Best Translation Apps for Travel: Offline, Camera and Voice
Google Translate, Apple Translate, Papago and DeepL compared for travel: offline language packs, camera menus, conversation mode, and how much data each uses.
ArriGo team 4 min read
A translation app turns a menu you can't read, a pharmacy question or a taxi address into a few seconds of pointing your phone. They're all free for travel use. The difference is what each one does well, and whether it still works when the signal doesn't.
Our picks
Best all-rounder: Google Translate, for the widest language list, the best camera mode and offline packs.
Best for Korea: Papago, made by Naver, with the most natural Korean.
Best for long text: DeepL, for rental terms, host emails and polite messages in European languages.
Already on your iPhone: Apple Translate, with Live Translation in calls on recent models.
Each app, good and bad
Google Translate
240+ languages online, 50+ offline. Camera translation overlays the menu in real time, or you can photograph a page and highlight single lines. Conversation mode listens and speaks for both sides.
- Widest coverage and the strongest camera
- Offline packs of about 40 to 100 MB
- Offline results are a little rougher
- Handwritten boards are hit and miss
Apple Translate
Built into iOS with text, Conversation and Camera tabs. Text in photos and in the regular Camera can be translated too. On iPhones with Apple Intelligence, Live Translation works in Messages, FaceTime and phone calls.
- Nothing to install, clean interface
- Live Translation for calling a hotel or restaurant
- Fewer languages than Google
- iPhone, iPad and Mac only
Papago
From Naver, South Korea's largest internet company. Camera, voice, conversation and offline packs for its main languages, with Japanese and Chinese also strong.
- Natural, everyday Korean
- Pairs well with Naver Map in Korea
- A shorter language list
- Less useful outside East Asia
DeepL
Known for natural German, French, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese, plus Japanese and Korean. Better at a paragraph than at a street sign.
- Reads naturally, good for checking your own message
- Handles long documents
- Needs a connection for most features
- Not a street tool
Microsoft Translator
Offline packs, a camera and a multi-device conversation mode, where each person follows along in their own language on their own phone.
- Group conversations across several phones
- Camera mode is weaker than Google's
Download offline packs before you leave. In Google Translate: profile picture > Downloaded languages (Google’s steps). On iPhone: Settings > Apps > Translate > Downloaded Languages (Apple’s guide).
Which app for which country
| Where | Install | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Japan | Google Translate | Camera handles printed menus well; photograph one line at a time on handwritten boards. See our Japan eSIM guide. |
| South Korea | Papago + Naver Map | Better Korean, and Naver Map beats Google Maps there (Korea guide). |
| China | Apple Translate or a downloaded pack | Google services are blocked on local networks, so set up offline before you arrive. |
| Thailand | Google Translate | Handles Thai text well; street stalls often show photos too. |
| Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia | Google Translate camera | Makes Greek and Cyrillic signs readable; many road signs also use Latin letters. |
| Germany, France, Italy, Spain | Google Translate + DeepL | Street use plus polished messages to hosts. |
Whatever the app, save your hotel’s address in the local script in a note, copied from the booking confirmation. A taxi driver can read it even when the translation goes wrong.
Data: less than you’d think
These are rough figures that vary by app and phone; conversation mode online is around 1 to 3 MB a session. Even heavy use for a week rarely tops 100 MB. Being online does buy better accuracy and features like Live Translation in calls, while offline packs keep working in the subway, on a mountain, or when your data runs out. Our data calculator sizes the rest of your trip.
Phrases to save before you fly
Most apps let you star translations for one-tap access. Save these in every language on your route:
- Your allergies or dietary needs, written in full, then checked in a second app
- “Where is the station?” and “How much is this?”
- Your hotel’s name and address
- “Can you write it down, please?”
- “I don’t speak [language], sorry”
Talking through an app
Speak short sentences, one idea at a time, without idioms. Hand the phone over so the other person can speak into it; most people are happy to. In quiet places, show the screen rather than playing audio. Using an app isn't rude, and learning hello, thank you and sorry yourself goes a long way.
Online translation, maps and Live Translation all need data from the moment you land. Pick the plan above, or browse South Korea and Thailand.
