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10 Best Travel TRIP PLANNER APPs To Have in 2024

In a fast-paced world where the stress of work and school is overwhelming, we all need a break to de-stress our minds. Traveling is one good way to take your mind off of stressful things – a breather. And a scheduled vacation gives you something to look forward to.

Whether it’s a local trip alone, a family holiday, or a getaway with your best friends, it just excites you to wish the day would come faster. 

10 Best Trip Planner Apps in 2024

The freeform app.

• TripIt: Travel Planner

Hopper – Flight & Hotel Deals

• Sygic Travel Maps Trip Planner

Roadtrippers: Trip Planner

Tripadvisor, travelspend: track travel expense & trip budget, tripcase – travel organizer app, travel planning apps for your next trip.

The Freeform app is an endless whiteboard that lets users add information from a variety of websites, photos, videos and files.

Because the boards are kept in iCloud, they can be accessed from any device anytime inspiration hits. While you and your travel companions plan your dream trip, the specifics can be shared with several individuals working together on the same whiteboard, making them an ongoing work in progress.

The Freeform app is free to iPhone users on iOS 16.2, iPad users on 16.2, and Mac users on Ventura MacOS Venture 13.1. 

Download the brand-new app here .

Read our full post: Apple Launches New Travel App Freeform – What to Know

Wanderlog Trip Planner App

Wanderlog is your all-in-one destination for planning future trips, sharing travel guides, and blogging past trips.

Its trip planning features are incredibly flexible: you can research destinations and activities, organize reservations by connecting your email, and map out a day itinerary with start/end times. You can also add notes and links all throughout.

Everything is stored offline so you can access your itinerary when traveling abroad. For road trips, it calculates the time and distance between places and exports them to Google Maps (and there are no limits to the number of stops you have on a trip!).

Plus, there’s a fun social component: collaborate with friends on itineraries, write your own travel guide, and blog about past trips. Wanderlog is available on the web and on your smartphone, so you can seamlessly plan while at home and on-the-go.

iOS  /  Android

TripIt: Trip Planner App

If you need any help organizing the dozens of itineraries, TripIt is the app for you. Users simply need to forward your flight, hotel, restaurant, and car rental confirmation emails to [email protected] and the app will create a free master doc for each of your trips. The best thing about this app is that you can get access to your itinerary anywhere, even without an internet connection. 

In addition, the Pro version will find you alternative routes for canceled flights and send out notifications for delayed flights, cancellations, and more from the airlines. 

iOS / Android

Rome2rio is a versatile travel planning app that simplifies the process of finding and booking travel options. It’s a handy tool for travelers seeking to explore various transportation choices between destinations. Rome2rio offers users a comprehensive view of travel options, including flights, trains, buses, ferries, and even driving directions.

Key features of Rome2rio include:

• Route Information: The app provides detailed information on different routes, including estimated travel times, costs, and the number of transfers required.
• Booking Integration: Users can book flights, train tickets, and other transportation options directly through the app, streamlining the booking process.
• Map Integration: Rome2rio integrates with maps, allowing users to visualize their travel routes and explore nearby attractions.
• Multi-Modal Travel: It offers options for combining various modes of transportation, making it easy to plan complex journeys.
• Accurate Pricing: The app provides real-time pricing information, helping users make informed decisions based on their budget.
• Offline Access: Rome2rio offers offline access to previously searched routes, which can be handy when traveling without a data connection.

Hopper is an amazing trip planner app to have on your phone. The app predicts airfares up to 1 year in advance, with 95% accuracy. It analyzes over billions of flight prices and hotels within the day – telling you whether to book your trip now or wait for just a little longer.

Here’s how it works: Key in your destination and a color-coded calendar will display the cheapest and most expensive date to fly. The app will then recommend you to either book the flight now or sit it out and wait for airfare to get cheaper. Also, you can filter predictions to custom-fit your trip – remove long layovers, extra fees, restrictions, and more. 

And if you worry about missing out the cheap flight bookings, don’t be! Hopper will send you a notification when fares have dropped to its lowest point.

SYGIC Travel Maps Trip Planner

Sygic Travel Maps , the new version of Sygic Trip Planner, is the first travel app to display all of the attractions and places a traveler needs to see and visit on a single map.

Sync your trips with the Sygic Travel app and find hidden gems in all cities you visit. The app boast a large database that allows you to find the best hotels, tourist attractions, museums, restaurants, bars, and stores wherever you go.

This mobile app also let you download offline maps and guides, which come in helpful when traveling to remote locations with poor or non-existing Wi-Fi.

It also has a dedicated section to worldwide places of interest for travel business. Get location information for individual cities, countries, continents, or the entire planet.

The app is available in 18 languages.

iOS / Android iOS

Planning on a cross-country road trip ? Roadtrippers is the app for you! Not everyone is fond of waiting long hours at the airport while sitting through your red-eye flight. Hit the road with your friends instead.

Roadtrippers provides everything you need to know on your road trip. Just enter your starting point, destination, and let the app do its work for you! From camping sites to rest stops, outdoor activities, exciting adventures along the way that you didn’t know existed. This app is the perfect buddy for your road trip regardless of your mode of transportation – a sedan, a rental car, or a huge family RV.

Most of us dream of going to places! But planning an amazing trip to places we have not been to is pretty hard as you don’t know where to stay, what to do, places to eat, and adventures to try. We mostly rely on recommendations, most of which are not even right, that we find online. 

TripAdvisor has over millions of travel recommendations on hotels, top dining spots, must-do experiences, and treasured gems to over 8 million destinations at your perusal. It is an all-in-one app that lets you book tables at restaurants and compares low prices on hotels and flights.

You can also follow friends and travel experts for advice that match your interests, watch videos, and read articles. In return, you can share your experiences, reviews, and helpful guides for other users too!

Setting up a budget for your trip is easy, however, sticking to it is hard. TravelSpend will help you with that. It starts with entering your budget and expenses over multiple days so you don’t go overboard. The app helps you in sticking to your budget effectively.

Being in another country is not a problem at all: enter your expenses in any currency and the app will automatically convert it to your home currency.

Track your travel expenses whether going on a solo around-the-world trip or backpacking holiday with your best friends. The app allows you to share your trip with your friends and track your expenses together. Pay debts, split bills, and check your balances – all in the app!

TripCase, a comprehensive travel organizer app, has emerged as a popular choice among travelers seeking a streamlined and efficient way to manage their journey details.

Here’s a breakdown of its key features and functionalities:

Centralized Itinerary Management : TripCase allows users to consolidate all their travel details, including flights, hotels, and car rentals, into a single, easily accessible itinerary.

Real-time Flight Alerts : The app keeps travelers informed with up-to-the-minute notifications on flight statuses, including delays, cancellations, and gate changes.

Itinerary Sharing : TripCase offers a sharing option that enables users to send their travel plans to friends, family, or colleagues.

Travel Directions and Maps : To aid navigation in unfamiliar locations, the app provides directions and maps.

Nearby Recommendations : TripCase offers recommendations for restaurants, attractions, and other services close to the traveler’s location.

Document Storage : For added convenience, the app allows users to store essential travel documents digitally, ensuring that important information like passport details, visas, and insurance policies are readily available.

Customizable Notifications : Users can customize their notification preferences, choosing what types of alerts they receive and how they are notified, tailoring the app to suit individual needs and preferences.

iOS / Android 

Hi, great List. I couldn’t travel without my Apps! I have one App you could check out =) Its called ” ATM Fee Saver” and it gives a list with all ATMs and their fees and limit. I found it super helpful and it really helped me to save some money. Best regards, Charlotte

Thank you for your suggestions! Those apps are very useful and various

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The best trip planner apps to make your travels easier

Booking a trip can be an exciting yet daunting task. As if booking airfare, hotel, and transportation weren't enough, you also need to consider food, sights, and attractions. As a travel lover myself, I often dread planning and preparing for a trip. Not only do I never have the time, but I often get oversaturated by the vast amount of information found online and the fear of getting scammed. 

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Over the years, I've found the best websites and apps to help smooth out the planning process. These apps help me keep track of all my reservations, send me booking reminders, and guarantee I always find the best prices -- because there is nothing worse than falling for tourist traps or overpriced offerings. 

Whether you are a spontaneous or a nitty-gritty planner traveler, ZDNET has tested and reviewed the best trip planner apps on the market. Our top pick for the best trip planner site and app is Booking.com due to its easy-to-use user interface, extensive booking capabilities, and pricing. However, since not every trip or traveler is the same, we've included several options to help you plan and stay organized during your travels. 

Keep reading to learn more about ZDNET's expert-tested and reviewed trip planner apps. 

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The best trip planner apps of 2023

Booking.com, best overall trip planner.

• Multiple bookings
• Great deals
• Can earn points from bookings and reservations
• Easy to use
• No group planning
• Can't organize bookings per trip

Booking.com features:   Platform: App and website |  Compatibility:  iOS and Android |  Pricing:  Free |  Booking:  Yes |  Group planning:  No

When planning my trips, I always make a stop at the Booking.com app, especially when reserving hotels. I find their user interface visually appealing and easy to use, and that it provides just the right amount of information I need when scrolling through hotel suggestions. Personally, I enjoy that I can add my top picks to my favorites with a quick tap of a heart, glance through reviews, look at cancellation policies, and even find out how far away hotels are from key spots. Through Booking.com, you can also book flights, car rentals, taxis, and city attractions, making it a great all-in-one place to plan and book upcoming weekend getaways or longer vacations. While I have personally never used the car rentals, taxis, or city attractions components of the app, I enjoy knowing that if I ever needed to, I can quickly hop on my phone and glance at the latest offerings. 

My favorite feature when using Booking.com to plan trips is the offers and promotions it displays for users. In the app, when you click your profile, you can see your "Genius" loyalty program status as well as discover the best deals around the world for your specific chosen dates. My only critique of Booking.com is that it does not enable group trip planning or let you organize your bookings per trip. This means if you are planning a trip with a friend, only one person can book and have access to reservations. 

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Best trip planner for organization

• Synced with e-mail inbox
• Organizes reservations no matter where you book
• Works offline
• Can't make any bookings
• Need to pay for advanced features
• UI could use an upgrade

TripIt features:   Platform:  App and website |  Compatibility: iOS and Android | Pricing: Free or $49 per year | Booking: No | Group planning: Yes

In terms of planning a trip, creating an itinerary, and keeping all your information in one place, TripIt is one of the best travel apps to keep yourself organized. When you first create an account, TripIt will sync with your inbox and automatically add all of your upcoming flights and reservations to your account. You can then modify each trip to include as little or as much information as you'd like. As someone who likes to be spontaneous when traveling, I usually only add the essentials: flight information, hotel reservations, and important documents. However, if you like to plan your trips down by the hour, you can also include activities, restaurant reservations, transportation, and more in your trip plan to share with fellow travelers.

As your trip approaches, TripIt will also send you packing reminders, give you COVID-19 travel guidance, and show transportation options. While you can get most of the essential features within the free version of the app (this is the one I use), you can also pay $49 a year to get advanced features such as check-in reminders, real-time flight alerts, point tracking, and even notifications for drops in airfare prices. 

Keep in mind that while TripIt gives you transportation options and finds places near your hotel, you cannot book or make any reservations directly from the app. The app is solely used to organize and keep track of all of your travel plans in one place, no matter where you book them. 

Best AI trip planner

• Personalized travel itinerary
• Hotel booking
• Can modify recommendations
• Group planning enabled
• Only available as a website
• No flight or restaurant booking

Guide features:   Platform: Website  Compatibility: all major browsers |  Pricing:  Free | Booking: Yes, but hotels only | Group Planning: Yes  Generative AI is everyone's favorite buzzword this year, and slowly but surely, it has been making its way across all industries -- including the travel industry. Guide is an innovative AI travel planning tool that creates personalized travel itineraries based on your preferences. (Full disclosure, it's also owned by ZDNET's sister company. It's currently in private beta, but you can join a wait list.) All you need to do is select your destination, the dates, whether you are traveling alone or in a group, your budget, and the types of activities you are looking for, and Guide will do the planning. 

After generating a trip itinerary for you based on your prompt, Guide then lets you modify and customize the itinerary to your liking. I recently used Guide to plan a six-day trip to Austin, Texas, and this was the feature I enjoyed the most, since I had specific restaurants and activities I wanted to incorporate into my trip, but I also needed some additional recommendations. While you can't book flights or restaurant reservations through Guide, you can book and find great hotel deals powered by Expedia on the platform. 

Guide will also give you an overall budget for your trip, a packing list, and a comprehensive list of things to know about your destination -- which may be helpful for some more than others. While my trip to Austin was a solo trip, Guide has a feature where you can invite other fellow travelers to collaborate in planning your trip through Guide's chatbot, GuideBot. This chatbot also works sort of like ChatGPT, where you can ask GuideBot questions about your trip, your destination, or recommendations. Keep in mind you can not ask GuideBot to directly modify your trip for you, and instead need to manually do it yourself -- believe me, I tried. 

Tripadvisor

Best trip planner app for reviews.

• Countless reviews
• Used by travelers worldwide
• Variety of information
• Booking capabilities
• Great for local spots
• Booking is not its strongest feature and you may not always find the best deals
• Doesn't vet reviews

Tripadvisor  features: Platform:  App and website |  Compatibility:  iOS and Android |  Pricing:  Free |  Booking:  Yes |  Group planning:  No

Reading customer reviews is one of the most important steps when planning a trip. While you shouldn't base all of your decisions on reviews, you should consider past customer experiences to get a feel for the brand and company you are about to trust, or the experience you are going to pay for.  When it comes to travel reviews, Tripadvisor is the best trip planner app to rely on. Since the platform has so many reviews for restaurants, activities, accommodations, and locations all over the world, it is always easy and convenient to log onto the app or website to help you make an educated decision. (However, remember that not all Tripadvisor reviews are legit, since the platform does not independently verify customer postings.) Beyond reviews, TripAdvisor also lets you book hotels, restaurants, things to do, and more while also providing detailed insights into their offerings -- including cancellation policies, ratings, and features. 

Tripadvisor's "Travelers' Choice" best-of list is also a popular part of its platform, allowing visitors to see top-rated destinations, hotels, restaurants, and things to do around the world. With Tripadvisor, you can plan a trip yourself from scratch, hire a trip designer, or get a custom itinerary built by AI. 

Best trip planner app for transportation

• Great multi-mode travel comparison
• convenient and seamless transportation booking
• Multiple currency and language availability
• Flight deals and suggestions are not the strongest
• Limited offers depending on the country or city of travel
• Not the most reliable customer service

Omio features:  Platform:  App and website |  Compatibility:  iOS and Android |  Pricing:  Free |  Booking:  Yes, transportation only |  Group planning:  No

I first discovered Omio when a friend recommended it to me while I was studying abroad in Spain, and ever since I downloaded it, it has become my go-to app for booking the best deals and fares on transportation within Europe. The concept behind Omio is simple: You plug in your departure and arrival location, including the number of people you are traveling with, and add whether you are looking for a one-way or round-trip journey. Omio will then show you the best deals by train, bus, or plane to and from your desired destination, including how much time each option will take you and the number of stops. 

The German-based travel booking site is great at aggregating travel information from multiple sites, allowing you to view all of your transportation options in one place. This is incredibly beneficial when planning trips within Europe since there are several ways you can cross each border and often various languages and regulations to keep in mind. Omio is set in English but has multiple additional languages available, as well as currency options. During my time abroad, I solely used Omio to book all of my transportation, including planning a 17-day trip across seven different European countries. Overall, using Omio was not only convenient and seamless but also helped me save hundreds of dollars by helping me maximize my travel time by switching between flights, trains, and buses. 

However, since returning from Europe, I have not used Omio as much as I thought I would -- maybe because I have a car and take most of my trips by plane. And Omio's flight deals and suggestions are not the strongest compared to Booking.com or Skyscanner's, which heavily focus on flight deals. I have also found they have some limitations depending on the country or city you are traveling in. Be mindful of the deals and tickets you buy through Omio since some tickets are non-refundable, and some customers complain their customer service is not the best -- although I have yet to have any issues with them. 

What is the best trip planner app?

Booking.com gets our vote for the best trip planner app due to its wide selection of accommodations, its points and promotions offerings, and its easy-to-use user interface. Not only does Booking.com help you find the best deals throughout your trip, but it will also help you stay organized throughout your trip by keeping all of your reservations in one place. To determine which trip planner app or combination of trip planners is best for you, check out this comparison chart below. 

Which is the right trip planner app for you?

The best trip planner app ultimately depends on your travel and planning style. If you like booking and planning everything in one place while also earning points and getting great deals, then Booking.com is your top app. However, if you are looking for a place to keep all of your accommodations, reservations, and activity details organized, then TripIt is a better app for you. Check out the following chart to help you find the best trip planner app or a combination of apps for you to plan your next adventure. 

How did we choose these trip planner apps?

