Travel apps: Don’t leave home without them!
All the apps for your traveling needs this holiday season!
Note: This article was first published on 16 March 2019.
Don’t leave home without your apps!
Planes, ships, and trains have brought us to many places and expanded our horizons. Travel has always been in the history books since ancient days, and many of those journeys were completed successfully back then without connectivity, data sharing, mobility, or real-time information.
Travel has become easy in today's world largely due to our ability to stay plugged-in at any time. Compare to the days of the unknown, today’s travelers are very eager and willing to recommend and share their experiences and hence, they have created stacks and stacks of information for other users.
Such cataloging of information under specific functions has also resulted in slews of apps being created on a very frequent basis. Some apps teach users how to be more efficient and organized. Others help them to save money. Each app tries to outdo their rivals in the same category and ultimately, gain your vote.
There are so many travel apps that many people already know. However, there are also some apps that some may not know. Just name a task that you need to accomplish for your travel, and chances are that someone has already developed an app specific to your requirements.
Some apps are localized while others are not. The localized apps tend to have lesser users as they are mostly developed for specific countries/regions. The popular apps are the ones that users can consistently use no matter which country they travel.
In this feature, we trawled around to put together a whole list of useful apps we hope you'll find useful in every step of your journey.
Explore
There are some virtual reality (VR) apps that can help you to decide where you want to travel even before you set foot in that country. Users can actually see and experience real images, and thereafter plan their vacations (or even revisit after their actual trips).
 | Gala 360 |
Price: | Free (in-app purchases) |
Category: | Travel & Local |
Platforms: |
VR trips are free, and Gala 360 wants you to venture out to any locations in the world while you are still in your home. Gala 360 can help you plan your next trip to any part in the world.
 | Explor VR |
Price: | Free (in-app purchases) |
Category: | Travel & Local |
Platforms: |
This app allows you to watch a video in 360 VR, and experience any continent, country or activity at the same time. Explor VR helps you to find your ultimate destination by providing the first immersion experience right from your mobile phone.
Planning - Airline & Hotel bookings
A word of caution for first time users looking for airline and hotel apps - there are more than 240 apps specializing in airline and hotel bookings. Some apps specialize in just booking of flights (like Skyscanner) or hotels (like hotel.com), while others provide a few options under one roof.
 | TripAdvisor |
Price: | Free |
Category: | Travel & Accommodations |
Platforms: |
TripAdvisor’s travelers share their recommendations, and advice on the best way to book trips. The continuous feed of endless reviews, photos on tours, attractions, and restaurants allows new users to save, and efficiently organize their trips.
 | Expedia |
Price: | Free |
Category: | Travel & Accommodations |
Platforms: |
Expedia flights, hotels, car rental, and vacation packages provide exclusive travel savings. This app captures users with its bundle deals, and 2x Expedia rewards points. Expedia has over 500,000+ worldwide network of boutique, luxury and airport hotels in addition to hostels, bed and breakfasts, and resorts.
 | Airbnb |
Price: | Free |
Category: | Accommodations |
Platforms: |
Airbnb differentiates itself from the rest by allowing travelers to book vacation homes. With over 4 million vacation home rentals across 191+ countries, there are endless choices for holiday enthusiasts who prefer to stay in home-like residences. Travelers can search by price, neighborhood, amenities, and many more.
 | Trivago |
Price: | Free |
Category: | Accommodations |
Platforms: |
Trivago wants to create a stress-free booking experience for travelers. The app provides users the opportunity to get great deals, compare hotel prices, and save money despite knowing there are more than a million hotels and hundreds of booking sites to choose from.
 | Triposo |
Price: | Free (Ads & in-app purchases) |
Category: | Travel & Accommodations |
Platforms: |
Triposo enables users to book hotels, restaurants, and immerse in local experiences and activities in 50,000 destinations worldwide.
 | Hopper |
Price: | Free |
Category: | Travel & Local |
Platforms: |
Hopper prides itself as one of the best app to predict cheapest tickets. The app’s algorithm can analyze up to 15 billion daily ticket prices, and achieve a 95% accuracy.
