Essential Travel Apps
Momondo
This is my absolute favourite mobile app for finding cheap flights. What really makes this app stand out from others is the degree to which you can be flexible.
You have the option to choose specific dates if you can’t afford any wiggle room, or, if you’re more flexible with your travel time, you can search a range of departure and return dates in order to find the best deals. You can even select an entire month and view the cheapest ticket prices within that month. Momondo really allows you to be as strict or as flexible as you like.
They also have a multi-city search option, which basically gives you the freedom to fly into a certain destination and then depart from a different one. This is great, for example, if you’re on a trip to Europe and want to make your way to several different cities but don’t want to waste time getting all the way back to the one you started in.
You can, much like most flight apps, set up price alerts for certain dates and airports as well as for specific flights. The app also sports features like travel guides, bag measuring tools, accommodation booking and more.
Another really cool function, and possibly my favourite on the app, is the Explore page. If you have dates in mind but aren’t necessarily sure where you want to go, you can use Momondo’s explore option to see a broad range of destinations.
This is great if you’re open to a bunch of different possibilities or looking to be inspired, and it is perfect for finding the cheapest tickets for your chosen time frame.
Elk
Elk is a super simple currency exchange app. I personally love it because it’s clean and easy to use on the go. The most common currencies are free with the app, and for a few dollars you can have access to all currencies, which I found to be totally worth it because you get so many currencies.
Elk also has an apple watch adaptation for quick and convenient exchanges. For both versions, the rates are updated frequently and the app works offline.
Google Translate
Google Translate is a real staple in my phone. And trust me, I know about all the jokes about Google Translate not being the best at translating things. We were all taught not to use it under any circumstances in our mandatory high-school language courses, but I honestly think it gets a bad reputation.
Obviously you probably don’t want to rely on it to have full, in-depth conversations in another language, as there’s bound to be mistranslations and no computerized translation app is 100% accurate. That said, it's still incredibly useful in a pinch.
Google Translate’s Camera function, seen here translating my English wall map into French
I particularly like the text to speech function, and it also has an option where both parties can talk into the phone, and the conversation will be translated between the two speakers. I’ve seen this particular feature in action at airports and train stations, and it's actually been able to help me personally in a tight spot.
Another cool function is the camera translator, shown in the photograph, here. It’s super useful when looking at menus and signs and even while grocery shopping in a country where you don’t speak the language. And to top everything off, you have the option do download languages for offline use, which is always helpful abroad.
Google Maps
Google Maps is another staple that most people probably already have in their arsenal. While it’s generally a great app that works well in most countries, I have found that it really shines in the public transportation department.
The app provides live, accurate updates on bus and train routes to your chosen destination, as well as price, duration, transfers and timetables, and I’ve found myself using it to get around on almost all my car-free trips in the past few years.
Sitata
This is an extremely useful and surprisingly-underrated app. Essentially, what Sitata does is it gathers safety information on virtually every country on Earth and updates you of anything that might impact your travels.
When you input your travel dates and destinations, Sitata will then keep you updated on any alerts in all the areas you will be traveling to. These can range from natural disaster and weather notifications to protests that might impact public transport to current health and disease information.
There’s also an SOS page on the app that provides instant access to all emergency numbers in your current location, as well as the locations and phone numbers of all nearby hospitals, which really provides that extra sense of security while on a trip in an unfamiliar place.
You can also take a look at a country’s safety overview page, which has info about all necessary and recommended vaccinations, personal security, lgbtq+ safety and more.
Whatsapp is a great alternative to purchasing a sim card overseas, and you get all the cellular functions of your phone without having to pay. Just connect to wifi and you’re good to call, text, video chat and all that!
Your Specific Airline App
Besides it being super convenient to have your boarding pass on your phone, especially if you're only carrying your luggage on board and want to go straight through security, it's also easier to make adjustments to your booking, if necessary.
I once had a flight cancelled while I was at the airport and was able to transfer onto a new one using my airline app in just a couple minutes. It really saved a total headache for me, and I didn’t have to bother waiting in line at customer service to try and get everything fixed. It’s also just nice to have your boarding group, seat number, etc. all available and easily accessible on your phone.
Honourable Mentions:
These final apps are ones that maybe you won’t necessarily need for every single trip but are still pretty cool to have!
Uber: Great for when you don’t want to mess with public transportation and don’t want to pay for a taxi.
Aurora: An awesome Northern Lights forecast app for anyone hunting the auroras!
Pin Traveler: A virtual pin map to mark all the places you’ve traveled.
Touchnote: A cool app that turns your travel photos into postcards to send to friends and family.
Get Inspired!
Find out why I choose solo travel more often than group travel for my own adventures and why it’s something that everyone should try out at least once in their lives!
About the Author
Bailey Quigley is a writer, photographer and Irish dancer from sunny Texas, USA. She has been traveling the world since age 17 and has since visited 20 different countries and counting. She started Sleeping On Trains to share her passion for discovery and offer some advice for restless adventurers just like her.
