Best Travel Apps for 2023
Best Travel Apps for 2023
As a co-founder of a travel start-up and a keen traveller I appreciate travel apps which optimise usability, have a great aesthetic and make travel simpler. From translating bilingual conversations and online privacy protection tools to tracking trip spend and flight prices, there are plenty of travel apps making travel easier and improving trip experiences.
I've compiled a short list of what I consider to be the must have travel apps for 2023. Be sure to check these out for your next trip!
Searching for flights
Google Flights
Strictly speaking, Google Flights is not available as an app, but it has a great mobile experience, so I have snuck it into the list! I have tried a number of flight search and booking apps but I always return to Google Flights. Why? The criteria filters allow you to find exactly what you need, at the lowest price, very quickly. If you are not ready to book a trip, you can use Google Flights to track prices for a flight or route and when the price for that tracked flight or route changes significantly, you can receive emails and mobile notifications.
Google Flights also offers extremely useful price change insights letting you know the price history for the flights you’re viewing, when prices for a route are likely to go up and an estimate of the price increase.
Google Flights does not sell plane tickets, but it makes booking easy enough by linking to the relevant airline or online travel agency.
Creating your own travel Itinerary
TripMapper
I can’t talk about travel apps without mentioning TripMapper, the home for all your travel plans! If like me, you love to design your own unforgettable travel experiences and follow your own path, you need TripMapper, a tool to help you build your own tailored itinerary and stay in control of your trip spend.
Manage your itinerary, invite fellow travellers, plot your locations, attach your tickets, and receive notifications. Then, use the budget calculator to track your spending and payments in real-time.
Plan your trip, track your spend and make it perfect with TripMapper.
Available on the web, iOS and Android.
Booking accommodation
Booking.com
Using accommodation booking apps or websites is advantageous if you have no loyalty to any one particular hotel or hotel chain. These booking platforms can be a good way to receive discounts and other perks if you stay at different, unaffiliated properties.
There are plenty of accommodation booking platforms to peruse, from Booking.com to Hotels.com and Expedia to Trivago, all claiming to have the best options and prices. For me, Booking.com tops the chart for its functionality, pricing, loyalty programme and good customer service. Its loyalty programme has proved worthwhile, saving me money and allowing me to enjoy free room upgrades on some of my stays. Whether it's Booking.com or Hotels.com, loyalty does appear to pay off.
Available on the web, iOS and Android.
Securing your digital life
Surfshark VPN
Staying secure when using the internet is paramount, and even more so when using free public Wi-Fi when travelling.
A VPN (short for a “virtual private network”) is a must have privacy protection tool when travelling at home or abroad. Put very simply, a VPN helps your data travel through the internet safely without others being able to spy on your online activities. It makes your browsing private, hides your IP address and ensures your internet service provider can’t track you. Also if you are on holiday in another country you can bring your home entertainment (Netflix!) anywhere you go when using a VPN.
There are many VPN providers available, Surfshark, Nord VPN, ProtonVPN and Express VPN are the more well-known providers. I use Surfshark which is very easy to use, is good value and can be used on unlimited devices.
Available on the web, iOS and Android.
Tracking data usage
DataMan
DataMan is a great app for tracking your data usage whilst travelling. I downloaded this app after going over my data allowance during a trip, and that hasn’t happened since! It is easy to use and helps you from going over your monthly data allowance.
Available on iOS.
Staying in control of your travel budget
TripMapper
TripMapper is a cross-platform app with a beautiful kanban style layout, pre-made customisable itineraries and granular trip budgeting.
Individual and group budgeting with TripMapper is an absolute breeze! Start by setting a daily or entire trip budget and then input paid amounts (including deposits) and upcoming amounts. TripMapper then lets travellers clearly know what they owe, what they have left to spend, or if they are over budget, allowing them to retain control of their trip spend. Plus, powerful filters allows travellers to drill into the details and the currency conversion feature makes for even more accurate budgeting.
With TripMapper's travel budgeting tool, both budget travellers and those with more to play with can easily manage and track their spending both before and during their trip.
Available on the web, iOS and Android.
Language translation
Google Translate
Google Translate has proved a valuable translation tool during my travels. From communicating with a mechanic when my car broke down in the Cretan mountains to working out what food to order whilst in Beijing, this pocket interpreter has come in very handy.
Google Translate is free, easy to use and can translate text of over 100 languages. It is also possible to translate text in images, translate bilingual conversations and draw text characters instead of typing.
If you are looking to translate complex sentence structures this tool may not produce the most accurate results but if like me, you just need a little assistance to communicate whilst travelling, this is a super app.
Available on the web, iOS and Android.
Navigation
Google Maps
It probably comes as no surprise that this app has made my list. In my view, Google Maps continues to reign supreme in the navigation app space.
Whether by foot, car, taking public transport, or bicycle, Google Maps can show you how to get to where you need to go, but also contains many other useful features - explore points of interest, obtain business information, take virtual strolls and find the nearest petrol stations. An essential app to download!
Available on the web, iOS and Android.
Audio guides
Rick Steves Audio Europe
This free app provides European sightseeing recommendations, allows travellers to follow self-guided walking tours and you can listen to local guides providing travel tips and cultural insights. I listened to the free Acropolis audio guide during a visit to Athens and it certainly made my visit even more fascinating.
Please note any third party websites (and any services that may be accessible through them) have their own terms of service and privacy policies. This article does not contain any affiliate links.
