We're saying it. 2017 is the year for travel and technology.
Who needs a travel agent when you have your smartphone in hand? Planning and being on the actual trip can be a little stressful, but hey, it's 2017 and everything you could possibly need is just a few taps away. Whether you're on iOS or Android, we've listed down travel apps you'll actually use for that trip you just booked. Good thing all the apps listed below are free so you'll have more moola for booking hotels and flights!
Note: The apps below are listed in no particular order.
PackPoint
A travel packing app that provides you a checklist of travel essentials based on the length of travel, the weather forecast at your destination and any activities planned during the trip. It's pretty simple. You'll only input the said information and the app will create a customized packing and luggage checklist for you!
Available: iOS | Android
Price: Free
Airbnb
Why stay at a boring hotel when you have Airbnb to hook you up with unique homes you can stay at for the entire trip? Choose from over 2.5 million homes in over 191 countries. Search by price, neighborhood, amenities, and so much more with just a few taps. And now, you can even check out activities and secret spots posted by locals to avoid the overcrowded locations that tourists usually go to.
Available: iOS | Android
Price: Free
Google Translate
An oldie but a goodie; this app can translate between 103 languages by typing, translate 52 languages offline, instantly translate text in 29 languages, two-way instant speech translation in 32 languages, translate handwriting in 93 languages and has real-time photo translation in 37 languages. All you need to do is download the language from the country you're visiting, point the camera to the text you need translating and be amazed.
Available: iOS | Android
Price: Free
Uber/Grab/Hailo/Lyft
Depending on where you're headed, any transport apps will come in handy. Uber is available in more than 530 cities; Grab in 30 cities; Hailo may be quieter but available in a few big locations like London, Singapore, Tokyo and more; while Lyft is only available in the US for now. The app will also show you your estimated fare for the trip so you won't get surprised by the end of the trip. Plus points because payment can be made by credit card, cash (in selected cities only) and there's a split fare option, as well.
Uber (Free): iOS | Android
Grab (Free): iOS | Android
Hailo (Free): iOS | Android
Lyft (Free): iOS | Android
XE Currency
With over 50 million downloads since its launch, it is a go-to app for travelers since it can convert every possible currency in the world. It also has an offline currency saving feature which is a great function if you don't have an internet connection all the time.
Available: iOS | Android
Price: Free
Splittr
There are a number of apps in the market that'll help you split bills but this certain app is specifically for travelers especially if you're in a group. You can input the expenses including who paid at the time of the trip and the app will do the computation and display in the simple platform.
Available: iOS | Android
Price: Free
Fancy Tips
Make sure you don't offend anyone when visiting a foreign country. Fancy Tips offers tipping advice for more than 200 countries and allows users to calculate the tip themselves on any bill according to local custom. It also includes check-splitting if you're with a friend, a country auto-detection, tax excluding and full tipping guide for all countries.
Available: iOS | Android (Global Tipping Guide)
Price: Free
AroundMe
Identifies what area you are in and shows you a complete list of all the nearest establishments – bank, bar, gas station, hospital, hotel, restaurant, supermarket, taxi and so much more – you'll possibly need for your trip. Really handy if you want an overview on the establishments around you!
