When asked what can’t I travel without, I often respond my precious mobile apps. Especially the family travel apps that take the pain out group travel.
Nowadays, thanks to the internet, trip planning is easier than ever. You can book affordable hotels and resorts online, and you can compare travel packages in your budget range. And mobile apps put all that power at the tip of your fingers.
A great family vacation requires you to put your organizing skills at play to put together the best deals in accommodation, food, and transportation in one solid travel itinerary.
For when you have to be a group travel wiz, here are 11 essential family travel apps you can rely on.
1. Airbnb
Popular with travelers, the app lets you find unique accommodations, perfect for those who are looking for alternatives to hotel rooms.
Airbnb has guest rooms and break-and-breakfast listings in almost 200 countries, searchable by location, amenities, and price.
Available on: iOS and Android
2. Kayak
Looking for an affordable room in dream destinations? Kayak allows you to book for hotels, flights, vacation packages, and car rentals, all in just one place.
Kayak compiles search results from hundreds of travel sites so you can compare rates, receive price alerts and even status of flights.
Available on: iOs and Android, Windows Phone, and Kindle
3. Amtrak
Amtrak is the family travel app to have if you are planning to journey by train. With it, you can easily create reservation, modify existing ones, and check train status.
This app also helps you find information about a particular train station, such as directions, amenities, accessibility, and parking.
Available on: iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Amazon
4. Hotel Tonight
Looking for great deals on same-night bookings? Hotel Tonight was made for you. Last-minute hotel seekers can browse through the app’s listings of rooms, from the cheap to the most luxurious options all with reviews, amenities, photos, and general policies.
Hotel Tonight also explains why particular rooms are included in their list which makes a great shortcut for judging the quality of accommodations.
Available on: iOS, Android, Windows Phone
5. Word Lens
For when you can’t speak all the languages in the world but still need to navigate the places to travel to, there is Word Lens, an app that supports close to 50 world languages.
Word Lens is a great alternative to asking locals for translations. All you have to do is just point your phone’s camera at a sign and watch the text magically make sense to you.
Available on: iOS, Android
6. FlightBoard
This app gives your smartphone access to flight boards, which is handy if you’re already running late and you have a plane to catch.
The board displays up-to-date arrival and departure information from more than 1,400 airlines and 3,000 airports.
Available on: iOS, Android
7. Travefy
Traveling with a group is definitely loads of fun but putting together an itinerary that is suitable for all parties concerned can be a huge headache.
Travefy is designed to solve this problem by taking care of all the details of the trip, searching flights, accommodations, building the itinerary, and even managing money for the shared expenses.
Available on: iOS
8. BestParking
Finding a place to park can be a major pain, especially if you’re navigating in unfamiliar territory. This app helps you find the cheap and convenient parking facilities in more than 100 cities and airports in North America.
You can search parking facilities by address, neighborhood, street, or tourist attraction and access a list of rates, clearance height and even make parking reservations using your smartphone.
Available on: iOS, Android, BlackBerry
9. GasBuddy
Find the lowest gas prices in your area for your vehicle. The app is kept up-to-date by users making sure that the price information is always fresh and useful.
Available on: iOS, Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry
10. Maps.me
Getting lost used to be part of the whole travel experience but you can skip this hassle with the help of maps. With the help of GPS, the app helps you find your way through offline maps.
You can easily find points of interests around the world without having to ask locals for directions.
Available on: iOS, Android, Amazon
11. FreeZone and WiFiPass
Since you need the internet to use these apps, what’s more helpful than apps that help you get connected while you’re on the go?
FreeZone and WiFiPass are apps that are made to be used together to help you get online.
FreeZone provides you a list of free WiFi hotspots while WiFiPass provides you access to shared passwords for private connections.
Available on: iOS, Android
Now that you got the apps needed for effortless traveling, it’s time to pack your bags and put that smartphone to good use.
With just a few swipes and taps, you can put together an itinerary and book for all the stuff you’ll need using hotel booking mobile apps, resort booking apps, and others that can make your vacation a convenient and enjoyable one.
About the author
John Anderson is a Web Developer, solo traveler, and a passionate writer, owner of the Infiltration Alert Blog. He is most passionate about tech and travel trends.