Planning a family vacation can be stressful, especially when you're trying to juggle everyone's wants and needs. But don't worry! There are tons of apps out there that can help make the process easier and more enjoyable. From finding the perfect destination to organizing your itinerary, these apps have you covered.
My top three picks are Tripadvisor for researching attractions and finding deals, TripIt for managing your flights and hotel bookings, and Cozi Family Organizer for keeping everyone in the loop on the schedule. There are even apps specifically for keeping track of kids' activities and for finding family-friendly restaurants. Read on to find the best apps for your family vacation!
| App | Logo | Available On | Reviews | Downloads | Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Tripadvisor |  | Android, iOS | 4.8/5 | 425M+ | Personalized travel recommendations, Great deals on hotels and experiences |
| 2. TripIt |  | Android, iOS | 4.8/5 | 6M+ | Automatic itinerary organization, Real-time flight alerts |
| 3. Cozi Family Organizer |  | Android, iOS | 4.8/5 | 6M+ | Shared family calendar, Real-time grocery lists, Automated agenda emails |
| 4. Polarsteps |  | Android, iOS | 4.8/5 | 5M+ | Routen automatisch aufzeichnen, Offline verwendbar |
| 5. PackPoint travel packing list |  | Android, iOS | 4.7/5 | 2M+ | Smart Packing Lists, Real-Time Weather Updates, Shareable Packing Lists |
| 6. Visit A City |  | Android, iOS | 4.8/5 | 2M+ | Customized itinerary, Comprehensive guide, Wide range of tours |
| 7. Roadtrippers |  | Android, iOS | 4.6/5 | 2M+ | AI-powered trip wizard, 150,000+ campground reviews |
1. Tripadvisor
Millions of traveler reviews, Find deals on hotels, Plan your itinerary
Download:
Application information
| Category | Travel & Local |
| Downloads | Over 425 million downloads |
| Features | Tripadvisor helps families find and book hotels, attractions, restaurants, and activities, compare prices, read reviews, and get personalized recommendations based on family interests. |
| Who It’s For | Families looking to plan vacations, find deals, and explore destinations with the help of millions of traveler reviews. |
- Tags:
- Personalized recommendations
- Extensive Travel Information
- Booking Convenience
Tripadvisor is a powerful family vacation planning app that helps you navigate the complexities of travel, from finding the perfect accommodation to discovering hidden gems in your destination. Users rave about the app's wealth of information, including reviews and photos, which allow them to make informed decisions about where to stay, eat, and play. While the app has received some criticism for email frequency, recent updates have been well-received, demonstrating Tripadvisor's commitment to enhancing the user experience. With its comprehensive resources and user-friendly interface, Tripadvisor is a must-have app for any family planning a memorable vacation.
Pros & Cons
- Helpful reviews for hotels
- Finds restaurants and activities
- Helps plan family vacations
- Avoids bad experiences with reviews
- No private entrance indicator
- Difficult to navigate updates
- Excessive daily email spamming
Why we chose it?
Tripadvisor is the ultimate family vacation planner! We’ve got millions of reviews and photos from real travelers, so you can see what to expect before you go. Plus, our easy-to-use search filters help you find the perfect hotels, activities, and restaurants for your family. And with deals on hotels and experiences, you can save money and enjoy your trip even more!
✨ Read more: app for family chores
2. TripIt
Organize all travel plans, Share itineraries with family, Track expenses and activities
Cost:
Free (Free), TripIt Pro ($49 per year)
Download:
Application information
| Category | Travel & Local |
| Downloads | Over 6 million |
| Features | TripIt streamlines family vacation planning by automatically organizing all travel details, managing reservations, providing real-time updates, and offering helpful travel tips and recommendations. |
| Who It’s For | Families looking for a user-friendly app to simplify their vacation planning and ensure a smooth and enjoyable experience. |
- Tags:
- Itinerary Organization
- Automatic Trip Planning
- Reservation Management
TripIt, a family vacation planning app, streamlines your travel arrangements by consolidating all your bookings in one central location. This handy app automatically gathers your flight, hotel, and rental car details, making it easy to access essential information even when you're offline. However, users have pointed out a few areas for improvement. Some wish TripIt would capture boarding pass screenshots for quick access, especially in the chaos of an airport. Others have experienced issues with the app's mileage tracking and automatic updates for cancellations or changes. While some have encountered login glitches, the TripIt team has been responsive in resolving these issues. Despite these hiccups, TripIt remains a valuable tool for families looking to simplify their vacation planning and keep all their travel information readily available.
