Since moving to Europe, I have discovered a few new apps that make travel a lot more smooth and fun. From flying to hotels and city tours to ridesharing, you'll want to download these before your next trip!
1. Skyscanner
As a loyal user of Google Flights for many years, I wasn't even aware of other apps that search for flights! While Google Flights is great for the U.S., I quickly learned that many European airlines, especially low-cost carriers like RyanAir, don't appear. Skyscanner is a great option, where you can still sign up for alerts. They also have an app!
2. Rick Steves Audio Europe
When visiting a big European city, there are countless options on seeing the city. From hop-on hop-off buses to private walking tours, there is something for every budget and group size. I have tried most of these options out in cities across the continent, but I always end up coming back to Rick Steves and his fantastic audio guides. The tours give a lot of flexibility as opposed to join a guided tour and the app is free! Although not available in every city, be sure to check it out.
3. GPSmyCity
This app was never on my radar until visiting a smaller town in Germany. Another fantastic tool for finding landmarks in a city and even articles written by locals, GPSmyCity has been very helpful when exploring cities and you don't have time for a guided walking tour. This app is free as well, but does have a paid version, which gives you some more features!
4. RideShare Apps
While Lyft and Uber are king in America, they can be hit or miss in Europe. You can find Uber in larger cities, but Lyft is unavailable in Europe. Do research before and download Bolt, FREENOW or cabify if needed. It can be stressful doing this in the midst of a busy city, so doing it beforehand will help you stay safe. Of course, most cities have taxis, but as a regular solo traveler, I like booking through the app if possible.
5. Trainline
While we're on the subject of transportation, the other app you need for public transit is Trainline! While it mostly covers long-distance travel, it often has tickets to the city center from the airport in bigger cities, like Rome. This app has also saved me in a pinch when train stations have a half-dozen tourists queued at every ticket kiosk. It's nice to have when traveling between countries, so you don't have to download each country's train app.
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