If you’re traveling with your iPhone, there are probably tons of apps you use during your trip. With an Apple Watch on your wrist, you can increasingly leave your iPhone in your pocket. With these travel apps for the Apple Watch, you’ll always have all your information at your fingertips, check out interesting places nearby, and communicate more easily with locals.
Remember that you are still dependent on your iPhone to use these apps, because that is where the Apple Watch gets its internet connection from. Also, many apps synchronize their data via the corresponding iPhone app. If you also want to use these apps without an iPhone, you can use the Apple Watch with 4G for that. Keep in mind that currently only KPN offers support for mobile data on the Apple Watch abroad.
Flighty
Perhaps the best travel app for the Apple Watch is the Flighty app. This app for tracking your flights has also worked on the Apple Watch since the arrival of watchOS 10. The app has a modern design and supports the latest features of watchOS, including widgets for your smart stack. There are extensive complications, so you can immediately see which gate you need to be at from your watch face. The app is regularly updated with new features and is highly recommended for anyone who flies.
App in the Air
If you are looking for a bit more information than the Schiphol app above, then App in the Air is more worthwhile. With the app you can check everything you want to know about your flight. For each step you can see exactly how much time you have left, such as boarding and until the moment the plane takes off. There is even a beautiful 3D representation of the globe, on which you can see how the plane flies. There is even a packing list with all kinds of useful tips that you should not forget when you go on holiday. The app also has useful complications, so that you can see directly from your watch face which gate you need to be at.
Schiphol
The official Schiphol app is also available on the Apple Watch, although we find it somewhat lacking compared to the two apps above. You can see whether your flight is on time, which gate and departure hall you need to be at and where your luggage will arrive. You do have to scroll a lot to see the information, because the app shows it on three different screens.
Train guide
Are you traveling by train within the Netherlands? Then Treingids should not be missing on your Apple Watch. This app shows you exactly the route to any station in the Netherlands. With a beautiful display you can see exactly which stations you are driving past, simply from your Apple Watch. It also checks your location and the nearest stations. With the paid version you can also drive to international train stations.
Transit
Transit has been around for quite a few years on the Apple Watch. Like the iPhone version, the app makes it easy to plan a route using public transportation. You can see arrival times for trains and buses, and it shows you a map so you know how to get there. Transit data is real-time, so the bus should arrive exactly on time so you don’t end up standing around at a stop. You’ll also get alerts for delays and disruptions, changes to the schedule, and more. The iPhone app also lets you plan trips while you’re offline.
Citymapper
Citymapper is a popular public transport app – and luckily it’s also available on the Apple Watch. You can use it to travel around major cities such as London, Paris, Barcelona and New York. But there is also coverage for the whole of the Netherlands. You get travel times for bus, train and metro. The Apple Watch app also offers cycle routes and shows where you can rent a bike. After setting the route, you will receive step-by-step notifications on the screen of the Apple Watch. You can start from home or from pre-saved locations. Citymapper also helps you find the bus stop.
Apple Wallet
Every Apple Watch comes with the Wallet app as standard. This app is not only the place for all your loyalty cards and Apple Pay debit cards, but also for airline tickets. Almost all airlines also allow you to add your airline tickets to Wallet. By putting your ticket on your watch, you don’t have to fiddle with printed tickets or your phone while boarding. In most cases, you can have your ticket scanned from your wrist without any problems, leaving your hands free for all your luggage. That makes traveling a lot easier.
Sygic Travel trip planner
You probably know Sygic from the offline navigation apps. Sygic also has a complete travel planner. With the app you can add locations you want to visit to your trip. You can not only search for interesting places, but also for tours, hotels and much more. By adding them to your trip, you have all the information at your fingertips on your Apple Watch. For example, you can see how long it is to walk to the next attraction. You can also search for interesting places around you, such as shops and museums. If you don’t want to download a separate app, you can also use the similar Nearby function in Apple Maps.
