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10 Best Travel TRIP PLANNER APPs To Have in 2024

In a fast-paced world where the stress of work and school is overwhelming, we all need a break to de-stress our minds. Traveling is one good way to take your mind off of stressful things – a breather. And a scheduled vacation gives you something to look forward to.

Whether it’s a local trip alone, a family holiday, or a getaway with your best friends, it just excites you to wish the day would come faster. 

10 Best Trip Planner Apps in 2024

The freeform app.

• TripIt: Travel Planner

Hopper – Flight & Hotel Deals

• Sygic Travel Maps Trip Planner

Roadtrippers: Trip Planner

Tripadvisor, travelspend: track travel expense & trip budget, tripcase – travel organizer app, travel planning apps for your next trip.

The Freeform app is an endless whiteboard that lets users add information from a variety of websites, photos, videos and files.

Because the boards are kept in iCloud, they can be accessed from any device anytime inspiration hits. While you and your travel companions plan your dream trip, the specifics can be shared with several individuals working together on the same whiteboard, making them an ongoing work in progress.

The Freeform app is free to iPhone users on iOS 16.2, iPad users on 16.2, and Mac users on Ventura MacOS Venture 13.1. 

Download the brand-new app here .

Read our full post: Apple Launches New Travel App Freeform – What to Know

Wanderlog Trip Planner App

Wanderlog is your all-in-one destination for planning future trips, sharing travel guides, and blogging past trips.

Its trip planning features are incredibly flexible: you can research destinations and activities, organize reservations by connecting your email, and map out a day itinerary with start/end times. You can also add notes and links all throughout.

Everything is stored offline so you can access your itinerary when traveling abroad. For road trips, it calculates the time and distance between places and exports them to Google Maps (and there are no limits to the number of stops you have on a trip!).

Plus, there’s a fun social component: collaborate with friends on itineraries, write your own travel guide, and blog about past trips. Wanderlog is available on the web and on your smartphone, so you can seamlessly plan while at home and on-the-go.

iOS  /  Android

TripIt: Trip Planner App

If you need any help organizing the dozens of itineraries, TripIt is the app for you. Users simply need to forward your flight, hotel, restaurant, and car rental confirmation emails to [email protected] and the app will create a free master doc for each of your trips. The best thing about this app is that you can get access to your itinerary anywhere, even without an internet connection. 

In addition, the Pro version will find you alternative routes for canceled flights and send out notifications for delayed flights, cancellations, and more from the airlines. 

iOS / Android

Rome2rio is a versatile travel planning app that simplifies the process of finding and booking travel options. It’s a handy tool for travelers seeking to explore various transportation choices between destinations. Rome2rio offers users a comprehensive view of travel options, including flights, trains, buses, ferries, and even driving directions.

Key features of Rome2rio include:

• Route Information: The app provides detailed information on different routes, including estimated travel times, costs, and the number of transfers required.
• Booking Integration: Users can book flights, train tickets, and other transportation options directly through the app, streamlining the booking process.
• Map Integration: Rome2rio integrates with maps, allowing users to visualize their travel routes and explore nearby attractions.
• Multi-Modal Travel: It offers options for combining various modes of transportation, making it easy to plan complex journeys.
• Accurate Pricing: The app provides real-time pricing information, helping users make informed decisions based on their budget.
• Offline Access: Rome2rio offers offline access to previously searched routes, which can be handy when traveling without a data connection.

Hopper is an amazing trip planner app to have on your phone. The app predicts airfares up to 1 year in advance, with 95% accuracy. It analyzes over billions of flight prices and hotels within the day – telling you whether to book your trip now or wait for just a little longer.

Here’s how it works: Key in your destination and a color-coded calendar will display the cheapest and most expensive date to fly. The app will then recommend you to either book the flight now or sit it out and wait for airfare to get cheaper. Also, you can filter predictions to custom-fit your trip – remove long layovers, extra fees, restrictions, and more. 

And if you worry about missing out the cheap flight bookings, don’t be! Hopper will send you a notification when fares have dropped to its lowest point.

SYGIC Travel Maps Trip Planner

Sygic Travel Maps , the new version of Sygic Trip Planner, is the first travel app to display all of the attractions and places a traveler needs to see and visit on a single map.

Sync your trips with the Sygic Travel app and find hidden gems in all cities you visit. The app boast a large database that allows you to find the best hotels, tourist attractions, museums, restaurants, bars, and stores wherever you go.

This mobile app also let you download offline maps and guides, which come in helpful when traveling to remote locations with poor or non-existing Wi-Fi.

It also has a dedicated section to worldwide places of interest for travel business. Get location information for individual cities, countries, continents, or the entire planet.

The app is available in 18 languages.

iOS / Android iOS

Planning on a cross-country road trip ? Roadtrippers is the app for you! Not everyone is fond of waiting long hours at the airport while sitting through your red-eye flight. Hit the road with your friends instead.

Roadtrippers provides everything you need to know on your road trip. Just enter your starting point, destination, and let the app do its work for you! From camping sites to rest stops, outdoor activities, exciting adventures along the way that you didn’t know existed. This app is the perfect buddy for your road trip regardless of your mode of transportation – a sedan, a rental car, or a huge family RV.

Most of us dream of going to places! But planning an amazing trip to places we have not been to is pretty hard as you don’t know where to stay, what to do, places to eat, and adventures to try. We mostly rely on recommendations, most of which are not even right, that we find online. 

TripAdvisor has over millions of travel recommendations on hotels, top dining spots, must-do experiences, and treasured gems to over 8 million destinations at your perusal. It is an all-in-one app that lets you book tables at restaurants and compares low prices on hotels and flights.

You can also follow friends and travel experts for advice that match your interests, watch videos, and read articles. In return, you can share your experiences, reviews, and helpful guides for other users too!

Setting up a budget for your trip is easy, however, sticking to it is hard. TravelSpend will help you with that. It starts with entering your budget and expenses over multiple days so you don’t go overboard. The app helps you in sticking to your budget effectively.

Being in another country is not a problem at all: enter your expenses in any currency and the app will automatically convert it to your home currency.

Track your travel expenses whether going on a solo around-the-world trip or backpacking holiday with your best friends. The app allows you to share your trip with your friends and track your expenses together. Pay debts, split bills, and check your balances – all in the app!

TripCase, a comprehensive travel organizer app, has emerged as a popular choice among travelers seeking a streamlined and efficient way to manage their journey details.

Here’s a breakdown of its key features and functionalities:

Centralized Itinerary Management : TripCase allows users to consolidate all their travel details, including flights, hotels, and car rentals, into a single, easily accessible itinerary.

Real-time Flight Alerts : The app keeps travelers informed with up-to-the-minute notifications on flight statuses, including delays, cancellations, and gate changes.

Itinerary Sharing : TripCase offers a sharing option that enables users to send their travel plans to friends, family, or colleagues.

Travel Directions and Maps : To aid navigation in unfamiliar locations, the app provides directions and maps.

Nearby Recommendations : TripCase offers recommendations for restaurants, attractions, and other services close to the traveler’s location.

Document Storage : For added convenience, the app allows users to store essential travel documents digitally, ensuring that important information like passport details, visas, and insurance policies are readily available.

Customizable Notifications : Users can customize their notification preferences, choosing what types of alerts they receive and how they are notified, tailoring the app to suit individual needs and preferences.

iOS / Android 

Hi, great List. I couldn’t travel without my Apps! I have one App you could check out =) Its called ” ATM Fee Saver” and it gives a list with all ATMs and their fees and limit. I found it super helpful and it really helped me to save some money. Best regards, Charlotte

Thank you for your suggestions! Those apps are very useful and various

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The 8 Best Trip Planner Apps to Help You Travel Better

Looking for a trip planner app? From AI trip planners to group-trip planning apps, we’ll review the best ones to help make planning trips with friends a breeze.

Let's face it, life can get pretty crazy sometimes.

That's why we're all about taking that sweet escape and hitting the travel road—it's our much-needed break from the everyday chaos. But, you know how it goes, just when you're ready to unwind and start planning your trip, you're hit with a mountain of stuff to do.

Sorting out bookings, arranging schedules and then trying to align all these plans and paperwork with your travel buddies. It's enough to give anyone a headache!

For many of us, though, planning a holiday or organizing travel itineraries is the starting point of the fun. It's like the first wave of excitement that keeps us pumped and ready for the adventure ahead.

My go-to when it comes to making planning easier? A trusted trip planning app! Thank goodness they exist and are becoming more and more available.

A well-designed trip planner app is a true lifesaver in the travel planning journey.

What Are Trip Planner Apps?

Anytime you’re planning a trip, you’ll want to figure out things to do, places to see and activities to experience.

After all, if you’re visiting a new city for the first time, you won’t know everything the city has to offer.

Even if you’re returning to a city because you loved it so much from a previous vacation, maybe you want to try new restaurants and tourist attractions to spice things up.

Trip planner apps help you discover a city and build itineraries. These are especially helpful when planning trips with friends because maybe everyone wants different things.

Good trip-planning tools should enable you to collaborate with travel buddies when planning a trip and offer central repositories where everyone can stay on top of what’s happening.

In short, trip planning apps have become a hit because they make life so much simpler when you're trying to put together your travel plans.

You'll find tons of these apps out there, each with its own special twist that makes trip planning a breeze.

A top-notch trip planning app should be all about making the itinerary planning process a walk in the park. It should help you piece together the details without breaking a sweat, so instead of being buried in organizing, you're actually getting stoked for your journey!

What is the Best Trip Planner for All Travelers?

Every traveler is different, and so are the travel apps.

This is why I've rounded up the best trip planning apps, each catering to a different type of traveler. You no longer have to be stuck with the same old Google Sheet or notes app that isn't making your life easier, especially when planning for a group.

Though not all travel apps help with trip planning when it comes to building activity itineraries. Some of the best travel apps focus more on booking flights or accommodations; other online tools like packing apps are for backpackers to help them prep their gear.

Here, our main focus will be on trip planning apps specifically so you can find the best one for you to build, edit and share travel itineraries using the features they offer.

So presenting the 8 best trip planning apps you'll want to download and try out, each with its own specialties!

8 Best Trip Planning Apps for Stress-Free Travel

1. 🎯 the best social trip planner - pilot.

I admit that I'm a bit biased. But hey! The team wouldn't be building Pilot if we didn't think it was the best or if we were fully satisfied with the other options on the list.

Making travel plans, collaborating and seeing what experiences friends and family have taken or want to take.

Why You’ll Like It:

Pilot is a brand-new social trip planner that helps you discover and build travel itineraries connecting you to resources everywhere.

As a social trip planner, Pilot makes travel planning an immersive experience more than a mere task because you can do it with your favorite travel mate(s) or yourself!

Pilot makes it fun and easy to share and relive your favorite travel memories with many useful features.

Whether it’s brainstorming ideas, seeking inspiration, voting for places, or setting up a budget, Pilot has got you covered.

My personal favorite? The fact that you can set different icons for different type of itinerary items and you can use color-coding!

Its user-friendly interface is a delight for perfectionists who love categorizing events, activities, and attractions in different forms. It'll integrate all the travel ideas you have gathered from the web in one place.

Travelers can also use the app to import essential travel details like flight booking numbers. If you're looking for something more fun than a plain-old Google doc or spreadsheet to plan your trip, but that's just as flexible, you've come to the right place!

Why You Might Not Like It:

If planning trips yourself isn’t your thing, Pilot may not be ideal, but our team does offer assistance for free to work with you on making a personalized trip based on your interest.

Pilot's also in the early stages with tons of cool new features being added every week. While we're still building a lot, including a mobile app coming real soon, you'll already find it super useful!

Top Features:

• Plan trips together in real-time with your travel crew, friends or family!
• Chat with your travel crew & vote on travel itineraries!
• Import and store your travel information for offline access.
• Create notes, reminders, packing lists, and wishlists!
• FlightDeck , Pilot's blog, contains an extensive database of destination guides, things to do, and where to stay for free!
• Totally free!
• On the web and Android (iOS id coming soon!

Alternatives:

• MyLike and Pebblar

2. 🌎 Best Autosync Travel Planner - TripIt

A minimal & old school business travel planner to organize all the essential details for work trips.

TripIt is straightforward in what it does. It gathers and syncs all travel-related booking and confirmation emails related to flights, transportation and accommodation to form an itinerary. This way, you don’t have to spend time searching for them individually.

What's great about TripIt is the ability to automatically import and sync your booking and ticket reservations via email forwarding. This will input your booking or any ticket information onto your planner without you needing to do it manually.

For example, if you have your flight information, Airbnb reservations, and event tickets in your email, all you'll have to do is forward them to TripIt. They'll automatically sync them into a master itinerary for you to use.

If you find yourself setting multiple alarms for the airport, TripIt will automatically remind you when it’s time to leave based on your ticketing information.

TripIt Pro, the premium version, sends important alerts regarding flight status, delays, and gate numbers, improving your experience even more. The app also has a neighborhood safety score which can be really helpful for solo travelers, female backpackers, and anyone.

We think the app is best suited for busy professionals on business tours and last-minute travelers who don’t have the time to sort through their trip details.

If you believe that travel planning should be fun and as exciting as taking the trip, TripIt might not be for you. TripIt doesn’t scream “fun."

It's owned by the enterprise technology company SAP, which means the interface is very formal and stiff, so probably not what you're looking for if your trip is for leisure. But it might be great if you're looking for something more strict and business-like.

If you’re looking for features other than organizing booking details, such as interesting travel content, guides for inspiration, and the ability to add specific attractions, you’re outta luck.

It’s also not a collaborative trip planner. Itineraries can be shared, but it's hard to do much collaboration on them if you're taking a group trip. Best to use this one if you need to travel for work.

• Automatically imports travel details from your inboxes.
• The basic version is free, but…
• You'd probably need TripIt Pro, which costs $49 per year, to get the full value.
• iOS, Android, and web
• Trip Case and Trek Friend

Still unsure if you should use TripIt? Make sure to check out our in-depth review of TripIt if you'd like to learn more about its features + pros & cons!

3. 💡Best Travel Inspiration Tracker - HipHerd

Travelers who want to save their travel inspiration in one place and don't need or want planning functionality.

HipHerd makes sure you don’t lose track of exciting destinations, inspiring travel stories, adventure trips, and other information you come across when surfing the web at random.

Essentially, you can gather and save travel ideas at your own pace using this platform. This way, you'll have a ton of interesting attractions lined up when you start planning an itinerary.

You can also create boards for each destination you plan to visit, categorize relevant details, and share them with others for real-time collaboration. Once you have sorted your itinerary, it will be displayed on a map to picture your trip at a glance.

If you’re looking for a travel planner, HipHerd will not deliver. The travel itinerary extension can help you store inspiration and destinations, but you’ll need another travel planning app to help you with the actual planning.

HipHerd isn't for you if you’re looking for essential features like the ability to store important travel details like flight information and track your budget to give you an idea of expenses.

Top features:

• Curate mood boards for destinations.
• Downloadable Chrome Extension.

4. 🕺 Best Trip Planner for Local Experiences - ViaHero

Travelers hunting for authentic local experiences that don’t care for flexibility.

Some travelers prefer their travel experiences to be a slice of local life without being herded into tourist traps.

ViaHero connects travelers with locals in the destinations they wish to visit. This way, you can access insider information, get tips to navigate around, and find ways to avoid overpaying just because you are a tourist.

The local guide will curate a travel itinerary with your suggestions, taking care of transport, accommodation, and food arrangements. It saves you time planning trips, sorting through attractions, and organizing an itinerary. You get it all done for you, by a local expert!

You can’t use ViaHero to travel anywhere in the world. It have a limited list of destinations to choose from with connections to local guides.

ViaHero also lacks the flexibility a travel planner should have for travelers who want full control over their travel plans.

It’s also expensive and may not be ideal if you love planning trips yourself and only want suggestions and advice from locals on where to go and what to see!

• Connect with local travelers and have authentic experiences from local insider information.
• Guides to local and authentic travel.
• $40 per day for a custom-made itinerary, and more for groups.
• No free version or free trial.
• TravelSherpa

Check out our in-depth ViaHero review if you'd like to learn more about what its features are + pros & cons!

5. 🚗 Best Road Trip Planner - RoadTrippers

Anyone who only wants to plan a road trip.

As the name suggests, the RoadTripper app is specially built for road trip enthusiasts who want to have a heads-up about interesting attractions along the chosen route.

It also shows dining and lodging options that come in handy for people on long journeys. Every interesting stop is pinned on a map so that you can add what’s interesting to your itinerary.

There’s also the ability to search for specific attractions using filters. Once done, the itinerary can be edited, saved, and shared with others who partake in the trip. Talk about useful!

