We all love traveling and with the advent of technology more or less we all have a very resourceful personal portable device with us and you guessed right, that's our smartphone. Nowadays there's a very small number of things which a smart cellphone cannot do actually, So why not use the gadget to make our traveling much easier. The government of India has already launched some great Indian tourism apps also there are other great travel apps in India. Which makes us wonder are you making most out of those applications while traveling?
Well if the answer is no then you are in the right place and if you are already using your smartphone for ease of travel then also I would recommend you to quickly go over the list as you might get to know about something new. Okie, let's not waste more time in the introductory stanza and get into the main thing.
Best travel apps in India
Google Maps - App for checking routes, maps, and distance
Google maps is widely used for knowing the distance of any place, the route to any place and knowing about public reviews or calling the corresponding contact number. You can know nearby places to visit, nearby places to eat along with the timings so that you can visit accordingly. Also, there is a lighter variant of this app, Google Maps Go, which uses fewer data and occupies very minimal storage in the phone.
Download Google Maps for Android Download Google Maps Go for Android Download Google Maps for IOSWomen safety apps in India
Women safety is a very important thing, for both group or solo travelers it is a must to ensure one's safety. So here are some apps for women safety for you which lets you connect to your guardian or loved ones anytime when you feel uneasy circumstances.
bSafe
As the makers claim, bSafe is a very fast and high performing personal security app that helps one to be connected to their close ones and alarming them when you are in danger. You can share your path so that your friends can follow or track you, you can send your location or SOS signal to your guardians. Also, you can be someone else's guardian so that that person can ping you any minute she feels insecure. There is a feature of generating fake calls from anyone you set to get yourself away from an unpleasant situation.
Download bSafe for Android Download bSafe for IOSMy Safetipin
SafetiPin collects primary data on Women Safety in public spaces at night, on a number of parameters like Lighting, Visibility, walk path, crowd, diversity, openness, security, and feeling. Then it helps you to make safer decisions. It helps you to know whether the route or place you are in is safe or not if not then you can let your friends or family know via the app and they can track you. Overall if you new to a place and you have to travel at night then it is advisable to have this app as it keeps running in the background and will notify you about the safety concern of your whereabouts.
Download My Safetipin for AndroidHimmat Plus
Himmat plus is a very novel attempt by the Delhi police in order to eradicate women harassment and other crimes towards women. This app has a unique facility to scan the QR codes attached to cabs and autos and let the commuters know whether it's safe or not. Launched as a pilot project, the app can be used by women commuters coming out of the Delhi Airport and five metro stations - Anand Vihar, Vishwa Vidyalaya, Malviya Nagar, Saket and Nehru Place. The app was previously known as Himmat app, however, it has been upgraded with new features in 2018.
Travel planner apps for India
Google Trips
Google trips is an all in one app for all trip details, right from a trip calendar, place info and maps to offline information access. It is a really great travel diary for one. It suggests numerous trip-related things which are very helpful like,
- activities,
- nearby events
- places to visit
- day plan
- locations of places
- other pieces of information like when it is starting, how long it will go on, how many people participating etc.
Also, it gives a feature of bundled reservations where one can keep all the digital documents of flight, bus, hotel, events, activities in one place. It is the best trip planning app right now available in app stores.
There's a piece of bad news though, Google is not going to officially support Google trips anymore from August 5, 2019. That doesn't mean you can't use the application though, you can still use it but there won't be any new versions coming.
Download Google Trips for Android Download Google trips for IOSPackPoint
As Featured In The Washington Post, BBC, LA Times, CNN, Lifehacker, Fast Company's Co.DESIGN, and The Next Web
"A Travel App That Practically Packs Your Bags For You"
This particular app is very unique and its features are very helpful while going on a trip. So what PackPoint does is it checks the weather, season and other specific details about the place you are about to go and suggests you things you should consider packing; like an umbrella, shorts, sweater, etc. Also, it senses the type of travel ( hiking, adventure sports, beach, international holiday, swimming, working or traveling with a baby ) and accordingly it provides a list of must-pack things so that you don't miss anything. This is a paid application, the Android version costs ₹ 200.00 ( $ 2.90 ) and the IOS version costs $2.99. If you are a frequent traveler and you need better packing management then this one is a must for you as this is the best travel packing app right now.