To find the best trip planner apps, we drew upon real-life experiences and tested their performance and capabilities during our latest trips. Ultimately, we weighted the following factors when choosing which trip planners to include on our list: 

• Features: Each app can vary significantly with the features it offers, whether it is solely to book flights and hotels, help you plan your next trip using AI, or help you find the best deals and booking information, each app on this list can help you address several common inconveniences that present themselves while planning that next adventure.  
• Compatibility: An app is of little use if it does not work with your devices, so we look to see what compatibility each trip-planning app offers and which platforms you can access it from. Personally, I enjoy apps that combine an app and website component since this quickly helps me switch between my wide computer screen and my tiny yet portable iPhone screen. 
• Customer reviews: We study real customer reviews and ratings to evaluate customer satisfaction and service. This is incredibly important since most times when you travel, you visit an unknown city or country, and you should be mindful of past experiences others have had. 
• Cost : Most trip planner apps are free, but you may have to upgrade to receive special access to exclusive features or deals. If your app is already free, it means you only have to pay a small amount (often unnoticeable) when you book your accommodations. 

What is a trip planner app?

A trip planner app is an app that provides organizational features for your upcoming trip. It is often free and incorporates trip planning tools, whether you are traveling by ground, water or air.   

How does a trip planner app work?

A trip planner app can incorporate special features, like an itinerary, calendar, reservation and booking hub, and map assistance. Depending on the app you choose, there is even trip-sharing with friends and family to simplify the entire trip planning process.  

How much does a trip planner app cost?

Most trip planner apps are free, but some may offer in-app purchases to upgrade or enhance your experience. Within this list, only Tripit costs money, but only for their advanced features version, which costs $49 a year. However, you can get access to most if not all, trip-planning features, through their free version. 

Are there alternative trip planner apps worth considering?

As I mentioned earlier, trip planning heavily depends on your personal style of travel and preferences. However, whether you like to plan your trips down by the minute or prefer to just have the basics, there are several apps that can optimize your planning. Here are a few apps worth considering that almost made it onto our list: 

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7 Useful Apps Every Traveler Should Know About

By Harrison Pierce

All products featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Technology continues to make travel easier for millions of people around the globe. New apps offer travelers fresh ways to research a destination, connect with fellow globetrotters, communicate with locals, and track their flights. As a full-time digital nomad , I’ve learned the importance of having the right tools at your disposal when on the road.

Over the past few years, I’ve visited dozens of countries, flown hundreds of thousands of miles, and tested countless apps to find the ones that prove to be the most helpful. And while tools like Meetup, Google Maps, Google Translate, currency converters, and vacation rental , airline, and hotel–specific apps are in fact indispensable on most trips, I find that many of the best travel apps are still undiscovered by my fellow travelers.

Below, seven travel apps that make life on the go markedly easier (and more fun), from real-time flight trackers to photo-sharing gems—all of these apps are free, but some have paid pro versions worth considering. Don’t think these apps are only for full-time travelers—they prove useful for every type of traveler, whether you're in a brand-new destination or back for a return visit.

Discover the best apps for travelers:

Apps for flying, apps for exploring, apps for photo sharing.

My favorite app on this list is Flighty, a must-have for any frequent flier . The free version is fantastic, but I recommend splurging for the premium version, which gives you even more useful information and comes at a reasonable cost of $48 per year. The functionality it provides more than justifies the price.

The free version allows you to input all future flights plus past journeys you've taken within the last year. It provides updated information if any schedule changes occur to upcoming flights and allows you to track all the miles you’ve flown in one place.

The other main benefit is that it allows you to share your flight information with friends and family members who are also on Flighty. They will receive real-time updates about your flight without you having to text them. My parents love to make sure I’m safe so they appreciate getting detailed information about my travels—even while I’m in the air.

Flightradar24 is a favorite app among fellow aviation geeks. It lets you track almost any aircraft you see in the air throughout the day or night. You can track your own flight, a friend's flight, or any plane you see in real-time. It shares plenty of cool data, like the altitude, speed, arrival and departure airports and times, and tail number.

There are tons of eSIM apps on the market, but Airalo is probably my favorite, with digital SIM cards available for dozens of countries. I find it to be the most reliable and offers the best data packages. It can be a little pricey, but it is the best option if you’re only taking short trips. Holafly is another eSIM app that offers unlimited data and works well, but I find the app to be much more glitchy than Airalo and would recommend using the desktop version.

This one is for the planner of the group. Wanderlog merges the best of a bunch of different apps into one. Imagine an app that lets you plan a trip with ease: collaborate with friends as if you’re on Google Docs, manage expense tracking like Splitwise, and have a central place for your reservations, checklists, and more. Tripit is a similar travel planner app, so you can download both and get a feel for which interface you like better.

Been allows you to track the countries you’ve visited and make a wish list of places you can’t wait to cross off your travel bucket list . It gives you information like the percentage of the globe you’ve been to and shows you a world map of your trips. It’s always fun to add in a new country whenever I reach my destination.

This app was introduced to me by fellow nomads I met at a cafe in Montevideo, Uruguay . It automatically tracks your route across the world, allowing you to quickly upload pictures throughout your travels that can be viewed by anyone who has access to your profile. It’s an excellent way to share important moments with loved ones without needing to send photos to each person individually. Users can also create easily accessible guides filled with up-to-date information to help you plan your own trip.

Steller is another app that a friend recently introduced me to, and I’ve quickly fallen in love with it. It uses a combination of AI and user experiences to help you plan trips around the globe. From recommendations of things to see, like the Recoleta Cemetery in Buenos Aires or the Royal Palace of Naples, to full guidebooks created by users, you can get inspired, book experiences, and discover hidden gems within this app.

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The 7 Best Trip Planner Apps for Travelers

Sarah Schlichter

Deputy Executive Editor Sarah Schlichter's idea of a perfect trip includes spotting exotic animals, hiking through pristine landscapes, exploring new neighborhoods on foot, and soaking up as much art as she can. She often attempts to recreate recipes from her international travels after she gets home (which has twice resulted in accidental kitchen fires—no humans or animals were harmed).

Sarah joined the SmarterTravel team in 2017 after more than a decade at the helm of IndependentTraveler.com. Sarah's practical travel advice has been featured in dozens of news outlets including the New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, USA Today, Budget Travel, and Peter Greenberg Worldwide Radio. Follow her on Twitter @TravelEditor .

The Handy Item I Always Pack: "A journal. Even years later, reading my notes from a trip can bring back incredibly vivid memories."

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: "Road tripping and hiking through the rugged mountains of Patagonia."

Travel Motto: "'To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world.'—Freya Stark"

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: "Aisle. I get restless on long flights and like to be able to move around without disturbing anyone else."

Email Sarah at [email protected] .

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Crafting a trip itinerary can be both fun and overwhelming. Which places are an absolute must-visit, and which ones can you skip? How much time should you spend at the art museum, and how close is it to that bookstore you want to check out? And how can you keep all your ideas and bookings neatly organized?

The best trip planner apps can help you answer those questions. I’ve found several that will help you discover the right places to go and organize your day-by-day itinerary in one handy place. Download these apps, and you can pitch your endless spreadsheets and Word docs into the recycle bin.

All of the following trip planner apps are free unless otherwise noted.

TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor ( iOS | Android ) is the granddaddy of trip planner apps. Unlike other apps that feature only major cities, TripAdvisor offers listings of both top attractions and hidden gems in just about every corner of the globe, along with restaurants, hotels, and vacation rentals. You can create customized itineraries by saving the places you’re interested in to the app’s new Trips feature . (Trips can be kept private or shared publicly.)

When you search for a city in the app, you’ll see a feed of other users’ trips, photos, videos, reviews, and articles about that destination, all offering ideas and inspiration. For more trip planning help, you can post your questions in the TripAdvisor forums , where destination experts offer in-depth advice.

Visit a City

Visit a City ( iOS | Android ) helps solve two common trip planning challenges: figuring out how long you need to spend at each place, and maximizing your vacation time by grouping nearby attractions together. When you select a destination, the app offers recommended sightseeing guides based on the number of days you plan to spend. For example, I put in that I was going to Paris, for three days and was given several itinerary options, including Top Attractions, Landmarks for Kids, Parks & Museums, Easy Going, and more. The app automatically puts nearby attractions together and lets you know how far apart they are (for instance, “three minutes by walking”). It also includes the estimated time that you’ll spend at each place.

You can edit the itinerary by changing the day you visit a place, revising the amount of time you spend there, or deleting the attraction altogether. (You’ll almost certainly have to do some editing, as the itineraries don’t include lunch or coffee breaks.) You can also book tours through the app and get general travel information about the destination, such as the best time of year to visit or tips for saving money.

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CityMaps2Go

CityMaps2Go ( iOS | Android ) offers a handy offline maps that you can customize with personal points of interest. Even better, the app displays your location on the map whether you’re connected to data or Wi-Fi. The app includes thousands of offline maps from just about anywhere on Earth, which means it’s useful for travelers who don’t want to pay international data charges when heading overseas. 

You can create different lists for your trip (for example, separate lists for dining, bars, attractions, etc.), and the locations you add to the list will show up on your map. Info cards for each place include a review score, nearby accommodations, some basic information, and the ability to add notes of your own.

The fun part of trip planning is imagining all the cool places you’ll go. What’s not so fun? Figuring out the logistics of getting there. Fortunately, Rome2rio ( iOS | Android ) can help solve that problem. The app searches just about every mode of transportation—plane, train, subway, bus, ferry, taxi, Uber—to recommend the best way to get from point A to point B.

You can enter either two destinations within a given city or two points farther apart, and the app will display your options, including the time it’ll take to travel and the approximate cost. Note that the listings are for planning purposes only, and you can’t actually book your flights or tickets through the app.

TripIt ( iOS | Android ) is a fixture on “best travel apps” lists, and for good reason. It turns an inbox full of scattered booking confirmations and restaurant reservations into a single master itinerary that you can access offline, sync with your phone’s calendar, and share with loved ones. You simply forward each confirmation email to [email protected] and let the app do the rest.

Upgrade to TripIt Pro ($49/year) for other useful features such as real-time flight alerts, rewards program tracking, and the ability to locate alternate flights if your original plans are disrupted.

Culture Trip

The app arm of Culture Trip ( iOS | Android ) aims to bring travelers a little bit out of the mainstream (tagline: “For curious travelers”) by highlighting unique, off-the-beaten-path options in popular destinations. With recommendations for more than 200 destinations around the world, it’s a great way to bring more local perspective to your trip planning. 

The Culture Trip app uses the publication’s content as a starting point; say, an article on the Top 9 Dessert Spots in Amsterdam. While reading the article, you can save individual places to lists that you create and view their location on maps. You can also explore their curated “Culture Trips”—pre-made itineraries for small group travel bookable within the app.

5 Smartphone Essentials You Should Never Travel Without

TripScout ( iOS ) combines articles and videos from well-known travel publishers and local experts to form what it calls “a personalized, always up-to-date travel guide” for destinations around the world. Every point of interest mentioned in the content is mapped, so you can build a customized itinerary showing your intended destinations on a map.

TripScout can also personalize recommendations based on your travel dates, budget, interests, and even the number of people in your travel group. And like some of the other apps on this list, TripScout works entirely offline, potentially saving you from paying international data fees. The only downside? Android users are left out; TripScout is iOS only.

Editor’s note: This story was originally published in 2019, and has been updated to reflect the most current information. SmarterTravel’s Carl Unger contributed to this story.

Follow Sarah Schlichter on Twitter @TravelEditor for more travel tips and inspiration.

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We hand-pick everything we recommend and select items through testing and reviews. Some products are sent to us free of charge with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions and do not accept compensation to review products. All items are in stock and prices are accurate at the time of publication. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.

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The 19 Best Travel Planning Apps for Every Type of Traveler

December 1, 2021 15 min read

Planning your next travel adventure can be both exciting and stressful. While searching for amazing destinations and attractions to visit is always fun, keeping track of all of the information relating to your trip isn’t the easiest task. 

If you’ve been using Google docs and sheets or simply storing travel inspiration, confirmations, bookings, and reservations in your email, there’s a better way: using a travel planning app! 

You can discover an array of travel itinerary apps on the market, such as Wanderlog , a free and easy-to-use travel itinerary planner. But deciding which is best for your needs can be challenging. To help, we’ve put together this list of the 19 best travel planner apps on the market. 

To create this guide, we started by searching for the top trip planners online and in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. We then tested these apps and looked at user reviews to create this ultimate list of the best travel planning apps. This extensive list includes a range of apps, from road trip planning apps to itinerary planning apps. No matter what type of traveler you are, we have you covered. 

If you’re looking for a way to simplify travel planning and organization, keep reading! 

Best Overall Travel Planner App: Wanderlog 

We truly believe that Wanderlog is the best overall travel itinerary planning app on the market. Wanderlog allows you to plan detailed day-by-day itineraries, import all of your trip information, and search activity suggestions. It’s also perfect for group travelers and those traveling via a range of transport methods, from flying to taking a road trip. 

You can use Wanderlog in-browser, or download the app for iOS and Android. Wanderlog is 100% free to use, and this free version offers access to almost all of the apps’ features. There is an upgrade option, Wanderlog Pro, that offers added benefits with a one-week free trial.

Wanderlog Features

Activity Suggestions and Access to Pre-Created Trips 

You can search third-party websites and add things to do to your itinerary from online guides, like Tripadvisor or Google Trips. Wanderlog also offers activity suggestions, and you can view trips created by other users for inspiration. 

Storage and Organization of Travel Information 

When using Wanderlog, you can manually add travel information or automatically import reservations, bookings, and other email confirmations by syncing with Gmail. This travel information includes flight info, bus or train reservations,  accommodation details, rental car confirmations, and more. You can also add expenses for places and items on your itinerary, and manage your total budget.

Itinerary Creation 

As you upload travel information and add activities you want to undertake on your trip, a day-by-day itinerary will be created. This itinerary is incredibly easy to edit, and you can add notes to each stop. 

If you don’t need a day-by-day itinerary and want more flexibility in your plans, you can simply create lists, for example, a list of things to do or restaurants to try. 

Access to Maps 

When you add stops to your itinerary or lists, they’ll be displayed on a map. The map feature makes it easy to see where all the attractions you wish to visit are located, allowing you to plan the most efficient itinerary. 

Road Trip Planning

Wanderlog now offers the ability to plan road trips! You can add start and end destinations, plus unlimited stops along the way, and your road trip route will be shown on interactive maps. 

It’s super easy to rearrange these plans, and you can even use our “Road Trip Optimizer” to generate the most efficient route. The total time and distance of your road trip journey will be displayed too.  

Group Collaboration 

Wanderlog makes collaborating with others in your travel group a breeze! You can easily collaborate with others traveling with you by simply adding their email to your trip. Alternatively, you can just share a link to the itinerary. Having done this, all members of your group can collaborate on the plans in real-time. 

Wanderlog Pro Added Features

• Offline access to itineraries and maps
• Exporting of maps to Google Maps
• Auto scanning of travel confirmations in Gmail
• Road trip route optimization  

Who Is Wanderlog For? 

Wanderlog is the best app to plan travel for every type of traveler. From solo travelers to groups, and from the highly organized traveler to those that simply need one place to store information and activity suggestions. Wanderlog also has a highly user-friendly interface, and best of all, it’s free to use! 

Who Is Wanderlog Not For? 

Wanderlog is great for all travelers! Whether you want to organize your travel details, search for an array of activities to enjoy on your trip, or collaborate with fellow travelers, the Wanderlog travel planning app won’t disappoint. 

Does Wanderlog sound like the travel itinerary planner for you? Download the app today ! 

Best Road Trip Planning App: Roadtrippers

If you’re looking for road trip planner apps, Roadtrippers is one of the best options out there! This app is created exclusively for those traveling via car. It not only maps out the best routes for you to follow but also offers suggestions of things to do along the way. 

Roadtrippers can be used online and via their iPhone and Android app. Roadtrippers offers a free Basic version and a paid-for version called RoadTrippers Plus, which costs $29.99 per year.  

Roadtrippers Features

Custom Route Maps

Roadtrippers calculate the best route for you. Simply enter your road trip start and end destination, plus stops along the way if applicable. You can choose the fastest route or ask Roadtrippers to suggest additional stops along the way. 

Activity and Attraction Suggestions 

As just mentioned, Roadtrippers offers suggestions on things to do along your road trip route. These suggestions include activities to try and attractions to visit, as well as dining and accommodation suggestions. 

Gas Cost Estimations 

Once you have a route mapped, Roadtrippers provides an estimation of the total gas cost. This feature is great for those operating on a budget. 

Navigation 

Roadtrippers also help guide you once you set out on the trip with in-app navigation. This feature allows you to stay within the app instead of switching to another navigation app, like Google Maps. 

Roadtrippers Plus Added Features 

• Offline maps
• Collaboration features, allowing multiple travelers to add to the road trip itinerary 
• Live traffic updates 
• Special promotions from Roadtrippers’ travel panthers, such as discounts on hotels 
• Dark mode 
• No in-app ads 

Who Is Roadtrippers For? 

As the name suggests, Roadtrippers is ideal for people planning road trips. The app is helpful for all types of road trip travelers, from those looking for a quick route from A to B to those wanting to visit an array of attractions along a multi-city route. 

Who Is RoadTrippers Not For? 

This app isn’t optimal for those planning different types of travel experiences. For example, if you’ll fly to one city and then want recommendations for tourist attractions, this isn’t the right app for you. You also miss out on features without a paid account, so if you want to benefit from all of a travel apps’ features for free, you may not be interested in RoadTrippers. 

Want to learn more about Roadtrippers? Read our in-depth Roadtrippers review ! 

Best Travel Planning App for Trip Information Organization: TripIt

TripIt is one of the relatively well-known itinerary planning apps that stores all your trip details, like transport and accommodation information, in one place. TripIt can be used via web browser or an app for iOS or Android. 

