Best Travel-Related Software and Apps

Whether you plan on retreating from society to an alabaster beach or making it big as a digital nomad in a new city, technology is here to make your trip easier and more rewarding. Your smartphone might be versatile, but desktop software should also play a role in putting together your next adventure.

In this article, we focus on the most useful digital travel-related apps. You’ll get the most out of some of them on desktop, while apps make others more convenient and just as effective. Read on and discover the perfect combo for arranging, planning, and experiencing an unforgettable trip.

Flight Booking and Tracking Tools

An amazingly cheap deal is easier to find when you have all the necessary info in one place. That’s why we’d recommend the desktop version of some of the travel-related apps over their less detailed mobile app alternatives. Their functionality really opens up, too.

You can more easily compare fare prices across airlines in real-time or sync with your calendar tools to find the ideal departure date. Some tools also feature heatmaps that display pricing trends and help you book spur-of-the-moment trips based on awesome discounts rather than fixed timelines. Filtering by criteria like layovers or baggage restrictions is easier and more intuitive as well.

Accommodation Booking Tools

Another must that takes advantage of a bigger screen’s real estate. Booking your dream stay is far easier when you can see an apartment’s map location, reviews, picture gallery, and price without having to scroll back and forth. Comparisons are also a breeze, whether you use a tool’s built-in options or switch between two browser tabs.

Document Organizers & Border Control Apps

Having all your documents in order before setting off will save you from a humiliating trip back home from the airport. Luckily, prepared travelers can store their passports, visas, reservations, medical histories, and other pertinent travel documents in one place and just pull their phone out when it’s time to pass a security checkpoint or check into their hotel.

Itinerary Planners

Planning your trip can be almost as fun as actually taking it, especially if you like to dive deep into shaping your route and meticulously researching everything you’re going to see.

There’s a case to be made for both desktop and mobile versions of itinerary planners. It’s far easier to construct the itinerary on desktop, complete with calendar integrations, map overlays, and detailed notes on individual stops. Once the dream trip is all set up, you can easily keep track of the itinerary through your smartphone.

Navigation Tools and Apps

Few categories demonstrate desktop and app synergies at work better than navigation tools. For example, desktop versions of several mapping tools support overlays. These are excellent for planning since you can easily toggle between many criteria.

On a large scale, these can include visa requirements, cost of living, or safety concerns for entire countries. Once you have a destination in mind, you can also pinpoint entertainment or cultural districts, local transport routes, or traffic density on the level of a city or neighborhood.

On the other hand, navigation-focused mobile apps ensure you can always find your way around with GPS and through offline downloads. They range from general-purpose map and navigation tools to ones that offer detailed hiking trails, historic tours, and more.

eSIM Services

Staying connected when traveling internationally looks easy on paper, but things may not be as straightforward once you land. The Wi-Fi might be terrible, not to mention unsafe. Roaming costs an arm and a leg. Finally, local SIM cards are too much trouble to deal with, especially if you’re hopping from country to country.

If you don’t know what an eSIM is — it’s a digital SIM card that smartphone already has a built-in feature that deals with all of this elegantly and cheaply. All you need is to sign up for an eSIM provider’s data plan for the country/countries visited, and you can access the internet via smartphone or turn it into a local hotspot wherever there’s local cell tower coverage.

Safety Apps

Travel is supposed to be relaxing and eye-opening. That’s no reason to let your guard down completely, though, especially if you’re solo. Thankfully, lots of travel-related apps specialize in keeping you safe and connected.

Some provide real-time alerts on natural disasters, protests, and other events you’ll want to avoid. Others offer quick access to local emergency services or provide directions to the nearest pharmacies and hospitals. Some cities have neighborhoods tourists should stay away from. Crowd-sourced apps where locals rate their safety and offer practical tips should also make the cut.

VPNs

Don’t forget about your digital security either! You may be aware of suspicious USB chargers and ATM skimmers, but there are much subtler ways to compromise your digital safety and ruin your vacation. For example, using public Wi-Fi opens you up to snooping and cyberattacks that could download ransomware onto your devices or trick you into giving up personal details, logins, or banking info.

Whether you brought a laptop or just use a smartphone, always turn on a VPN before connecting to suspicious networks abroad. With its encrypted tunnel ensures privacy and prevents would-be hackers from intercepting or stealing your data. Plus, best VPNs let you appear as though you’re connecting from back home and access services like online banking or streaming without hiccups.

Translation & Language Learning Apps

We’re not quite at the level of Star Trek’s universal translators yet, but the apps that do exist aren’t far off anymore! If you don’t mind the lag, you can have a riveting conversation with anyone without understanding a single word of what they’re saying.

Travel-related translation apps are awesome, but they’re also a crutch that may not work without an internet connection. Enhance your experience by starting to learn some of the local lingo a few months before your trip. The natives will appreciate it, you’ll be able to get directions or ask for assistance, and your brain will get a fine workout!

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