Whether looking for travel inspiration, deals on flights or great places to eat, traveling can be made a lot easier because of technology! In honor of World Travelers Union’s second birthday, here are the six apps we use when satisfying our wanderlust!
HitList
Thinking of maybe going somewhere but you’re not sure where? Or when? Or what to do when you get there? Then Hitlist is for you! All you need to do is select your home airport and click on some beautiful photos of places you would like to visit.
They have the most creative themed lists of places to go including, “Best Cities to find wild kitties”, “Best Cities for Vegans”, and “Bibliophile Havens”. Additionally, they feature deals for weekend and last-minute getaways. I always find travel inspiration through this app and some amazing flight deals too!
Who wouldn’t want to check out where James Bond filmed?!
Trip Masters
While not technically an app, I’ve planned multiple trips through this website, including Japan, Prague, Panama and Istanbul to give you an example of the wide breadth of locations you can choose from. Their specialty is for trips where you want to hit multiple cities, making logistics with transfers a breeze. Additionally, their search functions enable to you adjust flights to your time preference and upgrade hotels if you are looking for more luxurious quarters. Finally, prior to your travels, Trip Masters sends you a personalized travel guide app detailing your itinerary with your documents and helpful maps.
Any easy overview of your trip, which you can access offline!
Travel Zoo
Travel Zoo provides worldwide deals on flights, hotels, cruises and entertainment. You can search the site for a specific destination or browse their promoted inclusive travel packages. Every week Travel Zoo delivers an email of their cultivated top 20 deals. I live for this email! It provides great ideas and deals even if you are staying home! They’ve featured 4 day trips to Paris with flights and hotel for $499.
Airbnb
In my view, Airbnb has revolutionized travel by enabling people to access a wide variety of locations that aren’t accessible to traditional hotels at affordable prices. I’ve stayed in Airbnb’s all over the world and I’ve always loved that I get to stay in a local neighborhood instead of a giant hotel in the bustling downtown. Additionally, they can be more affordable for families traveling with kids who want to stay in one location but want their own rooms and access to a kitchen. Finally, the app is a seamless experience which allows you to filter by price, location and amenity.
Priority Pass
In 2018, I finally bit the bullet and signed up for the Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card. One of the perks of the card is free membership to Priority Pass Select which provides access with a guest to over 1,200 airport lounges across 500 cities in 143 countries. If you don’t want to join with your financial institution, you can pay an annual membership fee ranging from $99-$419.
Access to airport lounges has been life changing for me! I actually get to the airport early now so I can enjoy a snack and a drink before boarding my flight. It’s absolutely clutch during layovers, you can charge your phone, peruse the buffet and put your feet up until the next flight! The Priority Pass App lets you know EXACTLY where to find the lounges or participating restaurants and displays which amenities are available including free wi-fi, showers or gym access.
Hopper
One of my favorite features of the Hopper flight search app is the color coded calendar that helps you determine which dates will be the cheapest! If you aren’t ready to book yet, you can “watch” the trip and receive notifications when the price drops. Additionally, they have a feature to skip flights with long layovers and have a detailed price prediction tool. Finally, Hopper recently launched hotel booking too so you can check both off your travel list with one app! Their mascot is pretty cute too.
Trip It
(By WTU writer Dene Davis)
World Travelers Union 