The Top Ten Best Travel Apps – Travel Tools
As part of our Top Ten Best Travel App Series, the Travel Mono team have reviewed the top ten best generic travel tools.
Ten apps that every serious traveller should have on their smart phone or tablet.
We have an eclectic mix of the best travel apps on offer – covering topics such as packing, safety, taxis, ideas, money and even sleep.
We are always on the outlook for new or improved apps to make it onto our lists. If you have any suggestions let us know in the comments below, or drop us an email. Always happy to hear from you.
1. Packing Pro (Quinn Genzel)
You will never forget your phone charger or toothbrush again.
The daddy of all packing apps. Featured on CNN, BBC, the New York Times and USA Today to name but a few.
- iCloud Supported
- CSV Import/Export
- Share and backup Lists
- Master Catalogue of 800 Items
- Easily Customisable
Ideal for individuals, couples, families and groups, or the serious business traveller. Lets you create endless number of lists for all types of trips, and you can verify you have packed each item.
A huge catalogue of over 800 items to include, or use the editor to create your own.
Travel Mono Says – “This is the most comprehensive packing app out there. We have yet to test an app that has our packing needs so well covered (but we will keep looking). There are many pretenders, but this is the best travel app for packing by far”
Cost: $2.99 (US) / £2.99 (UK) – Available on iOS
Download from the Splittr Travel Apps from iTunes Here
2. Splittr (Raphael Wichmann)
A Cost Splitting App designed specifically for travellers
With many cost splitting apps available, it is great to have an app for the travelling community. Easy to use, multi-functional and collaborative.
- All Currencies Supported
- Works Offline
- Syncs with all Users
- Export to CSV or PDF
- Adjustments for User who Contribute More
- Auto Back-Ups
Keeps track of all expenses, and syncs between all users. Perfect for vacations, weekend trips, day trips, and even general household expenses.
Travel Mono Says – “Its not hard to calculate a three-way invoice. But keeping track of multiple expenses over a prolonged period can become confusing. Splittr takes the hassle out of your vacation shared expenses, meaning less stress and more enjoyment. Everyone’s a winner”
Cost: FREE – Available on iOS
Download from the Splittr Travel Apps from iTunes Here
3. Google Maps (Google, Inc)
The simplest way to navigate yourself around the streets of planet earth.
A free world class GPS mapping app, with accuracy, features galore, and reliability as standard.
- Can be used offline if you download your map area in advance
- Real time traffic updates
- Information on local facilities & attractions
- Favourite locations can be saved using your google account
Over 1 Billion users per month, with the ability to suggest updates and locations. No other free GPS mapping app comes close for loaded features and reliability.
Travel Mono Says – “We dont need to tell you a great deal about Google Maps, except its an app you definitely should have on your phone for travelling. One of the best travel apps you can download for free, for brand reliability and usability.”
Cost: FREE – Available on iOS, Mac, Android & Windows
Download the Google Maps Travel Apps from iTunes Here
4. XE Currency (XE.com Inc)
All the world currencies in the palm of your hand. Feel the power!
The worlds most trusted provider of online foreign exchange tools, provides a currency calculator app that wont disappoint.
- Consult 10 currencies at once
- Works offline using the last available exchange rate
- World currency & precious metal data updated every 60 seconds
- Historical data available
Perfect for holidaymakers who need fast and easy currency conversions, but can also serve the business traveller with its historical database.
Travel Mono Says – “With currency data updated every minute, and a user friendly interface. This is one of the best travel apps ever created. We cant calculate how much money this has saved us over the years, but we can assume its a lot”
Cost: FREE (Pro edition available) – Available on iOS & Android
Download the XE Currency Travel Apps from iTunes Here
5. TripAdvisor (TripAdvisor LLC)
The largest travel site in the world, with over 500 million reviews at your disposal.
A long serving veteran of the user-generated reviews industry. If a restaurant is not on TripAdvisor, we would question its very existence.
- Customer Reviews & Images
- Over 200 Hotel Booking Sites Searched
- Restaurant Search & Booking System
- Flight Comparison
- Travel Forum
If you find yourself in an unfamiliar city, with a restless appetite, TripAdvisor will rescue you. An app with an option for absolutely everyone.
Travel Mono Says – “We could not have a list of the best travel apps without including ‘old faithful’ – TripAdvisor. This app has served us well for many years with restaurant recommendations. We would have missed a lot of great meals without TripAdvisor”
Cost: FREE – Available on iOS
Download the TripAdvisor Travel Apps from iTunes Here
6. Binaural – Pure Binaural Beats (Giorgio Calderolla)
Pure Binaural Beats is a rhythmic noise machine that can help you relax, meditate, sleep, or even concentrate.