TripIt has both a free version of the app, with limited features, and a paid-for version called TripIt Pro. You can also purchase TripIt for Teams which is targeted at business travelers.

TripIt Pro: $49 per year with a 30-day free trial

TripIt Teams: Starts at $29 a month for one to ten users 

TripIt Features

TripIt allows you to upload your travel information to one place. Things you can upload include flight details, hotel bookings, and activity reservations. You can manually upload information or email it to TripIt. 

TripIt Pro Added Features 

• Transport fare trackers
• Check-in reminders
• Flight updates
• Seat upgrade information 
• Airport security wait time updates 
• Loyalty/rewards program points tracker 
• Baggage claim location notification 
• Interactive maps
• Ability to share plans with others 
• Features to add documents to your itinerary, such as photos or PDFs 

Who Is TripIt For? 

This is a great app for those that only want to store and organize all the information they already have relating to a trip in one place, and have access to this information on their phone. It’s also very easy to use. 

Those that also want notifications related to their trip all in one place will appreciate the features offered by TripIt Pro. 

Who Is TripIt Not For? 

TripIt is quite a basic itinerary planner. In addition, TripIt doesn’t offer suggestions on things to do in the city you’re visiting. These drawbacks mean that TripIt is best for those that only want to store all of their travel information in one place.

If you’re looking for an app that offers travel suggestions, such as activities to try or landmarks to visit, this isn’t the app for you. Travelers looking for a free travel itinerary app will probably not be interested in TripIt either (you should instead try Wanderlog that’s 100% free to use!) 

Unsure if TripIt is right for you? Read our detailed TripIt review to learn more about the app.

Best Travel Planning App for Documenting Your Trip: Polarsteps

Polarsteps allows you to document your entire trip, along with creating itineraries. This travel app can be used in-browser or via an app and is one of the best free travel planner apps, as you can access all features at no cost. You can pay for a printed travel book with pictures and notes relating to your trip. These books start at approximately $40 for a 24-page book.

Polarsteps Features

Trip Itinerary Creation 

You can create a trip itinerary and add as many stops as you like. These stops include different cities, countries, and landmarks/places of interest. A map showing each stop will also be generated. 

Addition of Images, Videos, and Notes 

For every stop added, you can also upload pictures, videos, and a description of the place. This feature is ideal for those looking to document their adventure and makes Polarsteps somewhat of a digital travel scrapbook. 

Access to Pre-Created Trips

You can follow other users (as you would on social media networks) and access their pre-created trips. This is the one discovery feature on the app to help you find additional places to visit. 

Sharing Features 

It’s easy to share trips with other people, like friends and family. You can add followers to your trip, which allows them to see everything you’re doing. Multiple people, however, can not edit and add to a trip from different accounts. 

Who Is Polarsteps For? 

Polarsteps is recommended for those that want to document their entire trip with images, notes, and the like. It’s also perfect for those taking long, multi-city trips, although can be used by those taking shorter trips too. 

Who Is Polarsteps Not For? 

This app isn’t recommended for those looking to create an itinerary that simply keeps all of their travel information in one place. If you don’t want to document your trip via images, notes, and videos, Polarsteps probably won’t be worth using. 

The app also isn’t great for those looking for activity suggestions, you can access the trips of others for ideas, but the Polarsteps will not offer streamlined activity suggestions itself. 

Read our detailed Polarsteps review to discover more about this app. 

Best Alternative to Print Travel Guides: Lonely Planet Guides

Lonely Planet is an extremely well-known travel guide brand. Recently, they launched an app, Lonely Planet Guides, that is quickly becoming one of the  best travel planner apps. Lonely Planet Guides offers attractions and landmark suggestions for over 1,000 cities. You can also access videos, curated collections, and phrasebooks. 

Lonely Planet Guides is accessible via an app for iOS and Android. There is a free version, but it’s very basic, so paying for a subscription is necessary in most cases. Lonely Planet Guides pricing is as follows: 

• One Month: $4.99
• Six Months: $21.99 (or $3.67 a month)
• One Year: $39.99 (or $3.33 a month) 

Lonely Planet Guides Features

Information on Places of Interest 

You have access to information on landmarks and attractions for the majority of cities on the app. This feature is great for discovery and allows you to find the best things to see and do in the city you’re visiting.

If you don’t have a paid subscription, you can only access info on four places of interest per month. 

Custom Maps and Bucket Lists 

If you discover places of interest that you want to visit, you can add them to a map and/or bucket list. Once in the city, you can open your map to easily see where all the attractions you want to visit are located. 

Without a paid plan, you can only add four locations to your map each month. 

Curated Collections

Access to pre-created collections of things to do is available. These are often categorized, for example, the best markets or restaurants to visit. 

Ability to Purchase Tours and Other Tickets 

If you discover an attraction you want to visit or a tour you want to try, you can purchase tickets via a third party directly in the app. 

Paid Subscription Added Features 

• Access to phrasebooks for 19 languages 
• 360-degree immersive experiences 

Who Is Lonely Planet Guides For? 

The Lonely Planet Guides app is ideal for those looking for a digital alternative to traditional print travel guidebooks. It’s also a good choice for those going on a multi-city trip as you have access to information for thousands of cities across the globe, all from your phone. 

Who Is Lonely Planet Guides Not For? 

Lonely Planet Guides isn’t recommended for travelers that are looking for free travel planner apps. It’s also not the best option for those looking to create complete itineraries that include transport and accommodation information as well as places they plan to visit. 

Get all the details on this travel planner app by reading our Lonely Planet Guides review . 

Best Travel Planning App for Those That Want to Explore Like a Local: ViaHero

ViaHero is a travel planning app with a difference. Instead of planning your itinerary yourself, locals to the area (called “Heroes”) will create an itinerary and personalized guidebook for you. Understandably, this comes at a cost. You’ll be charged $40 per day of itinerary planning, with the maximum paid for a guidebook usually being $125. 

Destinations covered include cities in North America, Central and South America, Asia, and Europe. 

ViaHero Features

Custom Guidebook Creation  

After highlighting the types of activities and attractions you’re interested in, your “Hero” will create an itinerary and guidebook. 

A Personalized Map

You’ll also get access to a custom map that features each location mentioned in your guidebook. 

Booking of Activities and Other Travel Arrangements 

If things on your itinerary need booking (and booking doesn’t require prepayment) your local “hero” will make these arrangements for you. 

Ability to Communicate with Your “Hero”  

You can get in touch with your local “hero” at any point before and during your trip. This feature allows you to request changes to your itinerary and ask questions if needed as you explore the city.  

Who Is ViaHero For? 

ViaHero is one of the best travel planner apps for those that have limited time to plan their own trip, plus a decent budget for someone else to do so for them. It’s also a great choice for those that like to explore off the beaten track and get recommendations from locals instead of visiting tourist hotspots. 

Who Is ViaHero Not For? 

Due to the cost, ViaHero isn’t a good option for those traveling on a budget. It also may not be a great choice for those that are visiting a city for the first time and want to see the most popular landmarks and attractions. 

Being a newer service, only “heroes” from a limited number of cities are available at this time. If you’re visiting an area without a local “hero,” you won’t be able to use the service. 

Best Travel Planning App for Those That Love Reviews: Tripadvisor 

Tripadvisor is another of the itinerary planning apps that’s well-known to the majority of travelers. Along with a browser version, Tripadvisor has a convenient app that can help with everything from booking accommodation to discovering places to visit. 

Tripadvisor is free to use and has information for almost every city across the globe. Tripadvisor will offer an overview of the city you search for, along with hotel, restaurant, and activity recommendations. Best of all, all suggestions include reviews from travelers who have visited. 

Tripadvisor Features 

Things to Do  

Tripadvisor suggests a range of places to visit and activities to try in the destination you’re visiting. Along with searching the “Things to Do” section, you can search for specific landmarks and attractions to get more information on them. Whichever way you search, you’ll also have access to reviews from travelers who have visited the landmark or attraction or tried the activity.  

Restaurants 

You can also access restaurant suggestions for the destinations you’re heading to. Again, reviews from those who have dined at each establishment are available. You can also select categories, such as types of cuisine, to narrow down your search. Many restaurants offer the option to reserve via Tripadvisor too. 

Hotels 

Looking for a place to stay? Tripadvisor has you covered! Simply input the dates you need accommodation for, number of guests, and other filters like budget, if applicable, to view hotel results. You can then go straight to the hotel website from Tripadvisor or view deals from hotel booking sites like Hotels.com. 

Itinerary Maps and Lists

When you find activities you want to try, landmarks you intend to visit, and restaurants you wish to dine at, you can add them to a map and list. By adding these things to a map, you can easily see where everything you want to do is located, and develop day-by-day plans. Unfortunately, you can’t create an actual day-to-day itinerary via Tripadvisor. 

Who Is Tripadvisor For? 

This app is great for learning more about attractions, landmarks, restaurants, and accommodation via reviews. If you like to hear opinions from real travelers before committing to plans, you’ll appreciate Tripadvisor. It also has amazing discovery features, making Tripadvisor ideal for travelers that are looking for suggestions on things to do in the locations they’re visiting. 

Who Is Tripadvisor Not For? 

Tripadvisor isn’t ideal for planning day-to-day itineraries. While you can create maps and lists of all the places you want to go, these can’t be separated into individual days. That can be frustrating for travelers, especially if going on a multi-day or week trip. 

Using Tripadvisor to access reviews and combining this research with a full travel itinerary planner, like Wanderlog , is recommended.  

Other Itinerary Planning Apps to Consider 

While we rank the above five as the best travel planner apps on the market, the following eight apps are worth checking out too!

GEOVEA allows you to plan trips, store details like flight and accommodation info, and search for activity suggestions. This travel planning software also has budgeting features. You can estimate the cost of the activities included in the itinerary to see the overall cost of your trip. 

While you can use the company’s website on your phone, there isn’t an app. The standard version of the software is free but comes with limitations. To have full access to the app, you must purchase a subscription which starts at $29.99/year.  

Hipherd is one of the best free travel planner apps for those looking for a place to store travel inspiration. It allows you to save a range of travel content that you find across the web, such as travel articles, videos, and other information on destinations you want to visit.  

As with Pinterest, you can create “boards” to organize content by destination or other categories. You can view the collections of other users too. You can also create maps that show all the attractions you want to visit. Best of all, Hipherd costs nothing to use. 

Inspirock is a free travel itinerary planning  software that creates day-to-day itineraries for you based on data you input. Once a list of suggested places to visit has been generated, you can edit the itinerary to remove and add activities. You can also access accommodation suggestions, car and flight deals, and booking links. 

Learn more about this travel planner by taking a look at our Inspirock review ! 

Jubel is one of the great itinerary planning apps for those that are looking to discover new destinations. You start by answering a questionnaire to highlight travel likes, dislikes, and other preferences. A customized itinerary for a surprise destination is then created for you. This service does come at a cost, with Jubel users needing a trip budget of at least $1,500 for a solo-traveler trip or $1,100/per traveler for multi-person trips. 

Pilot 

Pilot is one of the free travel planner apps that’s perfect for travelers wanting to create itineraries as a group. You can add travel information, like flight bookings, to your online account, along with adding the activities you’ll do each day to an itinerary. It’s also easy to collaborate on one trip itinerary as a group. As mentioned, Pilot is free to use, but there is not a mobile app, so you must use the software in-browser. 

Portico 

Portico is another recommended app for planning itineraries, organizing travel information, and searching for activity suggestions. Travel confirmation emails (transport bookings, accommodation reservations, etc.) can be added manually or simply email them to Portico to add to your account. You can also search for travel inspiration in-app and add places you want to visit to itineraries and lists. Portico is free and can be used in-browser or via an iOS app. 

Tripscout 

Tripscout is one of the best travel planner apps for trip inspiration and high-quality travel content. You can search an array of content in-app to learn about new destinations and attractions. If you discover things you’d like to do and places you’d like to go, you can add them to lists, itineraries, and maps to begin planning your next adventure! Tripscout is also always free to use. 

Tripsy 

Tripsy is another organization-focused itinerary planning app. This app stores travel information, such as flight confirmations and other transport info, restaurant reservations, and the like.  You can also get notifications, for example relating to your flight status, and can easily share your itinerary with friends and family. 

You can integrate your plans with third-party maps and calendars and can email confirmations as well as adding them manually. Tripsy has a free and paid-for Pro version that offers additional benefits, including unlimited itineraries. 

The Best Travel Apps for Flights and Hotels

Need transport or accommodation deals? These four travel planner apps are here to help! 

Snaptravel 

Snaptravel offers amazing deals on flights and hotels. Simply enter your travel dates and destination(s), and a selection of customized offers will be served to you. Customers benefit from rate and fare reductions of 30-50%, and Snaptravel is free to use. 

Discover more about saving on hotels and flights with this app by reading our Snaptravel review . 

Scott’s Cheap Flights 

Scott’s Cheap Flights provides users with incredible flight deals out of their local airport. You’ll receive deal emails each day with fare reductions of up 90% off applied. Scott’s Cheap Flights offers a free version and paid-for options, which allow you to receive business and first-class deals and add multiple departure airports. 

Read our Scott’s Cheap Flights review to learn more about this company! 

Dollar Flight Club 

Dollar Flight Club is another company offering steep discounts on flights. Enter your departure airport at sign-up and you’ll be emailed daily with great deals to an array of destinations. There is a free version, but this only offers access to 20% of deals. For the best results, upgrade to Premium ($69/year) or Premium Plus ($99/year.) Users can expect to save 60-90% on flights, however, you don’t have the option to get deals for specific destinations.  

Want to find out more? Read our Dollar Flight Club review . 

RometoRio 

Rome to Rio offers an array of transport options that work with your trip and are bookable through the app. This free app can show you flights, car rentals, buses, and trains that will allow you to get from point to point on your itinerary. While Rome2Rio isn’t a deal-based app, you can also benefit from cheaper transport rates when using the app. You can also find accommodation and activity suggestions via Rome2Rio, but cannot create itineraries.

Not sure which of these travel planner apps to choose? Give Wanderlog a try ! It costs nothing to do so, and we guarantee that you’ll love it.

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The 7 Best Trip Planner Apps to Help You Travel Better

Looking for a trip planner app? From AI trip planners to group-trip planning apps, we’ll review the best ones to help make planning trips with friends a breeze.

Let's face it, life can get pretty crazy sometimes.

That's why we're all about taking that sweet escape for a much-needed break from the world. But, you know how it goes, just when you're ready to unwind and start planning your trip, you're hit with a mountain of stuff to do.

Sorting out bookings, arranging schedules and then trying to align all these plans and paperwork with your travel buddies—it's enough to give anyone a headache!

For many of us, planning a holiday or organizing travel itineraries is the starting point of the fun, like the first wave of excitement that keeps us pumped and ready for the adventure ahead.

My go-to when it comes to making planning easier? A trusted trip planning app! A well-designed trip planner app is a true lifesaver in the travel-planning journey.

What Are Trip Planner Apps?

Anytime you plan a trip, you’ll want to figure out things to do, places to see and activities to experience.

After all, if you’re visiting a new city for the first time, you won’t know everything the city has to offer.

Even if you’re returning to a city because you loved it so much from a previous vacation, maybe you want to try new restaurants and tourist attractions to spice things up.

Trip planner apps help you build itineraries and discover fun places to go with friends . These are especially helpful when planning trips with friends because maybe everyone wants different things.

Good trip planning tools should enable you to collaborate with travel buddies when planning a trip and offer central repositories where everyone can stay on top of what’s happening.

In short, trip planning apps have become a hit because they make life so much simpler when you're putting together your travel plans.

You'll find tons of trip planner apps, each with its own special twist that makes trip planning a breeze.

A top-notch trip planning app should make the itinerary-planning process a walk in the park and help you piece together details without breaking a sweat. So instead of getting buried in organization, you're actually getting stoked for your journey!

What Is the Best Trip Planner for Group Travel?

Every traveler is different and so are the travel apps. But one thing most people have in common is that travel experiences are best shared with friends and loved ones.

This is why I've rounded up the best trip planning apps, focusing on ones that can be used to plan group trips with friends. You no longer have to be stuck with the same old Google Sheet or notes app that doesn’t make life easier, especially when planning for a group.

Though not all travel apps help with trip planning when it comes to building activity itineraries. Some of the best travel apps focus more on booking flights or accommodations; other online tools like packing apps are for backpackers to help prep gear.

Here, our main focus is on trip planning apps specifically so you can find the best one for you to build, edit and share travel itineraries using the features they offer. 

Here are the 7 best trip planning apps you'll want to download and try out, each with its own specialties!

7 Best Trip Planning Apps for Stress-Free Travel

Pilot is a social trip planner that helps you discover fun things to do in different cities, build travel itineraries and easily collaborate with friends while planning your trip.

By specializing in group travel through its unique collaboration features, Pilot enables you to overcome the challenges of coordinating logistics with friends, accommodating different travel styles and reconciling various travel preferences so you can create memories and have a blast.

Making travel plans with friends and collaborating with others to bring the joy back into building shared travel experiences.

Why You’ll Like It:

As a social trip planner, Pilot makes travel planning an immersive experience and more than a mere task because you can do it with your favorite travelmates (or yourself)!

Pilot makes it fun and easy to share and relive your favorite travel memories with many useful features.

