8 Essential Money-Saving Apps for Travel
Nowadays there’s an app for everything, and budget travel is no exception.
There are heaps of apps out there designed to save you money when traveling, from expense tracking to reward programs.
This post will detail 8 essential money-saving apps for travel to help your money go further abroad, updated for 2024.
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When traveling on a budget, any app that helps you save money and keep track of spending is more than welcome. Who wouldn’t want their money to go a little further?
There are so many apps out there that it is hard to know which ones are best. From expense tracking and splitting bills, to reward programs and discounts, these are the apps you cannot travel without.
The best thing about all of the travel apps on this list is that they are totally free. This means more money for exploring, eating, partying, and enjoying.
This post covers 8 of the best free travel apps for those who want to be more conscious of their spending and help their money go further when traveling abroad.
TravelSpend | Best trip expense tracker app
TravelSpend is my absolute favourite travel expense tracker app for saving money abroad. It can be used offline from anywhere in the world.
This app allows you to track your expenses by inputting what you have spent each day into its relevant category. TravelSpend then adds this up so you can see your daily spending.
As well as the daily breakdown, TravelSpend shows you your total expenses for the whole trip in the top left. Based on your spending, it also gives you your daily average in the top right.
TravelSpend knows your location and automatically converts the currency into your home currency.
You can also spread expenses across multiple days as I have done above with my SIM card and accommodation.
It then puts everything into a helpful pie chart, so you know exactly where your money is going. You can choose to view your spending in general or specify by country.
Below is the breakdown of my spending in Thailand. You can see some of the main categories are accommodation, food, activities, and transport.
Before embarking on a trip, you can put in your budget and how many days you will be traveling for. TravelSpend then works out what you should be spending each day to help you stick to this budget.
Even if you are not strict with a budget, I found simply tracking my spending and seeing my data visualised was so helpful.
It gave me insights into my spending habits and stopped me from overspending unnecessarily.
In my experience, this is the best trip expense tracker app, essential for monitoring your expenses and saving money abroad.
Skyscanner | Best travel app for flights
Skyscanner is undoubtedly the best travel app for flights.
This app finds flights from all different travel brands and airlines and compiles them all in one place. You can then compare and get yourself the best deal.
With Skyscanner’s handy calendar view, you can see which dates flights are cheapest and plan accordingly.
If you’re not ready to book yet, you can set up price alerts and they will notify you of the best time to book.
If you benefit from flexibility, you can choose everywhere instead of a destination. Skyscanner will let you know which countries are the cheapest to travel to for those who need a bit of inspiration.
For those who already have something in mind, you can use their smart filters to filter by price, flight duration, stopovers, etc.
This is one of the best travel budget apps that I always use to book my flights. There are no booking fees or hidden charges and you are always guaranteed to find the best deal.
Tip: while I always compare prices through Skyscanner, be sure to check with the airline directly too as sometimes this can be cheaper.
Airalo | Best ESIM app for international travel
Airalo is the best app for international travel and essential for those looking to save money abroad.
We’ve all been there; searching around for free wifi to avoid a huge roaming bill when you get home. Or worse, wasted hours trying to organise a local SIM (yes, I’m talking about you India).
Airalo is the solution to all these problems and allows you to travel hassle-free, knowing you will have data as soon as you step off the plane.
Tip: if you are a solo traveler, Airalo is an essential app for safety as well as saving money.
Operating in 200+ countries, simply choose the digital plan that works for you and it will activate as you land.
There is a wide range of local and regional SIMs to choose from, so you are always guaranteed connectivity wherever you are. Compare the prices to ensure you are getting the best deal for your needs.
As well as saving you money and making your life significantly easier, Airalo aims to promote environmentally friendly solutions that reduce plastic ways and the need for physical SIM cards.
Airalo is the best ESIM app for international travel and a progressive step forward in saving you time, money, and the planet.
