Know what to download before you land
Essential local apps for travelers, curated by country. Ride hailing, payments, messaging, navigation, and everything else you need, organized in one place.
All countries
101 countries found
Albania
Local taxi apps, lek cash and offline maps matter more than global brands
Argentina
Cards, peso cash, open transit payments and dependable local apps
Australia
Pick apps by state, verify entry first and prepare properly for remote travel
Austria
Public transport first, with city and Alpine tools that prevent expensive mistakes
Bahamas
A many-island trip where the useful apps depend on your exact itinerary
Bahrain
Travel Bahrain with licensed rides, official buses, card backups and live disruption checks
Bangladesh
Tracked rides, official tickets and cash backups make Bangladesh easier to navigate
Barbados
An easy island to explore once transport, cash, and arrival details are prepared
Belgium
National rail, regional transit and simple card backups for Belgium
Bolivia
Cash backup, QR payments, cable cars and roadblock-aware travel
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Carry BAM, use local transport apps, and stay on established routes
Brazil
Use Uber or 99, expect CPF barriers, and carry backup cards and reais
Bulgaria
Licensed taxi apps, city-specific transit tools and euro cash backups
Cambodia
Use local ride apps, official entry portals, and current border advice
Canada
Regional transit, card payments, and weather-ready planning
Chile
Use Uber, learn the local transit payment, and prepare for long distances
China
Set up payments, maps and transport before entering mainland China
Colombia
Use dispatched rides, carry small pesos, and learn each city's transit system
Costa Rica
The right apps, plus the official and offline backups Costa Rica still requires
Croatia
City transport, island ferries and road tools that prevent costly mistakes
Cuba
Severe disruption makes offline preparation and flexible exit plans essential
Czech Republic
Use the right city ticket app, buy intercity trips from operators and always pay in Czech crowns
Denmark
Nationwide journey planning, new ticket apps and honest taxi guidance
Dominican Republic
Essential e-ticket, cautious transport, and cash-ready travel beyond the resorts
Ecuador
Dollar cash, exact map pins and city-specific transport tools matter in Ecuador
Egypt
App rides in cities, cash for the gaps, and official tickets for major sites
Estonia
Simple card transit, broad Bolt coverage and honest intercity guidance
Ethiopia
Local ride apps, cash fallbacks, and offline planning
Fiji
Bring cash, plan island transfers early and keep critical details offline
Finland
Contactless city travel, honest rail choices and essential winter safety
France
Official transit, direct rail booking and safer city arrivals
Georgia
Official city transport, direct rail tickets and safer mountain travel
Germany
Nationwide rail, local fare rules, cash backups, and official emergency alerts
Ghana
Ride apps in major cities, cash backups, and landmarks for every pickup
Greece
Freenow for taxis, Wolt for delivery, and careful planning between islands
Guatemala
Cash, exact pins, verified transport and official alerts matter more than app overload in Guatemala
Hong Kong
Use Octopus to pay, Citymapper to travel, and MyObservatory for official weather warnings
Hungary
Official Budapest tickets, direct Hungarian travel and safer taxi choices
Iceland
SafeTravel, official road checks and practical Reykjavík transport
India
Prepare entry, payments and city-specific transport before a complex trip
Indonesia
Use official entry portals, keep cash, and match each island with the right app
Ireland
Physical Leap cards, licensed taxi apps and direct intercity bookings
Israel
Official alerts, licensed taxis and app-based transit payment
Italy
Book trains direct, use city-specific taxi apps, and treat every ZTL sign seriously
Jamaica
Official C5, licensed transport, storm-aware plans, and cash beyond the resorts
Japan
Rail-first travel, flexible IC cards, official Shinkansen booking, and disaster alerts
Jordan
Careem in cities, JETT between sights, cash as backup, and offline maps beyond Amman
Kazakhstan
Yandex Go and 2GIS first, city-specific transit, cards plus tenge, and no tourist bank app
Kenya
M-PESA for local payments, two ride apps, and verified safari bookings
Kyrgyzstan
Yandex Go, offline maps, som cash, and a real plan beyond Bishkek
Laos
Compare rides by city, keep Lao kip, and expect the official railway app to be fallible