Download PackPoint for Android Download PackPoint for IOSMedical support apps in India
DocsApp
DocsApp is India's No 1 Online Doctor consultation app. Through this application one can book an online appointment, submit test results or photos of body parts for diagnostics, directly to doctor online. You can consult any doctor at any time from anywhere. Also, there are different types of communication methods are involved like video chat, audio call, online chatting and, text messaging.
With over 3000 Doctors and more than 5 million users, DocsApp is solving the problem of personal care at your palms very efficiently. Late-night doctors, privacy, faster consultation and tests at home are some of the most used features of the app.
Download DocsApp for Android Download DocsApp for IOSPracto
Practo is an amazing online medical service that provides multiple advantages like Finding a nearby doctor, checking whether a doctor is good or not, checking doctor reviews, chatting with the doctor after the consultation so on and so forth. Another best feature which we personally use for day to day needs is the online delivery of medicines. Apart from that daily medical tips, diets and doctor's inputs help you to stay fit on a regular basis. Practo has a huge userbase, over 10 million people use Practo in India. We would personally suggest you have this application in mobile as it is the best all in on health app in India.
Download Practo for Android Download Practo for IOSTransportation Apps in India
Apps for Flight booking
There are several mobile apps in India for flight booking apart from the ones made by the flight companies which are in fact very less used. People tend to use the consolidated apps which compares and shows all flights available and that makes easy for one to get exactly what he or she might need. We personally like MakeMyTrip as the ticket booking experience is very seamless and there are some Indian bank-specific offers which ensure the best deal. There are other apps which are also really good like Cleartrip, GoIbibo, Via, HappyEasyGo, Paytm, etc.
Install Indian Flight booking apps in AndroidFor IOS devices you can search with the application name and search for it.
Apps for Cab booking
There are two prominent Cab booking services in India, Ola, and Uber. And they really do a great job. In both the applications, you can book Premium, SUV, Sedan to budget-friendly small cars and now even autos. Also, Ola is trying out with bike rides as well in some cities. There are also some other cab apps which are also very good, Meru Cabs,
Install Ola for Android Install Uber for Android Install Ola for IOS Install Uber for IOSApps for Bike Ride booking
Talking about Bike rides we wanted to mention one app here which is really making bike rides a great experience, that's Rapido. If you are very tight on your pocket and have no problem with bike rides then you can use Rapido rides.
Install Rapido for IOS Install Rapido for AndroidApps for Train Tickets Booking
For train ticket booking in India, you must have an account at IRCTC website, then you can book the tickets from either directly from IRCTC official app or from third-party apps like Paytm or Cleartrip or Yatra. But in any case, you have to have an IRCTC account. Also, Train services are very convenient in India with the cheapest journey price and great refund policies, unlike flights. This is one of the most used travel apps in India.
Refund policy of IRCTC- If a confirmed ticket is canceled more than 48 hrs before the scheduled departure of the train, flat cancellation charges shall be deducted @ Rs.240/- for AC First Class/Executive Class, Rs.200/- for AC 2 Tier/First Class, Rs. 180 for AC 3 Tier/AC Chair car/ AC 3 Economy, Rs.120/- for Sleeper Class and Rs.60/- for Second Class. Cancellation charges are per passenger.
- If a confirmed ticket is canceled within 48 hrs and up to 12 hours before the scheduled departure of the train, cancellation charges shall be 25% of the fare subject to the minimum flat rate mentioned in the above clause.
