If you are wondering what are the essential travel apps that are actually worth downloading before a trip, start with the ones that solve the problems backpackers face most often: finding cheap accommodation, comparing transport, navigating without signal, translating signs and menus, managing money in different currencies, staying connected abroad, tracking your spending, and keeping your travel documents and cover easy to access.
The best apps for backpackers are not necessarily the flashiest but the ones that save time, money and stress when you are tired, jet-lagged or offline.
For most trips, the smartest setup is not one all-in-one backpacker app, but a small stack of reliable mobile travel apps that each do one job well.
This guide brings those together in a simple and reliable list of essential apps for backpacking.
Essential Apps for Backpacking
|
Series No |
App |
Best for |
Why You Need It? |
| 1 |
Protection and policy management |
Cover, documents, claims and delay benefits in one place |
|
| 2 |
Hostels and social travel |
Budget stays, reviews, and traveller chat |
|
| 3 |
Flexible accommodation |
Huge choice and offline booking details |
|
| 4 |
Cheap flights and travel deals |
Great for comparing flights, hotels and car hire |
|
| 5 |
Route planning |
See train, bus, ferry, flight and car options |
|
| 6 |
Booking overland transport |
Useful for trains, buses, flights and ferries |
|
| 7 |
Everyday navigation |
Widely used for city travel and saved areas |
|
| 8 |
Offline maps |
Excellent for offline walking, hiking and navigation |
|
| 9 |
Language barriers |
Camera, conversation and offline translation |
|
| 10 |
eSIMs and data abroad |
Stay connected without relying on roaming |
|
| 11 |
Spending abroad |
Multi-currency card and app for travel spending |
|
| 12 |
Exchange rates |
Quick rate checks and alerts |
|
| 13 |
Sharing travel costs |
Keeps group spending organised |
|
| 14 |
Travel budgeting |
Track daily spend in multiple currencies |
|
| 15 |
Hiking and outdoor travel |
Routes, downloadable maps and live tracking |
|
| 16 |
Itinerary organisation |
Puts bookings and plans in one place |
|
| 17 |
Packing lists |
Suggests what to pack by trip, weather and activity |
|
| 18 |
Backups and documents |
Store important documents securely online |
|
| 19 |
Community and local connection |
Social travel, local stays and meet-ups |
The 20 best travel apps for backpackers and travellers
1. Gigasure app - for travel protection, documents and claims
One of the most useful apps for travelling is the one that covers the “what if?” moments. The Gigasure app lets travellers quote and buy cover, manage policies, access documents, make claims, change travel dates, add travellers and use flight and baggage delay benefits from one place. For backpackers, that matters because long trips usually mean more moving parts, more transport changes and more chances for disruption.
If you want one backpacker app that handles protection, documents and support rather than just planning, this is a very practical place to start.
2. Hostelworld - for hostels and meeting other travellers
Hostelworld remains one of the best apps for backpackers because it is built specifically around hostel travel. Its official site highlights broad hostel coverage, millions of traveller reviews and app features that let you connect with other people staying in the same hostel or visiting the same city.
That social layer makes it especially useful for solo travellers who want a dorm with a good vibe rather than just the cheapest bed.
3. Booking.com - for flexible accommodation options
If you want one of the most reliable travel booking apps for accommodation beyond hostels, Booking.com is hard to ignore. Its app highlights the ability to book accommodation, flights and rental cars, manage trips on the go, message properties directly and even view key booking details offline. That offline detail can be especially useful when you arrive late, lose signal or need an address fast.
For backpackers, Booking.com is often best used alongside Hostelworld: Hostelworld for social hostels, Booking.com for guesthouses, apartments, hotels and backup options when a destination is busy. That mix gives you flexibility without overcomplicating your planning.
4. Skyscanner - one of the best travel apps for flights
If you are searching for the best travel apps for flights, Skyscanner deserves a place near the top. Its app is designed to compare flights, hotels and car hire in one place, which is ideal when you are still shaping a flexible itinerary or trying to find the cheapest route into or out of a region.
This is also one of the strongest candidates for the best app for travel deals, especially for backpackers who are willing to adapt dates or destinations to save money. Across the competitor set, Skyscanner is one of the most consistently recommended apps for independent travellers.
5. Rome2Rio - for comparing routes between places
Rome2Rio is one of the most practical travel guide apps for backpackers because it answers a simple but important question: how do I actually get from here to there? The app says it lets travellers compare transport options across trains, planes, ferries, buses and car routes, door to door, across a huge global network.
That makes it especially helpful when you are moving between smaller towns, islands or border crossings where the best route is not obvious. It is often the app that helps you work out the journey, even if you book elsewhere afterwards.
6. Omio - for booking trains, buses, flights and ferries
Omio is another strong choice for overland and short-haul trip planning, especially in Europe. Its site says you can search, compare and book trains, buses, flights and ferries in one place, with mobile tickets and a simplified app-based booking experience.
For UK readers travelling around Europe, this can be especially handy because it helps reduce the number of operator websites and languages you have to navigate. As one of the more practical top apps for international travel, it works well alongside Rome2Rio: one for comparing, one for booking.
7. Google Maps - for everyday city navigation
Google Maps remains one of the most useful mobile travel apps simply because it handles the everyday navigation problems that come up constantly: directions, saved places, local businesses and neighbourhood orientation. Google also confirms that travellers can download map areas for offline use, although some features are limited without internet.
It is one of the most downloaded travel apps for good reason, and real travellers still mention it constantly in backpacking discussions. For many trips, it is the default map app you will use most often in cities.
