5 Essential Apps That Every Traveler Needs

May 9th, 2018
​by Eli Solidum
Traveling has become more mobile than ever. No longer do you have to go off the grid when exploring paradise. This is evident as ever when all your friends go on vacation and spam your social media feeds with pictures of them on beaches. Aside from the obvious apps, here are five apps that you should definitely download for your next vacation.


​5. PackPoint
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Start your trip off on the right foot by knowing exactly what you need to pack. I always put off packing until the last possible minute so having PackPoint helps to make sure that I am not forgetting anything. You just input how long your trip is going to be, where you plan on going, what activities you plan on doing and PackPoint gives you a complete list of what you should bring (and then some). It covers the basics like clothing (including how much to bring) and goes all the way down to meds and snorkel gear. It is as thorough of a packing app as I have ever encountered. When it comes to packing, it is definitely better safe than sorry.

4. Maps.Me

Offline maps are essential for every traveler. There's no guarantee that you are going to have Wi-Fi or cellular data anywhere. Being able to download a region's map and track where you are at all times is a life-saver. This app has potentially saved my life a number of times. As opposed to other offline map options like Google Maps, Maps.Me keeps it simple and basic. You don't need to free up several gigabytes of data for a single city. The largest map I've had to download was the entire country of Thailand for about 200 megabytes. That leaves you so much more room for pictures of your adventures.
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​3. Jet Journal
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One of the best ways to capture your travel adventures and tell your story is through Jet Journal. It gives you a platform to share your experiences and draw inspiration from other people's experiences. Save anything that you want to go to as an idea on your Wanderlist and your own personalized map of ideas will start to form on the app. The best part of traveling is meeting other travelers, sharing experiences and learning from them. Jet Journal and its community makes that possible.

Save as many cafes, restaurants and attractions as you want so when the time comes for you to go to Paris or Spain or Greece or Bali, you already have a list of places for where you want to go. It is an actionable platform and a growing community for travelers to tell their unadulterated stories. No need to flex on the 'gram. No need to sugarcoat your experiences. We all want each other to have the best trip possible. It's a platform for travelers, created by travelers.

2. Unfold

Instagram is one of the top apps for any traveler so we're not going to put that on here. However, Unfold is an app that will augment your storytelling capabilities on Instagram. Specifically, it is a platform for you to create stunning Instagram stories. They lay the groundwork for you by giving you many options for Instagram story layouts and all you have to do is add your pictures, maybe include a quick story, and voila. You have more control over what your Instagram story looks like and it will look cleaner, sharper and much more aesthetic.

Instagram: @ThePartyingTraveler

​​1. Airbnb
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Sure, you've heard of Airbnb before, and sure, you may have no desire to stay at a random person's house. However, Airbnb has evolved into more than just an accommodation alternative. Airbnb now features activities and experiences, allowing you to do more local things with local people, even if you aren't particularly keen on staying at their place. This opens up opportunities you may have never dreamed of while traveling.

​For example, if you want to go sailing in the Mediterranean or hiking with an experienced guide in the Alps, you can totally do that now through Airbnb. You can bypass that likely overpriced tour agency and have an authentic local experience with someone you can trust.

Oh, and you can get $40 of travel credit just by signing up through my referral link. What experiences can that get you? Well, for starters, that's a bike adventure through Beverly Hills, a graffiti workshop in Brooklyn, a boat ride in Seattle, kayaking through Dublin, a wine tasting in Florence... shall I continue? Nah, you get the point, but yeah. One of those trips is on me!

If that doesn't cut it, the folks over at Jet Journal are giving away 3 $100 Airbnb gift cards. All you need to do is visit their website! Airbnb has really stepped their game up in transforming the travel industry and bringing the entire world closer together. It has turned travel from merely sightseeing to truly unforgettable experiences.