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The Best Road Trip Apps That Help You Find Cheap Gas, Avoid Traffic, and More

Download these before you hit the highway.

Elizabeth Rhodes is a special projects editor at Travel + Leisure , covering everything from luxury hotels to theme parks to must-pack travel products. Originally from South Carolina, Elizabeth moved to New York City from London, where she started her career as a travel blogger and writer.

Carmen Martínez Torrón/Getty Images

Technology has revolutionized the way we travel in countless ways. Paper maps and GPS navigation systems have been replaced by Google and Apple Maps, old-school CDs by music streaming services, and guidebooks by apps that can notify road-trippers of roadside attractions in real time. One thing is certain: the smartphone has made road trips infinitely easier and, arguably, cheaper.

Whether you need a digital road trip planner to map out your next journey or something to help you avoid traffic jams, here are 11 of the best road trip apps to download ahead of your next adventure.

Roadtrippers

Roadtrippers is one of the most practical and popular road trip planning apps out there. Maybe you want to see national parks or the quirkiest roadside attractions. Perhaps you want to stop for the night at an iconic or underrated hotel. You can plan your stops right in the app, adding up to three waypoints for free or 150 with a Roadtrippers Premium account. There are also Basic and Pro memberships that allot you 20 and 50 waypoints per trip, respectively. The higher-tier memberships allow you to collaborate with friends and family and use navigation. The app features lodging, sights, outdoorsy destinations, restaurants, activities, shopping, fuel, and more all around the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

The app is free, but you have to upgrade to a membership plan to enjoy all the bells and whistles. The Basic plan costs $40 a year, the Pro plan $50 a year, and the Premium $60 a year. It's available on iOS and Android .

Google Maps

Every road-tripper needs a trusty navigation app in their arsenal, and Google Maps is consistently one of the most — if not the most — downloaded in the U.S. every year. Its dominance can be attributed to how comprehensive its data is, which allows it to generate the very best directions based on distance, road conditions, and traffic patterns.

Google Maps gives you route options and provides accurate estimates of how long it takes to get from A to B. Plus, you can plot several waypoints along your route — be it a mid-morning coffee stop or a hotel for overnighting (you can see reviews right in the app).

Google Maps is free and available on iOS and Android .

Waze is another one of the top navigation apps. With real-time updates that help you avoid traffic jams, construction, and more, it will have you navigating new cities and unfamiliar streets like a seasoned local. It's perhaps a little more proactive than Google Maps in changing up a route when problems arise, and that means Waze users should prepare for their drive to be a little unpredictable.

No one wants to spend hours sitting in traffic instead of exploring, so the fact that Waze collects data from other drivers to streamline the driving experience is a huge help. The app is free and available on iOS and Android .

Paying for fuel can eat up a good chunk of your road trip budget, but GasBuddy can save you a few bucks. The app crowdsources up-to-date fuel prices for more than 150,000 gas stations around the U.S. and Canada. The app also tells you how recent the submission is so you know whether it's outdated.

GasBuddy is not just helpful for finding cheap gas but also for finding gas stations in general (and parking), which can be difficult in foreign territory. The app is free and can be downloaded on iOS and Android . While using it, be a good road-tripper and submit gas prices you see as you travel.

Roadside America

Barry Winiker/Getty Images

The offbeat and kitschy roadside attractions you can find throughout the U.S. are often some of the most delightful parts of a road trip. The Roadside America app helps you find the most unique attractions worth stopping for, like the large sculpture of a cartoon mouse holding a cheese platter in Plain, Wisconsin — where else? — or the decidedly odd larger-than-life-sized three-way electrical plug that rests on a lawn in Philadelphia. The app features museums, murals, tours, quirky restaurants, and photo ops.

Roadside America costs $3 to download, which gets you access to one region in the app. You can purchase more regions for $2 or get access to all of the U.S. and Canada for an extra $7. The app is available only on iOS .

iExit Interstate Exit Guide

Knowing where to stop for road trip snacks, a drive-through latte, or a public restroom can be challenging with all the exit signs whizzing by at 70 mph, but iExit Interstate Exit Guide takes the guesswork out of it. The app will list which exits are coming up on your route, what's there, and what they offer — including food, lodging, fuel, and even hospitals. It pulls fuel prices from OPIS (the Oil Price Information Service) and displays Yelp reviews for businesses.

The app is free to download. Find it on both iOS and Android .

HotelTonight

Even if you've planned out all your stops ahead of time, you might find that you need to pull over for a night unexpectedly. Driving is tiring, and unplanned naps can be life-saving. HotelTonight can help you find accommodations in a pinch. The app offers day-of deals on unsold rooms, and the user-friendly interface means you can book a discounted room in minutes. There are well over 1,000 properties to choose from in cities all over the world, from Mexico City to Jakarta (in case you happen to take your road-tripping global).

It's free to download and available on iOS and Android .

If staying in a tucked-away A-frame cabin, a yurt, or a private guest house in someone's garden is more your travel style than bouncing between hotels, then Airbnb is the ticket. On the Airbnb app, you can search properties (millions in the U.S. alone) on a map and read reviews before you book, which you can do in advance or at the last minute.

The app features not just vacation homes but also activities, so if you're keen to experience a city like a local you can do so via a pottery class or a guided walking tour, for example.

The Airbnb app is free. You can download it on iOS or Android .

Patchareeporn Sakoolchai/Getty Images

Travelers who dream of camping out under the stars should download The Dyrt , a free app that helps you find tent, RV, and cabin sites across the U.S. One of the top camping apps on iOS and Android , it has more than a million registered users who submit reviews, pictures, and tips. On The Dyrt, you get real intel on campsites and a built-in community that makes camping on a road trip especially fun and safe. You can even book some of the campsites right on app.

The app is free, but there's a premium version for $36 a year that allows you to plan trips and search campsites while offline — convenient for remote regions.

What is a road trip without a perfect playlist? Whether you're keen to create a soundtrack of nostalgic singalongs, modern pop songs, or music inspired by your destination, you'll find even the most obscure tunes on Spotify , a catalog of more than 100 million tracks. When you tire of Taylor Swift, you can turn to podcasts or an audiobook to keep you company. Road trips are a great opportunity to delve into a docuseries like "Serial," an all-time favorite.

Spotify is free to download and listen to, but the ad breaks are annoying and streaming can chew through your phone data. A better option is to purchase a premium membership for $11 a month. It's ad-free and you can download music to listen to offline. The Spotify app is available on iOS and Android .

Electric vehicles are increasingly commonplace and great for more environmentally friendly road-tripping. The problem is often finding charging stations, as most EVs can go 100 to 300 miles before they need to be plugged in. PlugShare lists 700,000 charging stations across North America, Europe, and beyond. Users share their reviews of the stations, helping to guide EV drivers to the best, fastest, and most reliable charging spots.

PlugShare is free and available to download on iOS and Android .

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The 10 Best Road Trip Planner Apps for 2024

Save time, money, and energy with these apps so you can focus on the fun instead

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We love road trips! Planning them can be fun but, let's be honest, also stressful. The right road trip planner apps can take some of that stress away by helping you plan, organize, and manage travel before and during your trip. We've researched and tested these apps to help give you peace of mind so that you can spend more time enjoying your trip.

The Ultimate Map App for Planning Your Route: Roadtrippers

Access to free and convenient travel guides.

Share-ability so friends can join in on the planning process and suggest places to visit.

The app can use up the battery life of your device quickly. Take a car USB charger with you.

Built for travelers, Roadtrippers helps you create your route while allowing you to discover great places as you plan it out. Add a new place to your itinerary to work it into your trip.

The app features an easy-to-use interface. In addition to covering the U.S., it also covers Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Download For:

Automate Your Trip Planning and Organization: Google Travel

Automatic trip organization via Gmail integration. 

Offline access so you can see your trip information even when you don't have an internet connection.

Limitations with customizing some day trips exactly the way you want.

You can count on Google to make your trip planning a breeze. Pre-constructed day plans are available for hundreds of the world's most popular destinations, which you can customize to your liking.

It's one of the most versatile travel planner apps out there, giving you one convenient place to see your hotel, rental car, and restaurant bookings.

Find and Book a Last-Minute Place to Stay: Hotels.com

A fast, easy-to-use booking feature.

For every 10 nights you book through Hotels.com, you get one night free, provided it's the average daily rate of those 10 nights.

No option to easily cancel if you change your mind.

Whether your road trip itinerary changed, or you haven't decided on a place to stay yet, Hotels.com can help you find a place and book it when you're on the go, even when it's super last-minute. You can sort and filter hotels, see the amenities they have to offer, compare prices, and catch a glimpse of how many rooms are available.

This is the app you'll want to have handy if you want to see in-depth hotel details at a glance and need to find a place to crash ASAP without breaking the bank.

Find Local Restaurants, Read Reviews, and Make Reservations: OpenTable

Lots of great filter options and suggestions.

Access to gorgeous, high-quality images of menu items and informative reviews from other users.

Reported problems and inconveniences with their built-in reward system.

Searching for specific restaurants is more difficult than simply looking at what's around in the area.

Deciding on a place to eat in a new area is quick and hassle-free with OpenTable. See what's nearby, filter restaurants by cuisine, see photos of what's on the menu, make reservations, and get personalized recommendations based on your preferences.

OpenTable is known to be one of the top  location-based food apps  available, so you know you can trust its information when you're dying for something to eat.

Navigate Like a Local: Waze

Hands-free navigation with voice commands.

Alerts-only mode for road hazards and police.

Share up-to-date ETA with friends.

Spotify and Apple Music widgets get in the way.

Cluttered maps can be confusing.

Higher battery usage than Google Maps.

Waze  is a community-driven travel app that shows you the shortest possible route to your destination. Like Google Maps, Waze makes real-time adjustments for traffic jams and other obstacles—but Waze is often more accurate since it caters specifically to drivers.

The app syncs with your Google Calendar and can tell you when you should leave for appointments based on traffic. There's also a cool option to record your own voice and use it for directions .

Know Exactly When and Where to Make a Pit Stop: iExit Interstate Exit Guide

Access to detailed summaries of what's at the next exit (including gas prices at nearby gas stations).

Search for the next 100 exits from your location.

The app can only be used on major U.S. exit-based highways.

No offline access, so you'll use your data plan while you're on the road.

Making a pit stop for food, gas, or a bathroom break is easy when you have the iExit app. Using your device's GPS, the app offers helpful suggestions for when and where to stop based on your location along the highway.

Whether you're looking for well-known franchises like Starbucks and Walmart to convenient amenities like free Wi-Fi and truck or trailer parking, this app has you covered.

Find the Cheapest Fuel Nearby: GasBuddy

An in-app gas payment feature.

Opportunity to save 10 cents per gallon on your first fill-up and five cents per gallon on every fill-up after.

The app can take up a lot of data and battery life as it runs in the background.

GasBuddy is an app specifically designed to find nearby gas stations and save money on gas. Use it to find the cheapest gas in your area and filter gas stations by amenities like car washes, restaurants, and bathrooms.

It's the app you want to have if you're serious about finding the cheapest gas around. Information comes from users like you, so you have the most up-to-date prices.

Download For :

Never Forget an Item: PackPoint Premium Packing List

Access to a built-in library of items to pack with the ability to add or remove items as needed. 

An elegant, intuitive app interface.

Can't input multiple destinations for a single trip.

Not a free app.

PackPoint helps you make sure you have everything you need based on where you're going and what you're doing. In addition, the app takes into consideration the length of your trip and the expected weather conditions. Perhaps best of all, this app turns a mundane chore into something that's actually quite fun.

Find Out Where to Park and How Much It Will Cost: Inrix ParkMe

ParkMe is the only app that also includes street parking and parking meter rates where available, in addition to parking lots.

Real-time updates on available parking spots.

Rates and hours may be inaccurate in some areas.

ParkMe claims to be the world's largest and most accurate parking database. It allows you to purchase your parking spot through the app and compare prices across parking providers to help you save more money.

If you're road tripping around major cities in the U.S., Canada, or Europe, this app can be a huge help. You can even compare parking options and prices so that you always get the best deal.

Automate Your Itinerary: TripIt

Automatically creates itineraries from your inbox.

Widget displays trip details on your home screen.

Annoying amount of alerts by default.

If you're planning a trip, you'll likely have a lot of confirmation emails for hotels, appointments, restaurants, and attractions. TripIt syncs with your inbox and uses that information to compile an itinerary so that you don't have to scramble for it.

The free version is fine for road trips, but if you ever fly, the premium version gives you the option to upgrade seats and track reward miles.

In addition to your phone, laptop, and tablet, other travel tech essentials include chargers, headphones, travel adapters, cameras, luggage trackers, and off-grid communications

Yes. You can use Google Maps as a trip planner through the “Places” and “My Maps” features. Both the Google Maps website and app let you save locations to lists and get directions.

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16 Best Road Trip Apps to Plan Your Adventures 2024

An inveterate road tripper shares the best road trip apps to help you plan your road trip, save money, book hotels, find things to do, and more.

From before you go to when you’re on the road, there are tons of road trip planning tools to help you get the most out of your adventure.

The number of tools can be overwhelming, so I’ve narrowed it down to the best road trip apps.

These are the best apps that I personally use to plan road trips, to save money, to book hotels, to find trails and activities, and more.

I’m an Android user, and I’ve only included the best road trip planner apps available on both Apple’s app store and Android’s Google Play.

Visit the respective stores to download these apps to your device.

If you’re ready to plan your next road trip, check out these amazing tools.

Want more road trip tips? Download Planning Your Perfect Road Trip, a Step-by-Step Guide to Hittin’ the Road

16 Best Road Trip Apps

1. AllTrails

Like to hike? Bike? Go for a walk? AllTrails is a great app to help you discover hiking and biking trails based on where you’re located.

You can read reviews, store trails you’d like to explore, and record the hikes you do take. You can choose to make your hikes public, or keep them private.

The basic app is free. Upgrade to the pro version for access to these premium features:

• Download offline maps to stay on track without service
• Never miss a turn with off-route notifications
• Keep friends and family informed with Lifeline
• Know what to expect with real-time map overlays
• Offset your environmental impact; 1% of every subscription goes back to the planet.

Expedia is an aggregator app that makes it easy to search for and compare prices on rental cars, hotels, and activities along your route. Rates are often discounted, and you have the opportunity to earn rewards.

When you sign up for an Expedia Rewards account, which is free, you also get access to member prices.

Their hotel search function is robust, making it easy to find a hotel that fits your budget and preferences.

You can filter your search by location and price, of course, but you can also search specifically for places that include breakfast, which is a way to save money on your road trip.

Related: how to budget a road trip

You can also search for pet friendly accommodations, hotels with hot tubs, and places where parking is included.

One of my personal favorites is the ability to search for places that “pledge to make all guests feel safe, welcome, and respected.”

If you’re a member of travel loyalty programs, add your account numbers to your Expedia account, and not only can you earn rewards with Expedia, you can also earn them with the other travel companies.

You can also purchase tickets to attractions directly through the app. For example, in San Diego you can book a hop-on, hop-off trolley tour, a harbor cruise, and get tickets to the San Diego Zoo .

Booking in advance can be especially useful if you’re planning a road trip to a popular tourist destination and want to make sure you don’t miss out on any must-see sights or experiences.

The app is easy to use and keeps an itinerary with your confirmation numbers.

3. GasBuddy

Until electric cars have battery life that will take you through the country’s most remote stretches, gas is a necessary evil of the road trip.

It’s a big expense. On one of our epic road trips, we spent more than $600 filling up a vehicle that averaged 27MPG. Fortunately, we had GasBuddy or we would have spent even more.

GasBuddy uses crowd-sourced data to provide real-time information on gas prices at different stations.

With GasBuddy, you can easily find the cheapest gas prices near you, as well as see which gas stations have the best deals on certain days of the week or at certain times of the day.

The prices are updated by users and in the years I’ve been using it I’ve come across incorrect information infrequently (which I promptly correct).

Seeing prices means you can skip the station by the interstate that’s charging fifteen cents more than its counterpart a quarter mile away.

You can search for the best gas prices by location by entering your current location or a specific address and see a list of gas stations near you, along with their current prices for regular, mid-grade, and premium gas.

You can also filter your search results by brand or location type.

One of the ways GasBuddy is particularly useful for road trips is that it allows you to see the location of rest areas, truck stops, and other services, such as restaurants and parking areas, on the map.

This can be particularly useful if you’re driving on a long trip and need to take a break or find a place to refuel.

In addition to displaying fuel prices, you can also save when you sign up for Pay with GasBuddy.

To do this, you’ll add your bank account information to your GasBuddy account. They’ll mail you a card for use at the pump.

Swipe it and enter your access code, and you’ll save a few cents per gallon.

Pay with GasBuddy also gives you access to Deal Alerts, which knock the price down even more. Pay with GasBuddy doesn’t work at warehouse clubs or stations on reservation land.

But, it works with most major brands and we save an average of five cents a gallon by using our card.

I’m such a fan I’ve written a full guide on how to use GasBuddy .

4. Google Maps

I almost feel like this goes without saying—but I’ll say it anyway (obviously): if you have just one road trip app, make it Google maps.

There are many, many reasons it’s the most popular navigation app.

Not only can you get directions, but because it’s tied into Google you can find anything around you, too.

With Google Maps, you can easily plan the best route, get turn-by-turn directions, and see real-time traffic updates.

The map will also show you the location of gas stations, rest areas, and other points of interest along your route, so you can plan for pit stops or find things to do.

The real-time traffic updates are a life-saver. If you’re about to run into some heavy traffic, the app will offer to reroute you, if a faster route is available.

If you prefer two-lanes, you can set it to avoid Highways. You can also choose to avoid tolls, but if that’s unavoidable, Google Maps will show you how much those tolls are.

And if you’ve got a toll pass, it’ll display those prices, which are often discounted from cash.

One of the route options you can choose is which is most fuel-efficient, and you can even select the type of fuel: Gas, Diesel, Electric, and Hybrid.

Another great feature of Google Maps is the ability to download maps for offline use. This is particularly useful if you’re planning a road trip to a rural area or somewhere with limited cell service.

By downloading the maps in advance, you can still access them and navigate even if you don’t have an internet connection.

Google Maps can also be used as a road trip trip planner .

When you find great places and quirky roadside attractions that look interesting or you know you want to include on your itinerary, you can save them.

For example, search for Rocky Mountain National Park. Then tap the “Save” icon. From there, you can add it to Favorites, Want to go, Travel plans, or Starred places.

You can also create your own lists, which will make it easier to plan a whole trip.

Once you add these amazing places to a list, you can add a note. Maybe Aunt Sue recommended the peach pie at a diner. Write it down in the notes. Then when you’re planning your itinerary, you’ll know why you added that diner to your list.

You can keep your list Private or you can choose to share it. This comes in handy when there are multiple people planning the trip.

BONUS: Google Maps shows you how much tolls will cost.

5. HotelTonight

If you’re looking for a last minute hotel room, HotelTonight wants to help. Primarily in larger towns and cities, the website and app can help you find same-day and next-day hotel stays at discounted rates.

The app will find accommodations near you, and you can also search for hotels by location. You can filter your search by price, star rating, and neighborhood.

Frequent users can take advantage of HT Perks, HotelTonight’s rewards system. The more you spend, the more you save. HT Perks are available only from participating hotels.