Whether it’s brainstorming ideas, seeking inspiration, voting for places to visit or discussing a group budget, Pilot has got you covered.

In Pilot you can manage multiple trips, invite friends to each trip and view which group is attached to each one.

All guests in each trip can access the trip planner and collaborate on discovering activities & accommodations and building itineraries, with a chat tool, voting functionality and group notifications all built in!

My personal favorite feature? The fact that you can set different icons for different types of itinerary items and use color-coding!

Its user-friendly interface is a delight for perfectionists who love categorizing events, activities and attractions in different forms. Plus it integrates all your travel ideas into one place.

Travelers can also use the app to import essential travel details like flight booking numbers. If you're looking for something both more fun & flexible than a plain-old Google Doc or spreadsheet to plan your trip, you've come to the right place!

Why You Might Not Like It:

If planning trips yourself isn’t your thing or you’re a solo traveler who doesn’t vibe with itineraries, Pilot may not be ideal—but it does offer some cool AI functionality to help you find places to visit and things to do so you don’t feel left out still, like Quick Start for generative itinerary-building or Discover for automated trip suggestions!

The Pilot trip planning app is also in its early stages with tons of cool new features being added every month. This is also a good thing—it means Pilot values customer feedback more than you might expect. There’s even a “Product Suggestions” feature directly accessible in the support chatbox so you can have your voice heard!

Top Features:

• Plan trips together in real time with your travel crew, friends or family!
• Chat with your travel crew and vote on travel itineraries!
• Import and store your travel information for offline access.
• Create notes, reminders, packing lists and travel wishlists!
• FlightDeck , Pilot's blog, contains an extensive database of destination guides, things to do and where to stay!
• Totally free!
• Web and Android (iOS coming soon!)

People with complex travel plans and lots of bookings made from different sources.

TripIt is a minimal and old-school travel planner to organize all the essential details for trips so you can keep all your documents and logistical details in a central place with reminders, notifications and maps.

TripIt is straightforward in what it does. It gathers and syncs all travel-related booking and confirmation emails related to flights, transportation and accommodation to form an itinerary. This way, you don’t have to spend time searching for them individually.

What's great about TripIt is the ability to automatically import and sync your booking and ticket reservations via email forwarding. This will input your booking or any ticket information onto your planner without you needing to do it manually.

For example, if you have your flight information, Airbnb reservations and event tickets in your email, all you'll have to do is forward them to TripIt. They'll automatically sync them into a master itinerary for you to use.

If you find yourself setting multiple alarms for the airport, TripIt will automatically remind you when it’s time to leave based on your ticketing information.

TripIt Pro, the premium version, sends important alerts regarding flight status, delays and gate numbers, improving your experience even more.

The app also has a neighborhood safety score which can be really helpful for solo travelers and backpackers from minority groups; you can also filter neighborhoods to visit by with a personal safety preference.

We think the app is best suited for busy professionals on business tours and last-minute travelers who don’t have the time to sort through their trip details.

If you believe that travel planning should be fun and as exciting as taking the trip, TripIt might not be for you. TripIt doesn’t scream “fun."

It's owned by the enterprise technology company SAP, which means the interface is very formal and stiff, so probably not what you're looking for if your trip is for leisure.

If you’re looking for features other than organizing booking details, such as interesting travel content, guides for inspiration and the ability to add specific attractions, you’re out of luck.

TripIt has a map view to import all your trip details onto a map and an itinerary list that resembles a social media timeline, and it can even autosuggest venues when you’re making plans, but it’s not great for discovering attractions, things to do or places to visit.

It’s also not the best for planning trips with friends. Itineraries can be shared, but it's hard to do much collaboration on them if you're taking a group trip.

If you’re traveling with friends, TripIt is satisfactory if only one person does most or all the planning. Then you can use TripIt to share all the details your travelmates need once you’re ready for your trip to begin.

All in all, TripIt is best if you’re not using it to plan your trip but instead want a tool to help you organize and share trip details that you already planned & booked elsewhere.

• Automatically imports travel details from your inboxes.
• Has neighborhood-safety scores.
• Provides flight information from your bookings, notifications, map views of your activities, etc.
• The basic version is free but you’ll probably need TripIt Pro, which costs $49 per year, to get the full value.
• iOS, Android and web

Still unsure if you should use TripIt? Check out our in-depth TripIt review to learn more about its features and pros & cons!

Travelers who want to save their travel inspiration in one place and don't need or want advanced planning functionality.

HipHerd makes sure you don’t lose track of exciting destinations, inspiring travel stories, adventure trips and other information you come across when surfing the web at random.

Essentially, you can gather and save travel ideas at your own pace using this platform. This way, you'll have a ton of interesting attractions lined up when you start planning an itinerary.

You can also create boards with lists of places to visits, hotels, aetc. for each destination on your trip, categorize relevant details and share them with others for real-time collaboration. Once you have sorted your itinerary, it will be displayed on a map to picture your trip at a glance.

Perhaps most helpfully, you can browse “travel boards” by other users to get inspiration.

If you’re looking for a travel planner, HipHerd will not deliver. The travel itinerary extension can help you store inspiration and destinations, but you’ll need another travel planning app to help you with the actual planning.

You can discover things to do and places to visit and add them to your board, but it’s not clear how they sort or filter suggestions and how they display boards is more in the style of Pinterest than a helpful travel itinerary.

HipHerd isn't for you if you’re looking for essential features like the ability to store important travel details like flight information and track your budget to give you an idea of expenses.

You can share travel boards with others who can gain editing access, but that’s the extent of any collaboration features, so HipHerd isn’t the best for planning trip with friends.

Top features:

• Curate mood boards for destinations.
• Downloadable Chrome extension.
• TripAdvisor partnership for finding and booking deals for things like hotels.
• Sample trips and travel boards to browse.
• Travel-personality quiz to curate content to your preferences.

4. Wanderlog

Travelers looking for a decent, all-around trip planner for creating & sharing itineraries, tracking expenses, creating checklists and more.

If you want a dependable trip planner app that does a little bit of everything, then Wanderlog can get the job done.

Wanderlog is an all-purpose trip planner for building and mapping trip itineraries all in one place. You can share your trips with friends and have them contribute to the planning process as well!

It also has AI functionality to help you create trip itineraires if you’re looking for ideas. Plus you can import details form flight & hotel bookings and track costs to manage budgets.

What makes Wanderlog stand out is that you can build your own travel guides for certain types of trips, share them with the public for inspiration and receive likes or you could like & upvote other people’s guides too.

Wanderlog is a go-to safe option for planning trips that does most things you need it to well enough and in a relatively clean & easy-to-use dashboard, but it’s not the best in any one category.

You can share trips with friends and have them collaborate with real-time editing, but it doesn’t have any advanced chat or communication tools to help facilitate the collaboration.

Its AI features for creating travel itineraries are nice but they suggest basic daily itinerary items and can’t edit or interact with what you might already have.

Discovering things to do and places to visit requires some manual work and even then automated imports from the internet require the Chrome extension, which isn’t free lest you upgrade to Wanderlog’s premium version, which also isn’t free.

And of course, the premium version is also a little pricey for budget travelers. There are other things you can’t do without it as well, such as exporting trip details, gaining offline access, unlimited AI assistance and more.

• AI tool for itinerary suggestions.
• Expense-tracking and cost-splitting features.
• Guides to local and authentic travel.
• Free or $59.99/year for the Pro version.

5. Roadtrippers

Anyone who only wants to plan a road trip!

As the name suggests, the RoadTripper app is specially built for road-trip enthusiasts who want to have a heads-up about interesting attractions along their chosen route.

It also shows dining and lodging options that come in handy for people on long journeys. Every interesting stop is pinned on a map so that you can add what’s interesting to your itinerary.

There’s also the ability to search for specific attractions using filters. Once done, the itinerary can be edited, saved and shared with others who partake in the trip. Talk about useful!

But should you try Roadtrippers Plus? The premium version of Roadtrippers allows you to extend your trip, adding up to 150 waypoints onto your journey. It's also ad-free!

The premium version comes with its AI tools that help you plan your road trip for you, with suggestions for stops along the way.

For one, if you don’t plan on taking road trips often, the subscription will cost you a bit, $59.99 annually. While Roadtrippers have the basic version for free, it’s very limited in features.

The app is also not very user-friendly in terms of navigation, so you’ll most likely need to bring your laptop along with you on your trip and use data to access your travel itineraries.

You can share your itinerary with friends if you have any road-trip buddies, but the collaboration features for trip planning are limited.

• Gives you info on lesser-known attractions.
• AI tool that helps you plan your road trip.
• Features for RV travelers such as suggestions for RV parking spots.
• Paid upgrades for roadside assistance.
• Their paid version costs $55.99 per year, with a 7-day free trial.

Check out our Roadtrippers app review if you'd like to learn more about the features that come with the app and pros & cons!

Travelers who are super planners, serious about the time schedules, budgeting and logistics of the trip down to the fine details.

GEOVEA aims to make itinerary building easy for travelers with its detailed user interface. Once a destination is selected, activities for each day of the trip can be selected and dragged into time slots.

It also allows you to keep track of transportation, accommodation and other bookings made, including what’s yet to be done. Then, you can estimate costs for each activity and edit them later on. You can share your itineraries with friends and family as well.

If you’re looking for an app, this might not be the travel planner solution for you. GEOVEA’s main drawback is that it’s only a web-based platform, although travel content can be viewed using mobile.

Secondly, it’s not a platform for collaboration to plan trips in groups, although itineraries are shareable.

Third, it's not super flexible. So if you like to plan your trip your way, you might just be better off with some of the other options on this list.

Lastly, although its user interface is detailed, it can be a little clunky and not very appealing.

• Intuitive itinerary builder with integrated services like Yelp.
• Easily track expenses, transportation, lodging, etc.
• Shareable to your travel friends and family!
• Standard package is free with a limited number of itineraries.
• Other subscriptions are available at $20 for six months, $50 for one year and $80 for one year with additional premium features.

7. Tripadvisor

Travelers who want tips and recommendations from other travelers and book accommodations, flights and things to do straight from the same platform.

Tripadvisor is one of the largest leaders when it comes to review-based travel bookings.

With their comprehensive public forums, you can find just about any information you’d need for any destination, transportation, attraction or accommodation. You’ll also be able to book and create your trips straight from their app, from hotels to excursions & activities!

Its “Destination Forums” are akin to Reddit and offer user-generated suggestions. And it offers a “Digital Passport” so you can cross off places you’ve been.

And of course it has AI tools to help you plan your trip with automated suggestions.

Tripadvisor makes it easy to navigate different activities, explore different options and compare prices and ratings of different accommodations.

If you want any control over planning your trip, Tripadvisor is certainly not the app for you. The trip planner from Tripadvisor is not very user-friendly and fun to use.

For example, it’s almost impossible to import other bookings or information into your travel planner.

You can share your trips with friends and let them help you plan your trips but the collaboration features aren’t very advanced.

That being said, it's a great way to browse through all the different options out there. You'll likely find a lot of ideas that you hadn't thought of before!

• A platform to share and read public reviews and recommendations and book all without leaving the app.
• Database of attractions and things to do with reviews and ratings.
• Trusted platform amongst millions of travelers.
• TripAdvisor Plus ($99/year): discounted rates on over 100,000 flight prices, hotel bookings, experiences and car rentals.
• iOS, and Android and web

Alternatives:

Time to get planning your trip.

So, this is my list of the top trip planner apps.

Make sure you find one that helps you plan a trip with friends so you can have a fun, stress-free vacation.

If you're up to trying out an up-and-coming trip planner, join us on Pilot! We specialize in planning trips with friends so you and your crew can experience the ultimate fun together. Plus, it’s free!

Disclosure : Pilot is supported by our community. We may earn a small commission fee with affiliate links on our website. All reviews and recommendations are independent and do not reflect the official view of Pilot.

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30 essential travel apps every traveler needs before their next trip

When it comes to planning and taking a vacation, travelers rely on their phones now more than ever.

Travel apps are a source of inspiration and are extremely useful for booking and managing logistics — even making restaurant reservations or finding a great fitness class wherever in the world you're flying next.

From apps that help with everything from day-of hotel bookings and last-minute flight changes to those that serve as guidebooks and foreign-language dictionaries, travel is infinitely easier thanks to technology.

Apps can help you navigate a new city, make currency conversions, pack a perfect suitcase and even provide on-the-ground local expertise. Whatever you need when you hit the road, there's an app for that.

We've rounded up the most-loved apps here at TPG. Some may be obvious, and others more obscure, but either way, get ready to download.

Best apps for researching and booking trips

In addition to the apps for the airlines you fly most frequently and your favorite hotel brands, these apps can help you save money on flights and accommodations.

Hopper has changed in recent years from just offering a price prediction tool for flights to being a true online travel agency. The app helps travelers find the cheapest flights, hotels and rental cars.

Of course, Hopper also still offers its signature price prediction technology to help you plan out when to book, as well as travel protection options and a price freeze to help you lock in the lowest possible price on hotels and flights.

Kiwi is used mainly to book flights, but it also helps you book hotels (using its partnership with Booking.com) and car rentals (using its partnership with RentalCars.com).

Some of the app's most interesting features include the "Deals" section, which pulls in discounted flights, and the "Travel hacks" section, which includes options for hidden city ticketing, throwaway ticketing (making one-way flights more affordable) and free price alerts.

Hotel Tonight

A dream for last-minute travelers, Hotel Tonight ( now owned by Airbnb ) lets you book stays for the same evening up to a few months in advance in thousands of cities worldwide. Available hotel rooms are categorized into sections like basic, luxe, hip, charming and solid, so you can select what works for your vibe. Take advantage of the daily drop feature, where you swipe to find a personalized deal with a special price only valid for 15 minutes after unlocked.

At TPG, we love a good loyalty program, and HT Perks, the app's nine-level reward program, is extensive. Not unlike a video game, you "level up" by reaching specific spending thresholds on the app, and you'll gain access to perks like discounts, VIP customer support and credits. Also, your levels never expire, so you can only continue to move up.

To book home rentals instead of hotels, use the Airbnb app. After entering your destination and dates, you can filter results based on the home type, price, requisite amenities and more. If you find something you like, you can book directly through the app.

The app is ideal for managing your trips while on the road — you can access all your bookings under the "Trips" tab, where you can view your reservation (and the address or directions), contact the host or change your reservation. Once you have a booking, you can also explore and book local experiences in your destination, such as wine tastings, kayak tours, hikes, shows and concerts.

We can't talk about travel apps without mentioning the TPG App. Use it to track your credit card, airline and hotel points balances; earn points and miles efficiently through using the right credit card ; and research how many points or miles you'll need to book your dream getaway. You can even curate your own news feed so you see the news and advice that matters most to you first.

The TPG App is available for download on iOS . Android users can join the waitlist here .

Related: The TPG App has arrived — here's why you should download it now

Best apps for organizing a trip

From keeping all your documents in order to perfectly packing your suitcase without forgetting a thing, these are the best apps for organizing travel plans.

TripIt declutters your itineraries and documents by keeping them organized in one place. You can set your reservations to automatically send to TripIt, which lets you view travel confirmations, flight itineraries, tickets, hotel and Airbnb booking information, rental car reservations, ferry tickets and driving directions without ever leaving the app.

TripIt also makes it simple to share your trip plans with whoever picks you up from the airport or train station or anyone else who may need to coordinate with you. TripIt Pro subscriptions cost $49 per year and include extras like real-time flight alerts, security wait times, baggage claim information and updates on your loyalty reward programs.

Roadtrippers

Perfect for organizing that epic road trip you've always wanted to take, Roadtrippers plans out your driving route and lets you book hotels and activities along the way. The app is especially useful for finding interesting and off-the-beaten-path roadside attractions, cool restaurants and can't-miss landmarks you can bookmark.

A Roadtrippers Premium membership includes offline maps, live traffic information, overnight RV parking and more for $59.99 per year. For those looking to only venture on a few road trips per year, the app also offers a Pro ($49.99 per year) and Basic ($35.99 per year) membership.

PackPoint takes all the stress out of packing . The app shows you what to bring based on the length of your trip, the weather in your destination and any activities you're planning along the way. If you have access to laundry facilities at your destination, PackPoint even allows you to account for washing your clothes and wearing them multiple times.

Just download and install the app, type in the city you're visiting and plug in your travel details. So, stop waiting until the day before your trip — or the hours before you have to leave for the airport — and start packing now.

Best apps for navigating the airport and flights

Track flights, navigate airports and find airport lounges with these apps.

LoungeBuddy

LoungeBuddy offers access to premium airport lounges around the world, regardless of the airline or class you're flying. When you create a trip in the app and type in the credit cards you currently hold, it will tell you which lounges you have access to based on the airports you'll be transiting through and how to purchase access if you don't already have it.

You can purchase access on the day you're traveling or up to two months in advance if you're the plan-ahead type. If you prefer to search by lounge or lounge program, the app will tell you exactly what is needed to use them.

Priority Pass

Priority Pass offers access to more than 1,300 lounges worldwide and provides meal vouchers at select airport restaurants across the world for an annual fee starting at $99.

Several cards, including The Platinum Card® from American Express , the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve , offer Priority Pass memberships for all cardholders (enrollment required). Otherwise, you'll have to pay an annual fee to be a member and, depending on your membership tier, a fee to enter each lounge on top of the annual fee.

