To write this post, we sat down to talk about what our absolute MUST HAVE apps are - these are the apps we’d download first if our phones were tragically wiped.

Google makes life simple. Here’s why:

• Google Maps, you can make maps available offline and mark places you want to go, from your desktop or mobile app. How easy is that?

• On Google drive, we upload all our reservations so that we can both access the same information - yes it requires a certain degree of discipline but it’s worth it when something goes wrong. Also, google drive allows you to download doc/sheets to your phone, so you can have access to certain docs even when you are offline - we usually download our outbound ticket (a lot of countries require proof you are planning to leave their country) in case immigration asks.

• Hangouts for making calls to landlines (i.e 800 numbers or local numbers) - we keep about US $5 on our account so we can make those calls that are not free.

• Photos for a free backup of your pics - FREE! It’s not at top resolution but if this is your backup’s backup, it’s pretty darn good!

Free calls - WhatsApp is what we use to call/video chat with family and friends. We found that in a lot of SE Asia, Central & South America, this is also a convenient way to make local inquires.

Where to stay - We generally consult all of these apps when planning a longer stay. If it’s just one night, we’ll either use Agoda or Booking b/c our profiles are already set up so making the reservation is much easier than w/ Trivago, since it could redirect to any number of sites. In the case of AirBnB, we use this for longer stays only b/c we find that the cleaning fee (when there is one) is not worth it for just 1 night.

Entertainment - Sometimes, you just don’t have WiFi, or it’s so painfully slow that you’d rather not be surfing.

• Spotify for the tunes! We have the family subscription b/c it allows us to download playlists and be able to listen even with out WiFi. And we have a tiny bluetooth speaker for when we really wanna PARTAY… uh… ok, it’s not that potent, but it was perfect for our camper van in Australia.

• Kindle, and Kindle unlimited, for books - they have so many travel guides included in the subscription, it’s made the US $9.99/mo very worth it.

Opinions - Sometimes it’s just nice to know what other travelers think of the destination you are going to. We check TripAdvisor for ratings on sites, businesses (like tours) and food! More often than not, for food - Cheap Eats Rocks!

Alternative to google maps - Google maps is awesome. We love it. But offline maps are not always available (like in China). For those countries where we cannot download the map info, we use maps.me.

What about you? what are your favorite apps on the road? Leave a comment below!