5 of the Best Travel Apps
Do you find yourself losing track of your travel plans, wondering how to stay organised when planning a holiday? Or, are you looking for an easy way to split the bill with friends? This round-up of the five best apps for travellers will help solve those routine irritations and make travel-planning stress-free.
Pluto
Pluto is a collaborative vision board, for travel planning! If you wished you had somewhere to store all your travel dreams and plans without losing them in endless Whatsapp message trails, Pluto is the app for you. Each board is split into sections so that you don’t miss anything out, including where to stay, what to see & do, how to get yourself from A -> B, and general notes.
Users can then either view their plans in their individual sections, or explore them located on a map of the area, meaning you won’t be dragged from pillar to post by a travel pal promising you the cafe is “just around the corner” for approximately 3.5 hours.
The best part is that you can add your friends or partner to each board, meaning you can work on it together and pool ideas on a per-trip basis. Simples.
If that’s not enough, there are a range of featured travel recommendations from those-in-the-know, ranging from the New York Times’ Travel Desk, to long-time residents and locals.
2. CityMapper
CityMapper is, hands-down, the best app to get you from A - B in the most efficient way possible.
The app works in all major cities across the US and Europe, with a growing presence around the world (including Singapore, Tokyo, and Mexico City). If you want to check which cities are covered, head to this page with their ridiculously cute icons.
Even if you’re in a familiar city, CityMapper offers live transport updates, so you won’t get stuck on the wrong side of London when there are repair works on the line.
Unlike many other travel planning apps, CityMapper enables you to tailor your journey to your mood, preferences and specific needs, using their “Routing Powers” feature. For instance, if you’re looking for a step-free journey, or even just a quiet one where you can sit back and take in a podcast, the app will custom-build your journey for you.
Once you’re using CityMapper, trust us: you won’t look back.
3. Splitwise
When you go travelling with friends or family, do you ever struggle to keep up with who bought what, and who owes whom? Enter: SplitWise. The personal finance app that has surely averted countless rows and simmering resentments since its founding.
If you’re focused on enjoying your trip rather than being Treasurer like you’re still in a university society, Splitwise is what you need in your back pocket. You can use it to track expenses over the course of a trip, or simply use it to split bills following a meal out.
Its user-friendly format will help calm the Monica of the group who’s driving herself (and you) mad by keeping everyone in check, and it’ll even reassure that i-dotting, t-crossing, friend who likes to remind you about the 24p you still owe them after the last coffee run.
Splitwise? Check. Holiday mode: on.
4. Google Maps
What do you do when you’re solo in a foreign city, where not only do you not speak the language, but you also can’t even pronounce, recognise, or otherwise help yourself, with place names?
Thankfully, Google Maps saves the day. You can download a specific regional map in advance, and whip your phone out to help yourself navigate, even whilst offline.
It’s one of the ways I got myself around Beijing (where even my attempt at Shi-Shi (thank you) was so inadequate I made one lady in a shop fall about laughing. Yeah.)
You can also create incredibly user-friendly custom maps.
Anyone who’s travelled with our Holiday Boxes before will also know that we love Google Maps so much, all our interactive city maps/virtual tours included in the digital libraries are hosted in them.
What’s more, if you’re visiting one of our destinations, why not log into the map to access your real-life tour? All those hours of historical & cultural research were put to very good use, I promise.
5. SavvyNavvy
Can I sail? Absolutely not. Does this app make me feel like I could live out my dreams and navigate myself to crystalline coves with ease? Absolutely yes.
SavvyNavvy, though niche, is such an incredible idea I couldn’t resist including it. All you do is hop aboard your yacht (as you do), tell the app where you’d like to go, and its navigation software charts your course.
I’ve always wanted to sail around Croatia’s smaller islands, dropping anchor at some unpopulated and pristine shore, or sailing into one of Greece’s many coves. With someone who knows what they’re doing, plus this awesome app, it might just become a reality…
I hope I don’t need to say this, but just in case... please don’t grab this app and set sail if you don’t actually know how. I won’t say I didn’t tell you so…
Over to you…
Have we left anything out? Tell us about your favourite apps in the comments, and we’ll be sure to check them out!