These days, planning a trip involves more than visiting a travel agent and deciding which package vacation to book. You need to find deals on flights or car rentals, choose a hotel or apartment rental, figure out how you will split the cost with friends, and then find activities you want to do at your destination. While this can all seem a little daunting, there are a lot of smartphone apps out there to do some of the work for you. That’s why we’ve compiled some of the top travel apps out there. That way you can spend more time reading up on all the amazing things you will see and do and less time figuring out all the intricate details.
Getting There
The most important part of planning a vacation is figuring out how to get there at the price or comfort level that you want. You’ll be happy to know that there are several apps out there to help you find your best options.
Skyscanner
This app (and popular website) can give you destination inspirations depending on what kind of trip you want and shows you fluctuations in flight prices so you can figure out when to book. You can get alerts when prices change on a flight, and also read reviews from other travelers for airlines and online travel agents. Just keep in mind that not every airline is included in Skyscanner searches.
Availability: iOS, Android
Hopper
This app predicts prices on flights up to 1 year in advance, based on historical price averages. You can put in a price alert for your trip and get notified of changes. There is also the price predictor that can tell you if you should book now or wait. And you have the option to book a hotel through the app.
Availability: iOS, Android
Kayak
Ah yes, the old standby that searches through other travel sights for the best deals. You can search for your desired vacation spot and then sign up to receive alerts of price changes. The flexible search option also lets you see prices during a certain time period. If you use the app, you can also see mobile-only deals for flights, hotels and car rentals. However, you may not find all airlines included in your search.
Availability: iOS, Android
Kiwi
While most of the other apps on this list also allow you to book a hotel, Kiwi is more of a one-trick pony focused on flights. You can either put in a specific destination or look for inspiration and then set price alerts. You can also store your boarding passes for offline access, get airport lounge access, look at airport maps and find destination guides. Last, but not least, you can use the app to measure your suitcase to see if it qualifies as cabin baggage.
Availability: iOS, Android
Momondo
This app features a price calendar so you can see when it’s cheapest to fly. You can also do an “anywhere search” and see flight prices to destinations around the world on a map, or you can put in filters. If you need a hotel at your destination, you can draw a circle around the area you want to search in and only see results from within the boundaries.
Availability: iOS, Android
Finding Lodging
Whether you want to stay in a 5-star hotel or a funky apartment in the city center, there’s an app for that. There are ways to find a last-minute hotel room or accommodations at a luxury hotel, as well as finding the best price on the Internet for where you want to stay. Here are a few that will come in handy for your next trip or last-minute adventure.
Hotels.com
You can book hotels, but also vacation rentals, apartments, hostels and luxury resorts in this app. Look for last-minute deals and also if you are a frequent booker you can take advantage of their rewards program.
Availability: iOS, Android
Hotel Tonight
This is the app to use for last-minute reservations, as the name implies. It compiles unsold rooms at participating hotels, and you get a good deal on them plus lots of photos to see what the property looks like. They have also introduced a mystery deal of the day, but you have to book within 15 minutes to take advantage of it.
Availability: iOS, Android
Airbnb
Yes, you can search in the app for unique apartments, houses or rooms for your next trip. But did you know you can also find activities and book tours or other experiences at your destination? You can read other travelers’ reviews and see an accommodation’s ratings. Also, you can save those you like for later, share your lists with friends or family and also communicate with the host through the app.
Availability: iOS, Android
One:Night
If you are looking for a room in a luxury hotel, and booking at the last minute, this is the app for you. The options at the moment are only in a selection of major cities (mostly in the US, but also London and Bangkok) and at a handful of curated hotels, but you will be assured a one-of-a-kind experience.
Availability: iOS, Android
Trivago
Trivago is a great resource for seeing the best deals on lodging. In addition to prices, you can also see reviews from different sites the hotel is listed on. You can search based on destination or current location.
Availability: iOS, Android
Trip.com
This app is all-in-one for your entire trip. You can search for hotels, flights, trains, and cars. Plus, in the app, you can get real-time flight updates and exclusive deals that are not available on the desktop site. This app is especially useful if traveling in Asian countries like China, Korea, and Taiwan.
Availability: iOS, Android
Booking.com
Owned by the same company as Priceline and Kayak, this is your one-stop app for finding a place to stay, plus flights and car rental. You can search for hotels, resorts or vacation rentals based on your preferences, message with the property through the app, and see some details about your booking while offline. Plus, if you book frequently through the app you can get discounts through their free “Genius” loyalty program.
Availability: iOS, Android
Splitting Costs
If you plan to travel with friends or family, it can get complicated to split the cost of meals, car rental, gas or accommodations. But it doesn’t have to be so difficult! If you all download an app or 2 before your trip you can make splitting travel costs easy. And one pro tip: Many larger banks have their own payment function in their app (like Chase QuickPay), so you might not even have to download something new!
Venmo
Most of your (American) friends will already have this one downloaded, so it’s an easy way to split costs. You can request money from someone or send someone money from a linked bank account. It’s also easy to search for someone by name or user name.
Availability: iOS, Android
PayPal
Send or receive money through your linked bank account or PayPal Cash. You can even collect money from groups in case you want to take your friend out for a group birthday dinner while on vacation. A bonus is that some businesses also allow you to pay using the PayPal app.
Availability: iOS, Android
Tab
This app is specifically for splitting a restaurant bill by snapping a picture of the receipt. Then you can select the items that you ate or drank, and it will calculate how much each person needs to pay including tax and tip.
Availability: iOS, Android
Splitwise
You can easily split bills with people in the Splitwise app. Organize expenses for a trip, add expenses on the go and pay friends back. You can see at a glance how much everyone has paid or how much you need to pay. Expenses can even be split by percentage or by shares.
Availability: iOS, Android
Getting Around
Google Maps
The king of transit apps offers a lot in terms of uses. You can find driving, walking, and public transit directions, among other uses. However, it’s worth noting that the public transit part can sometimes be inaccurate if there is construction or another reason that trains are not running, especially on the weekend.
Availability: iOS, Android
Uber
Uber service is not available everywhere around the world, but if it is it’s a great way to get around if you don’t want to download the local taxi app, worry about giving directions in a place where you don’t speak the language or have cash on you.
Availability: iOS, Android
Citymapper
If you are traveling to a major city and plan to use public transit, Citymapper is a great resource. While its focus is showing you the quickest way from Point A to Point B using public transit, you can also find routes for walking, cycling, and driving.
Availability: iOS, Android
Waze
Traffic can ruin plans when you are on vacation. If you download Waze you can stay a step ahead and avoid user-reported road closures or accidents that are slowing down traffic. It also gives you driving directions and live traffic updates. One caveat is that Waze seems to be used primarily in the US, Canada, and some European countries.
Availability: iOS, Android
Finding Activities + Restaurants
What’s the final piece of the puzzle after you’ve planned transportation, lodging, and paying for your trip? What to do when you get there!
Tripadvisor
Your one-stop-shop to find local attractions, restaurants, and more. Tripadvisor gives you reviews from other travelers as well as general information for sightseeing options. There are forums within the app where you can find answers to questions or ask a question about your destination, and you can even book tickets for museums.
Availability: iOS, Android
Yelp
Find restaurants and other businesses and read other peoples’ reviews of them. This can be a great resource for finding options for food, activities, and services in an unfamiliar city, but it’s best to take the ratings with a grain of salt.
Availability: iOS, Android
