Travelling to new places is the best way to experience the world; it opens doors to new cultures, delicious foods, unique architecture and friendly people. Although there are so many pros to travelling, there are certainly some cons as well. Things can quickly go south in terms of transportation, accommodations, and overall travel plans.
Cancelled flights, travel sickness, and less-than-ideal hostel stays are never fun to deal with. But these drawbacks of travelling can easily be avoided or alleviated. Check out these 6 essential apps that will make any traveler’s life so much easier. No matter where you plan to go in 2019, don’t head out before downloading each and every one of these.
Hostelworld
Don’t take a risk on sketchy accommodations next time you travel to a foreign country. If gambling is your thing, this is the site where you can do that; just don’t gamble on the bed you’ll be occupying. With the Hostelworld app, you can be sure to book the best accommodations in the area, even if your budget only allows for a dorm bed.
Hostelworld allows you to compare accommodations in over 170 countries around the world. You can easily set filters based on price, location, and desired amenities. Honest reviews from fellow travellers make it easy to choose the best hostel for you. And don’t assume that your only option on the app is for a dorm bed; there are also plenty of options for private rooms.
AirHelp
Experiencing flight cancellations or delays can ruin anyone’s day. Luckily, there is a way to make it better. When you download the AirHelp app, you’ll have the chance to get reimbursed up to 600 Euros on flight delays. If your cancelled or delayed flight happened within the past three years, you’re eligible for money back.
PackPoint
Arriving to a destination and realizing you forgot your phone charger happens to even the best of us. You can avoid this by using PackPoint, an app that helps you organize your luggage and remember every essential item.
Before you start packing, you’ll be asked to input things like trip duration, destination, and planned activities. PackPoint then creates a checklist, and even considers factors like the weather forecast.
Maps.Me
Navigating through unknown city streets can become confusing, especially when you don’t have international data on your phone. Maps.me is the best app out there for navigating even while you are offline. When you browse the app before your trip, you can download offline maps of the area you’ll be travelling to.
With travel comes language barriers. Many, many language barriers. Even ordering your morning cup of coffee can become a challenging task when you don’t know the local language. Now with Google Translate, you can converse with anyone in any language. There are 103 languages on the GT database, and 59 of these can be downloaded for offline use.
XE Currency
Figuring out those tricky conversions between currencies can make paying for goods and services seem like a chore. The best app for making this a bit easier is XE Currency. It gives you the most accurate exchange rates across the globe.