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Leveling Up Your Travel Game? There's An App For That!
Whilst your phone should never take you out of the moment, it is undoubtedly one of the most useful tools to take travelling.
Having even a handful of the best backpacking apps locked and loaded can be the difference between a buttery-smooth adventure, or hours of queuing, frustration, and confusion.
They can serve as your map, camera, translator, bank, and a (hopefully never-needed) emergency life-saver.
Let's face it, we all have too many apps already. And each one takes up valuable memory, better saved for... well, memories!
Therefore, you only want the crème de la crème of the very best backpacking apps!
So, after many years of trialling, testing, installing and uninstalling, these are the apps you'll still find on our phones.
What Are The Best Backpacking Apps Right Now?
So When's Best To Use Apps Whilst Backpacking?
Even when you're travelling the most vibrant, wild places our world has to offer, not every minute can be a high.
At some point on your trip, you will find yourself waiting for your tour to start, pacing up and down a train station platform, or gazing out of a night bus window into the darkness.
These are your moments to deploy your very best backpacking apps, leave the mortals behind, and rise to become a travel GOD!
Just kidding.
But in those moments, your phone may just save you, possibly from insanity, and certainly from stress. These apps will help you check that everything is running smoothly.
Every app on this list has helped us in one of those moments.
To make sure you don't miss a moment on the road, remember these rules:
- Have the right apps ready ahead of time
- Use your phone to save time, not waste it
- Put your phone away as much as possible - don't live through a screen.
Remember: sometimes you'll be without internet, and half your apps won't work. If these apps work offline, we'll let you know!
Best Backpacking Apps for Accommodation
Hostelworld
- More hostels than any other platform
- Global coverage
- Detailed hostel reviews by actual backpackers
- Traumatic if you don't like the colour orange
Hostels are one of your golden tickets to travelling the world on a budget. And most of them end up on Hostelworld!
Hostelworld finds your perfect hostel, letting you filter and sort by the things that matter most to you: location, dorm size, price... all the usual stuff.
Where Hostelworld stands out, though, is the reviews from your fellow nomads, advising on all the shit backpackers actually care about: atmosphere, cleanliness, and the all-important free brekky! We're all one tribe on the road, and this is where your fellow tribe members can help you out.
Some of the best hostels we've stayed at have been hidden gems, and we only found them because of the amazing reviews on Hostelworld. So... thanks, fellow backpackers!
Hostelworld is one of those apps that just works and is best at what it does.
It's up to date, the community is great, and it has something for you wherever you are in the world. It's the easiest app to find where's gonna be buzzing, and where you're most likely to meet other travellers for that sweet, sweet backpacker gossip!
Airbnb
- Finds quirky, one-off places around the world
- Usually hosted by locals with great insider info!
- Often, the cheapest option for groups
- Refund policy can be sketchy
- With so many filters, the app can feel a bit awkward
The team at Airbnb are the market leader for a reason. No one else has such a vast collection of unique and eclectic places to stay across the world.
You want a beach hut in a surf town? You got it. Rooftop pool in the city? Sure thing. Converted London bus parked in a barn? No probs. A whole castle? Got hundreds, mate.
Yet, Airbnb comes into its own for group travel.
Coughing up for a huge house doesn't really make sense if you're travelling solo, however, when there's eight of you... The maths just works. Truthfully, it often ends up costing less per head than even hostels.
Plus, you get to feel like a total baller... which is important.
Honestly, the only issue we've had with Airbnb is how they handle complaints and refunds. We booked a nice-looking room, and when we arrived, it was clear that a single night there would've been enough to contract some rare and incurable disease.
We didn't stay.
When complaining to Airbnb, they were total assholes about refunding any money, and the whole saga dragged on for weeks before a small amount was given back. So... yeah. Not exactly zero-risk.
However, this is one bad experience among many flawless stays, and Airbnb is still a cornerstone of our travel strategy.
Booking
- Tons of choice, anywhere in the world
- Solid loyalty scheme
- Too much choice!
Booking is the biggest accommodation provider on the planet, with over 28 million properties listed.
And you know what? When you fire up the app, it shows.
Booking's bread and butter is hotel stays, but they also have tons of hostels, apartments and other weird and wacky spaces to suit your needs.
The app itself is cluttered with information, all of which is useful, but at first glance, it's almost too much to wrap your head around. It is, however, straightforward to use. Furthermore, we're yet to find somewhere that hasn't been graced by Booking's presence.
