Some love the idea of spontaneity so much, they arrange their lives around the idea of freedom from commitment. When the desire to hit the road strikes, they want to leave in hours, if not minutes. For others, last-minute trips come about through necessity, rather than by design. There may be surprise business meetings, or a family emergency. Whatever kind of last-minute travel needs life may bring, these are apps specifically built to help you put a well-planned trip together.
Last-minute flights
Different apps take different approaches to finding you last-minute fares.
Get the Flight Out and Fareness: GTFO may be abbreviated in eye-catching fashion, but it’s a serious app. It shows you every flight leaving your local airport over the next several hours, and it is up-to-the minute. It works for anyone who likes the idea of surprising themselves, and simply going anywhere that’s a good deal. The app is also worth checking out if you need to be somewhere specific; if you’re lucky, you could find a deal on the destination that you have in mind. Fareness, another app in this space, is also worth checking out.
Hopper: This app works well for those who aren’t flexible when it comes to the destination, but don’t mind when they go. When you give Hopper a destination, it tells you when the cheapest flights are over the next month or two.
Last-minute trips not far away
Travelzoo: If you’re spontaneous, but can’t possibly get on a plane to Europe at a moment’s notice, Travelzoo helps you find great deals either in your town or in towns close by. From cheap last-minute tickets to symphonies and museums in towns a couple of hours away, to cheap guided tours of nearby national parks, they have everything.
If all you want to do is to just get away and not do anything, the app even tells you what town close by has a last-minute deal on a boutique hotel. You can just shut yourself in and spoil yourself.
If last-minute deals around you are your thing, Hotels.com has a Tonight’s Local Deals feature that’s popular with spontaneous travelers too.
Last-minute hotel deals
Hotel tonight: This app is the best-known name when it comes to last-minute hotel deals anywhere in the Western world. If you’re someone who wants to simply take off for whatever destination offers the best value for your money, this app should be your go-to for ideas.
Last-minute vacations
JetSetter: If you don’t feel like putting your last-minute trip together on your own, JetSetter offers packaged vacations that include everything from flights to hotels. It can be a magical experience having someone else do all the legwork for you. You just get to be spontaneous.
Weather planning for last-minute trips
Weather Live Free: Sometimes, last-minute deals show up only because a destination has poor weather. Checking the weather is one of the most important things that you can do to ensure that a spontaneous trip isn’t a washout. This weather app offers constantly updated weather information, and is rated highly reliable.
Travel apps used to aim simply at finding you the cheapest prices if you had the time to wait. With these apps, however, you get far more control.
Chelsea Metcalfe has enjoyed backpacking around Europe and South America and is always up for another trip whether at home or away. She writes about travel and her outdoor adventure loving lifestyle.
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