Family Vacation Savings | Free Travel Apps

Common reasons people give for not traveling are lack of time and money. With the help of free travel apps, you can save money on various travel expenses. Reading unbiased reviews and knowing when flight prices will increase are valuable tools for traveling families. Easily book last minute hotels and locate the best parking prices with travel tips that can increase your family vacation savings. Bigger savings could mean more travel for you and your family!

Using free travel apps on smartphones to save money on vacation expenses — Using a travel app to save money while booking a last minute hotel. Photo Credit: Breeze Leonard / Bonding TravelingMom

7 Free Travel Apps To Save Money

Almost everyone carries a smartphone nowadays. Even my eight year old reminds me to “ask Google” if I don’t know the answer to a question. We are using our mobile devices for business, banking, and staying connected. Why not use them for saving money too? Apps are easy and convenient. I have many excellent resources available to me right at my fingertips. I’ve listed a few of my favorite money saving free travel apps for you to try.

Hopper

Booking flights is a very difficult task for me. I’m such a penny-pincher and I’ve been in the situation where I commit to a ticket price only to find out a week later that the price dropped. Hopper is a free airfare price alert app that relieves my booking anxiety. It informs me of pricing trends to predict when fares will rise and fall. All I had to do was plug in my travel dates; the app determined how much my flight would cost now, and what prices I could expect if I waited until a future date to book the flight.

GasBuddy

I use GasBuddy to find the cheapest gas near me. You can search by city, state, or zip code. I use this app during every road trip to save money on fuel. I also use it while at home so I can save money year round! It’s a great resource for travelers and on-the-go families. Try these additional Tips to Save Money on Gas During Road Trips.

Uber

By now most everyone is familiar with Uber; it’s an online transportation network. It’s as easy as tapping a button and getting a ride. I can choose my ride and my location for pick-up and drop-off. On the app I’m able to see a picture of the driver and the vehicle details. There are Uber drivers available 24/7. This is especially helpful for travelers who at times require late night transportation. I can even share my Uber ride with another rider headed in the same direction. This is just another way Uber saves me money! My favorite part of Uber is that my payment information is stored on the app so, after I arrive at my destination, my credit card is charged and I never need cash to catch a ride.

TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor helps you compare hotels and flights. It also has information and reviews on restaurants and attractions nearby. When my family is traveling and we are looking for a hotel to stay at or somewhere to stop for dinner, my husband knows I’m going to first search TripAdvisor. I appreciate how helpful the unbiased travel reviews are. They have assisted us in booking a stay and eating at some of the the best places in various locations. The app also warns me of local attractions to avoid so that we are not wasting our time or money. It’s a traveler’s best friend!

BestParking

We love exploring the downtown area of each major city we drive through. GPS makes it easy to navigate the streets but I’m normally lost when it comes to finding the most affordable parking areas. We have been in cities where parking can be well over $20 in one area but if we would have driven down a block away, we could have found spots for $5! That’s a major price difference. BestParking helps you find the best parking prices nearby. With this free travel app, I don’t have to guess if I’m getting the best deal on parking.

Hotel Tonight

This is a great app for me when I’m traveling and trying to book a last minute hotel. The app allows me to search for a hotel up to 7 days before my arrival. It even lets me track the rates so I can be sure I’m getting the best deal on the room I’m interested in booking. Hotel details, amenities, photos, and reviews are all included in the app. My family likes taking road trips that lead us wherever the road takes us. This free travel app helps me get the best rate for our last minute hotel stays.

One App for Year Round Family Vacation Savings

OfferUp

This app isn’t designed for travel but it’s a great tool for making money to help with travel expenses. OfferUp calls itself “the largest mobile marketplace for local buying and selling.” I downloaded the app and instantly took note of how simple it was to use. I could post a picture and description right from my mobile phone. They make buying and selling simpler than ever. I was impressed with how many people in my area were already using this app. This is a creative way to earn some extra money for our Spring Break vacation!