14 Travel Apps Savvy Travelers Need to Download Right Now

For frequent travelers, membership travel planning company Origin may be just what you’re looking for. A $3,000 annual membership fee gets you unlimited trip planning, 24/7 support, and benefits like being assigned a personal curator, depending on your destination, to help customize your trip. You’ll get perks like room upgrades, complimentary breakfasts, and unexpected surprises like a pop-up picnic lunch in a scenic locale. Origin taps travel experts and combine their trip curation expertise with machine learning, all in one app.

Travel planning company Essentialist works with 150 international editors and 200 local insiders to create highlight personalized itineraries surrounding members’ interests and needs. Essentialist’s proprietary database of unique experiences, hotels, restaurants, and activities come together to make personalized itineraries. AI matchmaking technology allows Essentialist to match members with itinerary elements ideal given their interests and preferences, sorting through thousands of options to connect members with the ones that best fit them. Members can access their digital itineraries and travel inspiration through their smartphones or other devices for easy access and real-time updates while traveling.

Are you set on sticking to your budget? Check out Elude, a budget-first search engine that makes it possible for you to discover and book flights and accommodations leaving from the nearest airport on a specific date within your desired price range. You get trip packages and itineraries that are within your budget. Another plus, users can leverage their credit card miles directly on the app.

With the ever-changing requirements around COVID, travelers will appreciate guidance navigating what’s necessary when it comes to testing and vaccinations. App in the Air’s digital health passport aims to take the drama out of the process. You can upload and scan PCR tests and vaccine cards digitally ahead of your trip, get real-time alerts if you need to upload a test for your specific destination, and access to a personal QR code, similar to the app’s boarding feature, where the digital passport will easily scan for travel requirement approvals in the airport and assistance finding and booking lab appointments. You can do good too. When you upload your proof of COVID vaccination, App in the Air donates an additional vaccine to a country with lower access to vaccinations.

The goal of the Gowhee app is to simplify travel for families, ideally making it unnecessary to spend countless hours searching online and creating their own itineraries. The platform brings together more than 30 custom filters, like crib onsite and changing tables. For families with special needs, there is even a filter for “sensory sensitive” amenities. Members can search by specific locations or browse on the interactive world map. Each place is added by parent users who leave their reviews and most have personal photos to go along with what they share. The yearly subscription is $29.99 but the app can be a bargain as it negotiates exclusive member “deals” without blackout dates or fine print.

Road trips continue to be popular as people want to travel in their own space. Up the fun factor with Autio. It lets you explore the culture, history, and interesting facts about a place while you’re driving through it. The app uses your location and preferences and plays audio while you’re passing along your route. Expect to hear answers to questions you might have, like what’s the name of that gorgeous mountain peak? The app is free for the first five stories, and then you have a month, one-year, and three-year subscription plans available.

This is for outdoor enthusiasts who crave time on the trails. The app helps people find new routes, prepare for a hike/trail activity, and hit the trail safely with its built-in navigation tool.  Access hand-curated trail maps along with photos, reviews, and user recordings so they feel ready for the road. You can narrow your searches down to explore routes that are kid, dog, wheelchair, and stroller friendly. AllTrails has more than 300,000 trails around the world and an online global community of more than 35 million. The premium subscription for AllTrails Pro is $29.99 a year.

This free app is a boon for bikers. JAGZ makes it easy for cyclists and mountain bikers to find group rides, hosts, professional guides, bike shops, shuttles, races, and bike events at home and around the world.  The good stuff starts with the  “MyTown” button on the home page. There, you can create or join group rides and events such as races, demo days, clinics, shuttle services, and post-ride soirees. Bike activities in one’s town are displayed on an interactive map that allows you to simply tap “Going” and the event is automatically synced to your calendar.