Travel Apps for 2026: The Tools Our Editors Actually Use

Hand-picked from real trips — apps, eSIMs and VPNs we keep on our phones across hiking, transit, tours, stays and discovery. Take the quiz below to find your kit.

50 Apps reviewed

6 Categories

5 VPNs tested

5 eSIMs compared

From our writers

The apps we actually use

AllTrails Peak is the first AllTrails subscription tier that's actually worth the upgrade. Wrong-turn alerts and proper offline maps closed the two real gaps the app had against Gaia and Komoot — and the trail database is still the deepest on earth.

— Locals Insider Team in AllTrails: the biggest outdoor app and its new Peak tier reviewed · Apps

Komoot is still the cyclist's app — the one-time-purchase regional maps are a refreshing alternative to subscription creep, the elevation profiles are best-in-class, and the offline mode actually works when signal drops on the Pyrenees ridge.

— Locals Insider Team in How to plan hikes and bike routes with Komoot · Apps

From the 2026 lists

The one pick in each category

If you only install five travel apps in 2026, make them these — picked across activity, transit, data, privacy and discovery.

Best hiking app AllTrails Peak 400,000+ trails worldwide Best cycling app Komoot Cyclist favourite, Europe-strong Best city transit Citymapper 80+ cities, transit standard Best for driving Waze Live community traffic reports Best tours platform GetYourGuide Skip-the-line, 7,000+ cities Best European rail Trainline UK + 40 European countries Best e-scooter Lime 200+ cities, last-mile transit Best travel eSIM Airalo 200+ countries, the standard Best unlimited eSIM Holafly Heavy-data users, daily plans Best VPN overall NordVPN Speed + streaming + servers Best free VPN Proton VPN Genuinely usable free tier Best for camping HipCamp Airbnb for the outdoors

Off the beaten path

Not-so-obvious picks

Two of our most-read editorial deep dives in this category.

Discovery · Editor's pick

Geocaching: the 3-million-cache treasure hunt running quietly worldwide

An app most travelers don't know exists, with one of the largest hidden communities on earth. Three million caches across every country; your phone's GPS guides you to a small container hidden somewhere unexpected. Properly lovely with kids, on long walks, and in unfamiliar cities — turns any walk into a small adventure.

Locals Insider review Read the full Geocaching review → Safety · Solo travel

The free emergency app most solo travelers haven't tried

Noonlight runs as a held-button on your phone — release it without entering the PIN and emergency services get called to your exact location. The basic tier is free; Premium adds crash detection and Apple Watch integration. Strongest coverage in the US, useful enough that solo hikers and women travelers keep it installed.

AllTrails Lifeline — share your route + ETA with someone trusted
Apple Watch fall detection — built-in, no subscription
What3Words — share your exact location with emergency services
Travel insurance with 24/7 hotline (separate consideration)

Read the full Noonlight review →

Try the quiz

Find your travel-app kit in 60 seconds

Five quick questions across activity, region, data, privacy and budget — we'll match you to apps from our reviews, plus an eSIM and VPN if you need them.

Locals Insider · Apps

Find your travel apps

Five questions to match your trip with the apps that actually fit — across hiking, transit, tours, stays, eSIMs and VPNs. All from our existing Locals Insider reviews.