But should you try Roadtrippers Plus? The premium version of Roadtrippers allows you to extend your trip, adding up to 150 waypoints onto your journey. It's also ad-free!

For one, if you don’t plan on taking road trips often, the subscription will cost you a bit, $35.99 annually. While Roadtrippers have the basic version for free, it’s very limited in features.

The app is also not very user-friendly in terms of navigation, so you’ll most likely need to bring your laptop along with you on your trip and use data to access your travel itineraries.

Top Feature:

• Gives you info on lesser-known attractions
• Their paid version costs $35.99 per year
• Google My Maps

Check out our Roadtrippers app review if you'd like to learn more about the features that come with the app + pros & cons!

6. 🔨 Best Itinerary Builder/Planner - GEOVEA

Travelers who are super planners, serious about the time schedules, budgeting, and logistics of the trip down to the fine details.

GEOVEA aims to make itinerary building easy for travelers with its detailed user interface. Once a destination is selected, activities for each day of the trip can be selected and dragged into time slots.

It also allows you to keep track of transportation, accommodation, and other bookings made, including what’s yet to be done. Then, you can estimate costs for each activity and edit them later on. You can share your itineraries with friends and family as well.

If you’re looking for an app, this might not be the travel planner solution for you. GEOVEA’s main drawback is that it’s only a web-based platform, although travel content can be viewed using mobile.

Secondly, it’s not a platform for collaboration to plan trips in groups, although itineraries are sharable.

Third, it's not super flexible. So if you like to plan your trip your way, you might just be better off with some of the other options on this list.

• Intuitive itinerary builder with integrated services like Yelp.
• Easily track expenses, transportation, lodging, etc.
• Sharable to your travel friends and family!
• Standard package is free with a limited number of itineraries.
• Other subscriptions are available for $29.99 and upwards for a year.

7. 💬 Best Forum-Based Travel Planner - TripAdvisor

Travelers that want tips and recommendations from other travelers and book accommodations, flights, and things to do straight from the same platform.

TripAdvisor is one of the largest leaders when it comes to review-based travel bookings.

With their comprehensive public forums, you can find just about any information you’d need for any destination, transportation, attraction, or accommodation. You’ll also be able to book and create your trips straight from their app!

TripAdvisor makes it easy to navigate different activities, explore different options, and compare prices and ratings of different accommodations.

If you want any control over planning your trip, TripAdvisor is certainly not the app for you. The trip planner from TripAdvisor is not very user-friendly and fun to use.

For example, it’s almost impossible to import other bookings or information into your travel planner.

That being said, it's a great way to browse through all the different options out there. You'll likely find a lot of ideas that you hadn't thought of before!

Top feature:

• A platform to share and read public reviews and recommendations and book all without leaving the app.
• Late database of reviews and ratings.
• Trusted platform amongst millions of travelers
• TripAdvisor Plus ($99/year) - discounted rates on over 100,000 flight prices, hotel bookings, experiences, and car rentals.
• WebOS, iOS, and Android

8. 🗺️ Best Map-Based Trip Planner - Sygic Travel

Travelers who want more advanced map functionality when planning their travel itinerary, including the option to access their itineraries on a map even when offline (though this is a paid feature in Sygic Travel).

Formerly Tripomatic, Sygic Travel is a trip planning and itinerary maker that's available on the web and as an app. The best thing this trip planner has going for it is the great GPS capabilities.

It'll allow you to create itineraries for cities, input flight and hotel bookings, add in already programmed attractions as well as custom locations.

The Sygic trip planner has a bit of a clunky interface. It doesn't make it feel as fun as when I use other planners to organize my itineraries.

Other issues you may have with Sygic include that you're unable to make a multi-city trip, you need to pay for useful features like offline capabilities, and there are lots of places missing like restaurants.

Time to Get Planning Your Trip!

So, this is my list of the top trip planner apps.

Make sure you find one that helps you plan a trip with friends so you can have a fun, stress-free vacation.

If you're up to trying out an up-and-coming trip planner, join us on Pilot! We specialize in planning trips with friends so you and your crew can experience the ultimate fun together. Plus, it’s free!

Disclosure : Pilot is supported by our community. We may earn a small commission fee with affiliate links on our website. All reviews and recommendations are independent and do not reflect the official view of Pilot.

Satisfy your wanderlust

Get Pilot. The travel planner that takes fun and convenience to a whole other level. Try it out yourself.

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The best trip planner apps to make your travels easier

Booking a trip can be an exciting yet daunting task. As if booking airfare, hotel, and transportation weren't enough, you also need to consider food, sights, and attractions. As a travel lover myself, I often dread planning and preparing for a trip. Not only do I never have the time, but I often get oversaturated by the vast amount of information found online and the fear of getting scammed. 

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Over the years, I've found the best websites and apps to help smooth out the planning process. These apps help me keep track of all my reservations, send me booking reminders, and guarantee I always find the best prices -- because there is nothing worse than falling for tourist traps or overpriced offerings. 

Whether you are a spontaneous or a nitty-gritty planner traveler, ZDNET has tested and reviewed the best trip planner apps on the market. Our top pick for the best trip planner site and app is Booking.com due to its easy-to-use user interface, extensive booking capabilities, and pricing. However, since not every trip or traveler is the same, we've included several options to help you plan and stay organized during your travels. 

Keep reading to learn more about ZDNET's expert-tested and reviewed trip planner apps. 

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The best trip planner apps of 2023

Booking.com, best overall trip planner.

• Multiple bookings
• Great deals
• Can earn points from bookings and reservations
• Easy to use
• No group planning
• Can't organize bookings per trip

Booking.com features:   Platform: App and website |  Compatibility:  iOS and Android |  Pricing:  Free |  Booking:  Yes |  Group planning:  No

When planning my trips, I always make a stop at the Booking.com app, especially when reserving hotels. I find their user interface visually appealing and easy to use, and that it provides just the right amount of information I need when scrolling through hotel suggestions. Personally, I enjoy that I can add my top picks to my favorites with a quick tap of a heart, glance through reviews, look at cancellation policies, and even find out how far away hotels are from key spots. Through Booking.com, you can also book flights, car rentals, taxis, and city attractions, making it a great all-in-one place to plan and book upcoming weekend getaways or longer vacations. While I have personally never used the car rentals, taxis, or city attractions components of the app, I enjoy knowing that if I ever needed to, I can quickly hop on my phone and glance at the latest offerings. 

My favorite feature when using Booking.com to plan trips is the offers and promotions it displays for users. In the app, when you click your profile, you can see your "Genius" loyalty program status as well as discover the best deals around the world for your specific chosen dates. My only critique of Booking.com is that it does not enable group trip planning or let you organize your bookings per trip. This means if you are planning a trip with a friend, only one person can book and have access to reservations. 

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Best trip planner for organization

• Synced with e-mail inbox
• Organizes reservations no matter where you book
• Works offline
• Can't make any bookings
• Need to pay for advanced features
• UI could use an upgrade

TripIt features:   Platform:  App and website |  Compatibility: iOS and Android | Pricing: Free or $49 per year | Booking: No | Group planning: Yes

In terms of planning a trip, creating an itinerary, and keeping all your information in one place, TripIt is one of the best travel apps to keep yourself organized. When you first create an account, TripIt will sync with your inbox and automatically add all of your upcoming flights and reservations to your account. You can then modify each trip to include as little or as much information as you'd like. As someone who likes to be spontaneous when traveling, I usually only add the essentials: flight information, hotel reservations, and important documents. However, if you like to plan your trips down by the hour, you can also include activities, restaurant reservations, transportation, and more in your trip plan to share with fellow travelers.

As your trip approaches, TripIt will also send you packing reminders, give you COVID-19 travel guidance, and show transportation options. While you can get most of the essential features within the free version of the app (this is the one I use), you can also pay $49 a year to get advanced features such as check-in reminders, real-time flight alerts, point tracking, and even notifications for drops in airfare prices. 

Keep in mind that while TripIt gives you transportation options and finds places near your hotel, you cannot book or make any reservations directly from the app. The app is solely used to organize and keep track of all of your travel plans in one place, no matter where you book them. 

Best AI trip planner

• Personalized travel itinerary
• Hotel booking
• Can modify recommendations
• Group planning enabled
• Only available as a website
• No flight or restaurant booking

Guide features:   Platform: Website  Compatibility: all major browsers |  Pricing:  Free | Booking: Yes, but hotels only | Group Planning: Yes  Generative AI is everyone's favorite buzzword this year, and slowly but surely, it has been making its way across all industries -- including the travel industry. Guide is an innovative AI travel planning tool that creates personalized travel itineraries based on your preferences. (Full disclosure, it's also owned by ZDNET's sister company. It's currently in private beta, but you can join a wait list.) All you need to do is select your destination, the dates, whether you are traveling alone or in a group, your budget, and the types of activities you are looking for, and Guide will do the planning. 

After generating a trip itinerary for you based on your prompt, Guide then lets you modify and customize the itinerary to your liking. I recently used Guide to plan a six-day trip to Austin, Texas, and this was the feature I enjoyed the most, since I had specific restaurants and activities I wanted to incorporate into my trip, but I also needed some additional recommendations. While you can't book flights or restaurant reservations through Guide, you can book and find great hotel deals powered by Expedia on the platform. 

Guide will also give you an overall budget for your trip, a packing list, and a comprehensive list of things to know about your destination -- which may be helpful for some more than others. While my trip to Austin was a solo trip, Guide has a feature where you can invite other fellow travelers to collaborate in planning your trip through Guide's chatbot, GuideBot. This chatbot also works sort of like ChatGPT, where you can ask GuideBot questions about your trip, your destination, or recommendations. Keep in mind you can not ask GuideBot to directly modify your trip for you, and instead need to manually do it yourself -- believe me, I tried. 

Tripadvisor

Best trip planner app for reviews.

• Countless reviews
• Used by travelers worldwide
• Variety of information
• Booking capabilities
• Great for local spots
• Booking is not its strongest feature and you may not always find the best deals
• Doesn't vet reviews

Tripadvisor  features: Platform:  App and website |  Compatibility:  iOS and Android |  Pricing:  Free |  Booking:  Yes |  Group planning:  No

Reading customer reviews is one of the most important steps when planning a trip. While you shouldn't base all of your decisions on reviews, you should consider past customer experiences to get a feel for the brand and company you are about to trust, or the experience you are going to pay for.  When it comes to travel reviews, Tripadvisor is the best trip planner app to rely on. Since the platform has so many reviews for restaurants, activities, accommodations, and locations all over the world, it is always easy and convenient to log onto the app or website to help you make an educated decision. (However, remember that not all Tripadvisor reviews are legit, since the platform does not independently verify customer postings.) Beyond reviews, TripAdvisor also lets you book hotels, restaurants, things to do, and more while also providing detailed insights into their offerings -- including cancellation policies, ratings, and features. 

Tripadvisor's "Travelers' Choice" best-of list is also a popular part of its platform, allowing visitors to see top-rated destinations, hotels, restaurants, and things to do around the world. With Tripadvisor, you can plan a trip yourself from scratch, hire a trip designer, or get a custom itinerary built by AI. 

Best trip planner app for transportation

• Great multi-mode travel comparison
• convenient and seamless transportation booking
• Multiple currency and language availability
• Flight deals and suggestions are not the strongest
• Limited offers depending on the country or city of travel
• Not the most reliable customer service

Omio features:  Platform:  App and website |  Compatibility:  iOS and Android |  Pricing:  Free |  Booking:  Yes, transportation only |  Group planning:  No

I first discovered Omio when a friend recommended it to me while I was studying abroad in Spain, and ever since I downloaded it, it has become my go-to app for booking the best deals and fares on transportation within Europe. The concept behind Omio is simple: You plug in your departure and arrival location, including the number of people you are traveling with, and add whether you are looking for a one-way or round-trip journey. Omio will then show you the best deals by train, bus, or plane to and from your desired destination, including how much time each option will take you and the number of stops. 

The German-based travel booking site is great at aggregating travel information from multiple sites, allowing you to view all of your transportation options in one place. This is incredibly beneficial when planning trips within Europe since there are several ways you can cross each border and often various languages and regulations to keep in mind. Omio is set in English but has multiple additional languages available, as well as currency options. During my time abroad, I solely used Omio to book all of my transportation, including planning a 17-day trip across seven different European countries. Overall, using Omio was not only convenient and seamless but also helped me save hundreds of dollars by helping me maximize my travel time by switching between flights, trains, and buses. 

However, since returning from Europe, I have not used Omio as much as I thought I would -- maybe because I have a car and take most of my trips by plane. And Omio's flight deals and suggestions are not the strongest compared to Booking.com or Skyscanner's, which heavily focus on flight deals. I have also found they have some limitations depending on the country or city you are traveling in. Be mindful of the deals and tickets you buy through Omio since some tickets are non-refundable, and some customers complain their customer service is not the best -- although I have yet to have any issues with them. 

What is the best trip planner app?

Booking.com gets our vote for the best trip planner app due to its wide selection of accommodations, its points and promotions offerings, and its easy-to-use user interface. Not only does Booking.com help you find the best deals throughout your trip, but it will also help you stay organized throughout your trip by keeping all of your reservations in one place. To determine which trip planner app or combination of trip planners is best for you, check out this comparison chart below. 

Which is the right trip planner app for you?

The best trip planner app ultimately depends on your travel and planning style. If you like booking and planning everything in one place while also earning points and getting great deals, then Booking.com is your top app. However, if you are looking for a place to keep all of your accommodations, reservations, and activity details organized, then TripIt is a better app for you. Check out the following chart to help you find the best trip planner app or a combination of apps for you to plan your next adventure. 

How did we choose these trip planner apps?

To find the best trip planner apps, we drew upon real-life experiences and tested their performance and capabilities during our latest trips. Ultimately, we weighted the following factors when choosing which trip planners to include on our list: 

• Features: Each app can vary significantly with the features it offers, whether it is solely to book flights and hotels, help you plan your next trip using AI, or help you find the best deals and booking information, each app on this list can help you address several common inconveniences that present themselves while planning that next adventure.  
• Compatibility: An app is of little use if it does not work with your devices, so we look to see what compatibility each trip-planning app offers and which platforms you can access it from. Personally, I enjoy apps that combine an app and website component since this quickly helps me switch between my wide computer screen and my tiny yet portable iPhone screen. 
• Customer reviews: We study real customer reviews and ratings to evaluate customer satisfaction and service. This is incredibly important since most times when you travel, you visit an unknown city or country, and you should be mindful of past experiences others have had. 
• Cost : Most trip planner apps are free, but you may have to upgrade to receive special access to exclusive features or deals. If your app is already free, it means you only have to pay a small amount (often unnoticeable) when you book your accommodations. 

What is a trip planner app?

A trip planner app is an app that provides organizational features for your upcoming trip. It is often free and incorporates trip planning tools, whether you are traveling by ground, water or air.   

How does a trip planner app work?

A trip planner app can incorporate special features, like an itinerary, calendar, reservation and booking hub, and map assistance. Depending on the app you choose, there is even trip-sharing with friends and family to simplify the entire trip planning process.  

How much does a trip planner app cost?

Most trip planner apps are free, but some may offer in-app purchases to upgrade or enhance your experience. Within this list, only Tripit costs money, but only for their advanced features version, which costs $49 a year. However, you can get access to most if not all, trip-planning features, through their free version. 

Are there alternative trip planner apps worth considering?

As I mentioned earlier, trip planning heavily depends on your personal style of travel and preferences. However, whether you like to plan your trips down by the minute or prefer to just have the basics, there are several apps that can optimize your planning. Here are a few apps worth considering that almost made it onto our list: 

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Sarah Schlichter

Deputy Executive Editor Sarah Schlichter's idea of a perfect trip includes spotting exotic animals, hiking through pristine landscapes, exploring new neighborhoods on foot, and soaking up as much art as she can. She often attempts to recreate recipes from her international travels after she gets home (which has twice resulted in accidental kitchen fires—no humans or animals were harmed).

Sarah joined the SmarterTravel team in 2017 after more than a decade at the helm of IndependentTraveler.com. Sarah's practical travel advice has been featured in dozens of news outlets including the New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, USA Today, Budget Travel, and Peter Greenberg Worldwide Radio. Follow her on Twitter @TravelEditor .

The Handy Item I Always Pack: "A journal. Even years later, reading my notes from a trip can bring back incredibly vivid memories."

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: "Road tripping and hiking through the rugged mountains of Patagonia."

Travel Motto: "'To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world.'—Freya Stark"

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: "Aisle. I get restless on long flights and like to be able to move around without disturbing anyone else."

Email Sarah at [email protected] .

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Crafting a trip itinerary can be both fun and overwhelming. Which places are an absolute must-visit, and which ones can you skip? How much time should you spend at the art museum, and how close is it to that bookstore you want to check out? And how can you keep all your ideas and bookings neatly organized?

