While traveling, we always make sure we have downloaded the apps to our phones and tablets that we know we’ll need on the trip… the airline app, Google Translate set for the country we are headed to, a currency conversion app, the app for whatever company we got our hotel and tours, etc. with, and the local transport train and bus apps. Even if you have Global Entry, Mobile Passport is a great app to have.

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But more importantly are the tools we use before we leave.

I find it much easier to plan on a big computer, and browse to my favorite sites:

Kayak to search for cheap fares, especially using the flexible dates feature.

Google Maps to search for hotels with a preview of amenities, what we might pay, and add area restaurants, hotels, and attractions as favorites.

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Trip Advisor to look up more hotel and attraction review.
Cheap Tickets to search for hotels deals.

Viator, Expedia, Travelocity, Uber, Lyft, etc., to search and compare tours and transfers.
Rome2Rio to search for train and bus fares for day trips.

But my favorite new web site is Google Travel (https://www.google.com/travel/)
If you have a Gmail account, all the confirmation emails you get are picked up by Google Travel, giving you a one stop spot to see all of your reservations; plus, you can browse area points of interest and things to do. Items you add to your ‘favorites’ in Google Travel get added directly to Google maps, letting you later use your Google maps app on your phone to get real time directions and travel options to these favorites, once on the ground.

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A final note, I still kinda love Trip Advisor...