20 Apps That Will Take the Stress Out of Planning Your Destination Race
Be your own travel agent and save some serious cash with these insightful apps.
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Planning a race in another state or country can seem overwhelming. From weather and flight updates, through hotels and transportation, all the way to dining and entertainment, there’s a smartphone app out there to help. We’ve rounded up some of the best travel apps you’ll want to download ASAP.
Related: Smash your goals with a Runner’s World Training Plan, designed for any speed and any distance.
TripIt
Free, available for iOS:
Free, available for Android:
If you’re sick of digging through your email inbox on your smartphone in search of confirmation emails for everything from your flight to your rental car to the hotel booking, TripIt is a game-changer. It helps ensure that all your important emails are easily accessible and at your fingertips. It even turns your confirmation emails into calendar events and gives you real-time updates throughout your trip. Talk about convenient.
Hitlist
Hotel Tonight
Free, available for iOS:
Free, available for Android:
As much as we love Hotwire and Priceline’s last-minute hotel deals, we don’t love how their cheapest room rates are mostly mysteries. You won’t get the name and exact location of the hotel until it’s booked—and there are typically no cancellations. With Hotel Tonight, there are no surprises. It’s an easy-to-use app with excellent prices for same-day and future hotel room reservations.
Transit • Bus & Subway Times
Free, available for iOS:
Free, available for Android:
The Transit app will help you navigate public transportation both at home and abroad. The app is free and works in more than 125 cities across North America and Europe. It’ll alert you when your ride is approaching, and some cities even have real-time tracking, so you specifically know where your ride is. If your train or bus isn’t running, you can request an Uber, reserve a car2go, or reserve the closest bike share right within the app.
Skiplagged
Free, available for iOS:
Free, available for Android:
Skiplagged is a useful tool for travelers on a budget who don’t need to check any luggage. It exploits a loophole called “hidden city ticketing” and helps you find cheaper airfare. Skiplagged helps you find flights where it’s cheaper to get off at a layover as opposed to booking a one-way flight. A USA Today editor said she scored a $111 flight that would have been up to $289 anywhere else.
For example, say there’s a flight from Los Angeles to New York with a layover in Chicago that’s cheaper than a direct flight to Chicago. Skiplagged shows you if that’s an option, in which case you’ll purchase the LA-to-NY ticket, then miss your New York connection and stay in Chicago—which is where you wanted to be anyway.
Skyscanner
Free, available for iOS:
Free, available for Android:
This all-in-one app helps you travel smarter and more affordably. You can search for hotels, car rentals, flights, and set price alerts or get notified when prices change. If you love a good deal, it’s an excellent one-stop shop that works with both Android and iOS devices.
Hopper
Free, available for iOS:
Free, available for Android:
Hopper is a nifty travel app that tells you when it’s a good time to book your flight so you get a fantastic price. According to VentureBeat, it’s been installed on more than 30 million devices, and it uses a powerful algorithm to compare airfare price points and historical data to help you get a great deal. The app sends you notifications to tell you when prices go down or when it’s a good time to book that flight you’ve been putting off. It also has hidden-city ticketing like the Skiplagged app we previously mentioned.
The Outbound
Free, available for iOS:
Free, available for Android:
The Outbound is a useful crowdsourced tool that helps you discover local hikes and adventures that you’ll remember for a lifetime. We used it ourselves to explore breathtaking hidden gems throughout Southern Utah. The app is very similar to Yelp and lets users favorite hikes, review them, upload photos of them, or create adventures of their own.
Roadtrippers
$3.99, available for iOS:
$3.99, available for Android:
If you prefer road trips with long winding roads over airplanes and recycled air, you’re going to love this app. It’s perfect for those cross-country road trips or quick weekend getaways. The app is the ultimate road trip companion. It’s packed with hundreds of travel guides and itineraries that you can save, plus it’ll help you discover must-see pit stops that you may have missed without it. You can also read reviews of hotels and restaurants in the app, too.
Dark Sky
$3.99, available for iOS:
$3.99, available for Android:
Dark Sky has been considered by many as the best weather app for Apple iOS for quite some time. Also available for Android, the app features sleek animations of radar and ultra accurate local predictions down to the minute. Push notifications are also available. Note that Android users will have to pay $3 per year in order to take full advantage of the app’s functionality.
