Apps can often prove unnecessary (how many ones for creating a to-do list do you really need?), but one area where they tend to excel is travel. There are so many nuances to think about — planning flights, translating another language at a restaurant, settling costs after the trip — that having some help on your phone is a must.
It doesn't matter if you're taking a road trip, going backpacking, or heading to a resort for some spa time: Having easy access to input from travelers who have come before you can be both educational and rewarding. You might have taken a more scenic route if you'd downloaded Yonder in advance, or saved hundreds of dollars on your flight with Hopper's fare tracking.
We've rounded up the top travel apps that will make every stage of your trip easier and more enjoyable. In this case, the right downloads are just as important as packing well. Bon voyage!
Check back each month for the latest travel apps we love.
Hopper has already earned raves from travelers and industry experts as the go-to app for finding the cheapest flight. In fact, Apple named it the best travel app of 2015. The app predicts when airfare prices will go up and lets you know when's the best time to book. But it's the app's latest update that really sets it apart: Now, Hopper's little bunny mascot tells you which flights are inconvenient (long layovers, airport changes), so you won't accidentally book that Bangkok trip with a next-day arrival.
Hopper, available on the App Store and Google Play.
Agoda ranks high on our list of accommodations apps because it offers a wide variety of options, from hostels to apartments to hotels. It's easy to filter your search by location, price, and requirements such as free cancellation or free breakfast. You can also get special booking deals that are exclusive to the app, and save your confirmation to your phone's wallet app so you don't have to worry about any reservation mixups.
Agoda, available on the App Store and Google Play.
Keeping track of who owes who what can create major headaches, but Splitwise makes it easy. Just create a trip, invite your friends (the app connects with your phone contacts), and add bills that need to be split amongst you. You can add pictures of receipts for your records, export the trip totals as a spreadsheet, and change currencies within the app.
Splitwise, available on the App Store and Google Play.
No road trip is complete without Waze. The crowdsourced traffic app serves as a GPS and so much more. You can find the cheapest gas on your route, get automatically rerouted when there are troublesome road conditions, and share your ETA with friends. But the best part of the app is its traffic notifications, which are shared by fellow drivers and passengers so that you won't spend hours sitting in delays.
Waze, available on the App Store and Google Play.
No matter how good a city's public transportation is, it can still be confusing when you're not a local. That's where Citymapper comes in. The transit app helps you find the fastest and easiest trip to your destination, whether it's by subway, bus, train, or taxi. You'll get real-time updates about delays; the app partners with multiple foreign cab companies to provide the most accurate travel options when you're abroad, too. While it's not available in all cities, most of the major ones (both U.S. and international) are covered.
Citymapper, available on the App Store and Google Play.
The new app Whym is your answer to finding cool cultural events at the last minute. Intended for spur-of-the-moment travel, Whym helps you find cheaper tickets for museums, tours, and other city attractions. It's currently available in San Francisco, LA, San Diego, Las Vegas, London, Paris, Rome, and Barcelona.
Whym, available on the App Store and Google Play.
Yonder puts a social-networking spin on travel. A community of enthusiastic and outdoorsy Yonderers post pictures and info about their own adventures so that you can find cool experiences wherever you are. You can see trending destinations, photos, and recommendations from locals that will help you get away from some of the more touristy, cliché options.
Yonder, available on the App Store and Google Play.
Google Translate just celebrated its 10th anniversary with a creative pop-up restaurant in New York that highlighted the app's coolest features. Our favorite: You can tap the camera icon and hold your phone over the piece of text you'd like to translate. This means that whether you're in New York or Paris, reading in another language has never been easier. Plus, the app just added 13 new languages, so now you can use it on your travels to even more exotic locales.
Google Translate, available on the App Store and Google Play.
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