Whether you’re dreaming up a city break, organising a group trip, or planning a family break, the right apps can save you hours of research.

Inspiration, getting started, building a day-by-day plan, and answering “where should we go?”.

If you’ve ever searched “plan my trip” and felt overwhelmed by the results, AI trip planners are for you.

ChatGPT is one of the most popular AI tools for travel. You can ask it anything from “create an itinerary for five days in Lisbon with two kids” to “what’s the best time of year to visit Japan on a budget?” It makes suggestions based on what you tell it, so the more detail you give, the better the plan.

Layla is another good option purpose-made for travel. It works as a dedicated AI holiday planner. Describe your ideal trip in plain English and it will pull together a full itinerary, complete with places to visit, restaurants, and travel times between stops. You can tweak the plan as you go — swapping things in and out — so it’s totally flexible.

Instead of spending your time researching, you can have a personalised itinerary in minutes. These tools are great for the early “where do I even start?” stage. It’s like having a well-travelled friend who’s always happy to help.

Try asking something specific, like “plan a trip itinerary for a long weekend in Barcelona for a group of six who love food and nightlife.” And then have a conversation until you’re happy with the plan. The more you ask, the more you can personalise things.

Finding the best prices and keeping everything in one place.

Once you know where you’re headed, it’s time to lock in the details. Booking apps have been around for years, but the smartest ones now use AI to help you get the best deal.

Skyscanner is still one of the best tools for flights. Its “Everywhere” search lets you explore the cheapest destinations from your nearest airport — perfect if you’re flexible on where to go. It also tracks prices and alerts you when fares drop.

Hopper takes things further with AI-powered price predictions. It constantly checks flight and hotel prices to tell you whether to book now or wait for a better deal. Its colour-coded calendar makes it simple to spot the cheapest travel dates.

Google Travel can be really handy too. It pulls together your flights, hotels, and saved places, and its price tracking is accurate and easy to use.

Flighty is worth downloading once you’ve booked your flights. It tracks your flight in real time and sends you updates on delays, gate changes, and cancellations — often before the airline tells you.

These apps take the guesswork out of “is this a good price?”. And they help you stay on top of your travel plans from booking right through to boarding.

Navigating unfamiliar cities without getting lost (or ripped off).

When you land somewhere new, you want to get around without any fuss. Good navigation apps are essential.

Citymapper is a must-have for city breaks. It covers public transport, walking, cycling, and taxis across dozens of cities worldwide. It tells you exactly which platform to stand on, when the next bus leaves, and how long your journey will take.

Google Maps is a good all-rounder. Its offline maps feature is especially handy abroad. Download the area before you travel and you can navigate without using data. It also now uses AI to suggest routes and highlight popular places nearby.

Getting around smoothly means less hassle and more time enjoying the trip. Download your maps before you leave and you won’t need to worry about finding Wi-Fi.

Ordering food, reading signs, asking for directions.

You don’t need to be fluent to get by – a good translation app can turn awkward pointing into a real chat.

Google Translate handles over 130 languages and works offline for many of them. Its camera feature is pretty clever too. Point your phone at a menu, a road sign, or a train timetable, and it translates the text on-screen.

It gives you confidence. Knowing you can read a menu or ask for help in the local language makes the whole trip more relaxed and more fun, especially in places where English isn’t widely spoken.

Tracking spending, splitting group costs, and avoiding money headaches.

This is where trips can get messy — especially with groups. Who paid for the taxi? Did everyone chip in for dinner? A good budgeting app keeps things easy and friendly.

Splitwise is great for group travel. Everyone logs what they’ve paid for, and the app works out who owes what at the end. No awkwardness or mental maths. You can use multiple currencies too.

Wise (used to be called TransferWise) is useful for sending money abroad at the real exchange rate, and its multi-currency account lets you hold and spend in different currencies with low fees.

Use Tesco Travel Money to sort your holiday spending

Get your currency online with home delivery or convenient Click+Collect. Prefer to visit in person? You can also buy in-store at a Tesco Travel Money Bureau. Fees may apply.

Go cashless with our Travel Money Card

Buy your Multi-currency Cash Passport prepaid card online and manage your money with ease wherever you go. Add up to 22 currencies to one card for simple, secure spending and easy ATM withdrawals abroad.

Check your balance anytime, top up while travelling, and spend in multiple currencies without hassle.

Nobody wants to be worrying about money or chasing friends for what they owe. The right tools keep spending clear and fair, so you can focus on enjoying yourselves.

You don’t need to download a load of apps to have a well-planned holiday. Pick one or two to help you plan, book, navigate, and manage your money — and you’ll be sorted.

Here’s a simple checklist to get you started:

With some handy AI tools and apps in your pocket, you can spend less time planning and more time doing the fun stuff.

Buy your currency easily online. Or pick up in-store when you’re doing the weekly shop.

To learn more about taking cash abroad, take a look at our guide - Why you still need travel money abroad.

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