If you love traveling all around the world, then you know how difficult the situation can get at one point. From planning your trip to finding last minute deals and the best rates for flights and accommodation, to planning your expenses and getting around with foreign languages in various countries, you are going to face a lot of challenges on your trip. Luckily enough, Android smartphones allow you to make the entire experience a lot easier and more pleasurable. Save yourself the hassle and check out these 9 awesome travel apps for Android that you can download today from Google Play and enjoy your travels while relaxing. Tell us which one you found to be the most helpful and have a safe trip!
1. Google Translate
Go back to basics! One of Google’s most useful services will definitely come in handy when traveling to a foreign country where you don’t know the language. Google Translate will be your best buddy when it comes down to figuring out how to ask where the bathroom is in Portuguese or if you want to want to translate a menu. The app comes packed with no less than 90 languages and the option to use both text and pictures to translate your problem.
2. Uber
Now this app is uber cool. Why stand like an idiot in the middle of the street trying to convince a cab to stop and pick you up when you can have your own private driver? Uber is based on personal driving services that don’t involve awkward taxi drivers or yellow cars that are almost impossible to catch. Use the app to send a driver to your location and even keep in touch with your favorite driver. In addition to this, you can get a price quote for your route beforehand and add your credit card so you won’t have to pay in cash. You even get your receipt via email at the end of your destination.
3. Wi-Fi Finder
Possibly the most essential tool for traveling abroad is free wi-fi access. Aside from posting your vacation pics to Instagram or tweeting your family and friends back home, wi-fi can even save you from a potential tourist disaster. The awesome Wi-Fi Finder app works both for your android smartphone and your tablet and helps you find hotspots in no less than 144 countries all around the world. You can find out details about each wi-fi hotspot and even share the location with a friend in need.
4. TripAdvisor
TripAdvisor is the ultimate online travel guide that you can carry with you anywhere you go. The most popular website for urban recommendations is also an excellent app that can pe downloaded for free in Google Play. You benefit from ultra-detailed guides for major cities worldwide, which include countless reviews and hidden gems you might want to check out while staying in a certain country. You can interact with other travelers and share your opinions on various destinations, while rating them according to your experience.
5. Expensify
This extremely useful app has enjoyed five star reviews from reputed publications such as Forbes, Business Insider or Wall Street Journal. We can totally understand why. Any vacation can end in a huge hole in your bank account, so track what you spend as you go. Expensify is known for being one of the best apps for custom expense reports in Google Play, allowing you to take photos of all your receipts and keep them in order.
6. Hipmunk
If you have organizational problems and find yourself panicking when attempting to plan a vacation or any type of travel, Hipmunk is the app you need for your Android. You benefit from super easy booking regarding flights and hotels, some of the best prices on air travel and last minute accommodation offers. Hipmunk really has everything you need in order to successfully plan your future trip, from getting there to staying there.
7. Foursquare
We all know and love Foursquare for a wide range of reasons. The beloved city guide allows you to search for the hottest spots in your city or the city you are traveling to, check out reviews for the spots and let the app know your preferences in order to help your searches. It is one of the most popular travel apps worldwide that now allows you to carry out super specific searches. For example, if you type in “lobster”, the app will show you all the best places in your area that serve lobster.
8. XE Currency
If you love traveling around the world, you are likely to end up in countries that have a different currency than your home one. Trying to figure out how much $10 is in Euros or British pounds may not be as simple as you think, especially when rates are changing every day. With the help of XE Currency, you get up-to-date rates for every world currency and you can convert your amounts on the spot. In addition to currencies, you can see the rates for precious metals all across the world and even monitor more than one currency at a time (up to 10).
9. Hotel Tonight
We have all been in an emergency travel situation at least once in our lives. Your flight got delayed, technical problems occurred and you had to stay in a completely unknown city for the night. Hotel rooms are almost always booked in advance and you really need to find one on short notice. What do you do? Use the Hotel Tonight app! An Editor’s Choice on Google Play, the Hotel Tonight app allows you to enjoy last minute deals and instantly find out what hotels in your area have rooms available. Not only do you benefit from free rooms in seconds, but you will also love the fact that they give you the lowest rates available in the town you are staying in.