The best trip planner apps can help you answer those questions. I’ve found several that will help you discover the right places to go and organize your day-by-day itinerary in one handy place. Download these apps, and you can pitch your endless spreadsheets and Word docs into the recycle bin.

All of the following trip planner apps are free unless otherwise noted.

TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor ( iOS | Android ) is the granddaddy of trip planner apps. Unlike other apps that feature only major cities, TripAdvisor offers listings of both top attractions and hidden gems in just about every corner of the globe, along with restaurants, hotels, and vacation rentals. You can create customized itineraries by saving the places you’re interested in to the app’s new Trips feature . (Trips can be kept private or shared publicly.)

When you search for a city in the app, you’ll see a feed of other users’ trips, photos, videos, reviews, and articles about that destination, all offering ideas and inspiration. For more trip planning help, you can post your questions in the TripAdvisor forums , where destination experts offer in-depth advice.

Visit a City

Visit a City ( iOS | Android ) helps solve two common trip planning challenges: figuring out how long you need to spend at each place, and maximizing your vacation time by grouping nearby attractions together. When you select a destination, the app offers recommended sightseeing guides based on the number of days you plan to spend. For example, I put in that I was going to Paris, for three days and was given several itinerary options, including Top Attractions, Landmarks for Kids, Parks & Museums, Easy Going, and more. The app automatically puts nearby attractions together and lets you know how far apart they are (for instance, “three minutes by walking”). It also includes the estimated time that you’ll spend at each place.

You can edit the itinerary by changing the day you visit a place, revising the amount of time you spend there, or deleting the attraction altogether. (You’ll almost certainly have to do some editing, as the itineraries don’t include lunch or coffee breaks.) You can also book tours through the app and get general travel information about the destination, such as the best time of year to visit or tips for saving money.

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CityMaps2Go

CityMaps2Go ( iOS | Android ) offers a handy offline maps that you can customize with personal points of interest. Even better, the app displays your location on the map whether you’re connected to data or Wi-Fi. The app includes thousands of offline maps from just about anywhere on Earth, which means it’s useful for travelers who don’t want to pay international data charges when heading overseas. 

You can create different lists for your trip (for example, separate lists for dining, bars, attractions, etc.), and the locations you add to the list will show up on your map. Info cards for each place include a review score, nearby accommodations, some basic information, and the ability to add notes of your own.

The fun part of trip planning is imagining all the cool places you’ll go. What’s not so fun? Figuring out the logistics of getting there. Fortunately, Rome2rio ( iOS | Android ) can help solve that problem. The app searches just about every mode of transportation—plane, train, subway, bus, ferry, taxi, Uber—to recommend the best way to get from point A to point B.

You can enter either two destinations within a given city or two points farther apart, and the app will display your options, including the time it’ll take to travel and the approximate cost. Note that the listings are for planning purposes only, and you can’t actually book your flights or tickets through the app.

TripIt ( iOS | Android ) is a fixture on “best travel apps” lists, and for good reason. It turns an inbox full of scattered booking confirmations and restaurant reservations into a single master itinerary that you can access offline, sync with your phone’s calendar, and share with loved ones. You simply forward each confirmation email to [email protected] and let the app do the rest.

Upgrade to TripIt Pro ($49/year) for other useful features such as real-time flight alerts, rewards program tracking, and the ability to locate alternate flights if your original plans are disrupted.

Culture Trip

The app arm of Culture Trip ( iOS | Android ) aims to bring travelers a little bit out of the mainstream (tagline: “For curious travelers”) by highlighting unique, off-the-beaten-path options in popular destinations. With recommendations for more than 200 destinations around the world, it’s a great way to bring more local perspective to your trip planning. 

The Culture Trip app uses the publication’s content as a starting point; say, an article on the Top 9 Dessert Spots in Amsterdam. While reading the article, you can save individual places to lists that you create and view their location on maps. You can also explore their curated “Culture Trips”—pre-made itineraries for small group travel bookable within the app.

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TripScout ( iOS ) combines articles and videos from well-known travel publishers and local experts to form what it calls “a personalized, always up-to-date travel guide” for destinations around the world. Every point of interest mentioned in the content is mapped, so you can build a customized itinerary showing your intended destinations on a map.

TripScout can also personalize recommendations based on your travel dates, budget, interests, and even the number of people in your travel group. And like some of the other apps on this list, TripScout works entirely offline, potentially saving you from paying international data fees. The only downside? Android users are left out; TripScout is iOS only.

Editor’s note: This story was originally published in 2019, and has been updated to reflect the most current information. SmarterTravel’s Carl Unger contributed to this story.

Follow Sarah Schlichter on Twitter @TravelEditor for more travel tips and inspiration.

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We hand-pick everything we recommend and select items through testing and reviews. Some products are sent to us free of charge with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions and do not accept compensation to review products. All items are in stock and prices are accurate at the time of publication. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.

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Planning the perfect trip can be almost overwhelming enough to take the fun out of what should be an exciting experience. Thankfully, many travel planning apps are available to help you organize your next getaway, right down to the smallest detail.

Best for Predicting Lowest Flight and Hotel Prices: Hopper

The Watch feature sends push notifications about good deals when it's time to commit.

Some fairly large airlines aren't included in Hopper's analysis.

Hopper's proprietary algorithm tries to predict where flight and lodging prices are headed shortly, letting you wait until the right moment to spring into action and book your trip at the lowest price. The app analyzes billions of prices per day and claims to predict what the cheapest one will be with a 95% accuracy rate.

Download For:

Best Overall Trip Planner: Kayak

The Explore feature helps you decide on a destination, suggesting getaways all over the globe based on your maximum budget.

Doesn't always show all available flights on a specific route, potentially causing you to miss out on the best deal.

One of the top all-in-one apps for setting up a trip, Kayak searches hundreds of travel sites instantly to provide multiple deals on a flight, hotel, or rental car in the same location. Kayak also organizes everything in one place and includes up-to-date details on security wait times, along with airport terminal maps.

The app also measures your luggage using your phone's camera, informing you of potential fees and carry-on rules for most airlines.

Best for Helping You Remember the Essentials: Packing Pro

An impressive group of sample packing lists provides a good starting point if you don't want to make your own.

In-app purchases are inappropriate for an app you purchased.

Packing Pro is well worth the $2.99 if stuffing your suitcases isn't your favorite pre-trip activity. The app creates customizable packing lists considering essential factors like the trip duration, destination, expected weather conditions, food preferences, and more. Packing Pro's robust item catalog ensures that even the most unique dietary or religious restrictions are satisfied.

Best for Car or RV Trips: Roadtrippers

The hidden gems that can be discovered with this app.

GPS coordination isn't as good as it is in apps like Waze.

If dealing with long lines at the airport isn't your idea of fun, then Roadtrippers may be the app for you. Whether you're hitting the highway or off-roading, enter your starting and destination points and let Roadtrippers provide everything you need.

From campsites and outdoor attractions to unique adventures that are off the beaten path, this app is the perfect companion for planning an excursion, no matter if your mode of transportation is a small-sized rental car or a giant RV.

An optional yearly subscription unlocks advanced features, including live traffic monitoring and different map styles.

Best for Finding Bargain Flights: Skiplagged

Frequent travelers can save a significant amount of money.

Airline baggage fee policies can be murky, so read the fine print before booking.

By showing fares to connecting cities that are sometimes cheaper than a direct flight to that city, Skiplagged lets you book flights where you stay at the layover location (your destination) rather than continuing with the connecting flight. When it works, you spend less to reach your desired destination. Skiplagged also lets you book last-minute hotel deals.

Best for Avoiding Hidden Fees: Skyscanner

Offers protection to ensure car rental providers don't overcharge for fuel.

In rare instances, flight prices shown in the app are outdated.

Skyscanner should be included in some of the bigger all-in-one planning and booking apps. Offering reliable price alerts, integrated frequent flyer miles, and no additional or hidden fees like you might find elsewhere, Skyscanner usually follows through on its promises and is easy to navigate.

Best Itinerary Planner: Sygic Travel

If you don't want a planned itinerary, Sygic is useful for finding nearby attractions on-the-fly.

Access to Sygic's offline maps requires a paid upgrade to the Premium version.

Sygic Travel lets you plan a detailed itinerary for each day of your trip before you leave home, down to the last detail, like walking distances between attractions.

With over 50 million places included, many with 360-degree videos that make you feel like you're there, the app's smart search filters help you narrow things down to the perfect daily schedule. Collaborative city guides provide an easy-to-use snapshot of the most popular locales around the globe.

Best for Customer Reviews: TripAdvisor

The forums are a great resource for getting specific travel-related questions answered quickly.

Default rankings don't always correlate with customer reviews, so you often need to take a deeper dive to discover the best value.

A stalwart in the travel industry, TripAdvisor isn't unique in providing a one-stop-shop for booking good deals on flights, hotels, and restaurants for your upcoming trip, though it does a dependable job of each. The app sets itself apart with its customer feedback on airlines, lodging, food, and activities. By offering over 500 million opinions from real travelers who've been there and done that, TripAdvisor helps you make informed planning decisions based on others' past experiences.

Best for Organizing Confirmations and Reservations: TripIt

Send information manually, forward confirmation emails, or have the app automatically fetch itineraries from your inbox.

The default notification setting is for an annoying number of alerts.

When you plan a trip, it's not uncommon to receive multiple confirmation emails and itineraries from airlines, hotels, rental car companies, or other sources. Keeping all these details organized can be a hassle.

TripIt solves this problem by taking all your scattered information and organizing it into an easy-to-use main itinerary. This basic functionality is free of charge, while an annual subscription provides the ability to upgrade your seat on upcoming flights and track reward miles, among other perks.

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Best travel apps in 2021

Beat the traffic, avoid flight delays and find a place to stay on your next trip

The best travel apps are the ones that take all the stress out of a trip, freeing you up to enjoy the journey. And fortunately, you've got a lot of choices when it comes to finding apps that can help you plan your next getaway. 

You'll find everything from trip planners and itinerary generators to online marketplaces for flights and hotels in both the Play Store and Apple's store for apps. Combine one of the best travel apps with some great travel tech , and your chances for a smooth trip will increase dramatically.

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Not sure where to look first? We've found a list of the best travel apps for when you're ready to hit the road again after sticking close to home for more than a year.

1. MyTSA (Free: Android; iOS)

Before you hit the road, make sure you've got MyTSA on your smartphone. The official app of the Transportation Security Administration isn't going to win any beauty contests, but it will let you check wait times at security checkpoints at major airpots. And that can help you plan on how much travel time you need to allow.

The app includes historical wait-time data while also giving you the option of checking crowd-sourced reports of how long security lines are at that moment. The ability to search what you can bring on a plane, get live assistance and find out info on the TSA PreCheck program make this a good app for travelers to keep handy on their smartphone.

Download MyTSA: Android , iOS

2. Expedia (Android, iOS: Free)

If you're a frequent traveller, you need a good all-in-one travel app, and Expedia is a tried-and-true option. You can book every aspect of your trip through Expedia, including hotels, flights and rental cars. The app also lets you bundle deals on travel and lodging, look for cruises, and research things to do when you arrive at your destination. 

If you're looking to stretch your travel budget even farther, Expedia promises exclusive deals for mobile users, with members of Expedia's rewards program enjoying additional perks. 

Download Expedia: Android , iOS

3. Flighty (iOS: Free)

There are flight trackers, and then there's Flighty, an iOS app for people who really want to know the location and arrival time of their plane. The free version of the app gives you basic flight-tracking tools, but pay up for a subscription ($8.99 a month or $49.99 per year), and you get access to more sophisticated features such as push notifications, syncing with TripIt or with calendars, and an assistant to help with your flight connections. 

Flighty also claims to be able to predict flight delays by monitoring inbound planes for 25 hours and monitoring FAA-mandated delays. You can check out the portions of the paid app for free during a 14-day trial.

Download Flighty: iOS

4. Hopper (Android, iOS: Free)

Another app bringing big data and predictive algorithms to the world of air travel is Hopper It uses a massive database of airline prices and historical trends to predict when prices to a destination are likely to be lowest, when they're likely to change, and the best time to buy a ticket for a particular date and destination. 

You can watch flights on specific dates or destinations, and the app will advise you whether it's worth it to buy now or to wait, tell you the dates when it's likely cheapest to fly, estimate changes in price, and notify you of price drops or rises. You can also save your payment details within the app for quick booking.

Download Hopper: Android , iOS

5. iExit (Android, iOS: Free)

If your travel plans involve a lot of driving, iExit works as a handy freeway exit guide, listing nearby highway exits, as well as the kind of businesses and amenities there are nearby. Need to gas up or find some good food or a place to stay for the night? iExit’s search tools come to the rescue, showing you nearby gas stations (with price data powered by GasBuddy), motels, and even deals and discounts from nearby businesses.

Download iExit: Android , iOS

6. Waze (Android; iOS)

Nothing gets a vacation off on the wrong foot like getting stuck in traffic. Waze can't eliminate the traffic, but it can help you get around any jams, especially if you're in an unfamiliar city. 

The navigation app feeds your smartphone real-time traffic information, based on reports from other Waze users. That data includes accidents, speed traps and other hazards that might keep you from getting to your destination in a timely fashion. 

Other features sure to impress travelers include automatic rerouting, cheap gas alerts and the ability to send your ETA to anyone waiting at your final stop.

Download Waze: Android , iOS

7. Skiplagged (Android, iOS: Free)

If you're traveling light and looking to save a few bucks, check out Skiplagged. It's a neat app that can keep your travel costs down by taking advantage of "hidden city flights", where flyers get off at a layover, instead of at the final destination. 

Enter your origin and destination, and Skiplagged will show you the cost of a direct flight, as well as any cheaper "hidden city" flights that have your intended destination as a layover. The caveat? Stick to carry-on luggage, as any checked-in bags will go all the way to the flight's final destination. 

Skiplagged also allows you to book hotels, including last-minute deals and special offers.

Download Skiplagged: Android , iOS

8. Flio (Android, iOS: Free)

Flio aims to be the all-in-one companion app for harried travelers making their way through airports worldwide. An official partner of 300 airports, Flio also has info on thousands more. That lets the app feature terminal maps, a boarding pass scanner, a flight tracker and directions to shuttle buses and booking options for everything from parking to lounge access. 

The app's sheer variety of services and features make it a great addition to the app toolkit of frequent fliers and vacationers alike.

Download Flio: Android , iOS

9. AtYourGate (Android, iOS: Free)

AtYourGate is another helpful airport companion that focuses more about retail opportunities while you're killing time waiting at the airport. If you need food, supplies (like say a phone charger to replace the one you forgot to pack), or last-minute gifts, you can browse the AtYourGate app for nearby shops and restaurants instead of having to wander around the airport. 

AtYourGate users can order food or other items, pay through the app, and even arrange for the item to be delivered to them right at their gate, lounge, or other location. AtYourGate currently operates in a select number of major airports, including JFK, La Guardia, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Portland, San Diego, and Newark.

Download AtYourGate: Android , iOS

10. Mobile Passport (Android, iOS: Free)

Mobile Passport is a U.S. Customs and Border Protection-approved app that helps speed you through lengthy immigration lines. It allows anyone with U.S. or Canadian passports to submit their passport control and customs declarations through the app, replacing paper forms and providing faster processing in a number of major US airports where the Mobile Passport service is supported. 

The app will save you a good amount of time in line, but it’s no reason to leave your physical passport at home. Mobile Passport is a companion app, not a replacement.

Download Mobile Passport: Android , iOS

11. TripIt (Android, iOS: Free)

TripIt promises to cut back on the travel hassle by consolidating your travel plans into a simple, convenient itinerary. Viewable online and synced to your cell phone, you can also share itineraries with your contacts. 

You just link your email account to TripIt, and the service will automatically dig through your inbox for reservation confirmations and other forms. Using that data, TripIt builds an organized itinerary of your flight boarding times, hotel check-ins and more. While TripIt is a free download, a $48.99 annual subscription gets you features like real-time flight alerts and updates on how long airport lines are.

Download TripIt: Android , iOS

12. App In The Air (Android, iOS: Free)

App In The Air is designed to help you through the entire process of your airplane flight, serving as a booking assistant that reminds you of your gate, ETA, check-in requirements, baggage tips, and more. 

The app condenses all of this important information so that it's easy to refer to at a glance, while also providing handy extras. You can view a summary of your airline's baggage rules (or even have an augmented reality overlay that you can use to measure your baggage to see if it will fit for carry-on or overhead guidelines). 

Travelers can integrate the app with TripIt, track loyalty rewards, view airplane amenities and even forward their details to their Apple Watch or Android Wear device. A premium subscription ($29.99 per year) includes real-time flight status updates, automated check-ins, and more.

