My Favorite Apps for Backpackers

Smartphones have become a literal extension of our hands.

We backpackers have it easy nowadays—everything is at our fingertips. I have huge admiration for the travelers of ages past who did everything on the fly, without any technology.

Today, smartphone apps help with everything: navigation, accommodation, entertainment, socialization, finances, languages, connectivity, etc.

So here are my favorite travel apps I think every backpacker should have on their “hand extension”.

1. Maps.me

Maps.me is the quintessential navigation app for all backpackers.

The 4 features that make it better than any other map app are:

• It’s super detailed and includes smaller alleyways, unpaved streets, hiking trails, and other topological features.
• You may download any map beforehand and use it offline. The search function also works offline.
• Its routing allows you to estimate walking distances quickly.
• Subway lines are layered on the map, so navigating cities with a metro system is incredibly easy.

The 2 shortcomings I can think of are that finding businesses (cafes, restaurants, hotels) may be harder as not all are registered on the map and that you can only have 10 maps downloaded on the free plan, although you can always delete the ones you don’t use to free space.

2. Couchsurfing

Couchsurfing, part of the sharing economy, is an app that meets travelers who have an available couch with those who need a place to sleep.

It’s more than just free accommodation!

It’s an app that facilitates cultural exchange.

Some of my best experiences backpacking have come from Couchsurfing stays:

• Staying with a Kurdish family in Iraqi Kurdistan
• Attending a homecoming event in Fiji
• Learning more about Timor Leste‘s unique culture from a social scientist
• Spending 3 days in the mountains with a millionaire from Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
• Partying during the Football World Cup in Kuwait
• and many more stories, adventures, and unforgettable moments

Couchsurfing has both a desktop website and a smartphone app with slightly different functionalities that complement each other.

Honorable mention to Couchers which is a solid alternative to Couchsurfing. Couchers was founded by disillusioned users who didn’t like Couchsurfing’s far departure from its early days of non-profit ideals.

3. Revolut

Revolut is my go-to app for all things personal finance.

It’s a proper bank with all the necessary licenses and protections (at least in Europe). Its low fees and free ATM withdrawals (up to a certain limit) also make it perfect for budget backpackers.

Over the past couple of years, Revolut has also added crypto, investment services, lounge access, insurance, and other extras I don’t use but may be handy for those interested.

You will likely be interested to find out more about managing money while backpacking.

4. Wise

Wise is another amazing finance app that makes life easier (and cheaper!) for travelers.

With the promise of fair exchange rates and minimal fees, it’s a perfect addition to any smartphone.

With Wise, you can also open accounts in different currencies and get paid from abroad with little hassle. Perfect for digital nomads!

Wise is one way I save money while backpacking long term. Find out how little I paid during my 26-month backpacking trip in Asia and Oceania.

5. ATM Fee Saver

ATMs are out to screw you!

Thankfully, not all. But which play nice and which will take the skin off your body in withdrawal fees?

Enter ATM Fee Saver.

It covers around 50 countries and shows you which ATMs charge the least amount of withdrawal fees.

If a country isn’t there, you can see if I have covered it in my money guides where I always tell you which ATM to use for the best bang for your buck.

6. Hostelworld

Hostels are amazing. I stay in hostels all the time. The low price, nice atmosphere and the chance to meet like-minded people make hostels better than hotels in my eyes for the most part.

Hostelworld is the best place to find good hostels because of the hundreds, sometimes thousands, of reviews from real backpackers.

Find out my process for always finding awesome hostels.

7. TravelSpend

TravelSpend is a budgeting app that lets you track your expenses on the road.

I like that you can input the cost in a foreign currency and the app exchanges it automatically into your home currency. This is handy for bookkeeping.

However, the free version of the app is pretty limited. For example, you can only track 1 trip at a time and your past trips will be deactivated. The data is there, but you can’t access it unless you delete all other trips or pay for premium membership.

For this reason, I started using an app called NomadWallet which is simplified but free. Unfortunately, it has been removed from both the App Store and Google Pay, so you can no longer download it.

I am sure you can find other free budgeting apps with some focused effort but if you can’t be bothered – go for TravelSpend.

8. Castbox

​Castbox is a free radio, podcast, and audiobook app. You can pre-download pretty much anything under the sun and listen to it whenever you want – no internet necessary.

I love to explore a new city while listening to my favorite podcasts:

• Freakonomics Radio
• Unexplainable
• Lateral by Tom Scott
• Revisionist History
• Search Engine

Yes, neither of them is about travel – I prefer to experience travel and use podcasts to learn something interesting.

The bad thing about it? Just a few ads when you switch episodes on the free plan. But ads are everywhere nowadays, so it’s all fine.

9. WiFi Map

WiFi Map does exactly what the name promises – presents a map of the WiFi networks around you that you can access.

It shows WiFi networks without a password but also the passwords for many other networks.

The app also includes information about the speed of the network.

The app works offline too! Simply download a map of the place you’re going and you will be able to use it without connection too. That’s super handy for destinations where local SIM cards are expensive and WiFi is abundant.

If this app seems like a hassle, consider buying an eSIM. See my review on when an eSIM is worth it and when not.

10. Google Translate

I don’t believe there’s anybody out there with a smartphone who doesn’t know about Google Translate and its near-magical abilities.

Simply download the language pack for the country you’re going to and enjoy communication with locals on the go.

It is not without mistakes, but it’s good enough to order the right meal and ask for the way to the bus station, among other things.

11. Proton VPN

In some countries, you cannot open pretty much any of your favorite apps (I am looking at you, China). In others, the internet is heavily censored (Myanmar, get it together).

And in any country, it may so happen that you cannot open something. I’ve had instances of visa portals never fully loading and even email not working properly.

You know what helps in all of those countries? VPN.

Really, you can use any VPN provider. I am not entirely certain that ProtonVPN is the best. But it’s free.

And since I don’t care which country exactly I am connected to and it does the primary job of a VPN, I am happy enough with it to recommend it.