- Less than 12 hours and up to four hours before the scheduled departure of the train up to chart preparation which is earlier, 50% of the fare paid subject to the minimum cancellation charges. Note the Chart preparation time is the time for the chart preparation from the Train Originating Station or from the previous chart Preparation station.
For more details visit IRCTC Ticket cancellation and Refund Policy.
Download IRCTC Official App for Android Download IRCTC Official App for IOSApps for Bus Booking
Redbus
Redbus is a great app focussed towards bus tickets booking. From interstate to different states, private to government-owned, all kind of buses one can book via Redbus. We personally like this app for its simplicity and fast features.
Download Redbus for Android Download Redbus for IOSApps for hotel booking in India
There are several hotel booking websites and apps in India among them here we will refer to those which we like the most. Also if you are not much experienced in online hotel booking in India then read online hotel booking tips and tricks .
In India there are a lot of hotel booking apps are there and new ones are coming too, but the ones which we like the most are Goibibo, MakeMyTrip, Trivago, Oyo Rooms, etc. All are good and have decent customer service. For more about the hotel booking apps, you can check out our post on Top Indian Budget Hotel Booking Apps and websites.
Indian Apps for Restaurants and Food Ordering
Zomato
Zomato has the biggest collection of restaurants and food database. So any place you are in you can just Zomato for the best restaurants around you. Also, they have started this Gold Subscription which allows you to eat at the price of half and also avail great deals all over India.
Download Zomato For Android Download Zomato for IOSSwiggy
For food deliveries, there's no better app than Swiggy right now in my opinion. Most of the time there will be offers ( One such coupon code is SWIGGYIT ) and bank discounts that allow us to order tasty food at affordable price tags.
Download Swiggy for IOS Download Swiggy for AndroidApps for Renting Cars and Bikes in India
There are several apps in India for renting Cars and Bikes that you can ride on your own. For cars, it's Zoomcar which is the most popular self-drive car rental company in India followed by Drivezy. There are also other companies who are also doing great in this market such as Revv. The best thing about Self-drive cars is you can take them for as many days as you want and the rent is very minimal, also needless to say the security deposit is also quite less.
Also, the Bike rental marketplace also quite high among youngsters and travel lovers. Vogo, Royale Brothers, Bykemania, OnnBikes, etc, there are a lot of bike rental apps and websites all provide very competitive pricing and great customer assistance. Wickedride is there for premium bike rental.
Here is an image showing the price comparison of all these self-drive cars cost and features for one day rent without fuel.
All 3 of these car rental services are great. Among these, Zoomcar is the oldest service and with a great price tag. Revv is comparatively new and still growing and the price is also a bit on the higher side. Drivezy is the favorite of mine right now because of the customer services, process of booking and pickup and cheapest among all three. Let us know which one is your favorite in the comment section.
Digital Payment Apps in India
India is moving towards Digital India which is the movement of going paperless and going online.
The Digital India programme is a flagship programme of the Government of India with a vision to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy.
Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology
Government of India
So there's been a lot of improvements towards the cashless economy, a lot of mobile payment apps has come in India. Most popular among them is Paytm. One doesn't have to carry cash every time and everywhere in India as most of the shops even the small ones too accept Paytm, Google Pay or Phonepe. While paytm has both wallet and UPI system, Phonepe and Google Pay ( formerly known as Tez ) works entirely on the Unified Payments system or UPI. Read more about UPI here.
Download Paytm App Download Google Pay Download PhonePeLocal News, Information and Event apps
Ever wondered if you were notified about the Coldplay Live event in India while you were in here? Well if you are traveling in India and also interested in the events that are happening in nearby places then you must install BookMyShow in your mobile. Primarily it is an Event ticket booking app, also the most popular movie ticket booking app in India. It is also accessible from the web, without installing apps also you can get information about events and book the tickets.
