique experiences, often run by locals, and manage your bookings within the app to keep everything secure.
While a great travel app can’t take away from the thrill of discovering somewhere new, it can make things a little easier to plan. From discovering the stories behind ancient landmarks to documenting your travels, the apps featured above can bring a little extra to your travel experience. A little help with planning in your pocket can save time, money, and help you make the most of your adventures.
