6 travel apps

My 16GB iPhone is continually maxing out on storage space. This is in part due to the number of photos I want to keep to hand, but also comes down to the fact I’m a bit of an app addict.

There are so many great travel apps whether it’s finding travel buddies, transport, accommodation, the internet, or to work out whether someone is trying to rip you off. And I keep discovering new ones.

Here are 6 of my favourite travel apps which I have personally tested and love.

I Know the Pilot –  to find the best flight deals (without the spammy emails) (FREE, iOS and Android)

My business contact at Cover-More got me onto I know the Pilot. They have some great deals and you can set up alerts for deals from a number of countries so living in New Zealand deals from both New Zealand and Australia will suit me.

I had a number of flight alert emails set up and they rarely resulted in the perfect mix of date and destination (and on the occasion when it did they were often gone once I saw the email!).

I normally turn off app notifications too as they get super annoying but not with this one as the notifications mean you can check it out the deals immediately and book them quickly.

Uber –  for transport (FREE, iOS and Android)

Yes when there’s torrential rain and you’re desperately trying to get somewhere on time only to be met with surge pricing  you might want to fall out of love with Uber and going back to ringing a good old fashioned taxi company.

But in South East Asia I couldn’t believe how cheap and easy it was to get around in an Uber. The cars were clean and the drivers lovely. I would have had zero clue how to call a taxi or explain where I was to meet them. I’d also not know how much it was going to cost me and I’ve most certainly been ripped off as a tourist by taxi drivers before.

XE Currency –  to understand currency conversion rates (FREE, iOS and Android)

XE Currency allows you to convert every world currency and precious metals using up to date rates (storing the most recent so you can use it offline). If you’re aiming for a certain rate before buying you can set up an alert.

It took me a while to get to grips with the app but I find the rate advisor is particularly helpful for understanding a currency provider’s price compared to the market rate and how much they’re taking as a cut.

TripIt – to create an itinerary out of a mass of booking emails (FREE, iOS and Android)

TripIt syncs with your emails and magically pulls in all your flight and accommodation details for a trip into one easy to follow itinerary. Regardless of the fragmented way you might have booked things, number of airlines flying with or accommodation providers.

You can also save travel documents such as your Passport, Drivers License and more in the app with PIN protection.

I was also surprised to find keeps a record of past trips – discovered when I didn’t use it for a few months when I was only travelling locally and haphazardly, but the information is still all there, long after the booking emails have been deleted.

iTip Calculator – to understand how much to tip (FREE, iOS)

Coming from New Zealand I’ve always struggled with how much to tip and where which is exasperated when you’re trying to split a bill between a large group who all want to pay with cash.

By just entering the bill amount, iTip tells you the correct tax amount and tip percentage, tip amounts and bill grand total AND divides it among a number of people to give individual tip and payment amounts.

Avast Wi-Fi Finder –  for Wi-Fi  (FREE, iOS and Android)

Being so reliant on technology in this day and age, when you’re travelling finding free, secure Wi-Fi hotspots is vital to keep in touch with the world.

Wi-Fi Finder allows you to find both free and paid crowd-sourced hotspots on a map and compare them based on speed and privacy before you waste time trying to connect to them.

You can download the locations offline before you leave and then find them on the road.

Which of these travel apps do you have on your phone? What other apps make your life easier? Pin the image below to find this post again later!

6 apps to meet your travel needs

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6 Comments

  1. Sherrie
    November 4, 2017 / 4:29 pm

    Uber is the only one I have, but some of these other ones look super useful. Great list!

    • sarahkennerley@gmail.com
      Author
      November 5, 2017 / 6:51 pm

      Thanks Sherrie! I discover new apps for travel all the time so what’s on my phone is ever-changing.

  2. Scarlett | Petite Suitcase
    February 21, 2017 / 6:47 am

    How have I not heard of very many of these?! TripIt could really come in handy! Thanks for the tips!

    • February 21, 2017 / 5:04 pm

      Haha not sure Scarlett! I just booked three lots of accommodation the other night and it all nicely in updated in TripIt between the flights I booked earlier from the confirmation emails! Borderline stalkerish really. Download them all!

  3. February 13, 2017 / 4:32 pm

    Some great apps! I found Uber to be so good when I was in Melbourne – plus they had UberEats, so I could order food to be delivered to my apartment! Blimmin handy after a long day of exploring, let me tell you!

    • February 13, 2017 / 4:50 pm

      Oooh I hear UberEats is launching in Auckland imminently and surely Wellington won’t be too far behind it. Combining food and travel with ease is a winning strategy!