8. Organic Maps - offline map app for backpackers
If you want true offline reliability, Organic Maps is one of the essential apps for backpacking. Its official site highlights detailed offline maps, fast offline search, hiking trails, walking and cycling routes, contour lines, no ads, no tracking and no forced registration.
That is exactly why it appears so often in serious backpacker recommendations. It is especially good when you are hiking, wandering on foot or travelling somewhere with patchy mobile data. Many travellers now use Google Maps and Organic Maps together rather than choosing only one.
9. Google Translate - for language barriers
Google Translate remains one of the best apps for travellers because it solves problems instantly. Google highlights camera translation, offline language downloads, conversation mode, live transcription and the ability to translate from other apps. For backpackers, that means signs, menus, tickets, chat messages and simple conversations become far less stressful.
It is also one of the clearest examples of an app that is useful in almost every destination. Even if you only use it for basic phrases or camera scans, it earns its place in any shortlist of essential travel tools.
10. Airalo - for eSIMs and mobile data abroad
Airalo is one of the strongest top apps for international travel for one simple reason: it helps you stay connected without depending on expensive roaming or finding a physical SIM on arrival. Airalo says it offers local, regional and global eSIMs for 200+ countries and regions, plus app-based installation, data tracking, top-ups, offline instructions and 24/7 support.
That is particularly relevant for UK travellers. Citizens Advice recommends checking roaming charges, turning off roaming if necessary and understanding your provider’s overseas data rules. Using an eSIM app can make your travel budget far more predictable.
11. Wise - for travel spending in multiple currencies
Wise is one of the best travel apps for managing money abroad. Its UK card page says travellers can spend in 40+ currencies and in 160 countries and territories, use Google Pay or Apple Pay, and withdraw some cash abroad before Wise fees apply.
For backpackers crossing borders or trying to avoid poor exchange-rate markups, that is extremely useful. It is one of the most commonly recommended finance tools in competitor articles because it makes international spending simpler without feeling like a traditional bank product.
12. XE Currency - for quick exchange-rate checks
XE is one of those simple tools that becomes surprisingly useful on the road. Its app offers live exchange rates, rate alerts and currency conversion, making it easier to sense-check prices, avoid overpaying and understand what things actually cost in your home currency. It will not replace a travel spending card, but it works brilliantly as a companion app. If Wise helps you spend smarter, XE helps you think smarter before you spend.
13. Splitwise - for shared costs with friends
Splitwise is one of the most useful apps for travelling in groups. Its official site highlights group expense tracking, equal or unequal splits, recurring expenses, offline mode, multi-currency support and balance simplification.
14. TravelSpend - for tracking your travel budget
TravelSpend is one of the essential apps for backpacking if you are on a long trip and need to keep an eye on daily costs. Its site says it works offline, converts currencies automatically, visualises spending, syncs across devices and supports bill splitting and budget tracking.
15. AllTrails - for hiking, trekking and outdoor routes
If your trip includes hiking, mountains or national parks, AllTrails is worth downloading before you go. Its UK site highlights downloadable trail maps, live tracking and route creation, which are particularly useful for backpackers travelling beyond cities.
This is more of a specialist tool than a general map app, but for outdoor-heavy itineraries, it can be one of the most useful travel guide apps you have.
16. TripIt - for keeping bookings in one place
TripIt is one of the best itinerary tools for travellers who book through multiple platforms. Its site says it creates a single view of your trips, pulls plans from confirmation emails, stores documents and keeps plans accessible across devices.
For backpackers, that is useful when a trip includes separate flight, bus, hostel, ferry and activity bookings. Instead of digging through inboxes at check-in desks, you can keep the journey more organised in one place.
17. PackPoint - for packing lists
PackPoint is a smart addition to any trip because it removes some of the guesswork from packing. Its site says it builds lists based on trip length, weather and planned activities, and can even connect with TripIt for auto-created packing lists. For first-time backpackers in particular, it can help avoid overpacking or forgetting practical basics.
18. Google Drive - best for backing up important documents
GOV.UK recommends having a backup plan for accommodation details, flight information, passport details, contact numbers and insurance documents, including secure online storage. That is where a tool like Google Drive becomes useful: it lets you store and access files securely from different devices.
This is one of the most overlooked but most valuable essential travel apps and websites. If you lose your phone, damage your bag or need quick access to a document, cloud storage can save you a lot of hassle.
19. Couchsurfing - for local connection and community
Couchsurfing is one of the more distinctive entries in this list because it is not just about booking something; it is about connection. It's about a page that describes a global travel community built around staying with locals, meeting people and making travel more social and more local.
Plan Your Backpacking Trip with Gigasure
All these essential travel apps do more than help you book transport or find a hostel. They help you stay organised when things change. And if you are travelling for weeks or months, that matters just as much as finding a cheap flight.
Having your policy, documents, claims journey and delay benefits in one place can make a real difference when something unexpected happens on the road.
Gigasure’s app is designed to make that side of travel easier. You can quote and buy cover, manage your policy, access documents on the go, use GigaShield flight and baggage delay benefits, boost your cover mid-trip and submit claims quickly if needed. For backpackers, it is a practical way to keep the important admin side of travel simple.
And it is recommended to arrange appropriate Travel Insurance before you go and checking that it covers your destination, the full length of your trip and any activities you plan to do. It is worth sorting this before you leave, not halfway through your itinerary.
Explore Gigasure’s Travel and Backpacker Insurance options, download the app, and get your essentials sorted before you set off. In case of more queries, get in touch with us.
