When planning a trip abroad we need to think about a lot of things, what we will pack, what necessities we need to have with us and of course our passports. Nowadays we are lucky to have technology as our right hand man.

With technology comes these 13 superb apps that will make traveling abroad easier!

I am using travel apps on a daily basis because it makes my life a breeze when it comes to constantly moving around. After being on the road for nearly two years you find the apps that work best for you….

With that being said, here is your ultimate must have list of FREE apps for traveling abroad.

Add them to your phone before you go, and they will make for an unforgettable global trip.

SkyScanner

Skyscanner has gotten me from point A to point B more times then I can count. I have booked overseas flights as well as domestic flights all over Asia. This app serves to provide the cheapest and fastest flights. You can modify your search to you’re liking as well.

What I love most about skysanner is that it tells you which days are cheapest to fly and usually gives at least a 3 months notice on how much fights will coast around particular dates.

I found my one way ticket to Thailand for 360 USD. Since then, I have been booking almost all of my flights through Skyscanner, whether its from Asia to the United States or anywhere in between

Google Translate

Let’s be honest, it’s hard to constantly play charades when we are in places where languages differ. I have used this app in every country I have visited in Asia.

Google translate has helped me to communicate in places where I need more than the basics I have learned. Google translate offers a way to write or speak in many languages. For example, it will translate English to Thai and Thai to English or Vietnamese to Russian and Italian to German. I think you get the picture, it’s an overall awesome app to help communication when you need it most!

Google Maps

Google has blessed us with many things but Google Maps might be one of it’s best inventions yet. I find Google Maps to be the best travel app around because of its ability to find locations so quickly.

If you don’t have data you can plug in a location while on Wifi and Google Maps will still get you there.

With over 220 courtiers and hundreds of millions of businesses and local places, Goggle Maps helps navigate traffic, gives you options on where to eat, activities to do and so much more no matter where you are!

I recently did a motor bike trip of the Hai Giang loop solo, without Google Maps I do not think I would have confidently made it through. It’s ability to reroute in times is excellent.

One of my favorite resources this app provides is allowing to add more then one destination into the map. At times I find myself with A-D locations, after you get to a location on the map it marks it as complete and starts the journey to the next location.

WhatsApp

WhatsApp is quite possibly one of the greatest apps ever created for overseas travel, especially if you know you don’t want to get a SIM card. WhatsApp allows you to communicate with people at home but also in your current country too.

Without a SIM card you are able to use WhatsApp on WIFI, with a SIM card, depending on your plan you can use WhatsApp with or without WIFI.

My grandparents do not have an iPhone so I am unable to video chat with them. When using WhatsApp I can text, call and video chat whenever I want!

I use WhatsApp to talk to my friends that I have all over the world.
This app works best for those that don’t have iPhones. You are able to text and video chat people since most SIM cards do not offer great services for SMS messaging.

Duolingo Language App

Before heading to a new country, it is a good idea to try and learn the basics of their language. No one expects you to be fluent but it’s respectful to the countries cultures you are visiting to at least try to learn some basic communication. If you can say hello, thank you, how much is it and where is the bathroom you are on the right track.

Duolingo helps you learn a new language in a game like fashion to make it more fun. Lots of users become hooked and are able to speak a lot of phrases in a new language which makes visiting that country more rewarding.

If Duolingo does not offer the language of the country to intend to visit there are other language apps that can!

Hostel World

Looking for the best hostels to stay in abroad? This app will allow you to pick locations, dates and the number of people you need housing for. Hostel World will show you hostels in the location of your choice with prices, rating and best of all reviews.

You can look to see what people who have already stayed at each place have to say about their stay. Each hostel gives a description of what they offer and what surrounds them. You also have the options to pick from private rooms and anywhere from 4 bed dorms to 16 bed dorms in some places.

I am not kidding when I say I use this app to book all of my hostels and home-stays abroad. Hostel World is the perfect place to read about exactly what you are going to get out of your stay and once you have fulfilled your destination you can leave feedback for others!

Airbnb

I use Airbnb to find places to stay when I know I need to get work done. Since I am a digital nomad, I need to be able to stay in places that allow co-working spaces, desks and extremely good WIFI. This app is the best place to find everything I need!

Airbnb is also a nice change up from living the hostel life when you want a quiet night’s sleep or a place to take a bubble bath. They offer last minute travel accommodation, and will allow you to book travel experiences, vacation homes, and long-term rentals too.

You will be able to contact and chat with a host to get a better feel for where you may be staying and what you can do at each destination. Since ratings matter, Airbnb has reviews of all their places to stay from people who have already given it a try!

Rome2Rio

I like this app because it offers all kinds of travel options. Select the destination you are leaving from and the destination you want to end up in and Rome2Rio will give you all the possible options to get there.

With thousands of bus, train, plane and ferry options Rome2Rio will show booking information, accommodation providers and things to do all in one convenient spot.

I used this app a lot in Asia. It was nice to see how much a bus would coast me over a flight or how long it would take me to get to a certain place by bus instead of by train. I also liked being able to look at accommodation and possible activities to do in whatever city I was going to next.

Grab

This is just like Uber! Its good to know that not all places have Grab as a form of transpiration but the cities that do have Grab will be a much cheaper ride then taking a taxi.

Grab allows you to choose from taxi, motor bike and carpooling options, it shows what the price will be and how long it will take for your driver to arrive.

While using this app all over Asia, I specifically liked that you did not have to attach a credit card, everything was paid in cash upon drop off at your final destination.

TripAdvisor

This day and age everyone knows about or uses trip advisor when planning their next get away.

TripAdvisor is the recommendation hub for travel.

I like to use this app because of the reviews, and it gives real information on what people think about places to stay, activities, attractions, flights, restaurants and much more.

I am a fan of being able to leave a review, if I go to a place that I think is awesome, I want the world to know about it! If I have a bad experience, it’s nice to have the option to tell my story.

It is a great app to use throughout your entire trip and I do not think it has ever steered me wrong on anything I have done after checking through reviews.

XE Currency

Without a doubt this is the best conversion calculator out there. You can choose all the different currencies you know you will be using for your trip and then pick the one you want to use right now. Enter an amount and all the currencies will show up on the screen.

This app is great when exchanging money because it is easy to get scammed. Plug in the information and you will know around exactly what you should be getting back money wise. The best part about XE Currency is you do not need a WIFI connection to use it!

WIFI Map

WIFI Map is helpful when you are in a stressful situation and you need WIFI fast. This app scans a database of over 100 million hotspots and will let you know where the closest wireless connection is.

WIFI Map gives you any passwords needed, and the free version will show networks in a mile radios of where you are. The paid version will allow you to download an entire city WIFI map ahead of time that is useable while offline.

American Red Cross and First Aid

No one is prone to injury or accidents. American red cross and first aid is a great app to have for those just in case moments and emergencies. This app allows instant access to information and step by step instructions on how to handle first aid situations. America red cross gives information on anything from how to take care of burns and bites to head injuries and broken bones.

American Red Cross and First Aid has videos and interactive quizzes for those that like to take lifesaving preparation to the next level. It is an important app to have on your phone at all times to deal with health issues anywhere you are.

If you made it to the end of this post then you are next level ready to experience a stress free get away. Available at the swipe of your finger, these 13 superb apps will make traveling abroad easier.

What are you waiting for? Get to downloading!