As an independent solo traveller, I must always use the best travel apps. I am a dreamer who travels, inspired by the characters of Jules Verne and Salgari. I especially love the slow pace, the silence, the surprises, the encounters, the musing breaks, and what’s different about the solo journey for me. Still, I’m also a woman of my time, and I have a deep passion for electronic gadgets and technology. While travelling, these passions mix well.
For many years now, I have eliminated paper from my travels, more precisely from a road trip in Thailand during which I carried a backpack filled with books, guides, a folder with printed reservations, and my Moleskine for notes. Once back home, I made myself a promise: “Never again!” and so it was.
From this trip, I left with only my beloved Kindle, on which I take all my travel notes, and my iPhone, filled with various travel apps that I have been refining with experience.
So, here are the best travel apps!
cozycozy
If you’re looking for a simple way to compare accommodations across multiple platforms like Airbnb, Booking, VRBO and Expedia, cozycozy is a great tool to have on hand. It gathers listings from all major booking sites into one easy-to-use interface, making it easier to find the best deal, whether you’re looking for a hotel, apartment, bed and breakfast, or a unique accommodation, such as a treehouse or a houseboat.
Traveloka
Traveloka is an excellent app for anyone seeking an affordable way to travel. They offer daily promotions that help you discover the best deals, giving you plenty of inspiration to plan your next holiday. You can also book customizable travel packages. Additionally, their smart search feature uses machine learning to understand your preferences, allowing it to provide personalised recommendations as it learns more about you.
Travel PackList
I’m starting with this one because it’s the one I’ve used the longest in advance on my Mac to take notes on what to pack. You can create travel types, item categories, or specific lists to speed up your process later, just before departure. For instance, I have a list of “sailing“, an “on the road – tropical”, a “western weekend” and “Peru style” that combine hiking, beach, and warm and cold weather… in them, I created the following categories: “underwear”, “shoes”, “accessories”, “clothes”, “handy luggage” and “to do before leaving” … well, I’m the queen of lists, but ticking the boxes as I fill the backpack last minute greatly facilitates the departure and I love the departures!
The app is only available in English and costs €2.99. Downloadable from the Mac App Store
AirportTransfer.com
I discovered this app while looking for a more reliable way to get to and from the airport—especially during international trips. With AirportTransfer.com, you can pre-book private rides in over 160 countries, avoid overpriced taxis, and skip the hassle of local transport. The booking process is smooth, the prices are fixed, and you can cancel up to 48 hours in advance with a full refund.
It’s become my go-to for airport rides, and I definitely recommend giving it a try.
The app is free, multilingual, and available for both iOS and Android:
Going
Going is the travel app that helps you discover incredible flight deals without the hassle. Since 2015, they’ve helped over 2 million members travel more—and spend less—by finding and sending them alerts for mistake fares and deep discounts of 40% to 90% off. Going’s team of Flight Experts combines cutting-edge technology with a human touch, hand-verifying every deal to make sure it’s truly worth your time and money. Whether you’re planning a dream vacation or a last-minute getaway, Going makes flying more affordable, so you can go more places more often.
XE Currency
I use one of the apps most frequently during the daydreaming part of the journey, while planning it, and then once on-site to ensure what I’m spending. It updates automatically with the latest exchange rates, you can set your favourite currencies and convert them in a split second, and it also works offline. Useful!
The app is free. To download it: XE Currency
Skratch
Skratch is one of the best travel apps available for explorers who want to keep track of every place they’ve visited around the world.
Skratch allows users to mark countries, regions, cities, and attractions they’ve visited on a visual world map, pin their memories, and share travel stats with friends.
If you’re building your bucket list, Skratch also helps you discover new places to travel through its Explore section, which includes destination guides and essential country information, such as eSIMs, eVisas, transportation, weather insights, and more.
Converter
I use it more often than I imagined the day I downloaded it, mainly for converting distances, weights, and other units. At the same time, travelling requires this app, which works offline and is very practical.
The app is free. To download it: Converter
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ViaMichelin
I use it even at home… Its maps are always up to date, and the geo-local and cost-based route calculation work just fine! Depending on the settings, it also allows you to calculate fuel consumption, tolls, and panoramic routes, among other features. Only hic the stressing advertising popups …
The app is multilingual and is free. To download it: ViaMichelin
ForeverMap 2
One of my favourite apps! It works offline, too, and the graphics (customizable) and their interactivity are fantastic. Maps are updated regularly, and even those of town centres are very accurate. The app allows you to calculate routes, search for addresses and local commerce, and can be connected to TripAdvisor and Foursquare.
The app is multilingual and costs € 2.99. To download it: ForeverMap 2
TripAdvisor
I would say that TripAdvisor requires no introduction. In addition to its features, the famous site allows you to call the chosen hotel/restaurant with a simple click, and the social breakthrough of these weeks has made it a beneficial source of inspiration.
I’m seldom satisfied with the classifications concerning “food & beverage” in Italy, so I stopped relying on the relevant reviews. However, it allowed me to discover real gems abroad, and the “nearby” option was still effective.
To choose where to sleep, I rely almost entirely on this app…
The app is multilingual and is free. To download it: TripAdvisor
GPSmyCity
A year or so ago, I discovered GPSmyCity, a travel app that I have repeatedly tested and I highly recommend.
With their GPS-guided travel articles, all GPS coordinates are already embedded within the itinerary map the blogger/journalist describes. By downloading GPSmyCity, you get thousands of self-guided walking tours, articles, and offline city maps in more than 1.000 tourist destinations worldwide.
Once you have the app on your smartphone, you can select the articles or city guides you need and read them offline for free. If you prefer to take advantage of GPSmyCity fully, you can let the app guide you from one sightseeing spot or restaurant to another for a minimal fee upgrade ($1.99). I told you, so easy.
The app is only in English, and the basic version is free. To download it: GPSmyCity
WeatherPro
Due to the low value of the weather app preinstalled on the iPhone, I rely on this one, especially while on the road. Forecasts are seven days in advance and divided into three-hour ranges. Even though this is inaccurate, it is undoubtedly much better than the standard one.
If you have a perfect one to suggest, let me know!
The app is multilingual and costs € 2.99. To download it: WeatherPro
These are my “just in case” best travel apps…
Tipulator
It’s perfect for splitting the galley accounts on a sailing boat (my friends love it when I start it at the end of our sailing trips!), but it’s also helpful in calculating tips when travelling overseas.
The app is free and only available in English. To download it: Tipulator
Kindle
I don’t think I’ve ever used this application. Still, it is free, and following Amazon’s advice, I downloaded both the Mac and iPhone versions to always have a handy copy of my Kindle‘s content.
What about you? Is there any other travel app you could suggest to me?
P.S. To tell the truth, the Moleskine and my pen continue to follow me everywhere 😉
