Top 10 free apps to download before you go travelling

BOOK a room or ride or find your way with a smartphone app. Our tech expert reveals what’s on his phone.

There is no shortage of apps to help travellers. Picture: iStock

Grab a ride

Uber: It’s not without controversy but this app, which is revolutionising public transport, has plenty of fans. After you set up an account, you order a ride through the app and enjoy cashless payment. Even if you don’t use it locally, in some parts of the world there are major advantages to booking a local taxi.

Apple iOS / Google Android / free

Use your down time

Audible: Audible, now owned by Amazon, is the premier audible book app. Whether you’re stuck in an airport for hours or want to listen to the Hunger Games series on a drive around Australia with the family, this app could take the boredom out of long trips. If I was only allowed one app on my iPhone, this would be the one. Though it’s free, you do have to pay for the books — or, if you buy ebooks for your kindle, you can get a deal so you get the audible book to listen to as well.

Apple iOS / Google Android / free

Stay somewhere different

Airbnb: A lot of apps claim to revolutionise an industry. Like Uber, Airbnb lives up to the claim. The concept is simple: it puts people looking for a place to stay with people who have a room, house, apartment or other accommodation (glamping anyone?). And the simplicity of the idea has made it a huge success. Not everyone likes the idea of interacting with the owner of their holiday accommodation but for others it’s part of the experience.

Apple iOS / Google Android / free

Get a room for right now

Hotel Tonight: A Silicon Valley start-up, the founders famously sketched the idea for a mobile-only booking system to give people cheap rates on a curated list of hotels on a whiteboard, and have now framed that in their San Francisco office. They’ve expanded around the world and now offer real last-minute deals in Australian cities.

Apple iOS / Google Android / free

Manage your itinerary

TripIt: TripIt, the itinerary app, has regularly featured in a bunch of “top travel app” lists for years for good reason. The big improvement this year has been the way it is now integrated with the Apple Watch, so that your itinerary details are on your wrist. No need to grab your phone when you’re in the airport and wanting to check your flight details. It’s a free app but if you want the full service it is $61.99 a year.

Apple iOS / Google Android / free

Communicate in another language

iTranslate: For anyone who has ever struggled to communicate in a foreign country, this app is dream come true. Choose your language, such as English to French, then either type the words or dictate it. You can either show the result of have the phone say it aloud. If you upgrade to the paid version of the app ($6.99) you can use your Apple Watch to translate phrases as you say them.

Apple iOS / Google Android / free

Create a travel journal

Stellar: How do you tell the story of your travels? This simple but beautiful app lets you create multimedia albums of your trip. Find other people’s stories to inspire your travels, or create your own and share it just with friends or wider on social networks.

Apple iOS / free

Explore a new place

RunGo: Going for a run around your travel destination can be the best way to discover a new place and beat jet lag. This excellent app lets you find running routes around the world and, in a feature that makes it stand out from the pack of running apps, give you audible turn-by-turn navigation so you don’t get lost on the way. Even if walking is more your speed, this is a cool fitness app for travellers.

Apple iOS / Google Play / free

Get from A to B

Apple Maps: After a shaky start, Apple Maps has improved greatly. While there are times we still prefer Google Maps, such as when we’re looking for cycling routes across a city, one of the best things to happen to Apple Maps is Apple Watch integration. Find your destination and start your route, then you get turn by turn navigation on your wrist with the feeling of a tap on your wrist whenever you need to make a turn.

Apple iOS / free

Juggle the time difference

World Time Buddy: Working out time differences can challenge the most frequent traveller. This simple solution lets you select two or more destinations on a particular date and see two rows comparing the time difference throughout the day. Great for working out the best time to ring home without waking anyone up in the middle of the night.

Apple iOS / Google Android / free