Technology can be a great asset when traveling and this is proven by the fact that travel apps are the most downloaded every year.
There are apps to help you prevent jet lag, book fun tours, plan your itinerary, navigate airports, find the safest walkable route, call emergency services or connect to a VPN for secure internet access.
There’s an app for everything, even for more obscure things that you probably didn’t know existed like finding a toilet nearby, managing your period while traveling, or figuring out an appropriate tip.
If safety when traveling solo concerns you, there are also many apps that provide safety tips or can call emergency services for you in case of distress.
But among the millions of travel apps out there, which ones are the truly useful ones that you can’t leave for a trip without?
We asked our community members for the best apps they use for their travels, in addition to our team’s favorite ones, and developed the ultimate list of the best apps for solo travelers out there.
Contents
Apps for booking flights
Flying alone for the first time? These apps will handle everything including finding the best flight deals, navigating the airport, and getting real-time alerts for flight or gate changes, cancellations, and more.
Skyscanner
Skyscanner is one of the best apps to find flight deals. The app makes it easy to search and compare hundreds of flights and find the best prices available.
If you’re just searching but are not ready to book, you can set up ‘Price Alert’ and it will send you notifications when the price goes down. The app also has a ‘Saved flights’ setting where you can save the flights you like without booking.
Skyscanner makes it possible to book a complete trip, including flights, hotels, car rentals, etc. It’s also a good app to find travel inspiration by tapping ‘Explore’ to see their top inspirational destinations and their best deals at the moment from where you are based.
COVID-19 has made traveling a bit confusing, but the app has a new useful feature to see restrictions country by country.
Hopper
Hopper is one of the top free travel apps out there, and it focuses on predicting if flight prices will go up or down.
The way it works is you select your flight in the app and it sends you a notification when the flight drops to its lowest price, it basically tells you if it’s better to buy now, or wait a little longer.
Hopper is used by many members of our FB group, and it’s ideal for comparing hundreds of airline and hotel options. Another unique feature of the app is their color-coded calendar, which shows the cheapest days to travel.
Kayak
Take the stress out of trip planning with Kayak, an app that compares hundreds of travel sites to give you exactly what you need for your trip, in a similar way to Skyscanner.
Kayak is perfect for finding cheap flight deals, and similar to Hopper, it also has a feature called ‘Price Forecast’ which tells you whether you should wait for the price to go down or book now.
Kayak will sometimes show you ‘Hacker Fares’ to save some money, like putting together 2 one-way tickets instead of buying a round-trip flight (when it’s convenient). This travel app is very complete and besides flight deals, you can book accommodation and rent a car.
Kayak can also help you get ready for a trip by sending you notifications for flight and gate changes, giving you access to boarding passes on and offline and planning out and sharing your itinerary via the app.
Like Skyscanner, Kayak also has the Fly everywhere option which you can use to find cheap flights based on where you are and when you can travel, just type “Everywhere” in the destination when searching.
Skiplagged
Skiplagged is a free travel app with amazing low-cost travel deals including flights, hotels and cars not available on other travel booking sites by using hacks like ‘Hidden-city flights”, which are flights where you get off at the layover instead of the final destination. Set fare alerts and receive notification when prices drop.
Expedia
Expedia is one of the largest travel companies and one of the most popular travel apps. Like the company itself, the app is a complete travel planner with tons of options for accommodation, flights, cars and things to do.
Besides being able to book flights, hotels and cars separately, Expedia offers different packages with flights, accommodation, car rentals and activities included. These are great to get affordable deals and have everything planned out. It also sends alerts for flight delays, gate changes and more.
Plus, Expedia has a great rewards program which gives you points every time you book, and you earn double reward points when you book through the app.
Check out Expedia’s ‘Things to do’ section to get awesome deals on tours, shows, theme parks, and other attractions.
SFT TIP: always check the airline and hotel websites to compare prices before booking. Booking directly, especially with airlines, is always better than booking via a third party app. When it comes to flight changes, the third party service will have to liaise with the airline for you which may delay things and cost you in terms of administrative fees.
Useful apps to use when flying
Besides booking flights, many apps are very useful for other aspects of plane travel like jet lag, navigating the airport, and entertaining yourself on board. Here are some recommendations of the best solo travel apps to use when flying.
Timeshifter
Hard time with jetlag? We feel you. It’s tough to adjust to another time zone.