Pros & Cons
- Organizes travel plans
- Good for itinerary details
- Easy to use interface
- Provides travel alerts
- Doesn't auto-update changes
- Calendar sync issues
- Occasional login problems
Why we chose it?
TripIt is a lifesaver for family vacations! It automatically organizes all your travel plans in one place, from flights and hotels to rental cars and restaurant reservations. I love that I can share my itinerary with everyone in the family, so everyone knows where we're going and what's happening.
✨ Read more: app for family
3. Cozi Family Organizer
Shared calendar for all trips, Packing list and itinerary, Expense tracking and budgeting
Cost:
Free Plan (Free), Cozi Gold ($34.99/year)
Download:
Application information
| Category | Productivity |
| Downloads | Over 5.5 million downloads |
| Features | Cozi helps families manage schedules, share to-do lists, plan meals, create shopping lists, and store important documents all in one place. |
| Who It’s For | Families looking for a simple and effective way to organize their daily lives, including planning family vacations. |
- Tags:
- Shared Family Calendar
- Grocery and To-Do Lists
- Automated reminders
Cozi Family Organizer was once a beloved family planning app, lauded for its simple yet effective calendar and shopping list features. Users praised its ability to keep families organized and on track, with many relying on Cozi as their central hub for everything from grocery lists to appointments. However, recent changes, including the introduction of a hefty $40 annual fee for features like viewing more than a month on the calendar and accessing widgets, have left users feeling betrayed and disappointed. Families who once relied on Cozi for seamless planning are now turning to other options, leaving Cozi's reputation as a trusted family vacation planning app in shambles.
Pros & Cons
- Easy to use interface
- Shared calendar and lists
- Great for managing family events
- Helpful for tracking groceries
- Limited free features
- Expensive subscription for full access
- No longer integrates with Alexa
Why we chose it?
Cozi is a fantastic choice for family vacation planning because it's incredibly user-friendly and keeps everyone on the same page. It's got a shared calendar that's perfect for coordinating everyone's flights, activities, and appointments, and the to-do lists are ideal for packing and pre-trip planning. Plus, Cozi is totally free – no hidden costs or subscriptions!
✨ Read more: app for exploring city
4. Polarsteps
Track your family's journey, Create shared travel memories, Plan activities for all ages
Download:
Application information
| Category | Travel & Local |
| Downloads | Over 4.5 million downloads |
| Features | Polarsteps helps you plan, track, and relive your family vacations, with features like automatic route recording, itinerary planning, travel guides, photo organization, and offline map access. |
| Who It’s For | Families looking for an app to help them plan, track, and document their vacations. |
- Tags:
- Automatic route tracking
- Beautiful digital world map
- Insider travel tips
Polarsteps is more than just a travel app, it's a family vacation planning app that helps you capture, relive, and share your adventures. Imagine tracking your journey, adding personal anecdotes and photos, and then effortlessly sharing your experience with loved ones – that's Polarsteps! Users rave about its ability to create a beautiful, interactive map of your travels, complete with photos and detailed stories. This app goes beyond simple tracking, transforming your memories into a stunning travel book, perfect for showcasing your family vacation to friends and family. And with its continuous updates, Polarsteps continues to evolve, making it even more valuable for your family's next adventure.
Pros & Cons
- Track trip and include anecdotes
- Share trip with friends and family
- Relive trip with detailed journal
- Create high-quality travel book
- Location tracking not always accurate
- Requires frequent manual location updates
- Learning curve for new users
Why we chose it?
Polarsteps is a fantastic choice for families because it takes the stress out of planning and makes sharing your adventures easy. With Polarsteps, you can create a shared itinerary, track your journey automatically, and even turn your trip into a beautiful photo book to treasure forever. The app's user-friendly interface and offline functionality make it perfect for keeping everyone organized and entertained, even when you're off the grid.
