The apps
I actually
use.

EU account from day one. Fees creep up on premium tiers — read the fine print carefully. Still the fastest way to hold EUR, GBP, and USD in one place without conversion theft.

◆ Worldwide

The other half of the nomad banking setup. Better exchange rates than most banks, and a backup when Revolut's virtual card gets declined. Good to have both.

◆ Worldwide

Crowdsourced map of ATMs that don't charge withdrawal fees. Not always accurate, but better than guessing — especially in countries where every other ATM hits you with a $5 surcharge.

◆ Worldwide

Open-source, audited, and the free tier covers everything. No reason to pay for a closed-source alternative. Use a strong master password and a hardware key if you're serious.

◆ Worldwide

Two-factor authentication that syncs across devices. Losing a phone abroad with no 2FA backup is one of the worst nomad scenarios — Authy prevents that. Multi-device support is the killer feature.

◆ Worldwide

The free tier is genuinely usable — no time limits, no logs. Useful on public Wi-Fi in cafes and airports, and when a country blocks something you need. Paid plan is worth it if you also want streaming-friendly servers.

◆ Worldwide

Chromium under the hood so extensions work, but ads and trackers are gone by default. Noticeably faster on slow mobile data in countries with heavy ad-loading pages.

◆ Worldwide

eSIM aggregator with combo plans that span multiple countries. Cheaper and less hassle than buying individual eSIMs at every border — one eSIM, full region.

◆ Worldwide

Default AI for most people. Strong at general tasks, voice mode is genuinely useful for language practice in a country you're visiting.

◆ Worldwide

Best long-context AI right now. Excellent for editing writing and reasoning through complex problems — the conversational style is closer to a thoughtful editor than a search engine.

◆ Worldwide

Tightly integrated with Google services — Gmail, Docs, Drive. The advantage is that it can actually do things in your Google account, not just talk about them.

◆ Worldwide

Good enough for most languages and the translate-from-photo feature is the killer. Point at a menu, a sign, a medicine label — you get an instant overlay translation.

◆ Worldwide

A dedicated currency converter beats Googling exchange rates every time. Works offline, remembers your last pair, and gives you the answer in two taps.

◆ Worldwide

Some airlines still send PDF boarding passes that don't save to Apple Wallet or Google Pay. This app scans the barcode and converts it into a wallet pass — the only way I can keep all boarding passes in one place.

◆ Worldwide

Free US government app that lets you skip the customs line at major US airports. Fill in the declaration before you land, get a separate, much shorter queue.

◆ US

Still the most complete database of opening hours, reviews, and transit. Useless without a download. First thing I do in any new city: download the region offline.

◆ Worldwide

Better than Google for anything outside of cities. Topographic layers, hiking trails, and contour lines that actually match the terrain. Also catches public bathrooms and water fountains Google misses.

◆ Worldwide

Google Maps is unusable in Korea. KakaoMap has more places, more reviews, and better public transport routing for the entire country. Non-negotiable if you're there.

◆ Korea

The other Korean map app. Sometimes has different listings than KakaoMap, occasionally better for public transport. Worth having both.

◆ Korea

The local map for Russian-speaking countries — Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, parts of the Caucasus. Better coverage and reviews than Google in those regions.

◆ Russia · Belarus · Kazakhstan · Georgia · Armenia+3

Animated wind and weather layers on a real map. Indispensable for anything outdoors — coastal travel, mountain passes, ferry crossings. Compare forecasts from multiple models including local ones.

◆ Worldwide

The antidote to TripAdvisor. Every listing is something weird, hidden, or genuinely interesting. I check it before every new city and always find at least one thing worth going to.

◆ Worldwide

Filter the noise and it's still useful. The volume of reviews means consistent things rise to the top. Best for researching what to see in a city, not necessarily where to eat.

◆ Worldwide

Not just for stars and expense accounts. The Bib Gourmand and 'Recommended' lists are full of local gems and budget picks. The most reliable restaurant filter in any major city.

◆ Worldwide

The route database is massive and mostly accurate. The real value is recent photos and condition notes from other hikers. Free tier covers most use cases; Pro adds offline maps.

◆ Worldwide

Nobody wants another app, but everyone already has it. Works reliably on bad connections, voice calls are solid over data, and it runs in the browser when your phone dies.

◆ Worldwide

Sounds wrong, but in many countries small businesses respond faster on Instagram DMs than email. Restaurants, tour operators, freelancers — DM the account, get a reply within hours.

