BEST TRAVEL APPS for Free Independent Travelers! (My 12 Favorite Apps)

We like to arrange our itinerary on our own when we travel to our next destination because we like to immerse in the local culture, food and most awesome experiences.

Here are our 12 favorite apps for planning your itinerary and making the best out of your trip to the destination.

All the apps are free so make sure to download them at home before your next flight.

1. Trip.com App (Trip Planner – Awesome Experiences)

We would start with the recommendation of the Tripster community on Trip.com on what are the Top Things to Do and to prioritize what to visit first.

Trip.com app was very helpful on attractions and adventure recommendations with a map which shows you what is nearby on our recent trip to Lisbon and Marrakech.  

It also has a hotel price comparison and booking feature that can help you decide on your accommodation.

Make sure to download Trip.com app and do your initial travel research on the app.

 

2. Foodie Hub (Expert Food Recommendation)

For the best local recommendation on food, check out the expert foodie tips at Foodie Hub.

TIP: I love the nearby tracker which tells you the good restaurants that are just around the corner. 

 

3. Airbnb (Bed & Breakfast Booking)

To get the best local experience, we always stay where the locals do, and Airbnb provides the best recommendation on your local hosts and BnB accommodation.

Note: In Marrakech, this app was not helpful because you have to stay in a Riad inside the Souk to get the best experience.

 

4. Wunderground (Weather App) 

This app is very helpful for tropical storm tracking in Asia and also helpful for daily weather temperature and condition on your destination.

My wife loves this app because her wardrobe is dependent on the weather and she wants to be always prepared.

Tip: The trip.com app also shows the weather temperature and condition from Wunderground when you visit the city’s page.

 

5. City Mapper (Point to Point Transportation)

This app is the best transportation app to decide if you will take the train, bus or walk to your destination.

Note: Not all cities are covered in the app, so we only used it in first world cities.

 

6. Google Maps (Navigation App)

Google Maps is our all around navigation app to get from one point to another. 

 

7. XE (Currency Exchange App)

This app is very useful as a benchmark of currency exchange rate to determine if the exchange in the airport or the city are reasonable.

 

8. Google Translate (Translator App)

This translation app is the last resort if you don’t have a local you can ask. It can

It can live translate a signage or menu. I use it often to translate local SIM Card messages from the local telcos.

 

9. Time Buddy (Time Zone Manager)

This time zone manager app is very helpful if you have a location-independent business and to keep you on top of your scheduled meetings.

I used it to know the time zone of my Instagram audience and when is the best time to publish.

 

10. Flight Stats (Airport App)

This app is very crucial to know which airport terminal your flight is departing or arriving from.

Sometimes your flight ticket does not indicate the terminal, and this is useful for connecting flights.

 

11. Trip Advisor (Travel Reviews and Second Opinion)

I seldom use trip advisor reviews because most of the time they are not reliable. 

I use it to double check the opinions of people if I’m choosing between 2-3 options.

 

12. UBER (Transportation App)

I learned that Uber is usually available in most of the modern cities.

It is the safest and most reliable way to ride for long distance locations in the comfort of your own car.

 That’s it! Make sure to download all these apps for iPhone or Android before your next trip! 

Let me know if you have questions, suggestions, and tips on other useful travel apps.

 

Live an Awesome Life,

Founder, www.OurAwesomePlanet.com  

Disclosure: I wrote this article with my biases, opinions, and insights. 

P.S. I use a paid subscription app called Priority Pass to use the airport lounges that are part of their network.