When traveling alone, it is so important to be armed with the best safety apps for road trips. Going on a solo trip can be a great experience, but admittedly, it does come with some risks.
The road can be a scary place, especially if you’re not used to it. On top of planning the logistics, you also need to worry about your safety.
As a female traveler, I’ve been told by strangers to not travel alone because they think it’s dangerous. I’ll be honest that this is one of the reasons why I am writing this blog.
I personally think that with the right planning and with the help of technology, you can make your solo trip an amazing experience while staying safe! To help other travelers, I put together a list of some of the best safety apps to download when planning a road trip alone as a woman.
However, if you’re still wondering whether you should go on a spontaneous road trip alone, check here.
Safety Apps to Help You Feel More Secure 
Here are some of my favorite apps and devices that will keep you safe while traveling solo:
Bsafe
Bsafe is a free app that helps travelers stay safe and avoid dangerous situations like violence and sexual assaults. The app is specifically designed with women’s safety in mind, but it can be used by anyone.
Through its Guardian function, Bsafe lets you create a safety circle of trusted contacts. You can share your location with these contacts, and they will know where you are at all times.
If you ever feel unsafe or threatened, all you need to do is to press the panic SOS button. The app will immediately notify your circle of contacts and send them your location.
Key Features of BSafe:
- SOS Alarm
- Voice Activation
- Live Streaming
- Automatic Recording
- Fake Call
- Timer Alarm
- Follow Me
- Guardians
The best part about Bsafe is that it is so easy to use and it works on all Android and iOS devices. Extra features can be available for $7.99/mo.
Noonlight
Noonlight is another app designed to help people safely reach their destination. It is a great tool for women who travel alone, especially on long road trips.
Why?
The app has two main features: a panic button, which will send an alert to your emergency contacts, and a GPS locator that allows first responders to track your location in real-time.
With the panic button feature, users can press a button on their phone and send out an alert to emergency contacts if they don’t enter the pin within a certain time period. This feature comes in handy if you’re traveling alone and are unable to call 911 or another emergency number because you don’t have any cell reception or if you’re unable to speak due to injury or shock. The app can also automatically detect certain triggers, like a car crash or heavy smoke.
Key Features of Noonlight:
- Emergency button
- Timeline function
- Tinder integration
- Apple Watch/Alexa integration
Keep in mind that not all features of Noonlight work well with Android, and you might have to pay $4.99 or $9.99 per month for extra features. It also only works in the US as of now.
Life360
The next app I want to recommend is great if you have friends and family members who are always anxious about your whereabouts.
The Life360 app helps you find out where your family members are at any given time by tracking their location. That way, if one of them is missing or in danger, you’ll know where they are and how best to help them.
I really like this app because it can be used to monitor someone driving. Let’s say one member of your family has been driving too fast for too long and then suddenly slows down. This may indicate that something is wrong, right? So the app will actually send an alert letting others know what’s happening.
Similarly, if another member has been driving slowly for too long without stopping anywhere else first (at a grocery store or gas station), an alert will notify other users that something might be amiss.
Key Features of Life360:
- Location Sharing
- Place Alerts
- Crime Reports
- One-Tap Directions
- Driver Report/Crash Detection
Life360 is free but can be upgraded to Gold ($9.99/mo) and Premium ($19.99/mo).
Curious to read about the 3 things I learned from going on roadtrips alone as a woman?
Be Efficient and Plan Ahead with Trusted Road Trip Planning Apps
Convenience and efficiency are the main reasons why you should use road trip planning apps for your next trip.
Roadtrippers: Best for Routes and Points of Interest
Roadtrippers helps you plan every aspect of your trip so you can hit the road with confidence. It lets you browse thousands of destinations and attractions, and then build a custom itinerary for each one.
With the free version, you get to map out your road trips with all the essential information you need, like hotels, restaurants, attractions, and more! The premium version gives you access to features like real-time traffic updates, gas prices along your route, as well as unlimited trip planning. If you’re planning on taking multiple road trips this year, then it might be worth it.
The premium version of the service costs $4.99 per month or $29.99 per year.
Waze: Best for Real-Time Traffic Conditions
Waze is a very popular crowd-sourced navigation app that uses GPS to find the fastest route, whether that be by car, train, or bike.
Waze users can get information about traffic, road closures, and accidents, so you’re always informed of any issues on your route. The app has plenty of other features too:
- Automatic rerouting if there’s an accident or detour along your planned route
- Multiple modes (car, public transit, walking)
- Speed limit alerts
It’s free to use anywhere in the world, so all you need to have is active mobile data and you’re good to go.
Google Maps: Best for Map Navigation Even When Offline
Another navigation app that lets you get from Point A to Point B is Google Maps. The app uses your phone’s GPS signal, as well as information about nearby landmarks and businesses, to give you real-time directions for walking, driving, taking public transportation, or cycling.
