Top 5 Travel Apps You Must Have When You Travel

Source

Travelling is always a complicated affair: booking plane tickets, filling up forms, packing clothes, cameras, and guidebooks. The list of essential travel items is endless. Luckily, as technology has progressed, our suitcases have become lighter, and all of these complications have been compacted into one simple, easy-to-manage, hand-held device. However, with so much amazing potential within our mobile phones and tablets, it’s easy to miss some of the handy apps that could turn our travelling nightmares into a dream come true. Here are 5 of the best mobile travel apps that will make your travelling experience a breeze from start to finish.

1. Get organised with TripIt

The first hurdle of travelling comes before you’ve even left your house! In an ideal world, you could just walk out of the door and everything would go perfectly, but unfortunately, that is very rarely the case. Luckily, with TripIt, all the hard work is done for you. This incredibly handy app works alongside all major travel websites and will automatically store important details of your trip for you, including confirmation emails, check-in times for hotels, and flight numbers. All the things that would have left you scrabbling and searching inside your bag before are now all handled by TripIt!

Free Download TripIt on Google Play
Free Download TripIt on iTunes

2. Go with Skyscanner

Skyscanner is a highly useful app that allows you the freedom to travel without being tied to the strict routine of pre-booking flights. It instantaneously compares different airlines, prices and flight lengths, and lets you book tickets within seconds once registered.

You will most likely be using public Wi-Fi in your hotel or a café when booking a flight abroad. Unfortunately, public Wi-Fi networks are not always safe. The last thing you want to deal with abroad is identity theft. Before leaving for you trip, find a good VPN to use to ensure your information stays safe and secure while traveling.

Free Download Skyscanner on Google Play
Free Download Skyscanner on iTunes

3. Stay with Hostelworld

Like Skyscanner, the Hostelworld app allows you to stay in control while on the move. A traveller’s worst nightmare is arriving somewhere and finding you have nowhere to sleep for the night! No matter how organised you are, things can—and usually do—change while travelling. With the Hostelworld app, you can easily find any type of accommodation, from luxury private rooms to lively and social dorms, no matter where you are or when you need it.

Other apps, such as Couchsurfing (available on both iOS and Android) and Airbnb, provide something similar for ones looking for a more intimate experience with a local host.

Free Download Hostelworld on Google Play
Free Download Hostelworld on iTunes

4. Stay Safe with a VPN

Having so much potential at your fingertips is an unquestionable advantage when travelling. No matter where you are, you can stay connected and stay organised simply through the apps on your phone. However, when heavily relying on public Wi-Fi, it’s important to consider your online security and ensure you take the right steps to protect yourself. By finding the best VPN for you, you can quickly and easily secure your phones and eliminate the risk. The VPN will encrypt your information and protect you and your data from any prying eyes that may be abusing the security holes that mobile hot spots are so notorious for.

Free Download ExpressVPN on Google Play

Free Download ExpressVPN on iTunes

5. Reminisce with Trip Journal

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, no travelling experience is complete without the memories you bring back from it. With Trip Journal, all of these memories can be easily catalogued in one place and shared with friends back home! The app allows you to document photos, videos, comments and blog posts, as well as track your journey and pinpoint all of the places you’ve visited. It’s also easily integrated with many social networks and sharing platforms, including Facebook, Flickr, YouTube, and Twitter, to allow you to stay connected.

Free Download Trip Journal on Google Play
Free Download Trip Journalon iTunes

Using these apps can transform a travelling experience! Gone are the days when we were limited to the information from our guidebooks or stuck trying to navigate desperate, broken conversations in foreign languages with bemused locals. We now have a breadth of information at our fingertips, giving us the freedom and spontaneity to focus on and enjoy what really matters: the experience! And so, with a little bit of inside knowledge and the right apps, the whole world can be your oyster!