To use the Priority Pass app, enter the name or code of the airport you're in, and Priority Pass will pull up the lounges or restaurants that you have access to, including photos, hours, amenities and specific location information. For more information on the Priority Pass Program and how to gain lounge access, click here . Enrollment is required for select benefits.

Related: The best credit cards for Priority Pass lounge access

FlightAware

The FlightAware app allows you to track flights online, see a live map of a flight and check on delays, cancellations and gate changes. This app is especially helpful if you have a tight connection or want to track your flight.

It's also useful when picking up friends and family at the airport, as you can track their flight and see updated landing times or delays. AvGeeks will enjoy digging into flight statistics, flight maps and community aviation discussions on the app.

Best apps to use during your flight

Timeshifter.

What better way to cure jet lag than with an app? Timeshifter actually helps you avoid jet lag long before your flight takes off and also offers inflight and post-flight suggestions. The app relies on neuroscience research about sleep and circadian rhythms to provide personalized recommendations, taking into consideration your age, gender and normal sleep patterns — as well as specifics about your trip and travel plans. Timeshifter maps out when you should avoid or seek light, take a nap or try to stay awake. It even tells you if you should consider supplementing with melatonin or caffeine.

Your first jet lag plan is free, then $9.99 per plan, or you can enjoy unlimited plans for a year for $24.99.

Flying can cause anxiety — or provide a welcome relief from constant contact with our digital devices. Either way, use travel as an opportunity to relax, meditate or listen to soothing sounds that will lull you to sleep or a deep, relaxed state. Or, perhaps, you'll simply find it helps pass the time during a long flight.

Calm offers meditations on topics such as self-awareness, calming anxiety, breathing, lowering stress levels and happiness, among others. The app also has music options for focusing, relaxing and sleeping, as well as stories for adults and content for kids.

A limited selection of meditations and music is available for free (which you can download to use when you're offline or in flight). The premium version of the app costs $14.99 per month or $69.99 annually.

OK, so Netflix isn't really a travel app, but it can be a lifesaver during a long flight on an aircraft without seatback inflight entertainment or at the airport during an unexpected flight delay or boring layover. If you have a Netflix account, the app allows you to download your favorite shows onto your device to watch offline.

Just make sure to download your shows while connected to Wi-Fi before flying and check them again preflight to make sure they haven't expired (you can usually renew any expired downloads, but you must be connected to Wi-Fi or data to do so). Monthly prices vary depending on the plan.

Another app that's not really a travel app, Spotify can still be incredibly useful during tedious travel moments — just pop in those noise-canceling headphones and listen to your favorite music, meditations, podcasts and more.

The app's Premium plans (prices vary) allow you to download all your content offline on your phone, so you'll have it during long flights or when you don't have data or Wi-Fi access. Whether you want to take a morning jog in Bali to your favorite tunes or pass the time with a podcast on the metro in Barcelona, Spotify has it all.

Best apps to use in your destination

From exchanging money and sightseeing to communicating and knowing all the local tips and tricks, you don't want to land in a foreign city for the first time without these key apps.

XE Currency Converter

The XE Currency Converter app quickly provides live, up-to-the-minute currency rates, then allows you to store and view them even when you're offline. You'll never need to wonder if you're really getting a good deal in another country if you have this app.

Google Translate

Google Translate is a translation app that allows you to do it all — translate into more than 100 languages by typing, access 59 languages offline, translate via photo, translate bilingual conversations and even use the handwriting tool to translate.

The app is simple to use, too, with icons at the top you can click on to draw, take a photo, speak or type.

Not quite sure how much to tip when traveling internationally? GlobeTips will advise you on how to tip appropriately in more than 200 countries. It also offers a tip calculator for easy math. Globe also has apps for currency conversion, unit conversion and more that may be useful for travelers.

Related: The ultimate guide to tipping while traveling

For travelers globe-trotting with friends and family members or simply splitting the cost between groups, Tricount calculates shared costs and splits bills so you don't have to think twice about who owes what. Just enter your trip and currency and invite your travel mates to join your trip.

Each time someone pays for something, you enter the amount in Tricount, and the app splits everything up. You can also snap and store photos of receipts in the app. At the end of your trip, it will show the balances of who owes who what, making it easy to settle up.

Metric Conversions

Never be baffled by Celsius temperatures or suitcase weight in kilograms again with the Metric Conversions app . Whether you're measuring flour to cook at your Airbnb, figuring out distances for your Europe road trip or deciding whether to take a sweatshirt with you during your walking tour of the Great Wall of China, this app has you covered with easy conversions in volume, weight, temperature, area and more.

Google Maps

Google Maps is essential when visiting a new city (or even for getting around your hometown). You can map locations, get directions (walking, driving, public transportation, ride-hailing services and beyond) and see how crowded your subway will be in select cities .

You can make restaurant reservations, save your favorite spots and read and write reviews of attractions, eateries, shops and more. Make sure to download specific city or area maps ahead of time for offline access if you know you'll be without internet at your destination. For obvious reasons, the app works best when your GPS is turned on.

WhatsApp is a handy messaging service for travelers abroad as it uses an internet connection to avoid SMS fees.

It works like most other messaging apps: You start by creating an account, then add your friends and family members to contact and voila! You're able to call, video chat and send messages, images, voice memos, gifs and files just as you would in, say, iMessage (but with Android users too). You can also download WhatsApp on your Windows or Mac computer.

Best apps for planning activities

Traveling is about more than just getting from point A to point B. If you're looking for activities to add to your itinerary, check out these apps.

Meetup is an app designed for interacting with locals and other travelers who have mutual interests or shared hobbies. Whether you're traveling or at home, take what you love and do more of it with Meetup.

The app shows you groups that are formed around particular interests in your city, including yoga, photography, cooking, wine tasting, hiking, cinema and other activities. You can join groups to get updates on particular events you may want to participate in. The app can even help with networking, as there are many groups dedicated to business and technology. You might even be able to join a coworking group. Travelers with kids can participate in family-friendly meetups, and it's a great way for solo travelers to make friends and connect with others.

TheFork is one of the most useful resources for making restaurant reservations in Europe. Similar to OpenTable or Resy, the app lets you browse different restaurants by category and make reservations. TheFork features more than 60,000 restaurants in cities like London, Madrid and Geneva, as well as spots outside of Europe like Sydney, Australia.

The biggest perk is that many restaurant reservations come with discounts — in some cases, you can get up to 50% off your meal just by reserving a table through TheFork. Since we here at TPG are always down for earning rewards, make sure to monitor your YUMS — TheFork's reward system. You'll earn YUMS with each reservation, and when you hit 1,000, you receive a discount on your bill. Foodie travelers should also consider downloading these apps , too.

Happy Cow helps vegan and vegetarian eaters locate more than 180,000 restaurants, coffee shops, bakeries, farmers markets and grocery stores in over 180 countries around the world. The app allows you to filter by not only vegan and vegetarian but also gluten-free and cuisine types. You can also read reviews and get recipes on the app as well.

The app does cost $3.99, but it's a one-time expense.

TripAdvisor

Besides reading reviews of restaurants, hotels and attractions, you can book almost anything on TripAdvisor, from vacation rentals and restaurant reservations to tours and tickets.

The app has grown to include almost all things travel, allowing you to search by destination or interest (like the outdoors, food and drink, family or by the water, for example), which can give you inspiration for a trip or help you get your activities, meals and accommodations organized before traveling or on the fly.

With over 400,000 curated trails, AllTrails can help you find the hike or walk perfect for you and your group. It's not just mountain trails — AllTrails offers city walks, too, like easy meanders through the Marais district in Paris or peaceful strolls through Bangkok's Lumpini Park in Thailand.

See photos, updated weather predictions and key information about each route and connect with other travelers through reviews and forums. Access to AllTrails+ is $35.99 per year, which offers perks like offline maps and wrong turn alerts.

Best apps for staying safe

Use these apps to stay safe when traveling.

Smart Traveler

Smart Traveler is a free service that offers tips and information specifically for U.S. travelers. You can see what visas and vaccines you'll need before traveling and where to find help if you need it during your trip.

Register your trip on the app, which gives your information to local embassies and consulates in your destination. If there's any kind of disaster or tragedy, the local embassy can contact you to see if you need help.

TripWhistle

Another app dedicated to keeping you safe, TripWhistle maps your location and allows you to easily text or send your GPS coordinates or location. It also provides emergency numbers for firefighters, medical personnel and police in nearly 200 countries. After all, 911 is only for U.S.-based emergencies: Each country has its own specific emergency number.

Yes, Uber (or any local ride-hailing service app) is convenient, but it may also keep you safe. Using this app when traveling means you'll never get stuck wandering around in an unfamiliar area late at night or have to deal with unscrupulous taxi drivers trying to scam you. Uber also has in-app safety features such as an emergency assistance button which will allow you to call local emergency services right in the app.

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The 10 Best Road Trip Planner Apps for 2024

Save time, money, and energy with these apps so you can focus on the fun instead

• University of Ontario
• George Brown College
• Payment Services

We love road trips! Planning them can be fun but, let's be honest, also stressful. The right road trip planner apps can take some of that stress away by helping you plan, organize, and manage travel before and during your trip. We've researched and tested these apps to help give you peace of mind so that you can spend more time enjoying your trip.

The Ultimate Map App for Planning Your Route: Roadtrippers

Access to free and convenient travel guides.

Share-ability so friends can join in on the planning process and suggest places to visit.

The app can use up the battery life of your device quickly. Take a car USB charger with you.

Built for travelers, Roadtrippers helps you create your route while allowing you to discover great places as you plan it out. Add a new place to your itinerary to work it into your trip.

The app features an easy-to-use interface. In addition to covering the U.S., it also covers Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Download For:

Automate Your Trip Planning and Organization: Google Travel

Automatic trip organization via Gmail integration. 

Offline access so you can see your trip information even when you don't have an internet connection.

Limitations with customizing some day trips exactly the way you want.

You can count on Google to make your trip planning a breeze. Pre-constructed day plans are available for hundreds of the world's most popular destinations, which you can customize to your liking.

It's one of the most versatile travel planner apps out there, giving you one convenient place to see your hotel, rental car, and restaurant bookings.

Find and Book a Last-Minute Place to Stay: Hotels.com

A fast, easy-to-use booking feature.

For every 10 nights you book through Hotels.com, you get one night free, provided it's the average daily rate of those 10 nights.

No option to easily cancel if you change your mind.

Whether your road trip itinerary changed, or you haven't decided on a place to stay yet, Hotels.com can help you find a place and book it when you're on the go, even when it's super last-minute. You can sort and filter hotels, see the amenities they have to offer, compare prices, and catch a glimpse of how many rooms are available.

This is the app you'll want to have handy if you want to see in-depth hotel details at a glance and need to find a place to crash ASAP without breaking the bank.

Find Local Restaurants, Read Reviews, and Make Reservations: OpenTable

Lots of great filter options and suggestions.

Access to gorgeous, high-quality images of menu items and informative reviews from other users.

Reported problems and inconveniences with their built-in reward system.

Searching for specific restaurants is more difficult than simply looking at what's around in the area.

Deciding on a place to eat in a new area is quick and hassle-free with OpenTable. See what's nearby, filter restaurants by cuisine, see photos of what's on the menu, make reservations, and get personalized recommendations based on your preferences.

OpenTable is known to be one of the top  location-based food apps  available, so you know you can trust its information when you're dying for something to eat.

Navigate Like a Local: Waze

Hands-free navigation with voice commands.

Alerts-only mode for road hazards and police.

Share up-to-date ETA with friends.

Spotify and Apple Music widgets get in the way.

Cluttered maps can be confusing.

Higher battery usage than Google Maps.

Waze  is a community-driven travel app that shows you the shortest possible route to your destination. Like Google Maps, Waze makes real-time adjustments for traffic jams and other obstacles—but Waze is often more accurate since it caters specifically to drivers.

The app syncs with your Google Calendar and can tell you when you should leave for appointments based on traffic. There's also a cool option to record your own voice and use it for directions .

Know Exactly When and Where to Make a Pit Stop: iExit Interstate Exit Guide

Access to detailed summaries of what's at the next exit (including gas prices at nearby gas stations).

Search for the next 100 exits from your location.

The app can only be used on major U.S. exit-based highways.

No offline access, so you'll use your data plan while you're on the road.

Making a pit stop for food, gas, or a bathroom break is easy when you have the iExit app. Using your device's GPS, the app offers helpful suggestions for when and where to stop based on your location along the highway.

Whether you're looking for well-known franchises like Starbucks and Walmart to convenient amenities like free Wi-Fi and truck or trailer parking, this app has you covered.

Find the Cheapest Fuel Nearby: GasBuddy

An in-app gas payment feature.

Opportunity to save 10 cents per gallon on your first fill-up and five cents per gallon on every fill-up after.

The app can take up a lot of data and battery life as it runs in the background.

GasBuddy is an app specifically designed to find nearby gas stations and save money on gas. Use it to find the cheapest gas in your area and filter gas stations by amenities like car washes, restaurants, and bathrooms.

It's the app you want to have if you're serious about finding the cheapest gas around. Information comes from users like you, so you have the most up-to-date prices.

Download For :

Never Forget an Item: PackPoint Premium Packing List

Access to a built-in library of items to pack with the ability to add or remove items as needed. 

An elegant, intuitive app interface.

Can't input multiple destinations for a single trip.

Not a free app.

PackPoint helps you make sure you have everything you need based on where you're going and what you're doing. In addition, the app takes into consideration the length of your trip and the expected weather conditions. Perhaps best of all, this app turns a mundane chore into something that's actually quite fun.

Find Out Where to Park and How Much It Will Cost: Inrix ParkMe

ParkMe is the only app that also includes street parking and parking meter rates where available, in addition to parking lots.

Real-time updates on available parking spots.

Rates and hours may be inaccurate in some areas.

ParkMe claims to be the world's largest and most accurate parking database. It allows you to purchase your parking spot through the app and compare prices across parking providers to help you save more money.

If you're road tripping around major cities in the U.S., Canada, or Europe, this app can be a huge help. You can even compare parking options and prices so that you always get the best deal.

Automate Your Itinerary: TripIt

Automatically creates itineraries from your inbox.

Widget displays trip details on your home screen.

Annoying amount of alerts by default.

If you're planning a trip, you'll likely have a lot of confirmation emails for hotels, appointments, restaurants, and attractions. TripIt syncs with your inbox and uses that information to compile an itinerary so that you don't have to scramble for it.

The free version is fine for road trips, but if you ever fly, the premium version gives you the option to upgrade seats and track reward miles.

In addition to your phone, laptop, and tablet, other travel tech essentials include chargers, headphones, travel adapters, cameras, luggage trackers, and off-grid communications

Yes. You can use Google Maps as a trip planner through the “Places” and “My Maps” features. Both the Google Maps website and app let you save locations to lists and get directions.

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The Best Road Trip Apps That Help You Find Cheap Gas, Avoid Traffic, and More

Download these before you hit the highway.

Elizabeth Rhodes is a special projects editor at Travel + Leisure , covering everything from luxury hotels to theme parks to must-pack travel products. Originally from South Carolina, Elizabeth moved to New York City from London, where she started her career as a travel blogger and writer.

Carmen Martínez Torrón/Getty Images

Technology has revolutionized the way we travel in countless ways. Paper maps and GPS navigation systems have been replaced by Google and Apple Maps, old-school CDs by music streaming services, and guidebooks by apps that can notify road-trippers of roadside attractions in real time. One thing is certain: the smartphone has made road trips infinitely easier and, arguably, cheaper.

Whether you need a digital road trip planner to map out your next journey or something to help you avoid traffic jams, here are 11 of the best road trip apps to download ahead of your next adventure.

Roadtrippers

Roadtrippers is one of the most practical and popular road trip planning apps out there. Maybe you want to see national parks or the quirkiest roadside attractions. Perhaps you want to stop for the night at an iconic or underrated hotel. You can plan your stops right in the app, adding up to three waypoints for free or 150 with a Roadtrippers Premium account. There are also Basic and Pro memberships that allot you 20 and 50 waypoints per trip, respectively. The higher-tier memberships allow you to collaborate with friends and family and use navigation. The app features lodging, sights, outdoorsy destinations, restaurants, activities, shopping, fuel, and more all around the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

The app is free, but you have to upgrade to a membership plan to enjoy all the bells and whistles. The Basic plan costs $40 a year, the Pro plan $50 a year, and the Premium $60 a year. It's available on iOS and Android .

Google Maps

Every road-tripper needs a trusty navigation app in their arsenal, and Google Maps is consistently one of the most — if not the most — downloaded in the U.S. every year. Its dominance can be attributed to how comprehensive its data is, which allows it to generate the very best directions based on distance, road conditions, and traffic patterns.

Google Maps gives you route options and provides accurate estimates of how long it takes to get from A to B. Plus, you can plot several waypoints along your route — be it a mid-morning coffee stop or a hotel for overnighting (you can see reviews right in the app).

Google Maps is free and available on iOS and Android .

Waze is another one of the top navigation apps. With real-time updates that help you avoid traffic jams, construction, and more, it will have you navigating new cities and unfamiliar streets like a seasoned local. It's perhaps a little more proactive than Google Maps in changing up a route when problems arise, and that means Waze users should prepare for their drive to be a little unpredictable.

No one wants to spend hours sitting in traffic instead of exploring, so the fact that Waze collects data from other drivers to streamline the driving experience is a huge help. The app is free and available on iOS and Android .