Jet lag is a disruption of the body’s circadian rhythm that occurs when you travel by plane across three or more time zones. It often causes sleeping problems, because your body is out of sync with the day-night cycle at your destination.
The good news is there’s an app for it called Timeshifter. This great travel app was developed by scientists and it creates a customized jet lag prevention plan based on your trip itinerary (you can add many destinations!).
It works by making an hour-to-hour schedule that tells you when to do specific actions like see light, avoid caffeine, avoid light, go to sleep, etc. Timeshifter is ideal for business travelers who need to adjust rapidly to a different time zone.
Flight Aware
Flight Aware is a super comprehensive app that lets you track any plane around the globe in real time. You can track your flight status, check for any delays, see weather radar, and set up notifications in case there are any changes.
Also, get free status alerts like departures, arrivals, cancellations, delays, gate changes and more. If your flight is delayed, you can find out where the plane is exactly. All of this for free! Whether you are flying for the first time or you’re a frequent traveler, this travel app is a must-have.
My TSA
TSA stands for Transportation Security Administration and it’s a US government agency. Their app, MyTSA, provides useful information for passengers.
In MyTSA app, you can:
- Which items you can bring into the airplane
- Request live assistance
- Check how busy the airport will be on your date and time of travel
- Find security checkpoint wait times in specific airports
- Check flight delays
- See weather forecast in the airports of your choice
Netflix
Get bored on flights? Netflix is perfect for all your on-board entertainment needs.
For a monthly subscription cost of $8.99 USD for 1 screen or $13.99 USD for 2 screens (prices may vary per country) you can choose from thousands of movies and TV Shows.
The great thing about the Netflix app is you can download TV shows and movies to your phone so you can watch them offline while you’re on the plane or elsewhere during your trip.
Use Netflix to get ready for a trip with TV shows and movies related to your destination.
Spotify
Make your trip feel like a movie with background music at all times. With Spotify, you can listen to millions of songs and original podcasts.
Download music to start your collections and playlists, follow other playlists and search music by mood or genre. You need to download the songs and playlists you’d like to listen to offline, otherwise you won’t be able to listen without Wi-Fi.
You can use the app for free, but you’ll listen to some ads now and then. If you want the no-ad version, you can get Spotify Premium for a monthly subscription of $12.99 USD.
Calm
If you can’t sleep well during flights, you should try Calm, an app specialized in sleep and meditation that helps you reduce stress and sleep better with guided meditations, sleep stories, breathing techniques, stretching exercises and relaxing music.
Studies show that mindfulness meditation improves mental health by reducing anxiety and stress and what better time than a trip to start a new habit?
If you are getting anxious before a trip, Calm can also help you relax and besides meditation sessions, it also features masterclasses, stretching exercises, music, soundscapes and breathing exercises.
There’s a 7-day free trial and then a monthly subscription of $14.99 USD.
Kindle
The best travel app for reading anywhere! With Kindle, you can bring not one but tons of books in your phone or tablet.
Read on the bus, while eating alone in a restaurant, sitting on a bench in a square, literally anywhere! When you don’t feel like reading, you can easily switch to the audible version of the book and listen.
Purchase books from Amazon in a Kindle format, and you will be able to download those books to the app.
Colorfy
Have a relaxing painting experience in a virtual coloring book. Colorfy is an app where you can paint mandalas, patterns, animals, florals and more. You can also upload your own drawings and make them come to life with color.
It works offline and doesn’t need Wi-Fi, perfect for in-flight entertainment. Colorfy has a free trial but the app has a monthly subscription cost which varies a lot because of promotions and deals.
Apps for booking accommodation
Whether you want to book a room in a boutique hotel or stay in a hostel for the first time, these apps are the best for booking your ideal accommodation.
Depending on your preferences and destination, there are lots of options besides the traditional hotels and hostels, like booking a room in a local house, finding a local host to stay for free, booking a hotel room for just a few hours or renting a vacation home.
Find your perfect accommodation through these booking apps.
Booking.com
One of the best known apps for traveling, Booking offers the widest range of accommodation options from hotels, to hostels, vacation homes, or apartments.
The app is super user friendly and has lots of filters to narrow down your search, depending on your preferences and budget. Besides booking stays, you can book your whole trip with Booking, since they also offer flight, car and taxi bookings.
We highly recommend joining their Genius Loyalty Program, which unlocks special deals and discounts. We like Booking.com because of the hundreds of reviews for each accommodation option, and the fact that almost all hotels will have a refundable rate you can book with peace of mind if your travel plans change.
