When Thrifty Travelers Go High-Tech: Top Apps for Snagging Big Savings

There’s nothing quite like getting out of town for awhile and seeing someplace new, whether it’s for a short weekend getaway or a two-week vacation to a different country or continent. Visiting countrysides and cities you’ve never been to is a great way to expand your personal horizons and see how people in other parts of the world live.

The problem is, traveling can get pretty expensive — especially if you’re more of the two-week vacation crowd! Even if you happen to be wealthy, saving money on a trip can take some of the mental stress away so you can enjoy your vacation that much more. Here are a few apps for your mobile devices that can help you save a little bit of cash next time you hit the open road, or step on the plane to some exotic destination.

Weather Live Free

The only thing better than a free app is a free app that is great to use and which gives you all of the information you need, and this weather app from Apalon Apps for Android does just that.

Worrying about the weather on a vacation can be stressful, so know what to expect by using the features and information on this app. You’ll find the current temperature, the wind speed and direction, the humidity levels and even the time of the sunrise and sunset. There’s also an up-to-the-minute weather radar that you can watch to find any fronts that may give you problems.

If you want, you can install a homescreen widget with Weather Live Free as well, so you won’t even have to open the app to know what to expect.

Kayak

Finding flights and hotels for an upcoming trip can be one of the most stressful things about traveling, but Kayak can do all of the hard work for you.

All you have to do is tell the app where you want to go and when, and it will search the internet for the best available rates. You can combine flights with hotels and rental cars, or you can look for each one individually. The app also helps you out with your trip, doubling as a planner. It will keep you informed on your flight numbers, hotel reservation numbers and more.

Airbnb

Chances are, you’ve heard of this home-sharing app that lets you stay in other people’s houses rather than pay higher hotel rates in the same city.

Make sure you check for the legality of the app in your area, before using Airbnb. If it’s legal, then you can find great housing options for a fraction of the cost of hotels. It works like this: people list their homes or rooms on the app and agree to let you stay there for a fee. The people on’t be there when you are and you may get to see the side of a city that you otherwise wouldn’t, all without breaking the bank.

Use these apps to save a little money on your next trip.

Lola Warren started traveling after college and has hardly stopped since. If she’s not exploring new places you can bet she’s thinking about it and making plans for her next trips.