When it comes to travel essentials there’s nothing more essential than your phone, and beyond that, the apps on it. There are the obvious winners like Google Maps, Spotify, Netflix and the app for whichever airline you’re flying with. Beyond those clear necessities, there are a 5 essentials travel apps I can’t get on a plane without.
TripCase (Android & iOS)
TripCase is an app that organizes your travel plans. You can add information manually via the app or the web, alternatively, you can email the app your flight, hotel and transportation confirmations and it will automatically mine that data and put it in the app for you. It’s great to have an at glance view of your trip, have all your confirmation codes in one place and even lets you print and share your entire itinerary with friends and family so they know how to reach you in an emergency.
Culture Trip (Android & iOS)
A collection of guides and best bets from around the world. Culture Trip is a great resource for finding ‘the top 10 things to see in Munich’ or ‘most beautiful views in Kiev’. Once installed the app will also show up in your Google Maps with recommendations that way, at least on Android it does. You can also access the information via the web, but the app makes for easy bedtime planning 😉
Nord VPN (Android & iOS)
Whether you’re connecting to an open wifi network and want some peace of mind, or you want to stream your favourite show and it’s not available in the region you’ve travelled to on Netflix. Nord VPN allows you to connect to more than 3,000 servers in 60+ countries. I’ve personally used Nord VPN for nearly three years and have yet to encounter any kind of issue with the service. As a bonus, their app is gorgeous and works flawlessly. Sign up for as low as $2.75/month,
In addition to Android and iOS apps, you can also use Nord VPN with native Windows and Mac OS apps, as well as a Chrome plugin!
Moment Pro Camera (Android & iOS)
Need a camera that goes beyond the stock Android or iOS abilities? The Moment Pro Camera allows complete control over your photos, with manual focus, ISO selection, manual white balance, and so much more. The team is constantly pushing updates at an impressive rate. Save files in RAW format for more control in post development.
Lightroom or Snapseed (Android & iOS)
A natural progression from the Moment Pro Camera is Lightroom. With powerful photo editing features and the ability to handle those RAW files you shoot with the Moment Pro Camera. The Lightroom Mobile app is useful even in the free version without an Adobe account. But if you want something that’s completely free try Snapseed, with much the same features and can handle RAW files, you’ll be acing your Instagram game in no time!
Get Lightroom Android | iOS, Get Snapseed Android | iOS
Bonus! Datally (Android Only)
Datally is an Android app that monitors and restricts your mobile data usage through an intuitive and easy to use interface. You can select apps which you want to allow full access on mobile data, while completely shutting down other apps, such as background services that sneakingly use up your precious MB when roaming.
Do you have a favorite app that you can’t live without when you travel?