Top 8 Must-Have Phone Apps for Traveling Abroad

Getting ready for that big vacation can be an exciting time. You've been looking forward to it all year, and now you must prepare. That can seem a little overwhelming. We do our best to make that time a little easier by giving you the essentials for planning that trip, from booking the flights to figuring out your travel insurance.

If you're traveling abroad, you need the right tools to help you navigate the area. These apps will help you get around, communicate, and buy the right things in the places you visit.

Phone Apps for Traveling Abroad

1. Google Maps

It would help if you always researched different countries before you visited them. Knowing what to expect in various cultures is vital for traveling safely and having fun. Luckily, there are many resources for this on the internet, but collectively, Google Maps is found to be the most preferred among travelers. It has images of the countryside and city life and even some information on the tourist sites.

As a traveler, you can use Google Maps to find transportation options and routes that help you get everything done in the shortest amount of time. Even if you have a GPS, Google Maps can be more accurate; it's also a helpful alternative for those with eyesight issues.

2. Free Call 

One of the best ways to save money when traveling abroad is to use an app that calls for free. As you may know, many apps allow you to call for free. It is pretty simple to do it. But you have to download the best app for that. 

You'll need nothing else, just your phone, a strong internet connection, and a good calling app or website. The way it works is simple.

To be able to make international calls from your computer isn't as hard as many think. There are now many VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) services that enable you to make calls over the internet. 

These VoIP services route the calls over the internet rather than through a traditional telephone network. As a result, you can get incredible quality, save a ton of money, and avoid all of the hassles you might have with other services. Talk360 is one of them.

If you are living outside Ethiopia, and want to get in contact inside Ethiopia you can select free call Ethiopia for that purpose. It works on the principle of VoIP. You select the phone number with the country code. It's the same as calling a friend in another country, but with minimal costs. It will allow you to make cheap or even free calls to your friends and family back home or living abroad.

3. Google Translate

It can be challenging to pick up a new language when you are moving to a country that speaks a different language altogether. Google translate app is a handy tool for travelers to communicate with people in other languages. The app supports a total of 103 languages.

Users obtain an instant translation of the sentences from their mobile phones or tablets. You no longer have to rely on dictionaries or pen and paper to communicate with people from different countries. You can also use the app for translating documents.

4. Foodspotting

Food spotting is an app that allows people to take photos of the food they see in restaurants and share the images with friends, family, and the world. This app can be an excellent benefit for people who are traveling abroad. 

For example, if you are traveling to a foreign country, you don't know what the food is like. This app helps you explore the country's culture to make you more informed about the place you are visiting.

The user can take photos of the food they eat and share them with friends on the app. 

5. WhatsApp

People can use WhatsApp to connect with friends or families when they travel abroad. With WhatsApp, the most famous application for chatting or texting, you can use it to talk with people worldwide. 

While people usually use it to contact their friends and family, you can use this to get some help from a native speaker. They can also translate some words for you if you are a tourist. Also, you can use this to guide you to an excellent place to visit, as you can ask for any information you need, like your way to a specific area or the transportation schedule to a particular destination.

So, it is a handy app if you are traveling. With this service, you can also maintain your communication with your family or friends in other countries.

6. Emergency Plus 

In our world today, emergencies happen all the time. A benefit of an emergency plus app is that it is a one-stop-shop for all your medical, security, and travel needs.

This app is beneficial in emergencies and urgent needs. It allows you to contact medical services and security providers in one app. This way, you only need to send a message and the response and assistance is immediate. It's a great app to have on your phone if you're traveling abroad, with no relative or friend to contact during emergencies. 

7. Skyscanner

So many people travel from one country to another for different purposes like business, tourism, and education. Nowadays, many apps are available to make our traveling easy by making booking online tickets easy.  

One of the best apps is the Skyscanner app which is used by people worldwide. It helps people to book the tickets in any mode of transportation. It also lets the users search for the cheapest ticket available. And you can even search the prices of the hotels you want to stay in, in the same place.

8. Skyroam

Skyroam is the best app to connect with the different internet providers worldwide. It will let you connect your phone to global hotspots. It is very beneficial for travelers because there’s no need to buy a new sim for every new destination just to connect to the internet. In essence, this app will save you money.

For example, you can't access the internet in a foreign country. This app can help you find a stable connection in exchange for a monthly fee. Despite still paying for this service, it’s much cheaper as its service spans across different countries. 

Final Thoughts

The best thing about traveling abroad is getting to experience new cultures, making new friends, and seeing places you've only seen in pictures. And the worst thing about traveling abroad is that you can get lost in translation and not know where to go.

If you're going on a trip outside your home country or even your home state, it is crucial to have your phone fully stocked with the best phone apps to help you. Doing this can prevent you from getting lost and make your trip more exciting without hassle.

Apps are a great way to relieve boredom or keep up with friends and family. But apps aren't just for fun. They can also help you learn about other countries, your destination, transportation options, local attractions, and even local restaurants & entertainment.