Going on holiday doesn’t have to break the bank. We’ll teach you how to travel cheap with these money saving apps.
For Members-Only Flash Sales
Secret Escapes
Enjoy up to 70 per cent off specially curated luxury hotels and holiday packages across hundreds of destinations with this members-only app. It’s extremely versatile – you can book a holiday months in advance or secure a hotel room at the last minute. The deals are pretty sweet too – we found a chic resort in Khao Lak, Thailand, going for just $110 a night. But don’t procrastinate, as each offer typically runs for just a few days.
Get it: Free from iTunes and Google Play
For Free Wi-Fi Access
Free Wi-Fi Finder
Staying connected while travelling can be a challenge, and there are times when having Internet connectivity is crucial, like when you’re lost in a foreign land and need access to Google Maps. You could always get a prepaid SIM card or data roaming package, but why bother when you have Free Wi-Fi Finder at your disposal? The app harnesses your phone’s GPS and network triangulation capabilities to locate Wi-Fi hotspots in your vicinity. It’s fast, accurate and works in more than 145,000 locations worldwide.
Get it: Free from iTunes and Google Play
For One-For-One Deals
The Entertainer Mobile 2015
The Entertainer offers users an array of one-for-one dining, wellness and entertainment deals in destinations like London, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Cape Town, Dubai and more. While it comes at a price – expect to fork out around £30 (S$62) for the London edition of the app – this also gives you access to more than 250 hotel offers across the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Europe. It’s a pretty sweet deal, we say.
Get it: Free for the trial version, various prices for the full version. From iTunes, Google Play, Windows Store, Samsung Apps and Blackberry World
For Last-Minute Hotel Rooms
Hotelquickly
Need a hotel room at the eleventh hour? No sweat. Check out Hotelquickly, which has a selection of good three- to five-star hotels that you can book up till 4am and check into on the same day! You don’t even have to pay an arm and a leg for it, with prices that are, on average, 28 per cent cheaper than online rates. And with more than 4,500 hotels across 14 countries in the Asia-Pacific, you’ll be spoilt for choice. It’s perfect for spontaneous getaways.
Get it: Free from iTunes, Google Play and Blackberry World
For The Cheapest Airfares and Hotels
Kayak
One of the most popular travel apps around, Kayak lets you compare flights, hotels, car rentals and more across multiple sites to discover the best deals. We love how clean and simple the app’s interface is, and how you can set price alerts to help you keep track of price changes.
Do note, however, that Kayak is primarily a search engine, so you will usually be directed to other sites to make your booking.
Get it: Free from iTunes and Google Play
For Tracking Travel Expenses
Trail Wallet
Keep tabs on your expenses with this travel-centric expenditure tracker – especially useful if you’re travelling on the cheap. You can set daily budgets and add expenses on the go, be it in your home currency or in 218 other currencies. You can even choose to organise your spending by categories, such as accommodation, transport and food. Use the pie chart option to figure out what’s costing you the most.
Get it: Free from iTunes and Google Play
For Real-time Cash Conversions
XE Currency
No more frantic calculations on your mobile phone while shopping overseas. This popular foreign exchange app enables you to convert just about every world currency on the go, using the most updated currency conversion rates and charts. This handy app might even help you snag some great bargains!
Get it: Free from iTunes and Google Play
For Affordable Car Rentals
Rentalcars.com
This app lets you search for the nearest and cheapest car rental locations from reputable companies, including Hertz, Avis, Europcar and Budget. You can then make a reservation in four easy steps, and there aren’t even any booking or credit card fees involved. It has access to more than 6,000 locations worldwide.
Get it: Free from iTunes and Google Play
By Delle Chan, Simply Her, May 2015