Download App In The Air: Android , iOS

13. GasBuddy (Android, iOS: Free)

If road trips are more your thing, consider GasBuddy, a mobile app that helps users track down the cheapest gas in their region. Users can tap into their GPS location through their phone, or search by address or zip code to find the nearby gas prices.

As many of the prices are based on user reports, GasBuddy rewards users with points for reporting and updating a station's prices, with points making you eligible for regular raffles of prizes like free gas.

Download GasBuddy: Android , iOS

14. Roadtrippers (Android, iOS: Free)

Another handy travel companion when you hit the road is the aptly named Roadtrippers, a trip planning and itinerary app that lets you plot your next road trip, and helps you discover destinations, attractions, and useful stops along the way. 

With Roadtrippers, you can share your route and schedule with friends and family. The app helps users find everything from diners and dives to hotels, restaurants, national parks, roadside attractions and other scenic points of interest. 

If doing that research on a small phone screen stresses you out, you can plan trips in the Roadtrippers web portal if you prefer, saving locations and stops into a trip plan which you can sync across multiple devices for easy reference.

Download Roadtrippers: Android , iOS

15. PackPoint (Android, iOS: Free)

PackPoint is a travel packing wizard that provides a checklist of travel essentials that you'll need to pack, depending on the nature of your trip. 

Simply create a trip profile with your destination, length of stay and purpose of travel. PackPoint then creates a customized packing and luggage checklist that takes into account whether you're traveling for business or pleasure, the type and amount of clothing to pack based on the weather forecast and other factors. 

The app also comes with a variety of premium features, such as TripIt integration for automatic packing list creation.

Download PackPoint: Android , iOS

16. TripAdvisor (Android, iOS: Free)

TripAdvisor is your crowd-sourced guide to hotels, restaurants and attractions worldwide. The app allows you to browse through plenty of reviews, images and videos featuring various establishments worldwide to get a better idea of what awaits you at your destination. 

You can also access contact details; search for nearby establishments; explore restaurants by food type, price range or rating; check out air fares; and even add to the knowledge base by posting your own reviews, images and entries for the places you visit. There are even some handy "Near Me Now" features to alert you of nearby points of interest once you're on the scene.

Download TripAdvisor: Android , iOS

17. Airbnb (Android, iOS: Free)

Airbnb is a marketplace app that allows users to search for and find unique accommodations across the world, from mom-and-pop B&Bs for a night, to a small apartment for a week, or even a castle for a month. There's no shortage of quirky and unique establishments. Airbnb covers a range of prices in more than 34,000 cities across almost 200 countries, which means the adventurous or flexible traveler has some interesting choices for accommodations on their next trip.

Download Airbnb: Android , iOS

18. Vrbo (Android, iOS: Free)

Vrbo's mobile app is another option for finding places to stay on your next trip. At Vrbo, the emphasis is on vacation rentals, and with 2 million unique places to stay in 190-plus countries, you've got plenty of options. 

Use the Vrbo app to search for vacation homes, plan your trip and book your lodging. The app also gives you access to key booking details — what is the Wi-Fi password at your rental property, anyway? — and lets you share your itinerary with friends and family.

Download Vrbo: Android , iOS

19. Hotel Tonight (Android, iOS: Free)

If you unexpectedly need to look for last minute hotel rooms, check out  HotelTonight. It offers last-minute discounts on vacancies and same-night accommodations from top-rated hotels. Users can search by category and quality such as Basic, Hip or Luxe; view information on nearby hotels; and quickly book accommodations from within the app.

Download HotelTonight: Android , iOS

20. GlobeTips (iOS: Free)

How much should you tip? GlobeTips is a handy app that can tell you how much gratuity is customary wherever you are in the world. In addition to global tipping guides, GlobeTips includes a calculator for automatically calculating the tip, splitting the bill, and handling sales tax.

Download GlobeTips: iOS

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Complete Guide: The Best Travel Planning Apps

by Melissa Giroux | Last updated May 12, 2023 | Travel Tips

Nowadays, there is an app for everything. However, some apps are more useful than others.

For travelers, a travel planner app is an invaluable tool to have on your phone.

Whether you’re new to the travel life or are a seasoned traveler, you’ll find that using travel apps to plan trips makes your next trip totally stress-free.

These intelligent apps for vacation planning include nifty features such as curated itineraries, offline maps, and tailored suggestions. 

With that being said, you may feel overwhelmed searching for a travel planner app in your app store.

There are certainly a lot of options, so how do you determine which is the best app for trip planning?

We’ve tried out many travel itinerary apps for our own trip planning.

Here is our list of the seven best travel planner apps available on both iOS and Android devices.

1. Travel Mapper

Travel Mapper is a travel planning add-on for Google Sheets that helps you plan trips faster and gives you what you need to enjoy your trip plan while on the go. Its marquee feature is a Google Map integrated right into your spreadsheet to make adding activities to your itinerary faster.

This makes it easy to see your full itinerary on the map so you can optimize your trip based on activity locations. Travel Mapper also enables you to edit your itinerary in a drag-n-drop interface similar to Trello, so you don’t need to deal with copy-pasting between spreadsheet cells.

Planning is one thing, but what about sticking to your plan while on your trip? Travel Mapper helps here in two ways. There’s a nice trip summary you can email to yourself and others with your full itinerary organized by date and time.

Each activity has links to Google Maps as well to make navigating while on the go easy from your phone. The other way is by exporting your itinerary to Google My Maps so you have all locations marked and available while on the go, which can also be used on your phone.

You can create unlimited travel templates with the free tier of Travel Mapper and the affordable premium tiers give you the integrated map, drag-n-drop editing, email summary, and Google My Maps export.

Give Travel Mapper a try and get 10% off with code ABB10 if you decide to go premium!

2. TripIt (iOS | Android)

TripIt is one of the best vacation planner apps and is a popular choice among backpackers and those with multiple trips booked.

This is because it works like a personal travel assistant by curating your reservations, booking confirmations, and flight tickets into a simple and easy-to-understand itinerary. 

All you need to do is forward all confirmation emails relating to your upcoming trip to the app’s email address. The clever system will then create a master itinerary for each of your travels for free!

The app will also sync with your calendar, automatically entering your flights and reservations into your schedule.

What’s more, you can use the app offline, so when you’re without an internet connection, you’ll still be able to access your itinerary. 

The free version of this app has all of the fantastic features above. It already makes one of the top apps for travel itinerary creation; however, you can upgrade to TripIt Pro for $49 a year for extra goodies.

The advanced features include real-time flight alerts and an alternative flight finder should your original ones be disrupted.

3. Roadtrippers (iOS | Android)

If you prefer to travel by road rather than air, you’ll love the Roadtrippers app. As the name suggests, this app is tailored towards planning cross-country road trips.

It works by following your journey as you drive and offering you suggestions to create the road trip of a lifetime. 

Roadtrippers doesn’t just give you recommendations for where to eat and fill up your gas; this app goes one step further.

This road travel companion will let you and your travel buddies know about a whole array of exciting things around you as well as the best camping spots nearby.

It’s also great at giving ‘off the beaten track’ ideas that you may never have come across otherwise. 

The one downfall of this app is that it only works in a few countries.

Currently, you can use it in the USA, Australia , and New Zealand.

While it can’t help you when you’re backpacking around Europe , you could well find this to be the best app for planning your next epic US road trip.

4. TripAdvisor (iOS | Android)

TripAdvisor is a well-known travel website, but you may not be familiar with everything their app can do. The TripAdvisor travel planner app is the ultimate tool for planning trips.

It gives you trusted recommendations on all elements of your trip; where to stay, what to do, places to eat, and sights to see.

You can save places that spark your interest, see your saves on a map, and share them with your travel companions. 

Trip Advisor’s all-in-one capabilities make the app one of the best travel planners in 2021. Once you find restaurants you’d like to visit, you can book a table directly from the app.

You can also compare prices on hotels and flights to find the best deals. 

Another thing we love about the TripAdvisor app is its sharing aspect. As well as leaving reviews and sharing your experiences to help others, you can follow experts in the industry for travel advice.

If that’s not enough, this app works worldwide, covering a staggering 8 million destinations. Wherever you’re planning to visit, this app could easily become your favorite and best vacation planner.

5. Rome2rio (iOS | Android)

Although trip planning is fun, figuring out all the logistics involved in getting from A to B is not so great. Thankfully, the Rome2rio app will help you out with this, making your travel planning less of a headache. 

The app will help you compare all possible modes of transport. This is great for backpackers looking for the cheapest routes and savvy tourists who want to maximize their travel budget.

It will also show you your complete journey from door to door. Therefore, you’ll never worry about arriving at an unfamiliar airport or bus station with no idea how to get to your hostel.

Once you’ve searched for your route, the app will show you all available transport options, including the duration of each and the approximate cost.

However, one downfall is that you can’t book your flights or tickets directly through the app. Even so, this transport search engine works almost everywhere, including the most remote locations.

So, if you’re backpacking off the beaten track, this will be one of the most useful and best travel planner apps for you.

6. Sygic (iOS | Android)

Sygic is another popular app for vacation planning, helping you make the most of your trip and not miss out on the must-see attractions.

This expansive app contains information on over 20 million travel destinations.

As well as all the famous sights, you’ll find the best parks, restaurants, bars, beaches, and more in the area.

You can check the opening hours of each place, browse through photos, and watch 360-degree videos that will give you a taste of what it feels like to be there. 

Sygic also has a pro version that offers offline apps. At the cost of just $10, upgrading to premium is totally worth it.

As you’ll know, it’s not always easy to find a WIFI connection while you’re walking around the streets trying to find the next stop on your itinerary.

Another benefit of upgrading to the Sygic Pro is the advanced day-to-day itinerary planner. This gives you estimated travel times and walking distances between all your stops, helping you plan your day down to a tee. 

7. Kayak (iOS | Android)

Kayak is an all-in-one travel search engine for planning and booking trips. As one of the best travel planner apps, it searches hundreds of reputable travel sites to show you the best deals for your destination.

This includes flights, hotels, cruises, and even rental cars.

If you’re unsure of where you’d like to go on your next vacation, Kayak will help you decide. By entering your budget, the app will recommend various destinations worldwide.

The app’s technology works quickly, saving you time when it comes to planning and booking travel. You cannot book directly on the app.

However, when you find a deal you like, the app will transfer you to the company’s website to book.

Another pro of this app is how user-friendly it is. The way this app organizes information is fantastic, making everything clear and easy to understand.

Other nifty features of this app are airport terminal maps, price alerts, and the most advanced one, the ability to measure your luggage by using your phone’s camera.

8. TripHobo (iOS | Android)

TripHobo is another one of the top travel itinerary apps available for both iOS and Android. TripHobo will create your ideal trip from start to finish.

Simply enter your destination, preferences, and budget, and the app will develop you a dream travel itinerary. 

You’ll have tailored hotel recommendations, restaurant suggestions, and a list of things to do based on your interests all at your fingertips.

The app also gives maps and detailed routes to each place, helping you to navigate a new city or town with ease.

Other highlights include offline maps for when you’re out of data and the ability to view different users’ itineraries for inspiration.

The app is not just great for planning a vacation. It can also create a detailed day-to-day itinerary for a multi-country trip.

Therefore, if you’re backpacking through Europe, you’ll find this to be one of the best travel planners that fit into your pocket.

Another pro is that the app features information for destinations all over the globe. 

Final Thoughts On Best Trip Planners

Apps for vacation planning are revolutionary tools for all kinds of travelers.

Perhaps you want help finding flights, need assistance to piece together an itinerary, or are looking for inspiration for your next backpacking trip.

Regardless of your needs, one of these seven best travel planner apps will help you.

That said, if you’re all about digital means – make sure to check out our Revolut travel card review . Revolut is a digital bank that is very useful for travelers.

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We Tried The Most Popular Travel Itinerary Apps, And Here Is Our Favorite

Traveling is the best kind of adventure, but let's face it, the planning bit can sometimes feel like navigating a labyrinth of endless checkpoints. With countless booking confirmations, flight schedules, and activity plans, keeping track of everything can be daunting and borderline impossible, especially if it's all on paper. Enter the world of travel tools and apps designed to be the digital equivalent of a personal travel planner. But with so many options out there, which one is "The One"?

In our quest to find the best travel companion, we dove into the digital sea of travel tools. Drumroll, please, for TripIt , TripCase , Pebblar , and Wanderlog . We tested these four apps for their flashy features, real-world practicality, user-friendliness, overall design, and value. From itinerary creation to real-time updates, we explored the capabilities of these apps to determine which tool can transform chaotic planning into a streamlined experience. Note that these apps are not for booking, reviews, or travel content — you've got Expedia , Tripadvisor , and the rest for that. In this article, we are focusing solely on travel organizational tools. 

To equalize the comparison, we'll focus on Paris, a basic multi-day journey to the city of love — for some history, French food, and metropolitan adventure. We'll take you through the ins and outs of each app, share some insights, and ultimately reveal our top pick. So, whether you're a globetrotter planning your next epic voyage or someone looking to organize a hassle-free business trip, join us as we uncover the travel tool that stands a cut above the rest.

For our first app, we've chosen TripIt , arguably the longest-running (since 2006) and most popular of the four. It has over 245,000 ratings averaging 4.8 stars on the App Store, with features in Travel+Leisure and Forbes  — so we decided to put it to the test. The key feature of TripIt is its ability to automatically create a streamlined master itinerary for every trip using all your travel confirmation emails, from flight bookings to hotel reservations. The app also provides destination-specific information like weather forecasts, local maps, and even medical safety.

While TripIt offers a free version, which is also offline accessible, there is an annual subscription called TripIt Pro for $67.99. This premium version includes additional features such as flight status updates, reward program tracking, and alternative flight suggestions in case of cancellations. The Pro version also has the Inner Circle feature, which allows you to invite others to join your itinerary. Although it's pricier, this elevated version would benefit anyone who is a frequent flier, travels for business, or is taking an elaborate trip with a group.

We found that TripIt worked very well for our Parisian escapade. The map is remarkably useful for seeing the city — the app has a diverse and thorough database of locations, with all the necessary information in the destination's profile. If you need to find a nearby hospital, ATM, or cup of coffee, TripIt has your back. As far as graphics go, the UX is clean, straightforward, and doesn't lag. For the risk-takers and the safe-siders, TripIt has a unique safety feature informing you if a location in your itinerary is above your pre-set personal risk level. It's like having a traveling guardian angel!

Not to be confused with TripIt,  TripCase is in a league of its own. It seems more popular with the Android crowd, with 19,200 reviews on Google Play averaging 3.9 stars. TripCase allows travelers to manually or automatically consolidate their plans into a single itinerary using booking emails. The app offers real-time flight alerts, itinerary-sharing options, destination information, travel document storage, offline access, and the ability to record trip notes. 

The Trip Feed updates travelers with important information and reminders, such as check-in times, gate changes, and weather updates. Another unique feature is the app's affiliation with AirHelp . This claims management company can help you get compensated with up to $700 in the case of a flight delay, cancellation, or overbooking. TripCase has one in-app feature for purchase, a $5.99 annual subscription for Receipts, which saves and syncs all travel receipts. This might be prudent for business travelers, but otherwise, all the travel management capabilities of the app are completely free. 

Paris and TripCase got along quite well. We loved that the app is connected with Uber, so we could hail a ride from Jadin du Luxembourg to La Palette to make it in time for a 6 PM dinner. It's also synced with trip tools like Waze and Google Maps for directions, which is perfect. Overall, TripCase's functions are more modest but include all the basics that a travel app should have, and they work well for the most part. The graphics of the app do appear more old-fashioned than the rest in this round-up. But for an app that is 95% free, TripCase will 100% empower your travels. 

Pebblar is also a collaborative itinerary planner; however, it stands out as quite unique. A key feature of Pebblar is its map-based planning interface. You can plot all your travel plans on a map, which helps in understanding distances, travel times, and the geographical context of your itinerary. The app can also recommend places to visit based on the destination, user preferences, and even the Google star rating. There's also a feature for tracking expenses, transportation options (including a game-changing Uber feature ), offline access, opportunities for collaborative planning, document storage, and a travel checklist in-app. 

The main difference between Pebblar and the other apps is that it doesn't automatically sync your confirmation emails to build an itinerary. Everything is done manually. However, it does make travel planning a lot more hands-on and invested, as users build their travel plans by adding flights, accommodations, and activities. Moreover, the app is not entirely free. You receive a 30-day free trial from the moment you register, but once that's done, you either pay $10 per itinerary or sign up for a $9.95 monthly subscription for unlimited itineraries.

