Traveling today is very different than even just a few years ago. Now there are apps everywhere vying to making your trip easier, more convenient, more memorable, and more fun. The problem is there are so many apps and we are all so busy it’s tough finding the ones that will be the most help. We’ve partnered with tech & travel blogger, Tesa Nicolanti, of 2 Wired 2 Tired as she shares her favorite free travel apps.
When I’m not traveling, I spend a lot of time researching the best in travel tips and technology. The apps in this list are all ones I look forward to using whenever I’m planning, packing, hopping on a plane, or loading up the car for a road trip. True to their word they do make traveling simpler and more enjoyable.
Travel Butler
Travel Butler makes planning and packing for your trip a breeze. Simply download the app and type in your destination, the dates you will be there, and it creates a packing list for you based on the what the weather will be like while you are there. It also recommends trendy restaurants, cafes, and bars. A while back we took a family vacation to Seabrook Island, South Carolina. I would have loved to have this app then! I decided to type in the location and enter some random summer dates in June to see what it would tell me.
The app found the weather and immediately pulled up a packing list based on it. I love that it says “Short clothes for 8 hot days” – it makes me want to pack up and head there now! When you click the packing list, it is very detailed and you can adjust the number for each item or delete items all together.
Not only does it have a list for clothing but also: Documents, Electronics, Essentials, and Sports. It shows you recommended restaurants, bars, cafes, and sightseeing locations in the area as well.
This app is very helpful and one that will help keep you organized and make sure you don’t forget a thing.
Travelocity
When you are planning your trip, the Travelocity app is immensely helpful. You can view and book Hotels, Flights, Cars, and Activities.
With a just few taps of your finger you can enter your travel dates and find deals on hotels and resorts. I would love to plan a trip to Orlando for spring break, so I entered in some dates and up popped very affordable hotels with great ratings.
You can see their ratings right under the names, easily compare prices, see a thumbnail to get an idea of what it looks like, and see how much you can save as well. When you click each hotel you can find in-depth details, a map, and lots of photos. You can also book through the app or click a button to book by phone.
Looking for flights is just as easy. Type in your departure and destination airports, along with the dates you are traveling and available flights appear seconds later. The format makes it easy to look at lots of flights quickly. You can see what time they depart, when they arrive, if there is a layover and where, and compare prices. That’s a lot of information, but it’s presented in a visually pleasing way that’s easy to read.
Cars are just as simple to find, compare, and book. In a glance, you can see daily or weekly rates, vehicle sizes, and what the total will be for the trip. The other impressive feature about the Travelocity app is the activities. Doing a quick search of the Detroit area pulled up a fantastic aquarium, tours, sightseeing options, and more.
The Travelocity app is a must have when planning a trip or when daydreaming about one. You can quickly and easily see prices for any kind of trip and have everything booked in just a few minutes.
Travelocity My ScratchPad
While this next inclusion isn’t an app, it is so helpful I felt it deserved to be included. The Travelocity My ScratchPad feature is fantastic. When you are logged into the Travelocity site and searching for hotels, flights, cars, cruises, deals, activities, and more, the My ScratchPad feature will save everything you’ve looked at in one place. Here’s a look at My ScratchPad for a couple of trips I was daydreaming about.
Not only is everything easy to see and all in one place, but it makes trip planning so much easier. You can even click the words “My ScratchPad” in the top navigation bar and a small version of it will pop up so you can quickly switch back and forth between hotels, flights, etc.
My TSA
The My TSA app is surprisingly helpful to anyone who wants up-to-date info about the airport they will be flying out of. With just a tap of your finger, you can see if there are any delays.
You can also easily see how long the security wait times are to make sure you give yourself enough time.
There is a section called, “Can I Bring My …” and you can type in anything you might have a question about bringing.
There is also a helpful guide with tips about how to dress smart, how to pack smart, liquids, aerosols, gels, food and gifts, traveling with children, TSA Pre Check and more. This app is full of information and is a must have for new and frequent fliers alike.
Gate Guru
Have you ever arrived to an airport early or had a long layover and wondered if that airport had a Starbucks in your terminal or a place to buy a new phone charger? With the Gate Guru app you can look up the amenities at the airport you are at, see what gate they are near, and view their rating from other airport visitors.
Not only is this handy information to have, especially if you are really craving National Coney Island, but you can also read reviews on that restaurant or store.
A fantastic feature of this app is the “Tips” section where other travelers have left advice, comments, and reviews of the airport.
Sometimes you can find tips for parents on what to do to keep kids entertained, or suggestions about what airport restaurants are open late at night, or what airport hotels are the best and why.
RoadTrippers
Planning a road trip and want to know what places might be just off the beaten path along the way? The RoadTrippers app is a fun way to do so. Simply type in your starting point and destination. Then you can find places to eat, attractions, entertainment, points of interest, shopping, and more along the way.
You can even drill down each subject to find the things that interest you most. For example, under Attractions you can select: Amusement Parks, Children’s Attractions, Museums, Offbeat Attractions, Tours & Excursions, and Zoos & Aquariums. Or you can select to View All. When you click an item you can view its rating, see how far away it is, check out details such as whether it is wheelchair accessible, has wifi, hours and prices, and more.
This app makes roadtrips fun and makes it easy to figure out where to eat and stay along the way, as well as makes sure you don’t miss any memorable attractions.
Spot Hero
When traveling to a big city, one of the biggest hassles is parking. It’s incredibly expensive these days and it can be tough to find a good place to park. That’s why SpotHero made the list.
It’s a wonderful free app that takes the headache out of parking. They even negotiate exclusive deals to save you up to 50% off of your parking. We used this app on a recent trip to Chicago and highly recommend it.
When you open it up, it finds your location based on your GPS and shows you all of the parking options around you and how much they cost.
When you click on a spot, it shows you pictures of the area so you can recognize it when you get there. It lists amenities such as Valet, Covered Parking, Wheelchair Accessible, and On-Site Staff. It provides details about the location, as well as including whether it allows in and out privileges, hours, and in-depth direction for how to get there. With just a few clicks, you can reserve a spot within the app and are all set to go. Parking is taken care of and you can focus on the rest of your trip.
Postagram
If you are feeling nostalgic and want to share the memories of your trip with family and friends back home, you can use the Postagram app to turn any of your photos into a postcard. You simply open it up, select a photo, write your message, input the address it’s going to, and off it goes.
While the app itself is free, there is a charge of $.99 to send the postcard domestically and $1.99 for addresses outside of the U.S. You can even pop the photo out of the postcard to save it on its own. This is a fun app especially if you have kids at home and want to send them a warm greeting and photo of your travels.
All of these apps are full of great features that are sure to make your trip more convenient and more memorable. Take a few minutes to download them all now and be sure to check out My ScratchPad on Travelocity and start planning!
Tesa Nicolanti, Gnational Gnomad
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