Planning a trip is a time for excitement, and sights, sounds, and tastes of a new locale are meant to be enjoyed without having to spend time scrolling while you are on holiday. If you do the groundwork and have a plan, using the many apps available to make your planning and execution easier, the rest is yours to experience.
Wanderlog fuses your itinerary and map into one view, so you don’t have to toggle back and forth between a notes app or emailed plan and your GPS to figure out where you’re going from destination to destination. A plus is that your trips are locally downloaded so that Wi-Fi availability or service issues won’t be a problem for you. This app has sample itineraries available and gives you the power to plan and visualize your best trip so that it unfolds seamlessly.
Many luxury leaders have stepped into this space as well. Louis Vuitton presents an original view on cities worldwide and has created a series of city guides to propose fresh and personal perspectives on a variety of destinations across the globe, available in a box set or via app. Check online if any of your favorite bloggers, magazines, or writers have any guides available before you plan, as you might find those you connect with know the type of trip you’d like to enjoy.
For restaurants, you can’t go wrong with the Michelin Guide. Known for decades as the top analysis of dining across the world, the Michelin stars are coveted among chefs. Check out their recommendations before making your reservations, and download the app to make it easy to navigate.
One way to ensure you get the luxury inside scoop is to use your credit card to gain access to exclusive events. American Express is well-known for providing its customers with top-tier service, and its travel bookings are no different. The app is only available to those who hold the Centurion Card, and it provides a concierge service that can help with cancelations when flights go awry.
When travelling, flight interruptions are something we all must deal with as recently airlines have become notorious for hours-long delays. One way to ensure you don’t go crazy is to head to an exclusive airport lounge. LoungeBuddy is an app that helps you input your credit cards and flight information to determine what lounges you might already have access to, and it can direct you to the best one with day passes available. Similarly, The Points Guy, a popular blogger who now has an app as well, is known for maximizing points usage across different platforms and is another treasure trove of information to check so you do not leave any benefits on the table.
If you’re still in the earlier planning stages, and don’t have a location or itinerary set, of course you can find deals, earn reward points, and view itineraries on all the popular sites: Booking.com, Kayak, Expedia, Orbitz and Google Travel. Analyzing reviews of restaurants and locales in advance can be an easy way to weed out the less desirable spots on Yelp and TripAdvisor. And, if don’t like paying more than you need to for your flights, rental cars, or hotels, Hopper is the app to download. Hopper is the No. 1 most-downloaded travel app in North America and has helped more than 100 million traveler’s book their trips.
For those planning a visit to the outdoors, be sure to download Hipcamp, an app that focuses on booking tent camping spots, RV parks, cabins, treehouses, and glamping. If you’re planning any hikes along the way, AllTrails is the premier app that shares great trails and makes hiking more accessible.
Rick Steves’ Europe and Lonely Planet, known for their guidebooks for decades, now have apps with great information at the ready. These provide a bit more history and storytelling for the sites you see and give you a great place to learn a bit more about where you visit.
From learning to dining, luxury to savings, travel apps are available to make your life easier and help you get the best out of your next trip.