They're usually cheapest for hotels and are competitive with Airbnb and Hostelworld in their niches too.
This is enhanced by their generous 'Genius' loyalty program, which offers discounts, free room upgrades, and free breakfast, which can be a godsend for the budget traveller. To unlock these freebies for life, you simply need to book five stays in two years, which is a cinch when you're on the road.
The only issue with Booking is the sheer volume of options. Thankfully, this can be wrangled down with the many, many filters available to find your ideal stay.
HotelTonight
- Finds last-minute hotel deals
- Slick design
- Coverage isn't global
- Still not as cheap as hostels
- Rarely needed, to be honest
Okay, it's not often that you're stuck needing accommodation last minute. Particularly a hotel.
However, sometimes life just happens, y'know? You need a lie-in in a comfy bed, an early night, or you've got lucky and you're too classy to find an alley. In that situation, a hostel just isn't gonna cut it.
HotelTonight is the app for that moment. Whilst the other apps also let you find last-minute accommodation, HotelTonight specialises in it.
After all, no company likes to lose money, and an empty hotel room means a loss of potential profits. HotelTonight gathers all these last-minute, discounted rooms, and shows you photos, reviews and prices.
From there, you can use the slick map system to find deals near you, or search ahead for wherever you're going to be that night. It's a piece of cake to use, which is perfect for when it's hammering with rain and you need somewhere quick.
We will say that you're in a situation of 'beggars can't be choosers', so the sea view suite has probably been taken, and you'll be in a standard room.
As you might expect, this app works best in the Western world. Although there are more and more hotels popping up worldwide, such as in Morocco, keep an eye out for a bargain wherever you are.
Best Backpacking Apps for Getting About
Momondo
- Powerful flight search engine
- 'Explore from' feature finds amazing deals
- Super easy to use
- Not the best tool if you have specific travel dates
Momondo is our favourite flight booking tool. And we almost don't want to share it, it's that good.
It works as a 'regular' flight search tool, but its pièce de résistance is the 'Explore From' feature.
How it works: you tell Momondo where you want to fly from, and it scans all flights to all possible destinations, and gives you the cheapest dates for each journey. It's that simple.
If you're flexible on dates and destination, you can get some absolute steals. At the time of writing, you can travel from London to Moscow, return for £36. Or Budapest for £9. Or Spain for £5. Further afield? London to New York: £166.
Fire up Momondo, enter your nearest airport, and watch the deals rain down. If a price is amazing, but the dates don't work for you, click on the city and it'll show you the next-cheapest combo of dates. And the next. And the next...
Momondo can't protect you from airlines trying to sting you with add-ons, like choosing a seat, cabin bags, or priority boarding. But that's the booking agent's fault, not Momondo's. You can add these in the search filters, as Momondo won't do it by default.
If you're looking for flights on specific dates, Momondo can't match Skyscanner. Yet, if you want to see just how cheap flights can be, start here.
Skyscanner
- Another powerful flight search engine
- The calendar feature shows you the cheapest day to fly a route
- You have to know where you're going to get the best out of it
Another flight finder? What's up with that?
Well, Skyscanner works best where Momondo suffers.
Let's say you want to fly out to see your mate in Düsseldorf for a couple of days, but you're only free from September 14th to the 20th.
You fire up Skyscanner, set your departure and arrival airports, and then open the calendar. You find the dates, and see that flying on the 14th and 20th will cost you £70. However, if you fly out on the 15th instead, the flights will be £23.
Prices can and do vary that much, and Skyscanner puts that information in front of you so you don't get mugged off. You can then make an informed choice whether the extra day is worth it.
That's it. That's the power of Skyscanner. Momondo doesn't let you see those prices without searching each day individually.
Momondo shows you the absolute cheapest days to fly. Skyscanner lets you customise your route to find the dates that work best for you. Between them, they're the best backpacking apps out there for finding flights.
Uber and Other Ride-Hailing Services
- Calls a lift right to you
- Almost always cheaper than taxis
- The ultimate in convenience
- Different apps are needed for different regions
- Some regions have no app at all
- Your driver might drive like a lunatic
You've heard of Uber. But there are also Grab, Go-Jek, Lyft, Free Now... There are tons of 'em, and they all do the same thing.
They use your phone to summon a vehicle to you, and then you're driven to wherever you selected on the app. Simple. You don't even have to talk if you don't want to... but you probably should!
