When you land in a new place, it can be hard to find your way around: many sights worth seeing don’t have a traditional street address and – when they do – it’s often in a language you don’t speak! It can also be a struggle to track down hidden spots, like that romantic little restaurant with rave reviews, or that market stall recommended by every guidebook.

That’s why what3words is a great travel companion. Every 3 metre square has been given an address made of 3 words: a what3words address. This means you can easily find, share, and navigate to any precise location, whether it’s a specific market stall or a piece of street art. Plus, it works across the whole world in 60 languages so you can navigate to places abroad using addresses in your native tongue.

How to use what3words on your next trip

🔎 Find your Airbnb or hotel without the drama
Not a fan of lugging your suitcase around in circles, hunting down the right entrance? Look for the what3words address in your hotel or holiday rental’s description instead – it’ll tell you precisely where to go. If it isn’t listed, you should ask your host or the front desk to send you it, just in case. Here’s how to navigate to a what3words address.

👌 Plan the perfect itinerary: create and share saved lists of all the must-see spots
Did you know you can save lists of what3words addresses in our app? It’s a great way to keep track of places you want to visit, without worrying about getting lost or missing a thing. You can even share these lists with friends, and follow their lists back! Learn how to save a what3words address and how to create and share a list of locations.

📕 Got a guidebook with what3words addresses in? Scan them into the app
If you’ve got a guidebook which features what3words addresses – like DK Eyewitness’ Like a Local series – you can quickly scan them into the app. It even works with handwritten addresses on the iOS version of our app, too. See how it works on iOS and Android.

👋 Arrange hassle-free meet-ups
Once you’ve learned how to plan meet-ups using what3words, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it – especially in a new place with unfamiliar landmarks and street names. It’s also worth learning how to find your current what3words address.

✅ No data, Wi-Fi or signal? No problem!
what3words works even when you’re offline, which includes navigating with the Compass feature. Here’s how. This makes it a useful tool to have when you’re going far from the beaten track or you don’t have roaming data.

🚨 what3words is handy in an emergency too
If you’re in a location you’re not familiar with and need urgent help, giving a what3words address can be an easy way to help local emergency services find you quickly and precisely.

Looking for some travel inspiration? Take a look at our recommendations for Paris and San Francisco. You can also get a taste of Edinburgh, Tokyo, New York and Copenhagen from our friends at DK Eyewitness. Their Like a Local series of guidebooks give a what3words address for all of their recommendations. Happy travelling!