There are endless smart apps for travelling and new ones are constantly emerging. In other words, it's not easy to keep track of which ones might be useful. We've found a few that we like, and now we've searched around for even more. Maybe you can find some new apps here to use. And of course, we ask: what are your top tips for travelling apps?
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Planning the trip
Using the app Momondo you can search and find cheap flight tickets with different airlines. To book hotels, you can use the app Booking.com. Here you can find about half a million hotels worldwide and you can also see how other users have rated the hotels.
If you then download the journey planning app Tripit you can now email all your confirmations for airline tickets, hotels, rental cars and restaurants - and you'll get back a finalised plan for your entire trip. We haven't tried it, but it seems pretty smart! Another important thing when travelling is the weather. There are lots of different weather apps out there, such as SMHI.
Planning the car/campervan journey
With the app Google Maps you have access to both maps and GPS functionality. It is also possible to download maps of a specific destination and use them in offline mode together with the GPS.
If you're an RVer, you may also want to find places to stay for the night. Our favourite app is called CamperContact. You can search by location or simply ask the app to find the places near your current location.
Another app we like is My vehicles from the Swedish Transport Agency. At the touch of a button, you can switch your car on and off without having to pay full insurance when you are not using the vehicle.
Find attractions and restaurants
Field Trip is Google's personalised travel guide that brings together content from many different sources, such as architecture and restaurants. This app can also tip you off when you pass by an attraction or good restaurant.
TripAdvisor is of course also an important app where you can find reviews of hotels, restaurants and attractions. Guide app Yelp! we haven't tried, but will also collect reviews of restaurants, bars, cafes and shops, as well as listing interesting events.
Communicate
When English doesn't work, it's great to have translation help. The app Google Translate translates between over 100 languages, and in the larger languages you can also have the translation read out. Another thing that can be difficult abroad is units, such as inches and centimetres. What you can do with the app Host and Unit Converter.
If you want to communicate with them at home, rather than via email, the app is of course Skype a necessity. With good WiFi, you'll get high quality audio and video, and make free calls to anyone else connected to Skype. If you prefer to send a classic postcard, you can download the key note. With this app you can create and send personalised postcards based on your own photos.
Keep track of your finances
Swish Although it only works between Swedish banks, it's a really convenient way to quickly send or receive money from anyone who also has the app. All you have to do first is download and activate the app. Mobile BankIDwhich, by the way, is also a handy app to have.
If you want help keeping track of exchange rates abroad, you may also find the app useful. XE Currency, which helps you keep track of the value of the krona in relation to the currency of your location.
Calm down
If you want to read while travelling, but don't want to carry heavy books, you may want to download an e-book app such as Ibooks. Just be aware that downloading can be expensive when you're abroad, so feel free to download the books before travelling or connect to WiFi.
If you prefer to read blogs, you can download the app. Bloglovin. It brings together all the blogs you follow and automatically displays the latest posts in a single feed.
Last but not least, we have to write about an app that we haven't tried, but that I would definitely need when travelling! The app Flush has a database of over 200,000 toilets, and simply helps you find the nearest one ...
You might also like:
Travelling to Asia - preparation and checklist
The travel planning stage - Aunt Anna and Googling
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Lena - good for the soul says:
What a great post! And it strikes me again. Damn what good content you have in your blog. Such a good mix and well thought out. Well done!
Hug Lena
20 November 2016 - 7:24
Lennart says:
CamperContact is great, can be used without a net!
20 November 2016 - 8:35
JoY says:
Thank you for the many suggestions for different apps. This year was the first time we had internet and used the apps on our mobile phones. There we have ProMobil Pitch Radar to find and look around on pitches. Another app for making image collages is the PhotoCollage app.
There are apps for everything, I think.
Hugs
20 November 2016 - 8:56
Ama de casa says:
So... I'm probably a bit behind when it comes to apps. Just downloaded my first one and was happy as a lark for it (map, restaurants, and pictures of the dishes in the tapasmara 😉 ).
Of course I use the internet (momondo, booking, tripadvisor etc.), but I always have my computer with me. The bigger screen and easier typing make it worthwhile to carry the computer. And to be honest, I don't carry it many metres myself... 😉.