In Europe and the US, you'll probably be picked up by a car. However, head further afield and your driver could be in a tuk-tuk, a motorbike, or, if you're feeling flash, a helicopter.
It's almost always cheaper than a 'proper' taxi, but in places like Indonesia, it can be the most cost-effective way to get around, even more so than public transport. Not to mention the quickest!
Remember: in many countries, ride-hailing services aren't allowed in airports. This is because the local taxi mafia has exclusive access (and charges you one hell of a premium for the convenience!). Walk outside the airport, and you'll pick up a much cheaper ride using these apps.
Download Uber here:
Imoova
- You can relocate hire vehicles, practically for free!
- Stupidly cost-effective travel in the West
- You're given time to enjoy the journey
- Insurance could be costly if you crash
- Not worldwide
- Not guaranteed to find a vehicle going your way
The short version is this: hundreds of hire vehicles of all shapes and sizes have been driven from one location to another, as travellers do. Yet the rental companies need those vehicles back where they were they came from.
The solution? Instead of paying for someone to travel to retrieve the vehicle, they send the details to Imoova.
This is where you come in!
You can drive it back to where the company needs it, often for free. You get given a certain number of days to make the journey, and they always give you enough time for a few cheeky detours.
Sometimes, they'll even pay for your fuel! On one occasion, I made about a hundred bucks profit travelling from Darwin to Alice Springs, and I was heading there anyway.
The app covers countries that are usually the most expensive for transport and accommodation. As Imoova's vehicles are often campers or RVs, you don't just get transport for next to nothing. You also don't have to cough up for accommodation.
The only catch is that you have to pre-authorise an insurance bond on your card, which can be hundreds. Therefore, you'll need the cash in your account to score the ride. However, it's only taken if you crash the vehicle, so... just don't drive like a twat. Sorted.
The whole deal feels like cheating at life, and it's baffling that this app isn't better known. We reckon it's one of the best backpacking apps ever!
Google Maps
- The most complete navigation tool ever made
- Satellite and Street View modes are incredible
- Worldwide coverage
- Needs data to work properly
- Kinda freaky that you can see that much detail
You're probably already using Google Maps. Why? It's one of those amazing things in life that just works.
With satellite images, terrain detail, 3D Streetview, turn-by-turn navigation, location reviews, and live traffic information, nothing else gets you from point A to B better.
You can also use Google Maps to scout out potential routes, tour new cities, or do what everyone always does: check out your house!
In fact, it's not one of the best backpacking apps ever made; it's one of the best apps. Full stop.
But... only if you have internet.
As long as you have data, this world of information is at your fingertips. If you don't... well, everything stops working, and it's essentially an old A-Z.
Maps.Me
- Dead simple A-to-B navigation
- Designed to work offline
- Turn-by-turn directions
- Not as many features as Google Maps... obviously
If Google Maps is so damn good, then why do we also use Maps.Me?
Simple: when backpacking, there will be times when you have no data.
If you try asking Google for directions without data, it'll shrug its shoulders, give you an error message, and leave you to your fate. Google calculates its directions on their servers and then throws them over to you. Ultimately, no data equals no directions.
Which is why you need Maps.Me.
All you need to do is download the region on Maps.Me ahead of time. From there, everything works offline.
You can search for hostels, restaurants and everything else you'd want to find, and get turn-by-turn directions as normal. No data, no fuss.
Nevertheless, if you're staying somewhere for a prolonged period, buying a local SIM with data is still better. However, if you're merely passing through, Maps.Me will keep you moving in the right direction.
Best Backpacking Apps for Money
XE Currency Converter
- Super simple way of knowing what you're spending
- Works offline
- Offline prices aren't going to be up-to-the-second accurate
- Doesn't account for transaction fees or your bank's modified exchange rate
Some currency conversions are easy. One British Pound is roughly equal to one US Dollar. No problem.
But head to Vietnam and get in a taxi, and you'll pay 15,000 Dong for a quick ride.
Are you being had over?
No. It turns out that £1 is worth roughly 31,700 Vietnamese Dong, and your taxi was dirt cheap, at about £0.50.
Consequently, how do you know what you're spending?
XE Currency Converter is how. Just add the currencies you're interested in comparing. Tell it how much to convert (for example, 300 Moroccan Dirhams), and it will let you know what that's worth in every other currency you have saved. Thus, in this case, that's either £23.50 or $40 Canadian.