We really liked the user-friendly and well-designed interface. The friendly UX and the map view helped with seeing Paris at a glance. The Explore option was outstanding — in a big touristy city, it isn't always wise to trust any old restaurant or cafe, and being able to filter in-app with Google ratings to find the right place is very helpful. Pebblar does hit a long checklist of features and seamlessly integrates them all into a single app. However, the manual input of plans, along with the mandatory subscription, may be a dealbreaker for some travelers. 

Wanderlog is a modern app designed for all types of trips, with a 4.9 rating on the App Store and a 4.7 on Google Play. Wanderlog allows users to plan their journeys by creating a detailed itinerary, and automatically importing all booking reservations from their inbox into their trip plan. One of the standout features of Wanderlog is its collaborative aspect. You can plan trips with friends or family by sharing your journey and allowing others to add or edit plans.

The app has a most exhaustive list of integrated features: expense tracking and splitting, personalized suggestions, checklists, trip notes, offline access, attachment storage, an AI travel planner , and, oh dear, the list goes on. With that said, many of the premium features, like having offline access and being able to integrate your booking emails, are not included in the free version and come at a cost of $63.99 a year. The app's free basic features may be enough for some, but Wanderlog Pro is a big difference. There is also less emphasis on real-time travel updates in Wanderlog compared to the other apps.

Nonetheless, Wanderlog's design deserves a standing ovation, certainly more than any of the other apps. The attractive layout, intuitive UX, and seamless features were truly 10 out of 10. It was genuinely pleasant and easy to plan out a Parisian travel itinerary. And with an AI assistant, Wanderlog feels like a futuristic itinerary planner. Moreover, no other travel app had advice listings like "The 50 best cheap eats in Paris" — sounds like something we do here at Explore!

Which popular travel tool is our favorite?

And now to choose "The One" — no easy feat. Ultimately, picking the right travel app depends on individual needs. Moreover, each app is built differently. Through this process, we've come to the conclusion that for real-time updates and detailed itinerary management, TripIt and TripCase are top choices. For collaborative and visually-oriented planning, look to Wanderlog and Pebblar.

TripIt excels in creating itineraries from booking emails and offers valuable real-time travel updates. However, its more advanced features, including reward program tracking, are locked behind a Pro version. TripCase also provides real-time alerts for flight changes and has a simple, old-fashioned interface, but it's less focused on collaborative planning. Of the two, TripIt stands out for its more advanced and varied features, better UX, and value.

For those prioritizing group travel and map-based planning, Wanderlog emerges as a strong option. Its core features are available for free. However, for more, you'd have to pay. Pebblar is perfect for those who prefer a visual approach to manual itinerary creation. However, after a 30-day trial, its itinerary features require payment. Of the two, Wanderlog stands out for its stunning design, modern and intuitive features, and utility — both on subscription and without.

So, whether you're going to Paris or Panama, and whether you prioritize real-time flight updates, collaborative features, or a visually oriented planning experience, there's a travel app out there for you. Now that we've tried it, perhaps you can try it too! 

All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.

8 of the best travel apps that travel editors can't live without

By Charlotte Davey

The best travel apps, when used to your advantage, can be the most indispensable companion for a trip. Not only can they save you time and money, but they can also reduce any journey-induced stress. Need to work out costs on a group trip , translate a menu, or get from A to B when you don’t speak the language? There’s an App for that. But just as you don’t need a suitcase laden with unworn clothing, no one needs a phone clogged with gimmicky or useless apps. We asked our jet-setting editors to share the apps they genuinely use while travelling and the lesser-known gems that have saved a holiday. So while the BA App, Rome2Rio, or Monzo might be stalwarts of the frequent flyer’s home screen, here are the clever, hardworking Apps our travel insiders swear by.

Cost: Free to use (Wanderlog Pro includes additional features and costs around £40 per year)

USP: One of the best travel apps for planning every kind of trip, including road trips and group travel: create a trip itinerary, budget costs, organise flights and hotel reservations, and collaborate with friends. After your trip, share a travel guide to inspire other travellers.

Wanderlog brings everything you need to plan your trips into one seamless app experience. Its user-friendly, web-scanning database contains a huge wealth of information about sights, attractions and places to eat and drink. Not only can you find recommended hotspots through the app and add these to a map view, but you can also import reservation and flight details from your emails. Wanderlog is especially ideal for group trips. Your customised itineraries and lists can be edited by multiple people in real time, and users can leave notes for fellow travellers – such as a reminder of the must-have dish or dress code at a restaurant. Smart AI functionality means that the app can offer (editable) auto-generated itineraries as well. And if that isn’t enough, you can track expenses and cost-splitting too, indispensable for larger groups and squabble-prone families. Toyo Odetunde

Cost: Free to download.

USP: Request a chauffeur-driven, class-leading car on-demand or in advance for yourself or on behalf of others.

Wheely is a seriously plush chauffeur service within an easy-to-use app, currently operating in London, Paris , Dubai, and Moscow. What makes this ideal for the frequent flyer is that you can add in your flight details when booking an airport pick-up, so the driver knows exactly what time you’ll be landing (so no risk of them driving off if you’ve been delayed), and they’ll be ready and waiting for you (with your name on a sign) at arrivals. For any other queries, you can live chat with a real person (no bot responses here) – for example, if they can provide a baby seat (which they happily did for a recent family holiday ). Cars come with water and chargers as standard, and drivers are friendly, professional and knowledgeable. Peace of mind at the click of a button. Charlotte Davey

Hong Kong Taxi Cards

Cost: £1.99

USP: With over 9,000 Hong Kong addresses translated into written Chinese and Cantonese, equipped with a function to request additional addresses and get feedback quickly, this is not an ordinary dictionary-type translator app.

This is indispensable for travelling around Hong Kong if you’re not fluent in Cantonese. The App has pretty much every address ready in Chinese and Cantonese, so you can show your taxi driver where you want to go without getting lost in translation. It also has a speaking option which delivers the address fluently, which is really helpful if you have zero grasp of the language. Another handy feature is that the App will show you the journey time and estimate fare – something to remember is that not all taxis have card machines so you’ll need to make sure you have enough cash on you before you hail a cab. Matt Buck

Cost: Free to download (Splitwise Pro costs £2.79)

CNT Editors

Sophie Heawood

Lily Bonesso

Connor Sturges

USP: Splitwise is the easiest way to share expenses with friends and family and stop stressing about “who owes who”.

This is a game changer for working out costs on group trips. Everyone in the party signs up, and then you simply enter your expenses as you go – with a description of what it was (flights, accommodation, food, etc) and who it needs to be split between (i.e. the whole group or just those who were in the taxi, for example). It’s a great way to stay on top of costs, from larger expenses to smaller spending, like a round at the bar. At the end of the trip, click ‘simplify debts’, and you should be left with just one transaction each to ensure everyone has paid the same amount. You can label each trip and see who has settled up, and if someone doesn’t pay the App will send them helpful reminders (saving pennies and friendships). Charlotte Davey

Google Translate

USP: Translate between up to 133 languages with instant camera translation.

Google Translate is nothing new, but if you download the app, you can use the camera on your phone to upload signs, labels, or menus for an instant translation. This is a lifesaver for travelling in a country that doesn’t use the English alphabet or a language you’re unsure how to pronounce. The platform is currently proficient in 133 languages, so this is a great one wherever you are in the world. The App also works offline so you don’t need to worry about data roaming charges. Another function that is noteworthy is the speaker option – not only can you point your phone at a sign for a translation, but it will then speak in your chosen language, which is particularly helpful for those who are visually impaired. Charlotte Davey

USP: Find wheelchair-accessible restaurants, cafes, toilets, shops, cinemas, parking lots, bus stops and much more.

Developed by a not-for-profit company based in Germany , this is a great app for wheelchair users, families travelling with prams, or even for those with heavy suitcases navigating public transport. Operating in over 30 countries, a vast number of restaurants, stations, shops, and more are shown on an interactive map with a traffic light system for whether it is fully accessible (green), part accessible (yellow), or not accessible (red). The App replies to users rating places they have visited, so less touristy areas won’t have as much information. Charlotte Davey

Cost: Free to download

USP: Stay connected in over 200 countries and regions. Install an eSIM and get online in minutes with no roaming fees.

Especially handy if you’re travelling through different countries, Airalo allows you to use different eSim cards to keep your data roaming costs down. The App is free to download, and then simply choose the country you’re in, and select a data plan depending on how long you're there and how much you’ll be using your phone. You can often save around £10 for a week's holiday which is worth it if you’re a frequent flyer or watching the pennies while travelling. Sophie Knight

Cost: Free to use. In-app purchases.

USP: Whering is the digital wardrobe and styling app where you can curate, organise, style and plan your outfits.

Whering is essentially a portable digital wardrobe – a ‘Clueless’ style outfit planner on your mobile phone. Fill your in-app wardrobe by uploading photos of your clothes, or by importing images from the app’s cosmic database or your favourite online retailers. Whering will then process these images into sleek, combinable ‘cut-outs’, allowing you to put together countless outfits, looks and mood boards, which can also be organised by occasion. If you’re short on time, or feeling either uninspired or spontaneous, Whering’s AI can deliver outfit suggestions in seconds – even taking into account the weather forecast, ideal when travelling a country you’re not familiar with (or just braving London’s erratic climes). The Planner function is especially great for trips, storing your outfit ideas for specific dates and events. Also great for travel planning is the packing list feature; you can add items to a packing list for a particular destination, and Whering can suggest items you may have forgotten. Toyo Odetunde

BLUE PLANIT

Best Travel Planning Apps: Thorough Reviews of TripAdvisor, Travel Mapper, Wanderlog, Tripit, and Roadtrippers

Jin - July 21, 2023

There are so many travel planning apps out there. I tried a lot of them and here are some of the most popular ones. I analyzed how well they work and compared them to each other so you don’t have to. Find the best travel planning app for you based on the following:

User experience and learning curve

Features and capability, pros and cons.

Specifically, this post will compare and review the following apps: TripAdvisor, Travel Mapper, Wanderlog, Tripit, and Roadtrippers.

TLDR ; there’s an infographic summarizing the findings at the end. Just keep in mind that this information is accurate as of the writing of the blog post. Prices, features, and functionality may change in the future.

I want to start by saying that this post will be from the perspective of travel planning, navigating during the trip, and documenting important information before and after the trip. All of the apps mentioned do these things to various degrees.

This post will be less from the perspective of scrapbooking your travels or getting deals on flights and hotels or social media related features.

Also, whenever applicable, I’ll use a rating system of 1 to 5, with 5 being great and 1 being poor, to characterize certain aspects of each app. With that context in mind, let’s get started.

The user interface (UI), the “feel” and “flow” of the app is the first thing a user typically experiences. Complexity, colors, responsiveness, and how components of the app are laid out all contribute to the user’s experience and learning curve. Ideally, it is best to have a great user experience with as little of a learning curve as possible.

TripAdvisor

We all know TripAdvisor as a travel platform that provides reviews and ratings for vacation accommodations, restaurants, airlines, and attractions. It allows users to compare prices, make bookings, and access a travel forum for advice and experiences. 

Lesser known is the travel planner that TripAdvisor provides for their users. It is by far the most simple user interface out of the 5 apps presented in this post. You can save attractions, things-to-do, restaurants, and more to your trip and then add them to a specific day in your itinerary. Additionally, you can add comments to each item that you’ve added as simple, unformatted text.

The map is available in both the mobile and browser version of the trip planner app but the browser map isn’t expandable and is limited in size. You can see your locations on the map once you’ve added it to your itinerary.

In both the mobile and browser versions, the UI is clean and uncluttered. If you need a high-level, general itinerary which can be viewable on your phone or computer, the TripAdvisor app will work for you. Here are a couple of screenshots from the mobile app.

Because it is so simple and clean, I’m giving TripAdvisor’s user experience and learning curve rating a 5 out of 5 .

Travel Mapper

Travel Mapper is the most popular and highest-rated travel planning app that works with Google Sheets. If you’re familiar with Google Sheets, Excel or spreadsheets in general, learning to use Travel Mapper will be extremely easy. With this app, you can do very detailed planning.

To start, generate a template with Travel Mapper . This will automatically create 3 sheets that are designed and formatted to be an itinerary, a checklist for to-dos and things to bring, and a sheet to record and split expenses.

After that, the user interface of Travel Mapper essentially has two components: 1) a sidebar that shows a map next to the spreadsheet and 2) a popup that houses many of the other powerful features like a drag-and-drop, Trello-like interface for reordering and editing your itinerary and exporting your itinerary to Google Maps. All your activities and places can be seen directly on the map.

If you are not familiar with Google Sheets though, some of the aspects of the UI may be harder to find and it may take some time getting used to. However, the trade off compared with TripAdvisor’s planner is much more functionality.

Travel Mapper is mainly a web-based app and is meant to be used on your laptop. You can still see your itinerary, to-do lists, and costs using the Google Sheets mobile app but most of your planning will be done in a browser. Travel Mapper’s user experience and learning curve is a solid 3 out of 5 .

Wanderlog is a travel planner that is good overall. It works well for road trips, can do detailed planning, imports and organizes information. It allows users to plan in a web browser or using a phone with their mobile app.

The browser and mobile apps are very responsive and fast. The mobile app, despite the limited space, packs a bunch of functionality and you can do everything on it as you can do in the browser. You can see a map with all your activities and places pinned to it with color-coded markers.The app also suggests things-to-do and places to see directly in the app without having to leave it.

However, I do think the mobile app does seem cluttered and any serious planning will need to be done in the browser where there’s much more real estate. Here are a couple of screenshots of the mobile app in action.

Similar to Travel Mapper, the trade off between simplicity in the UI and the functionality and number of features is apparent. As a result, Wanderlog can take some time getting used to. But because of the responsiveness, I’m going to rate Wanderlog’s user experience and learning curve a 4 out of 5 .

Tripit is similar to Wanderlog in that it is a decent overall travel planner and you can get pretty detailed planning done as well. It has both mobile and web apps and recently, the web app thankfully got a UI upgrade making it much more user-friendly and pleasing to the eye.

Both versions of the app are uncluttered and show all the information clearly. Adding activities, or what Tripit calls “Plans”, is very simple and obvious.

You get to choose many types of plans to add and each one presents you with a different set of input fields to fill out. For example, if you are adding a restaurant into your itinerary, you can input the cuisine type, party size, and hours of operation. For lodging, you can enter the number of rooms booked and a description of the room.

The only nitpick I have of tripit is that you can't reorder the items in your itinerary easily. Unlike the other apps where you can drag and drop to change your itinerary, you can't do that with Tripit.

The straightforwardness and simple color scheme of the layout makes Tripit super easy to use and learn. Also, it has a great UI except for that reordering issue. So, I’m rating the user experience and learning curve a 4.5 out of 5 .

Here are a couple screenshots from the mobile app.

Roadtrippers

Roadtrippers is an app that is slightly different from the rest as it is focused on road trips. It also has both a mobile and web version of the app. You can do decently detailed planning and the items you can add to your itinerary are referred to as “waypoints”.

The browser version predominantly shows the map and the route that your road trip will take. Within this map, depending on how you’ve set your filters, can show you all the options and locations spanning sights, campgrounds, gas stations, overnight parking and more. This information shown is just enough to give you a good idea of what it is but not enough to overwhelm you with data. As you want more and more detailed information, you can click through to get the UI to get it.

This is also how the mobile version works. The app is very good at showing you the minimal information so it is not cluttered. If you want to read more or input detailed information, it’s just a few taps away.

Both the mobile and browser based apps are fast and responsive as well.

Because of these reasons, I’m rating Roadtrippers’ user experience and learning curve a 4.5 out of 5 .

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You can try Travel Mapper for free and get 10% off using coupon code GIYLOGHE !

Now, let’s talk about each app's features and overall capability. This should answer questions like how well does the app help me plan? How many powerful features are there? Does it save me time? How does it keep me organized? Etc. I’ll take a look at each apps ability related to:

• Suggestions and recommendations
• Map utility
• Organization of information
• Sharing and collaboration

TripAdvisor doesn’t necessarily suggest things directly in their trip planning user interface but they do have a vast collection of all travel-related activities, points of interest, tourist attractions since that’s the business they are in. You'll be able to search for these activities and points of interest based on location.

They all have super informative reviews and relevant information to the specific attraction. However, you can’t easily see those things on the map with your current itinerary. You can only see them on the map AFTER you’ve saved it to your itinerary.

The map is decently sized in the browser and covers the entire screen in the mobile app.

You can insert your own notes and places from TripAdvisor into your itinerary but that’s about it. You cannot hyperlink web pages or videos. You cannot categorize itinerary items. And you can’t add locations on the map that aren’t already a part of TripAdvisor’s places.

Similarly, for automation, all of TripAdvisor’s places will automatically plot on the map; however, for locations not in their database, you would not be able to plot those on the map. This includes airports, Airbnbs, and more.

You can easily invite people to view or edit your itinerary with a link that TripAdvisor provides.