One cool feature is if you see a deal but don’t want to use it immediately, you can choose to save it for later credit. You’ll then have a year to use it.

Taking the interstates? iExit is a free travel app that shows you what’s available at each exit, including dining, shopping, restrooms, and attractions. It also pulls up gas stations and gas prices.

The app uses real-time data to provide information on the services and amenities available at upcoming exits on the highway, making it an ideal tool for planning rest stops, gas fill-ups and meals.

You’ll see a list of services such as restaurants, hotels, gas stations and rest areas along with their distance from the exit. You can also filter your search results by categories such as fast food, lodging, and gas stations.

iExit also allows you to search for specific chain of restaurants or hotels, which can be helpful if you have a loyalty program with a particular brand.

It also provides pricing information on gas prices so that you can plan your fill-ups to save money. Fuel prices are updated in real-time by OPIS.

Another feature that makes iExit a useful app for road trips is that it allows you to see the location of rest areas, truck stops, and other services, such as parking areas and restrooms, on the map.

One more feature that iExit offers is the ability to save your favorite exits, so you can quickly access them later. This can be especially useful if you frequently travel the same route and want to quickly find your favorite rest stop or gas station.

With its real-time information on services and amenities, search filters, and other helpful features, iExit can help you plan your route more efficiently and find the services you need while on the road.

It also displays gas stations, and a premium version includes gas prices. Don’t let the word premium fool you: it’s only $1.99.

7. NPS (National Park Service) App

Not only does the official app of the National Park Service show you where to find National Parks, it helps you discover every site in their system.

It’s free to use and you can explore by topic, by activity, by state, or near your location.

The app provides information on park hours, fees, and regulations, as well as maps, trail guides, and other resources to help you make the most of your visit.

You can save sites to your favorites and make the information available offline. That way when you’re in Yellowstone National Park and you’re blissfully disconnected, you can still access the information.

It’s downloaded to your phone, so make sure you have storage space.

Features of the NPS App include:

• Interactive maps
• Amenities, like food, shopping, and restrooms
• Accessibility, including audio descriptions
• Things to do
• News, alerts, and events

You can also keep a list of all the National Park Service sites you’ve visited.

Related: Don’t miss these National Park tips and printable checklist .

8. Priceline

If I had a dime for every dollar Priceline has saved me I could start booking three- and four-star hotels.

The commercials ain’t lyin’—their Express Deals are amazing. What’s the catch? You have no idea where you’ll end up. You can see a general area and a star level, but that’s it.

When a glitch caused our camping plans to fall through (nobody wants to set up camp at 8:30 at night—I’ve done it, and it’s not fun), I found an Express Deal in Jamestown, ND, for $41.

Once the transaction completed, I learned what hotel we’d booked. It was clean and offered free Wi-Fi. We had a refrigerator and microwave, breakfast was included, and I could even register the stay with my rewards account.

While they no longer give you the option to Name Your Own Price, in addition to Express Deals, they also have pricebreakers. They pick from one of three different hotels.

While you won’t know which one you’re getting until you pay for it, you’ll be able to see in advance what your options are.

Like Expedia, you can search for hotels by location, price, and amenities. You can also search by brand and star level, making it easy to find a hotel that fits your budget and preferences.

Priceline VIP is a rewards program that provides discounts, add-on deals, and Express Deal coupons after your trip is complete.

The app will show you deals on hotels near your location. You can also book rental cars, flights, and cruises.

TLTip: If you use Priceline to book your hotel rooms, it is very important to read the reviews. Sometimes there’s a reason that hotel with free breakfast is only $40.

Related: how to save money on a road trip .

9. Rainy Days

Knowing what’s happening weather-wise is kind of important when you’re on a road trip. My favorite way to see whether I’ll stay dry or will need to break out the slicker is Rainy Days.

This free app has helped my anxiety level frequently, especially while driving in North Central Nebraska. It was good to know we were driving the opposite direction of an intense storm.

Another time, a tornado warning popped up on the navigation system… in Montana. If you’ve never driven through central Montana, let me tell you, this is the reason jerry cans were invented.

Related: unique things to do in Montana

It’s big and beautiful and feels like you’re the only one for miles – and you probably are. The rest area near Musselshell was so quiet I could hear a cow call in the distance.

There were no bridges to hide under, no gullies, no shelter.

Just us, the road, and ominous clouds.

Incredibly, we had cell service, so I pulled up Rainy Days and discovered that the storm and its potential funnel clouds and golf-ball-sized hail were behind us and moving slower than we were. Whew!

Besides, it’s cool to see those weather formations.

Rainy Days doesn’t provide weather forecast. For that, I use the Weather.com app that came pre-installed on my phone.

10. Recreation.gov

Recreation.gov is definitely one of the best road trip apps. It’s the official website and app for making reservations for recreational activities and facilities managed by the U.S. federal government.

You can find campgrounds and lodging, tours and activities, sign up for lotteries for the most popular things to do, and find information on what permits are required near you.

Once you do make reservations, they’re stored in the app.

This is the site and app to use when you plan to visit parks that require vehicle registration, like Glacier National Park, or want a permit to hike Angels Landing in Zion National Park .

You can reserve campsites on the website and app. We did, while sitting at the entrance to a campground in Mississippi.

We didn’t realize the park was a NPS site when we drove up, and the kindly gent in the booth directed us to make our reservations through the app.

There’s also a trip planner. Plug in your dates, number of people, your starting location, and your potential destinations.

You can then see all the available options on a map, add them to your itinerary, and then make any necessary reservations.

11. Restaurant.com

Eating where the locals eat is a great way to get a real “taste” for a town. If you want to save some dough on your dining, sign up for restaurant.com .

This app provides discounted certificates, and I’ve found participating restaurants in towns with fewer than 10,000 residents.

You’ll have to spend a minimum amount to use your certificate, and it’s usually double the face value. For example, if you get a $10 certificate for $4, you’ll have to spend at least $20 and you’ll save $6.

You can search for restaurants in your current location and by zip code. You can also choose larger cities, including Chicago, Seattle, and Austin.

Once you’ve narrowed down the location, look at the menu and the ratings. I’ve found several real gems using this app, and they’ve been places I never would have known about or tried without it.

The mobile app has been acting pretty wonky lately, and there seem to be fewer selections than in years past. I suggest trying it out at home before taking it on the road.

12. Roadtrippers.com

Roadtrippers.com is one of the best road trip planning tools . It allows you to plug points into a map, but it’s so much more than that.

Once you’ve added your starting point and your destination, the Roadtrippers app displays attractions along your route. The more you zoom in, the more attractions you’ll see.

When you’re on the road, the app will show nearby points of interest, restaurants, and gas stations.

You can add the type of vehicle you’re driving and its estimated fuel efficiency and Roadtrippers will calculate your approximate expenses.

Besides plotting the route itself, there’s a ton of user-generated content offering recommendations for attractions, restaurants, places to stay, and great photo ops. There are also pre-made trip guides.

Previously you could specify whether you wanted to drive interstates or not per segment of your trip. That’s no longer the case, and to choose any routing options you’ll need to upgrade.

Check out our full guide on how to use Roadtrippers .

However, upgrading enables you to collaborate with other users and increases the number of waypoints from three in the free version to up to 150.

There are three levels of membership: Basic, Pro, and Premium with Premium getting you the most benefits with downloadable maps, live traffic, and special discounts.

At time of publication, Roadtrippers membership ranges from $35.99 to $59.99 per year, and there’s a seven day free trial. If you upgrade, you can save $5 off your first year with code BTR5QTP.

I’m an affiliate with Roadtrippers, so any purchase through that link gives me a small commission at no extra cost to you.

13. TollGuru.com

Driving highways or in urban areas? Download TollGuru.

This road trip app has detailed information, including pricing, methods of payment accepted at tolls, and which transponders (E-ZPass, SunPass, FasTrak, TxTag, etc.) are accepted.

It will also give you an estimated fuel cost if you include the type of vehicle you drive and the average gas prices.

While Google Maps now provides toll price information, TollGuru gives you more detail.

14. TripTik by AAA

One of the best road trip planning apps is AAA’s TripTik .

These have come a long way since the spiral-bound guides of my youth. Today, you can plan your road trip routes online or on your phone.

If you want to plan your perfect road trip , plug in your starting and ending points and add up to 25 stops. Specify how often you’d like to stop and it’ll build breaks into your turn-by-turn directions.

You can choose to display gas stations, attractions, campgrounds, hotels, restaurants, AAA savings, and rest areas.

This road trip planning app is free to use, even if you’re not a AAA member. Joining is recommended, though. Not only do you get roadside assistance, you also get special discounts on hotel rooms and restaurants, as well as paper maps.

Upside is a free app that gives you cash back on gas, groceries, and restaurants. Brands include most of the big fuel chains (Shell, Marathon, Valero, BP, etc.)

Upside works similarly to Pay with GasBuddy in that you get cents off per gallon, but you get it in the form of cash back.

For example, at the Casey’s near me I can get eight cents per gallon cash back. To get the discount, I claim the offer, pay with a credit card, and then check in or take a photo of my receipt to upload it.

Once the cash back processes, which is usually within a couple days, I can transfer it to my bank account or use it to buy gift cards for places like Domino’s, H&M, and Starbucks.

Upside also offers cash back at restaurants and grocery stores. The offers vary, and when you first sign up there’s an increased discount.

The app saves you a few cents here and there, but they add up, especially when you’re on long road trips, making this one of my essential road trip apps.

Sign up for Upside here .

Download Waze for an alternative to Google Maps. One of the key features of Waze is its crowd-sourced traffic information, which allows users to report accidents, road closures, and other incidents in real time.

This helps you stay updated on the latest traffic conditions and avoid any delays on your route.

You can set your type of vehicle for preferred routes, including Motorcycle, Electric, and Taxi. You can also add your Toll and HOV passes, and you can tell it to skip unpaved roads.

(I can think of a few trips I’ve taken where that option would have come in handy.)

In addition to its routing and traffic features, Waze also offers a number of other useful tools for road trips. For example, the app allows you to find the cheapest gas prices along your route, restaurants, and parking at your destination.

If you connect your calendar, the app will tell you when it’s time to leave.

While there are definitely more road trip apps out there, these are the ones I consider essential. If you’re planning a road trip, don’t forget to get my book, Planning Your Perfect Road Trip !

Best Road Trip Apps for Android in 2022

There are few things better than hitting the open road on a cross-country road trip. Whether you're heading out with your best buds or loading the kids into the car to visit relatives a few states over a little app prep will make sure the trip goes as smooth as is possible.

More: The best phone car mounts for any phone!

Android Auto

Google trips.

Why you can trust Android Central Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test .

If your car doesn't have Android Auto functionality built into its stereo system, it's worth checking out Google's app for staying connected in your car. It's now available on any Android phone , so you don't need to buy a brand new car or upgrade your car stereo to take advantage of the convenience — it'll just run right on your phone and can be configured to automatically launch when connected to your car's Bluetooth or a Bluetooth FM transmitter .

Android Auto is the safest way to access your phone while driving, giving you one-touch access to navigation, music controls, and recent calls. As you'd expect, there's great support built in for Google Assistant including the option to have incoming text messages read out loud (admittedly not the best option if you're in a packed car with friends or family).

Android Auto lets you navigate with Google Maps, listen to playlists or podcasts from your favorite apps, send messages via voice, and more while eliminating the other ways your phone can distract you on the road. If you're hitting the road this summer, you should absolutely have this app download on your phone.

Download: Android Auto (Free)

While Google Maps remains the most popular navigation app for Android (largely due to its inclusion as a stock app on most Android devices), Waze is a great option to consider for all your GPS navigation needs.

Waze users get the benefit of all the information gleaned from other Waze users on the road, from real-time traffic information including accident reports, police traps and other hazards seen on the road. You're also encouraged to add your own updates and contribute to your local Waze community as well. Using all that data, Waze will automatically reroute you to avoid any upcoming hazards, and also has really smart features for finding the cheapest gas stations along the way as well as ways of keeping family and friends in the loop on your ETA.

Download: Waze (Free)

Google Trips is a great travel planning app that helps with some of the mundane aspects of traveling like keeping track of your reservations, while also helping to plan out your days in a new city by suggesting cool things to do based on your interests and available time.

If you're planning to make a pitstop on your way to your final destination, plug the city into the app and see what it generates! It's also available offline, so if you planned out your pit stops ahead of time you can keep in the know even if your phone's data konks out.

Download: Google Trips (Free)

When you're exploring a new city trying to figure out what's worth checking out, you're best off checking in with the locals. Yelp is one of the most popular apps for reviewing restaurants and businesses with over 100 million reviews posted by users just like you.

When you're in a pinch for a roadside bite and need to know what's good, Yelp will help you find the perfect restaurant to fuel up and get back on the road.

Download: Yelp (Free)

Fuelling up is often one of the biggest expenses you'll incur on a road trip. GasBuddy helps you find the cheapest places to fill up along the way. Not only is this an app that you'll want to use on a road trip, but you might end up becoming an everyday user once you see the savings for yourself.

All the data is user-generated, so if you see a cheaper gas price not listed in the app, you can report the price in the app and contribute to the GasBuddy community.

Download: GasBuddy (Free)

What's a road trip without some kick-ass driving music? Or maybe a podcast is more your speed? Regardless of what you prefer to listen to on your long distance drives, Spotify is the best streaming service you should be using in 2018.

Spotify has improved its free, ad-supported mobile app with "made for you" playlists that are curated based on the songs and bands you listen to. With a premium subscription, you get full, unfiltered access to streaming access to over 40 million tracks along with a wide range of curated playlists, so the music won't ever stop, even on the longest of drives. Spotify also includes podcasts, and with Spotify Premium you can download songs and podcasts to your device for offline listening during those times on your trip where cell reception might be lacking. It also plays real nice with Android Auto allowing for hands-free control of all your music while you're on the road.

That is, unless your co-pilot has already claimed the role of in-car DJ…

Download: Spotify (Free)

Best Streaming Music Apps for Android

With its latest update allowing for offline viewing on mobile devices, Netflix suddenly became the go-to app for parents hoping to distract the young ones in the back without having to worry about all that data.

There's a large amount of kid-friendly content available to be downloaded for offline viewing, which should help keep the shouts of "are we there yet?" to a minimum. Load up a phone or tablet with your kids' favorites and look forward to the quietest road trip you've ever enjoyed. It's also a great option for keeping adults quiet, too. A subscription is required, of course, but if you don't already have one you for sure know someone who does.

Download: Netflix (Free)

Where are you headed?

How do you plan for your road trips? Any apps that we missed? Let us know in the comments!

Update June 2018: Updated some of our picks for the Summer of 2018. Drive safe out and have fun!

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Marc Lagace was an Apps and Games Editor at Android Central between 2016 and 2020. You can reach out to him on Twitter [ @spacelagace .

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Best road trip planner apps: 5 apps to map out your adventure

How to plan your roadtrip with apps in the driver's seat

Regardless of your destination, planning your trip is an integral part of the adventure. Otherwise, you’ll spend way more than you need to and, chances are, you won’t get to see everything on your wishlist. 

We live in a golden age of technology that we often take for granted. But, in all the time we spend playing our ‘Spin Addicts’ and our ‘Cat Quests’, very rarely do we think about the utility that our smart devices can provide on the open road. 

As such, we’ve gone out of our way to do the thinking for you.

That’s right, to help you out with your next big outing we’ve assimilated five of the best road trip planner apps for your lengthy expedition below. Above all else, we imagine you’ll be enticed by the fact that they’re all free to download, even if you may or may not be tempted later on to shell out some cash for a monthly subscription fee. (You’ll know what we mean when you see it.)

1. Roadtrippers 

As its name and slogan suggests, this is the only map built for travelers. Okay, maybe that’s a bit of hyperbole, but this app will help you find virtually everything you could ever need along the way. 

Open Roadtrippers and you’ll find millions of locations, including local diners and roadside attractions that, admittedly, Google Maps is prone to miss. Then, once you’ve outlined your road trip plan, you can share it with your travel buddies so that they can make suggestions. 

Download it now on iOS | Download it now on Android

2. Waze 

Like Roadtrippers, Waze hones in on social interaction, but it does so by letting the community decide which routes are the best to take. Users can report nearby collisions, police radar and traffic jams so that you can safely avoid those routes in favor of arriving on time. What’s more, you’ll find the cheapest gas prices around, as gathered by the community. Regardless of whether you set out to save time or money, Waze is the best way to do both.

3. GasBuddy 

Unlike our previous mentions which can potentially save time or money, GasBuddy promises a specific amount of money you’ll save by using it.

Similar to Waze, GasBuddy is a community-driven platform that helps you locate the most affordable gas prices around so that you never have to pay full price for fossil fuels again. The difference is that, with this app, you can subscribe to GasBuddy Pay for additional savings of 15 cents per gallon on your first fill-up and 5 cents per gallon on every fill-up after that. 

Download it now on iOS | Download it now on Android  

4. Hotel Tonight 

We’ve all been in that position. The one where we get too tired to continue driving and we need to find a hotel quickly and cheaply, else suffer the wrath of sleepy driving with the windows rolled down and the music turned all the way up. (Pro tip: don't do that, ever. It's super dangerous.) 

But if that sounds like a horror story that you’ve experienced before, Hotel Tonight is the app for you. Specializing in last-minute hotel deals, Hotel Tonight makes it possible to book a room in three easy taps and one seamless swipe. 

5. Spotify  

Close your eyes. Now imagine you can listen to any song you want, including but not limited to “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” by The Proclaimers. Now open them. 

Though it seems jokingly obvious now, Spotify would have been a dream come true in the days when top 40 radio hits triumphed over all else. Finally, you don’t have to listen to the same handful of songs on repeat. 

Instead, you can hand-pick your own playlists, choosing between over 30 million songs in the Spotify catalog. Of course, if Spotify isn't your music scene, both Apple Music and Google's own Play Music streaming service are also good travel companions.

  TechRadar’s The Road to the Show 2018 sees our intrepid writers braving a cross-country trip across the US, using the best gadgets to bring you their daily travel blog and offering the best tips for a tech-based roadtrip. The journey is brought to you in association with ZTE and the ZTE Axon M, with car transportation provided by Genesis.  

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Join our Adventure: Get all my insider tips for motorhoming & road trips

21 of the BEST Road Trip Planner apps to get before you go

Looking for the best road trip planner apps , tools and hacks to help you plan your perfect road trip? Look no further! We’ve compiled all the essential road trip apps you need- including ones to help with planning a road trip , apps to use whilst on your road trip and tools we couldn’t (and wouldn’t) road trip without!

Before we found these tools, road trip planning and organising used to take HOURS. Or even days. Now, we’re a lot quicker- partly because we’ve compiled road trip checklists and gear, but partly because these apps make it easy. Promise.

Whether you’re roadtripping in the USA with friends, exploring Europe in a camper or setting off on a road trip with kids *gulp*- these are the only road trip planner tools you need.

Pssst- want to travel healthily on your road trip? Check out these awesome, easy and HEALTHY snacks for road trip travels! 

JUMP AHEAD TO...

The BEST Road Trip Planner Apps and Tools to plan your road trip

Google maps.

