11 Apps to Save You Money When You Travel

by  Anne Roderique-Jones | Apr 13, 2020
Traveler in Europe
Traveler in Europe / iStock / Poike

As a group of avid globetrotters, one of our most important priorities in life is traveling, but making time to see the world also requires being savvy about cash. From curated local experiences to a wifi finder, here are 11 apps that will save you money when you travel. 

Apps for a Local Experience 

1. Eat With

Going to new places for authentic experiences is one of the most rewarding parts of travel. Eat With is a free app that offers curated food experiences in hyper-local environments in 130 countries (think: a seafood feast with a Venetian sailor or a Paris market tour and cooking class). A lot of the experiences include drinks or are BYOB, so it’s often much less expensive (and certainly less touristy) than a restaurant.  

2. With Locals 

This app was created to help break down barriers between travelers and locals. You won’t find cookie-cutter tours with loads of other tourists here. Offered in more than 50 countries, With Locals allows you to choose a local guide who knows and loves their city, and they will then create suggestions based on what you are both passionate about, be it music, architecture, or food. 

3. Showaround 

Showaround aims to connect visitors with locals who can provide an authentic version of their city. The app creates tours that are tailored to specific interests, such as a hidden-gem restaurant to a cool art gallery. Some of the tours are even free. And the app’s numbers are impressive: 126,345 local guides in 11,743 cities across 217 countries. 

Apps to Get Around

4. Rome2rio

Can’t decide whether it’s more economical to travel to Paris by plane, train, or car? This genius transportation search engine allows you to search any city, landmark, town, attraction, or address across the world and populates routes to get travelers from point A to point B. Rome2rio will search for bus, train, ferry, and flight options between desired locations so that you can quickly access the best and most affordable option. 

5. Maps.me

Maps.me is a useful app that provides maps that you can download to use offline. It uses OpenStreetMap data to index places with the built-in ability to save for later. The beauty of this is that you can navigate the map in real time without using or paying for international wifi. Users can also search for nearby hotels, restaurants, and sights. 

 Apps to Simplify and Organize 

 6. WiFi Finder

This app is ideal when traveling internationally. WiFi Finder allows you to access data on your cellphone without incurring charges. The app is made for locating places that offer free (and paid) wifi, along with maps to direct you to the hotspots, anywhere in the world. Download the app before you travel to easily access and save money upon arrival. 

7. Google Translate 

This free app is a game-changer for connecting with people and navigating language barriers. There's no longer a need to buy and carry translation books when you can easily type in and translate words, phrases, and web pages between English and 100-plus other languages. 

8. Trail Wallet

This app is designed to take the headache out of budgeting while away from home. The travel-centric expense budget app allows users to set a daily budget and easily input purchases, and then tallies how much you have left to spend. The app will track expenses in more than 200 currencies. 

Apps for Exploring 

9. Let’s Roam

This app-based scavenger hunt lets you explore a city in a new and fun way. You’ll use the app to solve riddles about the city and its sights, plus compete in fun photo challenges along the way. It's self-guided so you can make it more competitive or take your time at specific locations. 

10. MapMyRun

Running is not only a great (free) way to keep in shape, but it’s also an incredible way to explore a new city or town. MapMyRun helps users to find places to run in a new city with recorded routes by other runners. 

Apps for a Break 

11. Dayuse

Have a long layover and in desperate need of a shower, spa treatment, or a nap? Dayuse allows you to book hotels during the daytime hours at over 5,000 hotels in 25 countries. Guests will book a time slot – at up to 75 percent off rates – and gain access to hotel amenities included with the room like pools, meeting spaces, and spas. 

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