The best travel apps for 2023 (2023)

How to prepare your phone for travel

There are some great features under the generic name of Google Travel. Take Google Flights for example. There is no mobile app, just the website.voos.google.com(Opens in a new window)helps you find and compare flight options. However, you cannot use it to buy tickets directly, which is why we classify it as a planning app and not a booking app. Either way, these research tools are best for getting a quick estimate of how much a flight might cost or how long it will take. Google Travel also offers other tools for finding travel destinations, e.g. B. recommended activities and hotel reviews.

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Hopper is an app that you will definitely want to use when planning a trip and before buying tickets. The mobile-only app tracks flight prices and provides clear advice on the best time to buy, including alerts when prices drop. What makes this travel app valuable is its level of detail. Not only does it tell you to wait before buying your ticket, it also gives you a date when the price is likely to go up. You can also book through Hopper for a commission of a few dollars.

Find interesting places to stop during a road trip with the aptly named Roadtrippers. This app and website let you explore a map of the US and Canada (with some coverage for Mexico) that includes unusual roadside attractions, museums, amusement parks, campgrounds, restaurants, and more. When you find a site you like, simply add it to your trip and Roadtrippers will plan your route accordingly. Download offline maps and add unlimited stops along your route with a $29.99 per year Roadtrippers Plus account, whereas you only get five with a free account.

TripCase is a free application that helps you organize your trip by creating an itinerary for you. The itinerary can include flights, accommodations, car rentals, restaurant reservations and more. To create an itinerary, forward your trip confirmation emails to TripCase and the app will do the rest. The next time you launch the app or visit the website, a complete chronological list of your trip awaits you. You can also add details manually. The output is similar to TripIt (see below), but the method of collecting information is different.

TripIt is similar to TripCase in creating an organized itinerary for you, but TripIt creates your travel plans by spying on confirmation emails in your inbox and extracting the most important information. If you don't want to give TripIt access to your email, you can use the app by forwarding them emails or entering the details manually, but that's not the app's purpose. If you are disorganized and messy with your trip details, TripIt can help you a lot.

Airbnb helps you find a place to sleep, whether it's a simple room in someone's house or a luxurious beachfront property. The site also offers other types of reservations for travelers such as: B. Visits, courses and workshops. Whether you're using Airbnb to find a place to sleep or get inspiration for what to do on your next trip, you're sure to see big, beautiful photos of everything.

Booking.com is a website for booking accommodation, flights, rental cars, airport taxis, excursions and attractions. It is best known for helping you find great hotel rooms around the world that meet all your needs at the right price. Booking.com is part of Booking Holdings, Inc., which also owns Kayak, Priceline.com, Agoda.com, Rentalcars.com, and Opentable.com, so you may notice some similarities between these services.

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Culture Trip was once an app and website for reading about travel destinations, but it has expanded to mainly offer package tours. Search for the country or region you want to explore and Culture Trip will prepare multi-day trips to the destination of your choice, e.g. B. an eight-day trekking adventure through Patagonia or a safari through Kenya and Tanzania. You book these tour packages directly through the app or the website. Culture Trip also has many recommendations and magazine-like articles.

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Expedia is an all-in-one travel aggregator search and shop website, sometimes referred to as a rate aggregator website. In other words, you can search multiple flight, accommodation, and car rental providers for the best deals. You purchase or book your travel details directly from Expedia, not from the airline, hotel or any other provider. Expedia is part of the Expedia Group, which also includes Hotwire.com, Orbitz, Travelocity, Trivago and other travel aggregators. You may also notice similarities between these services.

As its name suggests, Hotels.com is a website for searching for and booking accommodation, although it is notjustfor hotel rooms. The site also has cabins, inns, motels, and apartments to explore and reserve. Hotels.com is part of the Expedia Group and shares similarities with some of its sister brands like Hotwire.com, Orbitz and others. Please note that the Hotels.com mobile app may not be reliable when accessed from abroad by a US user. You may end up on a localized version of the site that doesn't display prices in dollars or isn't even in English.

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Some people, myself included, panic when they think about booking a hotel room at the last minute. For travelers ready to blow their butt off, there's Hotel Tonight. This travel app specializes in selling same-day hotel reservations, often at deep discounts. You also have the option of booking in advance, but the best deals are same-day reservations.

