A complete rundown of the travel apps I actually use daily vs the ones I downloaded and never opened again.

Daily use apps: Maps.me (offline maps, downloadable per country, works without data), Google Translate (camera mode for menus and signs is essential), XE Currency (simple exchange rate reference), my travel insurance app (claim documentation and emergency contact), a note-taking app for tracking expenses and hostel recommendations from fellow travelers.

Regular use: Rome2Rio (route research), Hostelworld (accommodation), Booking.com (accommodation), Google Flights (flight research), Wise (money transfers), Splitwise (shared expenses).

Occasional use: Seat61 (European/Asian train research, not an app but mobile-friendly website), Workaway and TrustedHousesitters (when planning a placement or sit), Couchsurfing (for meetups, not accommodation), iOverlander (camping spots, relevant for van travel or cycle touring).

Apps I tried and abandoned: TripIt (too much manual entry), TripAdvisor (review quality too low for budget accommodation), Yelp (not useful outside North America), dedicated city apps (useful for one city, then wasted storage space).

The most underrated app: simply putting a note in Google Maps of every hostel, restaurant, and landmark from recommendations I received at breakfast. By week 2 in any city I have a map that's far more useful than any guidebook.