I’ve said it before ( Here in fact ), Google Maps is amazing for planning a road trip . And it’s free. (Actually, many of these road trip planner apps and tools are free- we’re thoughtful like that!)

We use Google maps to put together a visual guide to places we want to visit- and then we use it to plan a route. You can see how we do it here

Another option is using Guru maps for offline navigation

Pinterest is an AMAZING road trip planne r resource! There are destination guides, things to do, road trip kit reviews and everything else you need! I never used to use it for anything other than recipes- what a mistake! Now, it’s the first place I go to look for new ideas when we’re heading off.

You’ll be pleased to know Wandering Bird is on Pinterest too, sharing destination guides, travel tips and yep- road trip planner tools!- You can follow us on Pinterest here

Roadtrippers

This is another site I think we underuse in Europe, but it’s a great road trip planner. Use it in the same way as Google maps, but there are also many other cool features; it estimates how much money you’ll spend on fuel and how far you have to drive, among other things.

Instagram is a road trip planner’s paradise! So many amazing destinations, secret locations and beautiful places are shared every single day. Just search the hashtag #roadtrip or your planned destination and see what comes up!

Facebook might not be your first thought for road trip planning apps, but if you ask a question on a relevant facebook group, you’ll get LOADS of ideas and info to help you plan your trip. I love asking advice from real people who’ve been there- and I find people are more likely to respond on Facebook, rather than Instagram.

You can find us on Facebook too- sharing tips, destination advice or general silliness- check out our page HERE

Road Trip Travel Blogs

Not an app, but travel blogs are a fantastic road trip planning tool. To find one for the area you’re planning to road trip to, just search ‘Road Trip Blog ________’ You’ll find people have road tripped all over the place and you can use their suggestions and favourite places in your road trip planner.

I hope if you’re heading to Europe you’ll find a certain road trip blog especially useful *cough cough * Feel free to sign up to our resource library so you can get useful road trip checklists, travel planning tips and destination guides.

Road trip forums are a great source of information- if you use them correctly and accept that there are many people in there who talk a lot, but haven’t necessarily DONE a lot.

That said, there can be some really good road trip planner advice and info- again, type into Google ‘Road Trip Forum for _____’ or even travel forums if you’re looking for destination advice for a particular location. The only downside to forums is you often have to sign up/ register before you can get access.

Other awesome Road Trip planner tools we recommend

Ok, so you’ve planned your road trip destination and started plotting places into your chosen road trip planner- but now WHAT??

If you don’t have a vehicle for your road trip, check out:

I LOVE this site. What a brilliantly awesome idea to help you plan and cut your costs for a road trip. Basically, people just like you and me list their RVs, campers and even trucks- and other people rent them out! Seriously, there are a HUGE number of vehicles on there, all over the world, available for rent at really reasonable prices.

If you’re looking for low-cost vehicle rental, this is a great place to start! Just please be aware that, as with many sites like this, there is the potential for unscrupulous people to take advantage. If in doubt, pick another van or hire through an approved rental agency.

So, now you’ve got a road trip destination, an overflowing road trip planner and a vehicle! Last planning tip- get some:

Packing Checklists

A packing checklist can be invaluable- especially if you’re roadtripping and moving around regularly. It is SO easy to forget something silly as you travel – so get yourself a packing checklist to make it easier.

You can either use a FREE app like My Trip List, which allows you to customise a packing list.

Useful Road trip planner apps whilst ON your road trip

The fun doesn’t stop just coz you’ve started travelling! Oh no, if you’re anything like us, you’ll keep planning your road trip as you’re on the road! After all, what’s the point in having an adventure if you can’t be adventurous?!?

Navigating is hard enough on a road trip- without getting your camper stuck down a narrow street! This app works on any iPad or phone with GPS and allows you to input the dimensions of your vehicle so you can avoid streets and bridges which are too small. Read our full review of CoPilot here.

>>Looking for other sat-navs. These are the best on the market<<

Google translate app to convert languages.

Road tripping to another country? Get the Google Translate app. This is one of our favourite road trip planner apps- because it’s so darn useful. Just open the app and hold it up to a sign, menu, paper, whatever- and Google Translate will translate the words into your chosen language! This is BRILLIANT for roadtripping Europe where the languages change constantly and we don’t always speak them very well.

Recipe Book

I LOVE this app. I use it all the time and it’s so freaking easy- and FREE!! Find a great recipe on Pinterest or Google, make it, and then save the recipe to your recipe book app, so it’s there for the next time you want to cook it. The app syncs between ipad and phone, which is great- I can grab whichever is closest to hand. I prefer following a recipe from a larger screen, but having the app on the phone is SO useful when I’m shopping and can’t decide what I want to cook for dinner.

DroneAssist

The BEST app in the UK for telling you where you can safely and legally fly your drone. It’s a brilliant and easy-to-use app and we use it whenever we want to get our drone out… or at least we did, until we lost our drone in Lake Annecy *sob* Hopefully by the time you read this we’ll have another one ready to go! We haven’t found a similar app for use in Europe or North America- if you know of one, please let me know and I’ll update this list.

Find fuel with these great road trip planning apps:

If you have refillable LPG gas installed on your motorhome (one of our Road Trip essentials!), this app is brilliant for finding places where you can fill up. Most of the locations are current and the app/ website are updated frequently.

This is one for my American friends- find the cheapest gas along your route. (To avoid confusion, by gas I mean petrol. Or diesel. Not gas for cooking.) I asked my group of road tripping RVers which app they recommend and this one was top of the list!!

Road Trip planner apps to help you find somewhere to stay

If you haven’t booked a campsite or a hotel, you’ll need to find places to stop as you road trip. Here are some of the best apps to help with finding somewhere to stay as you road trip:

If you’re exploring Europe, this is THE app to have to help you find free or cheap parking spots. You can even use this in advance as a road trip planner- find suitable looking spots and add them to your itinerary or Google maps before you go. I’m pleased to see Park4night is now coming to the US and Canada too- more and more overnight spots are popping up.

Campercontact

Campercontact is another overnight stop app, but what I love about this one is that you can set your vehicle height and length in order to find appropriate spots. We use this app a LOT when we have a trailer, as many aires or free spaces are too small for us.

>> Read our complete review on apps for navigation here<<

Allstays has a range of campgrounds, rest stops and free camping spots across the US. I believe most of the free places are only available if you buy the Pro version, but there seems to be a LOT of options on there, which would be a great way to help plan your road trip. iOverlander is another option to find places to stay.

Road Trip planner apps to make the miles go faster!

I have become a huge podcast fan over the last few months. They are perfect for driving- and there’s a HUGE range to choose from. Even better- they’re free! I like educational podcasts- learning things helps keeps me awake as I drive, but there are all sorts of different road trip podcasts to choose from and make the miles fly by. Jump onto your podcast app and see what appeals!

Another awesome app. Find and download audio books, listen to them, then return them! I’m slowly working my way through the Harry Potter books- Stephen Fry’s voice is just magical and it’s one the whole family enjoys listening to. Sign up to Audible here and get a FREE TRIAL!

Spotify/ iTunes

Whether you are a die-hard spotify user or an iTunes convert, I think most people agree that all good road trips need an awesome playlist! This section should probably be in road trip planning- creating the perfect playlist takes time, you know!

Want some ideas to get you started? Here are 150 of the BEST Road Trip songs!

Kindle Unlimited

There are very very few books I can read more than once. Even if it was a good one- once I know the end, it’s dead to me. (Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter are notable exceptions to this rule!)  What I LOVE about Kindle Unlimited is you can read a book and then return it- and there are some BRILLIANT, well-known books and authors on there. It’s a proper library, ready for you to explore, for only a few pounds (or dollars!) a month. See what you could be reading on your road trip HERE (there’s even a 30-day free trial!)

Notes for Budgeting

Yep, notes. This is what I use for all our budgeting and diary for our road trips. Heck, sometimes I use it as a road trip planner before we even leave!

No, it’s not sexy and yes, there are apps out there which do budgeting and diary entries and everything else- but I find it so easy to grab my phone every time we stop for fuel/ shopping/ an attraction and make a quick note on what we spent and what we thought!

I’ve used notes for years to keep track of our spending as we travel- then I can write it up into a spreadsheet when we return or when we’re stopped in one place for a few days. Whatever you choose, definitely get a way to keep track of your spending!

PSSNGR for Splitwise

You’ve heard of Splitwise, right? It’s a brilliant app which allows friends to split the bill on things like meals out, rent, bills, etc. PSSNGR is an extension of that- but it’s designed for car shares. It can calculate and split the cost of a road trip, with fuel costs, snacks, meals etc- perfect for when you’re road tripping with friends!

Accuweather

Does anyone else have 3 different weather apps on their phone… and they look at all of them until they get a forecast they like? I definitely do that, but then I tend to believe what Accuweather says! The app is a great road trip planner tool as it can help you prepare for the weather ahead- essential for road trip safety.

Star Gazing App

One of my favourite things about road trips is getting far enough away from the world so we can enjoy the night sky in all its glory. I have only seen the Milky Way ONCE- and I plan to see it again as often as possible because it was breathtaking.

There are several star apps available, which will show you which stars and planets you are looking at as you gaze in wonder at the sky. There’s also one called Photopills, which will help you line up the perfect shot of the Milky Way (it also works for sunrise/ sunsets.)

Can’t go on your own road trip?

Check out ‘Roads by Porsche’- a road trip app filled with videos of other people driving some of the most beautiful roads on this planet! It’s a perfect road trip planner app- but it’s also a lovely way to while away a rainy afternoon, dreaming about your next adventure!

I hope you find these travel apps useful. Is there one you LOVE which I’ve missed? Let me know! If you enjoyed this and think others would find it useful, please share on Facebook or Pinterest.

Safe travels!

More road trip tips:

Best road trip gadgets you need, amazing destination ideas for a european road trip, how to plan a road trip to europe.

Kat never planned to buy a motorhome. She also never planned to quit her job as an air traffic controller, go touring around Europe in said motorhome, start one of the UK’s largest motorhome travel websites… or get a cocker spaniel.

Find out how she went from stuck in the rat race to being a digital nomad and inspiring thousands of people to have their own epic adventures here.

If you’d like to connect with Kat, send her an email or follow her adventures on social media.

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Nice post! Thanks for sharing this wonderful post with us. These apps sound interesting definitely gonna very helpful planning road trips. I really found this post very helpful for me. I bookmarked this for future. Thanks a lot for sharing.

Absolutely stunning! Thank you on a detailed impressive guide!

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Roadtrippers - Trip Planner 4+

Planner, map, & travel guides, roadtrippers.

• #183 in Travel
• 4.6 • 58.8K Ratings
• Offers In-App Purchases

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Description.

DISCOVER THE OPEN ROAD AND THE GREAT OUTDOORS WITH EASE Roadtrippers, the #1 road trip planning app, now includes the patent-pending AI-powered trip wizard: Roadtrippers Autopilot™. Whether you’re RVing on your annual campground trip, or planning a weekend trip at a boutique hotel, Roadtrippers Autopilot™ uses the knowledge of over 38 million trips to help get you there. And, with the newly added features from Campendium, Roadtrippers will be your go-to app for planning epic road trips and finding the perfect camping spots. ENHANCED CAMPING AND RV FEATURES ∙ Campground Reviews and Insights: Dive into over 150,000 campground reviews, offering perspectives for RVers and campers alike. Discover the best spots, from swanky RV parks to serene, free remote destinations. ∙ Comprehensive Map Overlays: Find the perfect campgrounds with ease using overlays for public land, cell coverage, and wildfire smoke, ensuring you’re always informed and prepared. ∙ Advanced Filtering Options: Tailor your search with new filtering capabilities, including cell service and elevation, to find your ideal campsite every time. EXPLORE AND PLAN WITH EASE ∙ Epic Routes and Places: Uncover millions of unique places, from quirky roadside attractions to breathtaking national parks. Get inspired by pre-made trip guides for once-in-a-lifetime routes. ∙ Customizable Planning: Start with up to three stops or upgrade to add up to 150 stops per trip with our Premium membership. Enjoy RV-friendly GPS navigation, offline maps, trip collaboration, and more. ∙ Seamless Syncing and Navigation: Your saved trips and favorite places sync across devices. Hit the road with confidence using CarPlay for easy navigation. JOIN THE ROADTRIPPERS COMMUNITY Merging the spirit of Campendium with Roadtrippers, we invite you to embark on road trips and camping adventures that you’ll cherish forever. Whether you’re mapping out a weekend getaway or a cross-country journey, Roadtrippers is here to guide you every mile and every campsite along the way. Download Roadtrippers today and transform your travel dreams into reality. Your next epic adventure awaits! Terms of use: https://roadtrippers.com/tos Privacy policy: https://roadtrippers.com/privacy-policy

Version 5.9.1

Roadtrippers is excited to introduce their brand-new, AI-powered trip planning tool: Roadtrippers Autopilot™, just in time for all your summer road tripping plans! Whether you’re RVing on your annual campground trip, or planning a weekend trip at a boutique hotel, Roadtrippers Autopilot™ uses the knowledge of over 38 million trips to help get you there. Get started with a free trial, or sign in with your Premium account, and check out Autopilot today! Happy travels :)

Ratings and Reviews

58.8K Ratings

Never have I ever...

Never have I ever felt it necessary to review an app, be it good or bad. However, this app is so incredible that I felt obligated to tell everyone. I've told all my friends to download it and I'm telling all you strangers to download it. It's SOOOO helpful. I did a road trip from CT to TN to TX to Nola to NC back to CT.. and I used it everyday for the entire trip. It offers so many things to do... everything from museums to abandoned houses that make for fun photo ops. If you're someone trying to take funny pictures of random side of the road things this is your app. The only thing I wish is that there was a way to like mark things off the list that you've completed. BUT.... it really added to the fun of the trip and the ease of the trip. Everything I needed was in this one app. It is trustworthy and never steered me wrong. Pun intended.... you can trust the "navigation" button and whatever address is provided. Just be sure to read the reviews of each location before going there. Just because it's on the app doesn't mean it's everything you're thinking it'll be, so read the reviews. If you're going on a road trip.. USE THIS APP. It will really add to your trip. Thank you for existing.

Good app, not great

This is a really good app. Definitely recommend it. Mostly an easy way to put a trip together, plan stops, construct a map. I would give it 5 stars except for a few very frustrating things that drag this app down. And could easily be fixed. I do understand that maybe it’s user error, but … When you are on a trip, you open the trip and it goes to your current location in Map View. However, when you open the List View for that trip, why doesn’t it go to your current location instead of starting from day one and you have to scroll all the way down until you find what you’re looking for. The way dates are managed is a complete nightmare. Changing the dates of an entire trip is such a hassle. And you cannot plan a trip without dates as once you add your first date, the app puts every single waypoint on a separate date!! Who thought that was a good idea?! You can add things that are not on the map already, but you can only add an address, you cannot label the address as to what it is. There are a lot of things that are not included on the map that I would like to add to my trips. And label with a name. This app is not a standalone app. You need other sources to complete the picture. Especially because there is a blue line indicating your route that completely covers up the highway numbers. Highway numbers are essential to trip planning. Also, can you update the gas pricing? It’s no where near accurate. And organize the trips into past and upcoming/future?

The most troublesome travel app.

As we travel using this app we must re-enter cookie preferences each time the app opened. We must re-enter our vehicle information (all of it) each time we opened the app. I tried contacting the company but it allowed no contact info other than e-mail and their response time may be days later which by then we were many hundreds of miles further into the trip and when there was a response it was a friendly response but there was no help at all. No one could ever tell me why I must re-enter all the information as though it’s the first time using the app. There was no help. Just friendly responses. They had no phone number to call for technical assistance. No help at all. Just lip service by email. It became very frustrating. I couldn’t trust that the map was taking us on roads that allowed clearance for our vehicle. I quit using the app during our first trip. I tried again on our next trip. Same problems. Same Customer Service system. I informed them that their app was a real waste of money. They could care less. As my membership grew close to the end I sent an email asking for confirmation to my request NOT TO RENEW. I never got a response. I tried contacting them today and haven’t gotten a response. Note: I initially joined the Roadpass Pro membership based on an ad by Jason Esperson. I used to watch his videos. Now I have nothing to do with TOGO RV.

Developer Response ,

Hi again Sam - we're sorry to hear again that you're disappointed that you must select vehicle preferences when navigating a trip on Roadtrippers. We offer the option to select your vehicle on each trip as we realize that you may use different vehicles for different trips. We have conversed with you multiple times through our support email system ([email protected] and [email protected]) and I can see that we have followed up with you on each request. I do see we recently responded to an email you sent to us this week but we have not heard back from you. Please do check the spam inboxes for both of the email accounts you have used to email us - our helpful responses may be there!

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The developer, Roadtrippers , indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .

Data Linked to You

The following data may be collected and linked to your identity:

• Contact Info
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The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:

Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

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• Roadtrippers Basic - Annual $35.99
• Roadtrippers Premium - Annual $59.99
• Roadtrippers Pro - Annual $49.99
• Developer Website
• App Support
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20 Essential Travel Apps for Awesome Road Trips

By Jason Barnette | Travel writer and photographer with 15+ years of road tripping experience

• Last Updated on November 1, 2023
• Published on August 14, 2020

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my Affiliate Disclosure here .

When I was a kid on family vacation, I sat in the backseat of the car with nothing more than a paper map and a pen to trace our route. I always knew where I was, and where we were going, but nothing else. Today’s world is different; road trips are dominated by mobile apps and GPS devices meant to connect us to the world before we even arrive. But which apps do you really need?

These are my favorite apps that I use almost daily when road tripping. I’ve had most of these for years now, but I’m always looking for something new to develop. Here are my favorite apps for road trips.

Road Trip Planning

Every great road trip needs to start with a plan. That plan may be nothing more than a route from Point A to Point B. But sometimes, a road trip plan needs to include business hours of attractions, various routes to drive, and things to do along the way. That’s where these next few apps come in handy.

Roadtrippers

Roadtrippers is the ultimate planning resource for any road trip. The app contains thousands of user-generated points of interest like parks, museums, attractions, and restaurants. The user interface is pretty simple: launch the app, search a map of your current location, or use the search bar for another destination. With the app you can save POIs, create routes, and plan entire road trips.

The app is free to download, and the free account allows you to search, save, and plan your road trip. For $29.99/year users can subscribe to Roadtrippers Plus that allows you to design longer routes and download maps for offline use.

iOS (iPhone and iPad) | Android

Google Maps

Google Maps is my favorite tool for planning the route of a road trip. I begin the process on my laptop by entering a starting and ending point for a road trip, then I click to drag the route to include other destinations along the way. Once I have a route established, I begin scouring the mapping tool for POIs. My Maps is a way of creating fully customized road trip routes and itineraries you can then access through Google Maps.

The app is free to download and use. My Maps is also a free utility by Google.

Roadside America

Roadside America is one of the most fun apps for road tripping. The app is filled with listings for quirky roadside attractions like largest fire hydrant, oldest tree, and a cellphone tower in Mississippi designed to look like the Washington Monument. The app uses your current location to show a list of nearby attractions, or you can manually search for an upcoming destination. Details for each listing include GPS address for directions, hours of operation, and what to expect when you arrive.

