Whenever you travel, whether it’s just for a weekend or you’re temporarily relocating to another state, smartphone apps will always prove to be very useful. It’s a normality that we use communication apps such as WhatsApp, Viber, Skype, or Facebook on a daily basis, but there’s a great selection of apps which can be essential for traveling too.

traveling apps for ios and android
Apps for Finding Accommodation
The top two apps for finding and booking accommodation are Couchsurfing and Airbnb. Both apps, modeled on the existing websites, have already become extremely important to many tourists around the world.

Couchsurfing represents a broad base of people who, via personal profiles, come into contact with the tourists in their own country or with the locals of the country they travel to. You can arrange a meeting for the purpose of sightseeing or exploring the pubs and unique attractions, but you can also sleep the night on the couch of your new friends. And it often happens that you get to sleep in the extra bedroom, and not just on the sofa.

Airbnb is similar to Couchsurfing, whereby the only difference is that the accommodation costs, and maybe sometimes the host won’t be too friendly or it can happen that you get to sleep on the coach of somebody who’s never home, so you’re always home alone. But it can also happen that you’re staying with a family who’s going to make you breakfast every morning. You never know what you’re going to get, but that’s the fun part. At the end of your stay, make sure that you leave a comment on your host’s profile. If you don’t, your stay will be treated like negative rating.

Apps for Transportation
There is a wide range of transportation apps out there, but only some are essential. For booking the plane tickets, Skyscanner is all you need. Depending on where you are, this app gives you the best deals from different airline companies in the designated period. If you’re not tied to the specific date, you can find cheap deals on there.

The best app for car transportation is Uber. When you sign up, you will see the map with personal vehicles that function as a taxi. They can take you to your destination in the size of the car suitable for the number of passengers. The payment is made through the app, so make sure you leave your credit or debit card and other necessary data on file because after the drive a certain amount is deducted from your account. After the ride leave the recommendation for your driver, and he can do the same in return. The app gives discounts on the first few rides, and for even cheaper rides there are a number of websites out there who source coupons for Uber.

Apps for Food, Entertainment, and Culture
One of the best apps for finding a restaurant, bar, and many other entertainment places is Yelp. It offers customer reviews and advice that you can read before going out. The app is extremely useful because it enables you to find stores and different services based on your location, and will tell you all relevant information about a particular place.

Foodspotting is an app for food lovers, ideal for those who like to hear other opinions about food and restaurants. Foodspotting offers the ability to share your experience with others and puts the emphasis on food, and not on restaurants. The increased number of amateur critics reduces the chance that your first visit to an unknown restaurant will end with discontent or stomach pain. Another great feature is a very simple interface that enables quick and easy search of food and restaurants.

Foursquare is another popular app that can help you find stuff near you. Except for restaurants, museums, and parks, it can help you locate the exchange office, gas station, bank, etc. Short reviews and tips the app offers especially come in handy when you don’t have enough time for exploring the city.

I hope that the next time you travel, you’ll use some of these apps and see for yourself in their use and functionality. Just don’t forget to always carry a charger with you so you can screenshot different maps and apps that you won’t be able to use when you’re offline.

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