Matej Kastelic / Shutterstock
It’s normal to feel stressed out and overwhelmed when planning a vacation, especially if you have to book everything yourself. There are flights to buy, activities to plan, and a suitcase that has to be packed with everything you’ll need for however long you’re away.
Lucky for you, there’s an app for everything these days to make life easier. In fact, there are some handy travel apps that will help you feel less flustered and more excited ahead of your vacation.
To make trip planning easy, here are 10 apps you should consider using to guide you through the process.
1. Journy
Journy works as your own person travel agent, without having to leave your house. All you have to do is download the app and share your trip preferences. You’ll get paired with a trip designer who will work with you to customize the trip with ease.
The app covers over 60 cities across six continents. Moreover, Journy will book all logistics for you. They’ll take care of the hotel, restaurant, and activity itineraries catered to any type of trip. So, you can plan a honeymoon, family vacation, solo adventure, and lots more with ease.
2. LoungeBuddy
If you’re flying to your destination and want to know about the best airport lounges to hang out in, then you should download LoungeBuddy.
Using one’s flight details, LoungeBuddy allows users to view a list of lounges across over 500 airports worldwide. The app tells you how you can access certain lounges and even allows you to purchase a pass if you don’t already have one. Through LoungeBuddy, travelers can read reviews, post one of their own, and even share photos of their flight experience with others.
3. GasBuddy
If you’re opting for a road trip instead of a flight, it’s best to download GasBuddy. The app helps locate the best gas prices wherever you are. It can search for locations through your phone’s built-in GPS or by typing an address and zip code.
GasBuddy also provides users insights on how much money they might spend on their trip. It has a trip cost calculator, fuel logbook to track your fuel economy, and fuel insights to view trends and general gas prices.
4. AccuWeather
Weather can determine a lot of things on your vacation. From potential flight delays to activity postponement, weather is the ultimate dictator of your schedule and how your trip will pan out.
If you’re obsessed with checking the weather before or during your vacation, AccuWeather is a must. The app provides forecasts and summaries for up to two weeks ahead of time. It also offers MinuteCast, a feature that zeroes in on a user’s GPS location and offers precipitation forecasts on a minute-to-minute basis.
With a solid international reach, AccuWeather is perfect for tourists wondering what they’ll be experiencing while traveling.
5. Google Translate
Many travelers vacation to parts of the world where the locals don’t speak English. It’s a fun way to immerse yourself in a new culture. Unfortunately, it can make communicating a lot harder if you’re unfamiliar with the language.
To give you a hand with ordering coffee or asking for directions, Google Translate is there for assistance. This app can translate words and short sentences from over 100 languages. It also allows users to hear how the sentence should sound when you say it out loud.
6. XE Currency
Dealing with other currencies when you are travelling abroad can be really confusing.
To help you avoid overspending and give you a general idea of how far your dollar will stretch, XE Currency is an excellent app to have on your smartphone while vacationing. It supports almost every national currency around the globe and offers the ability to track 10 different types of money at the same time. Even better, no mobile or Wi-Fi connection is needed for rates that you have already looked up.
7. Waze
Nothing dampens a vacation buzz like being stuck in traffic. With Waze, you can avoid wasting any time and potential road rage by simply checking your route before heading out.
Waze offers traffic information in real-time based on posts from other users. Reports include speed traps, accidents, and anything else that might slow you down while traveling. Plus, it will reroute you if necessary and notify users of cheap gas prices along the way.
8. AirHelp
Although getting to the airport on time is completely in your control, potential delays and cancellations are completely out of your hands. In fact, 87 percent of air travelers are unsure about the rights they have as passengers. Fortunately, AirHelp wants that to change.
Users can download AirHelp to file claims and get compensated if something prevents their flight from taking off. All you have to do is fill out some details and then scan your boarding pass and flight information through the app. If the claim is valid, the app will process the request and determine whether you can get money back.
AirHelp is available worldwide. Plus, the app can help you determine which flight is best to book based on airport and airline rankings.
9. PackPoint
Who doesn’t need more help when it comes to packing for their vacation?
Well, PackPoint wants to simplify the process to prevent you from over and underpacking. After users enter their trip details, the app will give you a customized checklist of what you should pack based on your destination. It considers the weather and any activities you have planned. So, you’ll pack what you need and be ready for anything.
10. Routeperfect
If you’re planning a European getaway, Routeperfect is a great place to start. You can map out your dream multi-city itinerary and the app will give you accomodation and transportation options to book. You can even customize the route based on your personal travel style and budget.
If you’d prefer to book a trip already planned out for you, Routeperfect also offers pre-selected travel itineraries.
