These 31 travel apps are essential for every traveler (in 2024) (2024)

👉 Jump to: Best Travel Apps | Organization | Accommodation | Flights | Transportation | International Travel | Outdoors | Safety | Useful | FAQ

I’m a travel expert and these are the travel apps I use to plan my trips easily and affordably!

This guide covers travel apps for flights and accommodations, along with programs that will help you make the most of your destination. I suggest applications for transportation, outdoor adventures, and safety. Plus, I share tools and tips for budget travelers, international jetsetters, families, and more.

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Best Travel Apps

Google Maps

Google Maps can help you get around town and navigate roadtrips. Choose how you’re traveling — driving, walking, cycling, public transit, or rideshare. You’ll get a map of your route, plus turn-by-turn directions both on your phone screen and as audio.

You can also see a rideshare price range. Additionally, you’ll get information about the venue where you’re headed, including its website, cost, and hours of operation. Travel Lemming always tries to include the Google Map locations of attractions we profile, so the app will also help you find those!

Duolingo

Duolingo gamifies learning a new language. It’s much different than repeating verb conjugations like your high school language class!

Start by answering a few questions about your language goals and how much you already know. You’ll then jump into the lessons. These are designed to help you read, speak, and hear the language at all levels. You can learn in small doses or set aside a certain amount of time each day to progress.

Viator

Viator lets you book tours in areas you’re visiting. You may have noticed that Travel Lemming recommends its tours often!

Those tours are a wonderful way to see an area with an experienced guide. You can find tours that last just a few hours, along with tours that last several days with transfers included. Viator can also help you book tickets, ski rentals, and other perks.

XE Currency Converter

I’ve had nasty surprises when my bad math made me think I was paying less in a different currency than I actually was. The XE Currency Converter has live currency rates and does the math for you so you’ll know exactly what you’re spending.

Best Travel Apps for Organization

TripIt

TripIt helps you keep track of your itinerary in one spot! Forward confirmation emails for your flight, hotel, or rental cars and TripIt will organize everything. It has real-time flight alerts to track whether your flight is delayed or canceled. It also has a flight finder feature to help you find a new one if needed.

You can also find airport maps, plus travel policies and rules for different destinations. And you can upload boarding passes, travel documents, and other important files so you have everything in one place.

Kiwi

My favorite Kiwi feature is the calendar where you can see the cost of flights each day. It’s a convenient way to take advantage of deals and book flights on the cheap if you have a flexible schedule.

Kiwi can also be used to book hotels and car rentals. Check out the Deals section to find the best deals and save even more.

Roadtrippers

Headed on an epic family road trip? Roadtrippers can help you plan your driving route and even suggest new ones. The filming locations of Dumb and Dumber came up in my suggestions and you can bet it’s on my list now! Additionally, the app can help you find cheap gas stations on your road trip route. Plus, you can find and book hotel rooms and activities along the way.

Roadtrippers is a free app, but you can upgrade and get offline maps for when you don’t have an internet connection. You’ll also get live traffic updates and more options for waypoints for $29.99 per year.

PackPoint

I forget my kids’ swimming goggles every time we pack for family vacations! PackPoint helps you to remember all those travel essentials that might slip your mind.

It asks you basic questions about your trip, including the location and activities you plan to do. It will even check the weather and tailor your packing list to the temperature! The app then comes up with a suggested packing list based on your selections. You can customize that list, share it with other travelers, and save it to reuse for locations you visit often.

Best Travel Apps for Accommodation

Booking.com

Booking.com is best known for helping users research, compare, and book hotel stays around the world. It’s the site Travel Lemming most often refers readers to given its wide selection of top-rated hotels. Booking.com can also help with flights, car rentals, taxis, and local attractions.

Hotels.com

Hotels.com is, as the name suggests, an app used to book hotel rooms! It can also help you find less-traditional vacation rentals, B&Bs, and apartments. Just be careful if you’re a U.S. traveler checking this app in another country. Some users report that it may not give American dollar prices and may not be in English.

Hotels.com is part of the Expedia Group and also offers steep discounts on hotels and rewards for members.

VRBO

VRBO is a helpful app to find vacation homes. It’s a nice option if you want to live like a local in a normal house and often, in a normal neighborhood.

VRBO is also convenient when you’re vacationing as a family or in a bigger group of friends. You will give up the services you get at a fancy hotel, but larger home rentals allow more opportunities for your group to be together.

Airbnb

The main difference between Airbnb and VRBO is that VRBO offers stand-alone vacation homes. Airbnb offers those, plus private rooms in a bigger home. You’ll also find more unusual options like campsites. I once found a hammock in a tree for rent!

It’s easy to manage your Airbnb rental while you’re traveling. You can see your bookings with the address and directions, make changes, and contact your host. You can also find suggestions for things to do in the area and book those as well.

Best Travel Apps for Flights

LoungeBuddy

Enter an airport or city into the LoungeBuddy app and it will display all the airport lounges in that location. Even better, LoungeBuddy will help you find the airport lounges you can access for free with Priority Pass. You know that a Priority Pass membership is often a credit card perk if you’ve read our guide on free travel with points.

AmEx cardholders can also use LoungeBuddy to purchase a day pass to certain lounges. This is because the app is owned by American Express.

