Top 12 Travel Apps

Planning an adventure and wondering if there are any apps to help along the way? From packing, to organising your itinerary, and translating, we’ve picked the best travel apps for you to download.

Gone are the days of lugging around huge travel guides, folders of travel documents, and local dictionaries or phrasebooks. The digital world has made travel lighter and easier, and no matter what your travel problem is, there’s probably an app for it. Planning an adventure and want to know the best apps for backpackers? We’ll review our Top 12 Travel Apps to help you get in the know for all your travel needs.

Two people backpacking in Lagos, Portugal

Our Top 12 Travel Apps

1. Pack Point

Packing can often be the most stressful part of travel, and forgetting an important item is everyone’s worst nightmare. Leave those worries behind and download Pack Point, a user friendly app to help you prepare for your next great adventure! With Pack Point, you can select what type of trip you will be taking, what activities you plan on doing, and it will generate a complete list of all the items you will need. The app also includes weather in real time, so you can be sure you won’t get stuck in bad weather without the proper gear.

Pack Point App

2. Google Translate

While it’s never a bad idea to learn a few phrases in the local language, nobody expects you to become a polyglot overnight. Whether you’re struggling to read a menu, understand a street sign, or communicate with someone, Google Translate has you covered! This app allows you to translate words, phrases, and even sentences to virtually any other language. It works offline, and can even read signs for you – out loud!

Google Translate – Top 12 Travel Apps

3. St. Christopher’s Inn Hostels

For the backpacker and hostel lover, St. Christopher’s Inn is one of the best known brands in Europe. They have 13 locations across Europe and the UK, and if you choose to book with them, this app will become your best friend. The app informs you of all those FAQs of your hostel, and lets you know when there’s exciting activities to participate in. You can also book your accommodation directly on the app!

St. Christopher’s Inn Hostel App – Top 12 Travel Apps

4. XE Currency

After the language barrier, currency conversion can sometimes be the most painful part of your trip. While most of the European Union uses the Euro, there are some countries who use their own currencies, and then of course there’s all the countries outside the EU. XE Currency is a handy app to help you ensure you always get the most up-to-date rate when converting your cash. The app also has a feature allowing you to transfer money to another account.

XE Currency Convertor – Top 12 Travel Apps

5. Trail Wallet

This is a budget travel dream app because it allows you to keep track of your spending while on the road. Ensure you never go over budget on your travels again! With its handy daily budget and expenses functions, it’s an easy pick for our top 12 travel apps. There are over 200 currencies listed, so there’s really no excuse for blowing all your cash at the first bar!

Trail Wallet – Top 12 Travel Apps

6. Hostelworld

Finding a hostel that suits your needs is one of the most important parts of a trip. Whether you’re travelling solo, with a group, or with your partner, you want to be sure you feel comfortable in your home away from home. Hostelworld is the largest platform connecting travellers to hostels in their destination. Whether you like to book in advance or on the go, you will want to download this app before departure!

Hostelworld – Top 12 Travel Apps

7. Rome2Rio

This app is the wisest when it comes to getting around, and it works offline! While most of your travels will likely happen on foot, sometimes you need to take public transportation and getting around a foreign place can be tricky. Just type in where you want to go and you will instantly have several transportation options to choose from. And don’t worry about public transportation running late; the app is updated in real time so you’ll never run late.

Rome 2 Rio – Top 12 Travel Apps

8. Google Maps

It should come as no surprise we would recommend another app by Google. Google Maps is our favourite for getting directions while travelling. Like Rome2Rio, it also works offline and provides several transportation options, including bike trails. If you end up renting a bike or scooter while travelling, the voice option is quite helpful for navigating safely!

Google Maps – Top 12 Travel Apps

9. Vegan Maps

Travelling as a vegan or vegetarian has never been easier. Whether you have a strict plant based diet, or just enjoy a good vegan meal from time to time, Vegan Maps will help you find the best places to eat! Simply type in your location, and choose from thousands of vegan friendly restaurants. Read reviews, check ratings, and view photos to ensure you’re happy with your pick.

Vegan Maps – Top 12 Travel Apps

10. Omio

Getting from one destination to another is easy, but you can also easily get overwhelmed with choice. Omio gives you options for planes, busses, and trains, and provides prices across several carriers. Simply enter your departure point, destination, dates, and presto! You’ll find travelling easy with this convenient and user friendly app.

Omio – Top 12 Travel Apps

11. Mega

Never worry about running out of cloud space for all your digital travel memories again. MEGA is a free app and gives users 50 GB for free. Save your memories here as you go to ensure you have them for a lifetime. You can also use the app to chat with your contacts, and it’s fully encrypted if you’re worried about data security.

Mega App. Top 12 Travel Apps

12. Calm

Last on our list for the top 12 travel apps is for those times when you get overwhelmed, anxious, or need to do some meditation. Calm is an app that helps you reduce stress and anxiety, anytime, anywhere. While travel is often a way for us to reduce our regular day stresses, it would be silly to think stress or anxiety won’t occur on your travels. Be prepared in the best way possible and give it a try!

Calm App. Top 12 Travel Apps

Where to Stay in Europe

Europe’s Famous Hostels is a network of hostels located across Europe. All locations within the network maintain a high customer rating, meet and exceed hygiene and COVID-19 safety standards, and are fully equipped with everything you need. Whether you’re travelling solo, with friends, as a couple, or a family, our locations offer a variety of rooms to make your stay as enjoyable as possible.

And that’s not all. All our hostels are famous for their facilities and social atmospheres: from Happy Hours, Free Walking Tours, to saunas, and more, you’ll love being our guest. From the highlands of Scotland to the Dead Sea in Israel, stay famous when you stay with Europe’s Famous Hostels.

Top 12 Travel Apps

From packing and planning, to eating and relaxing, we hope you enjoyed our top 12 travel apps. All of the apps in this list are available on both Apple and Android devices, and will certainly help you get the most our of your upcoming adventure.

If you need more information to help you plan your adventure, click here for a range of helpful tips, city guides, food guides, and more. For all the latest news at Famous Hostels, follow us or subscribe on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Youtube.

updated: November 2020

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