Fortunately, Anders is better at that with apps 🙂 So he has info in his phone with, among other things, off-line maps of the places we are going to. If we are out on a road trip, he downloads them as we determine the goals.
And somehow, magically, there are apps for translating, reading books, etc. on my mobile phone and tablet. Just wondering how they got there? 😉
20 November 2016 - 9:00
Motorhome Helge says:
My latest app, which I downloaded, gives suggestions for cycling and hiking trails in the area where you are and is called Wikiloc Outdoor Navigator. You can also find rock climbing, canoe trails, etc. there seem to be many different outdoor activities in different levels of difficulty. Just search! I think it can be used Offline as well but have not had time to test yet. Check my blog around 7 November, Cycled to Albir where you can read more about the app!
20 November 2016 - 9:00
Elin is travelling says:
Thanks for a great post. The app Flush...hahaha.
I usually use Maps.me, very good map function and it can be used offline.
20 November 2016 - 9:06
admin says:
Lena, oh thank you so much for your nice comment! We put a lot of work into the blog and it's great to get this kind of feedback!
Lennart, very good when apps can also be used in offline mode, especially when travelling!
Yes, there are apps for everything! We haven't tried ProMobil's car park app, but thanks for the tip!
Ama de casa, perfect with an app for tapasmaran 🙂 I also do many things on the computer actually, but especially when we are travelling it can be practical to be able to do some things with the help of the mobile phone.
Husbilen Helge, thanks for the tip! It sounds like a great and useful app.
Elin is travelling, thanks for the tips! And haha, I know, we also laughed at that Flush app, even though I know I could benefit from it. I'm always looking for toilets when travelling, it feels like, haha 😉.
20 November 2016 - 9:16
Hasse says:
Hey there, city dwellers, have you tried Waze? (I'm sure it works in Corsica ..)
20 November 2016 - 9:37
Lena says:
Thanks for great info! Favorite Booking.com then I got map directions until with the hotel confirmation, great! We will soon "travel to Halmstad" by car, not far away but you are still not at home in the city when the hotel is to be found. Nice Sunday on you!
20 November 2016 - 9:37
nils-åke says:
Here too there are some apps on the Samsung tablet, I use Navigon and sometimes Sygic for navigation. And then Campercontact
20 November 2016 - 9:47
Husis blog says:
Very many good tips. My owners would like to mention the stau app that keeps track of traffic jams in Europe. I took a different route than intended last summer when the owners saw that there were many hours of queuing at a German town.
20 November 2016 - 9:48
Role o Carina says:
Many good Apps you list above, we use several of them 🙂 .
Many are perfect for travelling with the Motorhome! 🙂
Take care....
20 November 2016 - 10:05
Mr Steve says:
Your blog is an endless source of help and tips for all kinds of travellers.
I haven't even entered the app age and I'm trying my best to live with it.
20 November 2016 - 10:25
Matts Torebring says:
Surely all these apps are a marvel and many are completely free. How did we manage without them before? I think we found what we need ourselves. The latest app was Scan and Translate. With that app, you take a photo of, say, an entire A4 page and then translate it into about 70 other languages. Local regulations, which can be difficult to understand, become childishly simple.
20 November 2016 - 10:49
Ladies Abroad says:
You missed the cost-advantage app called Cost Split. Perfect when you're travelling with different wallets and need to keep track of who is paying how much. http://www.ladiesabroad.se/2016/05/ovaer-cost-split.html
20 November 2016 - 11:59
Annie - easy vegan food says:
Great! Well summarised!
20 November 2016 - 13:03
BP says:
I almost wrote that I don't have many apps, at least not travel-related ones. Think how wrong I was. I do not know how the apps have ended up on my mobile phone (see AMA's comment), but they are there. I have used Google translate many times and got good help!
I've seen Momondo so many times as a saddle cover (advert) on bikes, but didn't know what the company did. Now I know!
Great post!
