Downloading the best travel apps can be the key to a successful trip
Have apps, will travel. We rely on apps for pretty much every facet of life, and when you’re on the road, having a few travel apps queued up can help save stress, time and money, and make your trip so much better in very simple ways.
Beyond your standard airline, railroad, hotel chain and fast food apps, here are five travel-specific apps every traveler should download on their smartphone before heading out.
Top 5 Travel Apps
Google Maps
If you’re not using Google Maps to do more than navigate your trip, you’re not using it right. Google Maps is an essential part of any trip in 2024, for so many reasons. Firstly, you can download offline maps before you go, an extremely helpful resource if you don’t have service and need to find your way (you know, since no one has paper maps anymore). Google Maps can also help you plan a route with multiple stops, add starred and flagged places your network recommends and use AI to help with travel searches. Google Maps can help you find your parked car, find gas stations and so much more. Free to download in Apple App Store and Google Play.
AllTrails
Hikers, this one’s for you. Hikers of all levels can find hiking routes, long walks and camping sites via AllTrails, which offers peer-rated reviews of each spot, rankings and a level of easy, moderate or hard. Depending on your activity preference, AllTrails can also recommend spots for mountain bikers, wheelchair users, runners, hikers with dogs and more. A free version is comprehensive, but avid hikers may want to sign up for a subscription to AllTrails+, which offers even more details about your outdoor activity, including air quality, satellite weather, pollen, light pollution and user heatmaps. Free to download in Apple App Store and Google Play.
A smartphone can be an essential hiking tool, especially when you're out of town.
Hotel Tonight
Spontaneous travelers should download Hotel Tonight for last-minute bookings, often at a discount. The hotel app offers flash deals, as well as the ability to book stays in advance or for multiple nights and it’s perfect for procrastinators who just need a place to crash. It’s also great for flight delays, unexpected stop overs or road trips with no specific route in mind. Planners can also favorite specific properties before they travel to check nightly deals. Regular users will earn perks and steeper discounts after multiple bookings. Free to download in Apple App Store and Google Play.
BringFido
If you’re traveling with your dog in tow, the BringFido app is a must have. The user-sourced and ranked database offers listings of accomodations, restaurants, events, activities and more that are dog-friendly in towns and cities across the United States and beyond. The app is great for playing a dog-friendly itinerary or finding a dog-friendly brewery or fenced in park on the go. Users can also post their favorite spots and leave tips for other dog visitors and their owners. Free to download in Apple App Store and Google Play.
Travel is so much better with a dog, especially when you know where to take your four legged travel ... [+]
TripIt
Itinerary lovers, this one’s for you. TripIt is perfect for those organizing a major getaway or organizing a bunch of small trips that you just can’t possibly remember all the details for (flights, hotels, car rental, etc.) The free app aggregates all the plans in your email, stores confirmation numbers and will send alerts to remind you to leave for the airport, check in to your next accomodation, head to your dinner reservation and more. It’s like a personal assistant in your pocket, that can also track your rewards points, help with flight compensation and more. A free version is sufficient, but $49 for a year of TripIt Pro earns you extra benefits like airport navigation, baggage claim info and potential reimbursement, and the ability to upload 25 documents. Free to download in Apple App Store and Google Play.
