Travel more easily:

My travel apps

Dear Diary,

our phone can make our lives easier in some places these days. Even when traveling! Whereas we used to always have a map with us, today we only need our smartphone with a map app. Whereas in the past we always used a printed travel guide, today we only need our smartphone with a travel guide app. Our phone is a real all-rounder and even saves space in our luggage!

Over the last few years, I have used and tried out many apps for our travels. Some of them have often been removed from my phone. However, some have found a permanent home on my smartphone, because these apps have proven their worth. So today I would like to introduce you to the travel apps that, in my personal experience, really make travel life easier!

xx Chiara

Park4Night

by BFichter

If you're traveling with a camper, then Park4Night is the app you definitely need! When we're looking for campsites or pitches, Park4Night is our savior. Because you can use the practical map function to search for all possible pitches in your area. So you never have to worry too much about where to stay! And Park4Night can also help you find a cheap parking space in the city!

The parking spaces always have a description and often also photos. And if you ever find a good parking space that is not yet listed in the app, you can simply make a note of it for future travelers! By the way, you can also find laundromats in the app!

Google Maps

by Google LLC

Well, everyone probably knows Google Maps. But I don't use any other app on my travels as much as this one! On the one hand, I use Google Maps for navigation - both by car and by public transport or on foot. On the other hand, I use it as a planning tool. Before our trips, I always save places of interest, restaurants, cafés and more in Google Maps lists - or I spontaneously check out what good places are nearby.

When I click on my saved lists, I have an overview of where all the places are and how we can best plan our route. For further route planning - at least on our road trips - I also use the Google Maps navigation function, which not only allows me to search for routes from A to B, but also to add stopovers. This makes organizing routes so much easier! The app also has an offline map function. This can be particularly helpful if you're traveling without internet - like we did in Jordan, for example. All you have to do is download the desired map section before your trip and you can access the map in the app at any time.

By the way: I always create a Google Maps list with the most beautiful places after every trip to make it easier for you to plan your travels. I provide the lists free of charge and link to them under every blog post.

Tricount

von Tricount

If you're traveling with several people, the expenses can sometimes be a little confusing. Tricount offers a remedy for this! Because in Tricount you can enter who has spent what on whom. The app then automatically calculates who owes how much to whom. No annoying back-and-forth calculations at the end of the vacation! During the vacation, everyone in the group can access the Tricount, so everyone has a constant overview of the costs. Tricount also automatically calculates how much the group has spent on the vacation and how much you have spent as an individual.

There are also other, similar apps such as Splitwise. We just find Tricount to be the best and easiest to use, which is why we opted for this app.

Incidentally, we now even use the app for our household budget, as it's the easiest way for us to distribute our costs fairly.

Rail Europe

von Loco2

When I book trains, I find out about Rail Europe! Because I always find the best prices and connections here! I've often looked for the same connections with Deutsche Bahn and not found the same offers! The good thing about the app is that, true to its name, it searches for the best train connections throughout Europe. This helped Bene and me tremendously when we wanted to travel from Kitzbühel to Prague! Depending on the situation, booking via another platform (e.g. the respective train operator) may be cheaper as you save on booking fees.

If you book via the app itself, you can easily save your ticket in the app without printing it! This makes the journey even easier!

Note: I'm currently also trying out the Trainline app. So far, I've been able to achieve the same results. However, it's always worth checking both apps to make sure you find the best price!

Skyscanner

von Skyscanner

What Rail Europe is for train connections, Skyscanner is for flights. I've often found the cheapest flights with Skyscanner! In addition to Skyscanner, I also check opodo.de, Google Flights and the flight providers directly. But Skyscanner doesn't usually disappoint me. In addition, the display is very clear in my opinion. With the monthly view, you can see when the desired flight is cheapest so that you can book your flight for the cheapest day (if you are flexible in the times).

A little info: I usually don't actually use the Skyscanner app at all, but go to skyscanner.de. This is because the practical monthly view in the app doesn't work as well as in the browser.

Rome2rio

von Rome2rio Pty Ltd

If you don't know the best way to get from A to B, Rome2Rio is a good app. Rome2Rio gives you an overview of ALL travel options - be it bus, train, flight or carpooling. Rome2Rio also shows you how long the individual connections take and which connection is the cheapest. The best thing about the app, however, is that it is designed to be global. So if you're ever in Bangkok (Thailand) and don't know the best way to get to Phnom Penh (Cambodia), just check Rome2Rio. I think the app is particularly helpful in unfamiliar countries!

Komoot

von komoot GmbH

When we go hiking, we always use the Komoot app! With Komoot, we can easily search for the starting point of our hikes and start them easily. In addition, the interactive map always shows us exactly where we are, so we can't get lost. Using the altitude profile, the app also shows how many meters of altitude you have already covered and how many you still have to cover. This allows you to better assess the difficulty of the hike and plan your breaks.

However, Komoot is not only suitable for traveling! Even when we're at home and want to go for a short hike, we get inspiration from Komoot. Because the app always shows you all the hiking options in your area!

Unterkunftsbuchung

verschiedene Anbieter

When I book accommodation, I use various apps. I mostly book accommodation via Airbnb. I usually find the right accommodation in our price-performance category here and have made lots of lovely contacts as a result. If we're in the mood for a hotel, I usually use Booking.com and, more recently, Google Travel. I always check Secret Escapes beforehand to see if there's a good offer. For example, we found a great offer for a cute boutique hotel in Paris. I also often look for small, regional hotels at the same time. I usually do this with the help of Google Maps by simply searching for hotels within a certain radius. I then book these hotels via their private websites. In general, I also always check the hotels' private websites to see if I can find a cheaper offer. This has paid off on one or two occasions, as the hotels save the booking fees.

N 26

von N26 GmbH

N26 is actually a bank. And normally I wouldn't recommend banks on a public platform. However, N26 has been our savior in Jordan. While the credit cards from our traditional banks only worked at a few ATMs, we never had any problems with N26. That's why I've always used the N26 card when traveling ever since. It also paid off in New York, as I was often cheaper with the N26 than with my MasterCard, where I had to pay fees. Because the advantages of N26 are: A basic account is free. You can withdraw money 5 times a month free of charge (regardless of the ATM). Card payments are generally free of charge - even abroad. You can also do everything conveniently via the app. For example, when my wallet was stolen in New York, I was able to block my card directly via the app within seconds. To block my MasterCard, on the other hand, I first had to call a hotline and give them some details. Someone could have used my card a long time ago.