In this day and age, it’s hard to imagine there was a time we didn’t use smartphones to plan a trip. People going on a world trip in the 80s would bring a Lonely Planet and would find their information on bulletin boards in hostels and from fellow travelers. My inlaws traveled like this and I’m so amazed at all the stories they tell.
Fast forward to today and we use our smartphones for everything! We’ve collected a list of the best free travel apps that will make your life so much easier while on the road. Some of these apps even work offline, which means you don’t need to get a sim card or use wifi all the time.
We do try to limit the time we spent on our phones because we’re traveling the world to actually see the world. But our phones take the best photos and videos, help us navigate to where we want to go, and help us plan our trip. We basically can’t live without them anymore.
When looking for accommodations while traveling you want to pay the best price. Sometimes it pays to do some research via Google when you have a name of an accommodation you want to stay at. One website might just offer a discount that saves you a little money.
But overall, we use these apps to book our accommodation:
Booking.com
We use this app most often when looking for accommodations. The benefit of Booking.com is you build up benefits with each booking you make. Three levels give you a certain discount, free breakfast, or even a free upgrade.
Booking.com usually has the most accommodations to choose from. We usually book the first couple of nights and extend our stay via the hotel directly. This might not be possible during high season or in popular places. But sometimes it will save you some money because the hotel doesn't have to pay the Booking.com fee.
AirBnB
Airbnb is perfect for longer stays and usually has better prices in big cities. We compare Booking.com and Airbnb and then decide which one to use. With Airbnb, you have the choice between renting an apartment, a room, or a shared facility.
If you're just looking for something for a night or two a room would probably be fine but if you're staying somewhere for a week you might want a little privacy. Airbnb is your home away from home, perfect for those moments when you feel overwhelmed, and tired and need space to recharge.
TrustedHousesitters
If you're looking to stay somewhere for a longer period and for free take a look at TrustedHousesitters. You will find homeowners with pets looking for people to take care of their animals while they go away. It's not very popular in Asia, but if you are in Australia, the US, or Europe this might be helpful.
You do need to pay a fee to be able to apply to housesits, but it's free to open an account and browse to see what it's all about. Especially with longer stays the fee is cheaper than booking accommodation via Booking.com or Airbnb.
Hostelworld
We used Hostelworld during our first world trip a lot because we thought hostels would be cheaper than other accommodations. We learned quickly this isn't always the case. But staying at a hostel makes it easier to meet new people and they usually offer tours or book activities.
Sometimes the accommodation you'll find on Booking.com is on Hostelworld as well and it's worth comparing prices. If you pay less for the same room it just makes sense to book there.
You’re always on the go when traveling long-term. Whether you need to go from country A to B or just need to find the nearest supermarket, chances are you need some form of transport. These apps will help you plan your trip and help you get where you want to go:
Skyscanner
If you're looking for the cheapest flight, Skyscanner is your new best friend. We only use Skyscanner to look for what flights are available and book with the airline. Just in case something goes wrong, you don't want to deal with a third party and get stuck somewhere.
We use Skyscanner to look for direct flights we know we need or want to take. But it's great for inspiration as well because they have the option to search for a flights everywhere. This will help you decide the next step in your journey. It will help you find alternatives as well by adding airports that are close to where you're coming from or going to.
Rome2Rio
Rome2Rio is great for figuring out what the cheapest option is to get from A to B. It shows you all the different ways to travel from origin to destination. This way you can compare prices and times and pick what works best for your budget or timeline.
Again, we use this to show us our options. Once we know what we want to do we go to the appropriate website to actually book this leg of our trip. It helps us make better choices and weigh the pros and cons of each method of transportation that's available.
12Go Asia
If you're traveling through Asia you'll want this app on your phone. It allows you to book tickets for buses, trains, ferries, and minibusses. It saves you the hassle of going to the station and trying to explain where you want to go to people who only have a basic understanding of English.
We've used this a couple of times to book tickets and it's pretty easy. Within minutes you'll have the tickets in your mailbox. There are several ways to pay for the tickets, we mostly use our credit card. But you could go to a local store with the papers and pay there if you'd want.
Uber
Uber and Grab basically have the same function but sometimes one of them isn't available or is just much cheaper. If you want to go from A to B in a city this app will tell you how much that will cost you. Once you select a driver you just have to wait until he/she picks you up.
Uber offers different types of cars and they all have their own fees. You might rideshare with someone of you for some luxury. Remember, Uber and Grab often aren't allowed at airports.
Grab
Uber and Grab basically have the same function but sometimes one of them isn't available or is just much cheaper. If you want to go from A to B in a city this app will tell you how much that will cost you. Once you select a driver you just have to wait until he/she picks you up.
Grab offers different types of cars and they all have their own fees. You might rideshare with someone of you for some luxury. Remember, Uber and Grab often aren't allowed at airports.
Maps.me
Maps.me is one of those apps that work offline and help you navigate. We love this one if we're walking somewhere because it has those little streets only accessible to pedestrians on the map. You download the map of where you're going and it will show you have to walk, bike, or ride to your destination.
