6 Travel Apps for a Stress-Free International Trip

Traveling abroad is much easier with the right apps on hand. They can help you pack smarter, choose the best SPF, translate menus, manage money, and even book a guide. Here are six of the best travel apps for confident international travel.

PackPoint 

PackPoint helps you decide what to take with you on a trip. All you need to do is enter your destination, travel dates, and planned activities.

For instance, for a ten-night stay in Barcelona in the beginning of August that includes swimming, hiking, and dining in fancy restaurants, the app recommends a list of 70 items, ranging from essentials like a swimsuit or sunglasses to chapstick, tweezers, and earplugs. Once you put an item in your suitcase, tap it on the list to mark it as packed.

The only drawback is that it works best for trips with a single destination. For longer journeys with multiple destinations, activities, and weather conditions, you’ll need to create separate mini-trips with individual packing lists, which can be a bit inconvenient.

PackPoint is available on the App Store and Google Play.

OnSkin

OnSkin is a skincare ingredient checker that can be useful before and during your trip. Traveling often means exposing your skin to new climates, salt water, and other stressors, while cosmetic products labeled in foreign languages can make choosing the right skincare even more challenging.

For instance, if you’re not sure which SPF to buy, take a photo of the product or its QR code with OnSkin, or type its name in the search bar. The app will analyze its formula, explain what ingredients it contains, and tell you whether the product is a good match for your skin type and concerns.

You can also ask the app to create a personalized 4-step skincare routine with specific products for morning and evening care.

You can download OnSkin from the App Store or Google Play.

My Currency Converter & Rates

This converter supports more than 150 currencies, from the US dollar and euro to the Costa Rican colon and Chilean peso, as well as popular cryptocurrencies.

My Currency Converter is easy to use: just enter the amount and choose the currency you want to convert it to.

You can also add currencies to your favorites for quick access, view exchange rate trends from one day up to five years, and adjust the number of decimal places (0–4).

Another useful feature for travelers is that My Currency Converter can work offline using the last known exchange rates.

Important: The app shows the current exchange rate, while exchange offices and your credit card providers may offer a less favorable rate.

The app is available on iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.

Google Translate

If you need help understanding a menu or a conversation in a foreign language, Google Translate can translate text, speech, and photos in more than 200 languages.

It also includes a Conversation mode, which allows people speaking different languages to communicate in real time. Simply speak into your phone, and the app will translate the conversation for both participants.

If you download language packs before your trip, you’ll be able to translate text without the internet. However, a connection is still needed for camera and speech translation.

You can download the app from the App Store and Google Play.

Bonus app: If you want to learn a few foreign expressions before or during your trip, try Duolingo. It’s a language-learning platform that offers lessons in over 40 languages for learners at all levels. Instead of checking Google Translate every time you hear an Italian “a presto” or “con piacere” from a waitress, you can learn it in just a couple of Duolingo lessons. It’s available for iOS and Android.

Taxi App

It’s a category rather than a single app. Different countries have different taxi services, and their rates can vary. Here are some of the most common ones:

• Uber. One of the most popular taxi apps worldwide (iOS, Android)
• Bolt. Very popular in Europe, Africa, and parts of Asia (iOS, Android)
• Freenow by Lyft. Available in many European countries (iOS, Android)
• Grab. The leading transportation app in many Southeast Asian countries (iOS, Android)

Pro Tip: Download taxi apps before you leave home. It’s much easier to create an account, add your payment details, and complete SMS verification before your trip.

GetYourGuide

GetYourGuide is a travel app that helps you discover and book tours and attractions around the world. If you’ve already planned your trip, you can search for your destination and browse activities to match your interests, from sightseeing tours to wine tastings. Museum tickets are available as well.

All experiences are reviewed by real travelers, so you can check ratings and feedback before booking. If you’re not ready to pay for a tour right away, you can save it to your wishlist.

GetYourGuide can also be helpful if you haven’t decided where to travel yet. The app features collections such as “top destinations,” “must-see attractions,” and “unique travel experiences,” which can help inspire your next trip.

Key Takeaways

These six travel apps serve different purposes, but together they can make your trip smoother:

1. PackPoint helps you build smart packing lists based on your destination, dates, and planned activities
2. OnSkin helps you make skincare choices by analyzing product ingredients and how they may affect your skin
3. My Currency Converter & Rates makes it easy to convert over 150 currencies and track exchange trends
4. Google Translate helps overcome language barriers
5. Taxi apps like Uber, Bolt, Freenow, and Grab make getting around easier once you arrive in a new country
6. GetYourGuide helps you find and book local tours and attractions