The travel apps that make trip planning and touring seamless | Canada Voices

Travel should be exciting, but sometimes it can feel like it’s just another set of tasks and to do’s. With flights to track, hotels to book, directions to navigate, it’s as if the logistics are taking over the adventure.

Thankfully, a growing lineup of travel apps have emerged to ensure every part of your journey – from pre-planning to active exploring – flows smoothly, leaving you free to actually enjoy the trip you’re on.

Getting there

When it comes to booking flights, travel experts often rely on Google Flights and Skyscanner, which both track the best deals and send you notifications when prices change. And for when you’re en route? There’s CanBorder, which provides estimated wait times at select ports of entry in Canada and the U.S., as well as Flighty, which tracks flight delays, cancellations, strikes and more.

“I consistently get updates faster than I do from the airline apps themselves,” says Jordana Manchester, a travel advisor with Storied Lands Travel in Squamish, B.C. “More than once, I’ve been standing in line to board and received a delay alert before it was even announced.”

If you’re on the hunt for a deal on bus or train tickets, Wanderu can help you score savings on routes across Europe and North America. Roadtripping? GasBuddy can help you track down the cheapest gas enroute. More cash for gas station snacks!

Pre-trip prep

While social media loves a viral packing hack, Manchester – who describes herself as “the world’s worst overpacker” – appreciates a good app like PackPoint to keep her organized.

“I love the simplicity,” she says. “Just plug in your destination, the time of year you’re travelling, the types of activities you’ll be participating in – and it will build you a pretty slick packing list. It’s fully customizable so if you happen to have access to laundry, it will take that into account.”

In terms of making your itinerary, there are certainly many options to choose from. Manchester likes TripIT, whereas Samantha Delaney, a Toronto-based legal tech senior consultant and adjunct professor, who travelled to international destinations including Mexico, France and Costa Rica last year, is a big fan of Wanderlog. “You can upload plane tickets, car rentals and hotel reservations, making it easy to visualize your whole journey in one place,” she says. “[I can] generate a day-by-day map of my entire trip using all of the information that you input, which is a huge time saver.”

On the go

What about while you’re trying to find your way around once you arrive? There’s Google Maps, of course, but Manchester recommends Waze.

“Waze has a super fun interface which makes getting around world cities and communities sort of like a game,” she says. “My eight-year-old loves it!”

Manchester is fond of the app because it’s community-built and offers real-time updates, which is great for road-tripping and trying to avoid rush hour, accidents or major construction.

As for managing finances while travelling with friends or family, Delaney is keen on Splitwise, which simplifies tracking and settling shared expenses as it helps “avoid the awkwardness of splitting bills at restaurants or for shared reservations.” And for international travel, you’re able to use the currency of that country.

“At the end of the trip, Splitwise simplifies group debts by calculating who owes what using the fewest possible transfers,” Delaney says. “I even use the pro version to remove daily expense limits.

”Manchester also praises AccessNow, a Canadian-founded crowdsourced platform that allows travellers to find, rate and share information on how accessible certain hotels, restaurants, stores, parks and trails are. “I work with several travellers living with various hidden and visible disabilities,” she says. “[The app] helps my travellers make informed decisions about their trip.”

Other expert suggestions include e-sim purveyor Airalo, so you can use your phone abroad, Headout for last-minute tickets in big cities and Airbnb Experiences for finding unique activities hosted by locals.

With technology taking care of the details, you’re free to focus on making the most of your trip.