The app is free to download and users are allowed to select one region for free. The app divides the US into six regions with each region costing $1.99 to unlock.

iOS (iPhone only)

Fantastical

For the longest time I was just like so many other travelers who kept a loose itinerary scribbled on a notepad. Eventually, I got frustrated with arriving at a museum five minutes after it closed or a restaurant on the one day a week it wasn’t open. I started taking notes in the calendar app and planning itineraries.

Fantastical is without a doubt the most powerful calendar app I have ever used. Using Cloud storage, the app flawlessly links the calendars on my phone, tablet, and computer for easy planning. I can create multiple calendars; I have a calendar for travel times, places to explore, and lodging. It’s also really easy to drag and drop to move items around so I can still be spontaneous, but have a bit of a plan.

iOS (Mac, iPhone, iPad, Watch)

During the Road Trip

There is no greater travel feeling in the world than hitting the start of a road trip. But the moment the trip starts, so do the necessities. Where is the next gas station? Place to eat? What’s the weather doing tomorrow? These next few apps will help you keep the road trip going once you’re on the road.

Once upon a time I was one of those people who would spend thirty minutes sitting in gridlocked traffic to get to the other side of town so I could save three cents per gallon on gasoline. I’m not quite that picky anymore, but I do still use the GasBuddy app when I’m traveling.

Just two clicks after opening the app will load a map with my current location and all the gas stations nearby. GasBuddy is user-generated content, so someone needs to have inputted the gas prices for you to see that price as you scroll the map. But in my experience about 70% of the gas stations will have a price. It is without a doubt the easiest way to find a gas station and check the price while traveling.

iOS (iPhone, iPad, Watch) | Android

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My Golden Rule for Road Trips is to never travel an interstate highway. However, I realize that’s not always possible or desirable. For those times you find yourself driving hours on the interstate, iExit is a great way of finding food, lodging, and gas.

Think of iExit as a preview of all the interstate highway signs you’ll pass. The app uses your current GPS location and heading to create a list of exits ahead of you. Each exit lists an icon for gas, food, lodging, transportation, and so much more. Click on the exit number and you’re given details of all the businesses along with websites, phone numbers, and even gas prices!

Everybody needs a little music for a road trip! I have been a big fan of Pandora almost since the app first debuted years ago. Although I have tried Spotify in the past, and it has a huge following, I have found Pandora to be the better app for road trip music.

For $4.99 per month, the Pandora Plus plan, which is the plan I use, you get an ad-free experience, unlimited skipping, replaying songs, and higher quality audio. For $12.99 per month, Pandora Premium also allows you to search for particular songs to play on demand. And for those times in the mountains where you inevitably lose cellular signal, both plans allow you to listen to music on four channels in offline mode.

AccuWeather

I once watched a document about how meteorologists generate their predictions for the weather forecast. I couldn’t help but laugh when I realized there were almost two dozen models and basically the person standing in front of the camera just picks one.

Over the years, I have found AccuWeather to be the most accurate for predicting the weather. The radar loads pretty quickly, even in low-signal areas, and the hourly forecast is usually pretty close to accurate. It’s on the first screen of my phone because it’s one of my most-used road trip apps.

One of my favorite features of the app is the weather alerts. Severe weather such as approaching thunderstorms, tornado warnings, and heat are pushed to devices as soon as they are issued. On my Apple Watch, I’ll receive a notification so I’ll know if I need to duck for cover on a trail.

iOS (iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch) | Android

Finding Things to Do on a Road Trip

Even with all the meticulous planning and research, being spontaneous is still a great feeling on a road trip. These next few apps are great at helping you find things to do based on your current location, so they’re actually better to use on the road than sitting at home.

It was love at first sight when I discovered this app. AllTrails is my go-to app for finding hiking trails, but there is so much more to the app than just a search engine. This app has grown over the years to be a fantastic planning and recording tool for outdoor adventures.

The app syncs smoothly with their website so you can begin the planning from the comfort of your computer, but hopefully not while you’re at work. The website and app has a search feature to quickly find a specific trail, state or national park, or destination you want to hike. You can also search via map if you know the route you are driving and want to find something interesting along the way.

With the app on your phone and smartwatch, upgrade to their AllTrails Pro plan for the option to download hiking maps for offline use. With their free plan, you can create lists to easily find particular trails later and you can record your hike for posterity!

iOS (iPhone, Watch) | Android

The Outbound

When I first came across The Outbound, I realized I had stumbled upon more than just an app for finding outdoor adventures. It was a community of travelers who thrive in the outdoors, create stories of their adventures, and share points of interest for others to find.

The app has a pretty amazing search feature, and you can also use your current location to search for adventures on a map. The adventures include information on how to get there, where to park, admission if applicable, and photos of previous users who have taken the option. It’s more than just hiking trails; The Outbound is all about getting outside, so the app includes parks, trails, waterways, beaches, pretty much anything that puts the sun on your face.

Google Maps is a great tool for finding business nearby, but what about the menu at a restaurant, ratings at the bar, and photos to get you inspired? Yelp is my absolute favorite tool for finding food, museums, and shopping as I travel.

It’s user-generated content so you know you can trust the reviews, although a few false Yelpers have snuck onto the platform over the years. The greatest advantage of the app is the access to information like photos of the menu, hours of operation, website address, and phone number. Be sure to sort the reviews in order of rating instead of Yelp’s built-in suggestion for the most accurate picture of what to expect.

I was never a big fan of Groupon until I came across the Powder Magazine in Charleston, South Carolina. I was visiting for a week and wanted to check out some of the museums. When I walked into the two-room museum, the manager asked if I had the Groupon discount. As it turns out, for just two dollars more than general admission I could have an annual pass! I used it twice that week and saved money.

The Groupon app uses filters based on your interests to help find discounts on admissions to museums and attractions, discounts on meals (especially for families), and opportunities for discounted packages for travel. I have found guided tours through the Groupon app not listed anywhere else that led to some wonderful times!

Where to Stay on a Road Trip

Sleep in your car, grab a hotel room, or park your RV, everyone needs to sleep at some point on a road trip. I prefer to sleep every night. These next few apps are my favorites for finding a comfortable and safe place to get some sleep, and some of these apps have perks I quite enjoy.

Trucker Path

I discovered Trucker Path during my three years of road tripping in a camper van. The app is designed for truckers, but it works just as well for people who sleep in their vehicle. The app locates truck stops on a map and lists details such as number of showers, current gas prices, and other amenities.

With filters, uses can narrow the list to particular chains of truck stops or even Walmart’s that allow overnight parking. Reviews of the stops are also helpful, even for non-truckers, in deciding if it would be a good place to spend the night.

There are a lot of apps for finding and booking hotel rooms, but I have always used Hotels.com for one simple reason: book ten nights and you get one free. The one free night is worth the average of the ten previous nights, so don’t expect to spend a free night at a five-star resort, but you’ll still get a good deal.

The app has a wonderful search feature using your current location with filters for whittling down the list to find exactly what you want. Details on each hotel includes amenities, types of rooms, and nearby attractions. Sometimes, the app includes discounts for getting a few dollars off the price of a room.

I have booked hotel rooms while sitting in the parking lot and walked inside to find the reservation already registered. It’s usually pretty fast, and after ten years of using the app I’ve only had a reservation lost once.

Pro Travel Tip: Hotels usually do not list every room on third-party booking websites like Hotels.com or Expedia. If you’re browsing a booking app and the hotel doesn’t have any vacancies, it’s possible they still have rooms – just not on the app. Give the hotel a call and see if they have any available rooms.

Using the Airbnb app during a road trip can get a bit tricky. Airbnb has grown as the world’s top resource for short-term rentals, otherwise known as a place to spend a vacation that is owned by an individual instead of a company.

When planning ahead, Airbnb can lead to fantastic lodging options in places you otherwise could not afford. Sometimes the rental includes only a bedroom in an occupied house, but quite frequently the lodging has a private entrance or includes the entire property.

The only downside to using the Airbnb app while traveling is spontaneity. Owners of properties must approve renters, and sometimes that takes a day or two. If the owner does not live on site, it can also be difficult to get access with less than a forty-eight hour notice. When using the Airbnb app to book lodging, plan ahead.

Capturing Memories on a Road Trip

How often do you use your cellphone to capture photos and videos on a road trip? Cellphones have become the most common way to capture memories during all sorts of travel. Although I’m still a DSLR photographer, I use several apps and features with my phone and tablet to capture better photos and videos to remember my trips.

The Photographer’s Ephemeris

The Photographer’s Ephemeris has been my favorite travel app for years. It’s a bit overkill for the average road tripper, but I have it to be essential. The app uses Open Street Maps to find your location and then shows lines depicting the direction of sunrise, sunset, moonrise, and moonset.

I use the app constantly while road tripping to determine the best place to see a stunning sunset. When I get close to the last hour of sunlight, I use the satellite image option of the map to begin looking for a scenic overlook with a view of sunset.

I would label this an essential app for anyone traveling through national parks, scenic byways, and coastal areas. Everybody enjoys a great sunset, right?

GoldenHour.One

I use the GoldenHour.One app with a grain of salt, but it’s still useful. At the very least, the app displays sunrise and sunset times along with Golden Hour and Blue Hour times for great photography.

The one feature I use the most is the Weather feature. The app uses local weather reports to determine the chances of seeing a brilliantly colorful sunrise or sunset. On a scale of 1-10, the app will announce opportunities like, “Decent chance to catch a good photo.” However, I will admit the app’s fortune telling are wrong as often as right, but it’s still a good tool.

Have you ever wanted to take manual control of your cellphone camera? For most people, this answer would be an emphatic no. But for those who would like a little bit of control for better photos on road trips, I highly recommend the Camera+ 2 app.

The app allows the user to take manual control of the ISO, shutter speed, and white balance of photos. The user can also manually pick where the camera focuses, especially useful when you want the subject off-center.

The app comes with several pre-defined shooting settings like Portrait, Macro, and RAW. The RAW feature is the one of the best because it allows users to fully edit a photo later for better results.

Pro Camera by Moment

Moment is a company founded on a simple principal: help people capture better quality photos and video on a cellphone. They started with a series of high-quality lenses that screw into custom phone cases, but since then they have expanded with a rather wonderful app.

The Pro Camera app is better camera app than the one that comes with your phone. The app is set for automatic camera settings by default, but more advanced photographers can set custom values for ISO, exposure, and focus. The app also comes with presets for custom settings on demand for special effects. Since buying the full set of lenses, the Moment camera app has become my go-to for photography on the road.

Even the best of photographers need to post-process their images, and don’t let them try to convince you otherwise! The Snapseed app is the best mobile image editing software I have used, and that includes the cumbersome Lightroom.

With Snapseed, it is simple to open the most recent image or quickly browse for a previous photo. The app has the ability to process DNG files captured in RAW format. A full suite of tools are available including levels, crop and rotate, white balance, and about a dozen other tools for special effects. When you’re done editing, you can save a copy or overwrite the original, all within seconds of capturing the photo.

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Best road trip planner apps

Have a blast and save on gas with our favorite road trip apps.

The weather’s getting warmer, you’ve stocked up on PTO, and your playlist of summer songs  is about at capacity which means one thing: It’s road trip season. In other words, it’s time to load up the car, grab your friends, and hit the open road.

Roadtrippers

Google trips, iheartradio, blink roadside assistance.

Whether you’re planning to camp in the woods or stay in swanky hotels, there are unique aspects to road tripping that require special planning. Unlike vacations, where you’re flying to a single destination, road trips involve preparation such as determining the best route, mapping out your stopover points, finding nearby attractions, and ensuring you’re close enough to gas and roadside services.

Fortunately, there are plenty of mobile apps to help you during the planning phase and once you’re on the road. Here are the best road trip planners, for both iOS and Android-compatible smartphones.

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Roadtrippers is perhaps the best all-around road trip app, working as a comprehensive planning assistant that offers everything from creating your route to selecting activities and finding lodging. You can book accommodations instantly via the app, which looks similar to a more full0-featured version of Google Maps . Better yet, it’s completely free for anyone to make use of.

To plan a trip, simply enter your final destination and then click on nearby cities and destinations. From here, the app lets you play around with different routes and activity options until you find your favorite. We recommend using the desktop version for the planning portion, as it’s easier to zoom in and out on a bigger map.

Once the route is locked in, you can then search for various types of accommodations including hotels, campsites, vacation rentals, RV spots, and other places to sleep for the night. Additionally, you can scroll for activities to do including Attractions and Culture, Points of Interest, Entertainment and Nightlife, Scenic Drives, and dozens of other sub-categories. Once you’re on the road, switch to the mobile version to search for food, find nearby gas, locate rest areas, find auto shops, or track down other amenities.

GasBuddy is by far the easiest and most straightforward gas-finding app available. By simply entering your current location, the app shows you up-to-date gas prices within a pre-set local radius. You can sort the resulting stations by price, distance, or price and distance together. There’s also an option to filter stations by whether or not they have certain amenities such as car washes, air pumps, propane fills, restrooms, pay-at-pump features, and 24/7 service hours.

Whether you plan to fill up with regular, mid-grade, premium, diesel, or even ethanol/E85 fuels, GasBuddy clearly lays out which station offers what grade of fuel and at what price. There’s even a map view you can use to zoom out and jump around, viewing gas stations in various parts of the state or country.

Serious savers can join GasBuddy as a member by simply linking their checking account. Once linked, the company then sends a card in the mail which can be used to receive 10 cents off per gallon for the first fill and five cents off per gallon at all future stops. If you’re going to be giving your odometer a workout this summer, GasBuddy is an excellent way to cut down on fuel costs.

Google Trips is a general vacation planner app, however, if you’re going to be hopping from one town to the next, it has plenty of useful features to make the most of each destination.

For instance, searching in the mobile-only app for “things to do” populates a list broken down into tabs such as live music, art galleries, outdoor pursuits, kids activities, and many more. The categories are all location-specific so if you’re in Portland, Oregon, for example, you’ll see options like vintage shopping, indie movies, or made in Portland, whereas if you’re in New York you’ll see tabs like Brooklyn standouts, literary NYC, or Madison Avenue chic.

The app has a similar feature for food and drink choices as well, which includes a summary of what genres of food the city or town is known for and where you can find each type of cuisine. You can save attractions you want to visit in the handy Saved Places tab and there’s a feature called Day Plans that offers suggested itineraries in one, two, and three-day formats.

If you have any reservations, you can forward the emails to your Gmail account and the app automatically syncs them into a reservations tab which allows easy access to confirmation numbers and other info. There’s also a comprehensive Getting Around section that explains what types of public transportation and ride-shares are available, should you choose to park the car for the day, as well as walking and biking paths.

When you get tired of looping through the same playlists on Spotify or Pandora , iHeartRadio offers an awesome way to integrate musical playlists with podcasts, news, and local radio stations. The app is connected to over 1,000 different stations throughout the United States which you can live stream anywhere. If you want to search by region, just enter a zip code otherwise you can surf by genre, selecting from music stations (pop, hip-hop, country, jazz, etc), comedy shows, sports stations, political talk radio, and others.

Under the podcasts tab , you can browse for new shows or save a list of your favorites. There’s an extensive selection of choices including popular series like This American Life, Fresh Air, Serial, Pod Save America, Radiolab, and others. The Playlists tab allows you to create your own playlists or surf for music based on mood, activity, decade, genre, and other categories similar to Spotify. You can also save songs and follow artists in your Library.

The basic app is free but in order to use all its features, you must choose a subscription of either $5 for iHeartRadio Plus or $10 for iHeartRadio All Access.

Blink is a wonderfully convenient app that allows you to access immediate roadside service without requiring a membership. If you run into car troubles, simply enter your location like you would with something like Uber or Lyft, and the app immediately sends someone to help you.

The tabs are broken down into Battery, Flat Tire, Tow, Lockout, and Other, where you can ask for things like fuel delivery if you run out of gas. It’s a 24/7 service with nationwide coverage offered in 99.4 percent of all US zip codes. That means you’re covered just about anywhere you go, at any time, be it day or night.

When you first request service, it doesn’t completely commit you to have to receive what you ordered. The app first shows you your options with a price quoted along with an estimated wait time. From there, you can decide if you want to proceed. If you prefer to talk to a human, there’s a telephone icon in the upper righthand corner of the app that connects you to a representative who can answer questions and book services.

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Many cycling-focused apps measure data like speed, distance, and pace, and help with tasks such as route planning, goal setting, community building, coaching, or other bike-related objectives. Because there are so many available, the one you choose depends on what you want to use it for -- you may even want to use a few separate apps to accomplish different purposes. To help make the decision process easier, here are the best cycling apps for each type of function. The best metrics tracker: Strava

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We've looked at numerous options for speakers designed for outdoor use, and the Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3 is our choice as the best all-around. With a winning trifecta of incredible sound, a diehard battery, and a rugged design that is ideal for crowd-pleasing, it's the clear standout in a sea of speakers.

There are plenty of other good choices on our list, which we chose after hundreds of hours evaluating key criteria like sound quality, portability, water and dust resistance, ruggedness, battery life, ease of use, and, of course, value. We also considered scenarios like permanent wired installations and times when a portable speaker would be preferable. Follow below to find the best outdoor speakers for any situation. Best outdoor speakers at a glance

Mountain biking has boomed in recent years and as a result, manufacturers have developed an increased number of specialized designs to appeal to this broad and nuanced market. There are now many models to choose from, but the Santa Cruz Hightower C R remains the best mountain bike on the market, namely due to its versatility, price, and blue-ribbon precision on the track. Further reading

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BROOK PIFER / Getty Images 

Remember the days of embarking on a road trip with a big fold-out map and maybe a Michelin Guide for a directory of places to stay and eat? Thanks to smartphones, road trippers today have an infinite number of resources to help plan the perfect road trip (or at least provide some guidance for those who prefer not to plan ahead). Several apps are designed specifically to assist travelers who go by car—many of them free—so you can focus on enjoying the journey without getting bogged down by the details.

Roadtrippers

One of the most essential apps for any road trip, Roadtrippers is the ultimate travel planning resource for anyone embarking on a driving vacation. It's especially useful for travelers who have a clear starting point and ending point, but aren't quite sure what routes to take, what cities to stop in, and what to see along the way. You just punch in point A and point B, and Roadtrippers will give you all of the best options for getting from one to the other along with recommendations of hotels, restaurants, bars, and can't-miss points of interest. It's completely free to download and use, although a premium version is available with even more features.

HotelTonight

Road trips mean you don't always know exactly where you'll be sleeping every night of the trip. You may have a general itinerary of where you're going and when, but spontaneous plans, last-minute changes, or car trouble can throw a wrench at that. When you suddenly need a place to crash, open up HotelTonight . This free app works best for same-day reservations by finding nearby deals for rooms that would otherwise be empty. The options range from luxury resorts to boutique bed and breakfasts, so after a long day behind the wheel, you can make a pitstop exactly where you want to.

If you want to score the best deals on your trip, Groupon is the place to see what's available at a discounted price. Groupon collects deals for all types of services and products that would be useful to road trippers, such as hotel rooms, car rentals, restaurants, excursions, oil changes, and much more. The app is totally free to use and you can organize your results based on category or the city you're traveling to. It's great not just for finding new activities you may not have known existed, but also for finding deals on something that was already a part of your plan.