What if you are going to an unfamiliar place where the internet connection is not reliable? You can download Google Maps ahead of time and use the GPS to find your way, even if you don’t have service in the area you’re driving through.
iExit: Best for Finding Rest Stops and Lodging
iExit is a travel app that helps you find the nearest gas station, rest stop, restaurants, and ATM on your route.
As a driver, it will save you time and money by helping you avoid getting stuck in traffic or running out of gas. No wonder it is advertised as the best interstate app on the market.
My favorite feature of iExit is that it can show me the best and cheapest gas prices (unleaded, mid-grade, premium, diesel) in any state in real-time.
GasBuddy: Best For Fuel Costs and Availability
Like iExit, GasBuddy is an app that helps drivers find the cheapest gas prices in their area. You can also view nearby stations’ ratings and reviews from other drivers who have used them before, so you’ll know what kind of experience you’ll get before you even pull into the station’s parking lot.
GasBuddy’s savings tool functions can be really handy when planning a road trip with a limited budget. Aside from the gas price map. It has a trip cost calculator, an outage tracker, and a fuel logbook.
Wanderlog: Best Travel Journal and Itinerary Planner 
With Wanderlog, you can easily document your trips, plan future trips, or just keep track of your spending. It lets you create a travel journal, add photos and videos, write a few words, and share them with others. That way, you can update your friends back home without uploading on social media sites
Wanderlog is perfect for:
- Travelers who want to keep a record of their travels, expenses and memories
- People who love planning future vacations
- People who like to keep track of their spending habits
In addition to keeping a journal of your travels, Wanderlog also allows users to share their itineraries with others so that they can plan trips together or follow each other along on their trip.
MapQuest: Best for Navigating with Voice Commands
Mapquest is one of the earliest developed online navigation apps just like GoogleMaps.
What I love about MapQuest is that it comes with voice commands. It supports turn-by-turn voice navigation so you can use your device hands-free while driving or cycling.
While MapQuest can work offline, the data storage capacity is limited so it might not be the best option if you need to go to a place without internet. I also recommend getting the mobile app version instead of using the website because it has a more friendly user interface.
Check out my 7 travel must haves to travel like a pro!
My Most Trusted Hotel Finding Apps
When planning a road trip alone as a woman, it can be difficult to figure out where you’ll stay at night. There are times you may need to make last-minute changes to your route which can get expensive and time-consuming. Downloading the right apps can mean the difference and a total life-saver.
Hotwire
The Hotwire app provides access to thousands of hotels and flights at unbeatable prices. It’s perfect for last-minute trips or when you’re traveling on a budget.
The key to saving money with Hotwire is to not pay attention to the airline or hotel brand name. Their Hot Rate deals of the day will give you the best options without revealing the name of the hotel or flight you’re bidding on.
You can find great deals on flights using the Hotwire app for iOS and Android devices.
The dyrt
The Dyrt is a free app that helps travelers find great places to camp. It’s like TripAdvisor for camping, with reviews and photos of campgrounds from around the world.
You can search by location or by amenities (such as cell service, pet-friendly, showers, etc.). You can filter your results by these criteria as well as price range, so it’s easy to find exactly what you want without having to read through every result.
Hoteltonight
Hoteltonight is most famous for booking last-minute hotel deals.
The app works by showing you available rooms from a number of different hotel chains, and you can choose the one that works best for you based on price and location. You can also filter results by amenities such as free WiFi, breakfast included, or pet-friendly hotels.
HotelTonight’s inventory changes constantly, so this is perfect for flexible travelers.
Airbnb
Airbnb is a website that allows you to rent out your home or apartment to travelers. As a guest, you can book a room or entire apartment in someone else’s home at an affordable price.
Many people prefer to book through Airbnb when they travel as a group or with family. This means getting larger spaces and even having access to kitchens while on vacation.
You can also find unique listings on Airbnb, such as a tiny house, villa, castle, or even treehouse!
Having a Sense of Digital Security Makes it Easier to Travel Alone as a Woman
All in all, I feel very safe traveling alone as a woman. While I don’t think safety apps will completely prevent untoward incidents from happening, they do put some sort of security in place to protect me both emotionally and physically if something were to go wrong on the road.
You don’t have to be a victim when you travel alone, especially if you plan ahead. Encouraging your family and friends to use these apps will allow them to help protect you as well. And, of course, the right travel apps can help you plan your trip more efficiently.
XO,
Anna
P.S. Head over to my ultimate list of travel necessities and bookmark it!
Anna is a traveler, blogger, and entrepreneur who can’t keep herself still. She’s always on the move, whether working hard on a new passion project or exploring a new city as a part-time digital nomad. Dare to keep up? Check out The Tatted Nomad for everything digital nomad, social media marketing, mental health, and travel (and to see her latest addition, Novah, her service dog and travel companion). As a psychotherapist (to be) she also offers insights about your mental health related questions – anything you see that isn’t covered but you have questions about? Let her know!