XE helps you compare something you don't know (like Colombian Pesos) with something you do (like US Dollars). It saves you from doing some hard maths when haggling instead of getting ripped off. It also helps you work out just how much money is about to come out of your account when spending money abroad.
It's dead simple, works offline, and it's free.
Know what your money's worth.
Revolut
- An online, worldwide bank
- Amazing rates on currency exchange
- Tons of perks available
- Very few fees
- Doesn't cover all currencies worldwide (but it's pretty close!)
- Free ATM withdrawals have a monthly cap
Remember the days where you'd take cash to a travel agent, they'd give you a shitty exchange rate, and you'd walk away knowing they'd just robbed you?
No more!
Now you can feel like a local anywhere you go, tapping your card at shops, restaurants and ATMs without a care for exchange rates or transaction fees.
The whole system is masterminded by Revolut's incredibly streamlined app, which allows you to convert and spend in over 150 currencies worldwide, with more being added all the time.
We've backpacked with and without Revolut, and it's a night and day difference. We wouldn't be without it.
Actually, we'd happily bang on about how good it is all day. And we did! Check out the full Revolut review, and see why it's earned a place on our list of best backpacking apps.
- No charges
- Available worldwide
- Even your grandparents can work it
- Needs data
We know, we know... You already have it. So does everyone else.
That's what makes it so damn good!
Pretty much wherever you go in the world, it's likely people are messaging on WhatsApp. If you're on the road and, for some reason, you haven't yet got around to using it, now is the time.
WhatsApp lets you share texts, photos, videos, links, and have group chats. It's also end-to-end encrypted, so your messages are secure.
Overall, as long as you're online, there doesn't seem to be a catch.
- Great for travel inspiration
- Keeps you up to date with your travel buddies
- Makes your friends at home jealous
- Highly addictive
- Instagram ≠ reality
- A lot more commercial than it used to be
Everyone loves a good travel photo, don't they?
Instagram doesn't really need an introduction. The image-sharing titan is legendary, and one of the first places to turn for some inspo for your next trip.
Instagram filled the social media void left by the decline of Facebook, and it looks like it's here to stay. Even if YouTube and TikTok are fighting for the number one position.
Generally, it's an easy, visual way to see what's going on with your fellow travellers and update those you've left back home.
Now, we're aware Instagram is starting to lose its appeal. What with the rise of ads, paid promotions, fake profiles, and 'influencers' posting shallow, meaningless content, it's a minefield. If you're not very careful, you'll end up swamped with fake photos, marketing gimmicks, and pretentious, blue-ass water bullshit.
But the silver lining is this: there are some truly epic content creators out there. Be selective with that follow button, and your feed can become a truly inspiring place to be. Personally, we love the Far Out feed! 😉
So, why is Instagram the best social platform for travelling? Firstly, it's all photos and videos, making it an easy hit for quick travel inspiration.
Secondly, it's flexible with time. Whether you have 5 minutes or 45, the 'gram is more than willing to fill it.
Google Photos/iCloud
- Back up your photos/videos to the cloud
- Works automatically
- Drive can then free up that space on your phone
- Needs data...
- Subscription fees for more than 5GB (iCloud)/15GB (Drive)
This isn't the most exciting thing on our Best Backpacking Apps list, but we think it's one of the most important!
These days, pretty much all of us use our camera phones when travelling. We capture everything from epic waterfalls to your morning smoothie bowl. And if your phone gets nicked, broken, or takes a tumble down said waterfall... all those pictures are lost.
Unless you backed them up.
Backing up by hand is a pain in the ass, so let your phone do it automatically. Enter: cloud storage.
Both iCloud and Google Photos save and store your precious pictures safely, so if your phone takes a dive, your photos are on the drive!
Obviously, to backup, your phone needs internet. But as soon as it gets it, it'll back up behind the scenes, with no effort from you. Nice and easy.
Both need you to have available space on their respective platforms, and you can upgrade for a relatively low monthly subscription. Greg pays £0.99 for 50GB/month on iCloud, and Charlie pays £1.59 for 100GB/month on Photos.
Photos also have the added benefit that you can press one button in the app to delete the backed-up images from your phone's internal storage, freeing up that space for more. iCloud won't let you do that.
Turns out, you can use Photos on Android and iOS. Don't tell Apple.
