Travel Apps You Should Absolutely, Positively, Without-a-Doubt Have on Your Phone

(Photo: Max Kukurudziak)

When it comes to, well… almost anything these days, mobile apps are your friend. Whether ordering food on GrubHub or UberEats, tracking points on a fuel rewards app, or playing some mind-numbing game like Candy Crush or Bubble Shooter (that’s a thing, right?), apps are such a seamless part of our lives now that we forget just how much of a technological feat they are just for developers to put together.

Whereas some apps are frivolous and just for fun, others are designed to make certain aspects of our lives more efficient. One area that has definitely benefited from the proliferation of these complicated collections of coding is travel. These days, you can easily book an entire trip exclusively using apps. What’s more, they come in super handy when you’re actually on your trip, and in all sorts of situations.

From pre-travel planning to in-trip logistics and adjustments, here are some travel apps you may want to keep on your mobile device:

Airbnb …for quick access to accommodation information

My longtime go-to for travel accommodations, Airbnb has an app that’s an extremely useful tool to have on your phone. It contains all of the functionality available on their website, and is the perfect way to stay in touch with your host, quickly remind yourself of a gate code, or access special instructions you may have forgotten about, all while on the go. Find the app, for both Apple and Android devices, right here.

Expedia …for booking & trip planning

If you consider yourself a traveler but don’t make use of the magical trip planning tool known as Expedia, I don’t even know what to tell you at this point. Having everything the site offers — from booking flights and hotels, to renting cars and filling up your days with travel experience packages — in the palm of your hand cannot be overstated. Don’t have the app yet? Grab it here.

TripAdvisor …for advice… on your trip

If there’s room for any travel app on your cellular two-way talk phone, it’s gotta be the mobile version of the world’s most trusted travel site, right? RIGHT? Are you telling me you don’t have this? I think I just threw up in my mouth a little bit. Here, click this link right now if you have an iPhone, or click this one if you’re an Android user.

Hopper …for the best prices on flights

Being equipped with tools designed to help you find cheap flights — what more can a cash-strapped traveler ask for? While Hopper, a tool that’s helped 30 million travelers book trips around the world while saving them nearly $2 billion collectively (to date), has a website, it basically serves as a front pushing you to download the app. And if you want accurate flight prices predicted with 95 percent accuracy up to a year in advance, why not go ahead and add it to your collection of travel apps?

(Photo: Austin Distel)

(Photo: Austin Distel)

Lyft/Uber …for local transportation at your destination

I used to be more of an Uber guy, but after all that sexual harassment and “good old boys club”-type stuff that came out about the company in the last couple years, I’ve relied on Lyft a lot more lately. You can book rides with both online, or nab their apps from the Apple App Store or Google Play.

Splitwise …for easy group travel money management

Extremely useful to have on hand if you’re attempting to manage a group trip (or to split rent/utility costs with roommates), Splitwise is a free way for you and your friends to keep track of expenditures and who owes what to owe when all is said and done. With the app, you can split bills evenly among as many people as you need to, as well as pick and choose members of your party to split a bill with. Grab it here.

Wanderu …for good deals on bus & train tickets

While Wanderu is capable of finding you flight and hotel deals, it’s real bread and butter is locating affordable bus and train fares. The site partners with the likes of Greyhound, MegaBus, and Amtrak, cross-checking its entire system to snag you the best price it can find. If that sounds like the cat’s pajamas to you, I’ll just leave a little link to download their app right here.

Your Preferred Airline’s App …for easy check-in & access to your miles

Apps have made managing your airline booking easier than ever, with the capability to check flight times, adjust ticket/seating/baggage details, receive travel alerts, and check-in before you head to the airport all readily available on that little supercomputer in your pocket. Whether you fly Delta, United, American, Southwest, or whichever other major carrier, having the airline’s app on your phone is always a good call.

Google Maps …for navigation, duh

And because Apple Maps suck (#sorrynotsorry). Grab the Google Play version here, or the Apple App Store version over here.

-LTH