Planning - Travel & Accommodation Advisory/Tips
Apart from the above travel planning apps, don't forget Singapore's no.1 local forum for awesome community driven advisory, real-life feedback and veteran traveler inputs in our very own Travel and Accommodation forum. You can thank us later for fast tracking your travel plans :)
Packing
Isn’t it amazing that we can actually get help with our packing these days? Packing apps are very useful for people who tend to forget essentials, or pack the wrong items. Packing apps are very practical for those travelers who need that extra level of assistance.
 | Packpoint |
Price: | Free (In-app purchases) |
Category: | Travel & Local |
Platforms: |
Have you ever felt like you were overwhelmed with too many things to pack? Perhaps you just needed a list? Packpoint will help you stay organized. This app allows you to create a packing list organizer by considering your travel length, weather, and activities.
 | PackKing |
Price: | Free (Ads & in-app purchase) |
Category: | Travel & Local |
Platforms: |
This app creates a personalized packing list, and reminds you what goes into your backpack or suitcase accordingly.
 | Easy Pack |
Price: | Free |
Category: | Travel & Local |
Platforms: |
Besides generating a free packing organizer, this app also includes a planner/checklist of things to purchase or errands to complete.
Travel Assistants
Preparations are in order, and it’s prudent to keep yourself organized before you make that long-awaited trip. So when it comes to searching for a hotel and getting your itinerary organized, here’s some essential apps you’ll need to download.
 | App in the Air |
Price: | Free (in-app purchases) |
Category: | Travel |
Platforms: |
App in the air is like your virtual travel assistant. This app keeps tracks of your itineraries, flight status, boarding passes, frequent-flier programs, and provides airport maps, flight information, check-in and gate-change details.
 | SkyGuru |
Price: | Free (in-app purchases) |
Category: | Travel |
Platforms: |
Professional pilot and therapist Alex Gervash developed SkyGuru to help passengers overcome flying fears by accompanying them throughout their travel journey. SkyGuru can recognize passengers’ flight stages with data received from airlines. Alex believes in supporting and explaining flight events in real time to help ease many travel fears.
 | The Flight Tracker |
Price: | Free (in-app purchases) |
Category: | Travel |
Platforms: |
The Flight Tracker provides a host of information for users to manage, and track their flight arrivals, departures, terminals, gates, and delays. This app has been rated as the ultimate flight tracking tool.
Weather
Some travelers choose to guess but others prefer to get an accurate weather forecast as this will help them to pack accurately.
 | Dark Sky |
Price: | Free |
Category: | Weather |
Platforms: |
Dark Sky serves as an accurate, hyperlocal weather source, and it provides users with almost current forecasts.
 | The Weather Channel |
Price: | Free (Ads & in-app purchases) |
Category: | Weather |
Platforms: |
The Weather Channel (iOS/Android) The Weather Channel app delivers live forecast updates, and it has a pretty high rating of 4.4 out of 5on Google Play.
Jet Lag
Jet lag comes with traveling and some travelers have developed their own ways to cope from experience. However, many still struggle, and they may not know about these jet lag assistive apps. Currently, there are more than 30 jet lag apps listed just on Google Play, and all of them hope to cure your jet lag. Here's a few we found useful:-
 | Uplift |
Price: | Free (in-app purchases) |
Category: | Health & Fitness |
Platforms: |
Based on over 30 years of research, Dr. Charles Krebs developed Uplift to neutralize jet lag by re-syncing travelers’ body clock to the new time zone, and reducing transition time.
 | Jet Lag Buster |
Price: | Free (in-app purchases) |
Category: | Health & Fitness |
Platforms: |
Researchers at Stanford University developed the Jet Lag Buster by resetting the traveler’s circadian rhythm. Jet Lag Buster exposes travelers to intermittent light flashes to shift their sleep patterns.
 | Timeshifter |
Price: | Free (in-app purchases) |
Category: | Travel & Local |
Platforms: |
Many business travelers find this app essential for their trips as it provides solutions to help them adjust to new time zones rather quickly.
Restaurants
There are more than 40 plus restaurant apps currently on Google Play. Yelp, Foursquare, EAT24, Urbanspoon, Zagat, OpenTable, and LocalEats are only some of them.
 | Yelp |
Price: | Free (in-app purchases) |
Category: | Travel & Local |
Platforms: |
Yelp enables users to get over 50 million restaurant reviews from all over the world. With different search filters, users can also shop for nearby restaurant locations, and get great deals.
 | Foursquare |
Price: | Free (Ads) |
Category: | Food & Drink |
Platforms: |
Foursquare provides the ‘follow-me’ experience based on trusted advice that the users select. In essence, this app serves as a great tool to locate new restaurants.
 | OpenTable |
Price: | Free |
Category: | Food & Drink |
Platforms: |
OpenTable can help you to make a restaurant reservation. This easy app requires users to select timing and pax number at the preferred restaurant location.
 | LocalEats |
Price: | Free |
Category: | Food & Drink |
Platforms: |
LocalEats works differently as it only recommends best restaurants which are rated by magazines, newspapers, and online dining sites.
 | Eat24 |
Price: | Free |
Category: | Food & Drink |
Platforms: |
Eat24 is for those who frequently travel as it allows them to place orders with over 25,000 restaurants across an estimated 1,500 different cities.