Tripit is a free and easy-to-use travel planning and itinerary organizing app typically used more by frequent fliers. But road trippers can use the Tripit app or website to plan a trip complete with hotel, dining, and shopping stops. Whenever you book a hotel, dinner reservation, car rental, or some type of transit, just forward the confirmation email to Tripit and it will automatically be stored inside the app, so your entire itinerary is easily accessible in one location. Tripit even lets you share your travel agenda to social media or with other friends on Tripit. Plus, it's an easy way to go back later and remember all of the travel details of your trip.

Google Maps

A navigation app isn't a revolutionary idea for a road trip and there's a good chance you already have one downloaded on your phone. And even though Google Maps is by far the most popular one, it's worth calling out as a necessity for your journey. You can filter directions by the fastest route, traffic conditions, avoiding tolls, or intermediary stops. You can also download entire areas to be used offline, which is essential for stretches of road that are outside of coverage zones. If you want to plan out when you'll stop for food, gas, coffee, or a supermarket, Google Maps will find places along the route, each one accompanied by all of the reviews of other Google users.

A road trip across the U.S. sometimes involves countless hours of driving at night in the middle of nowhere. Or, it could mean a camping trip under the stars. Either way, you're going to need to make a night-time pit stop, so why not use the break to take in those twinkling stars? The free Star Walk app is an easy-to-use astronomy program that lets you point your phone at the sky and discover which stars, planets, and constellations are above you. Which of those dots is actually the North Star? Can I see my birth sign constellation? Is that glowing red orb Mars? With Star Walk, all of these answers and more are at your fingertips.

Roadside America

What's a road trip without stops at the quirky attractions along the way? Roadside America enhances your road trip by mapping out all of the kitsch, bizarre, and one-of-a-kind points of interest along the route. The app costs $2.99 for a designated region of the U.S. or Canada and additional regions have to be purchased within the app, but it includes full field reports of hundreds of attractions organized by city, state, province, or category so you can actually learn about what you're seeing. Don't miss out on a weird museum, famous gravesite, Muffler Man, or another peculiarity that could be just a short detour away.

If you've ever been on a road trip, you already know the story: You've been driving for hours, you're in an unfamiliar area miles away from a big city, and you suddenly realize the gas indicator is dangerously close to "E." Do you veer off to the first rest stop you see? Or wait it out and hope for something less expensive a few miles ahead? Thanks to Gas Buddy , you can make a decision without any internal dilemma. This free app searches all nearby gas stations for the best prices, so you can easily choose and not risk paying more than necessary—or worse, running out of gas in the middle of nowhere.

Some of the best road trip memories likely involve turning the music up and rocking out to your favorite music with the open road in front of you. Rather than getting stuck with what's playing on the radio, download the Spotify app to find your favorite artists or music genre and create playlists with the tap of your finger. The app is free to download and use if you don't mind the occasional ad, but you can also upgrade to a premium version for uninterrupted tunes.

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22 best road trip apps that are essential downloads

Travel Travel Inspiration Road Trips Best Road Trip Apps

Road trips are the best. Driving down never ending roads without having to follow any deadlines or set path is incredibly liberating. Multiple unplanned stops, literally taking the road unknown, and just generally being free are just some of the delights you can expect on a road trip. But all this freedom and joy come with a certain amount of uncertainty as well.

When you’re on a road trip, there are unforeseen issues you might face on the road like being lost, not having anything to do, absence of gas stations, and more. Equipping yourself with the best road trip planner apps is a great way to alleviate some of the anxiety associated with being on the road. To help make the process easier for you, we have curated a list of the best road trip planner apps for 2021.

1 Roadtrippers

Paid version.

Plan the perfect road trip or find an undiscovered gem nearby with Roadtrippers. The app lists countless places including local eateries and offbeat roadside attractions, must-visit tourist spots in the area, national parks, and even hotels. Need inspiration for your road trip? Choose from fantastic premade trip guides of once-in-a-lifetime routes. Roadtrippers is a free of cost route planner you can use to find the best places to visit and make your road trip truly memorable. You can also upgrade to the paid version, Roadtrippers Plus, which gives you up to 150 waypoints per trip along with a host of other features including exclusive deals, offline maps, collaborating with friends, and custom map styles.

2 Google Maps

Arguably the most popular navigation app in the world, Google Maps makes traveling to new places much, much easier. Both web-based and app service, Google Map provides comprehensive information pertaining to geographical regions and sites across the globe. Along with traditional road maps, the app also provides aerial and satellite views of countless places. With Google Maps, drivers, bikers, walkers, and users of public transportation can find the most optimal route between one specific location to another, with the option of adding more stops. You can also search for the closest restaurants, hotels, parking, and other road trip essentials using Google Maps.

Heading to a place with spotty internet connectivity? Maps.Me is what you need. The app offers quick, in-depth, and completely offline maps with turn-by-turn navigation. Maps.Me is used by over 140 million travelers around the world and helps you save precious travel time with exceptional navigation. You can also make your travels more interesting by utilizing the app’s fantastic readymade travel guides. These guides have been curated with assistance from some of the best travel content creators in the world for countless global destinations. Some of the features that make Maps.Me great include offline search, GPS navigation, and optimized maps that effectively save memory space.

Last-minute travel can be hard to pull off, especially if you’re venturing into the unknown. With Headout, an on-demand mobile marketplace, you can find and book the most amazing tours, activities, events and local experiences in town available for the next 24 hours at great prices. With a single tap, you can explore a host of activities that have been designed to meet the needs of not only last-minute travellers but locals as well. Some of the experiences you can book using Headout include Helicopter tours, Broadway tickets, Hot air balloon rides, Dream World Cruise tickets, Skip the line tickets to the Eiffel, Universal Studio tickets, and countless other remarkable experiences that’ll make your trip memorable.

With over 60 million downloads, GasBuddy is officially the largest community-based fuel app in the world. The app helps drivers save on fuel cost using information provided by a large base of users. With GasBuddy, you can locate the cheapest fuel amongst different types, find petrol stations based on distance and price, and help others find cheap fuel by reporting fuel prices based on your experience. Every time you report fuel prices, you'll earn points and achievements. You can also receive automatic notifications when a new recall is issued by adding your vehicle to GasBuddy. Make your road trips hassle-free by never having to worry about fuel with GasBuddy.

Ultimate Bucketlist Road Trips In The World

Drivvo can be best described as a finance manager for your vehicles including car, motorcycle, bus or truck for both personal or professional use. The app helps you manage fuel, refuelling, expenses and revenues, and maintenance. You can also use the app to manage registration, financing, and fines. With Drivvo, you can easily manage multiple vehicles and calculate gas consumption. The app also offers in-depth fuel efficiency reports sorted by fuel and gas stations, helping you identify which option is best for your vehicle.

7 PackPoint

Packing right is often a requisite for a relaxed road trip. With PackPoint, a free travel packing list organizer and packing planner, you can do just that. Designed for travelers who like to travel smart, the app helps them organize what they need to pack based on length of travel, expected weather at the destination, and activities planned for the trip. After your packing list is built, the app will save it for you and you can share it with family and friends to help them pack better. Details you need to input for the best results include destination city, departure date, and the number of nights you'll be staying there.

8 Flush - Toilet Finder

Finding a working toilet is often a challenge during road trips. With Flush, it doesn't have to be. This fast and simple toilet finder features a classy interface with charming animations and user interface designed for ease of use. Flush boasts a database of thousands of public toilets that is stored on your phone for easy, offline access. Just search for a location on the map and the app will display the closest public toilets to you. To find directions, simply tap on the map to get directions provided by Google Maps. If you need to find a toilet urgently, just tap the directions button and you'll receive directions to the nearest toilet.

9 Hotel Tonight

Find fantastic deals on hotels for the night or the next one using HotelTonight! The app lists hotels that offer discounts on their empty rooms and you get all the benefits. Finding the best rate hotel is no longer a seemingly endless task. A couple of taps and swipes and you’re done! Hotel Tonight offers a truly diverse collection of hotels including the top-rated luxury hotel to charming and unique boutiques. Book a hotel using Hotel Tonight and you’re assured of the best rates and an even better selection of hotels to choose from.

$35.99/year

Ever wondered what an app that helps you camp better looks like? Introducing Dyrt, officially the number 1 camping app of 2021! The app boasts a rich database of over 1 million campsites, tips and reviews submitted by campers like you. Use Dyrt to find the perfect RV, van, cabin and tent spot in the US. The app offers campers free access to all campsite listings in the US including national parks, state parks, county parks, and more. You can also sign up for the Pro version which makes camping easier with trip planner, free camping maps, offline access, and many discounts.

Road trips and highways kinda go together and navigating the latter can be challenging if you’re not familiar with the route. iExit makes driving on highways easier by informing users what's at upcoming exits when you're on the highway. The app uses your device’s exact location to identify your spot in the highway and then displays all upcoming exits in real time. You can also make use of the powerful iExit search which shows the next 100 exits for businesses including KOA Campgrounds, Starbucks, and Cracker Barrel, amenities such as Truck Parking, WiFi, and Playground, hotel deals, and much more.

12 ParkMe Parking

ParkMe is an award-winning app that lets you find and book the closest and cheapest parking around. Use ParkMe to save money and time and guarantee a parking spot. The app even displays the estimated parking cost you’ll have to pay before you park on a particular spot. Since there are multiple parking spots to choose from, you can compare the different options and find the cheapest one. In many cities, ParkMe also displays real-time parking availability and lets you reserve a parking spot at certain lots and garages. Use the app to avoid spending hours finding the right parking spot and make your road trip experience even more pleasant.

13 Gaia GPS

$39.99/year.

Gaia can be best described as GPS for the woods. Make your treks and backpacking trip safes with Gaia GPS. Use the app to join thousands of backpackers, offroaders, hunters, mountain bikers, firefighters, guides, and other outdoor adventurers who use Gaia GPS for work and play. Gaia allows you to hike, hunt, and off-road with optimized topo maps and outdoor navigation tools. The app offers modern maps that are beautiful and easy-to-read along with a host of classic and historic print maps. Use the app to find the best hiking trails, parks, natural places, and addresses, and make your hiking and backpacking trip more memorable.

14 TollGuru

TollGuru has been designed to help you save money by calculating the cheapest routes all across West Malaysia. All you need to do is enter your destination and we’ll find the total toll fares on your route. Some features that make TollGuru a must-have if you’re planning a road trip in Malaysia include display of multiple routes, toll locations on map, breakdown of toll rates by different vehicle classes. Other features of the app include estimated petrol cost for the route, quick and easy search with address auto complete suggestion, and open communication with the app development team by sending them a report of incorrect toll information.

15 Highway Weather App

Being aware of the general weather when planning a road trip is always recommended. Highway Weather App offers weather forecasts for your entire road trip starting from the time of your arrival. The app also features weather alerts, radar, traffic cameras, and plans for rests. The app has been designed to ensure your safety whether you’re on a family vacation or heading to a motorcycle rally. Instead of searching for weather forecasts for each city you’re travelling to, get all the information you need all at the same time, in an easy to understand fashion using Highway Weather App.

A recurring worry when embarking on a road trip is leaving your home unprotected. With Blink’s affordable smart home security cameras and systems, you can monitor your home directly using your smartphone. The app offers multi-system support and a simple setup process, ensuring you can control multiple Blink cameras with a simple app. The Blink Home Monitor app allows you to check in on what’s happening at home at any time from anywhere. The app helps you see your home in HD on your smartphone, ensuring you can see and protect your space even when you’re thousands of miles away.

Staying connected is often a challenge when you’re on a road trip to a location with a spotty internet connection. Use Skyroam to connect around the world with the portable global WiFi hotspot and power bank. Enjoy secure, unlimited connectivity when you’re out and about without having to swap your SIM or pay exorbitant roaming charges. SkyRoam’s Solis app allows you to manage your hotspot account, check data usage, and the status of your connection. You can also enjoy access to advanced features including smart troubleshooting, detailed product information, and the ability to get online faster.

18 Sygic Travel Maps Offline

Discover things to do no matter where you go, plan comprehensive trip itineraries, and make your trip more memorable with in-depth travel guides, all using Sygic Travel Maps Offline. This definitive all-in-one app is built for every kind of traveler and allows users to create a day-to-day itinerary for their trip with a hassle-free trip planner. Use the app for approximate travel times and walking distances to plan your trip better. You can even invite your friends to collaborate on your trips. Get Sygic Travel Premium to use the app even when you’re not connected to the internet, including unlimited offline maps download.

Featuring over 100 million reviews on businesses worldwide, Yelp is amongst the most popular crowd-sourced business reviews apps. Whether you are looking for a coffee shop near you or a salon that’s open at the moment, Yelp is your local guide to finding just the best place to eat, drink, shop, and everything in between. Use the app to search for the closest and best-rated restaurants, shops, and services. You can refine the search by filtering results by rating, neighborhood, price, distance, and what’s open now. Make use of the millions of reviews written by expert locals to find the best recommendation for your needs.

A trip planner that enables users to craft a master travel itinerary and provide them with online and mobile access, TripIt is another addition to the list of the best trip planner apps for 2021. When you book a flight, hotel, car or other reservation, just forward it to [email protected] and the app will instantly add it to your master itinerary. Sync travel plans to your calendar or share them with anyone you choose using TripIt. You can also stay aware of the evolving travel landscape with guidelines, restrictions and requirements that can be viewed via the trip itinerary screen in the app.

21 Route4Me Route Planner

Use the Route4Me route planner to plan unlimited routes and add unlimited addresses per route. One of the most downloaded, multi stop route planner apps in the world, Route4Me offers a host of benefits designed for your convenience. The app is used by countless businesses including those in different industries such as service and delivery planning, grocery delivery, package delivery and more. Route4Me is used both by travellers and professionals for the wide range of features and customizations it offers.

Use Komoot to transform your next ride, hike, or trek into an adventure. Use the community recommendations and knowledge to get inspired for your trip and bring your plans to fruition with the easy-to-use route planner. The app offers the perfect route depending on your chosen sport. For instance, you’ll get only smooth asphalt tracks for road bikes, peaceful cycling paths for natural trails, and singletracks for your mountain bikes. Plan your trip down to the last detail thanks to easy availability of useful information like surface, difficulty, distance and elevation profile.

Lakshmi Menon

Born to parents bit by the wander bug, Lakshmi calls her love for travel "hereditary and habitual". Perpetually ensconced with a book in her hand and a mug of coffee in the other, she has been to over 15 countries in her 23 years of existence and is currently saving miles and money for her solo trip to Iceland. Always hustling towards the least trodden path, she has encountered some wonderful people during her escapades and if you ever meet her, she won't stop gushing about them.

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15 Useful Apps to Download Before Your Next Road Trip (for Free!)

If you are looking for the best road trip apps , you’re in the right place!

Traveling along the wide open road can be a lot of fun but can also be stressful if you’re worrying about getting lost, finding gas, looking for a hotel, or are trying to keep to a tight budget.

Here are a few tools you can access from the palm of your hand that will help with your planning, navigating, budgeting, and finding what you need while on the road. These apps simplify things for you so you can concentrate on enjoying your journey just as much as the destination.

Whether you’re going for 2 days or 2 weeks, these are the absolute  best apps to have for a road trip :

All of the apps can be download for iOS in the Apple App Store or for Android in the Google Play Store.

Table of Contents

Google Maps – best road trip app for navigation 

Price: Free Availability: iOS and Android

Seriously. How did we ever live without Google Maps?

It is arguably the most popular navigation app – and for good reason – as it’s incredibly reliable and easy to use. Whether you’re walking, biking, driving, or using public transportation, it allows you to see the best route based on distance, road conditions, and traffic patterns. I even used it to navigate the subways in Tokyo, Japan and it worked flawlessly (thank goodness!).

Since we’re talking about road trips, Google Maps is an excellent choice when deciding on your driving route and looking at all your options for stops along the way.

Create and save your entire itinerary and update it as you go, or highlight your favorite places and save them for later. It can also help you find nearby restaurants, parking, or public restrooms in a pinch. 

You can even download maps for offline use, which is an excellent feature for adventures that take you out of cell service.

For a step-by-step tutorial on customizing your Google Maps , visit my guide on  How to Plan Your Road Trip with Google Maps .

Waze Navigation – for navigation with real-time updates 

Perhaps second in popularity to Google Maps, Waze is gaining favor with a lot of drivers.

Waze is a community driven navigation app that provides  the most up-to-date maps, real-time traffic updates, and road closure alerts. It’s also useful for  showing drivers where traffic cops are hiding and and speed cameras are mounted. I think we can all agree that speeding tickets will put a damper on any road trip. 

Drivers can report things along the way, giving real-time, comprehensive updates on road conditions and traffic problems. 

Plus, for those of us who prefer to take the longest route possible, there is an ‘avoid highways’ feature that takes you through the backroads, which is the best way to discover fun and spontaneous stops along your journey.

However, one of the standout features of Waze is the “avoid dirt roads” option, which re-routes you to follow only paved roads on your road trip. This is especially useful for countries like Costa Rica , where it’s all too easy to find yourself driving down some extremely rough and muddy roads.

Roadtrippers – best road trip app to build an itinerary

Price: Free for basic version | $25.00/year to upgrade Availability: iOS and Android

Roadtrippers is one of the best road trip apps because it’s designed specifically for road trips. You can use it to build your own road trip route, find places to see along the way, and even calculate gas mileage. It’s essentially your all-in-one road trip app.

To use Roadtrippers, start by clicking “Plan Trip” and add your departure and final destination. Roadtrippers will display the best route and then you can search for stops and accommodation along the way.

While you can plan basic road trips in countries throughout the world, Roadtrippers works best in the US, Canada , New Zealand , and Australia.

Use the free version to add up to 7 waypoints along your route. If you need more, you can upgrade to Roadtrippers Plus for $25.99/year, which gives you 150 waypoints per trip, offline maps, and different map styles.

Instagram – for inspiration

While not technically a road trip app, Instagram is actually a great resource for finding inspiration, hidden gems, and checking current conditions at locations along your road trip route.

For example, I use Instagram every year to plan my fall foliage road trip ! By searching for most recent posts in a certain area, I can check the foliage and time it to get there when the colors peak.

Here are some other ways you can research your trip on Instagram:

• Type key phrases into the search bar on the explore page
• Visit tourism boards profiles
• Browse the posts under location specific hashtags

Similar to Pinterest, you can save your favorite posts and organize them in dedicated boards. I like to create dedicated boards for each trip.

Join me and over 45,000 adventure lovers over on Instagram , where I share more travel tips, unique places, and road trip itineraries!

Pinterest – for exploring blogs and finding itineraries

If you’re a visual person, you’ll love Pinterest because it’s a search engine like Google, but with pictures.

Pinterest is typically my first stop when I sit down to research for a road trip or start crafting an itinerary. It’s a great road trip app for finding road trip itineraries, travel inspiration, and exploring new travel blogs which you may not have come across in a normal Google search.

You can use Pinterest to research a specific destination or just browse for inspo to save for later. Just use the search bar like Google to search for phrases like:

• Las Vegas to Sedona road trip itinerary
• Best countries to visit in December
• Ecuador travel itinerary
• Florida travel

To stay organized, you can curate separate boards to store itineraries, places to visit during your travels, your packing list and any other tips that might make the road trip more seamless.

