We’ve been on the road over 3 months now and it is time to recommend our 17 best smartphone apps for travel. The smartphone (in our case iPhone) has become an indispensable part of travel but is only as good as the apps installed on it. This is a list of the apps we most recommend while on the road.
Google Maps
No introduction needed. Google Maps is probably the only travel-related app I use on an hourly basis when we’re out and about. The app has improved by leaps and bounds in the areas of reviews, exploring possible food and drink options, and in how you can catalogue places you find. We use the Want to go, Starred, and even custom list options everyday. And don’t forget you can download cities offline which can help when cell service is minimal.
Trail Wallet and XE Currency
Trail Wallet is essential for travelers on a budget. As you spend you input each transaction into the app, categorize the type of purchase, and can add any other tags you choose. This allows you to sort your spending down the line. The app tallies your daily spend and compares it to the daily budget you’ve set. For us, this is $100 per day. Having one reference for where we’re at, both during each day and also over time, helps us stay on track.
When inputting your spending, it only allows for one currency type. This is where XE Currency comes in, which easily converts currency from one type to another.
Venmo and Splittr
We often travel with friends and our preference is to share costs with friends equally. These apps reduce stress about who pays for what and when, because in the end it is easy to settle up.
Splittr is one of many similar apps that allows you to input transactions where one person is paying a bill that multiple people are responsible for. You can create a group and enter which members of the party are included in each transaction, and who paid. At the end of the trip it spits out a report of who owes who to equalize the spending.
We then use Venmo (Square Cash is another popular choice) to make the transfers directly from one bank account to another, with no fees.
Priority Pass
To read more about this airport lounge network and why we love it, check out my 5 Travel Tips for Saving Money while on the Road post. Priority Pass gives you access to over 1000 lounges worldwide. This app allows us to search the airport we’re flying in or out of to check if it has a lounge (or sometimes several to choose from) within the Priority Pass network. It also has a digital card option in case you forgot your physical membership card.
Agoda and Airbnb
You’ve likely heard of Airbnb but perhaps not Agoda. While most cities across the world have many Airbnb listings, Agoda is more popular in Asia and includes hotels and other guest houses. We’ve found it frequently features lower prices than other sites, as well.
Download both and compare their offerings to find the best lodging for you.
Pocket is an article-saving app, which helps you virtually shelve articles you don’t have time to read in the moment. It helps me read more longform journalism and avoid just scanning news headlines everyday.
Pocket includes recommendations based on what you read and also from those of other Pocket users you follow. And if you’re on a computer, there is a Chrome extension for easy article saving. Lastly, articles you save can be read offline, which is essential for any international traveler. I use it everyday.
White Noise
An app that has aged well with time is White Noise. It plays any number of noise tracks (we prefer white or brown noise) on your phone. We use it when sleeping in a room without a fan or when we have particularly noisy neighbors. It also has a timer that can be set to shut off after an hour or two or whatever you choose, saving your battery.
Libby and Kindle
The key here is borrowing e-books and audiobooks from your local library (you’ll need to get a library card before hitting the road if you don’t already have one). Libby is an app that makes borrowing easy, integrating with your home library and helping you search for and reserve books for free. We rarely pay for e-books anymore, preferring to put ourselves on (sometimes quite long) waiting lists and reading books quickly when they come available. The Kindle app for iPhone is nice because, while we both prefer and carry our Kindle devices, they aren’t as flexible and ever-connected as our phones tend to be.
The biggest texting app in the world is WhatsApp. While iMessages is popular in the US among iPhone owners, it is far less popular worldwide. If you meet travelers on the road and want to share contact information, WhatsApp is inevitably the app you’ll need to use. And it is a fantastic app, with features not available in iMessages, like the ability to reply directly to messages within a feed.
Podcasts
I love listening to podcasts, especially on buses and planes. I use the Apple Podcasts app but there are many others (Google Play, Stitcher, etc). I’m a news and politics junkie but there are apps for any interest, including guided meditation, murder mysteries, and travel.
Spotify
Another app that needs little introduction is Spotify, an extremely popular music-streaming app. We subscribe to the paid plan for $10/month which gives you the ability to download music to three different devices for offline listening. When cell service is limited, this is essential.
NYT 7 minute workout and Yoga with Adriene
We walk a lot and Olivia tries to attend local yoga classes when she can, but it can be surprisingly difficult to carve out the time. Easier is exercising in our room or hotel. The NYT 7 minute workout is an app that has gone viral and is a mix of strength training and high intensity interval training.
We also subscribe to Yoga with Adrienne’s Find What Feels Good app so we can do guided yoga sessions of varying lengths from our phone, and with an instructor we both love. These videos can also be downloaded for offline viewing.
Do you have a favorite smartphone app when traveling? Leave a comment below.