◆ Worldwide

Still indispensable for one thing: groups. Local digital nomad groups, country expat groups, even small businesses with no website. Skip the feed; use it as a tool.

◆ Worldwide

The WhatsApp of Japan, Taiwan, and Thailand. Many restaurants use Line for ordering and reservations. Install before you go — you'll need it to contact businesses.

◆ Japan · Taiwan · Thailand · Indonesia

Korea's WhatsApp. If you're in Korea for more than a couple days, you'll need this — for restaurant orders, business contacts, even some queue systems route through it.

◆ Korea

Vietnam's default messenger. Every business has a Zalo account — restaurants, hotels, shops. Many won't pick up the phone but will reply on Zalo within minutes.

◆ Vietnam

Country and city subreddits are some of the best places to get local advice. r/digitalnomad has the broad scene, but the real value is in r/[country] threads from people actually living there.

◆ Worldwide

Where to find actual in-person meetups in any city. Language exchanges, hiking groups, tech meetups, board game nights — most cities have a few solid recurring ones.

◆ Worldwide

Women-only network for digital nomads. Useful for solo female travelers looking for company, advice, or just other women living the same lifestyle in the same cities.

◆ Worldwide

Dating app specifically for digital nomads and remote workers. Solves the problem that regular dating apps don't filter for people who might leave in two weeks.

◆ Worldwide

From the Bumble team — same swipe model, but for platonic friendships. Useful if you keep landing in cities without a network and don't want every connection to be romantic.

◆ Worldwide

The reading log every nomad I know uses. Track what you've read, what you want to read, and skim other people's reviews when you're trying to find your next book on a long bus ride.

◆ Worldwide

The fastest flight search on the internet. Skyscanner and Kiwi get mentioned more often, but Google Flights is consistently the best for price, speed, and the price trend graph.

◆ Worldwide

Catches some budget airlines Google Flights misses, especially in Asia and Eastern Europe. Worth a quick check after you've narrowed down dates on Google Flights.

◆ Worldwide

Specializes in stitching together unusual itineraries — multi-city trips, mixing budget carriers, finding hidden city tricks. Best when you want to chain three or four cities in one ticket.

◆ Worldwide

Still the best for monthly rentals — the monthly discount usually beats stitching together three weekly Booking.com stays. Quality is uneven; read recent reviews carefully.

◆ Worldwide

Largest hotel inventory globally. The free cancellation policy on most listings is the killer feature — book early and adjust as plans firm up.

◆ Worldwide

Same hotel inventory as Booking in most of Asia, often at a different price. Worth a check before you commit — sometimes 10-15% cheaper than Booking on the same room.

◆ Worldwide

Meta-search that aggregates Booking, Agoda, Expedia, and dozens of smaller sites. Useful when you want to make sure you're not missing a cheaper deal on a specific hotel.

◆ Worldwide

Where bundled flight+hotel deals occasionally make sense, especially for shorter trips to the Americas. Less useful for nomads, but worth a check on multi-leg travel.

◆ Worldwide

Still has the widest global footprint and competitive prices in most countries. First app to try in any new city — even where local alternatives are better, having Uber as backup is valuable.

◆ Worldwide

Usually cheaper than Uber in Europe and Africa. In some cities you can also use it for e-bikes and scooters. Reliable across the EU and increasingly common in Latin America.

◆ Estonia · Latvia · Lithuania · Poland · Germany+35

Riders propose a price; drivers accept or counter. Useful in markets where standard ride apps are overpriced. Common in Latin America, parts of Africa, and Eastern Europe.

◆ Mexico · Colombia · Peru · Brazil · Argentina+15

Southeast Asia's super-app. Rides, food delivery, payments, parcels — all in one. Essential in Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines.

◆ Vietnam · Thailand · Singapore · Malaysia · Indonesia+3

Uber owns it now, but Careem still dominates the Middle East. Rides, food, deliveries, parcels — Dubai, Riyadh, Cairo all run on it. Sometimes cheaper than Uber in the same city.

◆ UAE · Saudi · Egypt · Pakistan · Jordan+7

Indonesia's everything-app. Motorcycle rides (the way to move in Jakarta traffic), food, groceries, even massages. Pairs with GoPay for cashless payments.