Splitwise | Best app for travel expenses with friends
Splitwise is an essential app for splitting travel expenses with friends. You can split with a big group or just one other person.
When traveling in a group and sharing payments, it is easy to lose track of who owes whom, especially when foreign currencies are involved.
Splitwise is a great way to share expenses and it does all the complicated maths for you. This leaves no room for doubt and means no one is left out of pocket.
You simply create a group and each person can log in to record what they have paid. Splitwise then does all the maths and tells each person their balance and what they owe, or are owed.
This way, with friends you can take turns paying and then settle up whenever you give someone the money in real life and clear your debt.
This is one of the best money-saving apps for travel when splitting expenses with friends. It guarantees peace of mind that no one is under or overpaying.
Xe | Best currency converter app
Another essential app for travel is Xe, the best currency converter app.
This app is great for those traveling on a budget and looking to save money, as it gives you live currency exchange rates.
When arriving in a new country, it is easy to get into a muddle with the new currency. Sometimes you can end up paying more than you expected because you got the exchange rate wrong.
Xe gives you the currency exchange rates in real time and works offline. You can quickly check how much something will cost in your home currency before making a purchase.
No more mix-ups with foreign currencies means you can be conscious of how much you’re spending.
This is the best currency converter app, essential for those looking to save money when traveling.
Booking.com | Best hotel booking app
My favourite app for booking hotels and hostels when traveling is booking.com.
Booking.com can save you loads of money with its reward program and price filters, so you know you are getting the best deal. It is the best hotel booking app.
As you can see below, I have sorted to show the cheapest option first. This is massively discounted as I am at the highest level of its rewards program.
Booking.com is a fantastic app for budget travel as you can sort by price and see the cheapest options for hotels or hostels in any given location.
I tend to filter by price and ranking, so I can see the best-rated accommodation for the cheapest price. I use map view so I can see all the prices at once and compare.
Once you have signed up as a member with booking.com, you earn points every time you book. You can get some great deals with these points, including discounts, room upgrades, and free breakfasts.
This is therefore an essential app for those looking to save money when booking accommodation abroad.
Revolut | Best card to use abroad
Another one of the best apps for budget travel is Revolut.
In my experience, this is the best card to use abroad, as it works in over 200+ countries and the app is simple to use.
Revolut is an international bank card that allows you to use your card abroad or withdraw from an ATM with zero fees or hidden charges.
The app is super easy to use from anywhere in the world, to keep track of your spending and transfer between accounts.
Having an international bank card is a top money-saving tip when paying and withdrawing money abroad.
If you’re interested in more tips for using ATMs abroad, you can read my detailed post here.
With Revolut, it is free to sign up for a digital card and you pay £5 if you want a physical card.
In my experience, having a separate travel bank account allows me to save and budget for my trip too, making it one of the top travel budget apps.
Whilst Revolut is the international bank card I would recommend, other popular cards are
Workaway | Best free accommodation app
The final money-saving app for travel is Workaway.
This is the best free accommodation app as it puts you in direct contact with local hosts. Enjoy free accommodation in exchange for a few hours of work per day.
Workaway offers loads of opportunities in different sectors all over the world. You offer your skills and time in exchange for free accommodation and sometimes meals too.
You pay a one-off price of $50 which gives you a membership for a year, allowing you to message hosts and organise your stay.
For those who are flexible with their time, Workaway is a great way to get off the beaten track, learn more about a culture, and do something meaningful.
Most places prefer a commitment of at least a month, but sometimes it can just be a few days.
In Costa Rica, I stayed with a family for 5 days and helped them with their English. This was in exchange for free accommodation and 3 meals a day.
The money you save on accommodation makes this a great app for budget travel.
This post has detailed 8 essential apps that you need for budget travel, to help you keep track of your expenses, avoid overpaying, and ultimately save money when abroad.
If you found this post helpful and you’re interested in more money-saving tips, then you’re welcome to check out the following –
