The best transit apps for Android and iPhone


With these transit apps on your smartphone, the small details of getting from one destination to another fall into place.

Make life easier with these smartphone apps. Image credit: Todor Tsvetkov/iStock
Make life easier with these smartphone apps. Image credit: Todor Tsvetkov/iStock

Transportation apps on your iPhone or Android can connect you to all the ground transportation you need to make your trip flow smoothly, especially when you’re in an unfamiliar city.

When you’re able to get where you need to be on time, you make a good impression and remain productive and confident. Choose from these best transit apps to improve your next trip.

Blacklane – comfort and style in a private car

Organise your transportation with Blacklane. Image credit: Blacklane
Organise your transportation with Blacklane. Image credit: Blacklane

If you’re heading straight off the plane and into your first meeting, it’s crucial to be at your best — which won’t happen if you’re dragging your suitcase onto a subway or arguing with a cab driver about where to go. Booking a car service with Blacklane makes all the difference. Make airport pickups a breeze, thanks to chauffeurs who check for flight delays, or book a car by the hour to get to that special event relaxed and in style.

Available on iOS and Android

Turo – your own car

Use Turo to rent a car from the actual owner, rather than from an agency.

You can choose the precise car you want, rather than having a random model assigned to you, and you can have it delivered right to your location. Turo, which is available in almost 5,000 cities through Canada, Germany, the UK, and the U.S. and typically costs less than a traditional car rental agency.

Available on iOS and Android

Waze – never get lost again

If you prefer to rent a car when visiting a new city, the last thing you want to do is puzzle over maps and end up stuck in traffic — or worse, lost. With Waze, that’ll never happen again. Its crowd-sourced traffic data gives you real-time knowledge of what’s going on around you, rerouting you instantly if an accident or construction affects your planned route. The pleasant audible directions mean you never have to take your hands off the wheel or your eyes off the road.

Available on iOS and Android

Wanderu – easy ground transportation booking

The layout of the Wanderu app is simple and easy-to-use. Image credit: Wanderu
The layout of the Wanderu app is simple and easy-to-use. Image credit: Wanderu

When you need to book a train in Europe or North America, Wanderu serves as an aggregator to let you find routes and fares and to book seats. You can compare prices on different carriers to find the best price and most convenient route. This ground transportation app also books seats on major bus lines.

Available on iOS and Android

Citymapper – make sense of public transit

When you’re trying to navigate through major cities that offer multiple public transportation options, understanding the ins and outs can make a huge difference to your peace of mind. Citymapper pulls together all the info on your transit options, even telling you which way to exit the subway and the best place to board your bus or train.

Available on iOS and Android

Hopper – AI helps you save money

Stay on top of flight prices with Hopper. Image credit: Hopper
Stay on top of flight prices with Hopper. Image credit: Hopper

This transportation app made some headlines when it was introduced in 2017 thanks to its use of artificial intelligence to find smart airfare deals. Hopper analyzes up to 15 billion flight prices each day, which is why it landed in our picks for best apps for travelers. With that data, it predicts when fares are going to change, lets you know whether you should book now or wait, and notifies you when airfare prices drop.

You can complete actual bookings in about 60 seconds with just a few taps. Hotel bookings are also available on the app, which generally saves its users about 40 percent over standard pricing.

Available on iOS and Android

Google Flights – powerful search features

Google Flights speeds through offerings from 300 airlines and travel firms to provide you with a vast array of flight choices, faster than any other app.

While you shouldn’t count on it to find you the cheapest flights, Google Flights can search seven airports at once so you can see all your options quickly. In addition, the app lets you search a full year out, making ideal for travelers who like to plan ahead.