Like more than 98% of travelers, you probably take your smartphone with you when you travel. Whether it’s for taking photos or staying in touch with loved ones, phones have become essential tools for everyday life! But did you know they can also be a game-changer when it comes to planning your trip — and during the journey itself? What are the must-have, practical apps for travel? Here’s an overview of these best free mobile apps that will make your life easier on the road.
Best apps to help you navigate and get around
Maps.me
Maps.me is the revolutionary map app! Back when we were traveling around the world, it didn’t even exist yet (we sound like old folks saying that)… One thing’s for sure: it would have really helped us avoid getting lost. These days, we swear by it!
A feature we particularly love? You can export your saved locations and share them with other travelers! We used it a lot during our trip to Myanmar, for example. That’s right—when it comes to finding the best temples for the most beautiful sunrises in Bagan, nothing beats Maps.me :).
Skyscanner
When it comes to booking your next flight, Skyscanner is the app for you! It compares flights from over 1,000 airlines worldwide. Just enter your destination and travel dates, and the search engine will show you the best fares. Plus, you can set up a price alert to see which months and days are the cheapest for traveling to your destination.
Google Maps
Need to figure out which bus, metro, or tram will get you from point A to point B? Google Maps has you covered. It’ll give you the fastest route and tell you exactly which line to take.
Tip: Do a bit of research on local transport options before you leave. Some cities have their own dedicated apps for buying tickets and planning your trips.
Did you know? You can use Google Maps without an internet connection! You just need to download the map you need in advance. Search for the area you want, tap “… More,” and download it for offline use. You’ll find all your offline maps under your profile.
Uber, Grab, Bolt, and Didi
When there’s no public transportation (bus, train, subway, etc.) to get to your destination, a taxi is your only option. But scams are so common that you might be tempted to be wary. That leaves ridesharing apps. The prices are fixed, it’s safe, and you don’t have to explain to a driver who doesn’t speak English where you want to go… In short, we love it!
These companies operate all over the world, with Uber dominating the market, though Grab and Bolt are not far behind. Didi, on the other hand, focuses exclusively on transportation in China.
We used Grab and Uber a lot in Southeast Asia, especially when we were living in Chiang Mai. We highly recommend this service to avoid any unpleasant surprises!
Yescapa
Yescapa is a French company specializing in peer-to-peer rentals of vans, minivans, and motorhomes. You’ll find over 10,000 vehicles on the platform! Honestly, the site is very well designed — from the user experience and online payment options to the reviews and interactive map. In short, we’re confident you’ll easily find a campervan that suits your needs.
The main advantage of Yescapa is that it already has a strong presence in France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Germany, Belgium, England, and other countries. So if you’re looking to travel across Europe, you’ll have no trouble finding a vehicle. For the rest of the world, Outdoorsy is a great alternative app for finding a trailer, camper van, or motorhome.
Park4night
For any trip in a van or RV, Park4night is an invaluable resource! The app lists thousands of overnight spots, including official RV parks and discreet parking spots… In short, it’s like a directory of great places to stop or spend the night! Everything is geolocated, and you can check out reviews and photos shared by the community. The free version is often sufficient, but if not, a subscription costs €9.99 per year.
Best apps to help you find accommodation
Booking
Booking is the go-to app for booking accommodations in a snap. Over the years, their offering has expanded well beyond hotels; you’ll find private rooms, entire apartments, holiday cottages, and more.
Hostelworld
Traveling around the world means keeping an eye on your budget. When we can’t find anything great on Booking, we always check the Hostelworld app. It lists the best hostels from all over the world. The app is well-designed and intuitive, and it’ll help you save on accommodation costs!
Useful apps for finding activities
Alltrails
Alltrails is the go-to app for outdoor activities. It’s been used for hiking for over 10 years, but you’ll also find plenty of options for mountain biking, running, trail running, rock climbing, via ferrata, and winter sports. Enter a location and see the trails nearby. You’ll find both routes logged by users and verified routes where the community leaves reviews and comments. This means you’ll have all the details: distance, elevation gain, difficulty, and estimated time. You can also download maps offline, and even draw and export your own custom routes!
Getyourguide and Civitatis
Arriving in a new city and not sure what to do? Check out the GetYourGuide and Civitatis apps! They offer a wide range of activities that you can filter based on the time you have and your interests (culture, food, adventure, etc.). Reviews left by travelers will help you choose the best option, and most bookings are fully refundable up to 24 hours before the activity. We often use them to book a free walking tour, but also skip-the-line tickets, excursions…
Windy
When traveling, we pay even more attention to the weather than we do normally. It’s better to avoid getting caught in a downpour while hiking, right? Windy is the most accurate weather forecasting app, so much so that it’s used by aviation and navigation professionals. Despite this, the interface is intuitive, and no matter what outdoor activity you have planned, you’ll have all the useful information on upcoming rainfall, temperatures, wind gusts, and more.
Best apps for managing your money
Xe
Xe needs no introduction — it’s the must-have app to keep from getting ripped off when you arrive in a new country! Well, it won’t stop you from getting ripped off by a tuk-tuk driver in Southeast Asia, but at least you’ll know by how much! Xe is a currency converter that works offline and syncs the day’s exchange rates whenever you’re back online.
N26
When you’re on the go, it’s really important to keep track of your finances. Most banks offer a mobile app that lets you check your account and make payments with just one click. Going on a long trip? Keep in mind that there are mobile banks, with N26 being the best-known among them.
With N26, you have several options:
- The N26 Standard account: This free account allows for 5 withdrawals per year in euros (after that, it’s €2 per withdrawal) and worldwide withdrawals with a 1.7% fee. It’s the right choice if you travel from time to time.
