Handy apps for your next road trip adventure
Are you aching for a holiday? Go local! You don’t always need to hop on a plane to have a great holiday – one of the great things about living in Australia is that the country is huge, packed with unique places and things to do. So, why not plan a road trip to experience all your state has to offer?
To ensure your next road trip goes off without a hitch, we’ve rounded up some handy apps to help you plan your trip and keep on top of things while you’re out experiencing Australia. Have a read through and discover your next go-to travel tool!
Gather some travel inspo
If you’re not sure where to head for your next trip, then Culture Trip is a great place to start. Created for curious travelers, it’s chock-full of tourist guides for cities and towns across the globe, Australia included. With stunning sights, food, drinks, museums, hikes and more, the app makes it easy to make a travel wishlist so you can start building your itinerary.
Available for download for iOS or Android. You can also access their guides via their website.
Looking for something a little more adventurous?
Calling all explorers, bushwalkers, campers, kayakers, climbers and – this app is for you! The Outbound Collective app is home to a wide range of adventures and tours that will help discover Australia’s raw beauty hands-on. From short escapes to multi-day treks, the active at heart are bound to find a new experience they’ll love.
Get it now for iOS and Android. You can also get some great information on their website.
Ditch the paper maps
There’s a chance that your road trip may take you through some regional areas where mobile data coverage isn’t the strongest, which can be a problem if your go-to map app requires an internet connection to function. If you don’t want to miss your turn-off, consider Maps.me. This app lets you download detailed offline maps ahead of time and even plot your route and bookmark places you’d like to visit.
Available to download on iOS or Android.
Keep track of group expenses
If you’re heading out on the open road with a bunch of mates, the last thing you want to worry about it math! Settle Up is an amazing app that keeps track of who owes who what, simplifying your shared expenses over the course of the trip. This way, you can easily make sure everyone’s paying their fair share for petrol, groceries, drinks, accommodation and anything else you happen to buy for the group while you’re out on your adventure.
Get it now for iOS or Android. It’s also available for Windows.
Find WiFi wherever you go
The internet powers so many vital sources of information and communication these days that you can get really stuck if you don’t have WiFi. WiFi Map is here to save the day, with a comprehensive map of free WiFi hotspots nationwide (and around the world!). You can even take advantage of the app’s built-in VPN to make sure you have a secure and anonymous connection over WiFi. Best of all, WiFi maps for your destination can be downloaded in advance for easy offline viewing.
Pro tip: Keep your safety in mind when using free WiFi – our guide for Staying Safe on Public WiFi will help.
Available to download for iOS and Android.
Don’t forget to fuel up!
You’ve got your WiFi sorted, but what about your petrol? You should always start a road trip on a full tank, so use Fuel Map Australia to find a station with a competitive price. Not only will the app show you where you can fuel up, it also uses a crowd-sourced database to give you up-to-date info on pump prices, so you can pick the cheapest one. You may even find yourself using this handy tool regularly.
Get it now for iOS or Android. The app is also available for Windows.
Stay safe on our shores
It’s fair to say that Australia’s beautiful beaches are some of our most popular holiday spots. Brought to you by Surf Life Saving Australia, the Beachsafe app will help you find some awesome beach spots all around Australia. Not only that, but it also provides valuable safety information such as rip currents, flags and signs, waves, marine creatures, and more.
Available to download for iOS and Android.
Have you got any recommendations for a road trip in your state or territory? Tell us about it in the comments.
Image credits
- Culture Trip on the App Store
- The Outbound on the App Store
- Maps.me on the App Store
- Settle Up on the App Store
- WiFi Maps on the App Store
- Fuel Map Australia on the App Store
- Beachsafe on the App Store
6 comments
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I just completed a 4000kms trip in WA.
phone and internet coverage lost 150kms from Perth.
limited service in larger towns and nothing in between.
Completely useless service for camping trips.
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We just did a trip around SA and found iinet coverage poor except from Pt Augusta to Adelaide. we had to use our daughter’s Telstra phone.
So most of those apps would be useless unless in the city.
we will be doing a trip to Darwin from Newcastle in June so will be changing our mobile phones to Boost.
we are a long time iinet customer and disappointed in the changeover to Vodaphone. -
One day you may have to phone 000 when you don’t where you are. 000 have an app that can give the GPS location and address if in a built up area and lots more, even make the call. The app is called “Emergency Plus”
Related to Fuel Map is WikiCamps. As this is the best, by far, place to find caravan parks, tourist info & all sorts of other info, I am surprised at your omission.