The Best Apps You Need for Your Next Road Trip
The Pack Up + Go team loves hitting the road to explore the US! Here are our favorite apps for planning a great road trip around the country.
From shorter journeys, like a Pack Up + Go Surprise Road Trip, to a cross country Road Trip that hits all 50 states - there are many ways to explore by car. Before you leave, install these apps to ensure a seamless trip.
The Basics:
Before you head out on the road, we highly suggest that you have some app standards installed on your phone.
GPS
It’s always a good idea to use a trusted GPS when taking a long road trip. You can’t beat Google Maps for directions, recommendations, and finding new routes when you hit traffic. Pro tip: Download your maps in advance if you’re driving to a place with poor cell service. That way, you’ll always have access to your directions!
Waze is another great option for those who want to be more interactive with their journey by sharing real-time information with others using the app!
Fun Stuff:
Roadtrippers
The best part of road trips is discovering hidden gems en route to your destination. Luckily for you, Roadtrippers makes finding activities and sightseeing opportunities along your route a breeze!
Simply enter your starting location + destination, and Roadtrippers will show you the best restaurants, activities, experiences, shopping, and rest stops between the two.
Looking for road trip inspiration? Their trip guides will help you plan your best road trip yet!
Use code: PACKUPGO5 for $5 off your Roadtrippers membership!
Magic Hour
One perk of a road trip is that you can pull over somewhere beautiful for Magic Hour - also referred to as Golden Hour - a term photographers use to describe the hour after sunrise or before sunset when the light is at its prettiest.
This app lets you know exactly when Magic Hour begins and ends each day based on your location, helping you time your stop right. If you pay $0.99, you can add locations, allowing you to plan for future Magic Hours + perfect pictures!
Apple Store | (Magic Hour is only available for Apple devices, but Google Play offers similar apps for Android users.)
The Outbound Collective
Being cooped up in a car for hours on end can be the hardest part of a road trip. Enter: The Outbound, which allows road trippers to find outdoor activities along their route.
Check-in with this GPS-based, crowd-sourced app, which gives local recommendations for nearby outdoorsy activities.
The app will point you to national parks, good hiking trails, secret swimming holes, and more—and the user reviews are fact-checked by The Outbound Collective staff, so you can trust the advice (which is especially important if you’re hiking in an area you don’t know well).
SoundHound
A music identification app that can tell you all about a song, whether it listens to music playing near you or you're humming a tune you just can't get out of your head.
When you hear a song you like but don’t know, open up SoundHound, hit the orange circle, and the app will tell you its name. The app keeps a dated history of the tunes you identify. If you have Spotify or Apple Music, you can even sync your accounts with SoundHound, and all of your discoveries will automatically show up in a playlist called “SoundHound.”
By the end of the trip, you’ll have a curated playlist of your song discoveries that you can play long after you’ve returned home!
Spotify
This app is a no-brainer for road trips.
This audio streaming platform hosts millions of songs plus podcasts, audiobooks, and pretty much anything you can listen to!
One huge perk of Spotify is that the service is free! However, if you would prefer to listen without advertisements, you can pay for Spotify Premium for $9.99/month.
Spotify is a Pack Up + Go favorite to create trip specific playlists to jam out to while on the road!
Autio
Autio is a travel app that offers location-based audio stories from coast-to-coast.
It aims to provide a hands-free experience that informs, entertains, and fosters a deeper connection with the people, places, and histories of the land you are traveling through.
Autio enriches your road trip with fascinating stories and knowledge. Let Autio be your guide as you explore new destinations and uncover the hidden histories that surround you.
Apple Store | (Similar apps for Android users, Google Play.)
Planning a road trip involves many factors, and one essential aspect is finding the best fuel prices along your route.
GasBuddy is a reliable and user-friendly app that revolutionizes the way you search for fuel prices. With its extensive network and powerful features, GasBuddy empowers you to make informed decisions, ensuring you get the most out of your fuel budget.
GasBuddy allows you to search for the cheapest gas prices near your current location or along your planned route. With real-time data crowdsourced from millions of users, the app provides accurate and up-to-date information on gas prices at various stations.
Embarking on a Road Trip is an exhilarating experience, and with the right apps by your side, it becomes even better.
We've explored a wide range of essential road trip apps that will transform your journey into a seamless adventure.
Start planning your unforgettable Surprise Road Trip today with Pack Up + Go!
