I have been traveling for several years now and I’ve learned a thing or two about what (not) to do when traveling and booking. These travel resources are here to help make your planning a little easier!
ACCOMODATIONS
airbnb
Airbnb is my go-to for rental apartments or condos. There are discounts for long-term rentals and these can be a great way to see the city as a local.
Hostelworld
This is by far my favorite hostel booking app! You can filter hostels by price, reviews, distance to city center, amenities, etc.
Booking.com
Booking.com is great for comparing prices, especially in Europe. I would typically use this site for hotels, rather than other acommodation types.
FLIGHTS
Google Flights
Google Flights has been my recent favorite flight booking service. Google Flights will show you the typical price for your flight, so you know whether you’re getting a good deal or not.
Skyscanner
Skyscanner is probably going to be your cheapest options for flights- they compare hundreds of budget flights that may not show up on other flight services.
Hopper
Hopper is another great app for budget flights. They will send you notifications on when your flight price drops or is expected to increase, so that you can book at the most optimal times.
TRANSPORTATION
Rome2Rio
Rome2Rio is great for planning your trip across multiple forms of transportation! You can get to your destination by seeing whats available (boat, flight, bus, etc.) and Rome2Rio will give you prices for all of them.
Eurail
As their catch phrase says, “Discover Europe by Train”. Eurail passes are very cheap and you can take a train at any time with these passes throughout a designated time frame (ex. June-July).
Rentalcars.com
If your trip requires a way to get around on-demand, you can check into rentalcars.com. They will find competitive prices for rental car options.
TOUR COMPANIES
Viator
Viator is one of my favorite ways to book a day trip or excursion while I’m traveling. They offer competitive prices and great reviews for their tours.
EF College Break
My first trip to Europe was through EF College Break, similar concept to Contiki. This is a fantastic company that will get your toes wet with backpacking, while being with a group of people to travel with.
tripadvisor
Tripadvisor has reputable customer reviews, and is one of my favorite places to read about tour excursions. This is a great service to compare excursion prices.
TRAVEL GEAR
REI
REI has durable travel gear, and is one of my favorite places to shop for traveling. This gear will last for multiple trips.
High Sierra
While REI has some of my favorite travel gear, High Sierra has my favorite travel backpackpack (check out my backpack on amazon here).
Athleta
Athleta has some of my favorite clothes for traveling. Their moisture-wicking gear has options for cold and hot climates…and they’re also super cute!