Also, I must let you know about another amazing local directory website and app JustDial, it is like the Google for Neighbourhood in India. One can find any kind of shops, services, places, information, etc about almost anything locally. For example, you want a rental cab for a few days but you don't know any good travel agency around the locality you are staying, which is quite normal, I mean when go touring then we won't know in and out of the place or the local services there. In this scenario, Justdial really helps a lot. You can just give a search at Justdial and get the list of the service providers with their service ratings and reviews and place.
Another important aspect while traveling, which most people miss paying attention to is the socio-economic condition of that place at the time when visiting. For this, one must have at least one local news app on their phone as it will not keep you informed about the present conditions about the country but also it will keep you aware about any kind of announcements for the particular place. Some of the Indian Media Websites and applications which can serve to that purpose are Hindustan Times, Times of India, The Telegraph, etc.
Travel apps to make your life easier
To-Do list or note-taking apps
Having a to-do list or document writer app helps to plan and organize your trips perfectly. And lucky for us, Google has both the solutions. I personally use Google Keep app for creating to-do lists, and it's amazing. For taking notes I use Jotterpad or Google Docs. Both are great to use, Jotterpad uses less memory though and it can sync with your google drive.
AccuWeather - Weather App while Traveling
A weather app is very very important while planning a tour, I know some people who wasted a week in Ladakh just because they didn't pay attention to the weather forecast. There are some places like hills or beachside places which can be inaccessible due to bad weather so before visiting that place you must check the weather forecast for that place for the particular time you have planned. Fo weather forecasting AccuWeather is a pretty good solution, I use it every day, and most of the phones by default comes with this installed nowadays.
Go to AccuWeather websiteTravel expense tracker apps
There are two kinds of expense tracking while traveling,
Personal Expense tracking, that is when you track your own expenses for better money management. For that, one can use Walnut App, which reads SMS of online transactions and tracks them automatically while one can track offline transactions by easily adding them. Also, it has a unique feature of nearby ATM finder.
Group Expenses Management, this is useful when you are traveling in a group. Not every time everyone splits the expenses rather someone pays and at the end of the trip expense split happen. For this exact management type the SplitWise app is just awesome. It intelligently calculates the cost to each member and makes the split at the end of the trip.
Indian Tourism Apps
Incredible India App
This app is the latest project by Tourism Ministry, India which helps the modern travelers from across the globe to know India better and having an information system full of the guide of places around India.
"Incredible India App is an innovative project of Ministry of Tourism to assist the international and domestic tourist to showcase India as a holistic destination, revolving around major experiences such as spirituality, heritage, adventure, culture, yoga, wellness and more.
The mobile app has been designed keeping in mind the preferences of the modern traveler. The app follows the trends and technologies of international standards and has been equipped with features to assist the traveler in each phase of their journey to India." - Description from the Official Ministry of Tourism Website.
This app can be downloaded from here.
AudioCompass app
This unique app acts as the travel guide and provides you the audio guide for the places you visit around India. While the free version has a lot of content, the premium version can be availed for just 49 Rupees or less than a dollar.
Making it an absolute gem for any traveler. It also allows you to download the podcast like audio recordings on your mobile and listen to it later feature making it internet independent. If you are interested in the history of the places you visit and valid information, then this is a must-have app on your mobile while traveling India.
Other Apps and websites that will be helpful while traveling
Tripadvisor, Triposo, Tripgator, these are some of the very prominent travel websites and apps available in India right now. RIght from reviews and ratings, it provides a platform to travel lovers for sharing their experiences. GrabOn and Coupondunia are there for the latest discounts and offers over a wide range of products. Microsoft SMS Organizer is one of the best message apps for better management of your SMS, OTP and financial reports. Also if you want to share the beautiful travel memories in social media then you must Visit BongQuotes for Beautiful Bengali Quotes and Captions.
Thank you for reading and if you feel any app or website helped you while traveling in India do comment with the experience; We would be happy to review and feature that app on our website.
