Modern mobile apps can greatly simplify both the planning and the actual journey through Europe, from handling border formalities to finding cheap tickets and splitting expenses among friends. Euro News has compiled a list of the most useful apps for travelers planning a trip through European countries. Learn more about the apps for traveling in Europe that you should download to your smartphone before your trip

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Traveling in Europe involves dozens of small tasks: obtaining an entry permit, finding affordable transportation between cities, navigating an unfamiliar public transit system, translating restaurant menus, and splitting the bill with friends. Mobile apps help take care of most of these needs quickly and without unnecessary stress. Euronews has compiled a list of apps you should have on your phone when traveling in Europe. Read on for more details.

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How to get through border control faster: apps for entering the EU and the UK

The European Union is launching a new Entry/Exit System (EES), and the official Travel to Europe app (Google Play | App Store) has been developed specifically for it. It allows you to complete some of the formalities in advance—scan your passport, take a photo of your face, and enter the necessary data before arriving at the airport. This makes the border procedure faster. It’s important to download the official EU app and not confuse it with ETIAS—the European Travel Information and Authorization System, which is scheduled to launch in late 2026.

There is a separate app for entering the UK—UK ETA (Google Play | App Store). It is designed to process electronic travel authorization and combines identity and passport data verification in a single interface. It’s best to fill out the ETA well in advance, rather than the day before departure—this will help you avoid rushing and potential technical delays.

Booking flights, hotels, and hostels: apps for finding great deals

Skyscanner (Google Play | App Store) remains one of the most popular tools for comparing flights across Europe. The app is convenient for travelers with flexible dates, as it quickly shows price differences between days and destinations. In addition to flights, you can view offers for hotels and car rentals here. A separate tip: search for one-way flights separately; a combination of several budget tickets sometimes works out cheaper than a standard “round-trip” fare.

For booking accommodations, Booking.com (Google Play | App Store) consistently works well—the search filters here are quite flexible, booking confirmations arrive immediately, and communication with the owner or hotel is built right into the app.

Travelers looking for package deals (flights + hotel + car) should check out Expedia (Google Play | App Store): even without making a final booking, this app is useful for comparing the cost of a package deal against individual purchases. Hostelworld (Google Play | App Store), on the other hand, will be helpful for those traveling on a tight budget. The app features a large catalog of hostels and millions of reviews, allowing you to gauge the real atmosphere of a place before booking.

It’s also worth mentioning Flighty—an iPhone app that tracks flight status in real time. It starts monitoring the flight 25 hours before departure, sends notifications about delays and their likely causes, and displays airport departure boards via the Airport Intelligence feature. Flighty works specifically as a “satellite” for monitoring, so it’s also worth keeping the airline’s app on your phone.

Trains, buses, and ferries: how to travel between European cities

Traveling between European cities often requires comparing several modes of transport. Omio (Google Play | App Store) combines trains, buses, flights, and ferries into a single search, which greatly simplifies route selection. After comparing options on Omio, it makes sense to check the carrier’s own website—sometimes you can find a lower price for a specific route there.

Rail Europe (Google Play | App Store) is ideal for those planning a train journey across several countries. Instead of registering on the websites of each national railway, you can find and book tickets for international routes all in one place. The app supports mobile tickets and rail passes. For domestic travel within a single country, it’s better to check local railway apps.

Rome2Rio (Google Play | App Store) works a little differently—it shows all theoretically possible ways to get from point A to point B: trains, buses, ferries, flights, taxis, or your own car. The app is most useful in the early planning stages, before the route has been finalized.

Navigation and Public Transportation in European Cities

Google Maps (Google Play | App Store) remains the go-to tool for navigating any city. The app covers routes for pedestrians, public transportation, and cars, lets you save locations, and search for nearby places. In an unfamiliar city—whether you’re looking for a hotel or a tram stop—it consistently gets the job done.

In large European cities with extensive metro, bus, and tram networks, it’s also useful to install Citymapper (Google Play | App Store). The app breaks down the route into step-by-step instructions that are easy to follow even in complex transportation hubs. Outside major urban centers, it’s more efficient to stick with Google Maps, but within megacities, Citymapper often provides more accurate public transit directions.

Planning Apps: How to Organize Your Trip Step by Step

Wanderlog (Google Play | App Store) lets you plan each day of your trip, mark stops on the map, and save bookings, notes, and routes all in one place. The app is handy for trips across multiple cities and for group travel, where a shared itinerary saves time for everyone. Before leaving, it’s a good idea to take a screenshot or export your daily plan—just in case of poor mobile reception.

TripIt (Google Play | App Store) works on a different principle: simply forward your booking confirmations (flights, hotels, trains) to a special address, and the app will automatically create a single, organized itinerary. This is convenient so that all travel details are at your fingertips without having to search through your emails. Another useful tool is PackPoint (Google Play | App Store): it generates a packing list based on your destination, trip duration, and planned activities. For those traveling with carry-on luggage only, there’s an option that takes into account the possibility of doing laundry on the go.

Translating menus, signs, and conversations: language apps for travelers

Google Translate (Google Play | App Store) is the most versatile translator for travel. The app translates text from the camera (just point it at a sign or menu), supports offline language packs, and recently added real-time translation via headphones on iPhone (powered by Gemini). It’s best to download language packs for the languages you need in advance, while still at home—this ensures the translator works without an internet connection.

DeepL (Google Play | App Store) comes in handy when you need a more natural and stylistically accurate translation—for example, for correspondence, more complex texts, or messages where tone matters. Google Translate usually works faster for everyday tasks, while DeepL provides a more “human” result, so travelers often keep both apps and use them for different situations.

Money Management and Expense Tracking While Traveling

Wise (Google Play | App Store) is ideal for travelers visiting multiple countries with different currencies on a single trip. The app lets you maintain a multi-currency account, track exchange rates, and monitor expenses. The Wise digital card works across various payment systems, making payments abroad more convenient. A useful feature is exchange rate alerts: it’s worth setting these up in advance, especially before making large transfers.

Revolut (Google Play | App Store) offers a similar set of features—currency exchange, expense tracking, budgeting—and is especially convenient for those who already use it at home. And for group trips, Splitwise (Google Play | App Store) is indispensable. The app automatically tracks who paid for what and calculates the final balance among participants. It’s best to create a group in Splitwise before the trip begins—it’s much easier than trying to recall expenses from memory after you return.

Remember! No app can replace reliable insurance that covers unforeseen situations on the road—from flight delays to medical care abroad. On the Visit World portal, you can quickly purchase travel insurance with coverage for European countries.

Get your policy in advance along with downloading the apps, and your trip will be fully prepared!

Reminder! Europe offers hundreds of hiking trails, but only a few of them are truly breathtaking and leave an unforgettable impression. Experts have identified the five best destinations in Europe where you can combine active recreation with fantastic scenery.

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