I might overpack clothes when I travel (yes, I definitely need that extra pair of shoes), but I’m much pickier about the apps on my phone. Don’t get me wrong, I still have a lot, but I’ve organized them into neat little folders, and I’ve specially curated the travel folder. Many travel apps have come and gone over the years (RIP, the currency converter that thought a euro was worth two quid), but the survivors have all earned their place by getting me out of a pickle more than once.
This is not a definitive list of every travel app out there, but it is a collection of the 12 I use trip after trip, and why they don’t get deleted as soon as I get home. Most are free (holidays cost enough, after all), but a couple are so good they’re worth paying for.
Google Maps
I know, I know, it’s far from the original, but if you’re on the go and Google Maps isn’t on your phone, you’re missing out. It’s not only great for finding local restaurants and bars in whatever city you’re visiting, but it also makes exploring a new place without getting lost much easier. The trick is to download offline maps before you leave home so you have turn-by-turn directions even without data or signal. It’s also worth keeping Google Maps up to date with the best restaurants and places to try in new cities, so when someone asks for recommendations, you’ll have an answer that doesn’t involve laminated photos of food.
City mapper
For big cities, Citymapper beats Google Maps for getting around by public transport. I still use Google Maps for walking, but if you want to try the Barcelona tram or the Berlin U-Bahn, Citymapper is the app you want. It will tell you all sorts of things, from the direction of travel and which part of the train to stand, so that you are next to the exit, sounds trivial until you are at the top dragging a suitcase through Châtelet. The “Get off” alert has kept me from sailing past my stop more times than I care to admit, while the clear instructions mean you’ll be able to navigate a new city, trams and buses like a local. Smaller cities are not covered though, so this is more for the bigger cities.
Google translate
I can speak Swedish, but my French is GCSE grade at best, and my Japanese is non-existent, so Google Translate is especially handy. I use the camera mode the most: hold your phone over a menu, and the words will exchange in real time in English, so you can see what you’re ordering instead of guessing. Needless to say, it saved me a few times. My best tip, as with Google Maps, is to download the language packs before you fly so it works offline. There is also a conversation mode, but I prefer live translation on AirPods for spoken language.
flights
There are different types of travelers, from those who arrive at the airport four hours before their domestic flight to those who show up at the gate when the information board changes to “flight close”. I’m sitting in between: I won’t be late, but I don’t like to be at the airport before the bag has even opened. For frequent travelers, Flighty is great, especially for making sure you don’t leave the lounge or down your Wetherspoon’s pint until you really have to. It tracks your flight in serious detail, including where your incoming plane is, and often flags a delay before the airline tells you. Gate changes appear on your phone’s lock screen, and while the good stuff requires a subscription, it’s bought me plenty of unbridled airport breakfasts.
TripIt
TripIt is a great app for anyone who is organized enough to book things in advance but too busy to follow through after they’re booked. The app lets you forward every booking email to an email address, then sorts everything for you. Flights, hotels, train tickets, the restaurant you booked three weeks ago and completely forgot: it will all land in a timeline, in the order you should do it. It means you won’t be scrolling through your inbox at the check-in desk while the queue behind you sighs and tuts. The free version will be enough for most people, while Pro adds flight alerts. There is also Flighty for that though, so you shouldn’t need both subscriptions.
Skyscanner
I use Skyscanner for a few things. First, to make sure I don’t get ripped off. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather spend as much money as I can rather than pay extra for a particular airline. Skyscanner compares hundreds of airlines and booking sites at once, so you can tell if you’re getting a good deal or if there’s a better one. Second, the search “Anywhere”, which can be dangerous. Enter your home airport and the month you’re traveling in, and Skyscanner will show you the cheapest places to fly to. A word of warning though: a long weekend in Edinburgh can easily turn into a week in Albania before you know it.
Booking.com
I book most of my hotels and apartments through Booking.com, mainly because so many listings offer free cancellation, and I’m exceptionally fussy about hotels and very indecisive. After a few stays, you’ll unlock Genius discounts and the occasional free breakfast. Use the filters correctly: air conditioning in southern Europe in August is not a luxury; it is a necessity. I once stayed in a Berlin hotel without air conditioning in the height of summer, and I will not make that mistake again. Be sure to read recent reviews as well, because “comfortable” may mean you can touch both walls from the bed.
Rome 2 Rio
If you’ve ever considered a road trip through Europe, the US or anywhere else, really, Rome2Rio will take some of the legwork out of the process. Type in two places – addresses, cities or landmarks – and this app will show you all the ways to get from A to B, from trains and buses to ferries, flights and driving, with hard times and costs. It really deserves its entertainment on smaller trips, like getting to a small Greek island, which involves two ferries that only run once a day, but it helped me get from London to Gothenburg with a dog. I use it for planning, then book elsewhere.
Uber
I prefer not to negotiate with a taxi driver in a language I don’t speak, so I rely on Uber to avoid that at all costs. The app works almost the same everywhere, and you agree on the price before entering, so you know how much your card will be charged. The app has many safety features these days, and you can also share a fare with everyone you travel with, so you don’t need a kitty for taxis to and from the bars, just for the bars themselves. The best thing is never to say the name or the street of my hotel.
GetYourGuide
Anything popular enough to sell is worth booking on GetYourGuide. The skip-the-line tickets are the main draw: I paid a few extra euros to skip a queue wrapped around the walls of the Vatican, and I would do it again any day. If you’ve never been to Rome and want to visit the Vatican, trust me: downloading an app like this is a decision you won’t regret. There are food tours, cooking classes, and day trips too, but check the reviews, as some “tours” are just a coach, a microphone, and a nap, so do some research first.
OpenTable
Reserving a table by phone abroad is my idea of hell, so I use OpenTable to do it for me. You can filter by area, cuisine, time and group size, see which restaurants have availability, and book in a few taps. It works best in the UK, US, Canada and Australia, where most decent restaurants seem to have it. If you book but change your mind, you can usually cancel easily. There’s also something very satisfying about trudging past a queue after getting out of bed in the morning.
The Fork
I use OpenTable (above) in the UK and when I travel to the US, but in mainland Europe I switch to TheFork, which has better coverage in France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Sweden. There are over 60,000 restaurants to choose from and millions of customer reviews, but I keep it on my phone mainly for the discounts. Many restaurants on TheFork offer up to 50 percent off the food bill if you book an off-peak slot, and you collect Yums loyalty points (100 per reservation) for more money later. Dinner at 18:00, like a small child, in Spain will never feel financially responsible again.
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