What are the best apps/tools you guys use on your travels?

After trying multiple apps, I went semi-old school. I use Notes in my phone. We just finished a 3 week road trip in Europe earlier this month. I created a folder specifically for Europe 2023. I ended up with over 20 notes. But I am definitely a list person!

For each stop, I created a note. Each note included info about parking, sometimes including a photo of what the garage looked like so I could show my husband, who was the driver. It included the lodging address and any checkin info (like door codes for apartments). And checkin/out times.

I screenshotted QR codes for tickets and added them in the note.

I had a list of potential restaurants. When I made a reservation, I added it to the list.

Using Notes gave me flexibility to add info anytime and in whatever fashion I wanted: written note, photos, link to websites, etc.

In addition to the notes for each destination, I also have various lists: packing list, airplane essentials kit list, a tracking list of what I packed vs what I actually wore, and how many time I wore things.

@travel4fun - really interesting. Sounds like you had the same issue. What apps have you tried and what's the issue with them?

As for the notes - yeah this is what I ended up thinking I'd do as well - glad to know it's a tried and true method haha.

You could also use Evernote, which is a bit more sophisticated version of Notes. It's easier to organize and you can save info directly from the website.

TripIt does have a note feature. When you click "add a plan" on your itinerary, keep scrolling through the options until you see "note." I create notes on the first day I am in each location and title them "restaurants" and "activities" and populate it with notes from my research. I time stamp the notes so they show up first thing on the daily itinerary (e.g., activities are timed 00:00 and restaurants 00:01). When I'm on a tour, as I am on my next trip, I also have a note that is the daily tour itinerary (and I adjust the time slots so that it shows up first, then the other notes after). Having everything in one place works for me.

This time I'm also creating my own Google map noting spots of interest and recommendations for restaurants, which I hope will be easy to use as well. There are other posts in the forum on how to do this, like this one: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/tech-tips/google-maps-how-to-customize

Generally, I use google drive. Each trip gets a folder. Tickets for travel such as flights and trains get a sub folder. Passports as well. Then, depending, each city gets a folder with room reservations, rental cars, site tickets, etc. For notes on things like restaurant reservations or ideas for things to do that are not booked, I have one long google doc with the name of the city at the top of each page with suggestions and such-in the “main folder.” Not elegant by any stretch but it works for me. I then share the folder with my husband. I also have print outs of all of this. I group the print outs in sleeve protectors in the same manner I have filed them on the google drive, then put them in a large envelope. I just print as I make reservation. We did a fair amount of train travel last year and we typically had the train tickets in our notes too, but this time, we will be using the Trentalia and Italo apps.

Old school. Small travel journal.

Get a cheap lightweight booklet with blank pages at the 99 cent store. Then I spend time ripping out colorful pages in magazines, cutting out words and phrases. Then I create a collage on the booklet’s cover.

I take a clear scotch tape roll and cover the collages.

While on my trip I’ll write in it but most often I’ll tape a business cards inside. That way I remember restaurants, cafes, etc. I print out my flight intel, opening and closing times and addresses of sites I wish to see.

Make one for every trip. Also use TripIt.

For planning I use Tripit and Google drive. In my google drive I have an itinerary with where we are staying each day, possibilities for restaurants and activities as well as reservations for restaurants and activities with notes about cancellation policies, transportation plans etc. My itinerary for our 29 day trip coming up is 11 pages. I have a spread sheet with a budget and actual expenses. And I have a packing list. I also have a photo album with pictures of things I may need like passports and prescription bottles. And I have a paper folder with things that require the actual paper like the lounge pass for our airline does.

I also use Xe for currency conversion, and Timeshifter for jet lag. I'm going to be trying FreeNow for taxis, Citymapper for getting around and a few transportation apps specific to where we will be traveling.

What cities are you planning to visit? Perhaps some of us live in those cities or have visited those cities and can give you tips.

There is a page in The Travel Forum under Q & A and it is called Beyond Europe

I bet if you post the cities that you will be visiting, you will get lots and lots of tips and ideas.

I am not good with smart phones but I have a mini iPad. I use Google Maps and then different apps when it comes to specific cities.

I have City mapper, Visit London, Visit a City and Rick Steves Audio Europe for my upcoming visit to London.

If you are going to Boston, for instance, I suggest going to your app store and searching Boston. You will find apps to down load. I am just using Boston as one example. You can do this with every city that you will be visiting.

• Airline app (flight status or schedule alert, check-in, baggage tracking)
• Train/Metro app (buy tickets, check service interruption or arrival/departure time)
• MPC (Mobile Passport Control); a free app from CBP (U.S. Customs and Border Protection)
• FlightAware (check if my airplane has arrived and ready for departure)
• Google Maps (find my way around, especially Venice)
• Google Flights (flights planning, price tracking)
• AirTag (to find my way back to hotel, track luggage location)
• Rick Steves Audio Europe app
• iPhone Calendars (it has all my travel itinerary/events detail, airline/train/hotel/museums ticket attached and alerts set)

• CityMapper
• Here We Go! maps with maps for my location(s) pre-downloaded at home so they are available even if I don't turn on data
• Airline app
• Local transit app if there is one
• Trainline
• Local trains app if I feel like I want it too
• Twitter so I can make a specific list for quickly checking road and/or rail conditions where I am going to be traveling
• Notes app or Evernote
• WhatsApp for staying in touch
• News apps, Instagram, email app etc for keeping up to date and in touch -- Sytadin to go with CityMapper so when leaving /arriving Paris I can check traffic conditions on the roads and RER to know what I need to avoid and what will work