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10 important mobile apps for travelers

Editor’s picked 10 mobile apps for travelers

10 important mobile apps for travelersWhich mobile apps are worth installing in smartphone while traveling

Since 2019 the world has been facing dramatic changes. The pandemic turned out to be destructive for most industries causing billions of dollars loss. We are heading to 2022, and there are still chances we can never go back to the life we lived before. Globally, the industries went digital to provide services online and survive the crisis.

The most sensitive segment that suffered from the pandemic is tourism. Amid global restrictions, the tourism industry lost 1 billion tourists in 2020 and registered a 73% decrease and 85% decrease between January and May 2021. The economic losses, now counting $1,7 trillion, may grow to $2,4 trillion by the end of the year. The vaccination may somehow be a mitigation measure, but the global tourism industry will need a couple of years to rehabilitate itself.

What do we have now?

The first year of the Covid-19 breakout locked us at home, closed hotels, and sights. We kept dreaming of traveling and hoped one day to get back on the road. Little by little, tourism recovers, hosting travelers across the world.

So far, we can already start thinking of future trips and planning the details. To make the journey more comfortable, safe, planned, and memorable, hundreds of travel mobile apps promise to become your best friend during the trip. We will skip top market players like Booking.com, Airbnb, Expedia and present the top 10 important mobile apps for travelers found on App Store and Play Market.

How can a mobile app help you plan your trip?

Let’s admit; we love mobile apps. We spend a significant part of the day on social networks, talking, watching, listening, and playing with apps. Mobile apps become even more essential and helpful when traveling to a new country. Well-chosen apps for travelers will help you book hotel rooms, save your time, money and help you out in difficult situations. Here is what you need to have on your smartphone for your next trip.

#1 Worldpackers – Travel the World

iOS/Android

Worldpackers has become an international practice for travelers for lower or free accommodation costs. But the true value of the platform is more than budget-saving rooms. The collaborative community connects travelers with hosts worldwide who can get free accommodation by exchanging it with skills. In other words, if you have chosen Worldpackers, you can get a free room if you spend your time and talents on helping the host. It is a unique experience for both travelers and locals.

With Worldpackers, you can get involved in ecological and social projects, stay in ecovillages and family homes. Worldpackers is more than a travel mobile app. It is a platform to gain experience, learn language and skills. 

Features

  • Hosts around the world
  • Access to communities
  • Volunteer certificate

#2 Hopper – Advanced Travel Booking App

iOS/Android

Any travel starts with the search for flights, and the more affordable, the better. Hopper has proved to be one of the most popular travel mobile apps to look for flights from hundreds of platforms. The smart application advises the best times to look for cheap fares and helps travelers better plan the trip.  

With a price monitoring feature called “Watch This Trip” and enabled notifications, the user can receive alerts for particular flights any time the price drops. The user-friendly application helps compare the prices on more than 250 airlines and billions of flights worldwide. 

Hopper can do more. Apart from flight prices, the application will help you compare hotel prices and find the best match. 

Features

  • Flight search
  • Smart notifications

#3 Packpoint – Time to Pack Your Things Smarter

iOS/Android

Some like packing things for a trip, but most of us are stressed and forget something vital. With PackPoint packing, things will be all fun. The application helps to pack everything needed for an exact destination based on weather predictions and activities. The application also takes into account trip purpose and duration. Give access to laundry facilities, and PackPoint will count how many times you can wear your clothes after washing. When your checklist is ready, you can start packing things using PackPoint. 

Features

  • Integration with other apps
  • Widget for easy access
  • Checklist customization

#4 HotelTonight – Same-day Hotel Reservations

iOS/Android

Last-minute room booking? It is not a problem anymore. With HotelTonight, you can find discounts and available rooms. The application provides complete information about the room, reviews, photos, and location. You can also book in advance too, but the app advises better deals for same-day bookings.

No panic anymore! You can book a room at the last minute with HotelTonight. 

Features 

  • Hotel categories
  • Favorites
  • Daily deals

#5 LoungeBuddy – VIP Airport Lounges worldwide

iOS

Love to travel with comfort and luxury? LoungeBuddy is a worldwide service that provides VIP airport lounge access with a symbolic fee. No more exhausting flights and hours of waiting in the airport. You can now enjoy the luxury services of executive lounges with complimentary drinks and food, comfortable chairs, and more anywhere worldwide. 

To access, search lounges in the airport, check the price, and buy a pass. Save your time and give yourself the comfort you deserve. 

Features

  • Lounge access wizard
  • Filter by amenities
  • Photo sharing

#6 TripIt – Organizing Trip in One place

iOS/Android/Mac desktop

It is frustrating using dozens of mobile apps for travelers to book and track reservations, isn’t it? If you feel the lack of organized reservations, TripIt declutters your documents and itineraries by saving them in a single app. Enable reservation synchronization with TripIt and get travel confirmations and booking information in one place without frustrating notifications popping up from different apps. You can always check your plans step by step and stay organized. Through the application, you can share your trip plans with third parties involved in the trip or just let them know about your plans. 

The pro version of the app offers smart notifications for canceled flights and flight delays. TripIt also advises alternative routes when flights are canceled. 

Features

  • Destination-specific guidance
  • Safety scores
  • Road trips

#7 XE Currency Converter – Count Wise

iOS/Android

Foreign currency is always frustrating, and there are chances you spend more than planned. With the XE Currency Converter app, you can quickly check up-to-date currency rates, count, and plan your budget. The application has a travel expenses calculator and currency converter widget for easy access. A simple and user-friendly interface helps to find the currency and save the rate for offline view. 

With a premium feature, you can get notifications when the rate hits your target.  

Features

  • Track currency
  • Currency charts
  • Rate alerts

#8 AllTrails – Explore Hiking Trails

AllTrails is the top popular application of hikers and extreme lovers. The platform provides over 200.000 mountain bike routes and hiking trails and the most extensive collection of GPS trail maps that can be downloaded and viewed offline. Find your favorite routes in the list and save them as Favorites for future trips. 

With a GPS activity tracker, you can record outdoor adventures and share your achievements on social media. Take horseback riding, hiking, and mountain biking with the fascinating routes on AllTrails!

Features

  • 200.000+ hiking trails
  • Offline maps
  • GPS navigation
  • Favorite trails

#9 Guides by Lonely Planet – Travel Guides across the world

iOS/Android

Traveling for fun? Then you will definitely need Guides by Lonely Planet mobile app with more than 8000 cities and sights in 10 destinations. The application is packed with tips and guides from on-the-ground experts about where to go and what to do. 

Features

  • Expert curated city guides
  • Top recommendations
  • Offline maps
  • Audio phrasebooks

#10 Calm – No More Anxiety during Flight

iOS/Android

If flights cause anxiety, you need a new Calm mobile application, an ultimate library of audio records of soothing sounds to relax and meditate. With self-awareness, breathing, lowering stress, and meditation sessions, Calm may become your best friend not only during flights but anytime you feel anxious. 

Features

  • Breathing exercises
  • 100+ sleep stories
  • Soothing nature sounds
  • Exclusive music to relax

Wrapping up. Plan your next destination

Still thinking about where to travel? It has been a long time we haven’t traveled together. With those travel mobile apps and EuroDirections, your next trip may become the most memorable. Search the website to find the routes, best offers, and exciting places. And remember, give yourself time to relax, restart and recover.

Euro Directions
the authorEuro Directions
Columnist and content editor
The staff of columnists and content editors of EuroDirections.com European travel magazine.