5 great apps for the budget traveller

Travelling abroad, or even within your home country, has never been easier thanks to our handy smartphone companions. There are hundreds of apps on the market that promise to make your world journeys hassle-free, but we've selected five of the finest.

Hostelworld is one of the best resources for folks travelling on the cheap, allowing you to book accommodation at a huge number of hotels, hostels, and other less-conventional vacation rental locales. The Hostelworld app brings the website’s massive collection of user reviews to mobile, helping you to find a place to stay while you’re on the go. You can maintain your bookings and find guides to your destination, too.

Even if you’re flying in economy, picking the best airplane seat on lengthy flights makes a huge difference in how much sleep you get during that red-eye. SeatGuru lets you search for seat maps by flight, and points out the best and worst seats on the plane. This app is a must have when planning your trip.

This app is a boon if you’re looking to travel and save. Essentially a budgeting app, Trail Wallet lets you track your budget for individual trips. You can input how much you spend, selecting from a number of different currencies. The app keeps up to date with the latest exchange rates, too, so your budget is always accurate no matter where in the world you are.

International plans or data roaming can get pricey quickly, but exploring a new city without your trusty GPS is a daunting task. CityMaps2Go has a collection of maps you can download and use offline to guide you wherever you need to go. The app also helps you organize your travel plans, giving suggestions for restaurants and attractions in the area, and letting you save a list of sights you’d like to see.

Tripit prevents any headaches your upcoming trip might cause. Rather than going through a travel agent, you can simply rely on this app to organize your air tickets, airport transfers, hotels, and other details into one comprehensive travel itinerary, saving you time, energy, and money.

Travelling is exciting and fulfilling, but it’s not without its frustrations. These clever mobile apps will simplify your travel logistics so you don’t have to stress.

If you’re an app-savvy, seasoned traveller, be sure to share your own suggestions in the comments below!