Paying for fuel can eat up a good chunk of your road trip budget, but GasBuddy can save you a few bucks. The app crowdsources up-to-date fuel prices for more than 150,000 gas stations around the U.S. and Canada. The app also tells you how recent the submission is so you know whether it's outdated.

GasBuddy is not just helpful for finding cheap gas but also for finding gas stations in general (and parking), which can be difficult in foreign territory. The app is free and can be downloaded on iOS and Android . While using it, be a good road-tripper and submit gas prices you see as you travel.

Roadside America

Barry Winiker/Getty Images

The offbeat and kitschy roadside attractions you can find throughout the U.S. are often some of the most delightful parts of a road trip. The Roadside America app helps you find the most unique attractions worth stopping for, like the large sculpture of a cartoon mouse holding a cheese platter in Plain, Wisconsin — where else? — or the decidedly odd larger-than-life-sized three-way electrical plug that rests on a lawn in Philadelphia. The app features museums, murals, tours, quirky restaurants, and photo ops.

Roadside America costs $3 to download, which gets you access to one region in the app. You can purchase more regions for $2 or get access to all of the U.S. and Canada for an extra $7. The app is available only on iOS .

iExit Interstate Exit Guide

Knowing where to stop for road trip snacks, a drive-through latte, or a public restroom can be challenging with all the exit signs whizzing by at 70 mph, but iExit Interstate Exit Guide takes the guesswork out of it. The app will list which exits are coming up on your route, what's there, and what they offer — including food, lodging, fuel, and even hospitals. It pulls fuel prices from OPIS (the Oil Price Information Service) and displays Yelp reviews for businesses.

The app is free to download. Find it on both iOS and Android .

HotelTonight

Even if you've planned out all your stops ahead of time, you might find that you need to pull over for a night unexpectedly. Driving is tiring, and unplanned naps can be life-saving. HotelTonight can help you find accommodations in a pinch. The app offers day-of deals on unsold rooms, and the user-friendly interface means you can book a discounted room in minutes. There are well over 1,000 properties to choose from in cities all over the world, from Mexico City to Jakarta (in case you happen to take your road-tripping global).

It's free to download and available on iOS and Android .

If staying in a tucked-away A-frame cabin, a yurt, or a private guest house in someone's garden is more your travel style than bouncing between hotels, then Airbnb is the ticket. On the Airbnb app, you can search properties (millions in the U.S. alone) on a map and read reviews before you book, which you can do in advance or at the last minute.

The app features not just vacation homes but also activities, so if you're keen to experience a city like a local you can do so via a pottery class or a guided walking tour, for example.

The Airbnb app is free. You can download it on iOS or Android .

Patchareeporn Sakoolchai/Getty Images

Travelers who dream of camping out under the stars should download The Dyrt , a free app that helps you find tent, RV, and cabin sites across the U.S. One of the top camping apps on iOS and Android , it has more than a million registered users who submit reviews, pictures, and tips. On The Dyrt, you get real intel on campsites and a built-in community that makes camping on a road trip especially fun and safe. You can even book some of the campsites right on app.

The app is free, but there's a premium version for $36 a year that allows you to plan trips and search campsites while offline — convenient for remote regions.

What is a road trip without a perfect playlist? Whether you're keen to create a soundtrack of nostalgic singalongs, modern pop songs, or music inspired by your destination, you'll find even the most obscure tunes on Spotify , a catalog of more than 100 million tracks. When you tire of Taylor Swift, you can turn to podcasts or an audiobook to keep you company. Road trips are a great opportunity to delve into a docuseries like "Serial," an all-time favorite.

Spotify is free to download and listen to, but the ad breaks are annoying and streaming can chew through your phone data. A better option is to purchase a premium membership for $11 a month. It's ad-free and you can download music to listen to offline. The Spotify app is available on iOS and Android .

Electric vehicles are increasingly commonplace and great for more environmentally friendly road-tripping. The problem is often finding charging stations, as most EVs can go 100 to 300 miles before they need to be plugged in. PlugShare lists 700,000 charging stations across North America, Europe, and beyond. Users share their reviews of the stations, helping to guide EV drivers to the best, fastest, and most reliable charging spots.

PlugShare is free and available to download on iOS and Android .

Related Articles

Polarsteps Review

As overlanders , we know the importance of a travel journal. There were times when a physical diary would work for that. But nowadays, a myriad of travel logging apps are available out there. 

And, you can install them on your phone for free and start tracking your adventures effortlessly . One of those travel tracker apps is Polarsteps. It comes with a plethora of handy features that every overlander and explorer will love.

In fact, we have been using this app extensively on our trips all around the world for a long time. And, we are loving it. In this post, we will share a comprehensive review of Polarsteps to let you know whether it is worth it or not.

Review of Polarsteps App

The essential features of polarsteps, track your travels automatically.

The primary feature of Polarsteps is to track your trips all over the world automatically. You will just need to add a New Trip to the app by tapping the ‘+’ icon at the top. In the process, you can add a trip name, trip summary, start date, end date, share the trips with others, and more.

You can also enable the ‘Travel Tracker’ option for tracking travel for that trip. So, from the start date of the trip, the app will begin to track your position automatically in the background. And, Polarsteps will suggest you to add any new locations you are traveling during that period.

It is up to you whether you want to add that particular location or not. In the app, each location is referred to as ‘step’. To add a suggestion, simply tap on ‘Add step’ and to remove tap on ‘Discard’.

You can also add pictures, videos, notes, etc. to each location. And, the entire trip route will be marked on a vibrant and detailed map inside the application to give you a great visual about the trips.

Plan Your Trips

Polarsteps also have an itinerary planner feature. You can easily plan your future trips using this travel journal app.

In the process, you can add the possible date and the location of the journey and save it. So, when the date arrives, it will start to track travel automatically. You can also add past trips manually.

Share Your Travel Log

You can share the trips with your followers, friends, and family directly from Polarsteps. Similarly, you can also follow other explorers around the world.

Travel Statistics

This travel journal app creates real-time detailed travel stats . Here, you will find the number and flags of countries you visited, trip duration, total distance covered, and more.

Additional Features

Not power hungry.

Interestingly, Polarsteps is very battery-friendly. According to the developers, it consumes just about 4% additional battery power compared to normal use.

It uses Wi-Fi, cellular signal, and GPS to track your position . We will talk about this feature in detail down below.

Privacy First

With Polarsteps, it is up to you whether you want to share your trips with others or not. Also, you can select the specific group of people (friends/family/others/public) you want to share your travel log with.

This is especially useful in regions where sharing your live position might be a bit dangerous .

Additionally, it also supports sharing travel information directly to social media sites like Facebook , WhatsApp, Instagram , etc.

Works Offline

Polarsteps works just fine offline. That means you don’t have to worry about excessive data roaming charges while abroad.

There is no need to be connected to the internet to track your location using Polarsteps. It will synchronize the data only when you get back online to save both data charges and battery life.

Unique Travel Stats

Polarsteps deliver a few unique travel statistics like the percentage of the world you have visited until now, how many days you haven’t traveled for, and the furthest point from home.

No Account Needed For the Viewers

Another handy feature of this travel tracker application is that other people don’t need to have an account to see your map and trip. You can share links to any of your trips to your friends or family via the ‘Invite your family and friends’ option from the app.

That way, a secret link will be shared with that person. And, with that link, they can follow along with you on your trip without having to open an account on Polarsteps or installing the application itself.

And, if the trip creator has made their trips public, then anybody can view their trip or map by searching on the Polarsteps website.

Getting Started With Polarsteps

It is very easy to get started with Polarsteps. As usual, first, you have to install the Polarsteps travel journal app on your phone if you haven’t already.

Then you need to create an account with them. To do that, you can use an email address. 

Or else, you also have the option to use your Facebook account to sign up. Or else, you can also login directly using your Facebook account as well.

Then you will be on the homepage of the app. From there, you can start to plan trips and track them on the map.

User Interface

In short, the user interface is good looking and easy to navigate. However, we have seen some other similar travel journal apps with a more modern look.

But the current UI of Polarsteps is not a deal-breaker either. You can easily get the hang of it after a couple of days.

The best thing about Polarsteps is that it is a free app. You can install this travel journal app on your smart devices without spending a penny.

For an app that is free, it packs a host of features that are advanced and rare to find even in many similar paid travel journal apps.

Ease of Use

Overall, the application is very beginner-friendly. Every important thing is available on the homepage. And, you can easily access the settings. 

On top of that, as it tracks the trips automatically, you don’t even have to manually input anything. Rather, you can enjoy the journey while the application will do its job in the background.

Create a Travel Book

Another cool feature of this travel tracking app is that you can order a photo book from Polarsteps for a certain fee.

And, the hardcover photo book will contain your stories, travel route, travel stats, photos, and more the application has tracked over the years. You can choose the layout, design, pictures, and what to/not to include in the travel book.

A lot of users have ordered their own travel book. And, they are overwhelmed by the quality and the value it has provided them. If you want to have a souvenir of your journey, then this photo book is a must-buy.

Best Books On Overlanding

Compatibility

Polarsteps mobile app is available on both iOS and Android. This is great as you can use this application on most of the smartphones available out there.

For the Android version, you will need to have Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) or up to run this app on your Android smartphone.

And, in the case of iOS, this is not only compatible with the iPhone, but also can be used with iPad, iPod Touch, etc. For iOS device users, you will need to have at least iOS 10.0 or watchOS 4.3 or up.

Chances are, your iOS or Android device is already up to date to be compatible with this travel journal app.

Additionally, you can access your Polarsteps account on their website too . The desktop version of Polarsteps might not have all the features of the mobile app.

But it works great if you want to relive the memories of your past trips on a bigger display than your smartphone. To access that, you will have to just visit the official website of Polarsteps and log in to your account.

Support & Update

Even though this is a free travel journal app, the support system of Polarsteps is beyond great.

Whenever you are having issues with the app, you can leave your complaint as a review in the App Store or Play Store or their support email. 

Most of the time, they will reply to your queries. At the same time, they have over 100 how-to and tutorial articles on their official support page.

Over the years, they have also been updating the app regularly.

What Other Users Said?

Right now, it has 4.7 and 4.8 rating out of 5 in the Google Play Store and Apple App Store respectively. And, millions of people are using the application all over the world.

So, from the feedback of the users, you can see that it is one of the most popular travel journal apps in the world.

Like the other users, we are also extremely delighted by Polarsteps. It has become a regular companion on our overlanding trips over the years.

With this app, it became so easy to track our adventurers. We liked that it is free, works offline, and tracks automatically.

• Works offline
• Tracks automatically
• Battery-friendly
• Easy to use
• Travel information can be turned to a physical hardcover photo book
• The user interface could be better (not a disadvantage really)

What Are The Alternatives Of Polarsteps?

There are many good alternatives to the Polarsteps app. For instance, you might have heard of FindPenguins, VOLO, Bonjournal, etc.

But how does Polarsteps fare against these apps? In this section, we will compare Polarsteps with both VOLO and FindPenguins.

FindPenguins vs. Polarsteps

Simply put, both of these apps are almost identical in their functions and features. Both these apps can keep track of any trip automatically without draining much battery life.

You don’t need an internet connection for that. Both Polarsteps and FindPenguins also offer the service to turn a trip into a premium photo book. And, these are free applications as well.

However, FindPenguins come with in-app purchases. That means you can get access to many restricted features after you pay a certain amount of subscription fee. For the record, FindPenguins have both monthly and yearly membership plans. 

The monthly and yearly subscription fees of FindPenguins Android version are $4.99 and $32.99 respectively. For the iOS version, it is $4.49/monthly and $29.99/yearly. To be noted, the price might vary based upon the location of the user.

Furthermore, most users find the user interface, icons, and layout of this one more attractive and modern looking compared to Polarsteps. Conversely, FindPenguins charges more for the photo book compared to Polarsteps.

In that sense, we think Polarsteps is the better option as it is user-friendly, low-cost, and has a larger user base compared to FindPenguins.

VOLO vs. Polarsteps

VOLO is also another competitor of Polarsteps. This one comes with a lot of similar features to Polarsteps.

For instance, you can keep track of your trips, add photos/notes/comments to the trips, and share your stories, and so on with VOLO. Like Polarsteps, it also supports offline tracking. And this is also a free app.

But according to its users, there are a lot of drawbacks to the app. Matter of fact, VOLO has got a rating of just 2.9 out of 5 in the App Store and only 2.5 in the Google Play Store. They have mentioned that it was a great application in previous years. 

But nowadays it is full of bugs and it doesn’t work as it is supposed to. So, for tracking your travel log, you should not rely on this app. Once again, we think Polarsteps would be the best option compared to VOLO.

How Does Polarsteps Work?

You might have already guessed that Polarsteps uses GPS on your phone like any other travel journal app.

But you also may have heard that it uses a lot less battery power compared to other apps that use the GPS functionality of your phone. But how?

Interestingly, Polarsteps use 3 things to determine the position of you. And those are GPS, Wi-Fi, and your cellular signal. In the Android version of the app, you can actually choose between 3 travel tracker modes such as Ultra Light, Balanced, and High Accuracy.

Here, the Ultra Light mode uses both Wi-Fi and cellular signal data to track a trip. This way, it will update the location data slowly and the accuracy will be low in this case.

This mode will come in handy if you are in a remote place where you will have no way to charge your phone for the time being.

The Balanced mode is the recommended mode from Polarsteps. It also uses both Wi-Fi and cellular signal but provides more accurate tracking information.

On the other hand, if you have the means to charge your device anytime and want the most accurate information, then you can use the High Accuracy mode.

In this mode, Polarsteps will use GPS in the background, which will drain your battery faster but will offer very thorough details about a trip.

To be noted, you can also disable the Travel Tracker option in the app temporarily. Remember, Polarsteps only synchronize the data when your phone is connected to the internet/Wi-Fi. That way, it can save your battery life to a greater extent.

For even more accuracy you can connect your phone with the pocket sized Bad Elf personal tracker . This little device will make sure your position is accurate in the remotest corners of the Planet as well.

How Much Does Polarsteps Cost?

As mentioned previously, the ‘Polarsteps’ is totally free to use. You can install it from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store according to the phone you use for free.

Related posts:

Best Off Road GPS

What Is Overlanding?

Is Polarsteps App Free?

Yes . The Polarsteps app is totally free. You can use the application without spending any money. Also, they don’t show ads on their application to monetize it.

Add in the fact, you can also access the desktop version of Polarsteps on their official website for free.

What Is The Best Travel Diary App?

There are several travel diary apps available out there. Most of them come with almost similar features and functions.

However, only a few travel journal apps are there that stand out. And among them, ‘ Polarsteps – Travel Planner & Tracker ’ is one of a kind.

It is easy to use, offers premium features, and free of cost. Also, we have been using this application for an extensive period of time over the years without any issues.

We can say that we are totally satisfied with the service of Polarsteps. Thus, in our opinion, Polarsteps is the best travel diary app right now.

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The 7 Best Mileage Tracker Apps for Android

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Tracking mileage can help you determine if your shiny new vehicle is a gas-guzzler, plan your road trip, and even claim business miles deduction on your tax return when used for business purposes.

The are plenty of mileage tracker apps available for Android to help you keep track of your fuel expenses. Here we have listed a few that we think will be a great fit for you.

1. Mileage Tracker by MileIQ

Mileage Tracker by MileIQ detects when you are driving and starts tracking automatically. Once installed, it runs in the background tracking your drives and sends weekly and end-of-month email reminders to help you keep on top of your mileage reporting.

Related: The Best Apps to Help You Find Cheap Gas

It shows all your drives for the current month and the possible deduction amount on the home screen. You can add named locations such as Home, Office, or Gym to classify rides by nicknames or addresses. Unfortunately, the app is currently only available in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada.

MileIQ offers both the limited free and premium version of the app. While the former only allows 40 trips a month, the latter offers unlimited trip tracking, mileage logging, and more.

Download: Mileage Tracker by MileIQ (Free, premium version available)

Like Mileage Tracker by MileIQ, TripLog offers real-time automatic mileage tracking and helps you streamline your expense reimbursement process.

It allows you to record trips and expenses with manual entry or GPS tracking, shows unlimited trips on the report, and integrates with GPS loggers such as MagicTrip, Triplog Drive, TripLog Beacon, and Plug-N-Go. You can upload mileage data to your account or expense software such as QuickBooks.

If you have MagicTrip enabled, TripLog will automatically log your travel, show mileage, relief, and sort them by date. That said, most of these features are only available for Premium and Premium + Time users.

Related: How to Use an Android Phone as a GPS Tracker Device

If you choose not to upgrade, your account will be downgraded to the Lite plan after a trial period. The free plan offers manual trip and expense tracking and a maximum of 40 entries on reports.

Download: TripLog (Free, premium versions available)

Fuelio is a mileage tracker app to keep track of your fuel consumption, costs, car maintenance expenses, and even fuel prices. What makes it an excellent choice among other mileage trackers is the cost. After the acquisition, Sygic, the company that purchased Fuelio, made all the app's pro features available for free.

A glance over Fuelio's home tab shows nearby gas stations, your vehicle information, fuel data, and the cost incurred. Moving to the timeline shows your recent trips.

The Trip Log GPS tracker feature can automatically track your tips with a map preview, or you can add the data manually. You can also set reminders for multiple vehicles for service, maintenance, registration, parking, and more.

