Travelling is hard no matter the time or occasion. Planning your travel itinerary, finding deals, and booking travel across various apps means you have a lot of plates to spin before you even get to the airport. Whether it's a trip for a long weekend, holiday travel, or preliminary planning for the next long venture around the world, we've compiled the best flight deal apps, price trackers, road trips, and more to make your next trip easier and more affordable.

In this guide, we’ll break down the best apps to consider, how to use them, and how they can help you even when you don’t have internet access (like offline maps to save you on data), with recommendations on travel booking apps, options to assist with road trips, like offline maps, and apps to find cheap flights. Travel can also be stressful, so we've also covered an app to help with mindfulness so you can decompress from time to time.

Read on to learn all about the best apps to hack your next travel excursion.

Best apps for
travel deals

Hopper—Best for budget travel

Free from Apple and Google

We know most people defer to Google Flights or Kayak when comparing airfare, and we get why: these apps are easy to navigate. They also allow you to see real-time prices, which you can track for weeks until you find the right rate. Hopper looks a lot like Google Flights, but the app’s crucial difference is its algorithm, which relies on historical data to predict the best time to purchase a flight.

You can search for a flight just like you would on Google Flights, Kayak, Travelocity, or any of the other thousands of travel deals sites. When you do, Hopper will show you a calendar around your dates, illustrating the best deals. Even better, you’ll get a detailed breakdown of its predictions for the coming weeks—great if you have a general window of when you'd like to travel. The predictive pricing can help narrow it down to when you can save the most money.

We don’t love the many cash-grabs Hopper will then throw your way (like buying a seat in advance, securing trip insurance, and tipping the app itself), but they’re easy to ignore. The use of the algorithm itself is free, and that alone is worth the download.

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Skyscanner—Best for price tracking

Free from Apple and Google

Skyscanner is very similar to Hopper. However, its main difference is that it scours deals from third-party travel sites (like Booking.com and StudentUniverse) in addition to rates from the airlines. You can book a trip with major airlines like Air Canada, WestJet, etc. 

The search function is straightforward, listing all options for a given trip. When searching, you can filter by Best, Cheapest, Fastest, and Direct, allowing you to find the best flight for your budget and schedule. Anecdotally, we saw some flights from Toronto to Vancouver for prices as low as $248, which is almost unheard of these days.

We also appreciate that it highlights potentially troubling details, like long layovers or soul-crushing redeyes. This extra step may seem small, but it ensures customers know what they're purchasing before they go to pay, which is the sort of transparency we appreciate.

Generally, we’re wary of search engines that direct to third-party sites, which often jack up price tags with fees until they’re unrecognizable. In fairness, though, Skyscanner presents those third-party deals alongside prices from the airlines, allowing users to choose their adventure. If you’re on the hunt for a deal, it’s a great resource.

Best app for
hotel deals

HotelTonight

Free from Apple and Google

If you’re looking to avoid staying with family over the holidays or just want to sneak away for a long weekend, we recommend avoiding Airbnb. In recent years, the app has become plagued by exorbitant "cleaning fees." Over time, Airbnb has become more and more expensive to use, with more Canadians falling back on the tried and true hotel experience.

Some of the best deals are now available at hotels, the places Airbnb was supposedly going to put out of business. HotelTonight puts all of these deals in one convenient interface, allowing you to search all of the one-night price drops in any given area.

There’s some risk in using the app, considering you won’t have the security of booking in advance or securing a room in a particular part of town. But if those things don’t bother you, it’s a great way to score some low prices, especially on weeknights.

Best
road trip app

Wanderlog

Free from Apple and Google (Pro subscription available)

After our previous road-tripping pick iOverlander got an overhaul for the worse, we went back to the testing grounds and discovered Wanderlog. At its best, Wanderlog can replace at least three popular road trip and travel planning apps (like Roadtrippers, TripAdvisor, and TripIt), all in one powerful little tool.

Wanderlog is great as users can add unlimited destinations to their itinerary, and the app suggests popular places and sights at each stop. Additionally, you can leave notes, add restaurants, and even see suggested packing lists and budgets to keep your trip organized.

With Wanderlog's premium plan, you'll be granted access to offline maps, the ability to export to Google Mapsexport to Google Maps, and AI assistance to help optimize your next road trip.

