The 8 Best iPhone Apps for Travelers

Last Updated on January 17, 2018 by Christine Kaaloa

iphone 4

From travel maps to GPS gadgets, travel guides, to and conversion tools, these days, my love for travel has me downloading nifty apps, which will turn my phone into a Swiss Army of travel.

I spend hours going through apps, uploading and deleting, with the ultimate test– to travel with them. On my latest long-term backpacking trip, I found 8 travel-worthy iPhone travel apps which are useful and which won’t waste your time!


8 Best iPhone Apps for Travelers

1. Citymaps2go

citymaps2goThis app has been indispensable as my one-stop shop for a city map & guidebook. Easy to navigate, you just need a wi-fi to download the city guides and you’re good to go. Need to find ATMs in Kuala Lumpur, restaurants in Bangkok, hotels in London or tourist sights?  Look no further- it’s practically the Yellow Pages.  Best of all, it’s free. Other paid guidebook apps really can’t compare. The only thing that would  make it perfect would be if they had  reviews and ratings in their accommodations and restaurants sections.  Cost: $1.99.


2. Globe Convert

globeconvert It’s always nice to have a currency converter on hand and with Globe Convert, you get so much more. You can store your favorite conversion settings.  No fuss navigation makes it Easy to use, as it converts a range of things from currency to weight, distance, etc…  The only thing it fails to offer is a size conversion chart. But hell, this is still pretty near perfect.  Cost: Free.

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3. iXpense it

iXpenseit2I like to keep track of my budget and spending  when I’m on the move.  This app is my money note taker! It adds up my expenses, categorizes it and allows me to see weekly and monthly spending trends. The app is  so much more comprehensive than my current use for it.  However it is great for tracking your expenses.

Cost: Lite version is free but only allows limited entries. Full version $4.99


4. Travisa Visa

travisa
Do you need a visa for the country you’re visiting? What type of visa do you need and how should you go about getting one? This is an untra-handy  travel app for the serious traveler. Travisa Visa is full of up-to-date information on the visa and passport regulations on every country. Cost: Free.

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travisa app2 1

5. Skyscanner

Skyscanner All Flights2This summer, I scoured my favorite search engine (Kayak) to find a cheap ticket from Korea to Honolulu and kept getting $1000 flight quotes only from Korea’s main hub of Seoul. A friend turned me on to Skyscanner and now I have a new favorite. Why? Not only did it present the option to choose from smaller, lesser known airports (which I, in actuality, needed as I was really hoping to fly out of Daegu) but it offered me a “Lowest price guarantee”. In the end, it spat out a discount of $200, while booking me from an extra connecting flight from my destination.  Cost: Free.

6. Healix travel vaccinations

helix app2
For a quick reference on recommended travel shots for a country, look no further. This app has vaccination info for over 196 countries. It will also help store your history. We wish the CDC would create their own app, but until then, this works just fine.  Double check it with the CDC if you think there’s more.  Cost: Free.

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healix app2

7. Smart Traveler
smart traveler app

Good news,  the U.S. Department of State (www.travel.state.gov) finally put out an iPhone app and it’s just as chocked full of information as their site! Country information, travel alerts and passport/visa requirements, this app will update you on any country you’re looking to fly off to. Some parts only upload with an internet connection though; we’re hoping they’ll be a stand-alone version for iPod Touch users. This is a basic app that every traveler should have. Cost: Free

8. Skype

skype app2Duh. By now it’s pretty obvious how this free VoiP is a must-have for a traveler and expat, right? I can’t tell you how handy Skype‘s been.  Not only do I make free Wifi calls to home from Korea, India, Thailand and Bali (anywhere), but I make cheap international phone calls, as well!

When I was visiting Korea for this past summer, it was frustrating not having a phone to call or text my friends on their mobiles. My international GSM SIM phone didn’t work (Korea is CDMA); but thanks to Skype I was able to call and text my friends on their mobiles for mere cents! And, now with the iPod Touch 4  video cam features, webcam chatting is possible!  Cost: Free

What are your best iPhone apps for travelers?

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