Hotels.com
Hotels.com is a fantastic app to book any type of accommodation: hotels, vacation homes, apartments, and more.
It usually has a smaller inventory of options than Booking.com but it offers a very attractive rewards program that gives you 1 free night for every 10 nights you book through the app. It also has a feature called ‘Secret prices’ which unlocks 10% discounts on certain properties.
The app saves your bookings and you can access them without wifi and once you start booking more and more, you’ll be upgraded to Silver and Gold level in their loyalty program which will unlock extra benefits and faster customer service.
Hostelworld
If you’re looking to stay in a hostel instead of a hotel, Hostelworld is the best app for you. It’s a super comprehensive app with pretty much every hostel out there, highly recommended by our community members.
Hostelworld is great for comparing rates and reading reviews of hostels all over the world. You’ll find everything from budget party hostels in Europe to charming eco hostels in Southeast Asia. Hostels are generally an affordable choice and most of them have options to book a private room or shared rooms (mixed or all female).
Airbnb
One of the most popular accommodation apps, Airbnb lets you book a room in a local’s home, which is a great way to save money compared to staying in a hotel. You can also book an entire property like an apartment or house, which is perfect if you want your own space or are traveling with more people.
Airbnb offers unique stays from a villa in a secluded beach to a cozy apartment in a city center, choose what fits you best.
Check out the feature ‘Experiences’ to find things to do. If you’re traveling solo, this is a great way to attend an event, join a group and meet new people.
Couchsurfing
Do you know you can travel for free?
Thanks to apps like Couchsurfing, which puts travelers in touch with local hosts for free accommodation and cultural exchanges. This is a nice way to meet locals, make new friends and even host travelers in your home!
In the Couchsurfing app you can:
- Find hosts in your next destination
- Stay and meet with locals to have an authentic experience
- Meet up with travelers through the ‘Couchsurfing Hangouts’ feature
- Join fun events planned by other travelers
- Host travelers in your hometown
It’s a great app to travel on a budget and make new friends around the world.
Vrbo
Whether it’s a beach house, condo or villa, Vrbo app helps you find your perfect vacation home. With tons of unique accommodation options, you will find homes with different amenities like pools, backyards, jacuzzis, etc.
The app makes booking a private home easy with useful information such as booking details, check-in instructions, Wi-Fi passwords, even when you’re offline.
Our group member Emma, a Vrbo user, advises to read all the reviews and contact the homeowner before booking. Carolyn also shared: “I love Vrbo! My family has been using them like my whole life. We only get house rentals when on vacation. I have also used them personally on my trips”.
HotelTonight
Booked a spontaneous flight and don’t know where to stay? Download the HotelTonight app, and you’ll get last minute deals in accommodations close to your location.
The app shows unique discounts on hotel’s empty rooms for that day, or the following days. It has a wide range of options from bed and breakfasts, small boutique hotels to luxurious resorts.
Join their HT Perks rewards program, which unlocks better deals and discounts the more you book through the app.
Dayuse
There are many reasons why someone would book a hotel for a few hours during the day, and Dayuse makes it possible. Whether you want to get some sleep in a long layover, or a new office for the day, Dayuse offers affordable deals to book a hotel room during the day. The process is simple: find an available room, select a time slot and make your booking (you won’t need a credit card to do it!).
The awesome thing about this app is you not only get the hotel room, but all the amenities that come with it like Wi-Fi, the spa, pool, gym, etc. for the duration of your booking.
Planning apps
Plan your travel itinerary like a pro with these apps.
Don’t know what to pack? There’s an app that makes a custom packing list for you!
Want to keep track of your trip? There’s a virtual map app that will register all the places you visit.
Try these cool travel planning apps!
TripIt
Stop searching through your inbox for all those booking confirmation emails and start using TripIt, an app that puts all your travel bookings in one place.
This app is used widely by members of our community. Sandra says: “I use TripIt, an itinerary app that lets you forward your emails to it and consolidates everything (transportation, lodging, dining, activities).”
When you book a flight, hotel, car or any other reservation, forward it to [email protected] and the app will add it to your master itinerary. They also enable you to sync all your travel plans to your calendar and share them with family or friends.
You can add documents you need like PDFs, photos, boarding pass and digital passport QR codes to your itinerary.