◆ Indonesia · Vietnam · Singapore

Driver-owned ride app started in Bangalore, now expanding. Lower commission to drivers means cheaper rides — and drivers actually pick up rather than canceling.

◆ India

India's homegrown Uber competitor. Wide coverage across Indian cities and includes auto-rickshaws — the actual workhorse of Indian transport.

◆ India

Vietnamese ride app that competes with Grab. Sometimes cheaper, especially on shorter rides. Worth having as a backup.

◆ Vietnam

The cheapest taxi app in Albania. Pricing is clear, drivers know the cities, and you avoid the inflated fares of flagging from the street.

◆ Albania

Mai Linh is Vietnam's biggest traditional taxi company — the green cabs you see everywhere. Their app books a metered ride directly, bypassing street negotiation.

◆ Vietnam

The dominant ride app across Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Armenia. Includes food delivery and taxis. Rebranded as Yango outside the former Soviet sphere.

◆ Russia · Belarus · Kazakhstan · Georgia · Armenia+2

Rebrand of Yandex Go for Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Latin America. Same tech, different name. Common in countries where Yandex branding wouldn't fly.

◆ UAE · Saudi · Israel · Senegal · Ivory Coast+5

Vietnam's homegrown super-app. Rides, food delivery, even some flight bookings. Often beats Grab on price for short rides in Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi.

◆ Vietnam

Cambodia's main ride and delivery app. Tuk-tuks, motorbikes, cars — all in one. Way more reliable than negotiating at the curb in Phnom Penh.

◆ Cambodia

Europe's best ride-share app — split a car ride between cities with a verified driver. Often cheaper than the bus, and door-to-door is negotiable with the driver. Now includes a bus network too.

◆ France · Spain · Italy · Portugal · Germany+16

Massive bus network across Europe and the US, with growing train operations in some countries. Negative reviews abound, but in practice it's reliable most of the time and consistently cheap.

◆ Germany · France · Italy · Spain · Portugal+19

Private rail and bus operator in Czechia and Slovakia, with routes into Austria, Germany, and Ukraine. Often cheaper than state rail with better seats. Free coffee on most trains.

◆ Czechia · Slovakia · Austria · Germany · Poland+2

Search and book trains across European operators in one app. Sometimes more expensive than national rail sites, but the convenience of one ticket across operators is worth it.

◆ UK · France · Spain · Italy · Germany+4

Compare and book ferry routes globally. Useful for Greece, Italy, Scandinavia, Indonesia, Croatia — anywhere ferries are a real travel option, this site has the timetables.

◆ Worldwide

The aggregator for buses, trains, ferries, and minivans across Southeast Asia. Great for checking routes and times; less great for actually booking — go to the operator directly when you can.

◆ Thailand · Vietnam · Cambodia · Laos · Myanmar+8

The biggest bus aggregator in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and a few other Asian markets. Real ratings, photos of the buses, and seat selection — useful when bus quality varies wildly.

◆ India · Indonesia · Singapore · Malaysia · Peru+1

Vietnam's biggest bus booking app. Far better coverage than 12Go for routes within Vietnam, with sleeper buses, limousine vans, and tourist routes all in one place.

◆ Vietnam

The official Vietnamese rail booking app. Cheaper than third-party resellers and handles ticket changes and refunds without drama.

◆ Vietnam

Books Indian Railways tickets and — critically — predicts whether a waitlisted ticket will confirm. India's train booking system is brutal; ConfirmTKT makes it survivable.

◆ India

Indian travel super-app: trains, buses, flights, hotels all in one place. Stronger predictions than ConfirmTKT on the busiest routes; weaker UX.

◆ India

Real-time train tracking for Indian Railways. Tells you exactly how late your train actually is — critical when delays cascade and you need to make a connection.

◆ India

Official Serbian Railways app. Timetables, ticket booking, and seat reservations for trains within Serbia and to neighboring countries.

◆ Serbia

Official Budapest public transport app. Buy single tickets, day passes, or weekly passes directly without queueing at machines or carrying physical tickets.

◆ Hungary

Tenerife's public bus app. Buy tickets and check real-time bus locations for the TITSA network across the island.

◆ Spain (Tenerife)

Japan's tap-to-ride transit card, now available as a phone wallet card on iPhone and Android. Use it on trains, subway, convenience stores, vending machines — almost any tap point in Japan.

◆ Japan

Top up your Irish Leap card without finding a kiosk. Tap the card to your phone and add credit instantly. Useful for visitors who skip the queues at Dublin's bus and Luas stops.