Hotwire, one of the brands belonging to the Expedia group, is an aggregator website for searching and buying travel (similar to Expedia itself). The web version is a one-stop-shop for finding flights, hotels, and car rentals on the website, though the mobile app only offers hotels and car rentals (not flights). You can search for one, two or all three travel essentials and reserve or purchase them directly on the site.

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Kayak is another all-in-one travel search site, but it doesn't let you book anything directly. Instead, Kayak sends you to other places where you complete your travel offers, be it another aggregator, airline, or car rental company. Kayak covers hotel stays, rental cars, train and bus tickets and travel experiences. It has some useful tools for exploring destinations based on airfares for the dates you want to travel. Kayak is part of Booking Holdings Inc., which also owns Booking.com, Priceline.com, Agoda.com, and Rentalcars.com. Kayak also operates other metasearch brands such as Swoodoo, checkfelix, momondo, Cheapflights, HotelsCombined and Mundi.

Orbitz is a search aggregator for flights, hotels, car rentals and cruises. If you group more than one purchase, e.g. For example, a flight and a hotel stay, you can get a discount, or at least a good price, by booking directly through Orbitz. Orbitz is part of the Expedia Group, Inc., which also includes Expedia.com, Hotels.com, Hotwire.com, Travelocity, trivago and other travel sites.

Priceline is another mega travel search app for flights, hotels, rental cars, and (like Orbitz) cruises. If you group more than one purchase, e.g. B. flight and hotel stay, you can get a discount. Priceline is part of Booking Holdings Inc., which also owns Booking.com, Kayak, Agoda.com, and Rentalcars.com. Don't be surprised if you noticed similarities between them.

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What should you do if you have paid in advance for a hotel and suddenly have to cancel your trip? Download Roomer or visit roomertravel.com/sell. This app and website is a marketplace for prepaid hotel stays. Roomer can help you recoup money that would otherwise be lost to the travel gods and can save you money when you buy a discount hotel reservation from someone who can't use it. You can search for hotel stays by location or date that others want to sell.

Viator specializes in allowing you to book tours. If you're traveling to a destination where a guidebook or daily itineraries would be ideal, take a look at what Viator has to offer. You can find tours that include daily excursions as well as week-long adventures with transfers. Keep in mind that the quantity and quality of the offers vary greatly depending on the destination.

Vrbo, which apparently stands for "Vacation Rentals By Owners," started out as a vacation rental booking site. It has expanded somewhat and now includes not only houses, but also apartments, cabins, cottages, and villas. Vrbo's closest competitor is probably Airbnb, although Vrbo does not offer homestays or BnBs. The site is owned by Expedia Group, Inc. but is very different from any other travel site in this catalog.

Search, compare and buy bus and train tickets as easy as flying? Wanderu is the application you need. This aggregation and comparison app includes modes of transportation that other websites ignore, such as trains and buses. You can also use it for flights, car rentals, and hotels, but it started with buses and trains and still sets it apart from its competitors. Use it for trips offered by Amtrak, Megabus, BoltBus and other ground services.

Find a furnished yurt, equipped safari lodge or simple tent for your next getaway at Glamping Hub. This site allows you to book "unique outdoor accommodation" and is ideal for people who love the outdoors but don't have equipment of their own.

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Harvest Hosts is an app and online membership program that connects people with RVs to scenic spots where they can park for free overnight, like: B. Wineries, breweries, farms, and golf courses. Problem is, you don't have access to hookups, so only for trailers that have their own water and sewer system. Membership starts at $99 per year for unlimited stays, but each stay is for one night only.

MSRP $99.00

In Hipcamp you will find both public parks and private properties where you can pitch a tent or stay in a tent already pitched. On the site you can find and reserve campsites, RV parks, cabins, treehouses, and glamping. It works in the US, as well as Australia, Canada, France, and the UK.

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On Pitchup you can find and reserve campgrounds, RV sites, and other camping and glamping accommodations. Filters help you find a location depending on whether you bring your own equipment or want a more complete service experience. Pitchup also has lodges and cabins to reserve for those who aren't quite ready to sleep in the great outdoors. The site covers North and South America, as well as Europe, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and parts of Africa.

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The name might sound like a play on Tinder or perhaps Grindr, but Tentrr is for camping, not hanging out. Similar to Airbnb but for camping and outdoor lodging, Tentrr covers most of the lower 48 states and Puerto Rico.