Latvia
Mobilly tickets, Bolt rides and direct Vivi train bookings
Lithuania
Bolt rides, city-specific transit tickets and direct LTG train bookings
Macau
Official bus tracking, metered taxis and typhoon alerts for Macau
Malaysia
Use Grab widely, treat Touch 'n Go card and eWallet as separate tools, and verify every terminal
Maldives
Arrange arrival and island transfers first, then add local apps only if your itinerary needs them
Malta
Island travel with live buses, ferry checks and one crucial booking rule
Mexico
Optional city rides, pesos for the gaps, route-specific transport and official road assistance
Montenegro
Use licensed local taxis, carry euros, and verify every bus connection
Morocco
Licensed rides where available, offline medina pins, and official train tickets
Myanmar
Check official warnings, plan every route, and keep cash and offline backups
Nepal
Use ride apps in Kathmandu, carry cash beyond cities, and verify every trekking permit
Netherlands
Tap through public transport, plan trains carefully and keep a card plus cash backup
New Zealand
Sort entry forms, regional transport and offline plans before leaving the cities
Nigeria
Set up rides and payment fallbacks before landing, then follow live security advice
North Macedonia
Skopje taxi apps, official bus tickets and reliable offline backups
Norway
National transit tools, card-first payments, fjords and fast-changing weather
Oman
Yango for city rides, rial cash for gaps, and offline plans beyond Muscat
Pakistan
inDrive in the cities, cash for daily life, and official alerts for the road north
Panama
Use Uber in supported cities, tap the Metro directly, and keep small US dollar notes
Paraguay
The right apps for Paraguay, from city rides to buses, borders and storm alerts
Peru
Plan Peru around verified rides, official tickets, cash backups and changing conditions
Philippines
Register eTravel, keep pesos, and download maps before moving between islands
Poland
City tickets, nationwide trains, regional buses, and payment rules visitors should know
Portugal
Plan each city separately, compare final prices and keep a card plus euro cash backup
Puerto Rico
Federal entry rules, road trip planning, ferry alerts, and cash for small vendors
Qatar
Navigate Qatar with licensed rides, excellent metro links and verified entry tools
Romania
Compare ride and delivery totals, identify your train operator and pay in Romanian lei
Rwanda
Set up local rides and payment fallbacks, then recheck border and health rules
Saudi Arabia
Global ride apps work, local numbers unlock cheaper options, and pilgrims need Nusuk
Serbia
Free Belgrade transit, app-booked taxis, dinar payments and rail realities
Singapore
Fast, English-friendly travel where cards work widely, but local QR still needs care
Slovakia
Practical Slovak apps for city transport, mountain safety and intercity travel
Slovenia
Use local transport tools, keep bus cash, and trust official mountain data
South Africa
The right apps depend on your city, route, and safety plan
South Korea
Use Naver Map, visitor-ready taxi and dining apps, and a separate transit balance
Spain
City-specific transit, optional licensed rides, direct rail booking and practical safety tools
Sri Lanka
Use two ride apps, book scenic trains early, and keep cash beyond the cities
Sweden
Practical Swedish apps for regional transit, safe taxis and outdoor travel
Switzerland
Use SBB first, keep a card and francs handy, and prepare offline maps for the mountains
Taiwan
Cash, a physical EasyCard and a few well-chosen apps cover most trips
Tajikistan
Local taxi apps, offline transit and cash-first travel beyond Dushanbe
Tanzania
One country, two entry systems, and very local transport tools
Thailand
Grab for rides, LINE for local contact, and official rail tools for longer journeys
Turkey
Licensed taxi apps, city transit cards, intercity tickets, and careful payment backups
Ukraine
Wartime travel essentials for alerts, shelters, transport and resilient payments
United Arab Emirates
Careem is the daily default, but transit, taxis and fare cards change by emirate
United Kingdom
Use regional transport apps, carry a backup card, and check ETA rules before travel
Uruguay
Travel Uruguay with verified rides, official bus tools, card backups and current tax rules
Uzbekistan
Yandex Go, local cash and early train booking simplify the Silk Road circuit
Vietnam
Grab, Green SM and cash make Vietnam easier, while local QR still needs planning