Click here to follow me on Pinterest and check out road trips Pinterest board!

Spotify – music, podcasts, audiobooks

Price: Free for basic version | $9.99/month to upgrade Availability: iOS and Android

An absolute prerequisite for a good road trip is a good soundtrack. Long gone are the days of fuzzy radio stations or loading CD decks. Spotify allows you to sync up all your favorite tunes into your ultimate road trip playlist, or the app is happy to curate one for you.  

Although Spotify is first-and-foremost a music streaming platform, you can also find hundreds of podcasts and audiobooks so you can learn and stay entertained on the road.

The app can be used for free, but you will get some advertisements, while premium subscribers listen ad-free. 

Tip: Make a unique playlist for every trip with songs you’ve never heard before! That way, you’ll be reminded of your epic road trip every time you hear those songs.

HotelTonight – to find last minute hotel deals

Maintaining a flexble schedule is part of the joy that comes with road trips. Unforseen circumstances such as traffic, roadside attractions, hunger, or sleepiness can sometimes throw plans off course. HotelTonight compiles last-minute, unused hotel rooms at a discount. So, if you have a flexible schedule or you’re looking for a last-minute hotel room because you can’t handle any more drive time, this is a great app to have handy. 

HotelTonight will use your location to pull up real-time availability and prices. They have about 50 thousand properties in their database in 1,700 cities around the world. 

AllTrails – find places to stretch your legs

Price: Free for basic version | $35.99/year to upgrade Availability: iOS and Android

If you’re a fan of hiking and the great outdoors, you’ve probably used AllTrails once or twice to find a good walking trail. It makes the list of best road trip apps because you’ll definitely be itching to stretch your legs after many sedentary hours in the car. 

In the AllTrails app, you can enter a general location or use the map view to see your current location and find trails near you. Each route is rated by users and marked with distance, time, and difficulty level, so you won’t be left wondering how long your excursion will take.

There are free and paid versions of the app for $35.99/year. The only noteworthy difference in the paid version is that you can download the maps offline. 

TheDyrt – the best road trip app for finding campsites  

If you’re going to be looking for campsites during your road trip, TheDryt helps you find places all over the US where you can pitch a tent, park an RV or even rent a cabin. This is the best road trip app for finding last minute campsites and free places to park overnight, especially when we have a camper van.

It’s the number one camping app in the US, with over a million downloads. Users provide reviews, pricing, and all the nitty-gritty info you want to know before arriving at your camping location. 

TheDyrt app is free to download, but I do recommend splurging on the PRO version if you’ll be off grid. It costs $35.99/year and it allows you to plan trips and search for campsites while offline.

READ NEXT:  5 Compelling Reasons to Take a Campervan Road Trip (+ Essential Tips to Know Before You Go)

Freecampsites.net – find free campsites on public land

Free camping can be hard to find, but  Freecampsites.net makes it easy to find free, dispersed camping outside of official campgrounds. This makes it one of the best apps to have for your next road trip!

Most campsites are located on public land managed by the State Forest and Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

Freecampsites.net is crowd-sourced, so campsite information, tips, and site reviews are contributed by other users.

To find a campsite near you, use the map to search for free, cheap, or permit campsites. Alternatively, use the Trip Planner to pull up all campsites along your route. The campsites can be used for car camping, tent camping, or RV camping.

You can’t book these sites in advance, so I recommend doing some research beforehand and always having a backup plan in case the site is full when you show up.

If you like to plan (way) ahead, use Recreation.gov to book organized campsites cross the country.

iExit Interstate Exit Guide – find the best exit stops

Price: Free for ‘lite’ version | $0.99 to upgrade Availability: iOS and Android

Designed for US Interstates, the iExit Interstate Exit Guide is an easy way to find out what’s coming up at an exit near you.

Missing signs and zipping past each turn-off usually means you miss an optimal food spot or bathroom stop. But  iExit helps you find the best exit for your needs, whether it’s cheap fuel, food, or a comfortable hotel. You can even book a hotel directly through the app.

iExit is free, but there are some added in-app purchases available for a small price. 

Toll Calculator GPS Navigation – estimate tolls on your route

Price: Free for basic version | $5.99/year to upgrade Availability: iOS and Android

Don’t forget that toll roads are an important part of your road trip budget! Fortunately, Toll Calculator is one of the best road trip apps for estimating the cost of tolls along a given route. Originally created for truckers, this app is quickly growing in popularity among all kinds of road trippers.

With Toll Calculator, you can easily plan ahead and choose the best route for your trip, estimating how much toll money you’ll need along the way. It currently works in the US and Canada.

The free version is good enough for estimating tolls along the primary route from point A to B. But you’ll have to upgrade if you want to unlock more features like syncing with Google Maps and comparing prices on alternate routes.

GasBuddy – find the best gas prices along the way

Let’s be honest – filling up the gas tank is probably going to be the most expensive part of your road trip. Luckily,  GasBuddy collects user-generated data to help you find gas stations with the least expensive fuel options on your route. It works for road trips in the US and Canada. 

Once you add your destination, the GasBuddy app will show you all the filling stations along the way and let you compare prices. App users report prices and gain points for doing so. Earning points enters you into drawings for gas money that can go towards your next road trip.

TripIt: Travel Planner – keep your travel schedule organized

Price: Free for basic version | $49/year to upgrade Availability: iOS and Android

TripIt is a travel planner that allows you to keep your travel schedule organized and saved in one place. This means that all your reservations, booking numbers, confirmations, addresses, etc., are neartly organized and at your fingertips.

The best part is that you don’t have to add everything in manually, which is such a time saver. Once you book something online, you can automatically sync your plans into your TripIt schedule. It’s very convenient to have everything in one place.

The free version is super comprehensive so you won’t have to pay for TripIt PRO unless you want the added bonuses real-time flight alerts, reminders and city guides. 

TravelSpend – best travel app for budgeting

If you like sticking to a budget while you travel, TravelSpend is a free app that will track your spending. It’s great for domestic road trips, but you can also use it abroad because you can choose your currency.

TravelSpend’s functionality is pretty basic, which makes it easy to use, even if you’re a finance novice. It categorizes your spending so you can see exactly where your money is going and helps you stick to your budget. 

It can cater to solo travelers, couples, families, groups, or digital nomads. The free version comes with ads, or you can upgrade to go ad-free. 

This wraps up our list of the best road trip apps! I hope you find some of these apps helpful on your next road trip. If you have a favorite, let me know!

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The Best Tools and Apps for Planning a Road Trip

This arsenal of apps takes the work out of planning, allowing you to fully enjoy the freedom of the open road..

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Paper maps are classic, but with these apps, you can plan your best road trip yet.

Courtesy of Unsplash.com

Remember when planning a road trip meant busting out your best paper maps and highlighting various routes with multicolored pens? Today, road trips still bring out the old-school adventurer in all of us, but planning them has certainly become more streamlined. Thanks to these travel apps , there are more ways than ever to maximize planning for your next long drive.

Let’s begin with the free Google Maps app. It’s the most multifunctional road trip map app out there, whether you’re looking for directions, the quickest route, a nearby hotel or restaurant (see also: grocery stores, pharmacies, ATMs), and even the cheapest gas station. Once you enter a general term in the search bar, the app lets you filter by category. If you’re looking for a place to eat, for example, you can narrow your search using a variety of options, including cozy restaurants, group-friendly dining, new restaurants, and cheap eats. When you search for nearby gas stations, the app will tell you how much gas costs at each place, allowing you to select the cheapest fuel.

Google Maps gives you so much more than directions.

Photo by AngieYeoh/Shutterstock.com

But while Google Maps is incredibly convenient, it doesn’t do everything. Add these fun, functional, and free road trip planning apps to your collection for your best road trip yet.

Roadtrippers

Apple app store| google play.

Roadtrippers is a do-it-all, know-it-all website and app that asks you to enter your destinations and calculates the best route. It shows you everything you can see and do along the way, including parks, restaurants, and hotels. Essentially, this road trip planner deals in logistics—making it a perfect option for those who need a plan but hate doing the legwork.

Apple App Store | Google Play

Gas prices inevitably spike every summer as travel demand increases. Fortunately, GasBuddy is a great way to stay on top of your road trip budget and take advantage of the best gasoline deals in your area, wherever you might be. The app provides real-time price information for more than 150,000 gas stations in the United States and Canada and ranks as one of the highest-rated apps in the Apple App Store’s history. GasBuddy also has a function that allows you to estimate how much gas you’ll need on your travels based on your planned destination and make and model of your car, making it one of the most convenient and practical road trip gas calculators out there.

This is the traffic app to beat all traffic apps. While other route-planning apps like Apple Maps and Google Maps can tell you when traffic is about to get bad, the community-sourced Waze provides more of-the-moment information. Users give and receive real-time updates on accidents, speed limits, hidden police cars, and road conditions. The app also provides a variety of navigation routes, which can be especially handy when you need to take back roads to avoid a brutal traffic jam.

HotelTonight

If, after a long day of driving, you suddenly hit a (figurative) wall and need to stop and rest, this is the service for you. HotelTonight specializes in same-day booking at quality boutique hotels. You can reserve rooms in advance, but because hotel prices often drop as it gets closer to your stay, you’ll likely end up saving money when you book at the last minute. If you use the app instead of the website, you’ll save even more with exclusive mobile deals.

As any seasoned traveler knows, a good, clean restroom can be hard to find on the road (and even more appreciated during the pandemic!). But with a database of more than 200,000 bathroom options across the world, the Flush app can take some of the edge off of the nail-biting urgency of finding a toilet in an unfamiliar place. Flush also makes it easy to see whether restrooms are accessible to people with disabilities, require a fee to use, or need a key to access. Simply open the app and Flush will search for nearby toilets using GPS, providing directions using Apple Maps or Google Maps. Users can also add newly discovered toilets to the app and rate washrooms they come across on their travels.

As anyone who’s tried to orchestrate a camping trip knows, finding a decent place to camp can be one of the most difficult parts to plan. The Dyrt app gives campers a way to research potential campgrounds in depth without the guesswork of solely using traditional park websites, all from the comfort and convenience of a phone. You can browse reviews of potential campgrounds you’d like to visit, use the app’s “near me” function to find nearby places to hunker down when you’re on the go, or even connect with other campers for tips and feedback on campgrounds you’re thinking of visiting. Though the app is available to download for free, the premium version ($35.99 per year) will also give you access to downloadable maps, a trip planner, and big discounts on gear and campgrounds.

The Outbound app allows road trippers to find outdoor activities along their route.

Courtesy of Outbound

The Outbound

Being cooped up in a car for hours on end can often be the worst part of a road trip. One solution? Consult this GPS-based, crowd-sourced app that gives local recommendations for nearby outdoorsy activities. The app will point you to national parks, good hiking trails, secret swimming holes, and more—and the user reviews are fact checked by the Outbound Collective staff, so you can trust the advice (especially important if you’re hiking in an area you don’t know well).

Similar to the Outbound, DayPass helps you find activities when you absolutely can’t be in the car any longer. However, it’s not exactly a hiking app —instead, DayPass focuses on pools, beach clubs, gyms, and spas at hotels and resorts around the world. Just type in the destination (or let the app pull up a current location based on your GPS), and you can see all of the hotels and gyms that offer day passes to their facilities. Some properties don’t allow booking through the app, so you may have to call instead.

Psych! Outwit Your Friends

Can you even call a road trip a road trip if you don’t spend hours playing pointless games? From the creators of Ellen DeGeneres’s popular Heads Up! , this game app tests your ability to pick real answers to trivia questions—and avoid the fake answers made up by the other players. There are four styles of play—the word game “Word Up!” the classic trivia game “Is That a Fact?,” the truth-telling game “The Truth Comes Out,” and the movie trivia game “Movie Bluff!”

Much like Cards Against Humanity, part of the fun is trying to guess who wrote which answer based on everyone’s sense of humor. There’s even an option to “play with Ellen,” which means an Ellen bot will also contribute hilarious answers. The game requires some screen time, so it’s not driver friendly—but if you read the questions and answers out loud, whoever is behind the wheel can certainly join in on the laughs. (It’s another reason to regularly rotate drivers, too.)

Apple App Store

One perk of a road trip is that you can pull over somewhere beautiful for Magic Hour, or Golden Hour: the term professional photographers use to describe the hour after sunrise or before sunset when the light is at its prettiest. This app lets you know exactly when Magic Hour begins and ends each day based on your location, helping you time your stop just right. If you pay $0.99, you can add locations, allowing you to plan for future Magic Hours, too. (Magic Hour is only available for Apple devices, but Google Play offers similar apps for Android users.)

Although there are many ways to find and stream new music, turning on the radio during a road trip adds an element of fun. Not only is it nostalgic, but listening to what the local DJ has to say and play also helps you get a feel for the local culture. When you hear a song you like but don’t know, open up SoundHound, hit the orange circle, and the app will tell you its name. Bonus: The app keeps a dated history of the tunes you identify.

If you have Spotify or Apple Music, you can even sync your accounts with SoundHound, and all of your discoveries will automatically show up in a playlist called “SoundHound.” By the end of the trip, you’ll have a curated playlist of your song discoveries that you can enjoy long after you’ve returned home.

Mr. D’s Diner is an old Route 66 staple that has been open since 1978 serving up homey American cuisine.

Photo by Heidi Kaden on Unsplash

Roadside America

Sometimes the best part of a road trip isn’t even the final destination but the stops made along the way. The Roadside America app is one of the best road trip planners to help you find all of the kitschy highway attractions the country has to offer. Giant statues of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Ox? Sure, why not. The world’s largest garden gnome or a museum dedicated entirely to hammers? Yes, please. Available on the Apple App Store for $2.99, the app points users to hundreds of quirky locations across the United States and Canada organized by city, state, or province. Users can plot their planned route in the Roadside America app to learn about all the fun stops that might be worthy of a pit stop on their journey.

To catch some truly spectacular, au natural nocturnal sights, make sure to download the free Star Walk app before hitting the trail. Whether you’re driving at night or camping alfresco, one of the best parts of a road trip through the middle of nowhere is seeing millions of stars lighting up an unspoiled night sky. The Star Walk app gives users an easy way to see what constellations will make an appearance whenever and wherever they are. This astronomy program is simple to use—just point your phone at the sky and see what stars, constellations, and planets drift above you.

This story was originally published on March 15, 2019, and was updated on July 15, 2021 with new information. Mae Hamilton contributed original reporting.

>>Next: These Are the Podcasts You Need for Your Next Summer Road Trip

The 10 best road trip apps to make your next journey more epic

T hese days, the phrase “there’s an app for that” can easily be replaced with “there’s, like, 50 apps for that.” Now that warm weather is almost upon us, we’re helping you cut through some of the noise with the best, must-have road trip apps to help you eat, sleep, and sightsee your way across America . All we ask is that you let your co-pilot work them while en route. Otherwise, you’re gonna need a “Send an Ambulance” app.

Google Maps: Navigation

This one shouldn’t be a surprise, but we can’t round up the best road trip apps without including the world’s best navigation app. Even if this is your very first road trip, Google Maps is probably already on your phone. You can plan your route ahead of time and easily share it with friends and family.

The app will highlight traffic along your route and offer detour suggestions in real time, whenever possible. A soothing A.I. voice will shout at you like a perpetually disappointed mother to “key pleft” so you don’t miss a single turn. Plus, in a pinch, you can search for the nearest gas station (with current prices), food stop, hotel, or t-shirt hut.

Waze: Traffic info

A well-equipped shotgun navigator should be equipped with both Google Maps and Waze. While Google Maps provides a snapshot of upcoming traffic, it just doesn’t give you the same highway play-by-play that Waze does. It isn’t nearly as playful as Waze, either.

Waze lets users tag locations along their route to notify fellow drivers of anything from potholes to speed traps to stopped vehicles and debris. If there’s an accident or construction up ahead, good Samaritans might even save you a headache by letting you know which lanes are closed. It also displays the current speed limit so you can avoid speeding in areas you’re not familiar with.

GasBuddy: Gas

One of the biggest road trip expenses is fuel. You can’t get where you’re going without it, but prices can be frustratingly inconsistent. GasBuddy finds the cheapest gas stations along your route, helping you save cash every time you fill up. Google Maps does this, too, but we think GasBuddy does it better, plus the app even offers exclusive discounts of up to $0.25 per gallon.

That alone is pretty dang handy, but it gets even better: By reporting gas prices for the stations you stop at, you help others save big time and rack up points that can save you even more. You can also link the app with your checking account and GasBuddy will help you recoup some costs by giving you cashback on your fuel purchases.

Plugshare: Electric car charging

If you’re road-tripping in a Tesla or other electric vehicle, you’ll need a way to find charging stations along the way. Plugshare is a community-driven app with details on every available electric charging station along your route. Search for stations based on the type of vehicle you’re driving, where you’re headed, and what sort of amenities are nearby. Users can upload photos, leave reviews, and share helpful info like how many chargers a location has available.

HotelTonight: Lodging

There’s no shortage of great hotel booking apps. But if you’re taking a road trip with few or no set plans, HotelTonight makes it easy to book same-day hotel reservations. In addition to booking rooms up to 100 days in advance of your stay, the app can also help you find a hotel, well, tonight . You can search a specific city or just find available rooms nearest you. The more you use the app, the more perks you’ll enjoy in the form of discounted rates. App users also score access to exclusive discounts only available to HotelTonight guests.

iExit Interstate Exit Guide: Food

How many times have you missed out on a fine dining experience or exquisitely sloppy roadside BBQ in the name of getting just a few more miles under your belt? You may never know the true scale of your past mistakes, but thankfully you can put your days of missing out (DOMO?) behind you. iExit lets you view the next 100 exits along your route so you can see precisely what’s waiting for you up ahead.

In addition to showing every tasty restaurant at a given exit, the app will also let you enter a custom search for when you just gotta get that In-N-Out Burger Double-Double Animal Style in your belly tout suite . While we’re (clearly) recommending the app as a food-finder, it can help you find other things, too, including rest stops, hotels, gas stations, convenience stores, local attractions, and much more.

Honk: Roadside assistance

A reliable roadside assistance app is a great thing to have on your phone at all times, but it’s an absolute must if you’re planning a trip through unfamiliar areas. What we love most about Honk is the lack of surprises when it comes to cost. If you’re stranded with car trouble in the middle of nowhere, the last thing you want to hear is that the tow you called is going to cost twice as much as you expected.

With Honk, every service price is provided upfront, so the cost you pay is always the same as the cost you were quoted. The app is completely free to download, and it costs nothing to sign up. Honk works with more than 75,000 professionals nationwide to offer towing, jump-starts, flat tire changes , vehicle lockout service, fuel delivery up to two gallons, and even roadside winching.

RV Parks & Campgrounds: Camping

Aside from saving money on hotels, camping adds a dash of adventure  to any road trip. Tracking down the best sites can be tough if you’re in unfamiliar territory, though, so we recommend downloading RV Parks & Campgrounds from ParkAdvisor. The app provides locations for tons of camping options, from commercial parks to government and military campsites to RV-friendly parking lots and rest areas.

It can also help you find fuel stops and provide extended weather forecasts based on your current location or destination. Click on a site that piques your interest and you can call, visit the website, get directions, and see all the amenities it has to offer. This one’s a must-have for outdoorsy road-trippers.