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Like other camping and glamping apps, The Dyrt helps you find places to stay, whether it's an RV park or a campground. What makes The Dyrt a bit different is that it offers a Pro subscription ($35.99 per year) that adds offline maps to locate cell service, free camping, and other necessities.

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Vegetarians, vegans, and anyone looking for a healthy meal after days out will appreciate Happy Cow. This app and website help you find restaurants, coffee shops, health food stores, and other places where you can get a meatless meal. The recommended places are not strictly vegan or vegetarian, but all should have at least a few non-meat options.

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Lonely Planet, known as a travel guide publisher, also has a great website and app for exploring your next travel destination. You can expect beautiful photos along with these recommendations for an immersive experience.

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Travel writer (and longtime freelance marijuana legalization advocate) Rick Steves has a travel app for Europe with dozens of audio files. Some provide basic information about a specific city or region, while others are audio guides for navigating popular websites. I heard some content about Rome when I saw the Sistine Chapel and again when I walked through the Roman Colosseum. If you're traveling to one of Europe's top tourist destinations, download this free app and listen to some of the segments as you plan what to see and do, or for a guided walking tour while you're there.

Sometimes people have to go to unexpected places they didn't choose, like a wedding or a business trip. If I don't know anything about the destination of my trip, I turn to Tripadvisor. It is one of the most comprehensive online sources for travelers with general information about different cities and regions, as well as highlights of things to see and do. You can read reviews of hotels, restaurants, and activities written by members of the Tripadvisor community, as well as photos they've uploaded, so you know what to expect even before you arrive. Tripadvisor also has relationships with several booking sites, which means that when you're done looking for hotels or restaurants, you can usually book them.

When you're in a new place and need a quick recommendation, Yelp comes in handy. Provides information on the quality of businesses and services, from restaurants to mechanics, based on user ratings. Reviews can certainly be skewed at times, but Yelp usually gives you an idea of ​​what to expect, as people often contribute photos, menus, prices, and other important information about businesses you might need while traveling. In some places, you can also use Yelp to make reservations for restaurants and other services directly through the website and app.

If you live in the US, chances are you've never heard of Zomato. However, in some countries it is more popular than Yelp and covers the same ground. Zomato is a collaborative review site primarily for restaurants. You can also use Zomato to order groceries for delivery in some regions.

AllTrails is a mobile app and website designed to help you get outdoors. Contains lists of hiking and hiking trails around the world with photos, maps, and directions to trailheads. You can download offline trail maps if you subscribe to the Pro version of the service for $29.99 per year. It's a great feature for quickly finding the best places to be outdoors when you're in an unfamiliar area.

The free Convertr+ app is excellent for converting currencies. It has a clean interface and allows you to store multiple currencies in one view. Convertr+ offers other types of conversions that travelers sometimes need as well, such as: B. Celsius to Fahrenheit, kilometers to miles, liters to ounces, and vice versa.

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If you're traveling by car, GasBuddy will help you find gas by location and price, but be carefulCollection and sale of information about you(Opens in a new window). It works in real time on your phone, but you'll run into privacy issues there, so we recommend using the GasBuddy website, which requires a bit of planning ahead. It is available in the US, Canada, and Australia.

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My number one travel app is Google Maps. On the ground, it shows you where you are and how to get to your destination, whether on foot, by public transport, by car or by bike. Google Maps is also useful for exploring your local area, including hotels, restaurants, and gas stations. Often, website and business listings include hours of operation, photos, and other details. You can save locations on your map by adding symbols (stars, hearts, etc.). Best of all, Google Maps lets you save maps offline so you don't get lost even when you're not on duty.

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iExit is a travel app for road trips across the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii. It tells you exactly what's near each highway exit, from gas stations to ATMs. If there's a particular chain restaurant or other service you love, you can bookmark it and the app will let you know if it's on your route.

Uber operates all over the world, and while the options within the app vary from place to place, the general concept is the same everywhere. There are a few reasons why on-demand tour apps work so well for travelers. First, there is no need to carry local currency. Second, you don't need to speak the same language as the driver to get you to your desired destination. Third, there are no bargains. If for one reason or another you don't want to let Uber run your business, look for other rideshare apps or taxi apps that work at your destination.

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While Google Maps tells you about officially reported problems on the road and if there's traffic, Waze knows important details like the location of police traps and potholes. This free, community-driven traffic and road app is popular with taxi and car drivers, but just as useful for everyday drivers. Waze can also give you the best departure time for a particular trip to avoid regular traffic.

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