The Best Travel Apps (For Business or Pleasure)
When traveling for business or pleasure, there are so many things you need to be thinking about, planning, preparing etc. that sometimes if you’re anything like me you can get overwhelmed, forget important things, then are scrambling to get everything together last minute unless you plan and prepare properly. I don’t know about you, but I hate to be in that position and I prefer to be prepared and plan what I can in advance. The things I don’t plan in advance, I make sure to have the tools that I will need later on to do that. As the saying goes “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail”.
Today’s technology and our smartphones give us all the apps & resources we need for every occasion and life situation at our fingertips and give us no room to make excuses.
I have listed below 18 apps that are my go-to when travelling and can help save you time, money and give you peace of mind. This is not sponsored by anyone, these are the actual apps I’ve always been using and I think they can help you as well.
#1) Apple Wallet / Google Wallet
Here is where I store all my credit and debit cards, boarding passes, other tickets. I love this app and use it all the time!
This app is great because you don’t need your actual credit or debit card unless its for purchases of $100 or more. It’s also great in case you’re out somewhere and you forget a card or took the wrong card with you. When travelling having your mobile boarding pass ready on your mobile wallet to use instead of carrying more paper is much more convenient. I’ll be honest it took me a while to start using it to its full potential but once I did, it made such a difference in my life now I wonder how I ever did without it.
2) Uber/Lyft
This one needs no introduction but when traveling to the US or Internationally, this is the cheapest and most convenient way to get around. Using these rideshare apps is great because the cars are almost always cleaner then a taxi and cheaper. It is also cheaper then renting a car because on top of the fee to rent per day, etc. you also have to worry about paying for parking, gas, etc. Not every city you travel to will have these rideshare apps. Some cities have different companies, like Grab in Southeast Asia for example, so you should inquire to see what rideshare app is available in the city where you are traveling to.
#3) AccuWeather
The name says it all. This app gives you the most accurate weather for any city in the world including hourly forecast.
#4) Google Maps
I am an iPhone user and love Apple, but I don’t like the maps for iPhone. I have always preferred Google Maps because you can get the most accurate info on businesses like hours of operation, phone numbers, website, menus of restaurants, photos, reviews and sometime streetview! Google Streetview is one of my favourite things about the app. It also gives you the most accurate directions and a few different options via walking, cycling, driving or public transit. I have used it to get around especially via public transit and it knows the routes, bus and train numbers in the local city.
You can also explore your location for places to eat, have a coffee, sight see, shop, etc.
#5) Mint (or other banking apps)
This app allows you to sync all your bank accounts & credit cards to it and is super important to keep track of your cash flow, debt, transactions, budgets, etc. I use this as well as my banking apps constantly when I travel. I never use cash anymore when traveling or when I am home. It’s too easy to lose it & using your debit or credit cards allows you accumulate travel or rewards points, keeps track of your transactions & allows for better budgeting.
#6) XE Currency Exchange
This app is free to use and you can use it to calculate the exchange rates, convert from one currency to another and the exchange rates are very accurate. You can convert to any currency in the world.
#7) Camera
I am a photographer and love documenting my travels so of course I use the camera app all the time. All the photos you see on my blog & Instagram have been taken on my iPhone.
#8) Instagram
This one goes without saying. It is my favourite app of all time and I always use it whether I’m travelling or not, to connect with my audience and give them a sneak peak of my travels, tips on places to go, local events, etc. However, I never post in real time. I will wait until I get home to organize my photos & edit them but I will be constantly showing up in my stories.
#9) OpenTable
This app is the best when I am planning where we should have dinner. I use it here in Toronto or when I am traveling in the US. I have not used it anywhere else except Canada & the US but it is an international app and you can use it anywhere in the world. It gives you any and all info you need on the restaurant such as:
Reviews
Photos
Menu
Price range
Dress code
What to expect/Description
Make, change or cancel the reservation via the app
Add special notes, requirements
Location
Hours
Cuisine type
Payment options
Parking info
Share on Social Media or with a friend
Earn dining rewards
#10) Spotify
I am always listening to music on the plane or in the hotel and Spotify is my favourite music app.
#11) Podcasts
I am an avid podcast listener and love to listen to some great professional or personal development podcasts. I am either listening to podcasts or music and when I’m traveling I will listen either on the plane or in my hotel room.
#12) iBooks
From time to time mostly during my flight I will read some books or articles using this app.
#13) Flight Tracker
This free app gives you maps of any airport and terminal in the world. It gives you real time info on any flight including flight notifications in case of delays or cancellations.
#14) Sweat by Kayla Itsines
This is my favourite workout app. The workouts are easy to do whether in your hotel room or in the gym, you have workout options that don’t require equipment and they’re only 30 minutes which is easy to fit into a busy schedule. It is a subscription app $15/month but you can get a free 7-day trial when you first sign up.
#15) Netflix
I have Netflix on my phone in case I can’t watch movies on the plane or they don’t have personal TVs. I also have it on my laptop.
#16) TextNow
This app is the best and will save you a lot of money on roaming and international phone charges! The basic version is free (has ads) and it gives you a local phone number to your city and you use this app when you’re connected to Wi-Fi to make phone calls or text to any phone number in the world for free.
#17) Google Translate
This free app allows you to accurately translate from and to any language in the world.
#18) Google
Last but not least is the Google Search app which needs no explanation.
There you have it, the best apps to use when travelling! These apps will save you time and money and 13/18 are free to use.
I would love to know if you use any of these apps or if you have any apps that are your go-to when travelling, please share it in the comments below.