Sometimes it doesn't list the right location for restaurants, ATMs or hotels. People are able to give feedback and that will change the map. But we've noticed that it's not always up to date after Covid-19.
Ctrip
This was a lifesaver in China! We struggled to communicate with people and one of the first people who spoke decent English told us about Ctrip. It allows you to book hotels, trips, and most importantly, train tickets. This saves us a lot of time and frustration at the station.
You book everything via the app and when you get to the train station (or hotel) you just show the confirmation. Much easier than trying to communicate in broken English with translator apps that don't work.
It’s not one of the sexiest things to talk about but when traveling long-term you need to keep an eye on your budget. This is not your average 2-week vacation where you’re able to do everything and don’t worry about money.
These apps will help you keep track of how much money you’ve spent:
XE Currency
While traveling through a whole of of countries you have to deal with a whole lot of currencies. This app will let you add different currencies so you'll know how much you're actually spending on something. It will show the price in the local currency and your chosen home currency.
This makes it a little bit easier to understand what you're spending. We usually see what 10, 100, and 1000 exchange to in Euros so we don't have to take out the app all the time. It helps break down prices and not overspend.
Andromoney
Andromoney is an expense tracker. There are a couple of these apps out there and we chose this one because it works with multiple currencies and can work on multiple devices. This way we don't have to calculate what we've spent in Euros, it will do it automatically based on what we enter.
You can set a budget per month or per day, whatever works best for you. It will show you have much you spent and how much is still available to stay within your budget. This has helped us extend our trip and be smarter with money.
We’ve made the mistake of thinking everybody speaks at least a little bit of English. This is not the case and sometimes it will drive you crazy when traveling. You’ll get smarter as you go but these apps help you to understand the people around you and make clear what you need:
Google Translate
You've probably used this function in your browser a million times to translate something you don't understand. The app works the same way and you're able to download dictionaries to use it offline as well. Just select the language you need and add your question and it will show a translation.
Remember to keep it simple because otherwise, you'll wind up asking something completely different than what you intended. Some words are similar but have a whole different meaning in a different context.
Duolingo
If you want to learn a new language Duolingo is your new best friend. Every day it will give you challenges and ways to expand your knowledge and vocabulary. At first, you'll be able to recognize words on the menu for example, and slowly you'll be able to express yourself.
Duolingo is great if you know you'll be somewhere for quite some time or if you know the language is spoken in multiple countries. It might not be worth it studying Thai if you're only there for 3 weeks. Maybe just learn the basic greetings in that case.
While traveling long-term, you’ll spend a lot of time on the road or waiting. A little entertainment goes a long way in moments like that. Also, while working it’s nice to listen to music or if you need some time to recharge these apps will come in handy:
Spotify
While we got rid of as many subscriptions as possible we kept Spotify because we want to be able to download music and listen offline. You could use the free version as long as you're connected to Wi-Fi or use a sim card as well. But since we use this a lot and don't like commercials it's a small fee to pay.
We have a premium account that we share and both have downloaded playlists to our phones to listen to on flights, train rides, or bus rides. Sometimes we play music via a Bluetooth device while working together as well.
Netflix
There are so many streaming services nowadays that it's almost impossible to just choose one. But cutting costs is a way to travel more so we only kept Netflix because we watch it the most. For flights without entertainment, we download series or movies to our tablets.
Some TVs have the Netflix app but you could also use a Chromecast or HDMI cable to watch Netflix on a tv. This way you could watch something together and you're not stuck to the little screen on your phone/tablet/laptop.
While most countries don’t require a VPN, China is one of those countries where you can’t live without it. We used it in other countries as well if a certain website or app was blocked. It gives you access to the website or app by faking your location.
SuperVPN
With the help of SuperVPN, you can surf the internet undisturbed for an hour. After an hour, the connection is interrupted. Fortunately, you can re-establish the connection at the touch of a button. You can choose from a number of locations. In addition, there is also a paid upgrade.
Betternet
With Betternet you can surf the internet without limits as long as you are connected to WiFi or 3G/4G. With the free version you cannot choose the location yourself, you need the paid upgrade for this. Even with a bad connection that occasionally drops out, Betternet automatically searches for the connection again.
Windscribe
Another great VPN app we are using lately is Windscribe. You can install the complete app on Windows, macOS, and mobile devices. This way all your internet traffic uses the VPN. But you can also install the Chrome extension, which only redirects the Chrome traffic through VPN, leaving other applications to use the normal internet connection.
These are the best free travel apps we keep coming back to while we are on the road. Of course, there are many more apps that you might (need to) use. Some of them only once, like an app that lets you apply for a visa. Some apps have multiple ways to use them, like Uber & Grab. Besides booking transport they also deliver food in some regions.
Let us know what your favorite travel apps are in the comments below. Have you used any of our favorites and what did you think? Traveling without these apps is still possible but it will take more time, more energy, and a lot more frustration. So be smart, and download what you need before you leave!
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