fter living for over a year in Spain I discovered some apps that became essential to my everyday life. From discovering local events, to finding a home to rent, to the best restaurants, to food delivery, these apps have all the information you could ever need. I have broken the apps down into categories:

• Transportation
• Translators
• Tourist Info
• Food Delivery
• Community
• Home Finders

I have really enjoyed compiling this list and doing some research to give you as much information as possible. I hope you find some useful information and if so please let me know in the comments below!

Transportation

1. Cabify – App to Call a Classy Ride

Cabify is essentially the Uber of Madrid. I want to mention that there IS Uber in Madrid, but it is not as popular and you might get quicker service from Cabify since it is much more common.

Cabify Website

With Cabify app you can:

• Call a driver directly to your location
• Input your end desitnation in the app
• See the estimated cost of the trip BEFORE you leave
• See the route the driver will take
• See driver ratings and leave a rating for your driver
• Schedule pick-ups for any time in the near future (I used it to pre-schedule my 5am pickup to the airport the day I left Spain)

Cabify is everything I wish Uber actually was. Every Cabify car is all black, stocked with water bottles AND free wifi. The drivers always have a full suit and tie on, are extremely professional and safe drivers. Drivers in Spain aren’t as bad as the ones in Italy, but still, it’s nice to have a ride that doesn’t leave you on the verge of throwing up by the time you get out of the car. I noticed that the prices for the Cabify ended up being the same of even cheaper than the taxis and I received a free water, a clear car and a smooth ride for the price of a potentially life ending ride in a taxi that most likely smells like cigarette and the drivers last meal….

When you first get the app you need to make an account like you would with Uber and input either a credit card or paypal account and from there you are good to go!

2. MyTaxi – App to Call a Taxi

I wanted to include the MyTaxi app in this just to be thorough in sharing your options with you, but I’ll be straight up and say that Cabify is what I recommend 100%.

MyTaxi Website

With this app you can:

• Call a driver to your location
• Input the end destination in the app
• Schedule future pick-ups

I want to note here that MyTaxi is NOT like Cabify or Uber. While you can order the taxi directly to your location and input your end destination, the driver can take you on any route they want, which usually means longer rides and higher prices.

3. Metro Madrid – App for Metro System

For those of you living in Madrid this is an essential app. Just like the EMT Madrid app I discuss below, I used this app on a daily basis.

Metro Madrid Website

With this app you can:

• See all the metro routes for the whole city
• Find the nearest metro station
• See which stations have construction or delays
• See arrival times for subways
• Find the cost of a metro ticket or pass
• Hours of operation
• Save your favorite stations
• **Has a “Tourist” map that shows the metro lines and then highlights the tourist attractions nearby.
• Enter your Transportation Card so that you can keep track of your balance

This app can be such a lifesaver and most of the functions work without any internet connection.

4. EMT Madrid – App for Bus System

This is another crucial app for those who will be frequently using the transportation system in Madrid.

EMT Madrid Website

With this app you can:

• find all the bus stops throughout the whole city
• get directions to the nearest bus stop
• get directions to a specific location by bus
• see the routes for each bus
• see when the next bus will be arriving
• save your favorite or most used stops for quicker reference

I used this every single day, multiple times a day. Being able to check the bus times and confirm that you are on the right bus going the right direction (can’t tell you how many times I got on the right bus line, but it was going the wrong direction!).

5. BiciMad – App to Rent the Electric Bikes

The transportation system in Madrid is so efficient, well maintained and thorough and they have expanded this through their electric bike project. All across the city you can see rows of bikes lined up in stalls. These bikes are available for rent AND they’re electric. You still need to pedal but the electricity does half the work so you can zip up any inclines without any effort.

BiciMadrid Website

With this app you can:

• See all the electric bike stations throughout the city
• How many bikes are available at each station
• Enter your Transportation Card information
• See the local weather report (fun little feature in case rain is coming)
• Reserve a bike for a certain day or time

This app can be a little tricky to set up in the beginning. When you are first setting up your account they require your DNI, NIE (these two are identification numbers for citizens or those with a Visa) or Passport number. And a form of payment must be entered as well if you do not have a transportation pass.