◆ Ireland

The best bus and train timetable for Slovakia. Often shows route combinations that Google Maps misses, especially for smaller villages and cross-country buses.

◆ Slovakia · Czechia

The Czech equivalent of CP — bus, train, and tram timetables for the entire country. Most accurate source for Czech transit, including small regional routes.

◆ Czechia · Slovakia

The Azerbaijani Railways booking app. Necessary if you're traveling between Baku and the rest of the country by train — counter ticketing is slow and confusing for foreigners.

◆ Azerbaijan

Georgian Railway's official site/app for booking trains within Georgia and to neighboring countries. The night train from Tbilisi to Batumi is a nomad classic.

◆ Georgia

Korean T-money card on your phone. Tap-to-ride on Seoul metro, buses, and KTX. Saves you from carrying a physical card and queueing at top-up machines.

◆ Korea

Top up your physical Korean T-money card online via NFC. The only easy way to add credit to a T-money card without finding a convenience store kiosk.

◆ Korea

Nordic-rooted food delivery app that now covers most of Europe, Middle East, and parts of Asia. Cleaner UX than the alternatives, usually faster delivery, and the restaurant selection often beats Glovo or Deliveroo.

◆ Finland · Estonia · Latvia · Lithuania · Sweden+18

European delivery app that does food, groceries, and the 'send a courier anywhere' option. Strong in Southern Europe, Eastern Europe, and parts of Latin America.

◆ Spain · Italy · Portugal · Poland · Romania+16

Dominant food delivery in the UK and France with decent presence in the UAE and other markets. Generally has the best restaurant selection in those countries.

◆ UK · France · Italy · Belgium · Ireland+5

Wide UK and Western European coverage with an emphasis on cheap eats and takeaway. Often has restaurants the trendier apps don't bother listing.

◆ UK · Ireland · Netherlands · Germany · Italy+6

Bolt's food delivery arm, available alongside Bolt rides in most of their European markets. Often cheaper than Wolt or Glovo, with a smaller but growing restaurant selection.

◆ Estonia · Latvia · Lithuania · Czechia · Slovakia+9

Indian quick commerce — groceries, household items, even prescription pickups delivered in 10 minutes flat. Genuinely impressive logistics, available across major Indian cities.

◆ India

Blinkit's main competitor in Indian quick commerce. Sometimes faster, sometimes cheaper — worth comparing prices when you order, especially for fresh produce.

◆ India

India's biggest food delivery app, now expanded into Swiggy Instamart (groceries) and Swiggy Genie (errands). Restaurant selection beats Zomato in most cities.

◆ India

Strong in Germany, Austria, Sweden, Norway, and Finland. Owned by Delivery Hero, so the underlying tech is identical to Glovo and several other regional brands.

◆ Germany · Austria · Sweden · Norway · Finland+2

Dominant food delivery across the Gulf — UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi, Egypt. Also delivers groceries and runs errands in most of those markets.

◆ UAE · Kuwait · Qatar · Bahrain · Saudi+4

Indonesia's QR-code payment system, tied to Gojek. Most shops, stalls, and warung accept GoPay QR — often the only cashless option for street food and small vendors.

◆ Indonesia

Book restaurants in Europe with 20-50% off the bill. Real discounts at real restaurants — the catch is that the cheaper time slots tend to be early or late.

◆ France · Spain · Italy · Portugal · Belgium+8

Subscription app — pay a monthly fee, get 2-for-1 and percentage discounts at participating restaurants. Mostly Germany and Western Europe. Pays for itself in two meals.

◆ Germany · Austria · Switzerland · Netherlands · UK

Buy end-of-day food from bakeries, cafes, and restaurants at 60-70% off. You don't know exactly what you'll get, but the price-to-quality ratio is unbeatable.

◆ Denmark · Norway · Sweden · Finland · Germany+14

UK-focused app for restaurant deals and end-of-day food discounts. Smaller than Too Good To Go but with bigger percentage discounts on full meals.

◆ UK

Indian restaurant booking and discount app. 25-50% off across thousands of restaurants in Indian cities, plus a few in the UAE.

◆ India · UAE

Restaurant discount app focused on Central and Eastern European cities. Coverage is patchy outside the main capitals, but where it works the deals are real.