Overall, because of some of the limitations of TripAdvisor, I give it a 2.5 out of 5 to rate its features and capability.

Travel Mapper does a decent job of suggesting things directly in the map but is limited to restaurants from Yelp and points of interest using Google reviews. However, this still allows you to easily see how specific things you may want to do are located relative to whatever is in your current itinerary. And you can add them with one click.

Travel Mapper has two maps: 1) a smaller one on the side that complements the spreadsheet and 2) a large one that shows in a popup. Both of them can be maximized. Markers on the map can be filtered by day and category as well.

Travel Mapper shines with respect to organizing and logging information. You can add hyperlinks to web pages and YouTube videos. You can plan out every detail if you like, from the time of activities to adding detailed notes to adding location information for any item in your itinerary. You can also categorize your activities, and they will be color coded on the map. You can also make a detailed budget and split costs with friends after the trip has ended.

Automation with Travel Mapper also saves you a lot of time. For almost any location you can think of, Travel Mapper will automatically find the address and plot it on the map as long as you have the place’s name. You can also get a relevant website and other important information for that location as well.

It’ll automatically generate the Google Maps directions for you when you’re planning so you have an idea of how long it takes to get from one place to another, and you know how to order items in your itinerary relative to each other. One of the most powerful tools is being able to export your itinerary to Google Maps to then be used on your mobile phone while you are on the trip.

You can easily share your trip with others via email or share the itinerary spreadsheet using Google Sheets sharing capability. All you need to start collaborating is a Google account.

Travel Mapper capabilities are very powerful so I’m rating it a 5 out of 5 .

A lot of users enjoy getting suggestions on where to go on a trip. The app that does this the best is probably Wanderlog. They provide relevant suggestions for individual activities, places to see, restaurants, etc. directly in the map as well as in the itinerary. They also suggest things from YouTube and TikTok to give you more context in your research. And finally, they have comprehensive guides and itineraries generated by fellow travelers. 

The maps are also designed well and you can filter the markers to show your itinerary by day, they are color coded, and the information is nicely displayed.

Wanderlog can organize information similar to Travel Mapper with as much granularity as you want. 

The automation offered by Wanderlog is also very good. It will automatically scan your Gmail and import pertinent items to your itinerary. It will optimize routes for you so that itinerary items are clustered together. It can also export your itinerary to Google Maps but the last time I used this feature, it was slightly buggy and did not work every time.

Finally, sharing is easy but requires your friends to also have Wanderlog.

For these reasons, I’m rating Wanderlog a solid 4.5 out of 5 .

Tripit’s capabilities are somewhat limited. It doesn’t have a map that shows all the places in your itinerary at once. It doesn’t have much automation capabilities aside from getting the address of a location. It doesn’t have any recommendations in the app.

The best feature of Tripit is its ability to organize detailed information ranging from what type of cuisine a restaurant serves to the email address of a specific point of contact. Another good feature is that you can export your itinerary to your calendar using an .ics file.

As for helping you navigate on the trip, Tripit does have features to alert you about travel updates like terminal changes, flight delays, etc., provides you with airport maps, and generally, guides you to get to where you need to go. This is something that Tripit does that stands out from the other apps. However, in my opinion, it’s not really worth it unless you are completely new to traveling.

Overall, I rate Tripit a 3 out of 5 for features and capability.

Roadtrippers’ recommendation engine is very good. They have blog-like guides similar to Wanderlog and can find the best places to visit near your route directly on the map. A lot of the relevant information is there and is easy to digest.

Roadtrippers map has a very cool feature that suggests places along the route of your road trip within a certain specified radius. If you select locations on the map, the map will reroute your trip to include it automatically. The map is comprehensive, and you can see your entire itinerary on the map as well.

You can organize your itinerary with decent detail by adding notes, arrival date, links, and more but it lacks categorization and color-coding. 

In addition to the map feature mentioned previously, Roadtrippers automates other things like calculating the distance between waypoints in your itinerary, populating addresses and phone numbers automatically, and even helps you estimate the gas needed.

You can share your trip with others using a link but to invite collaborators, they will need a Roadtrippers account to contribute.

Overall, Roadtrippers functionality and capability is very good but it is narrowly focused on road trips which makes it incompatible for a lot of international travel planning. I rate it a 3.5 out of 5 .

The price of these apps range from being free to requiring an annual subscription. Let’s start comparing each of these apps starting with the free one.

The TripAdvisor travel planner is completely free. It doesn’t have ads either. However, if you are using it to plan, the app mostly limits you to using TripAdvisor’s large database of suggestions for your itinerary. It’s in their interest to funnel you to book these activities, lodging, and other stuff through them. This does restrict the design of the planner and is probably what drives the functionality of it.

As a Google Sheet add-on, Travel Mapper provides template itinerary, checklist, and “split cost” sheets free, forever. These sheets are well designed, copyable for future travels, and fully functional. For example, the “split cost” sheet comes with all the formulas necessary to split costs for up to 6 travelers and does all the math for you so there’s no confusion who owes what at the end. Sharing, collaboration, and offline access is free as well since this works with Google Sheets.

There’s a free trial period for all the premium features of the add-on including the following:

• Using dynamic maps to plot all your places filtered by day and category
• Search automation that finds places automatically by name and then populating the address and link to your itinerary
• Drag-and-drop interface for easy itinerary reordering and editing
• Exporting your itinerary to Google Maps for easy navigation on your trip
• Sharing a formatted itinerary via email that has Google Maps links embeddable for each location
• Seamless integration with the spreadsheet. For example, clicking a marker on the map will highlight the activity in your spreadsheet

After the free trial period, Travel Mapper offers subscriptions as low as $1 per month (billed annually) to have access to the premium features.

Wanderlog’s planner is free to use in the mobile and browser apps. This includes the suggestions and recommendations, using the map, organizing your information, search automation, and budgeting.

The premium features that you have to pay for include:

• Attaching unlimited documents to your itinerary
• Exporting your itinerary to Google Maps
• Ability to optimize your route for time efficiency
• Automatically importing items from your Gmail 
• Offline access

Paying for the subscription will set you back $49.99 per year billed annually or $5.99 per month billed monthly.

Tripit’s travel planner is completely free to use so you can organize your information, locate the places in your itinerary, share your itinerary, and export it to your calendar at no charge.

The premium features that require a subscription payment include:

• Tracking your bookings and flights to alert you of updates in real time
• Notifying you of when better seats or airfare becomes available
• Helping you navigate by providing up-to-date terminal info, searchable airport maps, walking directions to gates, ride-share, and more

Tripit’s subscription costs you $48.99 per year.

Roadtrippers’ travel planner is free up to 7 waypoints. That means you can add 7 places to your itinerary and Roadtrippers will map it for you. This is pretty limited as typically road trips are more extensive than 7 locations. You can still access their suggestions and locations for free.

With the premium version of the app, you get:

• Adding up to 150 waypoints in your trip
• Tools to help you find overnight parking and other information for RVs
• Collaboration with friends and family
• Improved map styles and live traffic display

Using the premium version requires an annual subscription of $35.99 per year (billed annually) which calculates out to $2.99 per month.

Finally, let’s talk about the pros and cons and the takeaways for each app considering all the mentioned information above.

The two biggest positives of TripAdvisor’s travel planner is that it is completely free and that it is super easy to use. It also includes a map to display your itinerary locations.

The downside is that it is not great for detailed planning. You can’t add locations other than what’s in their database to the map. This includes airports, Airbnbs, friend’s places, etc. You can add notes, but you can’t categorize anything or add hyperlinks. 

One of the biggest advantages of using Travel Mapper is that it’s built into Google Sheets. This makes it inherit all sharing, offline access, customization, history tracking capabilities of Google Sheets. If you make a mistake, just undo the mistake or roll the spreadsheet back to a previous version. Don’t have internet? The Google Sheets mobile and browser apps have offline access all for free. 

Another positive of Travel Mapper is its extensive capabilities. It helps you save time by automating a lot of things. It has a built-in map so you don’t have to spend time switching back and forth between Google Maps and whatever travel planner you’re using. You can email yourself (and others) the itinerary with Google Map links to navigate on your trip and much more.

The main disadvantage of Travel Mapper is, ironically, also related to it being an add-on for Google Sheets. For those unfamiliar with spreadsheet apps, there’s a bit of a learning curve. The layout and user interface of the app is limited to what Google Sheets add-ons provide and due to its design, it may take some time for users to get used to. Also, most of your planning will be done in a browser as Google Sheets add-ons don’t work with the Google Sheets mobile app.

Wanderlog is an overall good travel planner and has a lot of good free functionality. If I had to pick between TripAdvisor’s travel planner and Wanderlog’s free features, I would choose Wanderlog. Despite some clutter, the UI of both the mobile and browser apps are fast and feel smooth. Another advantage is that, like Travel Mapper, the app is very capable in automation, organizing detailed information, displaying that information, and saving you time.

The main disadvantage is that it is the most expensive option out of all the apps reviewed. The other potential negative is that Wanderlog does generate revenue from affiliates. This may drive design decisions for their app that funnels you to booking lodging or flights through their channels and not serving you completely as a travel planning app.

Tripit is capable in detailed planning and similar to TripAdvisor, has a very simple user interface. You don’t need to spend too much time getting spun up on how to use this app. The free aspects are all related to travel planning.

I think the biggest negative to Tripit is that it lacks a good map for viewing your itinerary. Also, I found it difficult to reorder my plans.

Roadtrippers is very capable in detailed planning and has great, informative suggestions from a large database of places. The premium features are very helpful for RV owners, and the map makes looking for things to do along your trip really easy.

The negative is that it’s not a general purpose travel planning tool as it is hyper focused on road trips. Obviously, this may or may not matter to you and could be perfect if you’re planning a road trip. But if you’re planning a non-road trip, you would have to use another app in addition to having a subscription with Roadtrippers.

Wrapping up

The comprehensive summary of this post can be compiled into the easily-digestible infographic below. Every app has its benefits and drawbacks. It is up to you to decide what is important to you and what you are willing to pay for.

If you’re looking for a good overall planning tool and willing to pay, Wanderlog is a decent option. If you’re a hardcore RV-er and looking to ride off into the sunset in retirement, Roadtrippers is the best choice. For Google Sheets users and/or getting the best bang-for-your-buck, Travel Mapper is the travel planner app for you. Looking for a free solution? Use TripAdvisor or Tripit. What do you think?

You can try Travel Mapper for free and get 10% off using coupon code GIYLOGHE ! Check out this video to see all the features in action:

Enjoyed the blog post? Give us feedback at [email protected].

30 essential travel apps every traveler needs before their next trip

When it comes to planning and taking a vacation, travelers rely on their phones now more than ever.

Travel apps are a source of inspiration and are extremely useful for booking and managing logistics — even making restaurant reservations or finding a great fitness class wherever in the world you're flying next.

From apps that help with everything from day-of hotel bookings and last-minute flight changes to those that serve as guidebooks and foreign-language dictionaries, travel is infinitely easier thanks to technology.

Apps can help you navigate a new city, make currency conversions, pack a perfect suitcase and even provide on-the-ground local expertise. Whatever you need when you hit the road, there's an app for that.

We've rounded up the most-loved apps here at TPG. Some may be obvious, and others more obscure, but either way, get ready to download.

Best apps for researching and booking trips

In addition to the apps for the airlines you fly most frequently and your favorite hotel brands, these apps can help you save money on flights and accommodations.

Hopper has changed in recent years from just offering a price prediction tool for flights to being a true online travel agency. The app helps travelers find the cheapest flights, hotels and rental cars.

Of course, Hopper also still offers its signature price prediction technology to help you plan out when to book, as well as travel protection options and a price freeze to help you lock in the lowest possible price on hotels and flights.

Kiwi is used mainly to book flights, but it also helps you book hotels (using its partnership with Booking.com) and car rentals (using its partnership with RentalCars.com).

Some of the app's most interesting features include the "Deals" section, which pulls in discounted flights, and the "Travel hacks" section, which includes options for hidden city ticketing, throwaway ticketing (making one-way flights more affordable) and free price alerts.

Hotel Tonight

A dream for last-minute travelers, Hotel Tonight ( now owned by Airbnb ) lets you book stays for the same evening up to a few months in advance in thousands of cities worldwide. Available hotel rooms are categorized into sections like basic, luxe, hip, charming and solid, so you can select what works for your vibe. Take advantage of the daily drop feature, where you swipe to find a personalized deal with a special price only valid for 15 minutes after unlocked.

At TPG, we love a good loyalty program, and HT Perks, the app's nine-level reward program, is extensive. Not unlike a video game, you "level up" by reaching specific spending thresholds on the app, and you'll gain access to perks like discounts, VIP customer support and credits. Also, your levels never expire, so you can only continue to move up.

To book home rentals instead of hotels, use the Airbnb app. After entering your destination and dates, you can filter results based on the home type, price, requisite amenities and more. If you find something you like, you can book directly through the app.

The app is ideal for managing your trips while on the road — you can access all your bookings under the "Trips" tab, where you can view your reservation (and the address or directions), contact the host or change your reservation. Once you have a booking, you can also explore and book local experiences in your destination, such as wine tastings, kayak tours, hikes, shows and concerts.

We can't talk about travel apps without mentioning the TPG App. Use it to track your credit card, airline and hotel points balances; earn points and miles efficiently through using the right credit card ; and research how many points or miles you'll need to book your dream getaway. You can even curate your own news feed so you see the news and advice that matters most to you first.

The TPG App is available for download on iOS . Android users can join the waitlist here .

Related: The TPG App has arrived — here's why you should download it now

Best apps for organizing a trip

From keeping all your documents in order to perfectly packing your suitcase without forgetting a thing, these are the best apps for organizing travel plans.

TripIt declutters your itineraries and documents by keeping them organized in one place. You can set your reservations to automatically send to TripIt, which lets you view travel confirmations, flight itineraries, tickets, hotel and Airbnb booking information, rental car reservations, ferry tickets and driving directions without ever leaving the app.

TripIt also makes it simple to share your trip plans with whoever picks you up from the airport or train station or anyone else who may need to coordinate with you. TripIt Pro subscriptions cost $49 per year and include extras like real-time flight alerts, security wait times, baggage claim information and updates on your loyalty reward programs.

Roadtrippers

Perfect for organizing that epic road trip you've always wanted to take, Roadtrippers plans out your driving route and lets you book hotels and activities along the way. The app is especially useful for finding interesting and off-the-beaten-path roadside attractions, cool restaurants and can't-miss landmarks you can bookmark.

A Roadtrippers Premium membership includes offline maps, live traffic information, overnight RV parking and more for $59.99 per year. For those looking to only venture on a few road trips per year, the app also offers a Pro ($49.99 per year) and Basic ($35.99 per year) membership.

PackPoint takes all the stress out of packing . The app shows you what to bring based on the length of your trip, the weather in your destination and any activities you're planning along the way. If you have access to laundry facilities at your destination, PackPoint even allows you to account for washing your clothes and wearing them multiple times.

Just download and install the app, type in the city you're visiting and plug in your travel details. So, stop waiting until the day before your trip — or the hours before you have to leave for the airport — and start packing now.

Best apps for navigating the airport and flights

Track flights, navigate airports and find airport lounges with these apps.

LoungeBuddy

LoungeBuddy offers access to premium airport lounges around the world, regardless of the airline or class you're flying. When you create a trip in the app and type in the credit cards you currently hold, it will tell you which lounges you have access to based on the airports you'll be transiting through and how to purchase access if you don't already have it.

You can purchase access on the day you're traveling or up to two months in advance if you're the plan-ahead type. If you prefer to search by lounge or lounge program, the app will tell you exactly what is needed to use them.

Priority Pass

Priority Pass offers access to more than 1,300 lounges worldwide and provides meal vouchers at select airport restaurants across the world for an annual fee starting at $99.

Several cards, including The Platinum Card® from American Express , the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve , offer Priority Pass memberships for all cardholders (enrollment required). Otherwise, you'll have to pay an annual fee to be a member and, depending on your membership tier, a fee to enter each lounge on top of the annual fee.

To use the Priority Pass app, enter the name or code of the airport you're in, and Priority Pass will pull up the lounges or restaurants that you have access to, including photos, hours, amenities and specific location information. For more information on the Priority Pass Program and how to gain lounge access, click here . Enrollment is required for select benefits.

Related: The best credit cards for Priority Pass lounge access

FlightAware

The FlightAware app allows you to track flights online, see a live map of a flight and check on delays, cancellations and gate changes. This app is especially helpful if you have a tight connection or want to track your flight.

It's also useful when picking up friends and family at the airport, as you can track their flight and see updated landing times or delays. AvGeeks will enjoy digging into flight statistics, flight maps and community aviation discussions on the app.