If using the electric bikes is something you might be interested in utilizing during your stay I would recommend setting up your account before you leave and familiarizing yourself with it so by the time you arrive you don’t have to waste any time over logistics and can simply jump on a bike as soon as you like!

6. Cercanias – App for the Train System in Spain

This app is great because it is a universal app for the train stations in the many different cities of Spain. Much like the other transportation apps,

Renfe Website

With Cercanias you can:

• See train schedules and arrival times
• See route maps for each train
• Save your favorite stations

The Cercanias trains still utilize the Transportation card so if you have one then the process is the same as with the metro or bus system. If you are just visiting you will need to buy a ticket at the booth in the station or purchase your visitor pass ahead of time.

7. Renfe Ticket – App for Purchasing tickets for Renfe Trains in Spain

Renfe trains usually are the more long distance trains that go from city to city or even across country. You can buy tickets for these trains online, but the app can be handy while you are in Spain for several reasons:

Renfe Website

With this app you can:

• You can buy tickets directly on the app
• Easily access your tickets for scanning so you don’t ever need to print them
• See train routes and schedules

8. BlaBlaCar – App for Cheap Long-Distance Transportation

This is such a brilliant idea and so useful for traveling across country at an affordable price. BlaBla car is an app and a website where you can go and find local people who will be driving from one location to another on specific days and specific times.

Lets say a local living in Barcelona will be driving to Madrid on Friday morning to visit family for the weekend. They can post their trip on the website/app with the time of departure, seats available, meeting point and cost per seat. They would be making the drive anyways so why not sell the extra spaces in their car to cover the cost of their trip?

BlaBla Car Website

With this app you can:

• Find scheduled rides to specific destinations
• See the day and time of departure
• See the meeting point (once you have purchased a seat)
• See the type of car, how many seats are available and the cost per seat
• See how much luggage each person is allowed to bring
• See the driver’s bio and ratings

I used BlaBlacar on several occasions during my time living in Spain and every time was such a great experience. I was able to drive from Madrid to Barcelona for 30 euros (significantly less than a train ticket). Obviously, the catch is that driving takes longer than a train so it is definitely a give and take. But for those of you who are trying to travel money conscious this is a fantastic option!

Translators

9. Google Translate – Language Translator App

Google translate was pretty much the app I used exclusively for any translation needs.

Google Translate App Website

With Google Translate you can:

• Translate from just about any language to Spanish or any other language
• Save any translations you may want to refer to frequently
• See a brief list of the last 5 or so translations you made
• Use your camera to translate something like a restaurant menu, sign, etc.
• Download languages so that if you don’t have data to use and have no wifi you can still make full translations
• Voice translation allows you to speak into the app and it will translate it into whatever language you like
• Writing option allows you to simply write with your finger

For me, this is the best FREE translating app I have yet to come across. Considering the fact that it is free it has a lot of functionality, works very quick and has no glitches that I have ever encountered.

10. Google Translate for Webpages

Google offers two ways to translate entire webpages.

• Google Translate Website
  • If you go to this website, you can simply paste the URL of the webpage you would like translated and then the translated version will appear on the left side.
  • You can even click on links within the translated page, they will be opened and automatically translated as well.
• Google Chrome Automatic Translation
  • This is what I used in the beginning when I couldn’t translate pages for myself and is such a useful feature. Within your Google Chrome browser settings you can turn on automatic translation so that whenever you are on a page that is in a different language than what you normally browse it will offer to translate the page automatically. No need to copy any links or switch between different windows.
  • Here is how to turn this feature on:
    • You can control whether Chrome will offer to translate webpages.
    • On your computer, open Chrome.
    • At the top right, click More  Settings.
    • At the bottom, click Advanced.
    • Under “Languages,” click Language.
    • Check or uncheck “Offer to translate pages that aren’t in a language you read.”

As far as I understand, this automatic feature is only available through Google Chrome (but correct me if I’m wrong). Otherwise you can always use the link to the Google Translate Webpage.

NOTE:

I was going to add a few other translating apps, but honestly most of them had charges for many of the features that the Google Translate app already provides for free. If anyone has any suggestions that are free and provide the same or more features as the Google app I’m sure we would all love to hear about them!