A great thing about TripIt is their destination-specific guidance where you can look up COVID-19 entry requirements, safe neighborhoods and recommended apps to download for that destination.
CheckMyTrip
To have all your bookings handy, use CheckMyTrip app, also recommended by our community.
It works similarly to TripIt, by creating a custom itinerary including all the bookings you forward them by email. CheckMyTrip also gives you COVID-19 guidance and real-time alerts for flights.
PackPoint
Don’t stress over packing again! PackPoint is a lifehacker travel app that builds a packing list according to your needs and interests. Our team loves it and considers it one of the best apps for traveling.
It’s super simple: select the destination you’re traveling to, the departure date and number of the nights you’re staying. PackPoint will do its magic and tell you what you should pack, considering weather at your destination and the activities you’re planning to do while you’re there.
PackPoint has cool features like checking off ‘Repeat basics’ if you’re willing to use some shirts/pants more than once, ‘Laundry’ if you’ll have access to laundry facilities and ‘Hide check items’ to reduce your list as you pack. The packing list will have everything you need including clothing, accessories, toiletries, gear, and more!
Don’t forget to check out our genius packing hacks to have a smooth packing experience.
Visited
Have your scratch map and bucket list in one app! Visited is a very cool app that tracks your experiences around the world.
Design your own map with countries you’ve visited, create your travel bucket list with countries you want to visit, add travel journal notes like dates and memories from your trip.
I love this app, definitely one of the best apps for solo travelers to keep track of your trips. It’s motivating to check off countries off your bucket list and go back to see how much you’ve covered whenever you want. It makes me relive my travels again.
Apps for road trips
Get all your road trip planning done with these apps and hit the road! Manage everything like defining your route, finding the best RV parks and camping spots, know where to fuel gas and find parking places nearby.
Roadtrippers
Planning a roadtrip? Roadtrippers is your go-to app to build the best route and have smooth navigation on the road. It’s one of the best apps for travelers who are into road trips, you can use it to plan your road trip including 7 waypoints. If you need more, you can upgrade to the Plus version and get up to 150 waypoints. We love it and use the premium version to plan road trips and it’s a fab app.
With Roadtrippers, you’ll discover tons of places to visit like local restaurants, roadside attractions, scenic points, national parks, hotels, and more. Also, get inspiration by their pre-made trip guides and epic routes.
RV Parks & Campgrounds
If you’ve had a hard time finding RV parks in North America, this app is for you. RV Parks & Campgrounds helps people find the best RV parks in the US, Canada and Mexico. With tons of options, you’ll discover parks, campgrounds, rest areas, gas stations, and stores.
It covers everything you need including RV friendly stores and fuel stops and was recommended by many of our community members and by Oprah.
Gas Buddy
With the GasBuddy app, you can find the cheapest gas stations nearby within the US and Canada with its many features:
- Find gas: find the most affordable prices with the gas map
- Use the GasBuddy fuel card: get a virtual card for free and pay with it at the station to save on every gallon
- Get driving tips: drive smarter with tricks to use less gas
- Win rewards: shop in the app to get rewards and turn them into free gas
SpotHero
We’ve all had trouble finding places to park in. SpotHero will make your life easier by helping you find and reserve parking in major cities in the US.
The process is easy:
- Select the dates and times you need parking.
- Compare parking rates near your location.
- Pre-pay to book your spot.
- Follow the directions on your parking pass, arrive at your selected garage, park your car and you’re all set.
Knowing how to move around efficiently is essential to make the most of your trip. Dominate every route with public transport or have some private transport options handy with these great transportation travel apps.
Google Maps
Google has its real-time GPS Navigation service Google Maps which can help you navigate traffic, find transit info and millions of businesses and other important places on the way.
Google Maps takes real time traffic, incidents and road closures to provide the most efficient route. Besides, you can get directions for a certain route by different modes of transport like car, bike, metro, bus, walking, etc.
The most downloaded app in 2021 is also useful to find places nearby like grocery stores, restaurants, pharmacies, gyms, hospitals, etc. Click on the business and it will tell you the store hours, website, menus in case of restaurants, photos, and reviews.
Waze
A high-rated app for getting the best routes, Waze tells you how to avoid traffic and save time.
It considers traffic, construction, police, and crashes based on real-time user contributed information, unlike Google Maps, so in the cases of last minute road closures, it is likely the most useful app for getting from A to B and being up to date with things like Easter processions closing a road in Guatemala.
