Picking a travel destination, planning unforgettable experiences, figuring out where to eat, researching things to do, etc all require considerable time and effort. Luckily, there are some handy travel apps, sites, and online tools that make planning travel more efficient and fun.

Flight Prices

• Skyscanner – This is a search engine which searches thousands of vendors all over the world and compares prices on millions of flights so you can find the cheapest and most efficient deal for your travels.
• Hitlist – Hitlist allows you to create your destination wish list and travel preferences and sends you amazing bargain deals right to your fingertips so you can travel to your dream destinations and save a ton of money doing so.
• Hopper – This site uses in-depth data analysis to bring you the best travel deals tailored to your exact needs. 

Airport Lounges

• Priority Pass – This allows you to gain access to thousands of air-port lounges worldwide, no matter what class you’re travelling in.
• Lounge Key – Similar to Priority Pass, this also allows you to utilize air-port lounges as you travel around the world. 
• Dragon Pass – DragonPass is a membership program which not only allows you to relax in airport lounges all over the world, but also offers discounts for restaurants, retail stores, and even limousine reservations. 

Flight Information

• Flight Aware – FlightAware is the world’s largest flight tracking system. They utilize open source software to globally track the status of both public and private flights in real time.
• Flight Radar 24 – Started as just a hobby project by two Swedish aviation enthusiasts, Flightradar24 has grown into a full fledged information map showing real-time data on pretty much every commercial flight in the world. 
• Flight View – Flightview is another real-time flight tracker but also offers in-depth information such as terminal and gate assignments, as well as luggage claim information.

Onward Proof

• Nomad Proof – This website allows you to create your proof of onward ticket within just a few seconds of signing up. Just create an account and enter the details for the onward ticket you wish to create and you’ll have proof of your onward ticket in just a few seconds. Better still, it’s totally free. 
• Best Onward Ticket – Here you can easily create an onward ticket for any destination and have it delivered to your email for a low cost of $12.00. 

Public Transit Guide

• Rome2rio – Rome2rio allows you to find the best option for travelling between destinations. You can compare prices, and duration times for several modes of transportation such as flights, trains, buses, fairies, and even options to share a ride with other travellers. You can also find links to each of the services so you can book all of your tickets from one location.
• Moovit – Here you can view transportation schedules in real time, making it easy to find the best route to get around town.
• City Mapper – This is another great website and app to help you find your way around town. Not only does it show you detailed public transport options, but it provides you with walking and biking routes as well.

Driving & Ride sharing

• Uber – Uber is a dynamic ride-hailing taxi application that connects you with Uber drivers in your area so you can easily get a ride to your destination. Using the Uber app you can see exactly where drivers are located and how long your wait will be. You also pay directly through the app so you don’t need cash.
• Lyft – Lyft is a similar ride-hailing app like Uber but it also has the added functionality of being able to book scooters and it ties into bike-sharing systems.
• Grab – Grab is Asia’s Uber competitor. Similar to Uber, Grab is a ride-hailing, ride-sharing and food delivery service operating in southeast Asia. It’s services are available in countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines.
• Gojek – Gojek is an all-in-one solution where you can do everything from ordering transportation, fast food, grocery deliveries, medications, massages, and movie tickets. You can even order to have your house or car cleaned, packages delivered, or use their digital payment system to make payments or send money to friends.

Trip Planning

• TripIt – This is a great app to organize all of your travel details in one place. You just make your reservations and forward the details to TripIt and everything is organized in an easy to access manner. The app can also be installed on your smart watch and will send you text updates as your travel evolves. 
• Nomad Secrets Guides – The advantage of using these guides is you get immediate access to easy to digest guides (no fluff, just the best stuff), curated by digital nomads.  

Storing Travel Ideas

• Evernote – This is one of the largest cloud-based software programs helping you store and organize all types of media. With Evernote you can organize plain text, web pages or web page snippets. You can even store photos, voice memos, and handwritten notes. They also have great add ons such as the Scannable app where you can scan your receipts, business cards and documents into the Evernote cloud.  
• Google Keep – Google Keep allow you to store and organize your notes, voice memos, drawings, and photos all in one place and using just your Google account.
• Pocket – Pocket is a quick add-on you can install on your browser so you can save all of your favorite information from the web and review it offline without any distractions. They also have add-ons for twitter, various news sites and many other options allowing you to keep all of your favorite learning material in one place.

