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.

37 Apps reviewed

6 Categories

4 VPNs tested

5 eSIMs compared

From our writers

The apps we actually use

There's a particular kind of decision every traveler with a free afternoon in an unfamiliar national park makes: open a map, scroll through dozens of trail names, and try to figure out which one is actually worth the drive to the trailhead. For roughly 80 million people globally, the app they reach for is AllTrails — the Apple iPhone App of the Year in 2023.

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

Komoot used to operate on a much-loved model: free route planning, with one-off purchases for offline map regions ($3.99 for a single region, $8.99 for a bundle, $29.99 for the world pack). Buy once, own forever. No subscription required.

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

Editor’s quick picks

A handful of editor-chosen articles to start with — each tagged with why we picked it (new, unique, trending, local, or just one we like).

New Waymo driverless car review How the world's first driverless car app works and what it costs Trending · AI Best AI travel planners 2026 We tested the trendiest AI planners — one clear winner Practical 60 best apps for travel 2026 Our master list — across every category Unique Catawiki online auctions The best marketplace app for collectibles Editor used How I used Perplexity in Bangkok Real story — planning New Year's Eve with AI

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.