“What are the best trending apps for travel planning?”
“What travel planning resources do I need?”
Discover the top trending apps and some of the most downloaded planning apps to help you find the best flights for your dream vacation, discover charming places to stay, help you know what to pack for the weather in your bucket list destination, and keep track of all the information.
Why You Should Use Travel Planning Apps for Your Next Adventure
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Travel planning apps are designed to “UP” your travel game. Useful vacation planning apps and resources can:
- Save you time
- Save you money
- Lower your stress levels
- Keep your travel planning organized
- Remind you of what still needs to be scheduled
- Offer travel planning ideas
- Set alerts
You will find apps for vacation planning that are especially essential in the planning, organizing, and booking phase of your trip.
And, some of the best travel apps are totally FREE.
Trending Travel Destinations:
- San Francisco, California
- Pompeii, Italy
- Aix-en-Provence, France
- Florence, Italy
- Paris, France
- Colorado
- Big Sur, California
15 Trending Apps for Planning Adventures and Travel
If you are like many travelers, you rely on planning apps and the internet to help you find awesome travel destinations, adventurous things to do, reliable reviews, as well as the best prices on flights, accommodations and car rentals for your travel budget.
Trending Apps for Flights, Hotels and Ground Transportation
1. Booking.com
Recommended by Martina from PlacesofJuma
The Booking.com app is definitely one of my favorites and most useful travel apps. It allows me to easily find the best accommodations around the world.
What is fabulous is that the app is completely FREE and has a great reward program to offer. It pays off, especially if you travel often! The more often you book your accommodations, the better the discounts—often there are free upgrades and sometimes a free breakfast is included in the room rate.
Under “Bookings” all your past and future accommodations are summarized. Very handy if you want to cancel an accommodation or view past bookings. In addition, you can also conveniently contact the accommodation directly with the messenger. Perfect if you need any further info or if you have some special needs.
Besides accommodations, you will also find a search function for finding rental cars, cabs (ie., pickup from the airport or from the ferry), booking excursions and finding entrance tickets.
Basically, you’ll find almost everything you need to organize a trip in the booking.com app. It doesn’t get much more convenient than that!
Where do you want to go?
Get the Booking.com App
2. FlightAware Flight Tracker
Recommended by Just Wander More
My husband, Chris, loves this app simply because he is kind of a travel nerd and loves to see where his in-bound plane is coming from or to track his mom’s flight when she comes to visit.
FlightAware is a travel app for flights that tracks in real time so you can follow a flight at any give moment. Beyond indicating arrivals and delays, FlightAware also alerts to potential weather delays for flights.
Get the FlightAware App
3. Kayak: Flights, Hotels and Cars
Recommended by Hannah from Hannah on Horizon
Hannah finds Kayak to be one of the easiest and most user-friendly travel planning apps for finding cheap flights. You can find inexpensive flights by entering in the airport you are coming from to wherever you want to go to along with your travel dates.
The dates you choose are color-coded to let you know if it’s going to be a deal—yellow warns you that you might have to pay a little more and red means it is the most expensive option.
Once you punch in your itinerary, there’s a list of flights that come up from different airports. You can sort the list by price. Then at the top, Kayak will have a signal telling you to buy or wait depending on the price.
When you find these flights and prices, you can click on them to book directly through the airport or through a third-party company like booking.com or Expedia. You can book all of your flights through Kayak.
Get the Kayak App
4. Lyft, Uber, or…
Lyft and Uber are a fantastic way to find a ride and get around in many countries. It’s generally safe, helps with language barriers as all information is handled through the app, and is usually cheaper than taxis.
Create an account ahead of time and be sure you add a credit card that works with reasonable conversion fees in Europe or other international destinations.
While I mention Lyft (and Uber), there are a variety of ride-finding options worldwide. Be sure to check your destination.
Get the Lyft App
Get the Uber App
5. Skyscanner
Recommended by Rebecca from Be Blissful Travel
“As someone who likes to look for the best flight deals, I love using Skyscanner,” says Rebecca.
I’ve found that it’s one of the most user-friendly websites and planning apps out there when it comes to finding flights. Not only does it allow you to search for flights by date and destination, but you can also set up price alerts so you’re always “in the know” about the best time to buy your tickets.
I’ve found that Skyscanner is particularly useful when I’m planning ahead for a trip. I can search for flights months in advance and easily compare ticket prices so that I can get the best deal possible. And if I’m flexible with my travel dates, I can use the “whole month” search function to see which days are the cheapest to fly.
I usually use Skyscanner to book all my flights. I think it’s a great tool for anyone who is looking to save money on their travels. So if you’re planning or envisioning your next trip, be sure to check out Skyscanner.
Get the Skyscanner App
6. Trainline
If you find yourself traveling in Europe, I recommend the Trainline App or trainline.com as a super simple way to purchase train tickets for almost any destination.
Previously, you had to use the services and planning apps of each train company or country, but now you can purchase all of your train tickets from one place without an extra surcharge.
