With all my attention going into planning for my impending big trip to South America, there are simply some travel apps that I can not plan or live without! (All are free, yay!).
If you have a trip coming up, here are some travel app recommendations:
Numero Uno spot goes to.. Rome2Rio
3 words: Absolutely blimin’ ingenious. All I need to do is type in a place I want to go from, and then go to, and voila! Up comes a myriad of options; fly, bus, train, self drive, taxi, and more..
It also shows approximate costs, time of travel, shows the path on a map, and website links to the corresponding mode of transport that I’m looking at – incredibly handy when looking at far off the beaten tracks in Patagonia!
Get it here: iPhone
Flying with a.. Kayak?
There are quite a few flight searching apps out there, that’s for sure – Skyscanner, Webjet, Momondo, Expedia, etc, etc.. Many of them which bring up the same similar prices as Kayak, but in terms of ease this one I find is miles ahead of the others. I find that the others are preening their apps a bit too much to look pretty, and forgetting the job at hand. After all, looking at flight prices can give me enough of a headache!
The Kayak app is clean, modern, simple, intuitive, and also houses my favourite feature: that I can search on either side of a day at once, and it will bring up the cheapest flight on the cheapest date in that period (great for when you don’t have a huge amount of flexibility).
Get it here: iPhone or Android
Making sure I don’t get lost with.. Google Maps
While I’m sure my iPhone 52S will be buried with me someday, as I love Apple that much, I do have an evil side that is addicted to Google Maps!! It far, far beats Apple Maps, and is an app I can’t do without!
Not only is it accurate for places, it is fabulous for saving locations! Each time I search for a place, and I want to save it, so that I can remember about it in a city I’ll be going to, it makes a star icon. So as you might imagine, I have quite a few stars… a hundred, to be lying.. five hundred to be closer!
Get it here: iPhone or Android
Sexy XE?
There are many appealing and interesting apps out there, and never would have I thought XE currency would be one of them! I liked it so much that I actually paid for the pro version! At the moment I’m glued to how the US dollar is going.
Not only can I check on how that dollar is going, but many currencies can be saved to the app’s homepage. Handy for getting to know currencies I’m not familiar with – like the Peruvian Nuevo Sol!
Get it here: iPhone or Android
Somewhere to lay my head.. Hotels.com*
Last year I booked a last minute flight to Barcelona, only to get there with no accommodation booked.
While for some people who like to go by the seat of their pants, I learnt that I do not. It makes me very uneasy, and stressed out that everywhere could be booked out.
So for this trip, I am making sure I won’t be homeless, by using the Hotels.com app, which is awesome! It is great at scouting for deals, and for every 10 nights I stay at a registered place, I will get a night free! I always like the sound of that word!
Get it here: iPhone or Android
Other noteworthy travel apps I love:
- Hostelbookers (I’m on a budget too!) iPhone or Android
- Viator (for tour bookings) iPhone or Android
- Tripomatic (day planning on short schedules) iPhone or Android
- Pinterest (travel inspo) iPhone or Android
*While I do love to stay in hotels, I will be hosteling for the majority!
Lore & Tempo is where motherhood meets adventure. I’m Ren – storyteller, explorer, and single mum in Wellington, New Zealand. I’ve been lucky enough to wander through 45 countries. 15 of them with my +1, Kaydes, either strapped to my front, on my hip, or running ahead on her own adventures. I created this space to share single parent life, travel tips, and the joy of exploring the world.