MAPS.ME
MAPS.ME is an amazing offline map app that is great not just for driving but particularly for walking, hiking or cycling anywhere in the world.
The app also has ready-made travel guides so you can plan your itinerary with the coolest things to do in every destination. It also gives you the option to save the locations you’ve visited and share them.
Jessica, our group member, says it’s great for finding hiking trails. Hemei also uses the app: “One of my favorites is MAPS.ME, I have all the places where I would like to go and where I have been by using different colored pins and the good thing is that is also completely offline! Uses less data than Google Maps. I have traveled with the app to over 25 countries”.
Citymapper
‘The ultimate transport app’, Citymapper is an incredible app to compare your travel options across all transport globally. It offers detailed directions for trips made in public transport, walking, cycling and even by scooter.
Citymapper combines all kinds of transport to provide the best routes, sometimes you’ll find efficient hidden routes you didn’t know. Citymapper has partnered with many transport apps to have everything you need in the app; compare cab fares, ask for a ride, hop on a shared bike or find the nearest scooter.
Lisa loves the app, she shared: “Citymapper is the best app I’ve used to navigate public transport in major cities. It has all capital cities in Europe (along with a lot of other major ones) and most major/capital cities with good public transport networks in the rest of the world. Works so much better for local options than anything else I’ve used. Only downside is you can’t use it to transfer between cities/towns – for that I love Rome2Rio”.
Rome2Rio
Highly suggested in our group, Rome2Rio is a travel app for transport and trip planning. It’s very user-friendly, just enter any address, city or landmark as your destination and get all your transport options, booking information, accommodation providers, and things to do.
You’ll find many transport options like flight, train, bus, ferry, rideshare or rental car. With Rome2Rio you will move around like a pro and save some money with their great deals.
Turo
Forget about car rental agencies, Turo is a car sharing market place where you can book any car anywhere within the US, Canada and UK from other users.
The app makes it easy to book a car from local hosts: choose your model, find a car near your location and have your car delivered or pick it up from your host. Our community members love it!
Omio
Omio is a transport app where you can compare trains, buses, flights and ferries in a simple search. It works throughout Europe, the US and Canada.
Need to move in train, bus, flight or ferry? Omio helps you find the best tickets for your travels. You can get exclusive offers and buy everything safely in the app.
Kat says: “Omio is great for transportation. This one comes in handy for finding trains and buses across Europe. I’ve been planning a trip to Italy & that app has been a lifesaver for planning trains, comparable flights and buses”.
Private transport apps
There are many ridesharing apps you can use to book a private ride abroad:
Uber: enter your destination, choose your ride type (private, shared) and a nearby driver will come pick you up. You can request a ride at the moment or schedule one ahead of time. Works in 10,000 cities around the world.
Cabify: move around easily with a private ride in a car or taxi for some affordable rates. It operates in the following countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador,Mexico, Panama, Peru, Spain and Uruguay.
Lyft: choose your destination and find a driver, bus route or nearest e-scooter to get you where you need to go. Pay directly in the app. Works in the US and Canada.
Didi: select your pickup and dropoff locations, find a driver and get an affordable rate for your ride. Didi operates in South Africa, Australia, Japan and a few countries of Latin America.
Grab: popular in Southeast Asia. Grab is a delivery and transport app that does everything for you, from grocery shopping to restaurant deliveries to transport.
Careem: widely used in the Middle East. Careem offers to do your everyday chores: grocery shopping, transport rides, food delivery and any favor you need.
BlaBlaCar
BlaBlaCar is an app for carpooling. You can find a ride with someone going your way or opt for a bus to get to your destination.
The process is easy: search for a ride to your desired destination, find a ride close to you, request or book a seat instantly and pay through the app. BlaBlaCar buses are also a great choice, with many bargain tickets in comfy buses.
AllTrails
This is a great app for outdoor lovers! AllTrails helps you find the best hiking, running, and biking trails across the world. It has tons of curated trail maps with reviews and photos posted by its users. You can search for any kind of trail you want like dog-friendly, for mountain biking, kid-friendly, for backpacking, and more.
Find a trail run nearby or head to explore a National Park, AllTrails has got your back for outdoor activities. “AllTrails lets me find awesome hikes nearby” shared Cara.
Money apps
Managing money is a key part of travel. Get some help from professional money apps that will convert currencies, transfer money to other countries and administrate your travel budget.
