8 Essential iPhone Apps for Stress-Free Travel

Google Maps

Google Maps is probably one of the first apps you should download before visiting a new place. 

It even works in your hometown, as Google Maps is fantastic for driving and walking directions. If the place you’re visiting supports it, the app can also help you find public transport routes. And if you don’t know where to go, you can also search for nearby restaurants or attractions and check information about places before visiting.

One feature worth setting up before your vacation is offline maps. You can download a specific area to your iPhone and continue using supported navigation features even if you lose your internet connection.

You can also save interesting locations into lists before your trip. That gives you an easy way to find restaurants and attractions you’ve already researched instead of repeatedly searching for them.

The best part about using Google’s app is that it’s easy to access from anywhere. You can sync your data with your Google Account and access it on a computer or other device if you don’t have your iPhone nearby. 

Wanderlog

Planning a complicated vacation can quickly turn into a mess of browser tabs and emails.

That's where Wanderlog comes in. It gives you one place to organize everything. You can build a day-by-day itinerary and add the places you plan to visit. You can view all locations on a map, making it easier to see whether your plans for a particular day are actually possible.

The app is especially useful when you’re traveling with other people, as Wanderlog lets your friends and family see the full itinerary and update it as they see fit.

The app can also organize reservations and track expenses. If you subscribe to Wanderlog Pro, you get additional tools including offline access and automatic route optimization.

Flighty

Flighty is a must-have for anyone who plans on flying on their next vacation. The free version provides unlimited flight tracking and live flight data. It also includes Flighty Friends for sharing flights and a Flighty Passport containing your flight history.

That alone is more than enough for some people. You’ll be able to keep track of your own flight, and also your friends' and family’s if you need to. But the pro version of the app offers even more features. For instance, it can send push notifications about delays and gate changes while also tracking the aircraft scheduled to operate your flight.

It also includes Delay Predictions and Live Activities. These are well worth the money for frequent fliers, but most of us will find the free version includes everything we need to make our next trip easier.

Google Translate

One of the biggest concerns when traveling abroad is communication. Not everyone speaks English, so you need to be ready to find a way to talk to other people. Luckily, this issue was solved years ago. 

Google Translate can help with both text and basic conversations. You can type or speak something you want translated, or point your camera at a piece of text and let Google translate it for you.

The app supports hundreds of languages already — way more than Apple's built-in Translate app — so chances are very good that you'll be able to understand what others are saying. 

Before leaving home, download any supported languages you’ll need offline. That way, you’ll still have access to all you need, even if the Wi-Fi connection is spotty.

Citymapper

Google Maps is excellent for navigation in most places, but Citymapper is often even better if you’re visiting one of its supported cities.

As the name implies, Citymapper is built specifically for urban transit, so that's where it truly shines. Citymapper can help you navigate through subways, walking, or even on a scooter. You’ll get clear directions to reach your destination in the fastest way possible, regardless of how you’re traveling.

One of its most useful features is Get Off Alerts. Start a journey, and Citymapper can notify you when your stop is approaching, so you don’t have to spend the entire ride nervously watching every station.

Rome2Rio

Figuring out how to travel between two unfamiliar destinations can be really tricky, especially if you don’t have much experience. So if you’re planning to backpack or travel to different countries, Rome2Rio will be a lifesaver.

The app is pretty straightforward: simply enter two locations, and it’ll show you different ways to make the journey. Instead of assuming you need to fly, you might discover a combination involving a train or ferry that’s faster, cheaper, or lets you enjoy the view a bit more.

Rome2Rio currently covers more than 10 million locations across over 240 countries and territories. It pulls its information from more than 20,000 transport operators, so the data you get is accurate and up to date.

It’s particularly helpful when planning a vacation across several cities or countries. You can quickly get an idea of your transportation options before digging deeper into individual schedules and bookings.

Airalo

If your iPhone supports eSIM — which it almost certainly does if you've bought a new one in the past eight years — Airalo gives you another way to stay connected while traveling internationally.

The app lets you purchase eSIM plans for destinations around the world. It supports over 200 different places, so chances are you’ll find something that works for your trip. You can install a compatible plan on your iPhone without searching for a physical SIM card after landing. And the best part is that you do it right on your iPhone almost instantly.

Airalo offers plans for individual countries as well as regional options that cover multiple destinations. There are even global plans if you’re planning a really serious trip.

Just remember to compare your options before purchasing anything, as prices and network quality can vary depending on where you’re traveling.

Pro Tip: With an iPhone 13 or newer model, you can set up your Airalo plan as a second line even if your primary one is also using an eSIM (older models require your primary line to be using a physical SIM card). You probably won't want to use your primary line while traveling internationally, but at least incoming calls and texts can still come through in case of an emergency.

Tripadvisor

Sometimes you know where you’re going but have no idea what you should actually do once you get there. Tripadvisor can help you research hotels and restaurants while also giving you ideas for tours.

One of the best parts about the app is its giant collection of reviews by fellow travelers. You can see what actual people are saying about a place instead of just hoping for the best.

Of course, individual experiences can vary considerably, and a restaurant receiving one angry review doesn’t automatically mean you should avoid it. But this will help you decide where the best place to visit is that fits your taste and your budget.

Besides that, the app also has some offers and deals that can help you save some money. You can even get some cash back thanks to its rewards program. Overall, if you’re already traveling, it can be helpful to have Tripadvisor installed on your iPhone in case you need it.