 | HappyCow |
Price: | Free (Ads & in-app purchases) |
Category: | Travel & Local |
Platforms: |
Fret no more if you are looking for vegan and vegetarian restaurants. HappyCow is Android’s top vegan app for 180+ countries. Users can check out 400,000+ reviews, and enjoy plant-based restaurants while they are on the go
Delivery
Delivery apps are useful when you are unfamiliar with your environment. Such apps allow travelers to try and purchase different food, items and services without having any concern for transport logistics.
 | DoorDash |
Price: | Free |
Category: | Restaurant eats & takeout now |
Platforms: |
This delivery app boasts a selection of more than 110,000 menus across 600+ U.S. and Canadian cities. Users can order and have their food delivered to almost any public locations or private residences.
 | Beyond Menu |
Price: | Free |
Category: | Food & Drink |
Platforms: |
This app enables users to search, and order for pickup or delivery from thousands of local restaurants offering over 35 cuisines. Restaurant reservations can also be taken online.
 | Honestbee |
Price: | Free |
Category: | Food & Drinks |
Platforms: |
Honestbee goes beyond food delivery. This app also provides pickup and delivery services for laundry, grocery, tickets and many more for Bangkok, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Singapore, Taipei, and Tokyo.
Currency Converters
With more than 25 currency related apps on Google Play, users have a reasonable selection. Some apps are free while others cost about $0.99 to download. These currency apps allow travellers to check or monitor exchange rates, convert currencies, and even calculate prices in the required currency just before theey make their purchases. Here's a few of our favorites:-
 | XE Currency |
Price: | Free |
Category: | Travel & Local |
Platforms: |
One such exchange rate tool is XE Currency. This app positions itself as a must-have. A trusted tool, XE Currency keeps millions of users informed of all reliable exchange rates and charts for free.
 | Currency Converter Plus |
Price: | Free |
Category: | Travel & Local |
Platforms: |
Currency Converter Plus’ AccuRate features live exchange rates, and allows users to get the most accurate conversions in any part of the world. This user-friendly app has a built-in calculator, multiple currency fields to allow users to calculate and compare prices just before their online or offline purchases.
Top Payment Apps
Users have more than 140 payment apps to choose from. Such payment apps provide easy and quick purchase solutions for those who prefer not to carry too much cash, convert currencies or even travel with a wallet. It's also faster and fuss free when you're making purchases.
 | Alipay |
Price: | Free |
Category: | Finance |
Platforms: |
Alipay allows its 450 million users to dispatch, receive and make transactions all from their mobile devices. This app enables users to monitor their finances, and book or purchase food, merchandises and services.
 | Google Pay |
Price: | Free |
Category: | Finance |
Platforms: |
Google Pay is a direct and easy way for Android users to pay whenever and wherever a on or offline payment is required. This app is widely accepted in shops, restaurants, theatres, museums, and many more places to minimize payment hassles.
 | Samsung Pay |
Price: | Free |
Category: | Finance |
Platforms: |
Samsung Pay wants to be more than a simple wallet by allowing selected Samsung smartphone users to consolidate their credit, debit and gift cards on their mobile devices. This app is accepted at millions of places both on and offline, and it requires authentication via fingerprint, pin number or iris scan for each transactions . Here's how it works.
 | Apple Pay |
Price: | Free |
Category: | Finance |
Platforms: | Apple iOS |
Apple Pay enables digital payments on iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad and Mac. This app works at any contactless payment terminal, and every transaction has a two-factor authentication via Touch and Face ID, Pin or passcode.
Budgeting
Of course, we should not forget about the budgeting apps. Many travelers work with a budget, and these apps help them to keep spending on track.
 | Mint |
Price: | Free |
Category: | Finance |
Platforms: |
Mint allows users to track, evaluate, and plan their expenditure while monitoring their bank accounts, credit cards, bills and investments.
 | TravelSpend |
Price: | Free (Ads & in-app purchase) |
Category: | Travel & Local |
Platforms: |
TravelSpend helps travelers to manage their budgets without any internet connection. Users can input their expenditures without worrying about currency differences or conversion while they travel.
 | Splid |
Price: | Free |
Category: | Finance |
Platforms: |
Ever been in situations where you have to share traveling expenses? Splid allows users to settle expenses in a less stressful way while they travel with their groups on vacations.
 | Tab |
Price: | Free |
Category: | Lifestyle |
Platforms: |
The amazing feature about Tab is that it allows users to take a picture of the bill, and highlight the items needed to be paid. This app will calculate taxes and tips as well.