Get the Trainline App
7. United
United is just one of many airline apps that you can download and use. You can use the app to book your United flights, check your flight status, check your upgrade status, view account information, check in for your flight and access your mobile boarding pass.
As an extra perk, United Private Screening is available on select flights. It allows you to watch TV shows and movies on your own device. You can also track the status of your checked bags (I recommend using AirTags as well) and find out which gate you will be arriving at when you land.
Get the United App.
8. VRBO, Airbnb, Etc.
Reserving home or apartment rentals instead of hotels has gained in popularity in recent years. These rentals can add to your travel experience.
Not only can you find a place to stay based on location, number of guests, and price when planning adventures, but you can also specify the number of bedrooms and the amenities (I always make sure there is a washing machine).
Again, there are a variety of apartment rental services available in different cities and countries around the world. VRBO and Airbnb are just two examples of trending apps you can use.
Get the VRBO App
Get the Airbnb App
Planning Apps for Ideas, Alerts and Organization
9. Evernote
Chris and I use Evernote to keep track of all of the logistics that are involved when we are planning adventures: flight details, hotel reservations, car reservations, maps, and excursions.
If YOU are a planner extraordinaire, you will love the ease of planning your travel with the Evernote app. Evernote is designed for taking notes, organizing information, creating “to-do” lists, and archiving your information.
Once you decide on the time and place when you plan a trip, you will then need to book hotels or Airbnbs, determine if you need a rental car, and check on local train and transit schedules for your day trips. Be sure to check the cancellation policies and all of the fine print.
Add all of this information to the Evernote “Note” that you have created for your trip, and have the information available when you need it.
Get the Evernote App
10. Pinterest
Pinterest is one of the online planning resources and trending apps that allows you to discover all kinds of trending travel ideas, but specifically ideas for travel related to destinations to explore, what to pack, and things to do around the world.
I love Pinterest for the ability to save “pins” that inspire me in planning adventures and creating bucket lists.
11. SeatGuru
Find out exactly where the good and bad seats are on your plane. Learn how to avoid “that” row with the missing window or the obnoxious equipment box in your leg space. Input your flight info and SeatGuru will determine which flight you are taking and give advice on where to sit. Be sure to read the reviews as well.
This is another one of Chris’ favorite planning apps. SeatGuru offers seat maps, insights and reviews from over 45,000 fliers, right at your fingertips.
Get the SeatGuru App
12. TripAdvisor
TripAdvisor shares user-generated content, travel ideas, ideas of things to do, excursions, restaurants, and more. You can even make online bookings for transportation, lodging, travel experiences, and places to eat. Be sure to read the reviews.
If you can dream it, TripAdvisor can help you plan it.
Get the TripAdvisor App
13. TripIt
Recommended by Jori from The Tejana Abroad
What is the best travel itinerary app?
TripIt is a lifesaver for planning adventure and organizing your travel! You can manually add in trips, or allow it to scan through your email and add all booking confirmations for hotels, flights, trains, rental car reservations, ferry tickets…you name it! The app then provides you with a detailed plan of everything you will need for your trip: including flight times, confirmations, and hotel information. It’s super convenient and fast!
One of my favorite features is how you can see your flight schedule even offline, so you can check how many hours/minutes you have left in a flight while you’re in the air! Plus, you can share your itineraries with whomever will be picking you up at the airport or train station.
The app is free, although there’s a pro version with extra features such as real-time flight alerts, airfare price drops, gate information, and more. The free version for me does just fine in planning adventures!
Get the TripIt App
14. Wanderlog
Recommended by Yesenia and Sierra from The Sisters Who Voyage
When we first started traveling, we were all over the place in our travel planning and organization; we used paper notes, E-notes, Google Maps, Yelp, you name it. Travel planning was the worst part about traveling for us until we came upon the Wanderlog app.
This comprehensive app allows us to have a place to store and plan our stays, flights, and routes we want to take. Plus, it offers excellent features like things to do, hot spots, and other valuable tips.
We love this app, especially when using the route management for our cross-country trip across the states; it tells us exactly what route to take and what cool things are along the way.
When using the app, you’ll have the best experience by paying the annual fee of $49.99; this price includes premium features such as offline use, real-time deals for flights, and the best routes for travel. Plus, it does all the work for you by importing travel information from flights, rentals, and stays.
If you’re okay with manually importing your travel information and can do without the offline use or flight deals, then you can get by with the free version of the app. Overall, the Wanderlog app saves us a lot of time by being a comprehensive travel app that can do it all.
Get the Wanderlog App
15. Weather Channel
Recommended by Cris of LooknWalk
Ah, weather. That “issue” that’s always in the back of your mind when you plan your trips. Will it be sunny? Will it rain? How cold or hot will it be?
As a light packer, I travel with a carry on only and never pack what-if-the-weather-changes clothes. And I’m known to buy umbrellas at the destination, too when the rain proves to be more than my waterproof jacket can handle.
