Useful apps for Australia: transport, maps, translation

Set up your phone before you land. An unlocked phone with an eSIM or a local SIM from Telstra, Optus or Vodafone gives you data from the airport; Telstra has the widest outback coverage, while Optus and Vodafone are cheaper and fine in cities and along highways. Note that 3G networks closed in 2024, so older phones that cannot make VoLTE calls to 000 are blocked from Australian networks — check your model before you rely on it.

For navigation, Google Maps is the default and works well in cities and on highways. Download offline areas for any region you plan to drive through, because outside towns and along remote roads there is often no signal at all. Apple Maps is a reasonable alternative in cities. For public transport, use the app tied to the city you are in: Opal for Sydney, PTV for Melbourne, and the local operator app elsewhere. Contactless tap-to-pay with a bank card or phone works on Sydney, Canberra and a growing list of networks, which often makes a transit app optional for short visits — but some cards add a surcharge, so check before you tap.

For rides, Uber is the most widely used, with DiDi and Ola competing in the major cities and 13cabs covering taxis. Fares vary by city and time; compare two apps before you book at a busy hour. Regional towns may have only a local taxi service, so save the number before you arrive.

Weather matters more in Australia than in most destinations. BOM Weather, the Bureau of Meteorology app, is the official source for forecasts, fire danger ratings and cyclone or flood warnings. Check it before any long drive or bushwalk, especially in summer. Emergency Plus is the companion for emergencies: it shows your GPS coordinates so a 000 operator can find you when you cannot describe where you are.

English is the only language you need for travel, so translation apps are optional. Google Translate is useful for reading menus or signs in rare cases, but you will not need it to get around, book or order. If you want one, install it and download the offline English pack anyway.

Two practical habits: keep a power bank, because long drives and cold nights drain phones, and save offline copies of bookings, park passes and your travel insurance policy. In remote areas, a personal locator beacon or satellite messenger is the real safety net, not an app.