Best apps to use during your flight

Timeshifter.

What better way to cure jet lag than with an app? Timeshifter actually helps you avoid jet lag long before your flight takes off and also offers inflight and post-flight suggestions. The app relies on neuroscience research about sleep and circadian rhythms to provide personalized recommendations, taking into consideration your age, gender and normal sleep patterns — as well as specifics about your trip and travel plans. Timeshifter maps out when you should avoid or seek light, take a nap or try to stay awake. It even tells you if you should consider supplementing with melatonin or caffeine.

Your first jet lag plan is free, then $9.99 per plan, or you can enjoy unlimited plans for a year for $24.99.

Flying can cause anxiety — or provide a welcome relief from constant contact with our digital devices. Either way, use travel as an opportunity to relax, meditate or listen to soothing sounds that will lull you to sleep or a deep, relaxed state. Or, perhaps, you'll simply find it helps pass the time during a long flight.

Calm offers meditations on topics such as self-awareness, calming anxiety, breathing, lowering stress levels and happiness, among others. The app also has music options for focusing, relaxing and sleeping, as well as stories for adults and content for kids.

A limited selection of meditations and music is available for free (which you can download to use when you're offline or in flight). The premium version of the app costs $14.99 per month or $69.99 annually.

OK, so Netflix isn't really a travel app, but it can be a lifesaver during a long flight on an aircraft without seatback inflight entertainment or at the airport during an unexpected flight delay or boring layover. If you have a Netflix account, the app allows you to download your favorite shows onto your device to watch offline.

Just make sure to download your shows while connected to Wi-Fi before flying and check them again preflight to make sure they haven't expired (you can usually renew any expired downloads, but you must be connected to Wi-Fi or data to do so). Monthly prices vary depending on the plan.

Another app that's not really a travel app, Spotify can still be incredibly useful during tedious travel moments — just pop in those noise-canceling headphones and listen to your favorite music, meditations, podcasts and more.

The app's Premium plans (prices vary) allow you to download all your content offline on your phone, so you'll have it during long flights or when you don't have data or Wi-Fi access. Whether you want to take a morning jog in Bali to your favorite tunes or pass the time with a podcast on the metro in Barcelona, Spotify has it all.

Best apps to use in your destination

From exchanging money and sightseeing to communicating and knowing all the local tips and tricks, you don't want to land in a foreign city for the first time without these key apps.

XE Currency Converter

The XE Currency Converter app quickly provides live, up-to-the-minute currency rates, then allows you to store and view them even when you're offline. You'll never need to wonder if you're really getting a good deal in another country if you have this app.

Google Translate

Google Translate is a translation app that allows you to do it all — translate into more than 100 languages by typing, access 59 languages offline, translate via photo, translate bilingual conversations and even use the handwriting tool to translate.

The app is simple to use, too, with icons at the top you can click on to draw, take a photo, speak or type.

Not quite sure how much to tip when traveling internationally? GlobeTips will advise you on how to tip appropriately in more than 200 countries. It also offers a tip calculator for easy math. Globe also has apps for currency conversion, unit conversion and more that may be useful for travelers.

Related: The ultimate guide to tipping while traveling

For travelers globe-trotting with friends and family members or simply splitting the cost between groups, Tricount calculates shared costs and splits bills so you don't have to think twice about who owes what. Just enter your trip and currency and invite your travel mates to join your trip.

Each time someone pays for something, you enter the amount in Tricount, and the app splits everything up. You can also snap and store photos of receipts in the app. At the end of your trip, it will show the balances of who owes who what, making it easy to settle up.

Metric Conversions

Never be baffled by Celsius temperatures or suitcase weight in kilograms again with the Metric Conversions app . Whether you're measuring flour to cook at your Airbnb, figuring out distances for your Europe road trip or deciding whether to take a sweatshirt with you during your walking tour of the Great Wall of China, this app has you covered with easy conversions in volume, weight, temperature, area and more.

Google Maps

Google Maps is essential when visiting a new city (or even for getting around your hometown). You can map locations, get directions (walking, driving, public transportation, ride-hailing services and beyond) and see how crowded your subway will be in select cities .

You can make restaurant reservations, save your favorite spots and read and write reviews of attractions, eateries, shops and more. Make sure to download specific city or area maps ahead of time for offline access if you know you'll be without internet at your destination. For obvious reasons, the app works best when your GPS is turned on.

WhatsApp is a handy messaging service for travelers abroad as it uses an internet connection to avoid SMS fees.

It works like most other messaging apps: You start by creating an account, then add your friends and family members to contact and voila! You're able to call, video chat and send messages, images, voice memos, gifs and files just as you would in, say, iMessage (but with Android users too). You can also download WhatsApp on your Windows or Mac computer.

Best apps for planning activities

Traveling is about more than just getting from point A to point B. If you're looking for activities to add to your itinerary, check out these apps.

Meetup is an app designed for interacting with locals and other travelers who have mutual interests or shared hobbies. Whether you're traveling or at home, take what you love and do more of it with Meetup.

The app shows you groups that are formed around particular interests in your city, including yoga, photography, cooking, wine tasting, hiking, cinema and other activities. You can join groups to get updates on particular events you may want to participate in. The app can even help with networking, as there are many groups dedicated to business and technology. You might even be able to join a coworking group. Travelers with kids can participate in family-friendly meetups, and it's a great way for solo travelers to make friends and connect with others.

TheFork is one of the most useful resources for making restaurant reservations in Europe. Similar to OpenTable or Resy, the app lets you browse different restaurants by category and make reservations. TheFork features more than 60,000 restaurants in cities like London, Madrid and Geneva, as well as spots outside of Europe like Sydney, Australia.

The biggest perk is that many restaurant reservations come with discounts — in some cases, you can get up to 50% off your meal just by reserving a table through TheFork. Since we here at TPG are always down for earning rewards, make sure to monitor your YUMS — TheFork's reward system. You'll earn YUMS with each reservation, and when you hit 1,000, you receive a discount on your bill. Foodie travelers should also consider downloading these apps , too.

Happy Cow helps vegan and vegetarian eaters locate more than 180,000 restaurants, coffee shops, bakeries, farmers markets and grocery stores in over 180 countries around the world. The app allows you to filter by not only vegan and vegetarian but also gluten-free and cuisine types. You can also read reviews and get recipes on the app as well.

The app does cost $3.99, but it's a one-time expense.

TripAdvisor

Besides reading reviews of restaurants, hotels and attractions, you can book almost anything on TripAdvisor, from vacation rentals and restaurant reservations to tours and tickets.

The app has grown to include almost all things travel, allowing you to search by destination or interest (like the outdoors, food and drink, family or by the water, for example), which can give you inspiration for a trip or help you get your activities, meals and accommodations organized before traveling or on the fly.

With over 400,000 curated trails, AllTrails can help you find the hike or walk perfect for you and your group. It's not just mountain trails — AllTrails offers city walks, too, like easy meanders through the Marais district in Paris or peaceful strolls through Bangkok's Lumpini Park in Thailand.

See photos, updated weather predictions and key information about each route and connect with other travelers through reviews and forums. Access to AllTrails+ is $35.99 per year, which offers perks like offline maps and wrong turn alerts.

Best apps for staying safe

Use these apps to stay safe when traveling.

Smart Traveler

Smart Traveler is a free service that offers tips and information specifically for U.S. travelers. You can see what visas and vaccines you'll need before traveling and where to find help if you need it during your trip.

Register your trip on the app, which gives your information to local embassies and consulates in your destination. If there's any kind of disaster or tragedy, the local embassy can contact you to see if you need help.

TripWhistle

Another app dedicated to keeping you safe, TripWhistle maps your location and allows you to easily text or send your GPS coordinates or location. It also provides emergency numbers for firefighters, medical personnel and police in nearly 200 countries. After all, 911 is only for U.S.-based emergencies: Each country has its own specific emergency number.

Yes, Uber (or any local ride-hailing service app) is convenient, but it may also keep you safe. Using this app when traveling means you'll never get stuck wandering around in an unfamiliar area late at night or have to deal with unscrupulous taxi drivers trying to scam you. Uber also has in-app safety features such as an emergency assistance button which will allow you to call local emergency services right in the app.

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7 Free Travel Planning AI and ChatGPT Apps to Get an Instant Itinerary

Quick links.

• PLAN by ixigo
• Trip Planner AI
• Vacay Chatbot
• Layla, Wonderplan, and PLAN by ixigo are AI travel planning apps with customizable itineraries.
• iplan.ai offers detailed itineraries for popular tourist cities based on interests and budget.
• Curiosio plans road trips on all continents, while Trip Planner AI helps with activity selection and cost estimation.

You can tell a travel agent your preferred dates, the place you want to visit, and your budget, and expect a full itinerary of what to do there based on your preferences. But can AI do the same job?

These free travel planning apps use AI and machine-learning tools like ChatGPT to prepare an itinerary for you in a few seconds, and we took them for a spin.

Layla describes itself as an AI trip planner, meaning you can use it to decide your vacation destination, create itineraries, and find suitable hotels and flights.

If you are uncertain about your destination or would like suggestions, you can ask Layla for advice regarding your trip. Otherwise, enter your destination and ask Layla to create your itinerary. Within a few seconds, you'll get a detailed plan for your trip.

As Layla is a chatbot, you can enter a prompt to ask it to change your itinerary. For instance, ask it to focus more on outdoor activities or include local restaurants. If you're unsatisfied with the activities planned on any particular day, you can give instructions and ask Layla to regenerate that part only.

Once you've perfected your itinerary, you can share it with your friends via a URL or add it to your bucket list.

2. Wonderplan

Wonderplan is a wonderful AI tool for planning your trip. To create your itinerary, Wonderplan first asks you to enter your destination country and city, your budget, the number of days you'll be staying, and your interests.

It then creates a travel plan within a few minutes, displaying various places to visit, their descriptions, and the time usually spent at each location. Although Wonderplan doesn't show the trip map, it does provide a link to Google Maps for each place.

It also displays different types of accommodation available (like Airbnb, hotel, or hostel) and their respective costs. Similarly, there are details about transportation, food, and activities. This way, you can estimate the potential cost of your trip.

In addition to your itinerary, Wonderplan also shows essential information about the country you're visiting. These include the currency conversion rate, electricity plug type, languages spoken, weather, and popular conveyances.

3. PLAN by ixigo

PLAN by ixigo starts by asking you about your dream destination. Then, it provides an option to describe the type of experience you want to have. This is just like a ChatGPT prompt, so you can enter anything you wish.

For example, you can specify the duration of your stay, your interests, the kinds of activities you're looking for, whether you have a family with you, and so on.

But if you can't think of any prompts, PLAN by ixigo provides a few trip ideas, so you can always select those. PLAN by ixigo then shows a day-wise plan, showing what you can do in the morning, afternoon, and evening.

However, if the suggested itinerary doesn't sound appealing, you can again enter a prompt to edit it.

4. iplan.ai

While iplan.ai doesn't mention which AI or machine-learning algorithm it uses, the results are fantastic enough to gloss over that. The app works beautifully on phones to give you a full itinerary for any one city at a time, depending on how many days you have there.

The app first asks you to name the destination city. As far as we checked, iplan.ai works best for popular tourist cities, not offbeat or obscure travel. Next, note how many days you will be there, and then choose your free time each day—a cool step to ensure a better itinerary if you already have some plans, but not a whole days worth.

Tell iplan.ai if you're traveling solo, as a couple, with family, or with friends, and then choose your interest among topics like history, art and culture, nature, entertainment, shopping, food, sports, relaxing, etc. Finally, choose between an economy, normal, or luxury budget.

After a few minutes, iplan.ai gives you a day-wise itinerary for your trip. It's plotted on a map so you can see all the locations, and each point of interest has a brief description along with estimated travel time.

The app has both free and paid plans. With a paid account, you can share the trip plan with your friends and access it offline. Another limitation of iplan.ai is that you can't get an itinerary for a multi-city trip. For now, you'll need to make a plan for each city you're visiting, one at a time.

Download: iplan.ai for Android | iOS (Free, Paid)

5. Curiosio

The easiest last-minute travel plan is to get into a car and drive. Curiosio specializes in helping you plan an itinerary for a road trip to several major countries on all continents. It doesn't cover every single place, but the existing collection is impressive enough.

Curiosio uses its own AI engine, Ingeenee, which is trained on several crowdsourced travel-based resources, such as Wikivoyage, Wikipedia, Wikidata, Freebase, DBpedia, GeoNames, OSMNames, and OpenStreetMap. Through this dataset, it can chart an itinerary that meets your requirements across various parameters.

You can set options for a round trip or a one-way trip with starting and finishing points. If there are any places you want to visit on the way, add them in. Then set the number of travelers, dates of the journey, what vehicle you're using, total budget, and whether you want to visit places that spark curiosity or are obscure. The AI will usually give you multiple plans and routes for these options.

The itinerary includes a map of your route and a day-wise breakdown of where you'll be going and what you'll be seeing. Each point of interest is clickable to find more information about it. There are easy ways to share your itinerary with co-travelers, print it out, or even export it to Google Maps. Curiosio is one of the best road trip planners for your next adventure .

6. Trip Planner AI

Trip Planner AI plans a perfect trip to your dream destination. Begin creating your itinerary by entering the city you wish to visit and traveling dates. You can add multiple destinations here.

Then, select the kinds of activities you prefer, the number of people, and whether you're traveling with friends or family. Trip Planner AI asks you about your dietary preferences and budget.

As an optional step, you can specify the place where you'll be staying so that it creates an itinerary accordingly. If you haven't decided on your lodging yet, you can explore hotels suggested by Trip Planner AI.

Finally, Trip Planner AI generates a detailed itinerary, a map, and basic information about the city you're visiting. For each destination, it provides the details of the place, expected traveling time, and cost. Though it provides a complete plan for your trip, you can manually add or remove activities from your itinerary. You can also invite your friends to edit the itinerary and download it as a PDF.

7. Vacay Chatbot

Vacay Chatbot is not a dedicated itinerary maker but an AI chatbot that acts like your travel advisor. So, you can ask it to give travel recommendations, compare different destinations, and, of course, create an itinerary. If you've previously used AI chatbots like ChatGPT, you'll find this trip planner easy to use.

Just enter a prompt specifying your destination and trip details and ask Vacay Chatbot to create an itinerary. You can include details like your trip duration, budget, preferences, number of travelers, etc. The more details you provide, the better your itinerary will be.

One of the downsides of using Vacay Chatbot is that it doesn't provide a map for your trip. However, you can use these apps to plot your itinerary on a map .

All these travel planning AI apps urge you not to use the itinerary as-is and only treat it as a template or guide to begin planning your trip. This is because they currently have several limitations, like databases that aren't recently updated or require specific prompts from the user.

A real human travel agent will still give you a more customized itinerary, but it will cost you a few bucks. If you want a free base guide, more basic travel planning apps are a good starting point.

36 Hours in Toronto

By Ingrid K. Williams April 11, 2024

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By Ingrid K. Williams Photographs by Eugen Sakhnenko

Locals may insist (politely, of course) that Toronto doesn’t belong atop any traveler’s wish list, but don’t fall for that Canadian modesty. Proudly multicultural with an outstanding art scene, fantastic food and a patchwork of diverse neighborhoods to explore, this sprawling city — Canada’s most populous — has more to offer than one could possibly digest in a single weekend. But that’s enough time to sample the local smorgasbord, from the many new restaurants and shops to the latest art exhibitions and a newly revitalized landmark theater. Anyone in town for Hot Docs , North America’s biggest documentary festival, which begins on April 25, will find plenty of reasons to roam beyond the downtown core, from the beaches in the east to drinking and dining hotspots that have sprouted in some unexpected places in the west.

