8 Apps Everyone with Wanderlust Needs to Download ASAP
The days are short and the world is wide, my friends—there’s so much to see out there and seemingly so little time to do it, which is perhaps why some of us (read: me) have an incurable case of wanderlust.
And, hey, it’s not exactly a bad habit to have. After all, they say travel is the best teacher. Still, there will be days when you can’t afford to satiate your thirst for someplace new, and that’s OK too. There’s nothing wrong with pacing yourself! Fortunately, the following apps can help tide you over until your next trip by giving you travel inspo or making planning easier.
1. Trover
Talk about eye candy! Scrolling through Trover, you’ll find hundreds of thousands of stunning photos from all over the world that’ll make your wanderlust spike. See some place that stirs your soul? The photos are all geo-tagged, so you know exactly where to go.
2. iStone
If you’re getting ready for your next great adventure but feel a bit insecure about your lackluster language skills, you’re going to want to make sure you download iStone. This easy-to-use app boasts a phrasebook of more than 300 daily phrases (think “Where is the bathroom?”) in a dozen different languages. Getting stuck is NBD when you’ve got this app to fall back on. Bonus? You can even use it offline.
Available for iOS
3. Skyscanner
Whether you’re actively shopping for your next travel arrangements or simply window shopping, Skyscanner should be your go-to for price comparison. The intuitive app lets you search, compare, and book flights, hotels, AND cars so you can find the best deals for your journey.
4. AirBnB
Confession: I spend hours—nay, days of my life every week looking at places to stay on AirBnB and planning my visit: holing up in lovely apartment in Rome, sitting on the terrace sipping something hot and sweet. With over 600,000 listings in more than 34,000 cities, AirBnb is perfect for finding charming digs (whether you actually make the trip or just dream about it).
5. Instagram
If by some remote chance you haven’t already downloaded IG, there’s no time like the present. Plug in travel-related hashtags (#travel, #wanderlust, etc.) for serious inspo. Follow other travelers’ accounts to peek where they’re sneaking (think actress Shay Mitchell, photographer Joe Greer, blogger Stephanie Be). And, of course, post Valencia-filtered beauties of your own adventures to inspire others (when you finally get where you’re going).
6. Oyster
Want to know the real, honest-to-goodness truth about that hotel you’ve been eyeing for your next vacation? Make Oyster your BFF. This app lets you peruse super frank expert reviews—along with photography and 360 panoramas—for thousands of hotels around the globe. You can search by price, theme (i.e. kid-friendly), or just feed your need to wander by reading travel diaries.
7. Findery
Like Oyster for cities, Findery lets you scope what others are saying about your potential travel locale before you plan your next trip. Because the insight is compiled from “notes” left by other travelers, the app feels trustworthy and, if we’re being honest, kind of cozy. Like an old friend you can call for some spot-on advice.
8. Wanderlust
Well, we couldn’t very well have an article about apps for wanderlust without including an app called Wanderlust, could we? This particular app exists to point you in the direction of the nearest Wanderlust festival—a chance to satisfy your global cravings close to home via these “celebrations of mindful living.” From the app, you can browse maps, check and change your schedule, bring up your ticket, and find the activities that speak to your gypsy soul.
Available for iOS
Re-edited from a post originally published 12.24.2016 – TW