- The N26 You account: This version costs €9.90 per month and offers the same terms within the Eurozone as the standard account. However, for this price, all withdrawals outside the Eurozone are free and unlimited! As a bonus, you get 1% cashback. In short, it’s the perfect solution for long-distance travelers or frequent travelers!
TravelSpend
To track and manage your travel budget, you can either keep a small notebook with all your expenses or use TravelSpend! This app is super easy to use and works offline. You can organize your expenses by trip, destination, date, and expense category. So you can see at a glance where you stand and whether you’re going over your daily budget. Another perk is automatic currency conversion. You can even add people when you need to split costs. In short, we highly recommend this genuinely great free app for everyday travel!
Best apps to help you stay connected
WiFi Map
OK, we’ll admit it, we’re a little bit geeky… Before choosing a guesthouse or a café, we always check the Wi-Fi :). With an app like WiFi Map, you can find the spot with the best connection. Don’t forget to use a VPN when connecting to a public Wi-Fi network ;).
NordVPN
You might not necessarily think to set up a VPN when you go on a trip. However, securing your connection is essential when using free public Wi-Fi. To protect your passwords, banking information, or any other important personal data, we strongly recommend using a VPN (Virtual Private Network). Basically, with this software, your connection is fully encrypted, allowing you to browse the internet safely. Out of all the VPNs available, we recommend ExpressVPN—it’s the one we’ve been using for years ;).
Best apps for your safety
Your travel insurance app
Almost all travel insurance companies have their own mobile app, and we highly recommend that you download it. The interfaces are generally very user-friendly, and the app will serve as your link to your insurer if you experience a health issue or any other unexpected situation during your trip.
Travel advice
Before traveling abroad—and even before buying your tickets—we recommend checking to see if your country has launched a special app for travelers. This app will keep you updated on the latest safety information for the countries you’re visiting. It’s also a great source of practical information to help you plan your trip, including real-time security alerts and health risks…
For example, for Belgian citizens, there’s the Travellers Online app provided by the Federal Public Service. Swiss citizens can use the Travel Admin app, developed by the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.
Best apps to learn languages
Google Translate
A must-have for any trip, Google Translate will help you make yourself understood in just two clicks—in over 200 languages!
Mosalingua
When visiting a country where I don’t speak the language, I like to have an app on my phone that provides basic vocabulary. It’s really helpful for communicating with locals. The best app to choose depends a lot on the country and the language. Our tip: download a few and see which one works best for you!
If you want to learn a language (and not just pick up a few words here and there), we recommend Mosalingua. We used this app to learn some basic Spanish during our travels and were very satisfied with it. The app has improved significantly over the years, and you’ll be able to learn a language during all your spare moments. And since the folks at Mosalingua are so nice, if you use the link below and are satisfied after the free trial period, you’ll get a 20% discount on your subscription.
Best apps to stay in touch with loved ones
No introduction needed here either! WhatsApp is our go-to for staying connected with friends and family back home. Before we left, we created some groups where we shared a few candid photos with our friends and just laughed… In short, we stay connected! Plus, call quality has improved significantly; yes, we talk on the phone a lot, too!
Messenger
Are you more of a WhatsApp or Messenger person? The battle between the two messaging apps is in full swing. Basically, they’re the same: you can create group chats or one-on-one chats, make calls, share photos and videos, and so on.
Note: These apps require access to a Wi-Fi or cellular network. If you have a recent iPhone (iOS 18 or later), you can send and receive messages offline using the Satellite Messaging feature.
When it comes to social media, everyone’s talking about Instagram! Whether you want to share your best photos in posts or your (mis)adventures in short videos (stories), Insta remains the most popular app. You can set your account to public or private if you want to control who can see your content.
Polarsteps
Honestly, if we’d set off on our travels without a blog, Polarsteps would have been perfect for our needs! It’s an app that’s a cross between a blog, an itinerary planner, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Your travel updates are saved in real time even when you’re offline; you can post photos, write a caption if you like, and decide who can see your adventures. In short, it’s a travel journal so all your loved ones can follow your adventures via a secret link. This saves them from having to download the app and also spares you from having to repeat the same thing 15 times on WhatsApp or Instagram… Plus, it’ll leave you with a nice keepsake at the end of your journey ;).
Fun yet practical apps
Return of Refills
Today, there are numerous models of filtered water bottles available. They’re practical and help you save money, since you no longer have to go to the store to buy water. Plus, you’re doing a big favor for the environment by avoiding the use of hundreds of plastic bottles. They’re easy to fill up at streams or fountains, and thanks to the filter, you can drink clean water right away! In short, we adopted them several years ago and take them on every trip. But where do you refill them when there’s no natural spring nearby? That’s where the Refill Return app comes in. It locates all the spots where you can refill your bottle for free, including cafes, restaurants, partner stores…
Where is the public restroom?
OK, I admit it, we don’t actually use it… But I think it’s funny to have it on my smartphone :). As the name suggests, it’s simply a locator for the nearest restrooms. With over 200,000 restrooms listed worldwide, it could come in handy when nature calls. The app is available on Android and the App Store.
Skypaper
We almost put this one in the communication app section, to be fair! Do you miss the good old-fashioned postcards? With this app, you can personalize a card (with photos and text) and send it to your loved ones. It gives them a nice, tangible keepsake to hold onto or stick on the fridge ;).
- A portable charger to keep your phone charged while you’re out and about.
- A universal adapter (preferably with built-in USB ports) so you can plug in your devices anywhere in the world.
- A waterproof pouch, which costs less than 10 euros, and honestly, it’s really handy. It protects your phone from water, as well as sand and dust!
What do you think? Are there any other travel apps you consider essential? Or do you prefer to disconnect when you’re on holiday?
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