Recommendations

• Trillium Park , west of Toronto’s inner harbor, is relatively crowd-free despite having an outstanding view of the downtown skyline.
• Sunny’s Chinese , a popular restaurant hidden inside a mini-mall in the Kensington Market neighborhood, serves fun plates like Hong Kong-style French toast with black-sesame jam.
• The Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto is currently hosting “Greater Toronto Art 2024,” the second installment of its triennial.
• Cry Baby Gallery is an art space with a cocktail bar hidden behind a curtain in the back.
• Massey Hall , a landmark theater, reopened in 2021 after a three-year renovation and modernization project.
• Evergreen Brick Works is a cultural community center with a popular year-round farmers’ market.
• The Gardiner Museum is dedicated to the artistry and craft of ceramics.
• The Philosopher’s Walk winds through the leafy St. George campus of the University of Toronto.
• The Bata Shoe Museum has an unexpectedly fascinating exhibit exploring the history of what we put on our feet.
• The Beach (also called the Beaches), on the eastern edge of the city, is a neighborhood abutting Lake Ontario with sandy shorelines and a wood-plank boardwalk.
• The McMichael Canadian Art Collection is a sprawling gallery surrounded by acres of pristine woodland.
• Zaal Art Gallery has paintings, sculptures and fashion from contemporary Iranian artists.
• Patois is a festive restaurant serving Caribbean-Asian dishes like jerk chicken chow mein.
• Bad Attitude Bread is a plant-based bakery with specialties like vegan Cheddar biscuits with Old Bay seasoning.
• Milky’s , a cool cafe, brews up specialty drinks like a spiced maple syrup latte.
• Taverne Bernhardt’s is a cozy neighborhood bistro featuring local produce and rotisserie-style chicken.
• Bowie , a vibey bar beneath a laundromat, offers great people-watching behind an unmarked entrance.
• Bathurst Local is a laid-back bar with a maze of private karaoke rooms.
• White Lily Diner is an all-day restaurant serving comfort food, with produce supplied by its own Ontario farm.
• Easy Tiger Goods is a sunny boutique that sells cute made-in-Toronto ceramics.
• Issues Magazine Shop stocks rare print titles.
• Etc Home , a home décor shop, sells hand-crocheted coasters, embroidered tote bags and more.
• A solid option downtown, the Ace Hotel opened in 2022 in a newly constructed building designed by the Toronto firm Shim-Sutcliffe Architects. Beyond the lobby framed by soaring concrete arches, the hotel features 123 cozy guest rooms as well as a restaurant and a rooftop lounge. Rooms start at around 499 Canadian dollars, or around $367.
• In the trendy West Queen West area, the Drake Hotel is a longtime favorite for its cultural events, concerts and art-filled interiors. With the addition of a new five-story wing, which opened in 2021, the property now has 51 rooms in addition to a popular lounge, cafe and rooftop terrace. Rooms start at around 360 dollars.
• On vibrant Dundas Street West in Little Portugal is the family-run Ode , which opened in 2021 with eight private guest rooms, each designed in collaboration with a different local artist. Rooms start at 260 dollars.
• Look for a short-term rental in the Trinity-Bellwoods neighborhood, which is surrounded by great restaurants, shops, bars, bakeries, breweries and the popular Trinity Bellwoods Park .
• It's easy to get around Toronto by public transportation — there are subways , buses and streetcars — and on foot . You can also find taxis and use ride-hailing apps , including Lyft and Uber, and there are bike-share stations throughout the city (a day pass is 15 dollars). From Toronto Pearson International Airport, the UP Express train takes 25 minutes to arrive at Union Station downtown. Even closer is Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, a regional hub on the Toronto Islands that is connected to downtown by ferry and a pedestrian tunnel.

Trillium Park

Trillium Park , which opened in 2017 just west of Toronto’s inner harbor, remains relatively uncrowded despite having an outstanding view of the skyline. From Queens Quay West, it’s an easy half-hour walk to the park along the popular Martin Goodman Trail. Or rent a bicycle from one of the many bike-share stations and pedal along the lakeshore. After admiring the view of the iconic CN Tower across the water, head back toward downtown, stopping at nearby Inukshuk Park , with its 30-foot-high Inuit stone formation, and at the Toronto Music Garden, a grassy waterfront park where live performances take place during the summer.

Down the hallway of a nondescript mini-mall, a small handwritten sign on a door indicates you’ve found Sunny’s Chinese . Since opening in the eclectic Kensington Market neighborhood in 2022, this buzzy spot has packed its mint green booths with crowds hankering for a spicy, family-style feast. On a recent visit, highlights included the spinach-and-chrysanthemum-stem salad (12 Canadian dollars, or about $9), fiery dan dan noodles (19 dollars), and what a server said “pays our rent”: the sublime Hong Kong-style French toast layered with black-sesame jam and oolong-infused condensed milk (14 dollars). Couldn’t nab a reservation? Try for a last-minute table at nearby Patois , a festive Caribbean-Asian restaurant with a flaky Jamaican-patty sandwich (12 dollars) and jerk chicken chow mein (27 dollars).

Massey Hall

In 2021, Torontonians applauded the reopening of Massey Hall , a landmark theater, after a three-year renovation and modernization project. For over a century, this downtown concert hall has hosted top international performers, including Charlie Parker, Aretha Franklin, Gordon Lightfoot and Jon Batiste. The revitalized theater is now part of a larger performing arts complex, the Allied Music Centre , with a new music venue and recording studios in an adjacent building. But one thing that hasn’t changed: the famously excellent acoustics. To hear for yourself, check the calendar for upcoming events, which include concerts by the Black Crowes, the indie-rock group Waxahatchee and the Canadian singer-songwriter Bruce Cockburn.

Grange Park, just south of the Art Gallery of Ontario.

Saturday farmers’ market at Evergreen Brick Works

A former quarry and brick factory have been repurposed as Evergreen Brick Works , a cultural community center northeast of downtown. People flock here on Saturdays for the year-round farmers’ market, which reflects the diversity of the city itself. In addition to the usual market stalls — local cheeses, produce, fish, meat and bread — many vendors sell prepared foods that include Persian baklava , Swedish pastries and Tibetan momos (try the beef ones doused with hot sauce; 11.50 dollars for five). Seating is available between the historic brick kilns, but in fair weather, grab your food to go and explore the trails snaking through the surrounding forested ravines.

Many visitors prioritize the best-known museums, but that would mean missing niche standouts like the Gardiner Museum , which specializes in the artistry and craft of ceramics. Inside, explore ancient figures from Mesoamerican cultures and contemporary sculptural vases depicting polar animals by the Inuit ceramicist Roger Aksadjuak (admission, 15 dollars). Afterward, stroll along the Philosopher’s Walk, a nearby path through the leafy St. George campus of the University of Toronto. Then continue to the Bata Shoe Museum , another oft-overlooked institution, where an unexpectedly fascinating, two-floor exhibit traces the history of what we put on our feet (admission, 14 dollars).

Issues Magazine Shop

Little Portugal is packed with quirky independent shops and galleries, many conveniently clustered along Dundas Street West. Start at Easy Tiger Goods , a sunny boutique that sells pastel taper candles and cute made-in-Toronto ceramics. Peruse the rare print titles at Issues Magazine Shop , then shop for hand-crocheted coasters and embroidered tote bags at Etc Home . Consider investing in an artwork at Zaal Art Gallery , a cavernous space that opened last October showcasing paintings, photographs, sculptures and fashion from contemporary Iranian artists. Later, continue farther down the street to Bad Attitude Bread , a vegan bakery, for an Old Bay-seasoned Cheddar-flavored biscuit (5 dollars), and to Milky’s , a cool cafe nearby, for a spiced maple syrup latte (6.50 dollars).

An excellent primer on what’s happening in the city’s art scene is now on display at the Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto , in a former factory building in the Lower Junction Triangle neighborhood. The current exhibition, “Greater Toronto Art 2024,” is the second installment of the museum’s triennial and features a range of artworks, performances and installations, including photographs by the American-born artist June Clark of her adopted home of Toronto in the 1970s and ’80s; a site-specific greenhouse installed by the Brooklyn-based Canadian artist Lotus L. Kang; and a series of sculptural drawings, traced from an heirloom Persian rug, from the Iraqi-born Canadian artist Sukaina Kubba (through July 28; admission, 14 dollars).

Roast chicken and local produce are the winning formula at Taverne Bernhardt’s , a cozy neighborhood bistro on a quiet lane south of Dundas Street West, where date-night couples sip wine at the pewter-topped bar and groups of friends encircle tables along a soft leather banquette. The short seasonal menu recently included tender roasted carrots with herbs and tahini (20 dollars), in addition to the crisp-skinned, rotisserie-style chicken served on a platter with thick-cut fries, coleslaw and pickles, toasted sesame-seed buns, and a side of gravy (37 dollars). And for dessert, there’s a heaping swirl of soft serve in changing flavors, like Earl Grey (14 dollars).

Exploring Toronto’s nightlife could mean ice bathing at Othership , a sociable sauna downtown, or sipping a white stout at Blood Brothers Brewing in the revitalized northwestern warehouse district. But you needn’t venture that far after dinner to find appealing options, if you know where to look. It’s a short walk from Bernhardt’s to Cry Baby Gallery , a white-walled art space where a curtain in the back hides a moody cocktail bar serving spicy mezcal margaritas (the best is the passion-fruit version, 20 dollars). Even closer is Bowie , a vibey, mirrored lounge that opened last year beneath a laundromat. It offers great people-watching and pink Paloma cocktails (16 dollars), and is accessible via an unmarked entrance (down the alley, below the neon bow-tied mouse sign). Later, visit Bathurst Local , where a laid-back bar leads to a maze of private karaoke rooms, each more colorful than the last.

People strolling in the trendy West Queen West area.

The ocean may be hundreds of miles away, but you can still start the day with a walk on the beach. On the east side of the city, an easy streetcar ride from downtown, the neighborhood abutting Lake Ontario is known as the Beaches (or the Beach, depending on whom you ask ) because of its long, sandy shoreline. Head down to the water to join locals walking their dogs through the sand. From the easternmost edge, it’s a leisurely half-hour promenade along the wood-plank boardwalk to Woodbine Beach, the widest stretch of sand lapped by the lake’s calm waves.

When hunger strikes, hop back on the streetcar headed west to the White Lily Diner , an all-day restaurant in the Riverside neighborhood serving its own brand of comfort food. One must-order is the cheesy patty melt, served with poblano relish on house-made bread (23.25 dollars), which comes with a side salad of crisp greens from the restaurant’s own White Lily Farms , northeast of the city. This snug locale has only five counter seats and seven Dijon yellow booths, so there’s often a wait. But I’d happily queue for even a single bite of the fluffy buttermilk griddle cakes with maple syrup (16.25 dollars).

McMichael Canadian Art Collection

Yes, it’s a trek to the McMichael Canadian Art Collection , a sprawling gallery surrounded by acres of pristine woodland, about 17 miles northwest of downtown. But there’s no prettier place to become acquainted with some of Canada’s most influential artists: Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven, a collective of landscape painters who rose to fame in the early 20th century with their romantic depictions of Canadian nature. Admire the rural landscape paintings, including glacial mountains by Lawren Harris and placid lakes by A.J. Casson. Then visit galleries dedicated to contemporary Canadian works, including those by Inuit and First Nations artists, such as the brilliantly colorful paintings of Norval Morrisseau . Not keen on splurging for a car ride? There’s an equally edifying collection of Canadian art — minus the sylvan setting — at the Art Gallery of Ontario downtown (admission to the McMichael, 20 dollars; to the AGO, 30 dollars). (The AGO is temporarily closed because of a workers’ strike.)

More From 36 Hours

Have a weekend to explore a destination we’ve got the perfect travel itinerary..

Paris: A different side of the French capital reveals smaller museums, under-the-radar spots in Montmartre and a diverse performance scene .

Montreal : Climb a mountain, wander the waterfront and enjoy a smoked-meat sandwich  in a city with a surprise around every corner.

Cartagena: With a limonada de coco in hand, explore two walkable neighborhoods over a weekend  in this coastal Colombian city.

Glasgow:  Take in Gothic architecture, green riverside walks and a global banquet  in Scotland’s largest city.

Chicago:   ​​ Cycle miles of urban trails, tour a restored Frank Lloyd Wright masterwork and catch golden hour  along Lake Michigan.

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7 of the best all-inclusive experiences to book this year, from a travel planner

• As a travel planner, my clients seem to be increasingly interested in all-inclusive trips .
• Some of my favorite luxury resorts are in Costa Rica, the Maldives, and Isla Mujeres.
• Cruises, group tours, and adults-only lodgings can also come with all-inclusive options. 

As a travel planner at Marvelous Mouse Travels , I know vacations are expensive — especially if you're looking to go somewhere this summer . But all-inclusive travel is often a great way to get the most value out of a luxury experience.

I've been on several all-inclusive vacations with my family, friends, and work, and I've helped other people book them in destinations around the world .

Here are some of the best all-inclusive experiences I'm recommending to my clients this year.

Try a split-stay vacation to see the best of Costa Rica.

Costa Rica is one of the most sought-after vacations , and for good reason. It's great for both relaxation and adventure.

I recommend booking a split stay, starting at an all-inclusive resort in Guanacaste near the beach for some fun in the sun and moving to a resort near the famous Arenal Volcano for a jungle adventure.

Some of my favorite resorts in Costa Rica are the Westin Reserva Conchal and the Dreams Las Mareas. And if you're looking for an even more unique experience, check out the glorious swim-out suites with private pools at Dreams.

Baglioni Maldives is one of my favorite all-inclusive resorts.

The Maldives, a remote set of islands in the Indian Ocean, offers a plethora of resort options for couples and families, but Baglioni Maldives is my favorite.

For many in the US, getting to the islands can be daunting — there are very few direct commercial flights, and it can take almost an entire day. But it's hard to beat the country's luxury accommodations and gorgeous landscape.

The Maldives also has some of the most beautiful marine life and coveted spots for snorkeling and scuba diving.

No matter where you go, overwater bungalows are the ultimate all-inclusive splurge.

Overwater bungalows — villas standing on poles over open ocean water — are prevalent at all-inclusive resorts in destinations like the Maldives, Fiji, and Bali.

But I've also come across the luxurious accommodations at select adults-only Sandals Resorts throughout the Caribbean.

I think having a private villa on the water is the perfect way to unwind and relax.

Adults-only vacations are on the rise.

Traveling with kids can be a blast, but I also think it's important for adults to take a much-needed break on their own.

Adults-only resorts have been a total respite for me and my husband after hectic months of juggling work with our kids' school and sports schedules.

If you're looking to unwind with a partner, relax on a girls' trip, or even connect with your adult children, there are countless adults-only, all-inclusive resorts to choose from, depending on where you're looking to visit.

Some properties, including Sandals and Beaches Resorts, also offer butler service. Designated staff members can help with anything from room requests and dining reservations to cabana rentals and transportation coordination.

I upgraded to the service at my favorite adults-only spot, Le Blanc Los Cabos, and I felt totally pampered.

Isla Mujeres is pure luxury.

Isla Mujeres, a small island off the coast of Cancún, is known for its crystal-clear, turquoise water and peaceful vibe. It's also home to Playa Norte, one of the best beaches in Mexico .

Impressions Isla Mujeres by Secrets is a gorgeous all-inclusive resort on the island. It offers luxury at its finest, but with only 125 rooms, it has a boutique feel.

One of my favorite features of the resort is the waterslide that leads right into the beautiful ocean.

There are plenty of all-inclusive packages at sea.

Cruising is one of the most popular vacations , whether it's an epic adventure on a Royal Caribbean Cruise, a couples-only journey on Virgin Voyages, or a regal tour of Europe on Viking River Cruises.

Although cruises aren't traditionally considered all-inclusive, with the right booking, they can have the same feel as a luxury resort.

Most cruise bookings include food, nonalcoholic drinks, and live entertainment. If you add beverage packages and excursions in advance, your trip should be fully paid for before you depart.

Book a small-group or private tour if you're looking for adventure.

Group travel is a great way to explore new places while soaking up culture and history.

Popular destinations include Italy, Japan, Costa Rica, and Alaska, and many travel companies take care of everything for you, essentially making it all-inclusive.

I like Adventures by Disney , which offers small-group travel all over the world facilitated by seasoned guides. All the trip details are taken care of, including experiences, food, lodging, and transportation.

Additionally, Kensington Tours offers luxury private travel where every facet of the trip is meticulously planned for you.

• Main content

Itinerary on the Go 4+

View your trip/tour details, sirius plans limited, designed for ipad, screenshots, description.

This mobile app displays trips and their itineraries. It is a view only app. The app can load itineraries from static yaml files. A database or cloud account are not required; however, the yaml files must be accessible via the internet. Usage is simple: 1. Launch the app 2. Add itinerary Url (via copy & paste or scanning a QR Code) 3. View itinerary Example use cases: - Tour group members can view an itinerary on their mobile devices - Walking tour guide: The tour guide has prepared the yaml file and carries its Url in printed form as a QR Code. When customers join the walking tour, they can download the app and scann the QR code, in order to see the scope of the tour and follow it. - On a trip with friends or the larger family, all participants are on the same line regarding the next steps and stops Features - The user can maintain a list of trips via their URLs inside the app - The app can render and display information about trips and their itineraries - No user registration necessary - No user data stored on servers - Tour operators can maintain the itinerary via simple yaml files Non-Features - There is no map inside the app - Itineraries are not cached; it is necessary to be online - Settings cannot be stored

Version 1.0.12

- Modals show details about each trip itinerary step - Trip data is cached for offline use

App Privacy

The developer, Sirius Plans Limited , indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .

Data Not Collected

The developer does not collect any data from this app.

Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

Information

• Developer Website
• App Support
• Privacy Policy

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