XE currency converter
Handling money abroad can get confusing with all the different currencies out there, make it easy by downloading Xe Currency app, one of the most widely used currency converters.
Recently, the app added an awesome transfer feature to send money to more than 130 countries around the world. Before sending the money, you’ll know the rate of exchange you’ll receive and you can also track your transfer.
TravelSpend
TravelSpend is a super handy app that tracks your spendings while traveling and is the perfect travel buddy for budget travelers because it lets you keep track of your expenses.
It is useful whether you’re saving up for your next trip or are already sightseeing abroad. You can add expenses in any currency and the app will automatically convert them to your home currency.
If you’re traveling with someone else or a group of people, it has a feature for splitting costs and displaying who owes whom.
Wise
Use Wise to make money transfers with the best exchange rates to more than 80 countries. Besides transferring money, with Wise you can have a virtual debit card to spend or withdraw money wherever you are.
The app takes care of instantly converting different currencies at the real exchange rate, for a low extra cost. Wise can also be used by freelancers and digital nomads to get paid by clients.
Languages apps
Did you know that 5% of language learning is done on mobile? This is backed up by data. There are many wonderful language apps available to help you learn the basics of the language in your destination. Here are our favorites.
Google Translate
Google Translate is a must-have travel app. It lets you translate anything even when there’s no internet connection or when the local language is in an alphabet you can’t read.
Use the camera reader to translate text in images or objects by pointing your camera at for example a menu written in Russian or Chinese. I’ve used this function so many times abroad, it made my life easier while going grocery shopping in Tokyo.
It also has a voice recognition feature that allows it to talk into the microphone and translate instantly, along with translating live conversations for example, with your taxi driver.
“I like Google translate because I can learn how to say things and use my camera to read signs and menus” shared Shannon.
Duolingo
Duolingo is a free app for learning new languages in a fun way. It offers more than 35 languages and makes learning interactive by quick lessons that feel like games, where you’ll practice speaking, reading, listening and writing.
Duolingo is the perfect travel app for learning the basics of the language at your destination. The app makes it easy to track your progress, make practice a habit and reach your language learning goals.
Mondly
Mondly is one of the most innovative language apps in the world, and has some seriously impressive features. They have been named “best app” by Facebook and Apple and use very advanced AI technology to give you a virtual teacher.
There are 33 languages to learn from your native language; most language learning apps only let you learn from English which really sets Mondly apart.
The chatbot is impressive and can correct your pronunciation and hold an actual conversation (we have tested it over and over), which is remarkable.
There’s a free trial to try the app, and afterwards you’ll have to pay a subscription to use it from $9.99 USD for 1 month up to $47.99 for a whole year. We have partnered with a new app called Mondly to offer a special discount to the community. You get 10% off using this link.
Safety apps
Safety is one of the main concerns of solo female travelers. In order to help women traveling solo, we developed our own Safety Index tool that rates every country based on how safe solo female travelers think it is. It is not an app but it is a mobile optimized page so you can check it on your mobile.
We’ve also found reliable apps that help ensure safety while traveling solo. Here are the top safety travel apps, suggested by our community and team members.
Smart Traveler
The US government developed Smart Traveler, an official app to access updated information for each country: safety issues, travel advice, U.S. embassy locations, and more.
The app also provides access to STEP (Smart Traveler Enrollment Program) which enables assistance in case of emergencies, unrest in foreign countries and lost/stolen passports.
ExpressVPN
Sometimes, we don’t realize it, but connecting to public Wi-Fi hotspots is risky. Protect your online security with a VPN app like ExpressVPN. With this app, you can go online safely, and protect your personal data, information, passwords and browsing history.
ExpressVPN has a 7-day free trial and then offers 1-month, 6-month and 12-month subscriptions.
A free alternative for securing your Wi-Fi connection is TunnelBear, which you can use for no cost with 500 MB of browsing data per month.
Sitata
The ‘travel worry-free’ app, Sitata combines travel planning and health information in one place. The app will tell you about health concerns, safety issues, recommended medications and flight information, all based on your travel itinerary. It also alerts you if there are certain events that might disrupt your trip, like disease outbreaks, transit strikes, or violence.
If you feel sick abroad or need to see a doctor, Sitata can connect you to doctors that specialize in travel medicine, this through a comfortable video call from your room. You can also find nearby hospitals or clinics if you need a physical check-up.
Amid the global pandemic, Sitata can help you with COVID-19 situations during your journey.
