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We love discovering destinations, but we also love discovering the little tools that make travelling easier. From planning and navigation to communication and photography, these are the apps that have earned a permanent place on our phones after years of travel.

We've tested them across multiple countries and continue to use them on almost every trip, so we hope they become just as useful for your adventures as they have been for ours.

This is definitely not an exhaustive list as new apps appear on a daily basis.

Apps

Finance

Travelling on a budget we like to keep track of our spending so using apps like.

Directions

Travel is often all about getting lost but this isn't always the case. Google Maps will save you when you need to find the well hidden hotel or hostel. Google Maps is also fabulous to find that much needed morning coffee fix or a recommended local eating joint. Downloading offline maps is great for when you are very remote and lose network coverage.

Here are our other favourites:

Can't remember that little village that you visited a week ago? Find Penquins is a fabulous travel tracker and journal app following you as you continue on your journey.

Language

Google Translate breaks down the language barriers when asking for information or reading a food menu.

Wanting to learn the local language for your destination? Even learning the basics like hello, goodbye, thankyou goes a long way with the locals even if your pronounciation is't the best, at least it gives you a greater opportunity to engage on a deeper level. Duolingo & Babbel has been a go to for us in the past.

Culture

Tripadvisor must be the first travel app I ever downloaded but doesn't seem to be used now by travellers therefore reviews are outdated.

Now I simply use Google Maps to search Things to do or Museums.

Other great apps now are:

Weather

The weather isn't always perfect when we're on holidays. Keeping a track of whether it's a beach day or a rest day according to a the weather will help you with your plans.

Communication

WhatsApp is private and a fully encrypted app that will keep you in touch with family and friends while on the road with either text or video calling. Best part, it's free!

In addition to WhatsApp there are also the messaging facilities available on all your social apps

Instagram
Facebook
TikTok
Snapchat.

Accommodation

This group of apps ultimately comes down to personal choice and shopping around. Personally I prefer Booking.com but all of the others are used on occasion. Many of these apps are also fab for booking flights.

Planning

These apps record where you have travelled which we love when we are trying to remember the name of places we've travelled.

Flights & Transport

Skyscanner is my fave for booking flights due to it's usability but others may favour many of the other apps available.

So you're sitting in the departing lounge of the airport and wondering why your flight is late and where is. FlightRadar24 is a live flight tracker app showing not only your flight but every other flight in the world.