Traveling has always been more challenging than we have today. We can book tickets, arrange hotels, and find locations from one smartphone. We are in one of the best eras for travel. Traveling is significant in this busy life. You get to meet people, explore places and learn something new. If you are planning for your next trip, here are the 7 best apps you need to download to make your travel easier.
Google Maps
I still remember Joey standing on the map to find directions in London with Chandler in Friends. Thanks to Google Maps, we can literally do that. Finding the right location and direction has always been challenging. Whenever I plan to visit a place, I create a route map using Google Maps and then share the route with my friends and family so that we all are in sync.
Also, if you are going to any location, it can help you find nearby attractions, restaurants, read reviews about the place and then decide to go further. Make sure to use features like Live View and Street View to get an idea of a place and the Tips feature to find the things to do in the locations.
- Create a pre-planned route map, so you can focus on travel and visit the places
- Find the best restaurants and activities nearby
- Open the street view, see the location, and also for directions.
Skyscanner/Momondo/Kayak
These three apps are flight search engines that will provide the best flight prices. I use it to find the best rates of flights from hundreds of travel agents and airlines. The app is not only limited to flights, but you can find hotels and car rentals with competitive pricing. You can also set price alerts that will notify you when there are any changes for the specific flight. Use the map view to find the available flights and cheapest fares to multiple destinations. Here is a comparison that would help you in using the apps better:
| Feature | Skyscanner | Kayak | Momondo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free to use | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Wide selection of flights | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Easy to use | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile apps | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Focuses on transparency | No | Yes | Yes |
| Offers more travel options | No | Yes | Yes |
| Different user interface | No | Yes | Yes |
TripAdvisor
Once we finalize a location, our next step would be finding local attractions and activities. Thanks to TripAdvisor, we can find activities near our destination, book tours, find restaurants, etc. Another factor that helps us to decide on the restaurants and attractions is the review by other fellow travelers. So make sure to read the reviews by people, which will help you to pinpoint specific places.
If you need professional expertise, Tripadvisor has a team who can help you to plan your next trip. They will help you with your queries and plan a getaway per your requirements. A great app to plan your trip in detail.
- Read other customer reviews and photos to decide about the restaurant and hotels.
- Offers planning tools to help you plan the trip
XE Currency
If you are traveling abroad, the first thing you must do is the conversion rates. It is always best to check what the conversion rates are so that you can allocate your budget for your visit. The XE app provides easy ways to send money to another country and live market rates global currency. It’s also easy to track your spending, to control your budget.
- Convert currencies with ease to over 130 countries
- Set notification to track the changes in the currency
- Track your spending in different currencies
PackPoint
When packing comes into the picture, it reminds me of Ross and Monica from Friends. They read it from the list and say check. Well, that is a good habit. Planning and keeping a list of what is required would solve most of our tasks. Packpoint is a travel organizer for packing.
More than just creating your packing list, it can help you to share it with your friends and families. It will suggest packing our luggage based on where you will visit, when, and the activities we are going for. It also considers business or leisure travel, international trips, etc.
- It provides packing reminders before the journey
- Share your packing list with friends
- Create a checklist based on the type of your journey
- You can also integrate it with TripIt
It’s always better to be ready with everything before the trip. Yes, there will be times when we will go off track to explore the unexplored. But being prepared can help us to be stress-free.