✨ Read more: app for city walking tours
5. PackPoint travel packing list
Personalized packing lists for each family member, Weather-based packing suggestions for all destinations
Cost:
Free (Free), PackPoint Premium ($14.99/year)
Download:
Application information
| Category | Travel & Local |
| Downloads | Over two million downloads |
| Features | PackPoint helps you create personalized packing lists based on your destination, weather, activities, and trip duration, making sure you don't forget anything for a stress-free family vacation. |
| Who It’s For | Families looking to plan stress-free vacations with personalized packing lists. |
- Tags:
- Smart Packing Lists
- Personalized recommendations
- Weather-Based Packing
PackPoint is a game-changer for family vacation planning, taking the stress out of packing by building personalized lists based on destination, weather, and activities. Users rave about the app's ability to automatically generate lists, eliminating the need for tedious manual creation. One user even described PackPoint as "the most convenient app I can imagine," highlighting its ease of use. The customizable lists and responsive customer service further enhance the experience, making PackPoint a valuable tool for families looking to simplify their vacation preparations.. PackPoint travel packing list
Pros & Cons
- Automates packing list creation
- Considers weather conditions
- Highly customizable packing lists
- Excellent customer service support
- Limited checklist formatting options
- Reordering items within categories is difficult
- Some features may require paid version
Why we chose it?
PackPoint is a lifesaver for family vacations! It takes the stress out of packing by creating personalized lists based on your destination, weather, and planned activities. It even lets you share lists with your family so everyone knows what to bring. And the best part? It's completely free!
✨ Read more: app for car travel
6. Visit A City
Family-friendly activities and attractions, Personalized itineraries for all ages
Cost:
Free (Free), Premium ($4.99/month)
Download:
Application information
| Category | Travel & Local |
| Downloads | Almost two million downloads |
| Features | Visit A City helps families plan their vacations by offering itinerary creation, booking tours and activities, discovering landmarks and hidden gems, and providing detailed information and reviews. |
| Who It’s For | Families looking for a comprehensive and easy-to-use app for planning their city vacations. |
- Tags:
- Personalized Itinerary
- Comprehensive City Guide
- Variety of Tours and Activities
Visit A City is a family vacation planning app that helps you create detailed itineraries for your trips. It allows you to add attractions, tours, and even breaks for dining to your schedule, making it a truly customizable tool for planning your vacation. While the app currently focuses on viewing the itinerary you've created on the website, users have praised its ease of use and comprehensive features, especially the ability to add custom attractions. Parents will appreciate the ability to see estimated travel times between destinations and the option to reorder activities for the most efficient and enjoyable experience.
Pros & Cons
- Helps plan tours and excursions
- Highly customizable itinerary creation
- Easy to use interface, even on older devices
- Allows adding personal attractions
- Limited app functionality compared to website
- Cannot edit itinerary directly on the app
- Auto-timed activities, no manual time setting
Why we chose it?
I love Visit A City for planning family vacations! It's super easy to create itineraries and book tours and activities, and the app has a ton of information on must-see attractions and hidden gems. Plus, it lets you filter your searches by kid-friendly options, so you can easily find activities everyone will enjoy. It's a one-stop shop for family fun!
7. Roadtrippers
AI-powered trip planning, Camping & RV features, Roadside attractions & stops
Cost:
Free (Free), Roadtrippers Plus ($9.99/month)
Download:
Application information
| Category | Travel & Local |
| Downloads | Over 1.9 million downloads |
| Features | Roadtrippers helps families plan epic road trips with its AI-powered trip planner, campground reviews, and curated attractions for all ages. |
| Who It’s For | Families looking for a comprehensive app to plan fun and memorable road trips. |
- Tags:
- AI-powered trip planning
- Enhanced camping and RV features
- Personalized trip recommendations
Roadtrippers, a popular family vacation planning app, aims to make road trips more enjoyable and memorable. While it offers a wealth of information, like discovering free attractions and fun stops off the beaten path, some users have expressed frustrations with the app's routing features and map design. Issues like winter closures not being considered during summer planning and the inability to easily calculate daily distances have led some users to rely on other apps like Google Maps. While Roadtrippers has potential for planning family adventures, its shortcomings in crucial areas like navigation and route optimization have left some users disappointed.
Pros & Cons
- Finds fun off-beaten-path things
- Offers free attractions suggestions
- Provides a lot of trip information
- Great for family vacation planning
- Flawed routing and distance calculation
- Blue route line covers highway numbers
- Navigation lacks North-at-top option
Why we chose it?
Roadtrippers is the perfect app for families who love exploring! I love how easy it is to plan an adventure with its amazing route planning, and it even suggests cool stops along the way. Plus, it's packed with campground reviews, making it super helpful for finding the perfect spot for our RV.