Cost of Living

• Numbeo – This website allows you to view the cost of living for locations all over the world. You can also compare cities to see which place is cheaper. Not only can you view the cost of living but also details about the climate, crime, health care, pollution and the overall quality of life.
• Teleport – A great website for comparing local living costs of different locations. Here you can also view the average salaries for your profession to get an idea of what your salary would be in a country your interested in.
• Nomad List – This is a great site to compare the local living costs of different locations, with an emphasis on how friendly they are for the digital nomad lifestyle. Here you can compare the average internet speed and availability as well as many other options. They also have a remote jobs section. 

Short Term Accommodation

• Booking – This website is one of the largest search engines and reservation platforms where you can book your stay in apartments, vacation homes, B&B’s, and even luxury resorts. Here you can sort your options by price, value, and many other characteristics to ensure you get exactly what you’re looking for. 
• Expedia – Expedia is a travel booking website allowing you to book everything for your travel needs including hotels, flights, car rentals, cruises and vacation packages. 
• Agoda – Agoda is another online booking system allowing you to book flights, hotels, resorts and hostels. You can even book your airport transfer for when you arrive at your destination.

Longer Term Accommodation

• Airbnb – Using Airbnb, you can book a room in a local home, a full apartment or vacation home, or if you’re searching for a unique experience you can even book a yurt or a treehouse. Speaking of experiences, you can also book a dining experience with a local family or a sightseeing tour with an experienced tour guide. 
• Nestpick – This site allows you to book mid-to-long term booking in furnished rooms or apartments. It also has a dedicated search for students who need accommodations while studying.
• Wimdu – With Wimdu, you can book your stay in apartments in many of the top cities around the world.

Free Accommodation

• Trusted House Sitters – Here you can create a profile and offer to take care of people’s homes while their away for short trips or even long periods of time. This is usually free accommodations in exchange for taking care of the property and maybe some pets during your stay.
• Couch Surfing – This site allows you to stay in people’s homes for free. You may stay on a couch in their living room or even in a spare room. Either way, it’s a good idea to bring a thank you gift such as a bottle of wine or prepare a meal to show your appreciation to your host. 
• Workaway – Using workaway, you can apply to volunteer on organic farms, permaculture projects, or even at retreat centers. In exchange for 4-5 hours of work per day, you get free accommodations and meals provided. Some hosts even pay an hourly wage for your services. 

Language

• Duolingo – This is one of the most popular language learning apps which is totally free to download. They apply mini-lessons in flashcard format making learning a new language easy and enjoyable.
• Memrise – Memrise is an online platform which increases your apprehension of a new language by using spaced repetition of flash cards as well as content provided by other native speakers of the language you’re learning. 
• Google Translate – This website and app allows you to translate one language to another. You can simply copy and paste the text into the app/website or you can take pictures of signs which the app can scan and translate for you. Even more impressive, you can have a conversation with someone in a different language and it will translate the conversation between both languages. 

Travel Insurance

• World Nomads – World Nomads is a travel insurance provider created by a traveller for other travellers. They are best known for the type of coverage they provide in that you’re usually covered for semi-extreme activities such as skiing, biking and horseback riding. 
• Safety Wing – Safety Wing provides travel and medical insurance so you can relax and enjoy other countries. They also cover semi-extreme activities and travel delays as well as lost or stolen luggage.
• True Traveller – This is another travel insurance provider created by fellow travellers. This travel insurance is available to residents of the UK and the European Union. 

PO Box and Mail Forwarding

• Earth Class Mail – This is a mail automation service which can scan your mail, forward your mail and even deposit checks straight to your account.
• Virtual Post Mail – Virtual Post Mail is another mail automation company that can scan and forward your mail. They also deposit checks, provide a mailing address and their scanners provide OCR meaning your mail scans are not images but are actually converted into text which you can search through. 

Author

Tal Gur is a world traveler and personal development enthusiast. An adventurer at heart, after trading his daily grind for a life of his own daring design, Tal spent a decade pursuing 100 major life goals around the globe. His journey continues as a location-independent blogger, lifestyle entrepreneur, and coach. Tal’s published two books: One Year to Freedom, a 1-Year Roadmap to Living Life on Your Own Terms; and, his most recent book and bestseller, The Art of Fully Living – 1 Man, 10 Years, 100 Life Goals Around the World.