Planning a vacation with the family or a solo trip is an exhilarating experience, however, you should always consider your budget while planning. Having to restrict yourself to stay within budget can be frustrating because travel is all about relaxation and not stress.
This is where we start looking for the best apps that can help us save a few bucks here and there. Next thing you know, you’ve already spent a lot of time surfing different travel websites and apps to find the best deals. Travel planning experience should be fun and not stressful. Plus, keeping your travel bookings and activities within your budget shouldn’t be a challenge.
So, to help you with smooth travel planning, booking, and a great travel experience, you need to have the best apps and also know about some of the best luxury holiday destinations to visit on a budget. Here are the top 10 apps you can use to save some bucks while traveling.
10 best travel apps to save money
- Airbnb
If you want luxury but not at the cost of booking expensive hotels. Airbnb is the perfect app for you. You can book an entire apartment, individual rooms, or couches from locals on Airbnb. Airbnb is the intermediary between hostels and hotels if you cannot afford the luxury of hotels and are reluctant to stay in hostels. In fact, Airbnb offers the advantage of meeting local hosts and getting some insider tips on places to visit in the city.
- Kayak
Flights can be the most expensive part of your entire trip and you should use the best app that can help you save on flight bookings. Kayak is one of the best flight comparison tools that offers the latest information on the cost of flight tickets. The app also compares prices for hotels and displays room prices from multiple travel booking sites. It gives you a good idea of where to book the best and most affordable hotel.
- TripAdvisor
Isn’t it a relief when you can read reviews from real people about a place, hotel, or attraction without wasting money on a worthless trip? TripAdvisor is a great travel app that will actually save you money from being spent on worthless bookings. It helps steer you away from restaurants, hotels, services, activities, etc. that are not worth your time and money. However, you should trust the average reviews, not the overly positive or negative ones.
- Couchsurfing
Many solo travelers travel on a tight budget and are more than willing to explore and interact with the locals. Many of them want to experience the life of a local person or simply do not have a budget to afford hotels, Airbnb, or hotels. For such travelers, Couchsurfing is the best bet. The app lets you meet and connect with locals who offer free accommodation. You can either get a sofa to sleep on or your host can be generous enough to give you a room.
- Triposo
If you are looking for an app to plan your travel according to your budget, Triposo is the perfect one. It is a virtual guide for your travel vacation where you can enter the destination you want to visit, your budget, your interests, and the app will create an itinerary for you. Of course, the itinerary is made according to your budget and other considerations such as weather and attractions.
- getaround
If you prefer to drive instead of taking cabs when you are at your travel destination, Getaround is a great car rental app. It is a peer-to-peer car sharing service that can be used to rent a car for a few hours. You can rent cars starting as low as $5 an hour and also get roadside assistance. Renting a car on Getaround does not involve filling out any paperwork. In addition, rental insurance is also covered in the hourly cost.
- Urbanspoon
Spending on restaurants and cafes while traveling is an expected expense. However, Urbanspoon is one of the best apps to save some bucks while eating. The app shows all the restaurants in your location, offers menus, reviews, and also gives a range of prices for the food at each restaurant. It can help you find luxury dining experiences as well as cheap places to eat.
- Wallet Trail
When you travel on a budget, you definitely need to track your spending. Trail Wallet helps you do that. The app supports more than 200 currencies and let’s set your budget on the app while you are traveling. You need to log in every purchase you make on the app and it will help you stay within your budget and avoid overspending at places.
- Gasbuddy
If you find yourself renting a car to drive around your chosen travel destination, you also want to know about the app that can help save on gas costs. Gasbuddy is the best app to find the lowest offers on petrol when you are on short or long trips. The Gas Estimator feature also maps your trip and calculates the amount of gas you need based on the vehicle and the distance to be covered. Plus, you can also join Gasbuddy’s free membership program and receive a 5 cents per gallon discount.
- Hostelworld
Finally, if you are a backpacker or simply want to travel on a budget, you can also consider staying in hostels. The Hostelworld app offers filters, descriptions, and reviews to search for a hostel in a preferred location. The app also provides an interactive map to view the points of interest near the hostel you have shortlisted.
The Bottom Line
You might think that you have to download a lot of apps to plan just one trip, but that’s not the case. Many of these apps can also be accessed as web apps where you can make your flight and hotel bookings. You can download the other apps based on your needs when you are traveling.
There are several other travel apps that can save you some bucks while you travel, however, you will have to research and find the best deals for yourself. The top 10 apps above will certainly reduce the cost of your trip significantly and you can easily plan more trips with those savings.
Author Bio
Vijaya is a content writer who loves to travel and write. With a background in finance and a passion for writing, she has made her passion for writing her profession. Her endless desire to learn new things developed her interest in writing for different genres. She enjoys writing and learning in the process as she believes there is no end to gaining knowledge.