For those of you wanting to pick up some language skills before your trip or those who are looking for some resources to supplement your language learning I am working on an article reviewing the top Spanish learning apps out there today!

Tourist Info

11. Triposo Travel App– Local Travel Guide App

What makes this app stand out for me is that it has the offline map, a huge variety of places, tours, restaurants to browse through AND a currency calculator and translations inside the app. Probably the best all-in-one travel app I have come across as far as information and utility.

Triposo Website

With this app you can:

• Download all travel info/city guides for a variety of different cities worldwide
• Find information on main tourist sites
• Search for activities/attractions based on interest (nightlife, food, tours/activities, etc)
• Utilize an offline city map
• Save your favorite places you want to visit
• View photos of specific places/activities/tours with detailed information
• Make notes within a specific item so you can refer to those notes
• Book tours/hotels/hostels/buy tickets,etc within the app
• Read reviews from other users on destinations, restaurants, bars, etc.
• See the weather report for the week
• Access handy translations for the city you are in based on topic
• Use a currency exchange calculator within the app

12. GetYourGuide – Booking/Ticket Purchase App

This is another great app to browse through a wide variety of events, tours, shows, etc and purchase tickets directly through the app. It’s nice to have a second option to browse what to do in your city in case one app has something listed that the other may not.

GetYourGuide Website

With this app you can:

• Browse through different tickets for a huge variety of options
• Purchase tickets in app
• See all tickets you have purchased under your “Bookings” tab
• Star or save bookings you might be interested in, but aren’t ready to purchase

13. City tour – Tourist App

City Tour is an app that is associated with bus and train tours in different cities throughout Spain. If you think you would be interested in a city bus tour this is a handy app to download.

City Tour Website

With this app you can:

• Buy tickets for city bus/train tours
• See the tour bus stops throughout the city
• See bus locations and arrival times
• View points of interest
• Local travel guide
• Multi-lingual city information
• Photo gallery

What I did when my mom, aunt and grandma came to visit was purchase our tickets through the app and then we got on at the closet location, rode for a little while until we arrived at a spot where we wanted to get off, walked around a bit and then found a bus stop location again and hopped back on the tourist bus to continue the ride. You can buy a day pass, two day pass or even three day pass (at least that’s how it was in Madrid) so that for the entire time your ticket is valid you can “hop-on, hop-off” the bus as many times as you want.

14. Fever Events

Fever Events is focused on letting you browse events that may be happening in your area. While this can definitely be fun for a tourist to take a peak at, it is an app that can definitely come in handy for those who are actually living in Spain.

Fever Website

With this app you can:

• Browse local events
• Purchase tickets for the events
• Save events you may be interested in
• See what events your friends have signed up for

In my opinion this is another great app to help you find some local events that may not be listed on other sites (or may not be listed in English on other sites) and meet some new friends!

Food Delivery

15. Glovo – Food Delivery App

Just like Postmates or UberEats here in the USA, Glovo allows you to have food delivered right to your door. This app is probably more useful to those who are actually living in Spain, but you never know, you could always have food delivered to your hotel room.

Glovo Website

With this app you can:

• Have food delivered to your address/hotel
• Have products delivered from grocery stores, pharmacies, shops, etc
• SEND anything you like to someone via courier

What I LOVE about this app is that you can actually make purchases from grocery stores, pharmacies, local stores, etc. This is incredibly convenient if you are say dying in bed from the flu and don’t have the energy to get out of bed to purchase some medicine, or you are cooking a meal and forgot that one ingredient.

What is really unique about this app is that you can actually SEND items as well. I used this once when I was being extremely lazy and needed to send a bag of clothes to a friend across the city and couldn’t bother myself to take the hour long bus ride to get there. You simply order a “courier” input the address they need to deliver the items too and mark what size your package is.

16. Jinn – Food Delivery App

Another app similar to Glovo only without the courier option. With Jinn you can even make purchases from local clothing stores, flower shops, beauty stores, etc.

Jinn Website

With this app you can:

• Have food delivered to your address/hotel
• Have products delivered from local shops, beauty stores, grocery stores, pharmacies, etc

They really take the delivery to the next level. I usually would switch back and forth between Jinn and Glovo depending on which restaurant I was ordering from because certain restaurants can be cheaper depending on which app you are using.