Download Google Photos here:
Lightroom
- Professional-standard photo editing... on your phone
- Most features are free
- Works offline
- Need a subscription to unlock full features
- Intimidating if you don't know what you're doing
Want to take your photos to the next level?
Sack off the Instagram filters and grab a copy of Lightroom!
Lightroom is the de facto standard tool for photo editing in all industries, and now Adobe have made it available on mobile.
For free.
Well, mostly.
It gives you access to all the editing sliders the pros use, and lets you tweak colours, contrast, and clarity with ease. In fact, the only things you can't do on the free version are edit part of a photo instead of the whole thing or change the geometry. But, for most people, this won't be an issue.
It takes a little while to wrap your head around what each slider does, but there are a ton of tutorials for Lightroom online that you can follow. Once you get a feel for it, it gives you an immense amount of control.
Quite why Adobe have released such a powerful tool for free, we don't know. But we're grateful for it!
Lightroom won't magically make a bad photo good, but it does make a good photo great! It just adds a touch of class. We use it all the time.
Best Backpacking Apps for Language
Duolingo
- Free tool for learning dozens of languages
- Caters to all ability levels
- A ton of in-app purchases, and they do jeb-all
- Sends too many notifications by default
Whilst a big smile and friendly, warm attitude work the world over, sometimes you'll want more. You want to speak their language.
And how do you do that?
You Duolingo it!
All you need to do is choose a language (there are several dozen), then tell the app why you are learning it. This information helps Duolingo teach you the best words and phrases for your circumstances.
Clever, right?
If you have experience with a language already, tell the app and it'll get you underway at the right level for you. If not, it'll build your skills up from scratch.
With that done, all you need to do is come back and learn a little each day! You tell Duolingo how long you want lessons to be, and you can always change them later if needed. It's flexible around you - you aren’t at school now!
If you're a forgetful soul, you can either set in-app notifications to remind you to study or just pick it up as and when.
Get learning and become a true polyglot. With languages, you never know where your skills might lead.
Google Translate
- Free
- Translates offline
- Now does speech-to-text/text-to-speech
- Takes photos and translates the words in the image
- Speech-to-text feature only works online
- Can 'mishear' in loud environments
Ever got to that point where you've tried and failed at the language, and end up just pointing awkwardly at the cake you want?
Well, apparently, someone at Google had the same thing happen, but actually did something about it.
Google Translate has been around for years, and for a long time... well, it didn't really work. But now, the wizards at Google HQ have fed it a machine learning algorithm, and it's bloody ace!
You can type into it as always, and it gives you the (now accurate) translation to read out. Alternatively, you can then press a button, and the Google Lady will kindly read it for you, so you don't have to butcher the pronunciation.
More interestingly, if you have an internet connection, you can set up 'conversation mode' and just start talking. Google will capture the speech, translate it, and read it out to the bewildered lady at the patisserie.
It's not a flawless system: it doesn't always 'hear' you right, especially if you're talking too fast. Likewise, sometimes it doesn't realise you've stopped talking, and sits there listening whilst the awkward silence drags on. And you're still cakeless.
My favourite part of Google Translate is taking a photo of, say, a menu, and it translates the words in the picture into your language.
It's not a substitute for learning a language, and it never will be. But it might be enough to score you your pastel de nata without making you look like a tit.
And for that, we love it.
Best Backpacking Apps For Chill Time
Kindle
- Books are heavy. Ebooks aren't.
- Free
- Works offline
- Nowhere near as handy as having a physical eReader
- Fairly battery-hungry
Recommended by Charlie, as the Kindle doesn't do pictures well enough for Greg.
I absolutely monster my way through books when I'm travelling, but books are bulky, heavy, and lots of other things backpackers don't like.
Hence, I highly recommend eBooks instead! It's your favourite books, in digital, weightless form!
The Kindle system means that, whether I'm lying on sand dunes in the Sahara, crammed into seat 32B, or sitting on a hostel sofa, I have a library at my fingertips.
I will say that using a physical reader (I swear by my Kindle Paperwhite!) shits all over using the mobile app, but sometimes your reader has run out of battery, or is buried in your bag, or you just can't find it. That's when you can crack out the app instead, and pick up where you left off without any hassle.
Netflix
- Vast choice of films, documentaries and shows
- Can download content to watch offline
- Subscription-based
- Downloading content uses up a LOT of memory
Firstly, a disclaimer **This isn't necessarily an essential travel app, but it is a 'best backpacker app'.**
This is not for everyday travel use!
