As someone who has been travelling the world solo for a long time, one of my primary concerns is that of safety and comfort. How do I keep myself safe and comfortable during my trips?
And the best way I do that is by following the expert advise of others and making sure I have access to these by installing all the relevant travel apps on my phone/ laptop.
In this post, I list some of the best apps for solo travellers and hope you find this list helpful.
Table Of Contents
- 1 Best Apps For Solo Travellers
- 1.1 SurfShark
- 1.2 Google Maps
- 1.3 Rome2Rio
- 1.4 Maps.Me
- 1.5 Host a Sister
- 1.6 Google Translate
- 1.7 Viator
- 1.8 Getyourguide
- 1.9 Klook
- 1.10 Skyscanner
- 1.11 Google Flights
- 1.12 HappyCow
- 1.13 Booking
- 1.14 Agoda
- 1.15 Esim
- 1.16 Uber
- 1.17 Didi
- 1.18 Bolt
- 1.19 Grab
- 1.20 Eurail
- 1.21 Weather
- 1.22 Facebook
- 1.23 Instagram
- 1.24 Whatsapp
- 1.25 TripAdvisor
- 1.26 Excel Sheets
- 2 Conclusion
Best Apps For Solo Travellers
You will find all the apps for travellers mentioned here either on App Store or Google Play store. If you are a first time solo traveller, then don’t forget to install them before your first solo trip.
Also, please let me know what other apps for travelling do you use in the comments?
SurfShark
As a solo female traveller, a VPN is definitely one of the best things I have invested in and I use SurfShark VPN
I spend less than 1.5$ per month and it helps keeping my data protected. Irrespective of where I join from. Those airport Wifis are not exactly the safest and a VPN definitely helps protect my devices.
I have also used it in countries where some websites may not open. Like I was in Indonesia recently and my bank websites were not opening and the only thing that worked was when I used a VPN.
Google Maps
For someone who travels so much, you would think I am great at directions. But I am perpetually getting lost when I am travelling.
And if there was no Google Maps, I would be circling the same block over and over again.
It also ensures that I do not venture out into unsafe areas and hence this is the reason it is a must have solo female traveller app.
I also end up downloading an offline copy of the map.
Rome2Rio
This is definitely the best travel journey planners and it helps you plan your trips effortlessly by letting you know which mode and which route to take.
It also gives an idea of how much money you need to spend depending on the mode of transport you take.
Maps.Me
In some cities and countries, I have found Maps.Me to have more accurate maps compared to Google Maps and hence I use this occasionally too.
Also, very helpful since it provides an offline map when you do not have an internet connection.
Host a Sister
More than an app, this is actually a community of women who host other women travellers around the world.
Even though I am yet to use it, I have heard that it is one of the best solo travel apps and a must for any woman travelling around the world.
Google Translate
This is my go to app when it comes to language barriers and have used it multiple times when I am travelling in a country where English is not the main language.
I also use Google lens with the translate option to translate restaurant menus or sign boards when I am travelling.
Viator
There are days when I don’t want to plan the day on my own or sometimes it is difficult to find tickets to attractions on my own.
For this, I use Viator and I feel that Viator is the best app for tourists for both day trips and attraction tickets.
Viator is also a subsidiary of TripAdvisor.
Getyourguide
Very similar to Viator and the only difference is the location where I am travelling in. I use Getyourguide when I am travelling in Europe and it is the best tourist app I use for finding day trips and attractions in Europe.
Klook
Again, very similar to Viator and Getyourguide. But this is the one I prefer to use when I am in Asia.
Skyscanner
I am always looking for flights. Whether I am planning to take them or not. Or just figuring out where all I can fly to at any given point in time.
And that is why Skyscanner is one of my favorite apps for trips. It helps me with choosing the best option from so many options. I love the fly to everywhere feature and I also love their Drop feature.
Skyscanner definitely has helped me get some of the best deals when it comes to flights and I would definitely be lost without them.
Google Flights
Google Flights is another app that helps me score great deals on flights and before every trip, I am checking between both Skyscanner and Google flights to find the best flights.
Setting up price drop alerts on Google flights for the routes I want is a feature I love about Google Flights.
HappyCow
As a vegetarian traveller, this is one of the most helpful travel apps to help me find vegetarian food around me.
I have been using it for years and it helps us choose restaurants that are helpful for vegan travellers and vegetarian travellers.
I also use Google’s Near me option to find vegetarian restaurants near me too.
Booking
This is one of my most used apps when it comes to finding accommodation around the world.
I have been using this app for a long time and anytime I want to find a deal or a dreamy stay, this is my Go to stop for all my accommodation needs.
As a solo traveller, I am also a planner and having my accommodation planned at least for a few days before I land into a new country is a must for me.