Community

17. Timpik – Local Sports/Pick-Up Games App

This is an app designed for sports fans looking for a local pick-up game.

TimPik Website

With this app you can:

• Choose your favorite sports
• See local games schedule
• Sign up to participate in the games (some include a small charge like 2/3 euros)
• Set your skill level so you can find games with others in the same level
• View all games you have signed-up for
• Create/host your own event/game so that others can join!

You simply create a profile and select the sports that you’re interested in, your level of skill (actually a nice feature so that if you are looking for a very competitive game you can join games that already have players of a certain level or if you want a more recreational game you can find similar levels as well). Oddly enough, most of the app is in English, but some things are in Spanish so you may need to translate a word here and there.

18. MeetUp – App to Find Local Groups/Events based on Specific Interests

Meet up is another great resource that I have seen in America as well as Spain so many of you may already be familiar with this. This has a much broader range of interests with related activities/gatherings.

MeetUp Website

With this app you can:

• Select your areas of interest (from outdoors/adventure to music, to fashion/beauty, science and technology)
• Join some groups
• See what events a specific group may be hosting in your area and join!

19. WhatsApp – App for Texting While Abroad

This app is one of the most commonly used apps in Spain and probably many other countries. It is a great tool to send text messages like you would normally on your phone that uses data or wifi. Usually the phone number you already have will be assigned as your WhatsApp number and you can have people from your home country message you through this.

I know many of us still use iMessage through wifi, Facebook messenger, etc. What I quickly noticed was that all the locals in Spain were using WhatsApp so even though I may have been communicating with my friends and family in America through iMessage or facebook, I was using WhatsApp to talk with all my new friends in Spain.

WhatsApp Website

With this app you can:

• Usually continue using your current phone number to message friends and family from your home country who also have the app
• Send messages, links, photos, videos, etc
• Make phone calls through the app
• Uses data or wifi (messaging rates in Spain are higher than data rates so most people prefer apps like this and purchase more data rather than “unlimited texts” like many of us purchase in the States)

20. Lingobongo.com – Website for finding cash work, used goods, apartment listings

As strange as the name is, this was actually an incredibly useful site that I took advantage of on many occasions. NOTE* This site only has listings for Madrid, Barcelona, and Berlin (why these three only I have no idea).

LingoBongo Website

With this app you can:

• Search for flat/home/room rentals in your area
• Search for job listings
• Find used goods on sale
• Post about anything you may be wanting to sell
• Market your freelance services to the local community

During my time in Spain I taught English to children and this was how I was able to find ALL my clients. I put up a listing that had several families contacting me for interviews and I also was regularly searching listings posted by families searching for an English teacher. One thing to note! The site is not incredibly advanced so listings show up by date, which means that you should be browsing job listings or apartment listings on a regular basis AS WELL AS posting your own listings on a regular basis to keep your listing within the first page.

Lodging/Home Finders

21. Idealista – App for Finding Rental Homes, Flats and Rooms

When I first arrived in Spain I had no where to stay other than a hotel room that was promised to quickly deplete my savings if I didn’t find a flat to rent ASAP. This app is very similar to Zillow or other rental apps.

Idealista Website

With this app you can:

• Browse rental listings in a specific area
• Input filters to find a home that meets your price range, size, etc.
• View photos of the listings
• Message the person who listed the home directly from the app
• Save your favorite listings to review later

This was how I actually managed to find my flat that I loved. It happened to be newly renovated so I really lucked out on a flat with new furnishings, refrigerator, stove, oven, etc. Fair warning however, LISTINGS GO FAST. So if you find one you may be interested in be sure and message/email the lister as soon as you can to set up a time to stop by and view the apartment.

What a list! I know this was a huge post, but I really wanted to put all the information in one place to make everything that much easier for you. I hope I provided enough details, descriptions and photos to give you a good idea if any of these apps would be useful to you.

If you have used any of these or have some more I could add to the list please comment below! This will definitely be a post that I revise over time to continue keeping it up-to-date with the most useful and relevant information!

If you enjoyed the article please share with others who you think can benefit from the information provided!