Planning a simple weekend trip or your dream holiday can be among the most stressful and exciting things you can experience in 2024. Fortunately, practical modern technology such as VPNs, travel planning apps, flight booking apps, and navigational apps has made the previously tedious task significantly easier. From finding the most viable deals on accommodation to the cheapest possible flights, there is a mobile application for everything. While there are countless beneficial apps to assist you when planning your next trip, there are some essential applications to incorporate into your next adventure.
#1 VPN Apps: Save Money & Secure Your Connection
For anyone planning a trip, downloading and appropriately utilizing a Virtual Private Network (VPN) is critical. Most modern VPNs come standard with personal online privacy protection, allowing you to browse the internet safely and anonymously while on your travels. This is additionally vital when using potentially vulnerable public Wi-Fi networks, usually found in busy travel hubs such as cafes, hotels, and airports. For those wanting to watch their favorite content during their adventures, VPNs are essential, allowing you to operate outside of the usual geo-restrictions.
Most people travel with a phone, tablet, or laptop. This is ideal because VPNs work easily on these different devices. VPNs also work across both Android and Apple products. Techopedia author and tech expert Jacob O’Shea shares that a reputable and reliable VPN for Android will help users stay protected while browsing the internet. The top-rated Android VPN apps will also hide a user’s real IP address, and help users bypass tough geo-restrictions. Some VPNs can even block online ads. All of these benefits are useful when traveling. Importantly, the best VPNs will assist you in finding the best hotel and flight deals available globally, as prices differ significantly between locations. They do this by masking your virtual location and device’s IP address, allowing you to save a substantial amount of money by scoring the most viable deals not available in your location. It can be said that a good VPN app should be your go-to for guaranteeing the most secure and cost-effective trip-planning experience possible.
#2 Flight Booking Apps
Anyone who has ever booked a flight before, especially internationally, will agree that the task is daunting. However, with today’s modern and effective flight booking apps, the entire process has become significantly easier. Currently, the best and most popular flight booking apps are Hopper, Skyscanner, Google Travel, and Kayak. While there are countless options for flight booking apps, the platforms mentioned above enable you to search for the cheapest prices and most convenient flights, all from the comfort of your couch. Most flight booking apps will show users public flights, however, if you are interested in flying privately, you may need to enquire directly with the airline.
As of mid-2024, Skyscanner is the most prevalent and practical flight booking app. Known for its widespread and comprehensive flight search capabilities, Skyscanner can usually guarantee the best deals and most inexpensive flights across numerous airlines and locations. At the same time, Hopper is beneficial to all travelers booking flights as it uses vast amounts of historical data to accurately predict all future flight prices. This is incredibly advantageous during the planning phase of any travel adventure as it helps you decide exactly when you can book the most cost-effective flight. While the Kayak application is similar compared to its competitors, Skyscanner and Hopper, it does come with the added benefit of comparing relevant car rental and hotel prices.
#3 Travel Planning Applications
For properly and efficiently organizing your bookings, and travel itinerary, and conveniently maintaining all relevant information in the same place, modern travel planning applications are essential. While there are numerous travel planning apps you can use to your advantage, the highest-rated and most popular ones globally remain Google Trips and Triplt.
Google Trips, Triplt, and other competing travel planning apps instantly enable you to safely and securely compile all your reservations into one place. This will include all your accommodation details, flights, and any other relevant reservations. While it remains possible to manually print and hold onto your travel itinerary, it is highly recommended to possess a secure digital version for ease of access, peace of mind, and safety. Moreover, the top-rated travel apps are advantageous when it comes to suggesting quaint places to visit and other enjoyable activities, which are difficult to find without Triplt or Google Trips. For example, Triplt can automatically create a personalized itinerary for you by scanning your email for booking confirmations. And Google Trips offers similar features and integrates with Google Maps to provide location-based suggestions.
#4 Accommodation Booking Applications
For anyone traveling shortly, finding and booking the perfect accommodation for your needs is the most essential part of any trip. While there are hundreds of digital and in-person accommodation booking platforms, the best applications according to popular consensus are Hotels.com, Booking.com, and AirBNB.com. By downloading one or a combination of these applications, you can select from a wide range of viable options, ranging from the most luxurious hotels to the most budget-friendly backpacker digs you can imagine.
In 2024, it is widely known that the Airbnb application will allow you to book unique stays in local homes, which will provide the most authentic travel experience possible. At the same time, Booking.com offers a variety of accommodations, mainly including hotels, apartments, and guesthouses. While Hotels.com provides a similar service to Booking.com, it comes standard with the added benefit of a rewards program that gives you a free night’s stay of your choice, after every ten bookings.
#6 Travel Navigation Applications
Have you ever heard those stories of your friends or family getting lost in some part of Europe or South America’s quietest back streets? Well, we can all accept that maneuvering around a new city or location without getting widely lost on your first try, is incredibly challenging, to say the least.
Fortunately, modern navigation applications have all but solved this problem, with platforms such as Google Maps, Waze, and TomTom allowing you to reliably navigate your way around any location or new city on your adventures, guaranteeing real-time traffic updates, detailed maps, and the most accurate directions possible. Moreover, navigation apps such as Google Maps provide up-to-date cycling routes, public transportation options, and walking paths, allowing you to transverse your travels without the significant stress of getting lost, being unsafe, or wasting valuable time. Another great option is Citymapper, which has mainly focused on public transportation in major cities. Furthermore, Citymapper is known to provide detailed directions, including step-by-step instructions for using buses, trains, and subways, with the ability to access the applications’ entire range of features while being offline being a stand-out feature compared to competing navigation platforms.
Lastly…
Planning a trip in 2024, especially with a family in tow, can become incredibly complex in an instant. However, with the correct selection and utilization of some of the most advanced and beneficial mobile applications on the market today, the entire process can be far smoother. From securing your online privacy with a VPN to finding the best flights, accommodations, and local eats, there’s an advanced and advantageous app for every aspect of travel. By effectively incorporating these easy-to-use and practical tools into your planning process, you can ensure a substantially more enjoyable and stress-free travel experience.
