Here are the travel resources I use to plan my trips. These are my go-to resources for travel because they are reliable and cost-effective. Perfect for the budget! I highly recommend these sites to help you plan your trip. You can click on the images for more info. Take a look, try them out, and let me know what you think!
Skyscanner is my go-to search engine for flight comparison and airfare searches. I usually find the cheapest airfare using Skyscanner. Even when you’re not sure where to go, but just want to go somewhere … plug in your departure city, the dates, and hit search. Skyscanner will pull up airfares for flights to various destinations starting with the cheapest!
Airfare Watchdog provides free airfare monitoring. You can search and compare flights from different sites to find the best fares. It also provides a list of the top 50 cheapest flights and lets you sign up for free fare alerts. You can’t book flights on Airfare Watchdog, but you will find some of the best deals. Bonus: Airfare Watchdog provides alerts for hotels too!
Google flights is a reliable flight tool that allows you to search for cheap flights on multiple airlines at the same time. If you are not ready to book the trip, Google Flights can track the prices for the flight or route. This always comes in handy when I’m searching for flights.
I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to select accommodation that is right for you. You need to be comfortable during your stay. TripAdvisor is my go-to search site for any form of accommodation. Not only does it pull hotels, villas, etc. from numerous sites to provide you with the best rates, it also provides reliable reviews to help you make your decision when choosing your accommodation.
PricelineExpress deals allow you to save up to 60% on your hotel rate (depending on the hotel, availability, etc). However, you won’t be provided with the name of the hotel until you complete the purchase. This can be tricky because paying a non-refundable rate on a hotel without knowing its name is a huge commitment. Weigh your pros and cons for this one. I recommend looking at the hotel rating (3 star, 4-star), the amenities, and the reviews (if any) before booking. For the most part, express deals will provide you with rates that are much lower than the original price of the hotel.
Hotels.com is a great way to find discounted rates on hotels. The main reason I use hotels.com is because of its rewards program – if you stay 10 nights in any hotel booked through hotels.com, you will earn a free night (valued at the average of the 10 nights)!
VRBO is great for searching for vacation rentals and traveling in a group. Villas, apartments, condos, cabins, vacation homes, you name it, VRBO will find it. You can even negotiate prices. This site provides a wide range of properties and rates, so there is something for everyone almost anywhere in the world.
Agoda allows you to search for discounted prices on over 2,000,000 properties worldwide, including hotels, resorts and hostels. Just enter your destination, dates of travel, number of persons traveling, hit search, and voila!
Priceline is a good source to rent a car. Even without its “express deals” option (oh how I miss that), Priceline still yields great rates for car rentals. If you need to rent a car and are looking for a great rate, I would definitely start with Priceline.
Auto Europe provides amazing car rentals deals in Europe. You can also search for car rentals in other continents, such as Asia, Africa, Australia, and North and South America, although the deals won’t be as great as in Europe. Auto Europe usually has discount deals and promotions, so it wouldn’t hurt to check them out.
Most people know Skyscanner as a search engine for flights, but not many know that it can also be used to rent a car. Skyscanner compares other car rental search sites to help you find the best deals on car rentals at numerous airports.
CityPass sells discounted ticket packages to top attractions in various cities, including: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, New York Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, and Toronto. Prices tend to vary according to the city. Discounts are only on certain selected attractions in each city, but chances are these attractions are on your itinerary anyway.
If you prefer guided tours, then I recommend trying Viator. Better yet, if you are visiting a new country and have no clue what to do, Viator will provide you with a list of various tours and experiences from which you can choose. Prices vary depending on the tour, but you have the option to cancel free of charge up to 24 hours before the tour (in most cases). I’ve learned that when you have limited time and you’re trying to get it all in, organized tours like Viator are a life-saver.
If you are making travel plans then you should definitely consider getting travel insurance. World Nomads travel insurance is highly recommended. They are flexible and provide great coverage. Travel insurance packages include: trip protection; emergency medical insurance; emergency medical transport (evacuation and repatriation); loss, theft, or damage of personal items/gear.
I get all my travel gear from Amazon. With its awesome Prime program and trustworthy product reviews, this site always come through when I need to find a particular travel item, especially if I need it asap (thank you free Prime 2-day delivery)! Whether you are searching for a specific item, or you need to figure out which product is the best, Amazon is the place to go!
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