There are far better things to be doing on your travels than rewatching Friends.
However...
When you can't sleep on a night bus, or you're on a flight without movies, Netflix can munch through the hours with the efficiency of a German mechanic.
As long as you've downloaded something ahead of time (which is super easy), you can kick back on aeroplane mode and enjoy some of Netflix's 4.3 years' worth of content, without using a drop of data.
Similarly, having some content to hand for those lazy hostel evenings, hangover recovery days, or a spot of 'Netflix and Chill' can be just the ticket.
It's a creature comfort, and we're simple creatures. We like it.
Tidal (Or; your music streaming service of choice!)
- Pretty much all music ever made, ready to go
- Can download and play offline
- Subscription-based
Yeah, yeah, these subscription services soon add up. We know.
But everyone has 'travel songs', whereas not everyone has travel movies.
There's a load of choice when it comes to music streaming services, but we recommend Tidal.
Why?
Tidal supports Tidal artists.
Tidal pays artists triple what Spotify pays per stream, and this means even listening to your music can be a way of living and travelling ethically.
It also means Charlie is single-handedly paying Taylor Swift minimum wage.
Tidal won't cost you any more than Spotify, Amazon, or whatever you use, but it offers more support to small-time, up-and-coming artists. And we love that!
At this point, Tidal has pretty much all the music, and you can download it to be played without data. Combine with a solid set of headphones or a portable speaker, and your flights, campfires and beach days are all catered for.
Music is evocative. Neither of us can hear 'Cheerleader' without remembering that day on the North Coast 500, and that happened thanks to Tidal.
And yes, Tidal has 'Riptide', which is all you need to make friends on the road.
Day One
- Keeps those memories safe
- Easy to save and back up journals
- Needs data for all features to work
- Only one picture per day on the free version
Many of the greatest travellers throughout history have kept a journal. Ernest Hemingway and Charles Darwin had them. Leonardo Da Vinci had several.
And now: you.
Day One is your modern-day ticket to the journaling club.
Thanks to technology, your journal can now be digital. Thousands of pages don't weigh a thing, and you likely already have the perfect tool for the job with you: your phone.
If, like me, you've never had a great memory and never been one for pens and paper, then Day One could be the app to help you improve your travel game.
I started with Day One ten years ago, and am still writing my journals daily.
There are many journal apps out there, but the features on Day One include adding your favourite photo each day, and it'll automatically add the time, location, date, and weather for each entry. Furthermore, you can easily back up the journal and all its pictures as a PDF for safekeeping.
Having your journal on your phone means it's always to hand, so whether you have free minutes or hours, you can whip it out and keep it updated. Once you get into the habit, it's the most convenient thing imaginable.
In-app purchases are also available, which include adding videos, voice notes and many other extras. If I'm honest, the basic package does just fine.
Insight Timer
- Keep your zen whilst on the road
- Over 100k guided meditations, music, and more
- Mostly free content
- Some features need the member subscription
- Needs data (unless you subscribe)
Recommended by Charlie, as Greg is "too busy to meditate".
If you've discovered the joy of meditation, Insight Timer is my absolute favourite app to keep grounded on the road.
Why? It's free! Over 100,000 guided meditations, hundreds of courses, meditation music... all free.
If you've not tried meditation, here's why I do it:
Meditation helps me keep perspective on the world. It helps me quieten the constant noise my brain makes (the 'monkey mind') recognise my emotions, and, in particular, appreciate the world around me more, which works beautifully alongside travel.
To paraphrase Dan Harris, it just makes me about 20% happier.
Now, I'll be the first to admit Insight Timer is not the best introduction to meditation. There's too much choice, and that can be overwhelming. If you've never meditated before, I recommend Calm's 'Seven Days of Calm' free course to get you started, before coming back to Insight Timer.
However, once you get going, Insight Timer has meditations to suit every mood, need and specialist interest. There are thousands of contributors guiding you through everything from reducing anxiety to non-duality. And after a day of chaos in, let's say, the medina of Fes, crashing into your hostel bed, plugging in some headphones, shutting the world out and grounding yourself is just blissful.
In fact, pairing this app with a decent set of noise-cancelling headphones is one of my favourite luxuries to have on the road.
