What in the world did we do before smart phones? For better or worse, smart phones have made life considerably easier and more convenient. This couldn’t be more true when it comes to traveling. There is an abundance of great travel apps that will help make your trip smoother, more exciting, and more affordable. Here are our top picks for 2018.
Wanderu
While most transportation apps are focused on flights and car rentals, Wanderu was built on finding alternative transportation i.e. buses and trains. While it does include the usual flight, hotel, and car rental search tools, its unique aspect is finding alternative services such as Amtrak, Megabus, Greyhound, and other ground transportation.
LoungeBuddy
LoungeBuddy helps you locate private lounges within any airport. It also lets you know which lounges allow access to certain credit card holders or if a lounge allows you to buy day passes. So, say goodbye to wandering around the airport trying to locate lounges -LoungeBuddy does the work for you.
Hopper
Not sure when to buy your flight at the best price? Hopper will track flight prices and alert you whether you should buy or wait. It will also tell you if and when a flight is likely to go up in price, so you can jump on a ticket before it gets too expensive.
Hotel Tonight
Hotel Tonight makes it easy and less expensive to book a hotel last minute. Whereas some apps do not allow you to book after midnight, Hotel Tonight will let you book rooms any time, any where at lower prices than going through the hotel directly.
Roadtrippers
Roadtrippers will help organize your journey -from finding the best restaurants and museums to recommending unique experiences and offbeat attractions. Just enter your location and destination and RoadTrippers will create a list of nearby attractions. Once you add a recommendation to your schedule, it will map it accordingly with an easy-to-follow red line. No more worrying about jotting everything down and trying to map it; RoadTrippers does the hard work for you.
Roomer Travel
Roomer Travel helps you find and sell non-refundable hotel rooms. You can list a room you want to sell or find others at lower prices. Never lose money again on a prepaid hotel room!
TripIt
Have you ever planned a big trip on a spreadsheet? Haven’t we all? TripIt makes trip planning easier by compiling all your travel information and organizing it into one itinerary. It takes all the details of your hotel, flights, restaurant reservations and other bookings and organizes them in one place. So, you can just open the app and enjoy your trip!
Airbnb
What is a travel app article without Airbnb? Airbnb is one of the best ways to travel on a budget and find great, affordable accommodations all over the world. If you’re not familiar with Airbnb, it’s a service that allows you to rent out an entire home or a room within a home, usually at a much more affordable price than a hotel. You can also use it to rent out your own home or room to travelers -a great way to make extra income. This app is a must-have for any traveler!
Mandy Ellis
Mandy Ellis is a certified nutritionist, journalist, traveler, and endless adventurer. Her work has appeared on Yahoo, AOL, Fox, and many others. When she’s not wanderlusting, she’s usually spending time with her French bull dog or hitting the yoga mat.