Revolut is becoming the must have e-wallet app to subscribe to. Somehow they are able to offer mind bogglingly cheap exchange rates and services at a very low cost. In fact, as long as you don’t use the app at the weekend, you won’t incur any charges at all… something to do with the currency markets being closed at the weekend (full, easy to understand T&Cs on their website).

It’s only £5 for a card if you want to take advantage of fee-free cash withdrawals (£200 daily limit) or in store transactions (£5000 monthly limit). Sign up now.

Whatsapp (Free)

Perhaps the easiest to use and most accessible app for communicating across continents. WhatsApp is free to use for phone and video calls, and best used when in Wi-Fi zones so as not to eat up that precious data.   Create groups with friends and family to stay in touch and update everyone in one hit, and most likely make them jealous with your stunning photos! WhatsApp is intelligently encrypted, so your messages, photos and videos are safe.

Skyscanner (Free)

Flying can arguably be the most expensive form of traveling, but is essential to reach the furthest away corners of the Earth. Never miss out on those cheap flight deals or the flight itself! Skyscanner can set up travel alerts, especially helpful for upcoming flights and price changes. Handy!

Airbnb (Free)

This app can open up a whole new world when it comes to accommodation, whether its inner city apartments or desert dwellings, you’ll be surprised at the range of results! With the explosion of on demand services, including short and long term accommodation, more people are looking to private services.   Airbnb puts you in touch with private landlords with accommodation at their disposal, from one night stays to longer term rentals (which some offer a huge discount for as well), it’s easy to find lodging suited to you.

Tip: find out what discount individual hosts are offering, you may find that your original stay is only 1 day short of incurring a massive saving!

Places (£1.99)

This is a less well-known mapping app that keeps a track of where you’ve been and provides some interesting at-a-glance-stats. This can range from days spent traveling to distance covered and locations in total. Places applies an easy to use, co-ordinate based pin dropping system which makes it stress-free to accurately save your multiple locations.  

You can do this as much or as little as you like. So you can ‘pin’ just the odd hostel or room you stay in, or each and every leg of your journey! Pins are saved by date order and a line begins to build to show your tracks from an ‘as the crow flies’ point of view. Making for ever so nostalgic pinching and zooming around the globe, seeing where your mark has been left on the dusty trails.

Uber (Free)

Another renowned on demand service app which puts you in contact with private drivers. Normally the cost of these individual trips will beat local taxi charges, but always be sure to do your research. Double check that a trip across town isn’t cheaper by tram or bus for example.

Tip: don’t fall victim to Uber scams! Note that in Barcelona, Uber doesn’t exist but the app will let you book a driver, only to be charged the cancellation cost!

Trip Advisor (Free)

The long established mecca for independent reviews of practically every step of your trip – hotels, airlines, restaurants, bars and many more. The community on Trip Advisor is fantastic and you can even pose your own specific questions to get even more details from other users.  

This is a great resource for checking detail-by-detail travel days across countries you’re unfamiliar with, as fellow travellers often post their entire travel day itinerary (sometimes with bus times and all!)

Duolingo (Free)

A language beginner’s barrier-breaking must have (trying saying that after a tequila or two!) If your travels are planned well in advance or if you’re off tomorrow, download the app and start practicing your destinations’ local language now.   Easy to follow and starting from the basics, Duolingo’s lesson style is extremely succinct and the locals will be ever grateful to you for even attempting some basic lingo.

Google Translate (Free)

Failing at a language app or stuck in a tricky situation? It’s good to have an instant helping hand. Google Translate can provide you with instant spoken, typed or displayed language translation. Text translation works across 103 languages when you enter text and have a data connection (although 59 languages are supported for offline use!)  

The app can also access your camera to translate signs, menus and directions as well. An essential download for any traveller struggling with the lingo.

Microsoft OneDrive (Free)

This is a great multi-device subscription that allows not just for photo storage, but you can also upload a variety of documents, video formats etc. Which is pretty handy for any travel documents you can’t, or don’t want to, print.

There are paid plans available but for the free subscription you’ll get 5GB of storage straight up! This platform also ties in an email account with calendars, reminders and tasks so you can get super organised on your travels with everything in one place.

Both the Outlook (email) and OneDrive apps are available on both iOS and Android devices.

What does your top 10 look like? Is there anything we missed? Have your say!