Travel Resources
There are thousands of sites online for booking flights, accommodations, and activities. Way too many to choose from. I’ve tried many of them and these are my go-to travel resources that I use when planning and booking my own trips.
Flights
These are some of the best places on the web to find deals on flights. I always check 2-3 sites to find the best deal before booking. Once I find a good deal I’ll then go to the airline’s website to see if the price is the same. If it is, I’ll book through the airline’s website.
Google Flights: This is always the first place I go when I’m searching for a flight. It scans websites to find flights and even gives you price options with and without checked luggage.
Skyscanner: This is a travel search engine that scours websites for deals and then send you to another website to complete your purchase.
Going: Subscribe to Going and get emails with some of the best flight deals out there. From mistake fares to deals in business class, Going finds these deals and sends them straight to your inbox.
Dollar Flight Club: This is another subscription service that lets you choose your region and will send you deals for flights from the airports you choose.
Accommodations
Accomodations are probably the most expensive part of the trip; sometimes more than the flights. There are TONS of places online to do your search and it can be ovewhelming to know which ones to trust. Whether you’re looking for a hotel or you want to rent a whole house, these are a few places online that I use looking for a place to stay for my own trips.
Booking: Booking is the main site I use when searching for hotels. I love that everything is in one place and you can message the hotel directly about your needs through the site.
Hostelworld: Hostels are known for being cheap places for young adults to stay. Most have dorm room accommodations with bunk beds but many also have single rooms. Some hostels do have age limits so make sure you check before you book.
VRBO: This is a great options for large families or a group of friends who want to stay together in one place. It’s always nice to have a full kitchen when you travel to help save money on meals.
Travel Tours & Tickets
My favorite part of trip planning is the actual itinerary. Once you know where you’re going you’ll have to figure out what you want to see and do while there. Even if you don’t want to book a tour it’s a good idea to check out the sites that specialize in tours in the areas you’re headed. It gives you a good idea of the most popular things to do there so you can plan your itinerary.
Get Your Guide: This site has tours, skip the line, and one of a kind experiences to choose from. You can choose guided tours or just purchase discounted tickets and go on your own.
Viator: Another one of my go-to sites for tours and discounted tickets to various activities. I usually have both Viator and Get Your Guide open at the same time when I’m booking tickets for my activities.
Tripadvisor: Tripadvisor is another site where you can book tours, hotels, and more. What I really love about Tripadvisor is the reviews. There are tons of real reviews of different activities and many of them are very detailed. They even have forums for different regions and different types of travel.
Transportation
If your trip includes multiple cities, or countries, you’ll need to find a way to get around. These transportation sites will help you get from one place to another by train, car, or bus.
Discover Cars: My absolute favorite site for booking a car rental. I’ve used them many times from a month long trip in Turkey to just a day outing in the Netherlands. Don’t forget if you plan to rent a car in a foreign country, make sure you get an International Drivers License.
Omio: Use Omio to book your train, bus, flights, and ferry tickets. You can even compare the fares of different types of transporation to decide which type is the best option.
12Go: 12Go is another site where you can book trains, buses, ferries, and flights. This is one that I use a lot when I’m traveling in Asia.
Trainline: Use Trainline for booking trains throughout Europe. The site gathers all the routes and compares prices from over 270 companies to find the best prices and quickest routes.
Technology
As much as we may want to disconnect while we’re on vacation, it’s hard to get away from it completely. These are services you might want to use while traveling abroad to help you stay connected.
Airalo: Using your phone while overseas has really come a long ways in the last few years. This is the e-sim I use when traveling in another country. You just purchase and activate once you land.
VPN: Having a VPN when traveling helps protect your IP address when you’re on public wifi like at restaurants or hotels. You can even use it to login to specific apps that may not work on the local networks (like Netflix).
Travel Rewards Cards
If you don’t have a rewards credit card you’re really missing out on free flights and hotels. You earn points for everyday purchases like groceries and gas and then use those points to pay for your flights or accommodation. These cards also have other benefits from paying for your TSA pre-check to reimbursing you for lost luggage or trip cancellation.
Chase Sapphire Reserve: One of my favorite cards to use for earning points. You get a $300 travel credit that gets applied to your balance when you use it for booking a flight, hotel, or transportation. Spend a specific amount of money and you can earn 100,000 points.
Chase Sapphire Preferred: Another Chase card I use often earning 3 points for every dollar spent at grocery stores or eating out. You get a $50 hotel credit every year, lost luggage reimbursement, and even trip delay reimbursement. This is a great card to add to your wallet.
Capital One Venture X: There are a lot of benefits with Venture X including a credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck and access to over 1300 lounges worldwide, and a $300 annual travel credit.
Chase IHG: With the IHG card, you can earn points to pay for hotel stays at IHG brand hotels which is the Holiday Inn Brand. Besides earning free hotel stays, it will also cover the cost of your TSA PreCheck, insurance for car rentals, and reimbursing for trip cancellations.
Miscelaneous Travel Resources
Radical Storage: I’m sure at some time you’ve arrived in a city well before check-in time. If you’re staying at a traditional hotel, you can usually store your luggage there but that’s not always possible for VRBO, AirBNB, or smaller boutique hotels. Use Radical Storage to find a location at your destination to store your luggage until check-in.
AirHelp: If your flight is delayed, cancelled, or you miss a connection, AirHelp will work to get you compensated. You just file the claim and they handle the rest.
Priority Pass: If you don’t have a travel rewards card that includes this pass but still want to visit an airport lounge, get the Priority Pass card. There are more than 1700 airport lounges throughout the world where you can hang out in the lounge until it’s time for boarding.
