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Having the right apps on your phone can make travel so much easier. They help you stay connected and organized, and let you navigate new cities without difficulty. These are the 10 Android apps I won’t leave home without.
1Airalo
Airalois a service that provides short-term eSIMs for travelers. It gives you mobile data almost anywhere without having to remove your regular SIM and losing your phone number in the process. It supports more than 200 countries, along with continent-wide and global options.
It isn’t the cheapest service, and prices vary depending on where you’re traveling, so if you need a lot of data, you might be better off picking up a local pay-as-you-go SIM. But as a temporary, casual solution for when you don’t have Wi-Fi, it’s essential.
2Citymapper
The hardest thing about navigating a new city is finding how to get from point A to point B.Citymapperis the answer. Just type in where you want to go and the app will give you all your transport options.
It offers real-time info on buses, subways, trains, ferries, and any other form of public transport in your area, with pricing, timetables, and info on delays. It also tells you how much an Uber will cost and how long it will take, or how many calories you’ll burn if you choose to walk.
3Google Maps
It’s an obvious choice because it’s installed on every Android phone, but don’t overlookGoogle Maps. It’s great if you’re driving, of course. I mostly use it todownload local maps for offline useso I can get directions at any time, to star my hotel so I won’t forget where I’m staying, and to find nearby places to eat and things to do.
It’s the perfect all-in-one travel app.
4Google Wallet
Although I’m not a big user ofGoogle Walletin everyday life, it is extra useful when traveling as a way ofstoring digital versions of all sorts of cards and passes. I add a payment card as a backup to my physical cards, a boarding pass, and other travel passes, plus various tickets and other things that normally come in paper form.
You can even keep your digital room keys in the app for a small but growing number of hotels. I haven’t been able to test that yet, but it sounds ideal.
5Netflix
Unless you’re planning to power through your trip without entertainment, it’s a good idea to load up on media apps before you set off.Netflixsupports downloading, so you’re able to watch offline when on a flight. The main thing to remember is that if you go to another country, you’ll only be able to watch what’s available in that country.
You candownload content to watch offlineon all the most popular streaming services. Don’t forget, you can oftenlog into them on a hotel’s smart TV, too.
Stream licensed and original programming with a monthly Netflix subscription.
6Polarsteps
While I use stars in Google Maps a lot of the time to keep track of places I’ve been,Polarstepsis a much more comprehensive and useful app for a similar job.
you’re able to use the app to track everywhere you go on a trip or to add past trips to maintain a comprehensive record of your travels. You can then add photos, get stats, and if you’re really committed, you can even publish your adventures for others to use as guides.
7Spotify
Spotifyis another of my permanent travel companions. Create a few playlists,download them for offline listening, and it doesn’t even need to use any data.
Better yet, if you forget to download stuff in advance, theoffline backup featurehas still got you covered. It gives you easy access to the tracks you’ve recently played and that have been cached to your phone’s storage in a handy playlist.
Spotify
Spotify is a pioneer in music streaming. It features a vast library, impressive bitrate, curated and custom playlists, as well as offline streaming. Spotify is available for free and for a monthly or annual fee.
8Uber
Uberis a great app for day-to-day use, but it takes on even more value when traveling. The service covers more than 10 thousand cities across around 70 countries. As long as you aren’t heading too far off the grid, you’ll always be able to call up a ride to get you wherever you need to go.
9Wanderlog
Wanderlogis a useful app for planning and managing everything to do with your trip. You can add all the information about your flights and hotels, you can attach various documents that you might need (and which you can’t add to Google Wallet), manage your budget, browse for things to do, and build an itinerary.
10Windscribe
A VPN app is important when travelingfor two reasons. First, it encrypts your connection to the internet and so provides an extra layer of security when you’re using public Wi-Fi hotspots. Second, it can make you appear as though you’re in a different country. If you’ve traveled overseas and can no longer access some of your Netflix shows, just use the VPN to set your location back to your home country. You should be able to watch the shows again.
Windscribeis my favorite VPN app, and though I’d fully recommend a paid subscription, it comes with anexcellent free planas well.
Windscribe
Windscribe is a reliable free VPN that offers good speeds and lets you access streaming servers even on the free plan.
These are my go-to apps when traveling. Some stay on my phone permanently and others I download as I need them. There are many more useful Android travel apps you can try at different stages of your journey, including some that will help you when booking your trip.
