I am someone who is constantly researching new places to travel, how to get there, and what to do when I’m there.
So let’s be honest- sometimes Google just doesn’t cut it, especially when researching travel.
I’m someone who loves apps that have a specific purpose or objective and execute it well. It makes things super easy and hassle-free when it comes to travel planning.
If you’re super organized like me, definitely create a “travel” apps folder in your phone and download ALL of these! Seriously, you won’t regret it and I’ll tell you why below!
1. Skyscanner
I have been using this app since literally DAY 1 of traveling! It is useful for finding flights all around the world and I have used it for American, European, and African travel. It searches among dozens of airlines to find you the best prices for your flights.
My favorite feature? The ability to find the cheapest round trip flights on a given day. I used this to find $37 flights to Brussels for the weekend, which ended up being one of my favorite trips. Just simply type in your starting city, ex: Boston, and hit “explore everywhere” to find some unexpected, but great, destinations!
2. Roadtrippers
This app is super cool because it allows you to plan roadtrips in seconds! You enter your starting and ending destinations and instantly you’re going to see dozens, if not hundreds of things to do, places to see, where to eat, and places to stay.
You can select options such as “points of interest” and then further select items you’d like to see on your roadtrip map. For example, within “points of interest” are places for a photo op, so you can ensure all of the most instagram-worthy places will be marked on your map! It’s a great way to plan out your trip in an organized fashion while also ensuring your hitting all of the best points of interest along the way.
3. Moovit
Moovit is definitely not popular in the US, but I found it to be extremely helpful in Europe, particularly for public transportation. You basically will type in a starting and ending destination and Moovit will show you all of the best routes and times they will take to complete.
My favorite part of this is that it will break down the exact public transportation systems to use and how long they will take. In Europe, I’ve definitely been confused as to what bus I should be getting on and in what direction I want to travel. Moovit breaks it all down for you to ensure you’re going the right way to your destination. I 11/10 recommend downloading this for your next European adventure.
4. TripAdvisor
TripAdvisor is an essential app if you’re looking for food or activities throughout the USA and Europe. Personally, I like using YELP for food in the US, but Tripadvisor is an all-around good app anywhere in the world. I’ve learned that most people in Europe don’t use YELP, so having Tripadvisor downloaded is essential.
In Europe and the US, you can find activities and things to do through TripAdvisor and even book them through the app. I swear, at every restaurant I visited in Europe they basically begged us to give them a good review on TripAdvisor.
Protip: the more reviews the restaurant or activity has, the better. Having 100 vs. 1000 reviews makes a big difference, especially if the place still has 4.5-5 stars after 1000 people reviewed it.
5. Hopper
Hopper is a great app if you’re planning a trip months in advance. It will constantly search for the best prices on flights and hotels for the trip you’re planning and it will give you alerts when prices drop.
I love it because it will basically present you with the best strategy of when is best to book and at what point the prices are the lowest. It essentially takes on the role of checking flight prices constantly and will certainly save you time and money.
There are many more apps that can help you get around Europe and the US while getting the best deals along the way. If there are any other essential apps that you swear by, drop them in the comments below!
Boston & Beyond 