There are a lot of weather apps out there, but I prefer Weather Channel. The free version does have ads, but they aren’t particularly annoying.
I really like that I can see the data on the radar & maps for 4 hours. And it never fails me. I always use it to figure out if I will get rained on and find it to be quite accurate.
This trending travel app also shows the real feel, wind, humidity, pressure, UV index, and more. Personally, I also use the Health & Activities warnings, and this is really useful for someone with seasonal allergies.
Not only will you know what to pack for your trip, but you will also when you will need to keep your gear dry when it rains.
Get the Weather Channel App
Technology Tips for Your Travel Planning Apps
If you are using your phone throughout the day for taking photos and using these trending apps and planning resources for planning adventures, getting directions, navigating and checking maps, figuring out transportation, or researching on the internet, don’t forget to pack a Portable Charger (or TWO!) so you can recharge your phone when needed.
Portable chargers come in a variety of sizes and shapes from the size of a tube of lipstick to a cell phone size to even larger. Portable chargers are convenient and easy to pack into your travel backpack as you sightsee each day.
When I say, “Bring along a portable charger or two…”, I mean two if you have kids who use up all of THEIR batteries playing games and using social media and want to charge their phone. Having two, means there is one available for you so you can map the train schedules back to the hotel. Only somewhat important right?
And… don’t forget to bring your charging cable.
According to World Nomads, the #1 cyber safety tip is to keep your device updated with the latest software and security updates. Protecting your digital footprint is key.
Electronics You Can Use While Traveling
- Portable Charger
- iPhone
- iPhone Charging Cable
- Bose Noise-Canceling Headphones
- Apple Watch
- Twelve South AirFly Pro Bluetooth
- Power Strip with USB Ports
- USB-C Charger
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best way to organize your travel itinerary?
Create a travel itinerary in one of the planning apps
Securely store your documents online
Use trending apps
Keep a travel journal
Is there a great app for planning a road trip?
Yes, Roadtrippers.
What is the biggest travel review site?
TripAdvisor. Be sure to read reviews and do your research.
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Final Thoughts on 15 Top Trending Apps for Planning Adventures and Travel
Gone are the days when you packed paper maps of your destinations and kept paper copies of your itinerary, flight schedule, hotel confirmation and address. Enter the age of having all of your data at your fingertips.
If you are looking for the best places to travel for adventure, be sure that you are also downloading the best travel planning apps. Whether these are travel itinerary planner apps or travel apps for things to do once you arrive, you will love the ease of using these 15 essential apps.
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Thanks for putting this together. There are so many apps available now that it’s hard to know which one to download. I’ll take a look at some of these.
Travel experts give such great advice.
I do love the travel apps I use regularly. But always looking for new ones that help make travel or planning easier. FlightAware is a favourite of my hubby too! And I never pick a seat before checking SeatGuru. I will have to take a look at WanderLog. A good collection of travel apps.
Thanks. It is always good to get some new ideas.
I always love Bookings.com! I hope other people use Pinterest to plan as much as I do too!
I know I do.
I already use many of these apps for my travels but didn’t know about wanderlog – I’ve been looking for an app like that. Nor did I know about SeatGuru, what a great idea!
Hope they will be helpful in your next travel adventures.
Great tips. I felt assured knowing that I use many of these listed. There are a few new ones, though, that I haven’t yet heard of…. like Seat Guru and Ever Note. I’ll check those out and give them a try.
A great post! And a few apps I haven’t even thought of using!
Let me know if you find one that really works well for you.
Great list of the top 15 travel-planning apps! I’ve used several of these. I’m heading to Europe in the fall so going to check out the trainline app!
I think you will like it! In fact, scheduling train rides in advance if you know your schedule saves a lot of money.
Good luck trying them out.
What a great list many I have but there are some new ones that sound very interesting, especially Flightaware… I’m one of those nerds also ha ha
Thanks for this great list. I hadn’t heard of some of them but they sound very good. I will have to look into them as we are planning a trip shortly.
There are a few apps on your list that I haven’t used before, so thanks! It will be fun to try them out.
This is so helpful! A few of these apps I had never heard of but I will definitely be downloading them now
So many great travel apps! They really do save time and make traveling easier.
This is a great list of travel apps, I probably use half of them but not all are loaded on my phone. They are great for planning and saving money.
We have used many of the apps featured here! It’s amazing how technology can make travel so much easier to manage.
I can’t imagine traveling without Booking.com. I love how flexible their cancellation policies are, and they always have great prices. Thank you for sharing!
so many wonderful options! P.S. I also heard that to get the best out of Skyscanner, search on your destination country’s website! (E.g. If you’re going to Bali, then search for flights on Skyscanner Indonesia (www.skyscanner.com.in). Apparently, the fares show up EVEN cheaper!)
Good to know. Thanks for sharing that tip.
So nice to have all of the apps in one place! I usually get somewhere and then say, I bet there’s an app for this!
And…there usually is!