The Travel Apps Worth Having (and How Much Data They Actually Use)
Maps, rides, translation and transit — the apps that genuinely improve a trip, what each one costs you in data, and which work offline.
A short, opinionated list of apps that earn their place on a travel phone — with honest numbers on what each does to your data plan.
Short answer: maps, translation and messaging use almost nothing; ride apps and transit are light; photo backup and video streaming are what actually drain a plan. Install and configure everything before you fly.
Navigation
- Google Maps — download offline areas (how to). Live navigation costs about 5 MB per hour.
- Maps.me / Organic Maps — fully offline, better for trails and old-town lanes.
- Citymapper — excellent in major cities for transit routing.
Getting around
- Uber / Bolt / Grab / Careem / DiDi — which one depends on the region: Grab in Southeast Asia, Careem in the Gulf, Bolt across Europe and Africa, DiDi in Latin America. Each uses only a few MB per ride.
- Local transit apps — NS in the Netherlands, ÖBB in Austria, Moovit almost everywhere.
Translation
- Google Translate — download the offline language pack before you go. Camera translation works offline and uses almost no data.
What each app costs you per hour
| Activity | Approx. data |
|---|---|
| Maps navigation | ~5 MB |
| Messaging (WhatsApp text) | ~1–5 MB per day |
| Ride app (per booking) | a few MB |
| Web browsing / email | ~50 MB |
| Social scrolling | ~100–200 MB |
| Video calls | ~250 MB–1.5 GB |
| HD video streaming | ~1.5–3 GB |
| Photo auto-backup | the biggest hidden drain |
The pattern is clear: the useful travel apps are cheap, and entertainment is expensive. Full breakdown in our data guide.
Set these up before you fly
- Download offline maps for every destination.
- Download translation packs.
- Install the right regional ride app — it may not be available to download once you are there without data.
- Set photo backup to Wi-Fi only.
- Download entertainment for the flight and downtime.
- Install your travel eSIM — see the install guide.
Apps that work fully offline
Offline maps, translation packs, downloaded music and shows, boarding passes in your wallet app, and your authenticator app for 2FA codes. Between them, a dead zone becomes a non-event.
The bottom line
The apps that make travel easier barely touch your plan. Configure them at home, keep backups on Wi-Fi, and a modest eSIM lasts the whole trip. Browse plans for 190+ destinations.
Setup rule: install and log into every travel app before you leave. Some are hard to get working once you are already offline abroad.