Co-founder at Exoft. Tech expert
Show more articles >Nowadays, most travelers begin planning their trips on mobile phones. Except for such big
names among travel apps as Trip Advisor, Google Maps, Skyscanner or Airbnb, there are so
many, which come in handy and cover different sides of traveling. From finding a place to
stay and the most convenient way to get there to city guides, currency exchanges, and
sending postcards – travel apps cover this all and much more.
For that reason, the travel apps industry is becoming more and more filled with new and useful
ideas. Furthermore, it is a great area for launching a startup as traveling is what a great deal
of people is into. So, whether you are an active traveler or want to explore the market where
your next start-up is going to be launched – check out this article with 12 outstanding travel
apps, which are certainly worth your attention.
Tripit
TripIt is the application, which enables keeping track of your trip by storing all the information about your travel plans, such as flights, accommodation, car rentals, bookings of events, reservations from restaurants, etc. in one location. All you have to do is just forward the confirmation emails to this application. The rest is done by TripIt. It takes this information and converts it into one single itinerary, so you have everything in one place.
TripIt is compatible with thousands of airlines, lodgings, car rentals, cruise lines, and
other companies related to traveling. It is also possible to share your travel plans with
whomever you want. Additionally, it has a calendar sync feature, so your travel plans will
be included into your calendar.
Available on iOS, Android, Windows Phone, and BlackBerry
Citymapper
Citymapper is a travel app, which is built
for finding the best way of commuting within the city. There are 39 big cities (mostly in Europe
and the USA) covered by this application so far. If you need to get from the point A to the point
B in the city this application covers, Citymapper will find the best route for you. This app
combines all the possible types of transport, such as buses, trains, taxis, subways, car/bike
sharing, and, of course, walking routes.
It also includes real-time routing being updated all the time, disruption alerts, line status,
estimated time of arrival, etc. Moreover, it integrates with Uber, Lyft, and Hailo. There is
even ‘Where to Get On the Train’ feature, which shows you where to get on a train so as to be
close to the exit when you get off. To sum up, this application enables its users to find the
cheapest and the quickest way to get to their destination and is really useful when you visit
an unknown city.
Available on iOS and Android
LiveTrekker
LiveTrekker is about documenting your trips and sharing them with others. This is a free travel app that enables creating a travel diary recording the route you go through with interactive maps, photos, videos, texts, etc.
When using this app, you can track your movements, which are marked by a red line and watch
the route you have taken on a satellite map. Adding multimedia, such as pictures, video, and
audio, to your map makes it more interactive and alive. You can broadcast what is happening
and upload it to the Internet in real-time or whenever you want.
So, basically, if you want to make a digital interactive journal of your journey and even share
it with the others, LiveTrekker is here help.
Available on iOS and Android
Xe Currency
While traveling abroad, most probably you will need the local currency of the country you
visit. And XE Currency is going to help you
with that. It is a free currency converter application, which provides converting more than 180
currencies and up-to-the-minute exchange rates. Moreover, it works offline and saves the last
updated exchange rates, so you can use it without internet access.
With XE Currency, you get live exchange rates and charts to track the currency rate. You choose
your base currency and maximum 5 currencies exchanging at one time, which helps to compare them.
It is also possible to watch your chosen currencies rates changes through the immediate notifications.
In addition, there are some other features, such as currency graphs for historical rates, precious
metal rates, etc.
Available on iOS devices, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone
PackPoint
PackPoint is a smart packing list application. Its core function is to organize what you have to grab with you for your trip depending on how long the trip will take, what will be the weather there, and which activities you will be into.
When you launch the app, you get a list of questions about your gender, the place where you
go, the length of the trip, the type of activities, etc. Afterward, it generates a
customized packing list based on the information received. It is also possible to share your
list with other fellow travelers and add some extra items there needed for your trip.
Available on iOS and Android
Triposo
Triposo intends to be your personal travel guide. This app covers 50 000 destinations worldwide, so there is a high chance it will help you with the destination you chose for your journey. Triposo takes information from plenty of web resources, analyzes and categorizes it, and, therefore, delivers its recommendations and makes this data convenient to use and navigate. Among the categories, this app includes sights, food, nightlife, accommodation, transport, and others. So, you can personalize your trip by choosing the best from each category. You can also find there the popular tourist attractions and hidden gems, maps for each category, information concerning culture and history, and even phrasebooks with local language vocabulary.