Insight also has a simple, intuitive timer feature for unguided meditations. You can set sounds such as gongs and singing bowls as timers, and honestly, it's my most-used feature - helped by the fact that it works perfectly offline.
The only drawbacks to name are some meditations (particularly courses) are premium-only, and if you want to download guided meditations to use offline, you need a subscription (currently £50.99/year, but look out for sales). The free version has served me well.
If you want to keep your zen whilst on the road, this will keep you going for a long, long time.
Best Backpacking Apps for Party Time
Tinder
- Meet people you wouldn't have otherwise
- Great for meeting locals
- And yes, it can get you some travel nookie
- Can be soul-crushing
- Can be addictive
- Not a substitute for actually meeting people
Mmhm. Tinder is there for hooking up. And god love it for that.
However, there is more to Tinder than just getting lucky, and we reckon it comes into its own when backpacking.
Tinder connects you with people nearby, and first off, this means locals! It lets you reach beyond your travel circle and start chatting to people who truly know the area. All the little bars, lookout spots, hole-in-the-walls... They can show you a new side to wherever you're at.
It'll also put you in touch with other travellers nearby, and any one of them could be headed the same way as you, or point you to something you'd have otherwise missed.
The point of all this is to say that Tinder is about more than just sex. No, really!
It's proximity-based networking. Travel is about stories; stories are about people, and Tinder connects you to those people.
And if you just want to get down and dirty, crack on with that too! We're not your parents.
Meetup
- Find local groups doing your thing!
- Connect with like-minded people
- Filters are a bit finicky
Despite the name, this isn't another dating app. Meetup is a global events bulletin board.
Say you're in Tokyo. You haven't found many travellers, you have a free evening tomorrow, and you don't know what to do with it. Open Meetup, tell it to look for events tomorrow night, and you'll find, say, a sunset hike up Mt Kita-Hotakadake. Or a free bamboo flute concert. Or an English-speaking craft beer mixer.
What're you into?
Instead, let's say you're in Nairobi. Can we interest you in a forest hike? Maybe a veggie brunch?
The point is, there's stuff the world over that you wouldn't find on travel blogs or posters in your hostel foyer. And a lot of it is cool, off-the-wall events you'd never think of on your own.
You can go full-moon drumming in Brisbane, take a silk-painting workshop in Helsinki, or play a bit of 7-a-side in Bangkok. Have a look at the next city you're staying in, and see what's nearby!
Picolo
- The ultimate hostel icebreaker
- Brings people out of their shell
- Leads to crazy stories
- Is now subscription-only for the fun games
- You cannot be shy
- Requires you to have mates
When working as a tour leader in Indonesia, running 10-day tours for people from all around the world, I always found the first night's meeting with the group a little difficult.
After all, working out who would like what, who would get on, and, of course, who wouldn't was key. Similarly, it was always a little tentative between the guests, as they, like me, were trying to suss people out and see what they could and couldn't get away with.
Then I discovered Picolo. And it blew social status, popularity, nerves, and pretentiousness away.
The idea is that you all add your names to the app, choose the level you're happy playing - ranging from 'sheltered upbringing' to 'get your kit off in 30 seconds whilst drinking from the person on your left's belly button' - and wait for the app to instruct you on what to do.
Picolo then tasks a random player (or group of players...), and hey presto: you get to know your group very well on the first night!
You then decide to either forfeit and drink or brave it out and complete the mission.
I love this app. It's a great icebreaker as it gets messy fast.
Drink responsibly... or don't, we won't tell your mum.
The real issue with the app is that you only get the introduction mode for free. Whilst that's a perfect icebreaker, it can be a little... tame once everyone's in the flow. You'll need the in-app purchases to take it to the next level - and that's £4.49 for a month.
What Are Your Best Backpacking Apps?
Thanks for checking out our best backpacking apps blog
Hopefully, you're now more informed than you once were about the importance of having the right travel apps and when to use them to streamline your travels.
These are just a few of the apps we use and think deserve the title of best backpacking apps.
In reality, you'll discover many apps as you travel. If you uncover a gem of an app, please let us know. If we like them, they might just make the blog.
Similarly, if an app has saved your ass or you've used one of our best backpacking apps, we want to hear the story.
Especially if it's Picolo!
Cheers
If you're discovering our Best Backpacking Apps, you may be interested in our other travel school blogs...
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great post! so helpful thank you
Hi
Thanks for the kind words, that’s great to hear. If you need any help along your travels give me a shout.