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Travel apps/websites that will save your life
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items Travel planning is stressful. Here are the apps I use every time I travel to ensure I am getting the cheapest yet best quality travel, accommodation, and food.
Sections
4
General Research
Transportation
Accomodation
Food
General Research
Here, I link apps to help plan your itinerary. These apps can help you find excursions and other things to do.
I use this app for everything. It has tickets for the main attractions, restaurant reviews, and hotel reviews. If I find a restaurant online, I cross-reference it on Tripadvisor to make sure its worth my time and money. I also use it to cross-reference prices of hotels and attraction tickets.
sTripadvisor: Plan & Book Trips 4+ - App Store
I do feel a little silly saying this, but Tiktok is such a good resource. So many people document their travel. They leave behind tips, tricks, and great recommendations.
TikTok on the App Store
I like to read travel blogs to plan what activities to do. I find this especially helpful when I am on a time crunch.
Best Travel Blogs of 2025: My Current List of Favorites
When booking any tourist attraction, use official websites for the cheapest tickets. I do not know how exactly to show you this, so i gave you an example. This is the OFFICIAL vatican website, book tickets here and not elsewhere.
Vatican Museums – Official Website
Airbnb is more than just a places to sleep. Check out their experiences. I did a pasta class in Italy through Airbnb and it was a dream come true.
Airbnb on the App Store
Transportation
I cover everything from flights, trains, and buses. However, every airline has its own app, as well as busses. So I cannot link them all. Also sometimes bigger cities have their own public transportation apps so be sure to do some research.
Google Maps has saved my life many times. It is the most up-to-date and accurate app out there, which makes it the best navigation app to use, especially in Europe. I find that Apple Maps does not know all the streets in Europe, often leaving me conf...
Google Maps on the App Store
This. Is. The. Best. App. Ever. This app compares prices and durations for flights. You can organize flights by cheapest or fastest. Or, one of my favorite features is that you can look up any dates and find the cheapest destination or look up the de...
Skyscanner – travel deals on the App Store - Apple
When in Europe, it can be tricky to know which mode of transport to take (train, plane, or bus). Omio compares prices and durations of each mode of transportation. This app has helped me saved a lot of money as it is not always intuitive on which mod...
Omio: Book, search & compare trains, buses, flights & ferries
This app compares train prices and times. I use this app after Omio when I have decided I am ready to buy a train ticket. It shows you times of dearture ariveal and allows to look at any loyovers you may have. Once I find the tickey I want, I buy it ...
Trainline : Search, Compare & Buy Cheap Train Tickets
Ryanair is known for cheap flights around Europe. This is true, about 95% of our cheap flights have been through Ryanair. They are strict on baggage but the cheap flights are worth it. Also their social media team is funny.
Ryanair on the App Store
Try to take public transportation when you can (for that look at Google Maps). However, sometimes public transportation is not available or when you're exhausted after a long travel day. This is when I use Uber. I find Uber is more popular then lyft ...
Uber - Request a ride - App Store
Bolt is the same as Uber or Lyft. It is more common in Europe, however, that does not make it cheaper so I recommend checking both Uber and Bolt.
Bolt: Request a Ride 4+ - App Store
If you are a US citizen traveling out of the US, we all know getting back is a nighmare. However, this app is a customs hack. I literally got through US customs in 5 under minutes. All you have to do is fill out the form on your phone (I do it beofre... go to the super short MPC line.
Mobile Passport Control (MPC) - Customs and Border Protection
This app is also a great way to travel. Essentially, a driver puts in a trip they are already planning to take and if it aligns with your start location and destination they will pick you up and drop you off. Almost like 21st century hitchhiking, hah...
BlaBlaCar: Carpooling and Bus 4+ - App Store
Accomodation
This is the most expensive part and where I think that I have spent the most money. If you find cheap flights, be sure you can also find cheap accommodation.
I use TripAdvisor hotels to ensure I am looking at good quality hotels and for the best price possible. .Compare hotel locations, prices, and reviews on Tripadvisor. This is a great resource to make sure you are getting the best of the best.
Cheap Hotel Deals on Tripadvisor
I am a travel budget girly, so I mostly opt for hostels. Hostel World does a wonderful job of making hostels easy to find. The app clearly states the location and the quality of the hostel. When looking for accommodation, I look here first to find a ...
Hostelworld: Hostel Travel App on the App Store
If traveling in a bigger group, I find that Airbnb is often the cheapest option. Plus they feel so much more homey than a hostel or hotel. Also Ai
Airbnb - Apps on Google Play
This is the website I use to make sure I am getting the cheapest prices possible on my hostels. They compare major websites, however, be sure to check the actual hostel website too.
Hostelz.com - Smart Hostel Price Comparison: 38,428 Hostels Worldwide
Another app you can use to check for accommodation. I do not use this one a ton, however, I know some of my friends have used it and have had great successes!
Vrbo Vacation Rentals on the App Store - Apple
I find that booking.com has tons and tons of options, however, I think it can be pricey. I use this app more so to get ideas on where to stay.
Booking.com
Food
Using these apps ensures that you're getting the best food in the cities you're visiting.
I absolutely love this app. I use almost as a diary to keep track of my favorite bites and the memories that went along with it. It ranks my favorite restaurants for me, and I can look up where other recommended to eat in new locations.
Beli on the App Store
This app has great values. It is all about ending food waste. Restaurants or bakeries will post mystery bags at the end of the day, and you can pick them up at a discounted price. Most of the time you save a big chunk of money! My favorites bags are ...
Too Good To Go: End Food Waste 4+ - App Store
I love food… like a lot. Yelp allows me to see the most popular restaurants in the area.
Yelp: Food, Delivery & Reviews 12+ - App Store