5 Best Apps for Planning Your Next Vacation

Travel planning can feel overwhelming when you have a lot of things on your to-do list to check off before the big day!

We’re always on our smartphones, so why not use technology to our advantage? There are literally apps for everything, including apps that’ll make planning your next vacay a lot easier. From booking your hotel, flights and researching things to do, we have 5 apps that’ll help you plan your next trip like a pro!

• TripAdvisor

  TripAdvisor does all the research FOR you, including finding main attractions and *non-touristy* things to do. You can pretty much find all the recs from restaurants, hotels, fun things to do, and what not to do. The TripAdvisor app has a special feature called *Trips* where you can customize your travel itinerary and have the option to save places or things you’re interested in for your vacation. You can keep your itinerary private or public, and you can also check out a feed of other users and read their reviews, see their photos and any other inspiring travel ideas they have for your destination!

• Visit A City

  When you’re on vacation for only a certain amount of days, it can be hard to decide what to see and how much you’re able to see without overwhelming yourself in the process. With the Visit A City app, you can easily plan your trip with free itineraries that involve activities and maps based on the number of days you’re in a particular city. And if you don’t know how long you need or want to stay in a city, Visit A City can help you figure that out, too, based on your interests. This app also automatically puts nearby attractions together that are within walking distance and will let you know how far each attraction is from each other. Sounds like a major time saver!

• TripIt

  TripIt will store all of your documents, reservations (including hotel/Airbnb, rental cars and flight info), and any other travel details for you. It’ll also keep you updated on your travel itineraries. It takes your email inbox full of bookings and puts it all in one, easy-to-access spot. All you have to do is forward your bookings to plans@tripit.com and it’ll organize your travel details. The app works without WiFi and you can share your travel deets with friends and family. TripIt also has a pro version for $49 a year that include perks like getting real-time flight alerts, shows security wait times and tracks your reward programs.

• Packing Pro

  Hate packing? Well, Packing Pro HELPS you organize your suitcase with a checklist that breaks down what you’ll need by category. Just insert how long your trip is, where you’re headed, and what your destination’s weather will be like. You can also include info like if you’ll have access to a washing machine (if you’re staying at an Airbnb and that’s only if you WANT to do laundry while on vacay). With the right info, the app will create a list of what you need to pack, keep track of what you’ve already packed, and send you reminders of last-minute things you need to pack (i.e. toothbrush). When you’re done packing your suitcase, do yourself a favor and ship your luggage with LugLess to avoid the hassle of dragging it through the airport!

• Hopper

  While you’re researching flights and hotel deals, Hopper is an app you’ll want to have on your phone, especially if you’re looking for cheap flights. When you type in your destination, a color-coded calendar will show you what the cheapest and most expensive days are to book your flight. The app will also advise you to wait before booking (if there’s a chance of prices dropping) or book right away because OMG-THIS-DEAL-IS-A-STEAL! You can save your destination and get price alerts when a deal comes along. You can book a flight or hotel with just a few taps and a swipe. It’s really that easy and takes the guesswork out of your research without actually doing the research!

Crafting a travel itinerary can be both fun and overwhelming. Use these apps to help with your itinerary and research. And you’re using your smartphone anyway, right? So take a break from scrolling on the gram and take a look on Hopper or see what you still need to pack on Packing Pro. Who doesn’t like less work and more travel?

What are your fave travel planning apps? Drop them in the comments!