Spotify: Music and podcasts

Bouts of boredom are a given on long drives. To stay alert and entertained, get those mitts on Spotify, if you haven’t already. Aside from a library of over 70 million tracks, Spotify hosts more than two million shows in its podcast catalog, too.

Create a playlist of your best highway jams, dive into a totally addictive, road-trip-worthy podcast , or let Spotify’s unparalleled discovery algorithms build the new over-the-road soundtrack you didn’t know you needed. Sign up for a free account and gain instant access to enough content for a road trip around the world. Upgrade to Premium and you can enjoy all of it ad-free and offline.

Audible: Audiobooks

Audible is an audiobook service that offers a vast library of audiobooks, podcasts, and originals that you can listen to on your mobile phone in your car while on your adventure. Once you have downloaded an audiobook to your device, you can listen to it even when you don’t have an internet connection. You can adjust the playback speed of audiobooks to listen to them faster or slower, and you can even set a sleep timer to turn off the audiobook after a certain amount of time.

Bookmark your place in an audiobook when you stop for food, lodging, gas, or a pit stop, so you can easily pick up where you left off later. Make sure you browse and purchase audiobooks from the Audible store before your road trip, so they’re ready to go when you’re on a long and boring highway.

There you have it: Our favorite road trip apps. Stay safe out there , and happy trails!

The post The 10 best road trip apps to make your next journey more epic appeared first on The Manual .

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21 Best Road Trip Apps for Traveling Across America

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There’s nothing like a Great American Road Trip ? Don’t you think? Back in the old days you had to have a pile of tapes to keep you entertained, paper maps, guide books, and much more in order to be prepared for life on the road, but now we’ve got a handful of awesome road trip apps on our smartphones that can do much of it.

Those romantic wanderings of Jack Kerouac and others in the pre-Internet days are well and good, but today all those resources can be distilled into your smartphone with a number of amazing apps that will help you plan a road trip and you keep the best resources at your fingertips.

I’ve done a West Coast USA road trip on two different occasions both for months on end, done a cross country road trip, and even drove all the way across Central America and South America . I’m very familiar with life on the road and what is useful when planning a road trip… Here are a few of my top apps for road trips.

So why not quit your job, drive a few of the most scenic roads in the USA , and use these apps to help you plan the perfect road trip and to help you out along the way.

Desk to Dirtbag’s Top Road Trip Apps

1. amazon kindle.

I’ve always loved real life paperback books, but when you are traveling it is just a drag to bring along a pile of books to keep you entertained while on the road.

Thankfully with the Amazon Kindle app you can have an entire library at hand with free or cheap books.

I generally prefer to read on my Kindle Paperwhite , but since the furthest page read syncs across devices, you can pick up where you left off at any time.

If you have an Amazon Prime membership you can also borrow books from the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library which will give you a free book each month.

You can even borrow my travel book for free ! 🙂

APPLE | ANDROID

2. Foursquare

Foursquare is a great resource while road tripping to find recommended restaurants or popular places nearby.

It’s always great to just stumble across somewhere that’s cheap and delicious, but sometimes it is just better to rely on the hive mind of the Internet and see where the most popular places in town are.

I prefer to spend my money eating out somewhere that’s really worth it, rather than just something mediocre.

Like Foursquare, Yelp is a good choice for finding reviews of restaurants, hotels, and more while on a road trip.

I usually use both Yelp and Foursquare to get a general idea of what is around me as well, without having to drive all over town.

That way if I am, say, in the mood for Indian Food, I can take a quick look at these apps and if it has decent reviews, I’m on my way!

Swarm is a companion app for Foursquare but is specifically for checking-in to places. There is a gamified aspect where you compete against friends, become mayor, earn coins and all of that, which is fine, but isn’t really the draw of the app for me.

I like the app because it serves as a sort of quick and easy diary to remind me of places I’ve been to and when I went there. You can easily scroll through your history or even take a wider view of geographic areas on the map.

That way, a year or two from now if you are ever racking your brain asking yourself “when was it that I was driving through Colorado?” or “what was that delicious Mexican restaurant in Las Cruces?” you can just open up Swarm and find out.

Generally, while I am on the road I am camping, but every once in a while it is nice to spring for a nice place to stay the night.

If I’m going to shell out the money to stay somewhere, I would much rather stay in a small private rental on Airbnb that includes use of a kitchen, rather than staying in a hotel room and being forced to eat out all the time.

If you’re new to Airbnb, you can claim a free $25 credit toward your first stay with my link .

6. AndroMoney

I like to track my expenses on the road, to know just how much I am spending on food, gas, lodging, etc so I know if I am staying on budget or if I am spending too much money this month.

AndroMoney is a great and robust means to track expenses across the board and is something that I continue to use on a daily basis. Planning and budgeting resources are an important tool to have among your arsenal of road trip apps.

7. Fuel Buddy

Fuel Buddy is a great way to track your gas expenses as you travel, you can enter your odometer, how many gallons, and the price per gallon to have a great ongoing record of your expenses for gas, as well as your efficiency in miles per gallon.

Depending on how fast you are traveling on your road trip, you may be surprised at how much you are spending on gasoline. It certainly helps to have a fuel-efficient vehicle or to do the math with a road trip gas calculator.

While tracking your gas you can also ensure that your MPGs stay relatively even throughout the trip, a sudden or drastic change may indicate some underlying mechanical issue that you should address. You can also track service and car maintenance records.

8. GasBuddy

Speaking of gas, the GasBuddy app is great for finding the cheapest gas in town. Users report the gas prices as they fill up which gets added to the database, and allowing you to save at least a few pennies per gallon.

When you are on a big road trip, every penny counts, and they certainly add up over time, which makes this one of the most important road trip apps you can have!

9. Starbucks

Starbucks is my reliable go-to when I need to sit down and use the internet on my laptop. It’s basically my internet cafe.

The app is great to have because you can keep a little cash on your account (and automatically refill in small amounts when it dips below a certain level) and then just pay with your cellphone.

The biggest reason though to become a Starbucks reward member is that you get free refills on all the simple coffee and tea drinks. So you can grab a tall black coffee for cheap, hang out for a few hours using the internet and get a few refills while you are at it.

Sometimes while you are traveling or scrolling through Facebook, an article will catch your eye but you don’t have time to read it right now. Enter Pocket.

If you stumble across something cool, just save the article to Pocket for offline access, then you can come back to it that evening before bed or whenever you’ve got the time. This is perfect for saving a few articles that you can later read while camping somewhere without Internet access.

11. Instagram

Instagram might seem like a strange recommendation for a road trip app, but if you go to the Search bar, and then click on Places, you will see Nearby Places.

You can load up photos in the general vicinity and sometimes uncover some really cool places that you might not know to look for. It can be a great little source of travel inspiration and information when you are in a new and unknown area.

Plus Instagram also makes a great way to document photos from your own road trip and share them with friends and family along the way. Be sure to give me a follow on Instagram ! 

12. Roadtrippers

There is nothing more frustrating than driving right past something really, really cool because you didn’t even know it was there. I did just that when I drove past Horseshoe Bend the first time without realizing it, which is a major fail when it comes to trip planning.

Roadtrippers is a great little app that will offer up some interesting attractions and detours between your points A and B, so at least you know if there is something that you should be checking out on your road trip.

Waze has definitely saved my butt a few times on road trips, particularly when it comes to driving in unfamiliar cities and hitting bad traffic. I remember one time in particular when we encountered a wreck on the freeway outside of Boise, Idaho and Waze was able to get us off the highway and through the back roads, saving us nearly an hour!

I don’t really use Waze on the open road, but definitely use it while doing city driving and is one that you should probably have already downloaded.

If you’ll be spending considerable time on the highway, you’ll often be wondering what sort of amenities are available at the next exit. Well, wonder no more thanks to this great road trip app which can help serve as an on the go trip planner.

iExit tells you exactly what you can expect at the next exit, whether that’s restaurants, coffee shops, or gas stations.

15. Google Maps

Google Maps is my go-to in general for maps while on the road. It serves well for driving directions, finding places to eat, sleep, camp, etc. You can even scope out areas in advance thanks to Google Street View.

Google Maps is an absolute must-have road trip app.

16. Locus Map Pro

I do keep a more robust map application on hand however, and that is Locus Map Pro. It does cost a bit of money in the app store, but it is more akin to a real GPS device.

You can easily download Open Street Maps online, load up the app with offline data, load up custom GPS points or places of interest, and you can even use it for hiking trails or topographic maps.

I would download entire areas from iOverlander.com with free or cheap campsites, and then could easily refer to them as I traveled, though  iOverlander has it’s own standalone apps now available as well.

17. Netflix

For those nights where you’ve got a WiFi connection at a hotel or campground and need a good Netflix and Chill type of evening.

I much prefer the offerings available on Netflix and being able to choose what I want to watch and when I want to watch it, rather than surfing through endless channels on TV with nothing on.

18. Speedtest.net

But in order to watch Netflix, you’ll have to ensure that you can get a decent picture quality. The Speedtest app makes it easy to do so. Netflix says that 1.5 Megabits per second is the recommended connection speed, although .5 is the minimum.

It also comes in handy for checking the general internet speed while you are at Starbucks or other public WiFi networks.

19. Spotify

You gotta have a big selection of great tunes while you are on the road to fill those long stretches of highway as you travel across America.

Spotify is the way to go, giving you the option to either stream the music or save for offline playback. Just be sure to load up your channels with some sweet road trip songs.

20. TuneIn Radio

Let’s face it, you should plenty of listening material among your road trip apps. But maybe you prefer the variety offered on radio?

Avoid the static and dead air as you pass between towns and pick up TuneIn Radio which allows you to connect to live streams from radio stations all over the world.

21. Podcast Addict

If you are going to spend many hours on the road though, eventually you’ll probably want something other than music. Books on tape are a good option, but I also really enjoy podcasts. Podcast Addict is a great way to manage your podcast subscriptions and files, the best one that I have found.

There are podcasts on virtually every subject and across all interests, so I’m sure you can find something that is right up your alley. NPR has a number of classics to check out, but don’t be afraid to explore some independent offerings.

Having a podcast player is definitely one of the best apps for long road trips.

Check out my top podcasts for a road trip here.

That’s just a taste of a few of the most important road trip apps you may want to have, but there are certainly other possibilities, like maybe using Android Auto (also integrates with apps like Waze) or if you have smart home functionality, you can turn on/off your lights and TV back home to make it seem like someone is there and the place isn’t ripe for burglary. 

Your Favorite Road Trip Apps?

What are your favorite, must-have apps for road trips in the United States? Sound off in the comments below.

Further Road Trip Resources

• Where to Visit on a Road Trip of the American West
• The Ultimate National Park Road Trip
• My Favorite Podcasts for a Road Trip
• Must Read Road Trip Books
• Real Road Trip Expenses for One Month

Did you enjoy this post about the best apps for road trips? Please take a moment to share these top road trip apps on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest. Thanks!

The Road Always Leads West

Love road trips? You might like to check out my book The Road Always Leads West for some travel inspiration or road trip reading .

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I was almost sure I’ll know all apps on the list, but some of them come up from nowhere like iExit, for me personally I can’t travel without the Maps With Me app, works offline and provides more details even for small areas/countries.

I also use various translation apps when visiting a country where people doesn’t speak English, you can include one or two in this article.

Trucker path for places to sleep on the road:) shows rest areas, Wal-Mart’s and gas stations that usually have internet. It’s been my favorite being a did that for the past year & a half;) gonna try out ur national parks parks map 2019!and all of ur advice too, thanks for figuring all this out ♡Skyla

I rode my motorcycle around the country for about 5 weeks and found that having the harley app helped locate dealerships for any parts or supplies needed along the way.

Great tip for the motorcycle crowd, thanks for chiming in!

I’m surprised you didn’t include any weather apps! I often plan my next destination based on where the weather will be better. I also like mountain-forecast.com for higher elevation forecasts – that way I get get a mountain forecast for peaks in the area to see if it will be worthwhile to head in that direction to go hiking.

Ah yeah, that would have been a good addition. Thanks for chiming in, the weather is extremely important while on the road. Mountain-forecast.com is an awesome resource for sure, love seeing the forecasts for various elevations. Use it a lot when mountaineering.

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THERE’S A ROAD TRIP APP THAT’S RIGHT FOR YOU—LIKE THE AAA APP, ROADTRIPPERS, AUTIO, AND IEXIT

By sara miller | april 10, 2024 | 4 min read.

Taking a road trip? You’ve mapped out your destination, and you’re ready to go. What happens from point A to Point B will be filled with questions. Where do you stop for gas or food? Would this town make a nice stopover? These apps answer these questions, making the journey just as fun as the destination.

AUTIO If you’re a history buff like actor Kevin Costner,  is the app for you. Costner co-founded Autio, an app that matches stories to your exact location. Costner himself narrates a handful of the stories along with Phil Jackson (New York Knicks coach/player), John Lithgow (actor), and a host of other narrators.

Stories about history, sports, culture, music, natural wonders, and more transform road trips into fascinating adventures. You might even be inspired to pull over and explore more. With 11,000+ stories across America (and more being added), you’ll uncover tales in remote, off-the-beaten-path locales and big city secrets.

Try a five-story free trial. AAA members save 25% on Autio’s annual subscription. Learn More

AAA MOBILE APP This app is like your own “pocket travel agent.” Exclusive and free to AAA members, the AAA app handles it all—towing, travel, benefits, and more. For starters, you can use it to book hotels. Unlike other apps that use third party booking, you can rest assured by booking directly with hotels that show dependable Diamond Ratings. Find restaurant suggestions and cheapest gas prices that match your location. Rent a car or purchase airfare? No problem, you can do this through the app and get automatic AAA discounts.

Beyond vacation, this app helps with everyday travel needs. If you're ever stranded, you can get help in seconds, plus you can track your tow truck in real time. And, what about those benefits AAA offers? You can easily access discount partners, save your favorites, and find offerings near you.

Learn about the AAA mobile app. Learn More

ROADTRIPPERS Oh, the places you’ll go, thanks to the Roadtrippers app. With cartoon illustrations that link you to fun travel finds, this app will make getting from A to Z even better. Disney World is the “Happiest Place on Earth,” but what are you missing just around the corner? With more than 300 places that people have personally experienced, you can plan that next road trip confident that you won’t miss a thing.

Roadtrippers’ newest feature allows RVers to select a route that fits their needs by inputting their rig’s size and propane restrictions. Like other apps, this one is Android and Apple compatible.

Interested? Roadtrippers can start a free, 7-day trial. Then, if not canceled, you’ll automatically be charged the $59.99 annual membership (that equals $4.99 a month). Annual subscriptions also automatically charge unless canceled.

IEXIT RVers and highway travelers take note, iExit is here to help. “Should I get off at this exit?” is the panicked question asked by millions cruising down the interstate at 65 mph. It’s easy to miss “the exit” for best food, hotels, even the best gas prices. The iExit app—compatible with iPhone and Android devices—solves your exit dilemma woes.

How does it work? Similar to other GPS maps, you can tell which exit has that burger and chocolate milkshake you crave. Or, you might want to continue five exits up for Italian food and cheaper gas prices. You’ll also know ahead of time to turn left off the exit, and that the distance to the gas station, for example, is .5 miles. The app uses crowd-sourced information and user reviews to provide the timeliest information for users.

Interested? iExit is free, but it comes with ads. If you want the ad-free version it’s just $2—not per month—just a one-time fee.

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21 best Apple CarPlay apps every driver needs

Looking for CarPlay compatible apps? Here are 21 you shouldn't miss.

• Podcasts & Books
• EVs & Parking

Apple CarPlay is an invaluable tool for drivers, taking all the best iPhone apps and features and making them safer to use while you’re driving. Whether you want communication, music, podcasts or just need to figure out where to go, CarPlay can put the essential apps front and center. So long as you know which apps actually work with it.

There are a lot of apps out there that work with CarPlay, but not all do, and not all apps that are CarPlay-compatible are worth it. So, to save you that hassle, these are the top Apple CarPlay apps every driver should be using.

Your iPhone already has a bunch of Apple apps installed when you take it out of the box, and a lot of them are available on CarPlay when you're driving. While you always have the choice to use third party apps, these cover most of the basics and should prove to be valuable tools out on the road.

Phone: Possibly the one Apple app you'll use the most with CarPlay is the phone app. Phone calls are the best way to communicate with the outside world safely, since it means you can call anyone (or vice versa) and speak to them without the hassle of back-and-forth messages. 

The Phone CarPlay app has access to your full contacts list, favorites, recent calls, voicemail and your keypad. You can even talk to Siri and ask her to make a call for you, so you can keep your eyes on the road and avoid messing about with a touchscreen instead of concentrating.

Messages: If phone calls aren't your style, then Messages can step into help. The Message CarPlay app lets you see all the messages you receive, and tapping them means Siri reads them all out to you — so your eyes don't deviate from the road. You can also ask Siri to send messages to your contacts with nothing more than a voide command.

Apple Music: With more than 100 million songs, curated playlists, original content and access to digital radio stations, Apple Music is a great companion to have in your car. There's even Dolby Atmos spatial audio support if you're lucky enough to have a car  that supports it. The only thing Apple Music doesn't have is Podcasts, which can be found in the Apple Podcasts app. 

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Just make sure you have a valid subscription, whether it's Apple Music or the Apple One bundle.

Apple Podcasts: If you're more a fan of podcast hosts over radio DJs, then Apple Podcasts has what you need. You'll be able to listen to your favorite series as well as find new ones thanks to personalized recommendations and top charts in almost every category. Apple Music subscribers will also have access to exclusive premium content.

Audiobooks: This is a version of the Apple Books app on your iPhone, but it cuts out everything with written words in favor of literature that's read to you. Because we all have hectic lives, and that backlog of books isn't getting any smaller, and there's no better time to make progress than when you're stuck in the car. 

Unfortunately there are no subscriptions here, and you'll need to purchase each individual title.

Apple Maps: It had a rocky start but  Apple Maps  has evolved into one of the best navigation apps around. Better still, you don't need a separate user account, and Siri voice controls are enabled by default. Plus, with the  addition of offline navigation with iOS 17 , you should be able to find where you need to go no matter what the local cell signal is like.

Spotify: The big name in music streaming offers more than 100 million songs, either with ads or without — depending on whether you're willing to pay to subscribe or not. With personalized recommendations and sharable playlists, it's one of the better options if you'd rather get your music from someone who isn't Apple. There are also audiobooks and podcasts built-in, too.

Tidal: If you're more interested in high-fidelity streaming, then you probably know about Tidal. The idea here is that subscribers get access to music in much higher quality than you would on other platforms, with up to 80 million songs on offer. Tidal also claims to pay better royalties to musicians than its rivals — in case you want to better support your favorite artists. 

YouTube Music: If you have YouTube Premium to escape the never-ending adpocalypse, then you have YouTube Music Premium thrown in as well. That means you don't need to subscribe to Apple or Spotify to listen to some ad-free tunes on your daily commute. Over 100 millions songs are available to listen uninterrupted, offline and while your screen is locked.

VLC: If you're not into subscriptions, streaming and personalized features, then there's always VLC. It's the perfect app for listening to music and other audio files offline, without having to pay for ongoing access. The only downside is that you need to have sourced the files from some other source, be they ripped from CDs or purchased from non-Apple stores.