A bin aural noise app that translates the frequencies into melodic rhythms as a relaxation and sleep aide.
- Choose Between Binaural Beats or Pure Binaural Noise
- Customizable Themes
- Timer to Stop Beats
- Apple Watch Controls
The best travel apps are those that make your life easier. I think we will all agree that a good nights sleep makes things easier. If you have trouble sleeping on your travels, then this could be the one of the best travel apps you have ever discovered.
Travel Mono Says – “When we tested this app we were divided. One camp thought it was a miracle device, and the other a useless waste of time. So in conclusion, this either works for you or it does not. If you are one of the chosen ones, you will sleep like a new born baby on even the most back breaking hotel mattress. Maybe the Beats be with you”
Cost: FREE – Available on iOS
Download the Binaural Travel App from iTunes Here
7. Uber (Uber Technologies inc.)
“Evolving the Way the World Moves” – Uber can App you from point A to point B
Ride sharing app for fast, reliable rides in minutes from a global technology behemoth
- GPS Location Services for Easy Collection
- Real Time Driver locations
- Driver & Vehicle Details
- Customer Reviews of Driver Service
- Payment by Credit Card
- Email Receipts Useful for Business Users
- Uber Black Service for Premium and Luxury Vehicles
- Uber Pool for Ride Sharing
The rise of Uber has been one crazy ride. The company continues to expand at an alarming rate. The service has its critics, but as its customer base and revenues prove, it has a great many fans as well. The app can give you peace of mind, and flexibility when ordering a car. The taxi revolution has taken over.
Travel Mono Says – “Take all the usual precautions when you take a taxi while in a foreign country. Other than that, enjoy the flexibility this app provides. The Uber Logo seems to get a makeover once a month these days, and that shows you the dynamic way Uber operates in its vast market place. Keep that in mind when you use the app and accept the service, controlling such a beast is not always so easy”
Cost: FREE – Available on iOS
Download the Uber Travel Apps from iTunes Here
8. GeoSure (GeoSure Global LLC)
A personal travel safety app that keeps you updated on the current location
This app will keep you posted on the current safety and security situation at your location or for you destination
- Crowd Sourced Security Updates
- Community Forum to Share Travel Information
- Check-In Function to Provide Real Time Security Alerts
- Travel & Security Tips
Travel Mono Says – “Not the best of the travel apps on our list, as it has a functionality issues. Can lag somewhat, compared to other map based apps. But still useful for security updates, and a user updated interface to give you a heads-up when you are on the road”
Cost: FREE – Available on iOS
Download the GeoSure Travel Apps from iTunes Here
9. Guides by Lonely Planet (Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd)
The benchmark for all travel guides, at the touch of a button.
A practical and extremely useful travel guide app from a global brand leader.
- Offline Maps
- City Guides regularly updated by Experts
- Foreign Language Phrasebooks
- Currency Calculator
- ‘Near Me’ Search function
- Travel Tips
- Filtering and Bookmark Functions
Where would we be without a trusty travel guide to carry on our journey. We know you traditionalists love your dog-eared hard copy, with its hand written annotations. Well forgive us for ruining the romance, but this app is an alternative you should explore.
Travel Mono Says – “The benchmark for all travel guides at the touch of a button. Need we say more?”
Cost: FREE (With in-app purchases) – Available on iOS
Download the Guides by Lonely Planet Travel Apps from iTunes Here
10. Air Pano Travel Book (CONCEPT360 GmbH)
A book of 360° ariel panoramas of many world famous locations
Get ready for an amazing virtual travel experience! Explore the world’s best 360º aerial panoramas!
- Spherical 360° Photo Panoramas
- 9 Image Collections
- Gyroscope Mode for Image Rotation
- High Resolution Images
- Book Aesthetic Design
See the most beautiful cities of the world, historical locations, beaches, night landscapes, witness volcanic eruptions, amazing lakes, mountaintops, and waterfalls.
Includes the Niagara Falls, the famous Taj Mahal, nightlife in Las Vegas, and the fantastic beaches of the Dominican Republic.
Travel Mono Says – “We love this just because its so dam cool. It’s also one of the best travel apps for travel inspiration (as if you guys need it). Only downside is it could do with a few more locations for the app”
Cost: $2.99 (US) / £2.99 (UK) – Available on iOS
Download the Air Pano Travel Book from iTunes Here