Although the app is free to use, there is a Pro subscription available. If you choose to subscribe, Wanderlog can access and scan your Gmail account, helping you link reservations like hotels, rental cars, and tickets directly into your itinerary.

You can also export your entire trip to Google Maps, making it extremely easy to simply plug in your phone and use your GPS to get where you're going. Wanderlog's Pro subscription also includes access to its route optimizer, which will evaluate your travel times and route and suggest any changes that could save you time along your trip. If you're travelling in more remote areas with spotty cell service, the Pro version gets you offline access to your maps, addresses, and plans, so you won't be stranded.

Best meditation app

Pause

Free from Apple

Our primary focus with this list was saving you money, but we also know vacations can be mentally taxing by themselves. We figured you could also use an app that might help to save your sanity.  

Pause is similar to the popular Calm app in that it’s focused on mindfulness, but it does not sell guided meditations or sleep soundtracks. Instead, Pause allows you to focus on the subtleties of movement through its “Finger Tai Chi,” which allows you to slow down while you follow a slowly expanding orb across the screen, while ambient music plays. Sound trippy? It is! It’s also oddly soothing and a great way to tune out the otherwise hectic distractions around you

The Pause app does include some optional in-app purchases but is otherwise free to use. If you find yourself enjoying this meditative app, you may find yourself inclined to purchase Pause Premium, starting at $4.99/mo. With it, you'll get access to progression tracking metrics and the ability to customize the colours and sounds within the app.

Best language translation app

Google Translate

Free from Apple and Google

Travelling can be overwhelming if you don't speak the native language of your destination. Thankfully, language barriers are slowly breaking down brick by brick thanks to apps like Google Translate. Google's in-house language translation app is among the best for travel 

Google Translate offers text translation in 108 languages, so you can use your smartphone to enter text and have it read in a different language. Using your device's camera, you can also translate text in images instantly in 94 languages, perfect for reading a menu or signage in a store. There's also an offline mode in case you lose internet connection during your travels.

Best international roaming plans

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If you're travelling internationally, you may want to consider the use of an eSIM. These easy-to-set-up mobile plans are great for travel. With the use of one from a carrier, you'll have access to travel-friendly data and connectivity throughout your excursions. It's important to note that not every smartphone is eSIM compatible, so check if your phone can use an eSIM before buying one.

Rogers | Ultimate Canada+US+Mexico

Rogers supports “Roam Like Home” pay-per-use rates on its standard plans. Use your phone plan as if you were in Canada for $18/day internationally. With Rogers' Ultimate plan, for instance, you'll have up to 5G connectivity and 250GB of data to use, as well as unlimited talk and text. This perk is essential when travelling, so you can get in touch with family or friends and always have data at your disposal.

Bell | Elite 250 Canada+US+Mexico

Similar to Rogers, Bell's international plan supports unlimited data, calling, and texting for an additional $16 a day in over 200 international destinations. With 250GB of 5G data available, you'll be able to use your device as you would in Canada. This means having enough data to access travel apps, navigation services, and more. Bell's international roaming is automatic when you connect to a tower in a country outside of Canada.

Best Canada-US cell phone plans

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If you’re heading south for the holidays, we recommend snagging a Canada-US phone plan. While pay-per-day programs might be your best option for short-term international trips, plans that allow you to cross the border without any disruptions is best for those with family in the States.

Freedom Mobile | 5G Unlimited 60GB CA-US plan

Freedom Mobile recently launched its own 5G network, meaning the best alternative to the Big Three just got even better. This plan provides 60GB of 5G data plus unlimited talk and text for a price well below Bell, Rogers, or Telus and offers discounts for customers who bring their own phone.

Rogers | Popular Canada+US

Rogers Canada+US plan is similar to the Freedom CA-US plan in many ways: it offers 5G data, unlimited talk and text, and the ability to use your phone in the US without any drops in service. The major difference between the two is service within Canada: Rogers’ 5G and 4G LTE networks cover nearly 40 times more ground than Freedom’s, so you’ll never have to worry about venturing out of network.

The above price is reserved for Quebec. Rogers offers a Canada+US plan in every other province, though it comes with significantly more data and a higher price tag.