How to Come up With Travel App Idea: Top 16 Insights to Get Inspired

Tourism industry is continually reforming which leads to travel app phenomenon expansion. Modern travelers no longer want to waste lot of time planning trips, whether it is a vacation or a business case. Travel apps are about making traveler’s life easier. GPS and maps, currency calculator, payment systems, city guides, dictionaries, convenient hotel search—all that can now be easily put in a pocket. Latest tech developments in hospitality field turned it into one of the most profitable market niches to invest in.

We have already uncovered how to create a hotel booking app illustrated with own experience. In this post, OpenGeeksLab is going to showcase the most promising travel apps so that you can come up with your own idea.

Top 16 Travel Apps to Get Inspired

Here are notable apps that transformed travelers’ routine making it hassle-free.

1. Route Planning

Besides the renowned Google Maps tour planner app, there are many other decent solutions like Maps.me. This fast and detailed application has offline map data on more than 50 countries. By loading needed destinations, one can easily search and map offline routes for cars, foot, bicycle, subway, explore travel guides, keep track of road traffic, create bookmarks. As Maps.me is updated 1-2 times per month, users can gain access to new and undiscovered destinations that have not been displayed yet on regular maps. This is a free application but offers in-app purchases.

Other notable applications are OsmAnd, Citymapper, HERE WeGo, Rome2Rio.

2. Arranging Accommodations

Current tempo of life requires quick and convenient way to find and book hotel stays. Hotel apps may save the day if a traveler’s plans have been disrupted or he/she needs a last-minute hotel reservation. There are plenty of travel booking apps that offer direct booking or through a third party. GOeureka is a blockchain-based hotel reservation app developed by our team. It covers 400.000 hotels and allows them to directly connect with customers.

Smart contract makes any transaction possible within a program itself with cash/credit cards, cryptocurrencies (BTC, ETH), and minimized fee commission. Travelers can also earn GO tokens (GOT) depending on transactions made and exchange them for hotel services. If the hotel rate drops, re-booking algorithm automatically detects and re-books an existing reservation at the lowest possible rate.

Other famous vacation booking apps are Booking.com, Trivago, Hostelworld, Airbnb.

3. Budget Traveling

Such applications as Couchsurfing are indispensable for solo travel enthusiasts in tight budgets. Here people can browse and book accommodation with a local host in 230.000 cities around the globe free of charge. This platform allows not only saving on a place to stay but also making new friends with local people, fostering cultural exchange.

Hosts will be happy to share inside information about local economy, amazing non-touristy places to visit, things to do, where to go next. Couchsurfing is a free app. It also offers its users Lifetime Verification for $60 at will to create additional revenue to fund the ongoing service development.

Here are other similar apps: Staydu, Workaway.info, Worldpackers

4. Exploring Flights, Airline Tickets and Airfare Deals

Skyscanner is the best app to find cheap flights. With this flight scanner app, people can not only scan, compare and book great flight deals within their budget, but also find a hotel, or rent a car. Users can customize their search by filtering destinations, flight duration, travel class, airline, number of stops, what time of day they want to depart or land. Skyscanner is free for customers but earns money on affiliate program for publishers: online travel agencies (OTAs), airlines, car rental providers.

Here are some other flight and hotel apps: Hopper, Kiwi.com, Aviasales, etc.

5. Travel Packing List Apps

When going on a trip, it is vital to take everything you need and not to forget anything. The PackPoint trip planner application is precisely what will help travelers avoid overpacking for a trip and remind them of what stuff not to forget to pack for vacation. To do this, a user should indicate a location, check-in/check-out dates, outline whether it is business or leisure trip, pastime while traveling.

After that, a trip planner application, which is based on local weather forecasts, will give a ready-made pack list. Those items one does not like can be deleted and replaced with favorites. It can be a beloved mug or pillow one cannot travel without. Not lose sight of anything, a traveler can manage a finished list noting every item that is already packed. This is a free application with in-app purchases.

Other best travel planning apps are TripIt: Travel Planner, TripList.

6. Travel Guide Apps

When traveling, it is always interesting to know city historical places and its attractions. But some excursions may be pretty expensive. Moreover, traditional tourist routes may limit your possibilities to visit authentic places if you want to get a holistic experience. Here is when izi.TRAVEL arises as a way out.

It is a convenient and affordable audio guide app that includes 8000 outdoor tours, covers 2250 cities across 102 countries, and been translated into 58 languages. This city tour guide provides offline tours to museums, significant attractions, which one can listen to before, during, or after a visit. Most tours are free, but there are in-app purchases to expand opportunities.

Other promising travel guide apps are Cool Cousin, Guides by Lonely Planet, Azbo.