8. Wanderlog
Collaborative itinerary creation, Easy route optimization, Shareable travel guides
Cost:
Free (Free), Wanderlog Premium ($5.99/month)
Download:
Application information
| Category | Travel & Local |
| Downloads | Over 1.4 million downloads |
| Features | Wanderlog helps you plan and organize your family vacations by letting you create itineraries, manage bookings, view attractions on a map, collaborate with loved ones, and share your travel guides. |
| Who It’s For | Families looking for a user-friendly app to plan their vacations together. |
- Tags:
- Easy Trip Planning
- Collaborative Travel
- Optimized Road Trips
Planning a family vacation can be a logistical nightmare, but Wanderlog makes it a breeze. This intuitive app lets you research and compile restaurants, attractions, nightlife, and points of interest, all viewable on a map for a bird's-eye perspective of your destination. Wanderlog seamlessly integrates with Google Maps and TripAdvisor, making it easy to add adventures, book accommodations, and even split costs with friends and family. Whether you're using your phone, tablet, or computer, Wanderlog's intuitive interface and comprehensive features ensure a stress-free family vacation planning experience.
Pros & Cons
- Great for trip planning
- Easy to organize activities
- Interactive Google Maps view
- Connects to Trip Advisor
- No AirBnB integration
- Limited family features
- Not ideal for large groups
Why we chose it?
Wanderlog is my go-to app for family vacations because it's so easy to use and keeps everyone on the same page. I love that I can add everyone's must-see places and then organize them into a shared itinerary that we can all access and edit. Plus, it's super helpful to have a map view that shows all of our planned activities and accommodations, which makes it easy to visualize the trip and ensure we're hitting all the highlights!
9. Family Shared Calendar
Shared calendar for trip planning, Collaborative to-do lists for tasks
Cost:
Free (Free), Premium ($1.99/month)
Download:
Application information
| Category | Productivity |
| Downloads | Over 1.4 Million |
| Features | FamCal allows families to share calendars, events, tasks, notes, contacts, and birthday reminders, making it a central hub for organizing and staying connected. |
| Who It’s For | Families looking for a [Family vacation planning app] and a way to stay organized and connected. |
- Tags:
- Shared calendars
- Task management
- Family Notes
Planning a family vacation can be a logistical nightmare, but FamCal makes it a breeze. This intuitive app, praised by users for its "amazing" features and "user-friendly" design, simplifies the process with shared calendars, color-coded appointments, and shared grocery lists. FamCal's "awesome" shared lists let you coordinate everything from packing necessities to restaurant reservations, ensuring a stress-free vacation for the whole family. Unlike other apps that require costly subscriptions, FamCal offers these features for free, making it the ultimate tool for planning memorable family getaways.. Family Shared Calendar
Pros & Cons
- Shared calendar for family
- Color coding for events
- Grocery and to-do lists
- Easy to navigate interface
- Limited shopping list organization
- No due dates or repeats for lists
- Lack of a web version
Why we chose it?
I love FamCal! It's super helpful for planning family vacations because you can share calendars, tasks, and notes with everyone in the family. This keeps everyone on the same page and avoids those frustrating "I thought you were taking care of that!" moments. Plus, it's easy to color-code events for each family member, which is great for quickly seeing who's doing what.
10. TravelSpend
Track shared vacation expenses, Split costs fairly among family
Cost:
Free (Free), Premium ($4.99/month)
Download:
Application information
| Category | Travel & Local |
| Downloads | Over half a million |
| Features | TravelSpend helps you plan and track your family vacation expenses, share costs with loved ones, and stay within budget, all while offering offline functionality for seamless travel. |
| Who It’s For | Families planning vacations, groups traveling together |
- Tags:
- Offline Functionality
- Real-time expense tracking
- Multi-currency support
Planning a family vacation can be stressful, but TravelSpend takes the worry out of budgeting. This family vacation planning app is designed to be simple and intuitive, allowing you to quickly track expenses and see a clear summary without overwhelming you with complex data. TravelSpend excels at keeping your vacation finances organized, whether you're splitting costs with friends or just keeping track of your own spending. With features like automatic currency conversion and the ability to create separate "trips," TravelSpend ensures you stay on top of your budget and enjoy your vacation without the financial stress.
Pros & Cons
- Simple, intuitive, and easy
- Quick expense entry
- Clear spending summary
- Great for multi-person trips
- Limited family-focused features
- No trip planning tools
- Not designed for group budgeting
Why we chose it?
TravelSpend is a lifesaver for family vacations! It's incredibly easy to use, even for the tech-challenged members of our family. We love how we can track everyone's spending, split costs fairly, and even add photos to our shared trip journal. It's definitely the best app we've found for keeping our family vacations organized and fun!