Airbnb
Free, available for iOS:
Free, available for Android:
If you’re looking for an alternative to pricey hotels at your preferred travel destinations, be sure to install Airbnb. With more than two million listings in over 30,000 locations, the highly rated free app will likely help you find a unique spot that fits both your taste and budget.
Google Trips
Free, available for iOS:
Free, available for Android:
Google Trips is a free app that organizes all of your trip essentials, as well as make them available offline. The app bundles all your travel reservations such as plane tickets, hotels, and car rentals into an easy-to-read interface. By knowing the user's location, Google Trips can also suggest local attractions and things to do. The app was highlighted in the New York Times’ Travel section, which said the app can do the equivalent of what four other travel apps can do in a convenient and free all-in-one package.
HappyCow Vegetarian & Vegan Restaurant Guide
$3.99, available for iOS:
$3.99, available for Android:
Knowing good vegetarian and vegan restaurants while traveling can be tricky, and the Happy Cow app is designed to help. The app will deliver relevant suggestions by using your location and dietary preferences, so it’s a handy companion to have while traveling. The app offers over 65,000 vegan-friendly businesses, and it’s packed with photos and reviews from other users.
KAYAK
Free, available for iOS:
Free, available for Android:
KAYAK is one of the best travel booking services in the business, and its mobile app will definitely come in handy when you need a getaway on the cheap. It searches through hundreds of travel sites in order to deliver the best deals on travel and accommodations, regardless of the destination.
Guides by Lonely Planet
Free, available for iOS:
Free, available for Android:
Lonely Planet has the best travel guides in the business, and the mobile app worth downloading, too. It allows users to find expertly curated city guides and save them to their mobile device for offline use. There’s also the ability to search for specific activities, must-see sights, and access important travel safety tips. The app features a built-in currency converter, lists transport info, and has a button you can tap to figure out what's around you based on your location.
Lyft
Free, available for iOS:
Free, available for Android:
Lyft will help you avoid dealing with local taxicabs and cash while traveling. With a sleek and easy-to-use interface, the app makes booking affordable rides easy. If you’re concerned about safety, Lyft has $1,000,000 liability insurance, a dedicated Trust and Safety team for 24/7 support, and each driver is screened and is required to submit to background checks and adhere to vehicle standards.
Mobile Passport
Free, available for iOS:
Free, available for Android:
This app will help you skip the long custom lines when entering the United States through its large international airports. Authorized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Mobile Passport allows you to enter the passport information, answer customs questions, and submit the information when you land. Then, you can breeze through Mobile Passport Control without worry.
Planes Live: Flight Tracker
$6.99, available for iOS:
As its name suggests, this highly rated iOS app will help you track flights in real time, as well as deliver instant information about their status. Beautifully designed and easy to use, the app is a must-have companion for frequent travelers, as well as a handy tool you can use to share your flight status with your loved ones picking you up from the airport.
TripAdvisor
Free, available for iOS:
Free, available for Android:
TripAdvisor has long been a leading source of travel reviews and opinions, so it’s no surprise that its mobile app is one of the most popular around. Whether you're looking for a cheap weekend getaway, travel suggestions, or reviews of a restaurant you're about to visit, TripAdvisor is a convenient app that can help.
Splitwise
Free, available for iOS:
Free, available for Android:
Although Splitwise is more of a finance app than a travel app, we think it’s a must-download if you travel with friends or want to split things evenly with your significant other. Use the app to split the bill at restaurants, concerts, excursions, the theater, or anything else that might come up. It takes the stress and awkwardness out of making sure your loved ones aren’t over or under paying. And when it’s time to settle up, you can link your Venmo account and pay your friends from within the app.
Brandon Carte is a writer and editor with over a decade of experience covering technology, gadgets and appliances. His reporting has been featured on Best Products, Top Ten Revies, Good Housekeeping and USA Today. When he's not researching washing machines or testing robot vacuums, you can find him at concerts, swimming laps, or at the movies. He thinks smartphones are too big, prefers MP3s to Spotify and misses his iPhone’s headphone jack.
Stefan is an award-winning consumer technology editor with over a decade of experience in reviewing gadgets, particularly smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, desktop and laptop computers across multiple form factors and platforms, as well as accessories for them. He also covers televisions and audio equipment, including headphones, earbuds, wireless speakers, and soundbars. Since joining Hearst in 2015, Stefan has contributed to BestProducts, Popular Mechanics, and numerous other publications. Prior to his current role, he served as the US Editor for GSMArena.com.
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