7. Currency Converter Apps

In a new country, it may seem how cheap everything is at first glance. But when comparing prices and translating back into your currency, it may turn out that you could pay for three dishes in a local restaurant by the sea instead of one breakfast in a hotel. Easy currency converter like XE Currency Converter will help navigate prices in order to prevent yourself from overspending. With a free currency converter, one can accurately track a rate in real-time. A service can also run with no Internet connection thanks to previously obtained data.

There are other similar applications like Expensify, Budgy.

8. Wi-Fi Hotspot Apps

Regardless of whether one is traveling for leisure or work, it is vital to know where Wi-Fi hotspots are. Wi-Fi Finder provides map with real hotspots, passwords/credentials for Internet access across over 50.000 cities worldwide. A Wi-Fi app allows searching nearby hotspots, adding new and editing current ones, getting unlimited access to the Internet, saving places for future use, working offline.

Other useful Wi-Fi hotspot apps are osmino WiFi, WiFi Finder + Map, Boingo Wi-Finder.

9. Weather Forecast Apps

Bad weather conditions are precisely what can ruin travel plans and affect your tourist experience. With the AccuWeather weather forecast app, one can stay one step ahead and be prepared for any weather changes by receiving alerts, and real-time updates at hand. This weather condition app is free but offers in-app purchases.

Here are some similar apps: WeatherBug, The Weather Channel, Weather Live°.

10. First Aid Applications

Our life is unpredictable, and when accidents happen, especially away from home, it is difficult not to get confused. First Aid: American Red Cross will help not to panic and prepare for emergencies. A first-aid app provides step-by-step instructions, guides, tips, videos, and animations to learn first aid free of charge. Users can preload content for instant access to the database at any time, even with no Internet connection.

Other useful apps are WebMD: Symptoms, Doctors, & Rx, Resuscitate! CPR AED & Choking.

11. Apps for Nature Lovers

If one is keen on an ecological journey, then he or she cannot do without iNaturalist. Here nature lovers can get in touch with over 400.000 scientists and naturalists to learn more about nature and environment.  What’s more, by recording and sharing own observations, users help experts monitor the world’s ecosystems and better understand environmental issues.

Here are some more great apps for nature lovers: Audubon Bird Guide, PlantNet, Seek by iNaturalist.

12. Food & Services Apps

Being in another country one should be able to easily find nearby local establishments. Yelp, for instance, is not only best restaurant search app. It is also aimed at finding local businesses, specific services, and professionals. It provides location, photos, and reviews of needed spots. It also helps users compare prices, choose best offers depending on their budget, desires, book appointments, or order services on the go.

Other useful applications are Foursquare, UberEats, AroundMe, etc.

13. Best Camping Apps

Allstays is a camping app that will appeal to all fans of tent romance and campfire songs under the starry sky. With it, people can browse and filter tents, RV resorts, parking lots, fuel, rest areas, repairs, tunnels, inclines with or with no Internet connection. Over 32.000 campgrounds are presented (US & Canada only). It claims to be $9.99.

Here are other paid and free camping apps: Recreation.gov, Hipcamp, Harvest Hosts, Campendium.

14. Emergency Apps for Smartphones

What to do when one gets lost somewhere, water runs out, and there is nothing edible around? In this case, Survival Guide will help. Here users can get to know about survival skills and techniques when a dangerous situation arises to save themselves and others. This emergency app contains survival kits: signaling techniques, poisonous plants, dangerous animals, tools, equipment, desert/tropical/cold weather/sea survival. This is also a great opportunity to try to live without civilization benefits and better appreciate nature.

Other promising applications are iPlant with Brigitte Mars, iTrack Wildlife Lite, Wild Berries and Herbs LITE.

15. Stargazing Apps

Lying on beach, watching sunset, and then observing the constellations. You do not need a personal astronomer for a romantic tale. Launch the SkyView stargazing app, point your smartphone at the sky, and it will highlight the stars, constellations, planets, satellites. With a stargazer application, people can not only spend a romantic evening but also discover the world of space, learning a lot. If you are unwilling to leave your house, you can also explore the starry sky map through the ceiling without getting out of bed. SkyView is free, but has in-app purchases.

Here are other apps to see stars and planets: Night Sky, Star Chart.

16. History Apps

If you are about to visit best museums and catch immersive exhibitions, then Google Art & Culture is a win-win option. It collaborates with over 1.200 museums, galleries and institutions across 70 countries. With this world history app, people can find museums/cultural events nearby, take guided tours, zoom in on artworks in exciting detail, as well as browse stories, photos, videos, manuscripts.

Other notable history apps are History TV, BBC History Magazine, World History Quiz Game.

Change the Look Onto Traveling With Your App

Traveling is always a fascinating and exciting process where mobile solutions have become an indispensable attribute. We have described only some great examples but there are many more. We hope that our review will inspire you to come up with your idea and breathe new life to travel experience. Drop us a line and we will help you create your ideal application right away!