Don't Leave Home Without These Great iPhone Travel Apps

The Best iPhone Travel Apps

Don't leave home without these handy tools

Updated on January 7, 2020

The iPhone has transformed driving. A whole category of travel apps is available to make your trips easier, from letting you know where to find the cheapest nearby gas to help you locate a good restaurant off an upcoming exit. Here are our picks for those you'll want to bring along on your next trip.

IExit

It can be hard to figure out where to eat, find gas or how to select a hotel when you're driving through an area you're not familiar with. iExit solves that problem. It uses the iPhone's built-in GPS to determine your location, then it shows you a list of all kinds of amenities nearby. It doesn't offer gas prices, but it does have an offline mode that allows older devices without GPS to work. It's an excellent travel companion. Version 9.1.2 requires iOS 8.0 or higher, and it will work with your iPad or iPod Touch, too.

SmartFuel

iphones gas prices apps — Iridium Development LLC

SmartFuel is available by subscription. It doesn't have as many features as iExit, but its main functionality – finding the lowest-priced gas nearby – is top-notch. It finds gas stations using the iPhone's GPS and it lists prices so you can get the best deal. Its listings are comprehensive and prices are accurate. Version 2.1 requires iOS 7.0 or later.

Exxon Mobile Fuel Finder

Fuel Finder provides the same functionality as SmartFuel, but it adds an "On Fumes" feature that not only finds the closest gas with a single touch but also provides phone numbers for an extensive list of roadside assistance and other service providers. Fuel Finder doesn't have quite the number of listings that SmartFuel does, and it has occasional price errors, but it doesn't require a subscription. Version 2.3 is compatible with iOS 7.0 or later.

RoadAhead

RoadAhead is similar to iExit in that it provides information about what's available off nearby exits, from gas stations to fast food to hotels and rest stops. It has a few bugs, however, including occasional crashes and difficulty in acquiring a GPS signal but is pretty appealing all the same.

Rest Area

This is an older app supported by iOS 4.0 or later. Unlike apps that help you find what's off the highway, Rest Area helps you find places to stop while you're on the highway. It uses GPS to determine your location and shows you the nearest rest areas, service centers, and welcome areas. Each rest area listing includes information about the amenities available there. Rest Area's functionality is pretty specific and limited, but it does what it sets out to do pretty well – and it's free.

GasBuddy

Like the other gas price apps on this list, GasBuddy pinpoints gas stations near you on a map and provides prices so you can get the best deal. It also help information about the amenities available at each station. It doesn't list all the stations that other apps do and it has an occasional price error, but it's free. It requires iOS 8.0 or later.

Rest Stops Plus

Rest Stops Plus is very similar to Rest Area in that it locates nearby rest stops and provides information about them. The original version suffered from overly complex and extensive filtering options. It offered no clear indication of what highway a given rest stop is located on. Then, Version 5.0 was released in December 2015 and it worked out many of the kinks. You can now see directional access on the map and much of the app's data has been rebuilt.

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