Technology Has Changed The Way We Travel
It is no secret that the advancements in technology in the last decade have drastically changed how we function.
In the travel industry especially so, there are hundreds of apps and websites at the tips of our fingers to make going on vacation more accessible than ever.
Here is a list of the top 10 apps/websites I recommend checking out to help you plan your next trip!
Hotel And Lodging Apps
Airbnb & Vrbo
Airbnb has solidified its self as a must-know in the travel industry. Over the past few years, its user base has increased quite a bit and is now a household name.
Airbnb is a solid app to check out, at times the listings there cost as much as a normal hotel, but sometimes you can find a real gem that can save you quite a lot of money!
VRBO is similar to Airbnb, they also provide apartment listings for you to browse through.
But their properties are maintained by the app, so they are all similar styles and quality across the board!
Hostel World
If you are a solo traveler or are looking for a way to travel on a tight budget, this is definitely a website to check out.
Hostels are dorm-style rooms that you rent individual beds in. But some places offer private rooms as well!
Since you are sharing the space with others, it is much cheaper.
My sister and I went to New York City a few days before Christmas, and while all of the hotels in the whole city were $200 a night. We got beds in a hostel for around $50 a night!
Harvest Hosts
If you have an RV or van that you typically travel in. This subscription service is an interesting one to check out!
For one year subscription of $99, harvest hosts connect you to the owners of local farms, breweries, wineries, and you are allowed to sleep in their parking lot in exchange for you going in and supporting their business.
I personally have not used this one before, but if I ever end up getting an RV or Van to live in, this will be used thoroughly!
Flight Apps
App In The Air
App In The Air helps you find flights and hotel information, but one of their coolest features is their tracking!
You can input when you flew and it will plot it on a map, so you can have a visual of how many places you have been and when you did them!
Sky Scanner
This app is one of the ones I hear about all the time online, so eventually, I caved and decided to check it out.
Whenever I go on trips, I typically have a set selection of days that I need to go for.
But if you are flexible and looking for ways to save money when going to cool destinations.
Then you should definitely check this out!
Sky Scanner searches the web for the best flight prices, you can set it to any location to help find short-notice trips, or set it to a specific location to help you know when to plan for!
Hopper
I do not know how anyone booked flights before this app.
It scans the web, and plots out the best days to travel on a calendar view, along with the average prices for that day.
There have been many times that this app has helped me save some serious coin by suggesting that I switch out a flight from one day to the day before or after.
If you only download one app from this list. Download this one. It is a real game-changer.
Ground Transportation Apps
City Mapper
If you are also directionally challenged like I am. Subways are very hard to figure out.
Whenever I go to NYC this app is a staple for me.
It tracks the subway schedule down to the minute and helps me navigate the city both above and below ground with ease!
Back when I used it, they only had NYC as an option, but recently they have started adding more cities to their app meaning it will become even more useful in the near future!
Gas Buddy
If road tripping is your thing. Gas Buddy is a must-have.
It uses your location to find gas stations near you as you drive, it also gets the user reported prices of the stations so that you can see which ones are the cheapest to go to in whatever area you are in!