The Hands-Down Best Travel Apps You’ll Need for Your Next Trip

Doesn’t it kind of seem like the travel industry is having a big laugh at our expense? They take away our precious legroom, charge money for snacks that used to be gratis, and demand a small fortune for checked baggage (something that—once upon a time—also used to come with the price of a ticket). Before you get too frustrated, take a deep breath and remember that there are innovative and super-handy apps out there that help weary travelers take the power back—and they’re not just about finding the best deals.

I spent the better part of the spring and summer living in and traveling through Europe, and for better or worse, I started my trip not knowing a word of Swedish (kind of a problem when I planned to spend six weeks in the country) nor much of anything about where to go or what to do.

Through the painstaking scientific methodology of trial and error, I found some truly amazing apps that make travel—and especially international travel—not only easy, but awesome. No longer do you have to suffer the indignity of filling your suitcase with bulky travel guides that may or may not be out of date nor do you have to somehow become an overnight expert in what transit methods to take from Scandinavia to Eastern Europe.

And the best perk of all? Most of these apps save you both time and money, so you can start planning your next escape even sooner.