11. Lambus | Travel Planner
Shared itinerary and expenses, Family-friendly activities and places
Cost:
Free (Free), Premium ($1.99/month)
Download:
Application information
| Category | Travel & Local |
| Downloads | Over 300,000 |
| Features | Lambus simplifies family vacation planning with shared itineraries, expense tracking, document storage, and offline maps. |
| Who It’s For | Families looking to streamline their travel planning and stay organized on their adventures. |
- Tags:
- Easy Itinerary Planning
- Seamless Document Management
- Effortless Expense Tracking
Lambus | Travel Planner is the ultimate family vacation planning app, designed to make your next group trip seamless and stress-free. Imagine effortlessly coordinating itineraries, sharing photos, and managing expenses for a multi-family adventure, all within one intuitive app. Lambus allows you to create detailed trip plans, complete with waypoints, uploaded photos, and even shared documents. Users have praised its simplicity, responsiveness, and powerful features, like the ability to organize travel documents. And with its impressive customer service, Lambus is continuously evolving to meet the needs of families on the go.
Pros & Cons
- Great for group trip planning
- Organizes photos, documents, and notes
- Excellent for family vacation planning
- Responsive and helpful customer service
- Photo compression may be an issue
- No past date option for trip recording
- Limited document upload options
Why we chose it?
Lambus is a fantastic choice for family vacations because it helps you keep everyone organized and happy. It's easy to share itineraries and track expenses with the whole crew, and the app's user-friendly interface makes it a breeze for everyone to use. Plus, Lambus lets you collect all your travel documents and photos in one place, so you can easily access them when you need them.
12. Trip Plans
Share itinerary with family members, Track spending, budget for activities
Download:
Application information
| Category | Travel & Local |
| Downloads | Over 200,000 |
| Features | Plan and manage your family vacation with ease, including itineraries, reminders, shared to-do lists, and offline access to all your trip details. |
| Who It’s For | Families looking for a simple and comprehensive way to plan and manage their vacations. |
- Tags:
- Offline access
- Detailed itinerary
- Easy-to-use interface
Planning a family vacation can be a logistical nightmare, but the Trip Plans app aims to simplify the process. This handy app acts as your digital travel guide, offering a quick and easy reference for all your trip details, from flight information to hotel reservations. With the ability to view your entire itinerary at a glance, you can easily navigate your family's adventures, making informed decisions on the fly. As one user described, having the "big picture" so readily available is incredibly helpful when making smaller decisions throughout your journey, ensuring everyone stays on track and enjoys a seamless vacation experience.
Pros & Cons
- Easy reference for trips
- Handy for various situations
- Keeps track of trip details
- Great for family vacations
- App functionality issues
- Difficult to use initially
- Reliance on planner input
Why we chose it?
Trip Plans is a lifesaver for family vacations! I love how it keeps all of our itinerary details in one place, even offline, and the easy-to-use interface makes it a breeze to navigate. Plus, the ability to share our trip plans with everyone in the family means no more scrambling to find information on the go – just pure vacation bliss!
13. Roadie
Interactive map route planning, Itinerary with location notes
Download:
Application information
| Category | Travel & Local |
| Downloads | Almost 200,000 downloads |
| Features | Roadie helps you plan family vacations by letting you create custom itineraries, map out routes, add notes, and manage stops, all while offline. |
| Who It’s For | Families looking for a user-friendly way to plan road trips and vacations. |
- Tags:
- Interactive map planning
- Multiple stops management
- Offline accessibility
Roadie is a family vacation planning app that empowers you to map out your dream road trip with ease. Whether you're planning a cross-country adventure or a shorter getaway, Roadie allows you to create a detailed itinerary with multiple stops, complete with estimated driving times and distances. While users have noted that the app's attraction database might not be as comprehensive as some might prefer, it shines in its ability to manage a large number of stops, a feature that proved invaluable for a couple on a motorcycle trip around the country. This app will keep your entire family on track and ensure everyone enjoys the journey, making it the perfect tool for planning memorable family vacations.
Pros & Cons
- Plan road trip route
- Map out trip itinerary
- Save points of interest
- Great for pre-planned stops
- Limited attraction search
- No hotel search option
- Clunky navigation for stops
Why we chose it?
Roadie is my go-to for planning family vacations because it makes everything so easy! I love that I can add all our stops to a map, see the driving times and distances, and even add notes about each location. Plus, it works offline, so we can use it even when we're out of cell service!