Additionally, you can create and view useful stats and charts for fill-ups, costs, fuel price, distances, and more for individual vehicles. While all the data is locally is stored, you can export or import it to Dropbox and Google Drive account for backup.

Download: Fuelio (Free)

4. MyCarTracks

MyCarTracks is a mileage and live locations tracker app for businesses and individuals. You can use the app on your Android device or access the service through its web application.

When enabled, Auto Recording will automatically start tracking trips as your vehicle speed exceeds around 6mph. Each trip can be classified as personal or for business purposes. It shows detailed information about your trips, including a trip map, distance, average speed, max speed, and more, and the app can also turn your phone into a heads-up display for your vehicle.

With the free plan, you can track up to two vehicles, store data history in the cloud for two weeks, and download up to five reports per month.

The individual premium plan at $3.50/mo offers up to two years of cloud backup, over 100 report downloads, real-time fleet position, and more.

Download: MyCarTracks (Free, premium version available)

5. Simply Auto

Simply Auto is a mileage tracker app to record fill-ups, set service reminders, keep track of your vehicle's expenses, and automatically record your mileage.

Simply Auto's dashboard shows stats related to your recent trips, average speed, and estimated tax deduction in the last 30 days. You can edit the saved trips to change the type, date and time, add location or additional expenses incurred such as parking fees, and more.

You can also record other expenses, such as fines, insurance, MOT, parking, and service costs. The Pro version of the app allows you to sync data across devices and manually create and restore CSV backups from Google Drive.

Simply Auto's free version is not limited in features. However, some convenient tools like auto trip logging, cloud sync, web application, reminders, and viewing saved trips on the map are available to premium users only.

Download: Simply Auto (Free, premium version available)

6. Everlance

Like other mileage tracker apps, Everlance can automatically detect and track your tips. If you want to start or add a trip manually, it supports it as well.

Everlance features an excellent user interface that shows all your recent trips on the home screen, including distance traveled, estimated trip expense, and the map. You can edit and add the trip purpose, vehicle details, notes, and media to existing trips.

Additionally, you can sync your credit card or bank account to Everlance. This way, all the recurring expenses will appear in the app, making it easier to track your expenses during the trip.

Everlance's free version offers 30 free trips per month with automated tracking and a data export feature. The credit card sync, unlimited trip detection, manual expense tracking, IRS-compliant report, and receipt upload features are available for premium users only.

Download: Everlance (Free, premium version available)

7. Motolog Mileage Tracker

Motolog Mileage Tracker is an all-in-one car management solution to log car expenses, gas mileage, fuel economy, and more. The app's home screen nicely lays out your vehicle's history. It consists of fuel expenses, consumption, other services, including carpooling, and reminders for overdue services such as oil change maintenance, etc.

It runs in the background and starts logging trips on vehicle movement or Bluetooth connection, or you can add data manually. You can also view and export reports for trips, regions, fuel consumption, revenue, and more in PDF and Microsoft Excel format.

Motolog Mileage Tracker's free version, although it works, is limited by features. The Pro version offers multi-account support, 1GB of cloud storage, unlimited address lookups, trips, PDF and Excel exports, and an ad-free experience.

Download: Motolog Mileage Tracker (Free, premium version available)

The Best Apps to Track Your Mileage, Fuel Usage, and More

Mileage tracker apps for Android can help you automatically track mileage, and some apps can even help you track expenses and show eligible tax deductions. All the apps in this list offer automatic trip detection, show your estimated tax deductibles, and help you accurately track mileage and expenses.

Except for Fuelio, all the other apps here require a subscription to remove usage or feature limitations. Use the free trials and take the apps for a spin to find the one that suits your needs best.

• Android Apps

5 Best Flight Tracking Apps for iPhone and Android (Free)

Supreeth is passionate about technology and dedicates himself to helping people figure it out. An engineer by education, his understanding of the inner workings of all types of gadgets and devices ensures he provides top-notch guidance, tips, and recommendations to his readers. When away from the desk, you will find him traveling, playing FIFA, or hunting for a good movie.

• Flightradar24 offers extensive flight tracking capabilities, including the ability to replay past flights and view detailed information about any flight worldwide.
• Utilize apps like The Flight Tracker and FlightAware to access additional details such as travel documents, flight notes, and aircraft information alongside flight tracking.
• Apps like Planes Live offer detailed airport statistics like security wait times, weather maps, and airport schedules.

1. Flightradar24: Best for Aviation Enthusiasts

Flightradar24 is an app we have used on multiple flights over the last few years. It provides an overview of all the flights currently flying. If you tap on one, you can see every detail. You can also use this app on your Apple Watch.

You can also view the list of arrivals and departures, flight delays, and weather conditions of any airport in the world. You can also add a Siri shortcut for any detail you view so that you can quickly launch it with a phrase.

Two features stand out for us: the ability to replay a flight’s journey and the 3D view. The 3D view offers a virtual journey on a particular flight by simulating the journey and the conditions, and we had some fun with it.

The free version covers most features, but the paid version adds custom alerts, flight history for ninety days, heck, you can even see aircraft text labels, and so much more. If you are an avid airplane nerd, give them the money!

Price: Free; Pro Verison: $1.49/month or $9.99/year onwards

Download Flightradar24 on iPhone

Download Flightradar24 on Android

Also read : Should you charge your phone in airports and restaurants?

2. The Flight Tracker: Flight Tracker With the Best Interface

The Flight Tracker has five simple tabs: the map, search tab, My Flights, Airports, and Airlines. We like the My Flights option, as this helps you save and keep a list of your tracked flights. Another feature we like is adding all your travel documents to a flight and notes to access them all in one place.

However, you only get to know basic details of the flight, like the arrival and departure times and the time left on the flight. You also get to see a bunch of information regarding the aircraft type and more.

This app also allows booking flights and hotels, but it redirects users to Expedia. If you use Tripit, you can directly import your data into this app and track your flights.

This app has ads, but they are minimal and don’t seem intrusive. Unlocking the premium version also removes the ads.

Price: Free; Pro Version: $1.99 onwards

Download The Flight Tracker on iPhone

Download The Flight Tracker on Android

3. FlightAware: World’s Largest Flight Tracking Platform

FlightAware is the world’s largest flight-tracking app and was once a part of the giant parent companies – Collins Aerospace and Rockwell Collins. Flight tracking needs you to know how to interpret data and even understand what data to see in the first place. We appreciate FlightAware’s tutorial on opening the app for the first time.

The app layout is mostly different from the first two apps. It has a tab where you can add flights to track, then a tab that shows you the nearby flights, and a tab showing airports experiencing flight delays worldwide. We love this unique approach, and it helps track flights more easily.

Once you view a flight, you see a good amount of details about it, and we like how it is presented. You also have the option to replay the journey of older flights.

However, the ads were intrusive in our experience. You can purchase the pro version to remove the ads for a smoother experience.

Price: Free; Pro Version: $0.99/month or $5.99/year onwards

Download FlightAware on iPhone

Download FlightAware on Android

4. Planes Live: Flight Tracker With Detailed Airport Statistics

Planes Live is a simple and well-designed app. At first glance, it seemed like a basic flight tracker. But we were wrong, and how! After exploring what this app offers, we are surely taking it on our next trip.

We love how the statistics are presented, and details like average security wait times can help someone who is pondering when they can leave their hotel for the airport.

This app also provides maps to a few popular airports, which is handy. If you are flying a longer distance, you can also use the in-flight services information this app provides. Of course, you get accurate flight statistics and all the important flight information you need.

You can purchase the pro version to remove the ads, and along with that, you can also unlock other extra features like real-time push notifications, access airport schedules, weather maps, and flight delay statistics.

Price: Free; Pro Version: $1.99/month onwards

Download Planes Live on iPhone

Download Planes Live on Android

5. FlightStats: A Minimal Flight Tracker

A flight tracking app that boasts the world’s map and showcases the real-time flight status of active flights might appeal to all, especially those who want information on a specific flight and be done with it. Don’t worry; there is an excellent app for such users, FlightStats.

The download package size impressed us as it was only around 15MB. When you are at the airport, you wouldn’t want to wait for long to download the app using the slow public Wi-Fi.

Once you download it, you can search for information on the fly (apologies, we like puns), and the search tools make it easy to find your flight. You can search your flight by airport, flight number, or route. You also have a tab where you can save your flights and search different airports across the world.

This app has ads, but there is no pro version to remove them. A few users also complain about the app crashing randomly, but we’re positive this will be fixed with an update.

Price: Free

Download Flight Stats on iPhone

Download Flight Stats on Android

Also Read : Must-have travel gadgets for long flights

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Last updated on 14 May, 2024

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9 Best Apps for Finding Cheap Flights

The best flight apps help you score a deal with a few swipes on your smartphone.

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With the help of technology, you may be able to save by booking at the right time, snagging a mistake fare or flying into a different airport.

Key Takeaways

• Airfare can be one of the most expensive parts of traveling.
• Apps make it easy to track trends in fare prices, look for deals and book flights.
• Some apps are completely free to use while others may charge a fee.
• While some apps charge a fee, there may be a free version available with limited features.

There’s good news for travelers: airfares dropped 5.9% during the past year as of May 2024, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That means taking that dream vacation may be more attainable now than in the past.

You may be able to save even more by booking at the right time, snagging a mistake fare or flying into a different airport. To find the best deals, you can use an app designed to help people find cheap flights.

The best flight apps offer features that will alert you to price drops, let you search for cheaper travel times or help you find special pricing not found elsewhere.

Try one of these nine discount airfare apps and services that frequent flyers say work for them:

A good flight alert program can simplify the process of finding a deal. These services send emails or notifications whenever there is discounted airfare available to selected destinations, and Going is a favorite source for flight alerts. The company notes that most deals are 40% to 90% off normal prices and says most members save an average of $550 on economy flights.

“(It) is one of the best apps to use when searching for cheap flights,” says Alex Miller, CEO of UpgradedPoints.com. “It can narrow down what city you're located in and then alert you when a qualifying airfare, based on criteria that you set, is found.”

Users can choose from three tiers of service:

Free limited accounts receive alerts about deals on continental U.S. flights.

Premium plans cost $49 a year and include international and domestic economy flights as well as mistake fares and points and miles deals.

Frequent globetrotters may want to spring for the elite plan that provides alerts for economy, business and first-class flights as well as mistake fares from all U.S. airports. It costs $199 per year.

2. Skyscanner

Skyscanner has a free flight app that is compatible with both Apple and Android devices and provides pricing alerts when a good deal becomes available. The app is easy to use and allows you to set alerts for specific dates or routes.

Travelers can also use Skyscanner's calendar and charts to compare hundreds of flights for both international and domestic destinations. The app highlights flights that emit less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, lets users mix and match flights from different carriers and offers a search option that allows travelers to find the best prices for flights originating from their chosen airports.

When you find a flight you like, Skyscanner will direct you to a third-party booking app to make the purchase. In addition to flights, users can search for hotels and car rentals using Skyscanner.

3. Dollar Flight Club

Dollar Flight Club is similar to Going, but it structures its plans differently.

Free accounts get alerted to deals from one departure airport while premium members can choose four departure airports for deal alerts on domestic and international economy flights. Premium membership costs $69 a year. There is also a Premium Plus+ membership that runs $169 per year and includes premium economy and business class deals as well.

The service says booking a single flight using Dollar Flight Club can provide a return of 10 times your investment and that the average savings on a Premium Plus+ flight deal is more than $700.

4. Google Flights

While not currently available as an app, Google Flights offers a simple online interface that allows you to search for flights to specific airports and then see a calendar view that shows when flights will be cheapest. It also has a price graph that allows you to see pricing trends over time.

“You can plug in your start city and then let Google Flights make suggestions on where to fly from there based upon the cost of airfare,” Miller says. That’s a useful tool for travelers with flexibility.

Once you find the right airfare, you'll need to find and book it directly with the carrier or through a third-party booking service.

The Hopper app comes with a variety of tools that can help you find and lock in the best price. It is free to download and use although some features, such as price freezes and the ability to cancel for any reason, come with a fee. However, its core service is to predict future travel prices, something Hopper says it can do with 95% accuracy.

That’s one reason it’s among the best flight apps, according to Kevin Raposo, founder of KnowTechie. He used it to book a vacation to Saint Lucia and says it couldn’t have been easier. “You can do it all at the push of a button,” he says.

For those just browsing on the app – which is available for Apple and Android devices – Hopper will color code flights using green, yellow and red to indicate which flights are most and least expensive.

Compatible with Android and Apple devices, Kiwi promises its app will provide travelers with exclusive offers and prices. It searches for the best rates from all available airlines to piece together the lowest-priced itinerary.

The free app also offers the opportunity to search for all deals from a specific airport, which can be handy for those who are ready to take a vacation but don't have a particular destination in mind. Within the app, users can get price alerts, access mobile boarding passes and view airport maps.

Kiwi also offers travel hacks that can save money, such as bookings with “hidden cities” and a Nomad tool for those who want to visit multiple cities. What's more, the app offers other travel services such as destination guides and the location of Wi-Fi hotspots.

7. ExpertFlyer

The ExpertFlyer website won’t win any design awards. It looks like something from the early days of the internet and even references now-obsolete Blackberry devices. But frequent flyers say that shouldn’t deter you.

“ExpertFlyer is another great tool, though admittedly it's for the more advanced flyer,” Miller says. “Rather than perform ordinary searches to uncover good airfare deals, you can set alerts and search by specific inventory on flights.”

That means that this service is intended for those who know where, when and with which airline they want to fly. If you have a specific route that you travel frequently, ExpertFlyer can help you find discounted fares.

A free version provides seat alerts while a paid pro subscription, which starts at $4.99 per month, comes with additional features such as the ability to search for awards and upgrades.

Airfare apps aren’t only for those booking vacations. Business travelers and their employers are often searching for a good deal as well. That’s the niche Onriva fills.

“We’ve built a platform to bring everything in one place (so) you don’t have to hop from site to site,” says Onriva founder and CEO Vajid Jafri. “This has never existed before.”

While other apps may make it possible to book from multiple companies, they typically serve as a digital travel agency. With Onriva, all bookings are made directly with an airline or other vendor through the app’s platform, which it says can provide savings of 20%. For added convenience, Onriva also provides customer service.

The app brings together travel options from more than three million suppliers and then uses artificial intelligence to learn user preferences and make recommendations.

Anyone with a business email address can sign up for an Onriva account, but you’ll have to request a demo to get pricing information.

9. Your Favorite Airline’s App

In your search for cheap flights, don’t overlook your favorite airline’s app. Booking direct can sometimes be the best option, according to Sandra McLemore, a travel industry expert and TV host.

“While these (third-party) apps may feel convenient and more user-friendly than other online booking options, buyer beware,” McLemore says. If you buy your tickets through that third-party app, you may find it difficult to receive customer service should any issues arise.

“An airline will send you right back to the app or online booking engine to receive service,” McLemore points out.

Also, by focusing your spending with a specific airline you may find it easier to accumulate frequent flyer miles, which you can redeem for free flights and therefore save more money in the long run.

Drive or Fly This Summer?

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The 3 Best Luggage Trackers to Provide Peace of Mind While Traveling

Because no one loves a lost bag.

All of these TSA-approved luggage trackers are sure to put your mind at ease as you embark on domestic or international travel, since their Bluetooth connection tracks your bags and you can follow their location on your device. Some of these luggage trackers are made just for Apple devices and others are for Android devices, some come with a subscription and others do not. At less than $40 each, they're well worth the price to tuck them into your luggage (on top of your favorite travel dresses !) and remove one layer of potential travel stress as you make your way from home to your hotel destination . Here, the best luggage trackers to buy now.

The Best Luggage Trackers to Buy in 2024

Best Luggage Tracker for iPhone Users

Apple airtag.

Best Luggage Tracker for All Android Devices

Tile pro bluetooth tracker.

Best Luggage Tracker for Andoid Users

Samsung galaxy smarttag2.

This compact tag is super easy to set up and connect to an iPhone. It will guide you to its location on a piece of luggage (or whatever you might misplace). You can also track it on Apple's Find My app network as long as it's within Bluetooth range. Order key rings or holder cases for your tags in fun colors to make them easy to locate within your luggage.

Testers say: "After going on an international trip where my bags didn't make it on my connecting flight, I decided to invest in an Airtag. I'll never travel without one in my bag again. I can track my bag's location right from my phone. It's a lifesaver!"

About this luggage tracker:

The Tile Pro functions similarly to an Apple AirTag but is compatible with both Apple and Android devices. With its premium subscription service, you'll get added features like smart alerts when your tag is out of range and a 30-day location history. Tile also sells other similar luggage tracker models: Tile Mate is smaller than Tile Pro and more similar in size to the Apple AirTag, and Tile Slim is the shape of a credit card.

Reviewers say: "Last year I traveled to Vegas and [had several connecting flights]. I just wanted peace of mind while I traveled and to know where my luggage was at all times just in case my luggage did not show up. Each time we stopped and switched planes, I would check and it would ping at the exact location. They worked well, and it was easy to set up."

For Samsung users, this tracker is easy to set up with an app and connect to your device, and its design easily attaches to a keychain or bag. The main drawback is it can only be used with Samsung devices. Add one of Samsung's silicone cases in a fun color to keep it protected (and stylish too).