I also love the feature of letting me cancel upto 24 hours before my stay. This is also what I use to book all my stays before any of my visa interviews.
Agoda
Even though I use Booking for my international stays, I prefer using Agoda for finding stays in India and in Asia.
Agoda also has the same options as Booking and helps me filter the accommodation based on reviews, ratings, price and other features.
Esim
As a digital nomad travelling for more than 150 days a year, I visit more than 10-15 countries every year. And it does not make sense to get a sim in every country I go to. Especially, when it is for a short duration.
There are many eSims out there and I prefer to use ones like Airalo and Holafly because of how easy it is to buy an eSim on the go and activate it as soon as I land in a new country.
Having a Esim ensures that I am always connected to the internet and is definitely a must have solo travel app.
So which are your preferred eSims?
Uber
Most people may argue that Uber is more expensive. But as a solo traveller travelling around. the world, it is definitely one of the most safest as well as the most convenient in terms of coverage when it comes to ride share apps.
I also love the in-built safety features which I use regularly to update my husband when I am travelling on my own.
Even though I prefer using public transportation, I usually like using ride share apps when I have lots of luggage with me or if I am partying late into the night.
Didi
When we were living in Mexico, I used this ride share app everywhere. It is comparatively much cheaper than Uber and was very helpful getting around in cities around Mexico.
I also have used this app to get food delivered. This is definitely one of the best travel apps to have on your phone if you are travelling in Latin and South America.
Bolt
I first came across Bolt when I was travelling in the Baltics few years ago. I had landed in Riga one late night and everyone had already advised me to install Bolt.
Very similar to Uber and Didi, I have found it mainly in Baltic countries. Recently, when we travelled to Malta as a family, we ended up using this extensively to get around Malta as a family.
In Paris, I definitely found this to be the cheaper option.
Grab
If you have travelled to any of the South-East Asian countries, you would know how popular Grab is as a ride share app there.
Grab taxi has become very popular in countries like Thailand and Indonesia.
I was in Bali last month and I ended up using Grab everywhere I went and I loved how safe it made me feel.
Eurail
As someone who loves travelling around Europe by trains, one of my favorite apps for solo travelers is the Rail planner app or the Eurail app.
Using this app, I can see what are my best routes to get from point A to point B by train, how much it will cost with or without an Eurail travel pass, how much I have to pay for seat reservations, the duration that particular train takes the timings of all the train routes in around 33 countries in Europe and so much more.
It also helps me to add my pass and use it on the go when I am using a train in Europe.
Weather
Since I mostly travel in shoulder season to avoid crowds, I always check the weather before I travel there. Even though I prefer the in-built iPhone Weather app for day to day activities, I also check online before I decide on where to travel based on season.
Since I am not a huge fan of rain, I try to avoid rains when I travel. Additionally, it also helps me decide what to pack based on the weather of the place I am visiting.
Another one of the must have apps for tourists.
Even though I rarely use Facebook for personal purposes anymore, I love hanging around in Facebook groups. Especially blogging groups and solo travelling groups.
Some groups like Tourist Helpline are a great resource for Indian travellers and can help clarify many visa related issues.
The solo female travel groups are also great and they are so helpful to answer questions related to safety when travelling in international countries.
I would definitely consider Facebook to be one of the best free travel apps for all travellers.
Instagram has definitely changed the way people travel and I have also used Instagram many times.
It has definitely inspired me to travel to places I have never heard of. It also helps me to connect to other solo travellers like me and I have made more friends from Instagram than any other app here.
Do you use Instagram a lot too to inspire you to travel?
My entire family and my close friends list is very active on Whatsapp. And when I want to update my family on my travels, the first place I choose is Whatsapp.
You wouldn’t believe the number of checkin messages I sent to my mom even at this age when I am solo travelling around the world.
I also regularly share my location over Whatsapp with my husband and my sisters. Especially, when I feel unsafe.
Whatsapp is definitely one of the must apps for travelers when solo travelling.
TripAdvisor
I use Tripadvisor all the time to do a comparison of the best hotels or best restaurants when I am travelling in an area.
I also love the forum feature of Tripadvisor and fellow travellers are sometimes the best people to give advice on forums like this.
Excel Sheets
I kept the most important one for the last. I know most people use other apps for budgeting. But for me, Excel has been the best tool for both my budgeting and planning activities.
It is so versatile and I can always figure out how much to spend or how much I spent during every trip.
Conclusion
Traveling solo can be one of the most transformative experiences, but it also comes with its own set of challenges. That’s where the right travels apps can make all the difference. From navigation and language translation to safety alerts, budgeting tools, and connecting with fellow travellers, these apps are designed to give solo travelers the confidence to explore independently. This list of apps for solo travellers not only make logistics easier but also allow you to focus on what truly matters.
