11 Of The Best Apps For Solo Travellers

Posted on Mar 2 2016 - 7:01am by Leila Jones

Mobile App

Planning to go travel can be so exciting. You’ve picked which countries you’re going to visit, which backpack you’re going to use and you’ve saved up all of your money ready for the adventure of a lifetime. If you’re travelling by yourself, you may be feeling a mixture of anxiety and anticipation. How are you going to make friends? Will it be safe? How will you keep everyone at home updated? Technology can help. There are now so many apps out there for travellers, designed to help with everything from planning your trip to finding likeminded friends on the road. Here are some of the best apps for travelling alone.

Google Translate- Free on iOs and Android

Yes, it’s great to learn a language before you go away but it’s not always possible to master those tricky Mandarin phrases in advance. The Google Translate app is invaluable when you travel alone as it can help translate road signs or restaurant menus. It also has a two way speech mode to translate a conversation as you go.

Tinder- Free on iOS and Android

Not just for hook-ups! Tinder offers you potential matches with people who have similar interests as you, so it’s perfect for social travellers. You can change the settings based on age and location. Who knows, you may even find that one of your matches is staying in the same hostel! Just remember to always meet in a public place and let someone know where you’re going.

Homeaway Asia (formerly Travelmob)- Free on iOs and Android

Asia is a popular destination with solo travellers, particularly the likes of Thailand. However, it can be difficult to find a hostel in some parts. This is where Homeaway Asia comes in handy- it shows cozy rooms, apartments and even houseboats available for short term rental. The makers of the app have apps for other areas too, such as Europe.

Like a Local- Free on iOs and Android

This city guide and map app works offline; you just have to download the relevant guide before you go. This makes it invaluable when travelling in a place where roaming charges may be extortionate. The guides are written by hundreds of locals who will take you away from the tourist hotspots and firmly inside the walls of a city. Note that although the app is free, you do have to pay for the guides.

Findery- Free on iOs and Android

Findery is a virtual treasure map. Pull up the app whilst travelling to see digital notes that other travellers have left to tell their story. This could be tips for a good local meal or a place to see, or an anecdote about something which happened in the area.

Flickr- Free on iOS and Android

When you travel, you will take a lot of photos. Naturally, you’ll need somewhere to store them. Flickr offers one terabyte of photo storage for free. There’s also social sharing buttons within the app, as well as some nifty Instagram style features.

Travel Buddies- 0.99p on iOS and Android

This simple app has a simple concept in mind: help travellers find other travellers. You can use the app to meet people in the same area as you, with the same interests and similar travel plans. It’s also used in 170 countries, so wherever you travel you should be able to find a buddy!

Hostelworld- Free on iOS and Android

As a traveller, you’re probably going to stay in hostels. Hostelworld is a popular site for finding and booking accommodation and their app functions just as well. You can book your hostel stays as you go and read reviews too.

Outbound- Free on iOS and Android

Similar to Travel Buddies, Outbound is designed for meeting other travellers. It also has some great other features such as event notice boards and even a wifi hotspot finder. You can search to find travellers where you are or in a future destination. Every traveller should have this in their pocket.

Tripit- Free on iOS and Android

This handy app stores all of your flight and accommodation data in one place. You can also store all your official travel documents and keep an itinerary to send to your family at home. All you have to do is forward your flight confirmations to an email address and the app does the rest. It can even connect with your Apple Watch!

Couchsurfing- Free on iOS and Android

Find a host anywhere in the world, for free. The only catch is that if they should ever find themselves in your neck of the woods, you’ll host them back. This is a great way to meet friendly locals who will show you around a new destination and share their wisdom.

Of course, apps are not the only way of meeting people whilst travelling solo. Head down to your hostel bar and you will find plenty of other people waiting to make friends. However, technology is a great way to get the ball rolling. Enjoy your trip!

About the Author

Leila Jones is the editor of Holiday Numbers, a travel website. Leila is a Public Relations graduate from Sheffield Hallam University in the UK. She enjoys travel, blogging, social media and fashion. You can follow her on Twitter @LeilaJones18.