Navigation
There are many existing navigation maps that are useful to help travelers find their ways. Each app tends to have its own unique set of features, and it helps travelers to move around in unfamiliar territories.
 | Maps |
Price: | Free |
Category: | Travel & Local |
Platforms: |
Maps is a powerful app with real-time GPS navigation, traffic and transit details. With over 220 countries, and millions of businesses mapped, this app lets travelers enjoy their vacations without having to worry about getting lost in their tracks.
 | Offline Maps and Navigation |
Price: | Free |
Category: | Travel & Local |
Platforms: |
This app is a good choice if you are concerned about being offline frequently. This navigation app combines both offline and online mapping into one solution. The optimized maps of over 200 countries take up less mobile storage. The real-time traffic information, and voice direction help users to avoid traffic congestion, and shorten their journey duration.
 | MapQuest |
Price: | Free |
Category: | Weather |
Platforms: |
MapQuest is useful for those planning to travel to U.S. and Canada. The up-to-date satellite images or maps, voice navigation, real-time traffic updates, and live traffic cameras assist both walkers and drivers to find the shortest routes to reach their destinations.
Toilets
There will be unexpected situations during travel, and knowing where or how to solve those unplanned needs can often make or break some trips. Knowing where the nearest toilets are can be useful especially when you are traveling with younger children.
 | Toilet Finder |
Price: | Free (Ads) |
Category: | Lifestyle |
Platforms: |
This is one app that you can use anywhere in the world to find nearby toilets. Users rate and review toilet cleanliness, cost, and handicap accessibility.
 | Toilocator |
Price: | Free |
Category: | Travel & Local |
Platforms: |
This app uses your GPS to help locate the nearest, free public toilet quickly. As such, search is not needed. Toilocator can help travellers find over 290,000+ toilets anywhere in the world.
Transportation
Transportation apps save you time as you do not have to figure out the local transport network especially when you are on a short trip. Sorting out transportation logistics can be a frustrating experience, and many do not want to include that as part of the vacation. Such transportation apps can help you to manage your traveling plans more efficiently.
 | TripGo |
Price: | Free |
Category: | Maps & Navigation |
Platforms: |
This app helps users to find local traveling solutions by allowing them to combine different transport modes. Users can select/add train, bus, taxi, subway, and even car-sharing to their transport mix.
 | Grab |
Price: | Free |
Category: | Maps & Navigation |
Platforms: |
Grab enables its 63 million mobile users to book taxis and cars, get food delivered, and make payments for goods and services in the Southeast Asia region.
 | Uber |
Price: | Free |
Category: | Maps & Navigation |
Platforms: |
Users can share rides (cars and bicycles), book taxis, and even get their food delivered with this app.
 | Lyft |
Price: | Free |
Category: | Maps & Navigation |
Platforms: |
This app claims that it can find cheaper and faster taxi rides for users without the need for rental car services.
 | Curb |
Price: | Free |
Category: | Weather |
Platforms: |
Curb claims to be the #1 taxi app in 65 U.S. cities including Boston, Chicago, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.
Communication
The cost to stay in touch is minimum depending on how you are connected (Wi-Fi/data). More often than not, everyone has their preferred apps, and they continue to use them even while on their trips like the WeChat, Skype, Line and WhatsApp.
Language
There was a time when you could not communicate in the required language while traveling in a foreign continent. These days, language apps provide a quick translation solution to enable social and business interactions a possibility.
 | Google Translate |
Price: | Free |
Category: | Tools |
Platforms: |
Google translate app allows users to download the required language. The app’s ability to translate 103 languages online or 59 languages offline appeals to many. Aside from this, its instant camera translation provides a quick solution for comparison and purchase decisions.
 | Microsoft Translator |
Price: | Free |
Category: | Tools |
Platforms: |
Another alternative to Google translate is Microsoft's free personal translator app for over 60 languages and is available for offline use too.
 | All Language Translator |
Price: | Free (Ads) |
Category: | Books & Reference |
Platforms: |
All Language Translator is different as it has voice in addition to text translation for 60 languages. Many users find this app indispensable for their business, travel and education needs.
Conclusion
Some may find the sheer number of apps intimidating at the beginning. A handful of them have good ratings or reviews, but this may not help first-timers. Exploration is the key for initial app selection. Then there are those users who may hesitate to switch once they start using specific apps. Just like initial selection, actual use also requires invested effort and time, and this is one key reason why many choose to stay with certain apps eventually.
Apps have also made us become more busy, and plugged-in while we try to stay efficient and organized. Most apps require you to understand or learn before actual use but over time, travelers benefit in many ways.
In reality, there are still many who do not use any travel apps, and they are traveling well. For others, these apps are considered to have achieved their goals if they make your trips, vacations easier and more enjoyable. So, which apps are you packing along next time?