Gearing up for a big vacation isn’t just about packing the right clothes and gadgets. These days, your phone is the savviest trip planner, tour guide, and interpreter around — if you load it up with the right apps.
Here are all the can’t-miss categories for turning your run-of-the-mill phone into a first-rate travel tool.
Flight & Accommodation Booking
Thanks to accommodation and flight booking apps, the need to manually scour the internet for the best options and deals is long gone. They’re indispensable for comparing prices and streamlining the booking process.
Most, especially ones that let you book hotels and other arrangements, are brimming with pictures and useful user reviews that make it easier for you to find your perfect lodgings.
Itinerary Planning
Settling on a destination is just the start. Now comes the fun part of discovering everything you want to see and experience there. Itinerary apps are perfect for this since they aggregate everything from modern world wonders to hole-in-the-wall restaurants with stellar cuisine only the locals know about.
Some will even take all of your confirmation emails and create an itinerary based on them to get you started.
Transportation Planning
Why remain in one place when developed transportation systems in places like Europe let you make cross-country hops and be back before dinner time?
Transportation apps are a must for figuring out the best and cheapest way of getting from A to B, whether they’re two bus stops or 200 miles apart. If you’re renting a car, you can even get an app that tells you the lowest gas prices along a chosen route.
eSIM Services
While it’s an unforgettable whirlwind experience, touring multiple countries on the same trip can be logistically annoying. Few things are as annoying as having to buy and switch out a SIM card each time.
Your smartphone already has the answer — say you’re flying off to Japan, getting an eSIM plan for Japan is all you have to do. Once you are done exploring Japan, you can digitally switch your eSIM plan to fit your next destination.
An eSIM is an embedded chip that lets you use local carriers wherever you are. You choose a destination, settle on a data plan, and activate it when you arrive.
You get to enjoy strong local cell tower coverage and enough data for all your needs without having to lose your original number or pay ridiculous roaming costs.
Safety
Most trips end up being positive, transformative experiences, and downloading the right safety apps can play a huge role in this. Some provide local emergency contacts or up-to-date advice regarding various travel risks.
Others highlight problematic areas and ensure you stay safe, no matter your ethnicity or beliefs. Maps fall under this category too and are especially useful if downloaded onto your phone.
A VPN
Safety isn’t just a physical matter anymore. Cyber crooks know how tourists like to flock to well-known sites and will gladly use the free Wi-Fi that local bars and restaurants offer. A VPN encrypts the connection, protecting your data, privacy, and peace of mind.
Since VPNs let you hide your IP address with one of their worldwide servers, you can also keep access to all domestic apps and services and not miss out on anything while abroad.
However, don’t go relying on free VPNs, either. Doing so is as bad as using a free Wi-Fi, as you don’t know how secure the app you’re using is.
Instead, choose a trustworthy service. If you want to find a suitable one, check out honest sentiments like Reddit’s best VPN threads or Trustpilot reviews.
Money-Related
Travel is already a hefty expense, so getting fleeced by unfair exchange rates is the last thing you need.
Money-themed travel apps tackle various challenges, from offering up-to-date currency conversion through easy expense tracking to accurately splitting bills with friends. Don’t forget to also install an app to locate feeless ATMs.
Language Learning & Translation
You might soak in the heritage and delight in local dishes, but true immersion in a culture won’t happen without also adopting the local lingo.
You don’t have to channel your inner polyglot either – installing a language learning app or even online language tutoring a few weeks before departure and memorizing some basic phrases will open a lot of doors. If that and English fail, let a translation app pick up the slack.