20 November 2016 - 14:19
Monet says:
For us, this is not as relevant anymore as we are phasing out our motorhome life and probably won't be driving our regular car as often through Europe either. But we have benefited from a couple of apps. Acsi is one of the better ones for finding campsites and works offline. ViaMichelin is indispensable for calculating distance, time and costs. I am fluent in French, German and English and do well in Italian. That's why we mostly travel in Europe, because we enjoy speaking the language of the country. But also for this reason, I think I can completely discourage the use of the Google translation service. It is only in exceptional cases that it will be correct and in most cases it will be crazy, totally wrong and even laughable or misunderstandings that can lead to errors. I have Norstedt's large dictionary in English, German, French and Italian as an app, which I have had to pay for but where you know you'll get it right even if you don't get whole sentences translated. Another travel classic is Links und Rechts der Autobahn, which also works in neighbouring countries outside Germany. It is available as a download but also as a hard copy. We use the Norwegian weather site Yr.no but switch to the local countries' "meteo" when relevant.
20 November 2016 - 15:08
Linda, 155cm.se says:
Thanks for the occasional treat!
20 November 2016 - 16:24
Goatfish says:
Thanks for the tips! I am one of those "computer geeks" so I have most of your suggested apps.
When I'm out driving - not without my Waze, is can choose Google maps if I feel like it.
By the way, I am a TripAdviser writer, I enjoy it.
Have a nice Sunday evening 😀.
20 November 2016 - 18:00
admin says:
Hasse, now I had to google ... Navigation, right!?
Lena, glad to hear that you have used booking.com. And enjoy your trip to Halmstad! A trip is a trip, even if you are not going too far.
Nils-Åke, yes, there are lots of apps to choose from! Thanks for the tips! I think we actually downloaded and used Sygic a lot during our European trip as well. Had use of it a few times what I remember (but also remember that we had some trouble every time we changed countries and had to download new maps, or whatever).
Husisblog, thanks for the great tips! Avoiding the worst queues can be worth its weight in gold!
Rolle and Carina, a bunch of good apps make the motorhome journey easier! 🙂
Steve, I am sometimes a "late adopter" too actually. I tried to refuse Swish for quite some time, but now I have to admit that I have great use for it! 😉 If you feel that you can manage perfectly well, it's of course ok. Apps should facilitate, not complicate.
Matts, yes, I think you wrote about it on your blog, right? Sounds smart! Yes, you wonder how you managed before ... just like you wonder how you managed without the internet 😉.
Ladies Abroad, thanks for the tip! It definitely sounds like a travel app!
Annie, glad you like it!
BP, maybe some apps are on your mobile phone from the start? Or maybe some caring soul downloaded them? 😉 And haha, I have also seen Momondo as a saddle cover as often as possible!
Monet, many thanks for the tips! We often use ACSI both on the internet and in "book form". Haven't realised that it is available as an app, interesting! Interesting also with Via Michelin! I can agree that it can be tricky with Google Translate, but we have still benefited from it. When we had to repair the car at a French workshop, I managed to communicate (in French) about the day of the week we would return, but when it came to what was broken ... then it was definitely overpriced. Not that the translation with Google Translate was that great, but at least we understood what was wrong and what we had to pay 😉 But if there are other translation tools that are better, that's great! Many thanks for the great tips!
Lina, great if it comes in handy!
Geddfish, oh wow, impressed! 🙂 Fun with tripadvisor too. I have probably written an occasional review there at some point as well, but will probably see if there will be more at some point 😉.
20 November 2016 - 18:38
Maggan says:
We also use apps, but not for hotels. However, for the flight home with Ryan air, so easy to download to your phone and avoid printing boarding passes. We also have many of the ones you listed. Now we don't use the phone so much but more the computer. Certainly it is good with all the apps and that last one I would probably also need sometimes 🙂 Have a good time. 🙂
20 November 2016 - 19:27
Marina says:
Yes there are many apps!!! A very good and useful post by the way. We use WhatsApp more than Skype when we call our loved ones now. it feels smoother somehow. Of course, you can't call with a picture, but if you don't need to see each other, it's definitely an option.
21 November 2016 - 3:51
admin says:
Maggan, sometimes I can think that there is a threshold before starting to use an app, but when you find a good app, it can be incredibly helpful! As you describe, very convenient at the airport!
Marina, we haven't tried WhatsApp, but we have heard about it. As you say, there are so many apps to choose from!
21 November 2016 - 7:34
Ida says:
CamperContact now downloaded for our last week in Morocco. Thanks for the tips??
21 November 2016 - 22:18
Elisabeth says:
Great tips!
29 November 2016 - 22:09