What is more, this application is for free and it works offline, which is very useful when
there is no constant internet connection. You can download the guide, maps, recommendations
and use it without access to the Internet.
Available on iOS and Android
App in the Air
It is clear from the name of this application that it is connected to the flights. App in the Air aims to be a personal travel assistant for its users.
With this app, it is really easy to track flights since it divides them into stages (check-in,
boarding, take-off, and landing) and provides a timeline for each stage so that you can manage
your time properly. Besides, you don’t need to have an internet connection because it works offline
sending text messages with the changes and updates regarding your flight.
There is also extensive information about the airports available with tips from other flyers.
What is more, you can record your flight experience. Additionally, App in the Air provides integration
with TripIt, enabling importing the flights from there and vice versa.
Available on iOS, Android, Windows Phone
Time Out
Time Out is a trip planner app, which is
meant to explore the cities and activities there. In more than 30 cities, which this app covers,
you can find the places to visit, different attractions, events, restaurants, pubs, festivals,
and other activities available there. Besides, you can customize the application for yourself
by adding your favorite places, events, activities, and creating a customized city guide. It
is also possible to book restaurants and tickets for the concerts or festivals through the app.
Moreover, Time Out’s content is available offline, so internet connection is not a must-be.
Available on iOS and Android
Postagram
Postagram is about sending postcards just using your smartphone. Wherever you are located at the moment, you can make a photo and send the printed version via mail to your friends, family, or just to yourself with the help of this application.
While you are traveling, you can take plenty of wonderful photos, and Postagram enables
turning them into real postcards and send them anywhere you want. You just make a picture,
add a message, add recipients and that is it. The rest is up to Postagram. As a result, you
(or the person you send it to) receive beautiful printed pictures. With this app, the
picture you send is completely customizable – you make it the way you wish, choosing the
moment to capture and send it in the form of a postcard for collecting your memories.
Postagram is free to download but, obviously, it requires some costs for sending postcards: starting
at $0.99 for anywhere in the US and $1.99 for addresses in the other countries (price includes
postage). At the same time, there is a possibility to send some postcards for free.
Available on iOS and Android
Dark Sky
While the weather forecast is a very significant issue for those who travel, it makes sense
to mention a representative from a weather app category here. Dark Sky is a hyperlocal weather application that gives its users
very detailed information about the weather and its changes. It is very accurate when it comes
to prediction of the weather with its down-to-minute forecasts. Dark Sky is not just about cities
and regions, but about the places where you are standing at the moment. Using this application
you can find out exactly when the rain or snow stops, when storms will come, how much time hot
days will last, etc. In addition, it provides various types of notifications together with the
custom alerts so that you get the news you are interested in. However, it is currently available
only in the US, UK, and Ireland.
Available on iOS and Android (for Android users it is free, but for the iOS devices the price
is $3.99)
Foodspotting
Foodspotting is like Instagram, but only about food. This is a food social network, which enables sharing your impressions of dishes you taste and just getting social with your meals.
This app is very simple to use. First, you take a photo or upload it from the gallery. Then,
with the help of GPS on your phone, you can find the restaurants nearby and choose where you
have tried that particular dish. Afterward, you just put the name of your dish or select it
from the list, make comments to tell what you think about it, and share it on social
networks, such as Facebook, Twitter, or Foursquare, if you want. Therefore, if you visit a
new city and want to try some local food, you can use Foodspotting in order to see the
places with meals near your location and get the recommendations and even some tips on the
dishes there from the other users.
Available on iOS and Android
To sum up, there are a lot of apps, which can make the planning process of your trips easier,
your travel experience better, and your journeys just safer and cheaper. What can be seen clearly
is that in order to succeed on the travel app market, there should be an innovative and useful
idea, which would draw travelers’ attention and make them start using it. At the same time, there
are more and more applications related to traveling coming out and the fraction of their users
is growing as well. So, thanks to the benefits they bring, the prominence of travel apps is not
going anywhere and is about to increase.
Do you know any other amazing travel applications? Tell us about them in the comments, we will
check and upgrade our list.