My Safetipin
My Safetipin is a personal safety app that suggests the safest routes to move around a city. The app is free and operates in 65 cities in 16 countries. The app provides visibility on safe walking routes based on crowd-sourced data like how well lit a street is, presence of police or security guards, public transport accessibility, and a few more parameters.
Communication apps
Staying in touch is vital when traveling abroad. Social media apps have made it extremely easy to connect with our friends and family, and to get inspiration for our travels. Download these apps to have an efficient communication abroad.
The most popular and free messaging app. Used by over 2 billion people in the world, WhatsApp provides a simple way to message and video call. It’s great for keeping in touch with your friends and family during your travels.
All your messages will remain private, since they are encrypted and no one can access them. But Whatasapp is particularly useful because it allows you to share your live location with any individual or group chat, so they can track you on your way to the hotel or when in transit.
Instagram is a fantastic social platform to connect with friends and get inspired by things you love. It’s great for sharing photos and videos of your trip and keeping others posted.
Instagram has lots of content about destinations, which you can get inspiration from like cool photo spots, things to do, good restaurants, events, etc.
Do you already follow us? We share lot of tips for solo travelers as well as inspiration and fun content. Find us at @solofemaletravelersclub.
Facebook is another great social network to connect with others. Besides seeing inspirational content and contacting your friends, Facebook is a terrific source of travel tips and tricks. Join the best FB travel groups to get advice for your next trip, or to find a travel buddy.
Join our Solo Female Travelers group on Facebook, there are more than 140,000 members who can help out, inspire you, support you or cheer you on!
Also, join our Solo Female Travelers Connection group to find female travel buddies, someone to hang out with, meet up, host, house sit, etc.
Finally, follow our FB page for solo travel insights and tips!
Photo apps
Traveling solo and taking photos on your own? Benefit from the expertise of these photo apps that will help you edit photos and videos like a pro, and even create a digital photo map of the places you visit.
Polarsteps
Transform your trips into a beautiful digital travel book! Polarsteps is an app that keeps track of your route while you explore the world. It helps you from the planning, providing a travel and transport itinerary, as well as insider tips on the best places to visit and what to do there.
It automatically tracks your path to display it in your virtual world map, and you can add photos, videos and thoughts to make your memories from every place unforgettable.
When you’re back home, Polarsteps is a travel journal that helps you remember your trips by scrolling through places and photos. As Jenny puts it: “I love polar steps because it tracks my movements and I have a map of journey at the end”.
Snapseed
Your go-to app for fast and great photo editing while traveling. Snapseed is a complete photo editor app with many tools and filters to make your photos come to life. It opens JPG and RAW files, and it’s free.
VSCO
Another free photo editing app, VSCO offers many professional photo and video editing tools and presets. You can also make creative collages layering photos, videos and shapes. VSCO is also a creative community where you can tap the ‘Discover’ button to get inspiration, try new techniques and connect with other photographers/creatives.
Apps for things to do / eat
Finding the best things to do in a destination can be tricky. There’s a sea of information out there and lots of options to choose from. Luckily, there are travel apps that help narrow down the choices by putting together amazing authentic experiences.
Take a look at these apps and find something unique to do, like meeting up with locals, booking off the beaten path tours, getting cheap ticket deals for attractions, or eating delicious local restaurants.
Meetup
Among the coolest apps for solo travelers is Meetup, an app to meet and connect with locals. Meetup allows you to join a group for any kind of activity, from wine tasting to hiking to yoga and beyond.
Some of the activities have a cost, but they promise to be authentic experiences since there will be a local host who created the group and will make everyone feel welcome. Instead of sightseeing the famous landmarks, try something different and join activities locals enjoy doing.
As a solo traveler, this is an awesome opportunity to meet locals, as well as other like minded people with similar interests. In the app, you can search by destinations and apply filters like day, type, distance, category and sort by relevance to assure you join the right group. You can also see the list of possible joiners and check their profiles if necessary.
Headout
Arrived at your destination and don’t know what to do? Download Headout, an app that offers the best experiences across the most visited places in the world. Whether you’re looking to do something different in a nearby city or immerse in a new culture in a far away country, Headout has a curated experience for every solo traveler.
In Headout, you’ll find a wide range of tours and activities like Sahara desert safari tickets, dinner cruise in the Seine or skydiving in Dubai. The app is also great for finding tickets to many attractions in top cities. You can book and pay through the app easily, and get your confirmation or tickets instantly.