Google Maps : The biggest name in mobile navigation, and with good reason. Google Maps has just about everything you could want when you're driving. Real time traffic updates, offline navigation and the ability to search for businesses and locations along your route. It even works with Siri voice commands, albeit not quite as sleekly as Apple Maps does out of the box.

Waze: Waze is a popular navigation choice thanks to its uniquely aggressive way of getting you around. The app may not be quite as data rich as Google Maps or Apple Maps, but its popularity stems from the fact will do everything it can to get your ETA as low as physically possible and actively changes your route to avoid as much traffic as it can find.

Podcasts & Audiobooks

Audible: Amazon's audiobook service has a lot, especially if you have a subscription. Not only does that get you 1-2 audiobooks per month (depending on your plan), there's also a whole range of free podcasts to download and listen to. Plus-tier subscribers also get access to a library of free audiobooks with their plan, which means you shouldn't be running out of stuff to listen to in the car anytime soon.

Overcast: Overcast is a great platform for those of you with an existing playlist of podcasts you love, but also want to discover some more. The app also feature Smart Boost to skip over silent spots and a Voice Boost feature for consistent sound throughout each episode; there's nothing more frustrating than having a host and guests who whisper interspersed with booming ads. 

Google Play Books : If you're a recent Android convert, you may still have some audiobooks tied to your Google account. Thankfully those are available on iPhone and CarPlay as well. Of course, like Apple Books, you'll be denied access to any print books when you're driving — which is definitely for the best.

Castro: Designed to make it easier to keep on top of your favorite podcasts and new episodes, Castro uses an inbox-style system to deliver new episodes as and when they arrive. From there you set up relevant episodes in your queue, and the app will make its way through them all until you rearrange everything.

Spotify : Spotify isn't just about music; the app offers a huge range of podcasts and audiobooks for you to listen to as well. Podcasts are free to listen to, but audiobooks will require a Premium subscription. 

Weather on the Way: Any weather app can give you a forecast for your destination, but what about the weather you’ll experience along the way? Weather on the Way, as the name suggests, can do it.

Not only will weather affect road conditions, it may also change the way you’re driving. If you’re going to drive through a serious patch of rain or snow, you can make sure you’re prepared to handle it all. CarPlay support means you can keep tabs on the upcoming weather as you drive.

MyRadar Weather Radar: This is the kind of app more suited to meteorological nerds with the kind of data you just don't see in a typical weather app. MyRadar shows off high definition radar maps of the weather headed your way, so you can see what you need to be prepared for when you're in your car. It also features alerts for rain and storms, alongside more serious threats like tornadoes, earthquakes, wildfires and hurricanes.

Charging and Parking

Plugshare: If you’re an electric car owner, you know there’s going to be a time when you need to hunt down a charger. PlugShare features a map of EV chargers across the United States, offering charging stations from a multitude of different charging companies. It doesn’t have every charger, but if you’re in a pinch you can hunt down a compatible charging station from your center console. It even has a trip planner, just in case your car can’t do that automatically.

SpotHero: Parking can sometimes be a real hassle. But  SpotHero  is an app that lets you reserve parking in major cities ahead of time. Not only does this mean you know there’s going to be a spot available for you when you arrive, it can work out slightly cheaper that way. The app listing includes parking garages, lots and valets across the U.S., and the fact it’s compatible with CarPlay means you (or your passenger) can sort out a parking spot mid-journey.

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Tom is the Tom's Guide's UK Phones Editor, tackling the latest smartphone news and vocally expressing his opinions about upcoming features or changes. It's long way from his days as editor of Gizmodo UK, when pretty much everything was on the table. He’s usually found trying to squeeze another giant Lego set onto the shelf, draining very large cups of coffee, or complaining about how terrible his Smart TV is.

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Road Trip Essentials: The Best Tech and Gadgets, According to Experts

The experts at Good Housekeeping have tested and reviewed some of the best travel electronics and tech gadgets on the market. Here are some of the picks that will make your next road trip more memorable.

More Road Trip Gear: Best Driving Sunglasses | Best Travel Luggage | Road Trip Toolbox

Our Top Picks

Best Travel Portable Coffee Maker

Cera+ portable electric coffee maker.

Best Travel Wi-Fi Hotspot

Verizon mifi 6620l jetpack 4g lte mobile hotspot.

Best Travel Dash Cam

Garmin dash cam 57.

Best Travel Gadget Cooler

Koolatron thermoelectric iceless cooler and warmer.

Best Travel Gadget Radar Detector

Escort max 360 mkii radar and laser detector.

Best Travel Action Camera

Gopro hero9.

Best Travel Electronics Organizer

Bubm electronics organizer.

Best Travel Gadget for Portable Power

Anker 325 power bank.

Best Travel Gadget Charging Cord

Rolling square keychain charger cable.

Best Travel Mug

Ember travel mug.

We all have our own ideas about what tech we need and which gadgets and devices we enjoy, so the Gear Team could have simply thrown together a list of some of our favorites. But Good Housekeeping has been testing and evaluating products for over a century, and its testing has become an industry standard. So we hit up our colleagues over at the Good Housekeeping Institute to make sure we weren't missing anything.

Relying on the expertise of the Gear Team and the testing acumen of Good Housekeeping, here are some of the Best Travel Gadgets and Tech for your next road-trip adventure.

Note: Road & Track has paraphrased Good Housekeeping 's findings to reflect our purposes here; we have omitted some of the Institute's non-automotive selections and included other products more suited for our car-loving audience.

The Best Road Trip Gadgets & Tech

Don't settle for whatever truck-stop cup of joe you come across while on the road. The CERA+ portable coffee maker will allow you to indulge your inner coffee snob wherever you are. It can perform cold or warm brews, and its rechargeable battery allows you to make several cups, no matter the type of coffee you choose.

Wi-Fi on your road trip can be a game changer. For those who lack the luxury of integrated Wi-Fi found on many newer cars, the Jetpack allows Verizon customers to connect up to 15 devices to their personal Wi-Fi network in more than 200 countries. During Good Housekeeping’s testing, the battery showed impressive all-day life. As a plus, it includes an extra USB port for charging other devices.

Dash cams can be a fantastic tool for recovering damages, beating tickets, or recording incredible situations. The Garmin 57 mini dash cam takes the functionality up a notch with a Swiss Army knife–like list of features. It can record in 1440p and features incident detection, forward-collision and lane-departure warnings, and a cool option that lets you turn hours of driving into a time-lapse video. Best of all, it measures just about 1.0 by 2.0 inches.

Staying hydrated and keeping your appetite at bay while on the road can be tough if gas-station jerky and drive-thru fare aren't your thing. Koolatron 's thermoelectric cooler and warmer plugs into your vehicle's 12-volt outlet and keeps the contents as cool as 40 degrees Fahrenheit and as warm as 140 degrees Fahrenheit. The 18-quart version can hold up to 23 standard soft-drink cans; the much larger 45-quart version is ideal for families.

Even if you don't consider yourself much of a speeder, having an additional layer of protection against hefty fines is a wise move. The Escort MAX 360 will keep you covered, just in case you lose track of your speed over hours of cruising. It's loaded with features, including dual antennas for increased range, 360-degree awareness, an easy-to-use app, and many more we don't have the space to list here.

GoPro has been offering compact action cameras since 2004, and the HERO9 is perfect for road-tripping. It's durable and waterproof up to 33 feet, allowing you to take it with you just about anywhere. It shoots in 5K so you're guaranteed sharp, high-quality memories once your trip is over. GoPro also offers an array of accessories for attaching it to a helmet, your chest, your car—even a toddler.

Keep your wires and other small gear organized with this neat-looking organizer from BUBM . It comes in ten different colors, and the testers at Good Housekeeping loved the compact fold-flat shape and zipper enclosures.

Charging ports can be a point of contention in cars and trucks, particularly when a family is on the road for extended periods. This Anker portable battery will help nip back-seat fisticuffs in the bud. The 20,000 mAh Li-ion battery allows you to charge up to two devices at a time via dual USB-A ports, and it can be recharged through either its micro-USB or USB-C ports.

Rolling Square's keychain charger is the perfect accessory to keep alongside your keys or in your glovebox. It offers multiple outputs and inputs including USB-C, USB-A, micro-USB, and even a lightning port for your iPhone. It complements the Anker portable battery above very nicely.

When you're on the road for hours on end, a warm beverage can be key in getting your body's motor started and keeping it going. This travel mug from Ember won't just keep your beverage warm, it will keep it exactly the temperature you prefer. The temperature can be controlled from an app on your phone, and its two-hour battery life can be extended by placing it on its charging coaster.

Apple AirTag

Many are already familiar with the invaluable functionality that Apple 's tiny tracker provides. It can be used to track anything from your valuables to your luggage and even your car, right from your phone. It does require you to use Apple's digital ecosystem, but its overall functionality could just be enough to convert Android users. Its one-year battery lifespan makes it an easy set-and-forget tool.

JACO ElitePro Digital Tire Pressure Gauge

Before and after long drives, it's important to keep tabs on your tires, as they are the only thing keeping you and your family on the road. Investing in a quality tire pressure gauge is key, especially if you drive an older car that doesn't come equipped with a tire-pressure monitoring system. JACO 's gauge is calibrated accurately to professional ANSI 2A standards and offers a full lifetime warranty.

Leatherman Wave Plus Multitool

If you don't already carry a good multitool, it's about time you do. The Wave Plus from Leatherman is a handy everyday tool for popping bottle tops, tightening screws, opening packaging, and a plethora of other odd jobs. Out on the road, it's great for small inconveniences and quick fixes, such as replacing burnt-out bulbs, tightening hose clamps, or whatever other mishaps may arise.

DJI Mini 3 Pro Drone Bundle

This DJI camera drone will elevate your ability to log your road-trip memories. When you're no longer limited to the ground, the photo and video opportunities you'll realize are pretty vast. The GH Institute testers loved that it can fold away into a compact carrying case and lauded its sharp picture quality. The included Fly More Kit opens up the potential to capture professional-quality aerial shots of your car ripping through the twisties. It includes spare batteries, chargers, parts, and more.

DJI Osmo Mobile 6 Gimbal Stabilizer

The DJI Osmo gimbal is a nice piece of kit to keep handy if you’re even remotely serious about capturing solid images of you and your flock while out on the road. Even if you're solo-tripping, it's an excellent way to capture photos or videos of your car in action. During testing, the gimbal held the phone stable and has a nice feature that allows it to rotate in a single sweeping motion. The magnetic clamp attaches easily to almost any phone.

Reliefband Classic Wristband for Motion Sickness

Lots of us are burdened with the unfortunate affliction known as carsickness. This can get pretty messy on long drives, particularly if you have little ones prone to nausea. The Reliefband is a drug-free remedy to general motion sickness. If it really works—and most users claim it does—it's definitely worth it.

Bose QuietComfort OverEar Headphones

If you plan to spend many hours in a packed car, you will inevitably be met with conflict when everyone disagrees on what to fill your collective ears with. These noise-canceling cans from Bose provide a convenient solution, allowing your passengers to escape to their own audio reality for a bit. Testers found them very comfortable over extended periods and really appreciated being able to switch between Quiet and Aware modes to filter outside noise.

Caveat: No matter how tempting it may be to drown out the world around you, and despite settings that allow you to control ambient noise, we don't recommend over-ear cans like these while driving. Opt for a pair of AirPods or earbuds , if you must—but be advised, state laws vary on their use behind the wheel.

How do I determine which items are essential to my trip?

A good rule, particularly with gadgets, is if you can't name around two-thirds of the buttons on your device, you probably won't use it (or at least to its fullest potential). Carry only what you might need and use.

I'm new to road-tripping. Will all these gadgets be daunting?

Some gadgets like a DJI drone can indeed have somewhat steep learning curves. We recommend trying out your gadgets at home to familiarize yourself with their features and controls. Apps are a requirement for some gadgets, so having those pre-loaded onto your phone can save time and hassle.

Can I buy stuff on the road?

Lots of gear can be a hassle to keep track of, so sometimes it is more efficient to forgo some of the less essential pieces and just pick them up as you need them. Rechargeable electronics are a great solution—they keep working and alleviate the need to carry around or purchase extra batteries.

Why Trust Good Housekeeping ?

The Good Housekeeping Institute has been testing products and providing expert reviews and advice on all types of travel gear in their labs, from luggage trackers and noise-canceling headphones to drones and mobile hotspots. The gadgets chosen for this list were evaluated by product testing analyst Selina Tedesco and updated by media and tech reviews analyst Olivia Lipski .

Why Trust Hearst Autos?

Hearst Autos combines the talent, resources, and expertise of three of the largest, most influential automotive publications in the world. We get our hands on each and every product we test. Most are purchased; some are supplied by manufacturers. If we're unable to test a product or category ourselves, we'll sometimes turn to noted experts such as the Good Housekeeping Institute .

Hearst Autos doesn't need to game SEO algorithms for traffic or promote lousy products to earn a buck. We're far more concerned with our legacy, our reputation, and the trust that our readers have in Autoweek , Car and Driver , and Road & Track to deliver honest opinions and expert evaluations. Read more about our product testing and evaluation process here .

The Assistant Commerce Editor for Hearst Autos, Justin Helton is an enthusiast with a passion for heavily depreciated autos and a penchant for philosophical debate. As a lifelong Manhattanite, he has mastered the ins and outs of classic car ownership in one of the least car-friendly cities in the world.

Rachel Rothman was the chief technologist and executive technical director of the Good Housekeeping Institute for over 15 years , overseeing testing methodology, implementation and reporting for all GH Labs. She also managed GH's research division and the analysis of applicants for the GH Seal and all other testing emblems. 

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11 Best RV Trip Planning Apps for 2024

There are more RV travel apps than ever before. Here are the 10 best ones that you should use to plan your 2024 RV adventures.

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Setting out for unfamiliar territory on an RV trip is exhilarating and tons of fun, but it does require some advanced planning and preparation.  How will you find the right campground for you and your rig? How can you find good stops along the way and places to refuel or pick up necessary supplies? While the best road trips do require a bit of homework, there are many great apps that can help make trip planning a breeze.

There are more tools than ever before that make it easy to access all of the information you need to plan your stays and stops. You can even make campground reservations right from the road–but not while driving, of course! Here are 10 of the best trip-planning apps for RVing.

The Dyrt has developed an extensive database of private and public campgrounds and RV parks across the United States, and has become a favorite of RVers that appreciate user reviews and photographs. The filters help you search for exactly the type of campground you prefer, and the paid subscription will give you access to map layers that show Bureau of Land Management and National Forest Service camping options. There is also a trip planning tool, and campground discounts are offered through the paid membership program.

Hipcamp stands out from the crowded campground search space by offering a wide range of camping options, including traditional campsites, RV spots, and glamping spots. What sets Hipcamp apart is its focus on connecting campers with private landowners, thereby unlocking access to exclusive, often secluded natural spaces that aren't available through standard campground booking websites or apps. The app is simple to use, making it easy to search and book from a diverse selection of outdoor stays. User reviews and photos will help you find a spot truly worthy of parking your RV.

AdventureGenie

Interested in putting AI to the RV trip-planning test? Check out AdventureGenie if you would rather leave all the research and planning to someone–or something–else. AdventureGenie asks you a series of questions about where you are going, your preferred style of camping, and the types of activities you enjoy. Then its algorithm gets to work, constructing the ideal RV trip for you

A standout feature of Campspot is its search feature, which allows users to easily find campgrounds based on location, availability, amenities, and types of accommodations. Campspot offers real-time availability and an in-app reservation system, ensuring that users can see up-to-date information and secure their spot instantly. This is a great option if you are making last minute reservations or trying to book during a holiday weekend. The app also offers a feature called "Grid View," which displays availability across multiple campgrounds over chosen dates, making it easier for you to plan your trips around available spaces at a variety of locations.

The RV Parky app is a favorite for new RVers in particular because it’s easy to use, has extensive RV park and campground listings, and also provides a ton of reviews from other RVers. The database includes private parks, public parks, and even free parking spots for quick overnight stays along your route. The filters allow you to search according to amenities, park types, or location. If you want a robust campground search without a lot of bells and whistles, the free version will suit you just fine. Upgrade to a paid subscription for trip planning and route planning tools.

KOA Camping App

With over 500 campgrounds across the U.S. and Canada, KOA Kampgrounds is North America’s most prolific campground chain. In addition to great parks located near popular destinations, KOA also has a network of roadside parks, perfect for convenient overnight stays. The KOA camping app makes it easy to find both. Search by name or by location, or use the handy map feature. Park profiles include pertinent details about the amenities. Plus, you can book directly from the app or easily call the campground. In addition to trip planning features, the KOA app makes it easy to keep track of your Value Kard rewards.

Jellystone Park App

Like KOA, the Jellystone Park chain has locations across the U.S. and Canada, with over 75 locations dedicated to family fun. The Jellystone Park app helps you find campgrounds and explore which recreational opportunities are featured at each. In addition to finding parks, the Jellystone Park app is useful while you are onsite, offering campground maps, as well as activity and character appearance notifications, ensuring you don’t miss out on a moment of the fun. It also allows you to track your Club Yogi rewards and includes fun games to keep kids busy on long rides to the campground.

Campendium bills itself as being “created by campers for campers.” Campendium specializes in helping RVers find great boondocking locations, especially in western states like Colorado, Arizona, and California. In addition to listing amenities, each campground profile also includes information about cell signal availability, something today’s travelers will appreciate, especially those working or schooling from the road. Readers contribute reviews and photos, helping you get a full picture of each campground.

Roadside America

No road trip is complete without a stop at some quirky roadside attraction, like the World’s Largest Ball of Twine or the Cadillac Ranch. To find the best, check out the Roadside America app, which makes it easy to search for unique stops along your route. Even if you don’t make it to every recommendation, you can find hours of entertainment just by reading the humorous descriptions. Only one travel region is included in the initial download; in-app purchases are required for additional regions.

Roadtrippers

Roadtrippers has long been a favorite for travelers looking for amazing roadside attractions. The website has cultivated a collection of the best cultural, historic, and natural sites, each with colorful descriptions. The app offers navigation and allows you to also search for campgrounds and a variety of RV service locations. Upgrading to the Pro version gets you extra features, including the ability to save maps offline, collaboratively plan trips and avoid ad pop ups.

The RV LIFE app was designed by RVers for RVers. This app will help you research trips and plan trips and its navigation feature can be customized for your RV's height, length, and weight. The maintenance tracker is also handy and easy to use. This app's specialized RV park database is packed with all of the information you need to find your next favorite campground.

Most RVers agree that planning trips is almost as fun as actually taking them. So pour yourself a cup of coffee, download a few of these great apps, and start mapping out your next great adventure. Then make sure to check out our recommendations for RV routing apps once you're ready to hit the road.

Author and co-host of the RV Atlas podcast

Jeremy Puglisi is the co-host of the RV Atlas podcast and the co-author of See You at the Campground: A Guide to Discovering Community, Connection, and a Happier Family in the Great Outdoors , and Where Should We Camp Next: A 50 State Guide to Amazing Campgrounds and other Unique Outdoor Accommodations. He loves nothing more than hitching up and heading out to the next campground with his family.

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