Foursquare City Guide
Similar to Sygic Travel, Foursquare City Guide offers you an overview of interesting locations nearby. You can search by category, for example breakfast, lunch or dinner and then filter by price or rating. You can also search for locations this way on the Apple Watch. You can also view all your bookmarks that you have saved via the iPhone version. This way you can check opening times or the route to your next destination, for example.
Magic Earth
Are you on holiday and do you want to go for a drive? Then Magic Earth is a good choice. This all-round free offline navigation app also works on the Apple Watch. The app was gone for a while, but fortunately it is back. You get all the instructions for turns on your wrist. This is especially useful if you do not have a holder with you on holiday to put your iPhone in. This way you still get clear instructions, without having to get your iPhone. You can also choose to travel via public transport, bicycle or as a pedestrian from the Apple Watch. You view your favorites or browse through your history, to quickly start a journey from your Apple Watch.
iTranslate Converse
When talking about travel apps on the Apple Watch, a translation app is a must. Once you arrive at your holiday destination, you can communicate much more easily with iTranslate Converse if you do not speak the language. iTranslate Converse is mainly intended for short conversations. You speak in your own language towards your Apple Watch and tap the screen. Your spoken text is then spoken out loud in a language of your choice. This way, the foreign conversation partner can understand what you are saying. You simply choose two languages ​​and the app recognizes which text is spoken in which language. In total, you can choose from almost 40 languages, so you can go almost anywhere with the app.
This app is free, but it does have a paid subscription, which you actually need to be able to use this app effectively. Fortunately, you can also do this monthly and you can try it for seven days before you have to pay. iTranslate Converse works with dozens of languages ​​and gives you the opportunity to talk naturally with people whose language you don’t know. Don’t take out a subscription for months.
In iTranslate Converse, you hold down a button on the screen to speak. Then you release it to hear the translation. The other person then does the same. Because you’re doing it on your Apple Watch, it’s less risky. There’s less chance of a stranger stealing your expensive Apple device. The app uses your location to figure out where you are and adjusts the language accordingly. It also works well in busy environments. It depends on whether the paid version is worth the money. If you have important things to do, the app will pay for itself.
ETA
ETA is an app that never lets you down. You add a location on your iPhone and the app gives you options for driving, walking or public transport. You can also set ETA as a complication on your Apple Watch, which shows you the time left to get to your destination. It also takes into account traffic and rush hour. On your Apple Watch, you tap on your chosen destination and the app redirects you to the Maps app to show you the route. You can also get public transport instructions in certain cities.
About
Circa is an app that helps you keep track of time zones. It is useful for travelers, but also for people who have to deal with people from different time zones. You can get an answer to the question: is this a good time? With circles you can see what time it is in other places, so you can see if other people are awake. It is simple and looks nice, just what you need!
TripIt
TripIt is one of the apps we discuss in our list of vacation planning apps. With this app, you can put together a complete vacation. All the necessary reservations and documents are at your fingertips, from your seat number on your flight to your car rental company number. You send the confirmation emails of your flight, hotel, car rental and so on to TripIt and the app organizes it automatically. This way, you get the information delivered at exactly the right time. The Apple Watch app shows what is important at a given moment. When boarding a plane, it is your flight number and departure time. With a Pro subscription, you also get flight notifications and alternative flights, in case you miss your plane. However, the free version already has enough useful features.
Other travel apps for your Apple Watch
There are many more travel apps for the Apple Watch that can come in handy, including these:
- Circa³ – Time Zone Converter (€3.99, iPhone/iPad/WatchiOS 11.0+) – View and convert time zones. Handy for the home front. Unfortunately, the app hasn’t been updated in a while.
- Elk Currency Converter (Free + IAPiPhone/WatchiOS 15.0+) – Unit converters for when you travel outside Europe.
- Travel Planner Guide: Tripsy (Free + IAPiPhone/iPad/Watch/Mac, iOS 16.0+) – An app for making travel plans.
Also check out our guide to taking your iPhone or iPad on holiday, where you can read which apps will come in handy during your trip.
