The Essential Travel Apps You Need for Europe in 2026 — From Flights to Currency

Border and Travel Formalities

Travel to Europe — The official EU app for the new Entry/Exit System (EES). It guides users through passport scanning, face capture and pre-trip details to streamline immigration. If you're a non-EU citizen entering Spain or anywhere in the Schengen zone, this is now essential.

UK ETA — The official app for obtaining electronic travel authorisation when visiting the United Kingdom, consolidating identity and passport verification in one place. Useful for expats in Spain planning trips back to the UK.

Planning and Itineraries

Wanderlog — Lets you map out each day of a trip, move stops around, and keep bookings, notes and routes together in one place. Particularly useful for multi-city trips across Europe.

TripIt — Converts email confirmations into organised itineraries, pulling together flights, hotels, train tickets and restaurant reservations automatically.

PackPoint — Creates packing lists based on your destination, trip duration and planned activities. Simple but surprisingly useful.

Flights and Accommodation

Skyscanner — Quick comparison of European flight routes, with hotel and car rental browsing built in.

Flighty — iPhone-focused flight tracker with fast alerts, live tracking and early warnings when your inbound aircraft is already running late.

Booking.com — The go-to accommodation finder with strong filtering and built-in messaging with properties.

Hostelworld — If you're travelling on a budget, this is the best app for finding hostels with extensive reviews.

Getting Between Cities

Omio — Compares trains, buses, flights and ferries across European routes in a single search. Excellent for planning travel within Spain or across borders.

Rail Europe — For international train bookings across multiple countries, with rail passes and mobile tickets.

Rome2Rio — Shows every possible route option — trains, buses, ferries, flights, taxis, driving — for any journey you're planning.

FlixBus — Affordable intercity and cross-country bus travel. Covers a huge network across Spain and Europe.

Getting Around Cities

Google Maps — Still the best all-rounder for directions, public transport, walking routes and local recommendations. Don't forget to download offline maps for areas with patchy signal.

Citymapper — Specialises in major European cities, breaking metro, bus and tram routes into clear, manageable steps.

Language and Communication

Google Translate — Camera translation, offline language packs, and now Gemini-powered live translation with headphones on iPhone. Point your camera at a Spanish menu and get an instant translation.

DeepL — More natural-sounding translations for longer or more complex text. Great for understanding official letters, contracts or messages in Spanish.

Money and Payments

Wise — Multi-currency accounts with real exchange rates. The go-to for expats and travellers moving money between pounds, euros and other currencies.

Revolut — Combines spending tools, currency exchange, cards and budgeting in one app. Widely used by expats in Spain.

Splitwise — Tracks shared expenses within travel groups automatically. Useful for holidays with friends or family.

Tours and Discovery

GetYourGuide — Quick booking of museum slots, guided tours and activities with mobile tickets.

Tripadvisor — Restaurant, attraction and activity recommendations based on traveller reviews.

GuruWalk — Free walking tours searchable by destination. A great way to explore a new Spanish city without spending a cent upfront.

This article is based on reporting from Euronews, published April 5, 2026. This article is for informational purposes only. App availability and features may vary by device and region.