Here are some favorite travel tools.
With an abundance of apps and websites asserting their indispensability for travel, it can be overwhelming to navigate the options. Whether you need to locate a restroom on the go (pun intended), discover the finest vegetarian restaurants, or explore and reserve tours and activities worldwide, there’s probably an app or website designed to assist you. Like many frequent travelers, I have a collection of go-to tools I rely on consistently. Here are a few of the travel resources that have become essential to my journeys.
Autoslash
Just like airfares, car rental prices can fluctuate up until the day of departure, but most travelers don’t have the time to continuously check for better deals. I often book a rental and then forget about it until it’s time to pick up the car. That’s where Autoslash comes in. This website can help you save money on existing car rental reservations, regardless of where you originally booked them, as long as the bookings are refundable and still within the cancellation window. Simply create a trip and submit your tracking request, and Autoslash will monitor rental car prices based on your details. If they find a better deal, they’ll email you so you can book the new reservation and cancel your old one. The savings can range from a few dollars to hundreds. Additionally, Autoslash can help you save on your initial booking by applying discounts based on your credit card or loyalty program memberships. I’ve written more about Autoslash in a previous post, which you can find here.
Flighty
This user-friendly app (Apple iOS only), allows you to keep a close eye on all your flights in one simple dashboard. With Flighty, you can monitor your upcoming flights and input important details such as seat assignments and confirmation codes. You can also use it as a travel log by entering information about previous flights you’ve taken. Flighty also helps you stay informed when faced with the inevitable gate changes, delays, or even aircraft swaps, if you want to get into the nitty-gritty details of your travel experience.
Bounce Luggage Storage
This app is a lifesaver when I arrive early in a city and want to start exploring without lugging my bag around. Bounce finds nearby locations where you can drop off your bags and retrieve them later, making it convenient to enjoy your destination unencumbered. But it’s not just for traveling; if you’re on a shopping spree and don’t want to carry your accumulated purchases with you, a local Bounce storage site can hold them for you until you’re ready to pick them up.
Google Flights
This powerful tool allows you to search for the most affordable airfares between up to seven origin and seven destination airports without compromising search speed. The Explore map feature enables you to discover the cheapest destinations to fly to from your selected airport during your chosen dates or date range. Google Flights also will let you know if the fare you’re considering is high, low, or average for your specific trip., and it will show you the carbon footprint of each flight.
Airalo
If your phone plan doesn’t include free roaming or you don’t have an unlocked phone that you can use with a local SIM card, how can you stay connected when abroad without incurring an alarmingly high phone bill? As the “world’s first eSIM store,” Airalo offers eSIMs that work in over 200 countries, allowing you to use your phone almost anywhere in the world without worrying about escalating costs. Prices start at around $5 for most countries, which typically covers you for a week or up to 1GB of data usage. If you’re traveling for a longer period or require more data, many countries offer plans that provide up to 20GB of data for under $30, valid for 30 days. I’ve written more about Airalo in a previous post here.
TripIt
TripIt is the travel organization app that I’ve relied on for over a decade. It tracks all my trip itineraries, compiles details for flights, activities, accommodations, and transportation, alerts me to any changes in reservations, and even helps me secure a better seat on the plane if one becomes available. The app works by consolidating all your travel details in one place, creating a comprehensive itinerary for each trip based on the confirmation emails you provide. Whenever you book a flight, hotel, or reservation, simply forward the confirmation email to plans@tripit.com. TripIt then adds the information to your itinerary, generating a linear, hour-by-hour, day-by-day schedule that shows you where you need to be and when throughout your trip. If you have multiple trips booked, each one will be organized into its own separate itinerary.
Twist’s Take: There are a lot of travel tools out there. These are some of my essentials.