◆ Czechia · Slovakia · Hungary · Romania

Curated guide to specialty coffee shops across European cities. Editors visit each place and only list cafes serving real third-wave coffee — no chains, no tourist traps.

◆ Europe-wide

Crowdsourced ramen guide for Japan — locations, styles, and ratings from people who eat dozens of bowls a year. Useful in any Japanese city, essential in Tokyo.

◆ Japan

Local deal aggregator that's faded in importance but still useful occasionally — especially for activities and entrance tickets sold at a discount in tourist cities.

◆ Worldwide

The way to book restaurants in Korea. Many popular places only accept reservations through CatchTable or have queue systems that route through it.

◆ Korea

Tours, entrance tickets, day trips, and experiences worldwide. The default for booking activities — bigger inventory than Viator, cleaner UX than Klook outside Asia.

◆ Worldwide

The GetYourGuide of Asia. Tours, entrance tickets, transport passes (Japan Rail, Hong Kong MTR, etc), and unique experiences across Asian countries.

◆ Hong Kong · Taiwan · Japan · Korea · Singapore+9

Klook's main competitor in Asia. Sometimes lists experiences Klook misses, especially in Taiwan, Japan, and Korea. Worth a parallel check before booking.

◆ Taiwan · Japan · Korea · Hong Kong · Singapore+5

Owned by TripAdvisor. Wide inventory across all regions, with reviews that pull from the TripAdvisor base. Sometimes lists smaller operators GetYourGuide doesn't pick up.

◆ Worldwide

Specialist in museums, monuments, and one-off attractions. Cleaner interface than GetYourGuide for the single-ticket use case — open the app, scan a barcode at the gate, done.

◆ Worldwide

The biggest catch-all for local events — comedy shows, workshops, talks, community events. Useful in any city with a real cultural scene. Filter by category to skip the noise.

◆ Worldwide

Event discovery and ticket booking for Czechia and Slovakia. Concerts, theatre, comedy, club nights — anything cultural in Prague or Bratislava is probably listed here.

◆ Czechia · Slovakia · Poland

Event and concert ticket app with strong inventory in select markets. Worth checking for big concerts and one-off cultural events you can't find elsewhere.

◆ UAE

Pay a monthly membership, get free or nearly-free tickets to comedy, theater, and music shows. Works in a handful of US cities — when it works, it pays for itself in two events.

◆ US

Official ticketing app for Angkor Wat and the surrounding temple complex in Siem Reap. Buy 1, 3, or 7-day passes without queueing at the ticket office.

◆ Cambodia

Indonesian-built super-app for flights, hotels, tours, and activities. Strongest in Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines. Sometimes cheaper than Klook for local activities.

◆ Indonesia · Thailand · Vietnam · Philippines · Malaysia+2

Poland's eBay. Largest online marketplace in the country, with everything from new electronics to used furniture. Smart pickup points in every Polish city.

◆ Poland

Korea's Amazon. Rocket Delivery means next-day or same-day on most orders. The fastest way to replace anything you forgot to pack while in Korea.

◆ Korea

Owned by Alibaba. Strong across Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines. Faster delivery in major cities than international sites; massive product range.

◆ Thailand · Vietnam · Malaysia · Singapore · Indonesia+1

Lazada's main competitor across Southeast Asia. Younger, more gamified, often cheaper. Big in Taiwan as well, where it dominates over Lazada.

◆ Thailand · Vietnam · Malaysia · Singapore · Indonesia+3

India's largest e-commerce platform, the local rival to Amazon India. Sometimes cheaper, sometimes faster — always worth checking before buying.

◆ India

Czech and Slovak discount platform — spa days, restaurants, activities, experiences at 30-60% off. Slevomat in Czechia, Zlavomat in Slovakia, same company.

◆ Czechia · Slovakia

Calisthenics app for bodyweight training. Travel with a set of resistance bands and Calistree's programs, and you have a real gym anywhere in the world.

◆ Worldwide

Ashtanga Yoga primary series and beyond, with video guidance. Works in any 2x2 meter space — useful when you're in an apartment without a gym for a few weeks.

◆ Worldwide

Automatically connects you to free public Wi-Fi networks across Japan — stations, cafes, convenience stores. Pre-registered credentials mean you skip the captive portal every time.

◆ Japan

Tsutaya's coworking lounges across Japan. Pay by the hour for a desk with power, fast Wi-Fi, free coffee, and snacks. Better and cheaper than chain cafes for a full work day.

◆ Japan