20 Of The Most Useful Apps For Travelling Australia and The World

If you’re like me you probably never leave the house without your phone. Am I right? Having a world of resources in the palm of our hands has been a game-changer for travel. From booking trips, taking photos & navigating a new city, my iPhone is something I will never travel without. And, with my phone comes the most helpful apps to use when travelling in Australia! I want to share with you 20 of my most useful apps for travelling Australia and the world. 

There’s a massive amount of apps out there, a lot of them are useless but so many good ones that make travelling easier & sometimes cheaper. The worldwide vaccination rate is going up fast (even in Australia, believe it or not, 😆) and I’m very excited to soon be travelling a lot more. So it’s time to start thinking about where you want your first trip to be, even if it’s in your own country. And, get your smartphone ready with the most useful apps for travelling in Australia and the world. 

Apps for Travelling Australia

Beachsafe:

When you’re travelling in Australia chances are you’re going to spend a lot of time at the beach. And even for experienced swimmers, the beach can be a dangerous place at times. The Beachsafe app is definitely one you need for travelling Australia. The app uses a map view to quickly find a beach near you. It’ll show if the beach is patrolled by lifeguards, the current swell, if there are currently any hazards, and the weather.  You can also save your favorite beaches in the app.

App Store / Play Store 

Fuel Map Australia:

I’m the biggest tight ass when it comes to petrol prices, I’ll drive out of my way if I know it’s heaps cheaper elsewhere. In the Fuel map app, you can zoom in on the map to show petrol stations around you and it also shows the price. This is one of the must-have apps for travelling around Australia because chances are you’re going to be doing a lot of driving and these overpriced petrol pumps will all add up!

App Store / Play Store

Scoopon:

Scoopon is one of the most popular apps for Australians, even when we’re not travelling. It’s great for getting daily deals on travel, dining, activities & shopping. The app has an easy search option to find specific types of deals in your area. It’s worth noting though that unless you sign up for an account, the app is pretty basic but the account is free.

App Store / Play Store

Worldwide Travel Apps

Hopper:

If only we had a crystal ball to tell us when the cheapest time to book flights will be! Luckily there’s an app called Hopper and it’s so helpful for getting the best deal on flights. Hopper has a price prediction feature, and it’ll figure out the best time for you to fly and make the booking to ensure you get the best deals. Hopper can also send you notifications when prices drop to destinations you have previously searched for.

App Store / Play Store

Skyscanner:

I’m not sure I have ever actually used Skyscanner to book my flights. But I love the app to see which airline operates a certain sector, how many stopovers there could be and the times of the flights. Also, it’s helpful to get a rough idea of how much these flights will cost.

App Store / Play Store

Tripadvisor:

I’m sure everyone has used the web version of TripAdvisor at some point in time, but I find the app is so handy to travel with. The app allows you to search for destinations from all over the world in a matter of seconds. And, it’s great at keeping all the places you want to visit well organized. You can create a customized “trip” and save the places you’d love to see & keep track of links. You will need to have a (free) TripAdvisor account signed in on the app to create these trips.

App Store / Play Store

Travelmath:

This app is a handy tool if you quickly want to know your flight time. Type in your from/to cities and it’ll calculate approximately how many hours the flight is, the distances, which airline operates direct flight (I’m not always sure this feature is accurate though), and the time difference between the two cities.

App Store / Play Store

OANDA Currency Converter:

I’m not quick with math so I always use this app. It’s really good, especially if you’re travelling to a new country and need to get your head around the exchange rate and what your money is actually worth. To give me a quick reference I will sometimes screenshot common amounts like $1 = / $10 = / $100 =. Then I can easily see them in my camera roll & get a quick estimate of my currency converted.

App Store / Play Store

Rome2Rio:

This app has so many features including booking hotels & tickets. But I only ever use it to search for the best way to get from A to B. This is a good enough reason to get the app because this feature is awesome and works perfectly every time.

At the top of the search screen, you type in your location, address, airport or station. Then your destination, like your hotel. The results will show a bunch of different transport options including price and also which one they recommend. Say you choose the Bus option, click on it and it’ll give details of the journey, like the bus fare, bus number & distance. And, then from the bus stop that you’ll be getting off at, the app will show walking directions to your final destination.

App Store / Play Store

Agoda:

Agoda is one of my favorite sites to book accommodation on but I wanted to specifically mention the app. The app gives customers even more of a discount on hotel bookings. Then once you’ve made your booking all your reservations are stored in the booking tab, sorted by upcoming, complete & canceled. This is helpful if you make multiple bookings & cancel some of them at a later date. You can keep track of it all. Also, you can add your bookings to your apple wallet for quick access.

App Store / Play Store

Airbnb:

Airbnb is probably the best place to find unique accommodation options from all over the world and can often be cheaper than a standard hotel. Similar to the Agoda app, the Airbnb app has an easy search option, keeps your current bookings well organized, and has an inbox for you to easily contact your host.

App Store / Play Store

Hotel Tonight:

This app is for making last-minute hotel bookings. And, with all the current covid restrictions, it’s great to have the option to book your hotel last minute if you’re concerned about a trip getting canceled. Also, with this app and booking these hotels last minute, the hotels are often charging a discounted rate. One thing that annoys me about this app though, is when I search for a city or town the search results often display properties that are actually ages away. Like sometimes over an hour’s drive from the location I’m searching for. So if you’re looking for an area you’re unfamiliar with, just double-check the address before you book.

App Store / Play Store