Reviewers say: "Getting on the plane for Bali, Indonesia, I could see that my bags [were] stowed away. Upon arrival, I could see my bags had also arrived. It was such a relief...I would highly recommend this product for your luggage. On your next trip, fly worry free."

Where should I put my luggage tracker?

Your luggage tracker will be more secure inside your bag than attached to the outside, and the signal works just as well enclosed in your suitcase. To find it easily, place it inside a side zipped compartment instead of in the main storage area, or attach it to a strap with a loop or cord on the tracker.

What should you look for in a luggage tracker?

• Make sure the tracker is compatible with your mobile device: Some trackers are only meant to use for Apple devices like iPhones, while others are meant for Android devices. Choose one that's compatible with your phone type, otherwise it may not work.
• Check the battery life: Luggage trackers' batteries eventually need to be recharged or replaced, so make sure that yours has a long battery life and is fully charged before you travel.

Why Trust VERANDA

For more than 35 years, VERANDA has been the authority on extraordinary design, outdoor living, art and craft, entertaining, travel, and culture. Every product we feature is expertly curated by our discerning editors and industry experts. Through market research, experience, and rigorous product testing, we only give our stamp of approval to the very best.

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4 Best Luggage Trackers for Travel, Tested and Reviewed

Here’s to, presumably, never losing your luggage again.

With all the tracking devices being pumped out, many of them do well in keeping track of bags. Putting one in your travel bag is both an insurance policy against forgetful brains and evidence in the case against your airline. Here we have the four trackers that after testing performed best. They're small and lightweight, have long-lasting batteries, and are easy to use. The right one for you might depend on the phone you have or other tiny details (like how splash-proof it is).

Best Luggage Tracker for iPhone Users

Apple airtag.

Best Luggage Tracker for Android Users

Samsung galaxy smarttag2.

Best Multiuse Luggage Tracker

Tile black pro.

Here's to, presumably, never losing your luggage again. Or at least getting your rightful money back if an airline "misplaces" your bags.

An Apple AirTag is a reliable, easy-to-use tracker that is about the size of a coin. If you're an iPhone user (6s and later), it's easy to keep track of using the Find My app. It makes for an easy transition because you don't have to use yet another app or service to use the tag. It's pretty inexpensive, and you can take it out of your luggage to track anything else you need, like your wallet or keys when you're not in travel mode. Buy in a single or a pack of four.

The only issue is that AirTags rely on other Apple devices to be found, requiring at least one iPhone within 30 meters to geo-locate itself. So if your luggage gets lost in a country where iPhones are not commonly used, you could have a tough time.

Fret not, Android users. Samsung made a Galaxy SmartTag2, an upgrade to its old version, that works seamlessly with your phone, too. It connects to your SmartThings Find app, which doesn't necessarily have the same strength as Apple's Find My, but that's not really the tag's fault. The SmartTag is water- and dust-resistant, with a long battery life of up to 500 days—plus a power-saving mode to make it last longer. It'll send out an audible beep when you ping it, although some reviewers note random beeping even when you're not trying to locate it.

One of the best parts, though, is the Lost Mode activation, which can send notifications to someone's phone (Android or otherwise) that's near your tag, giving them your contact information for a safe luggage return.

This bigger-sized Tile Pro is a great option for any kind of phone user and is great at tracking luggage, among other things. It has a solid 400-foot range and beeps when you're trying to locate it. Although you're only able to see its whereabouts when you're connected to the Tile through Bluetooth, there's also an option for trying to find tagged luggage that's out of your range. The "Notify When Found" mode can send you alerts if it passes through someone else's Tile range. Though, of course, that means you'd have to have lost your Tile-tagged luggage near someone else who also has a Tile. It's useful but not bulletproof.

Chipolo BUNDLE

Chipolo's smart-tracking bundle is great for multiple bags or tracking multiple travelers. This set comes with both its Card and One devices. The Card is super thin and fits well into wallets, passport cases, and other tiny organization pockets, but its battery is not replaceable. The One chips have a longer battery life (two years versus one), and those batteries can be replaced. They both have a decent 200-foot range and are splash-proof. So they'll be fine if they get caught in the rain, but don't try dunking them in water. Any phone that can download the Chipolo app and connect to Bluetooth can make use of these, but that does mean you'll have to get yet another app.

I was truly heartbroken when I realized, after three loving years of use, the Tile Mate I kept on my keys was dead. And that it would stay dead. These were great for what they did—keep track of my ever-disappearing keys and beep to let me know where in my bag I had lost them—but the non-replaceable battery was devastating enough for me to not repurchase this exact kind.

Common FAQs

How do luggage trackers work?

These trackers all use Bluetooth to connect to your phone, which makes use of either built-in location apps like Find My and SmartThings Find or its own proprietary app.

How long do luggage trackers last?

Here we prioritized trackers that have both long-lasting batteries and replaceable ones. That said, it depends. Most last at least a year, while some can last longer than two.

How We Picked the Best Luggage Trackers

These luggage trackers all connect to your phone, and so the ones that keep a strong Bluetooth connection and don't require too much additional app navigation came out on top. There's also the big phone differences: Apple works well with Apple devices, and so does Samsung with Samsung. Still, we know not everyone wants to be forced into a branded box like that.

Why Trust Esquire

Because of our collective obsession with smart traveling , great luggage , and efficient packing , we are also in the business of keeping that stuff safe. And we will indeed fall apart if our precious vacation outfits disappear, so you bet we will be tracking their whereabouts at all times.

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Introducing Budget Voyage; the travel budget app that will help you save money ahead of the trip. Key Features : Plan Your Trips -Add trip details like name, destination, dates, transport, and accommodation. Save Easily -Set savings goals and track your progress to ensure you’re financially ready. Stay Organized -Use checklists to make sure you don’t forget anything before you travel.

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Lifesaver app.

Lifesaver app! It helps me to save money for travels. What I love most about it is its simplicity making it straightforward and effective

Amazing app love it!!!!

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The developer, Min Thu Khine , indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .

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The developer does not collect any data from this app.

Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

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• Best Online Advisor for Low Fees 
• Best Online Advisor for Diversified Investing
• Best Online Advisor for 529 Plans
• Best Online Advisor for Financial Planning and Personal Development
• Best Online Advisor for Retirement Saving
• Why You Should Trust Us

Best Online Financial Advisors 2024: Find the Right Fit for Your Needs

Paid non-client promotion: Affiliate links for the products on this page are from partners that compensate us (see our advertiser disclosure with our list of partners for more details). However, our opinions are our own. See how we rate investing products to write unbiased product reviews.

What Are Online Financial Advisors?

A financial advisor is a catch-all term that includes financial planners and investment advisors. Most online advisors offer investment management — whether it's carried out by a human or a sophisticated computer algorithm — and financial planning services or tools.

Types of Online Advisors

The main types of online financial advisors are: 

• Robo-Advisors: Automated investment platforms (aka robo-advisors) use algorithms to generate a custom investment portfolio based on an individual's risk tolerance, goals, and time horizon. Robo-advisors typically offer low-cost ETFs as a cost-effective way to instantly diversify an investor's asset allocation and mitigate risk. 
• Human Advisors (Virtual): Financial advisors that offer personalized financial planning and investment advice online through virtual meetings, email, and other virtual communication channels. 
• Hybrid Models: Some online brokerages offer hybrid financial advice, combining automated investment advice and management through a robo-advisor and one-on-one consultation from a human advisor. 

Benefits of Using Online Financial Advisors

Online financial advisors allow you to ditch the in-person hassle and access expert financial guidance from your phone or home computer. Online financial advisors leverage investment technology and generally low-cost compared to traditional in-person consultants.  

Not only does it make investing more affordable for many individuals, but clients can more easily adjust and monitor their investments on their own time. Robo-advisor and hybrid online advisors typically offer online dashboards and tools for convenient managing and monitoring. 

Compare the Top Online Financial Advisors 2024

For this list, we didn't consider online advisors that match clients and advisors for comprehensive financial  planning services, such as Zoe Financial or Facet Wealth . Instead, we focused on tech-driven firms where you can access an automated and personalized portfolio and consult a professional for advice when needed.

Here are our top picks for the best online financial advisors as picked by Business Insider editors in 2024.

SoFi Automated: Best Online Advisor for Low Fees 

SoFi Automated Investing supports individual investment accounts, joint accounts, traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, SEP IRAs, and 401(k) rollovers.

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. No account minimum or management fees to invest
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Goal planning and automatic portfolio rebalancing
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Range of other account options across SoFi website
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. SoFi offers complimentary CFP access across all accounts
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. No tax-loss harvesting
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. No socially responsible portfolio options

SoFi Invest is one of the best investment apps and the best investment apps for beginners. It's a great platform for US investors who are looking for an intuitive online trading experience, an open active or automated investing account, and assets like cryptocurrencies.

• Promotion: None at this time.
• Consider it if: You're new to investing and want to leave the trading decisions to professionals.

SoFi Automated Investing offers individual and joint taxable brokerage accounts , traditional IRA, Roth IRA, and SEP IRA.

SoFi stands out for its lack of advisory fees, free one-on-one consultations with CFPs, portfolio diversity, and goal-planning features. SoFi builds a personalized investment portfolio based on your risk tolerance, goals, and time horizon. Additional SoFi membership perks include loan discounts and career counseling. 

What to look out for: SoFi doesn't have tax-loss harvesting features and limited portfolio diversity. 

SoFi Invest review

Betterment: Best Online Advisor for Diversified Investing

Betterment offers individual or joint accounts, IRAs, trust accounts, and cash reserve or checking accounts.

$0 to open, $10 to start investing ($100,000 for premium plan)

$4 per month (or 0.25%/year) for digital plan; 0.40%/ year for premium plan; 1%/year for crypto portfolios

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. No minimum for standard investing account
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Goal-based planning, tax-loss harvesting, charitable giving, and socially responsible investing available
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Access to certified financial planners
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Mobile app with external account syncing options
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. You'll have to pay to consult a human advisor, unless you have the premium plan
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. $4 monthly fee (or 0.25% annual fee)

Betterment is best for hands-off investors who want to take advantage of professionally built, personalized ETF and cryptocurrency portfolios. The platform offers CFP access, so it could suit those in search of additional guidance from human advisors.

• App store rating: 4.7 iOS/4.5 Android
• Consider it if: You want access to robo-advice with multiple service levels.

Betterment Investing offers individual and joint taxable brokerage, traditional IRA, Roth IRA, SEP IRA, inherited IRA, and trust.

What stands out:  Betterment is a robust trading platform offering premium plans with unlimited access to CFPs through phone or email. Investors can use the platform's goal-setting feature, ESG investing, automatic rebalancing, and easy-to-use financial dashboard. 

What to look out for:  Accounts with a $100,000 balance can upgrade to get advisor access, but the annual fee increases from 0.25% (an industry low) to 0.40%

Betterment review

Wealthfront: Best Online Advisor for 529 Plans

Fund your first taxable investment account with at least $500 in the first 30 days of account opening and earn a $50 bonus.

$1 ($500 for automated investing)

$0 for stock trades. 0.25% for automated investing (0.06% to 0.13% for fund fees)

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Low annual fee for investment accounts; crypto trust investments available
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Tax-loss harvesting, portfolio lines of credit, 529 college savings plans available
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Cash account
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Mobile app and investing and retirement tools
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. You need at least $100,000 to utilize additional investment strategies
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. No human advisor access

Wealthfront is one of the best robo-advisor options if you're in search of low-cost automated portfolio management, and one of the best socially responsible investing apps for features like tax-loss harvesting, US direct indexing, and crypto trusts.

• Consider it if: You're balancing several goals and want to streamline your finances.
• Promotion: Fund your first taxable investment account with at least $500 in the first 30 days of account opening and earn a $50 bonus.

Wealthfront Investing offers individual and joint taxable brokerage, traditional IRA, Roth IRA, SEP IRA, trust, and 529 savings plan .

Wealthfront is one of the best online financial advisors for college education savings and cryptocurrency trusts. You can borrow up to 30% of your investment balance at a low interest rate with a portfolio line of credit. Wealthfront also offers personalized recommendations with smart financial planning software. 

What to look out for:  On-staff financial advisors don't offer personalized advice

Wealthfront review

Ellevest: Best Online Advisor for Financial Planning and Personal Development

Ellevest offers two investing portfolios to fit your needs.

$1 - $240 (varies by portfolio)

$54 - $97 annually; $5 or $9/month

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Personalized, automated investment advice with a $0 minimum requirement
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Monthly plans include discounted access to certified financial planners
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Automated IRA accounts and 401(k)/403(b) rollovers available
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Private wealth management for individuals, families, and institutions who have at least $1 million to invest
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. No active trading opportunities available; money is mainly invested in stock ETFs and bond ETFs
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. You can only open individual investment accounts and retirement accounts; joint accounts or custodial accounts not available

Ellevest is one of the best robo-advisors for goal-focused investing. It could be a good fit if you want automated investing and retirement accounts.

• Consider it if: You're looking for a one-stop shop for financial planning.

Ellevest offers individual taxable brokerage, traditional IRA, Roth IRA, and SEP IRA (all held at Folio Investments).

Ellevest is a comprehensive financial advisor and trading platform built around women's unique needs and challenges. Investors get access to an extensive library of content and advisor-led workshops. Additionally, Ellevest offers a socially responsible investment portfolio and monthly progress reports. 

What to look out for:  Financial coaching costs extra (but members get 30%- 50% off). Access to retirement account management requires an upgrade.

Ellevest review

Ameriprise Financial Investments: Best Online Advisor for Retirement Saving

Ameriprise Financial Services has been operating for 130 years Ameriprise Financial Services is licensed in all 50 states but only has 10 physical locations throughout the US; it's currently headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota

Varies by account

$500 annual advisory fee, 2% AUM

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Access to personal finance research and investment tools
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Fiduciary financial advisor access
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Various account and investment options
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. High account minimums
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Difficult to navigate website
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Complex fee structure

Ameriprise Financial Services is a brokerage and financial advisory firm best for experienced, passive investors interested in using the site's financial planning services, wealth management tools, and fiduciary advisor access.

Ameriprise Financial Investments offers three managed account options that can be opened as an individual brokerage account, traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, Simple IRAs, SEP IRAs, 401(k)s, 403(b)s, 529 plans, and Coverdell education savings accounts (CESA). 

Ameriprise Financial Investments is one of the largest registered investment advisors in the US and is best for experienced investors looking for advanced charting and investing features. You'll get access to fiduciary financial advisors for consultations or account management. 

What to look out for: Ameriprise 's managed account fees are high, and it has a complex fee structure. 

Ameriprise Financial Services review

How Much Do Online Financial Advisors Cost?

Financial advisors providing financial advice often charge by the hour, typically between $100 to $300. Advisors creating a comprehensive financial plan tend to charge a flat rate between $1,000 and $3,000. 

If you hire an advisor to manage your investment portfolio, you'll be charged a percentage of your account balance, typically between 1% and 3% annually. In comparison, that's much higher than the fees that the best robo-advisors charge; you get the added benefit of building a relationship with a trusted source who can adjust your strategy as needed, provide personal recommendations, and answer questions when they arise.

How to Choose the Best Online Financial Advisors

The best online financial advisor for you depends on your goals, risk tolerance, investments, and time horizon. If you're a new investor interested in passive investing, an online robo-advisor is likely a good place to start. On the other hand, if you're looking for professional insight and a customized financial plan, you're better off with access to a human advisor through phone or video calls. 

You can also meet with an expert in person for financial guidance. So if you prefer to meet face-to-face, here are some tools to find some in your area:

• This is a database of all CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professionals who are authorized to use their CFP® marks by the CFP® Board and are accepting new clients.
• Using the advanced search function, you can choose from over 40 focus areas you're looking to get help with and include your current amount of investable assets.
• Click here to visit the CFP Board website .
• This database helps connect young professionals — those in generations X and Y (millennials) — with individual advisors.
• Every advisor holds the CFP® certification, is a fiduciary , does not require a minimum net worth to take on new clients, and does not earn commissions.
• Click here to visit XY Planning Network .
• This platform maintains a database of fee-only financial advisors, not specifically CFP® certificates, who commit to a fiduciary oath once a year. 
• You can filter by location to see a list of advisory firms in your area.
• Click here to visit the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors website .

Online financial advisors are generally trustworthy. The best advisors follow the fiduciary rule, meaning they operate in their clients' best interest and are fee-only. This means client fees are their only compensation, and they don't earn a commission when they invest in certain funds or buy financial products.

Not everyone needs a robo-advisor, but beginners or passive investors looking for a hands-off approach to stock trading may prefer how cost-effective and convenient robo-advisors are. Affordable financial advisors can be hard to come by, so robo-advisors are a great alternative for many people. However, a financial advisor may be better if you need specific advice on your finances or investment strategy or if you're too overwhelmed or confused by your money to plan for retirement or invest in the stock market. 

The cost of an online financial advisor varies from platform to platform and advisor to advisor. The cost largely depends on the services, licensing, account balance, and complexity. Robo-advisors typically charge lower fees than human advisors. 

Why You Should Trust Us: Our Methodology

We Reviewed the best online financial advisors using Business Insider's methodology for rating investment platforms . We compared a long list of Registered Investment advisors (RIAs), considering fees, investment selection, access, ethics, and customer service. The best online advisors have top marks in all five categories. Investment platforms are given a rating between 0 and 5.

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