5 Travel apps you should use

When traveling abroad or somewhere new it is great to have different apps to use. I have apps I use for pre-travel and during travel. I have found that using different apps has made my travel easier and at times even more enjoyable. Take a look at the top 5 apps that I think every traveler should have, from translating to budgeting there’s an app for it.

1. Google Translate

Google translate is great when you are trying to see what a menu says or perhaps different signs. When my husband and I went to Paris we used the camera feature to see what different metro signs said as well as menus. It was a lifesaver plenty of times considering both of us know limited French. The great thing about google translate is that you can even download an offline translation file, so if you don’t have a data service while abroad you can still translate. It also has the conversation feature, which as you are talking translates to the other person. This app is great for any traveling abroad that you might be doing.

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2. Trail Wallet

This is a great app for tracking your expenses during your travel. You set a daily budget and then every time you spend you can use the app to add in what you spent on. The best thing is you can set it to the currency of other countries you are visiting as well. It’s a great tool to use to track how much of your travel budget you have left. This will ensure that you know exactly what your money was spent on, and how much you’ve spent throughout your trip. The only downside is that you have to input your spending on your own, but I prefer that over giving them access to my accounts.

3. Gypsy Guide

We used Gypsy Guide in Hawaii on the road to Hana. It was such a good guide, it felt like we had an actual guide sitting with us. We ended up naming our guide Jerry. Thanks to gypsy guide we were able to see many different sights that we would have missed out on if we relied on just our GPS. The best thing is you don’t even have to use your data plan to use Gypsy Guide. Lots of parts of the island do not have cell service, so the fact that you don’t have to use your cellular data is great. I loved getting to hear the history of Hawaii and how it came to be what it is. The guide works so well at letting you know when a potential stop is coming and if you should see it or not.

To find out more about Gypsy guide and the different places you can use it in the United States & Canada check out their website here. This is the only paid app I have listed, but it’s worth every penny.

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4. Google Maps

Google maps works great in the United States and out of it. I have found their maps to be far more reliable than apple maps when traveling abroad. We’ve used google maps both for driving as well as using the metro. It works great at letting you know how to get from one metro station to the next, and then your final destination. Getting to Versailles was so easy with this app since it would remind us how many stops we had until we had to get off. The best part is once we got off at the final metro station the maps guided us directly to Versailles. It gives you a variety of different travel ways and is a great app to have even for everyday situations.

5. Trip Advisor

I literally go onto TripAdvisor daily when I’m planning a trip. Not only is it good for planning, but it is also extremely helpful once you reach your destination. It is a great way to get feedback on itineraries you are creating, find places to go eat, and talk to locals. I frequent the forums to gather information, but I also really benefit from it once I’ve reached my destination. I definitely recommend checking out the forums to get advice from locals & frequent visitors. Thanks to the forums I have found some really great restaurants. Not only are the forums great, but you can check out reviews for different restaurants, hotels, activities, etc… and ask questions directly to those places. Often times management responds to questions asked and gives advice as well.

Bonus App*

If you are flying download your airline app! Most airlines have free in-flight entertainment with their app. Not just that, but you can keep track of your bags, look at terminal maps, check your flight status, and so much more. If you’re curious about how I find cheap flights check out my last post here.

So there you have it my top five apps and a bonus app I use for travel. Let me know if you have any questions or any apps you think I need to try. I am always looking for ways to make my traveling easier.