Planning a vacation is so super exciting and instead of it just being something you’ve been dreaming about for a long time, planning makes it real! Figuring out your destination(s) is the first step.
Will you go to just one destination or several? How will you get there? Where will you stay once you get there? And what will you do when you’re there?
So much to plan but it should be fun, not stressful!
Here are 12 apps that will help you with your planning and some even will save you money!
1) TRIPIT
TripIt make it easy to organize all of your itineraries so they’re in one place. To use, just forward confirmation emails to plans@tripit.com, and the app will creates a *free* master doc for each trip. The best part is, itineraries are able to be accessed even without an internet connection.
There is also a premium feature available but, to me, the free version works perfectly. I believe the Pro version is $49 and it’s available for iPhone and Android users.
2) ROADTRIPPERS
If you’re a planner and don’t like just driving and seeing what you can find, Roadtrippers is a great app because it allows you to map a route with up to 7 waypoints free of charge. If you need more than 7, there is an option to upgrade to Roadtrippers Plus.
An additional plus is the app even recommends local food options, scenic stops and roadside attractions along the way. You can also select a pre-made guide for many popular road trips.
3) WAZE
Wave is a fantastic app for road travel so if you’re traveling in an RV or Van, this is for you! It makes it easy to avoid accidents, out of service roads, congestion, or any other hazards that might slow you down from your travels.
The app also lets you know your speed by telling you if you’re within the speed limit or traveling too fast and given you the arrival time based on the traffic you are in at the time.
4) TRIPADVISOR
Has 8 million destinations with over 700 million reviews where you can view before booking hotels, reservations for dinner or even planning a day trip. This app is free on both iPhone and Android and available in 28 languages.
It also gives you the option to follow friends and travel experts for advice that matches your interests which will give you other ideas of destinations you might not have known about beforehand. You can view travel videos, read articles and write your own reviews.
5) PACKPOINT
Helping you build a packing list based on your trip where you can input the dates, location, the type of travel, and the activities you plan on doing. Once finished it conveniently generates a list of items you should bring. And the great thing about it is, it even checks the weather to make sure you’re packing the right items depending on your destination.
6) GASBUDDY
Because gas can be super expensive, this app helps you save money while you’re taking road trips or traveling because it helps you find the best gas prices near you. The features of this app are pretty useful showing a gas price map, outage tracker during natural disasters, a trip cost calculator, and useful search filters like brand, price location, available restrooms, and more.
Bonus, you can save 5¢/gal on every gallon if you use the app’s free “Pay with GasBuddy” card.
7) ALL TRAILS
If you love hiking, walking and exploring nature, then All Trails is for you! Last time I read, this app has over 100,000 curated trails so that’s pretty much a guarantee you’ll find one wherever you’re at in your travels. Like some of the other apps I’ve mentioned, All Trails allows you to create and share custom maps with friends.
8) FLUSH
This is for all of you travelers who do not have a bathroom onboard. Instead of stopping multiple places and finding only places with no public restrooms or they’re just completely filthy, this app saves you all of the frustration because it has over 190,000 public bathrooms in its database.
Flush tells you which ones are free, accessible for the disabled, or require a key. And best of all, it also allows user to rate and report a toilet so no more worrying about if you have to squat to pee or just have to find another bathroom altogether!
9) HAPPY CAMPERS
In this app, anyone traveling without specific plans, this app takes care of it all. It finds at least 40,000 public and private RV parks and campgrounds, as well as rest areas, gas station, and stores.
The parks are sorted by rating with their amenities listed, and your options include photos so you know what to expect ahead of time and the app is free.
10) HEADOUT
This app is great for finding things to do when you’re somewhere that you are unfamiliar with. It shows you shows, tours, top attractions and experiences in many popular cities like Los Angeles, New York, Las Vegas, Miami, San Francisco, Hawaii and many more.
It shows a wide variety of activities ranging from catching a Broadway show to doing goat yoga or taking a boat ride, and you can fantastic rates on last-minute offers and some are as high as 80% off so giving you significant savings!
11) TUNNELBEAR
If you’re lucky enough to be able to travel while you’re working or just want your information to be sure then check out TunnelBear. You definitely do not want to be hacked so security is super important and when you’re just using free wi-fi as you’re traveling, that is definitely something that can happen!
So if you’re looking to access the Internet during your travels, TunnelBear will allow you to do that both privately and securely by providing you a VPN (virtual private network). This will encrypt your browsing data which keeps all of your information hidden from hackers and advertisers.
For the benefits of using this, it is super cheap at only $3.33 per month and if you want to try it first, they give you 500MB of free browsing data each month.
12) EATWITH
Are you a foodie like me? Eatwith allows you to dine with locals in locations all over the world. It has menus posted, while hosts will typically list what they cook, the languages they speak, and any alcohol pairings they’ll be serving.
If you’re looking for a great meals at good prices like you’d pay when going to restaurants, but it also gives you a chance to meet people that live in the local area where you are visiting. So for someone who is on a budget but still wants great food, this app would be for you!
If you have any other apps that you think would be beneficial for travelers and you love using, leave me a comment below. I’d love to hear about them!!
