4 best travel apps to save you money

Even when you’ve invested time and effort into a travel budget for your next trip, it’s all too easy to ‘blow out’ when you get there. With the right apps, you’ll find the best-value, last minute flights, hotels and tours, closely watch your daily spend and say goodbye to mind-boggling currency conversions.

1. Trail Wallet

Trail Wallet is an app launched by travel bloggers, Erin and Simon, of blog Never Ending Voyage. With the simplicity you want while holidaying, you can log every dollar you spend, divided into categories via a pie chart. It supports most world currencies, so you can even enter the amount you’ve spent in a local currency and it’ll add it up in AUD for you.

Especially in countries where the Aussie dollar is lower, seeing your spend in real time helps you remember those $5 beers, could actually be $10 - which makes a big difference over a holiday of two weeks or more. Download it from iTunes, for $1.99.

2. Expensify

If you regularly travel for business, wouldn’t it be great to have a virtual accountant, to make life on the road easier and ensure you’re prepared for tax time? Expensify is an app that helps keep everything in order, with expense reports, automatic credit card reconciliation, easy receipt capture for tracking, corporate card reconciliation, per diem functionality and integrations with accounting and HR software. Download it on iTunes.

3. Skyscanner

Comparing flights takes a lot of time, especially if you’re already overseas and need to get to your next destination with minimum fuss, at the best price. The Skyscanner app is a convenient way to source flights direct from airlines, as well as travel companies, including Expedia. The Chart View allows you to see the cheapest days to fly and you can sign up for alerts when prices change. Plus, you can search for hotels and car hire in your destination. Download it free for iPhone, iPad and Android.

4. Viator Tours and Activities

Tours, activities and attractions certainly eat into the travel budget. The Viator app helps you find exclusive deals to literally thousands of inspirational activities, across the globe. You can book in advance, or instantly when you find last minute tickets to a show or event. Best of all, you’ll have access to traveller reviews, photos, guides and recommendations, to help you choose the best tours and locate them via interactive maps. When you do, you’ll also gain access to VIP deals, meaning you skip the queue at major attractions. Download Viator Tours and Activities for all devices.