Best Apps for Road Trip Planning

Whether you want to find basics like food and gas, check out attractions along the way or just avoid speed traps and heavy traffic, there’s a smartphone app to help you.

There’s nothing better than knowing you’ve got a place to stay at the end of a long day on the road. That’s why using a hotel booking app like our Choice Hotels^® mobile app makes it easy to find your next hotel stay. Using the app also guarantees you’ll get the lowest price available for the room you’re trying to book.

When the gas gauge moves toward empty, there’s no need to panic. GasBuddy pinpoints your location and sniffs out cheap gas stations nearby. Or try AAA’s mobile app—its trip-planning technology identifies nearby service stations and also summons emergency road assistance. Non-AAA members can use HONK to order a tow truck. If you’re driving an electric car, boost your power with PlugShare, which points you to charging stations in the area. These are just a few of the many gas-saving tips available for your next roadtrip.

Get organized early with the right road trip planning app. If your compass points to a scenic route, use Compass Maps. To figure out where to stop for coffee, use iExit. It lists a variety of stopping points, including restaurants, stores and medical care available at upcoming exits. To schedule a bathroom break, try Squat or Not or Flush Toilet Finder, and you’ll never need an emergency pit stop again.

The idea of a road trip is to keep moving, and that means avoiding accidents, speed traps and road hazards. Waze, a popular crowd-sourced navigation app, alerts you to real-time traffic and potential problems that lie ahead. Or try Google Maps. It shows you the fastest route from your present location to your destination, taking traffic into consideration. Don’t get stuck digging for change to pay unexpected tolls. Instead, download TollSmart to plan out the cost for toll bridges and roadways on your itinerary.

Every road trip needs the perfect soundtrack to set the mood. Pre-plan your music with Spotify. The premium subscription gives you access to musicians and playlists without the annoying ads, and it lets you download music to play offline, avoiding phone data charges. Don’t miss out on must-see sites along the way. Drivers can download Roadtrippers, a road trip app that locates fun places along your route to take a break, such as amusement parks, adventure spots and great hikes to stretch your legs.