GetYourGuide
Recommended by members of our group and used by our team, GetYourGuide is one of the best apps for traveling. Download the app to find tons of fun tours, activities and attractions in hundreds of destinations.
It works simply: enter your location and the app will show you the best guided tours, must-see attractions, skip-the-line tickets, and more.
GetYourGuide is ideal for booking last-minute tickets or booking experiences in advance. You’ll get offline access to your mobile tickets 24/7.
Groupon
Groupon is an app with unique local experiences at affordable prices. You’ll find awesome deals on things to see, eat and do in your destination. Get access to lots of activities of different categories, like sightseeing and tours, event tickets, cool local spots to visit, etc.
You can also blend in like a local going to a gym, getting a relaxing massage or heading up to the new vegan market. Groupon often has discounts and special offers on all activities. Our members use this app a lot to get nice deals for tours and excursions.
The Fork
For all the foodies out there, TheFork app makes it easy to book the right restaurant for every occasion, with great deals. The app operates in major cities in France, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland, Portugal, Denmark, Sweden, and Brazil.
Find a perfect option entering your location and type of cuisine you desire. Scroll through loads of restaurants, see their scores, menus and photos. With each booking, you accumulate points, which can turn into euros to spend in your next meal.
Eatwith
Eatwith is an app for finding the best local food experiences on your trip. It connects you with locals and gives you lots of authentic activities to join like dinner parties, food tours or cooking classes. It’s a great way to immerse in the local gastronomy by joining hosts who are passionate about sharing their gastronomy with you.
Through the app, you’ll be able to book a seat at a table with other guests, which is a cool way to meet other people when traveling solo.
Other handy travel apps
In addition to all the travel apps we have recommended, there are these super handy and specific apps to take care of different aspects of traveling. Take a look and download the ones that suit you best.
Flush
A handy app for travelers, Flush makes it easy to find a public bathroom or restroom wherever you are. This free toilet finder has more than 200,000 toilets around the world. Also, it tells you which WCs have disabled access or a fee charge to use them. The app also provides directions to get there.
Flo Period & Ovulation Tracker
An acclaimed app for women’s health and well being, Flo helps you keep track of your period and ovulation while traveling. This incredible app was developed by health experts and it’s a partner of the United Nations.
Flo will help you plan your trip around your cycle, notifying the stages of your period and alerting you when you need to take any birth control pills or medication. It also predicts your fertile days and ovulation days, which are the ones with more probability of getting pregnant.
This is a very useful app for travel, since you can set reminders for when your period is approaching, its start and end date, your ovulation day, and personalize Flo to get notifications about weight, sleep, water intake, step goal, and birth control.
Along with, find reliable resources and recommendations for reusable period products and tips to relieve PMS symptoms.
Wi-Fi Map
One of the favorite apps for traveling, WiFi Map helps you find free Wi-Fi hotspots in more than 50 countries. The app will guide you to the nearest Wi-Fi spots, show passwords and provide Internet connections in a quick way.
Wi-Fi Map has other handy features like choosing a VPN provider to secure your connection or getting an eSIM card to get online with no Wi-Fi. Other useful widgets included are currency converter, world clock, tips calculator and local weather.
GlobeTips
Don’t know how much to tip in each country? Tipping appropriately varies in every place but GlobeTips will make it simple for you.
This app gives you accurate advice on how to tip appropriately in every situation. As easy as scanning your bill, GlobeTips will calculate everything for you, considering factors like location, check splitting and tax excluding.
Wheelmap
Wheelmap is a free app to find wheelchair accessible places in your destination. Travelers will find wheelchair accessible restaurants, shops, toilets, cafes, parking lots, cinemas, bus stops, and much more. You can also join the app to contribute by rating the places you visit.
Nike Training Club
If you want to workout during your travels, download the Nike Training Club app to find tons of at-home workouts for every intensity level, from cardio and HIT to yoga and pilates. All their workouts are led by experts and you can also find great wellness resources like healthy recipes, great for cooking in your hostel or apartment.
Attraction apps
If you’re visiting an attraction, try to download its app. Sometimes, you can skip the paid guided tours and access the info available in the app.
Many apps explain everything about the landmark and some may include a free audio guide feature like the Palace of Versailles app used by our group member Sandra: “I used an app for Versailles and another for the Rijksmuseum, both apps developed by the attraction and saved me from paying to rent an audio guide there”.