Hopper

The Hopper app has a price monitoring feature for airline travel. You can set it up to alert you when flight prices to certain destinations drop. Hopper will even predict when prices are expected to go up. You can also use it for hotels and rental cars, and you can book everything through the app for a small commission fee.

FlightAware

FlightAware tracks flight itineraries in real-time so you can see if your flight is going to be late and if your gate has changed. It’s useful for both travelers and those coming to get them at the airport!

The app uses weather, the airline’s history of maintenance problems, and other factors to analyze flight times. You can see a live map of the flight as well.

Skyscanner

Skyscanner helps you to see if there are cheaper flight options and shows you when those are. It even has a “cheapest month” option. You can search for flights to and from an entire country rather than a particular airport or city.

Enter a price and Skyscanner will also show you where in the world you can fly within your budget. It’s a fun way to plan a vacation! Start with your budget and work backward, rather than starting with your destination.

Best Travel Apps for Transportation

Waze

The main purpose of Waze is to get you from point A to point B on the fastest route possible. It was created to help avoid traffic and obstacles. Google Maps has options for walking, biking, rideshares, and public transportation. Waze focuses just on driving.

Waze is constantly assessing traffic and conditions. It might change your route mid-way in order to get you to your destination quicker. The last time I was in Los Angeles, I marveled at how I ever got around the city and its notorious traffic without this popular app.

Uber

Uber operates in 72 countries and is the largest rideshare company in the world. The popular app is user-friendly and makes it easy to request a ride.

You can choose a ride based on the size of your party, whether you want a luxury car, and even if you’re traveling with a pet. You can also pre-schedule a ride so you know you’ve got a lift when you need it.

GasBuddy

GasBuddy helps you find the cheapest gas stations on your road trip! You can also filter by location, gas station brand, and amenities offered at the station. Additionally, you can receive alerts on deals at convenience stores along the way.

Best Apps for International Travel

Google Translate

You can translate bilingual conversations with Google Translate. Choose from more than 100 languages and translate by simply typing a sentence in your native language. You can also get translations via photo or by speaking. The icons at the top of the screen make the app intuitive and easy to operate.

Convertium Currency & Units

Convertium is a practical app when you’re not sure if 20 degrees Celsius is hot or cold (or what sort of temperature 50 degrees Fahrenheit is, for that matter). This app converts temperatures, distances, and other measurements, including currency. Pretty much any different measuring system can be made clear with Convertium.

Equal Eats

Equal Eats translates food allergies and dietary restrictions into “cards.” Show the card on your phone to restaurant staff or anyone else who might need to know about your restrictions.

This makes dining out in a country with another language easier. It can even be life-saving for some people. The basic app is free, but there is a charge if you need multiple translations.

Best Travel Apps for Outdoors

AllTrails

AllTrails is one of the best apps for anyone who likes to explore a new area by walking, hiking, or biking. The app uses your location to find running trails, walks, hikes, and mountain bike rides. You can also find notes on how long a hike is, how steep it is, trail quality, and what you might see along the way.

My Lightning Tracker

Keep yourself safe while outdoors with a lightning tracker. This weather app provides instant alerts if you’re in an area where there is a chance of lightning. It can tell you how far away a lightning strike was and if the storm is headed in your direction.

Best Travel Apps for Safety

SmartTraveler

SmartTraveler is the U.S. State Department app that alerts United States citizens abroad of any travel alerts. It also informs U.S. travelers of any vaccines, visas, or passport requirements for their destination.

A U.S. citizen who registers a trip on the app can also get information on the local embassies and consulates. That embassy will contact you if there’s an emergency in the area while you’re there.

TripWhistle

TripWhistle is a very basic but important app. U.S. travelers know the emergency number here is 911. TripWhistle maps your location while traveling and gives you the emergency number for the country where you are.

Emergency! – American Red Cross

The American Red Cross app lets users set weather alerts so they can be informed if a natural disaster is expected. They can also get preloaded content on what to do in various disasters, so they don’t need an internet connection to get information.

Sitata

Sitata monitors media around the world and keeps users informed about events that might affect travel or traveler safety. Alerts are shown on a map, along with tips on what to do. Sitata also has a community forum. Travelers can share safety information on various destinations.

Other Useful Travel Apps

Peloton

The Peloton App is for staying active while traveling. I appreciate the yoga classes after a day of driving or airplane travel! There are also running and biking plans and other workouts to get your heart rate up. The basic app is a free version, but users can upgrade to the pro version for special classes.

Timeshifter

Timeshifter relies on neuroscience research to help you avoid jet lag at your destination! Begin using the app well before your trip. It considers your age, sleep patterns, destination, and more. Then, it gives you tips on what to do (seek sunlight, take a nap, etc.) to begin shifting your body’s rhythms.

ResortPass

ResortPass lets you purchase a day pass to resort amenities, even if you’re not staying there. I used it in Palm Springs to be able to swim at a hotel pool. You may also gain access to resort spas, private beaches, workspaces, and fitness centers by purchasing a day pass via the app.

FAQs About Travel Applications

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I hope this guide has provided you with some beneficial travel apps for your next trip! Some of these apps can be extremely helpful if you’re a budget traveler. See my guide to cheap family vacations for more trip-planning insights!

(Featured Image Credit: TZIDO SUN / Shutterstock)