The 10 Best Travel Apps and Sites for Traveling Nurses

TravelNursing.com’s top picks for travel nurse housing, relocation services & more

By Melissa Wirkus Hagstrom, contributor

Updated May, 12, 2020

Travel nursing has plenty of perks, and one of the most notable is the free, company-provided housing that most travel nursing agencies offer. TravelNursing.com’s nurse staffing partners, for instance, offer free, private housing that is fully furnished and located close to assignment facilities. Nurses who accept a travel assignment can even rely on agency housing experts to make the arrangements with on-site management to plan moving in and moving out, utility set-up, etc.

The company-arranged housing is a great option for most traveling nurses, but some enjoy looking for accommodations on their own using a variety of travel apps and websites. As the short-term rental market can be a challenge in some locations, these online resources are especially helpful. They are also great for planning vacations and side trips between your travel nurse jobs.

From a high-rise condo in the middle of a bustling city to properties with more land on the outskirts of town, virtually every type of housing is available online--if you know where to look. And don’t forget about finding moving help, storage, navigation and other assistance at your new location; we’ve got an app for that, too!

Our top 10 travel apps and sites for traveling nurses:

1. VBRO & HomeAway. The kings of the home rental industry should undoubtedly be featured at the top of any list related to temporary / long-term home, apartment and condo rentals. These two companies actually merged several years ago, but they maintain separate identities, apps and websites. Both offer many of the same benefits like 24/7 customer support that guests can contact directly if there are any issues. Many VBRO and HomeAway properties are pet-friendly, and the sites are super easy to navigate--just put in the dates you are looking to stay and start your search! Additionally, both companies offer protected payment options directly through the sites.

2. Airbnb. Known as the trendy site for finding a cool, unique place to stay, Airbnb has exploded onto the market in the past few years. In addition to offering entire houses for rent, the site also allows you to search by rooms for rent--including private or shared. The company is also known for offering really unique and one-of-a-kind rentals. In fact, they have over 1,400 real-life castles listed that you could rent for your next assignment!

3. FlipKey. FlipKey is a bit newer to the scene, but it is owned by the mega-travel company, TripAdvisor, so it has a reputable backing. Dishonest renters can be an issue in this space, and this site helps prevent that by having the house renters verified by the website's staff. The company's portfolio of listings has grown significantly and they now feature over 300,000 homes and rooms around the world.

4. Tripping.com. Tripping.com operates a bit differently, in that it functions more like a search engine aggregate. Traveling nurses can input their travel dates and location and the site pulls in potential rentals from a variety of different sites -- including the ones above, and many others. This is a good place to start if you are just beginning to search for a place to stay because it will pull in rentals from a variety of smaller websites and companies that you may not be privy to.

5. Furnished Finder. Furnished Finder is a travel nurse housing site built specifically for travel nurses. They are unique because all their properties (about 40,000 of them) rent by the month which is perfect for a travel nurse. Traveler safety is also a very important factor for them, touting that every Furnished Finder host must pass a background check before their listing is live on their platform. If safety and affordability are top on your list, then this is a good place to search for housing on your next travel nursing assignment.

6. Waze. So you’ve found the rental of your dreams and you’re ready to explore your new location, but you have no idea how to get anywhere … Let us introduce you to Waze. This map application uses crowdsourcing from its large community of drivers to deliver up-to-date traffic information to their navigation app. This is especially useful if your assignment is in a large city with traffic congestion; Waze can help you get to your shift on time! Both iOS and Android versions are available.

7. HireAHelper. Whether you need help moving across the country or you just need to get unloaded into your new apartment, HireAHelper can make the process much easier. Many moving companies try to pack in hidden fees, but this site simplifies the process by offering simple, transparent pricing upfront.

8. Storage.com. For travel nurses who are moving long distances or do not maintain a permanent home, it can be beneficial to find a storage unit to hold all of your belongings during the process. Storage.com allows users to find the best storage facility based on location, size, amenities and price. You can even book online or over the phone with no cancellation fee.

9. Moving Checklist Pro/Moving Planner. This app may be the best 99 cents you’ll ever spend. The extensive to-do lists in Moving Checklist Pro on iTunes, or Moving Planner, as it’s known on Google Play, can help ensure that you don’t forget a thing during your move. It comes pre-loaded with more than 210 house moving related items and you can also create your own custom lists as well.

10. BrightNest. This app is unique in that it features a variety of home improvement, maintenance and organization hacks for all type of renters. BrightNest, which has ties to Angie’s List, is especially convenient for travelers who are moving to an entirely new and unfamiliar city (perfect for travel nurses). It incorporates data specific to your location and then curates tasks specifically designed for you and your home.

Have questions about travel nursing? Check out our travel nursing FAQs page or apply online to get connected with a travel nurse recruiter.

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