24 Most Helpful Travel Apps Every Traveler Needs

There are so many helpful travel apps (that are mostly FREE!) for your phone that can make life so much easier while traveling. Apps to help you:

  • plan your trip
  • find the best flights at the cheapest price
  • in a foreign country where you don’t know the language
  • even apps to help you meet people while traveling abroad! 

These are the top 24 most helpful travel apps that I’ve found:

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Helpful Travel Apps for Traveling in Foreign Countries

Google Translate

Google Translate is an absolute must-have app for travelers. It allows you to translate in SO many different ways:

  • Translates text in over 103 languages
  • Allows you to download language files and translate even when you’re offline
  • App will translate text in images simply by pointing your camera at it!! (like a foreign menu, see video from Paris below)
  • Ability to take or import photos for translation as well
  • Can translate bilingual conversations
  • Is even able to translate some handwriting
  • Also allows you to save commonly used words and phrases

Download in the App Store or Google Play.

XE Currency

XE Currency allows you to calculate exchange rates, set alerts, and can help you transfer funds.

Download in the App Store or Google Play.

GlobeTips

The GlobeTips travel app advises on how to tip adequately in over 240 countries! It scans your receipt and calculates everything automatically, and can help with bill splitting.

Screenshots above from app store. Download in the App Store.

TripLingo

TripLingo helps you sound like a local while traveling abroad! The app can translate your voice, has more than 30,000 recorded audio files, a huge offline dictionary, access to a live human translator (additional cost), and more.

Screenshots above from App Store. Download in the App Store or Google Play.

Flush App - Toilet Finder

This app will literally help you find the closest public bathroom whenever you’re traveling. It has a database of over 200,000 public toilets around the world! Download in the App Store or Google Play.

SkyRoam

The Skyroam App + it’s device connects you to WIFI almost anywhere in the world! I used this all throughout my trip in Europe and absolutely love it. Read more about SkyRoam here.

Download in the App Store or Google Play.

Helpful Travel Apps: Trip Planning

TripIt: Travel Planner

You book it, and TripIt organizes everything into a neat and tidy itinerary: As soon as you book a flight, tour, hotel, car, etc, simply forward it to plans@tripit.com and they’ll add it to your master itinerary — it’s genius! 

Helpful Travel Apps for trip planning

I haven’t tried it myself yet,  but it has over 172,000 reviews in the Apple App Store with an average of 4.8 stars! Download in the App Store or Google Play.

Triposo

Triposo is a smart travel guide app that delivers unique recommendations for over 50,000 destinations around the world and allows you to fully book and customize your itinerary! It even works offline too! Download in the App Store or Google Play.

PackPoint

PackPoint is the ultimate packing app: It intelligently helps travelers build their packing lists for trips based on the variables like location, weather, and planned activities!

Helpful Travel Apps for packing

Screenshots above from the App Store. Download in the App Store or Google Play.

CityMapper

CityMapper helps you find the best route by accounting for real-time traffic and combining bus, subway, train, ferry, taxi, car share, bike share and walking. Note: it is currently only available in certain cities, check app for availability. 

Download in the App Store or Google Play.

TimeShifter

TimeShifter is an app that helps travelers precent jet lag by creating a personalized plan based on flight plan, sleeping habits, and other preferences! Your first trip is free, but after that, it is a paid subscription.

Helpful Travel Apps for jet lag

Screenshot above from App Store. Download in the App Store or Google Play.

Helpful Travel Apps: Flying + In Airports

Your Specific Airline's App

I always like to download the app of the specific airline I am flying with. With the app, you can usually check-in, access your boarding pass, get flight updates, and access in-flight entertainment!

Priority Pass

Priority Pass is a game changer when it comes to hanging out in airports, especially with long layovers. It gives its members access to over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide + other benefits

It is a paid membership fee with three different levels, however, if you have a Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card, you get it for free!

SkyScanner

SkyScanner is a great app for finding and booking great deals on flights and hotels. I would just caution on deals that look too good to be true through 3rd party vendors… they usually are.

Helpful Travel Apps for flying

Download in the App Store or Google Play, or visit their website directly.

Hopper

Hopper is another app that helps you find and book deals on flights and hotels. They claim to predict prices for flights with 95% accuracy up to 1 year in advance!

Helpful Travel Apps - hopper

Download in the App Store or Google Play.

Grab - Airport

Hungry and in a hurry at the Airport? Grab can help! Order and pay for food without waiting in line, view a map of the airport and see what’s near your gate, and save your favorites for next time!

Screenshot above from App Store. Download in the App Store or Google Play.

AirHelp

AirHelp is an amazing app that can help you get compensated for delayed or canceled flights. EU and US laws protect passengers, and this app can help you take advantage of that!

Helpful Travel Apps for flights

Screenshots from App Store. Download in the App Store or Google Play.

Helpful Travel Apps: Road Trips

I actually wrote an entire post on helpful travel apps for road trips! Check out that post here.

Waze or Google Maps

Whether you like Waze or Google Maps better, having a map app while road tripping is important! 

Get Google Maps in the App Store or Google Play OR get Waze in the App Store or Google Play

Roadtrippers

Use Roadtrippers to plan the ultimate road trip! This app helps you find tons of cool spots like local dining spots, quirky roadside attractions, scenic points, and more. They also offer awesome pre-made road trip guides!

Download in the App Store or Google Play.

GasBuddy

The GasBuddy app helps you find the cheapest gas prices around and offer special discounts too! Download in the App Store or Google Play.

Helpful Travel Apps: Meeting People While Traveling

MeetUp

MeetUp helps bring people together in thousands of cities across the world based on interestes and events! This is a great app for travelers trying to meet new people while abroad.

Helpful Travel Apps - meet up

Download in the App Store or Google Play.

Bumble BFF

This one is for the ladies… Bumble BFF connects you with other like minded women nearby! It’s a great way to make friends when you’re in a new city — traveling or not!

Download in the App Store or Google Play.

Facebook

There are so many awesome Facebook groups out there specifically created for helping people meet up while traveling.

One of my favorite is Girls Love Travel. It’s an amazing community of over 1,000,000 women who love traveling and often organize meet ups!

Even More Helpful Travel Apps

Dayuse

This app lets you book last minute hotel rooms for a couple hours during the day at seriously discounted prices. It’s perfect if you find yourself with a long layover!

Download in the App Store or Google Play.

Did you download any of these helpful travel apps? Am I missing your favorite? Let me know in the comments or DM me on Instagram

xx Chels

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