Resources

After traveling to 20+ countries, I’ve gained some experience on what travel resources work the best. When I plan a trip, these are my essential websites and tools:

Flights

• Google Flights: While you can’t book flights directly with Google, their website is a super easy and convenient way to compare flight costs. Personally, I love to use it as a form of preliminary research.
• Skyscanner: Skyscanner is my go-to for finding the cheapest flights possible – it’s quick, easy, and comprehensive. However, like Google Flights, it is a search engine so you won’t be able to book directly with them.
• Kiwi: If you want to book all the transportation for your entire vacation on one website, Kiwi is the way to go.

Overall, I tend to use Google Flights and Skyscanner to find the cheapest flights to a destination, then I book directly with the airlines themselves.

Accommodations

• Booking.com: Whether I’m looking for a luxury hotel or a budget hostel, my go-to website is Booking.com. It’s super easy to both use and navigate, and it conveniently lists all of the available amenities, photos, and customer reviews for the hotels.
• Hostelworld: If you’re a backpacker or a budget traveler, Hostelworld is the way to go. Loaded with cheap places to crash all over the world, it’s a convenient website that’ll let you know what to expect from a place’s comfort, cleanliness, location, and vibe.
• Expedia: Expedia is a comprehensive travel website filled with hotel options (as well as flights and car rentals). While I think it’s easier to find cheap places on Booking.com, I still like to peruse Expedia for some additional options!
• Airbnb: Airbnb is a great choice if you’re looking for more unique, home-stays.
• Vrbo: Whether you’re hoping to stay in a one-bedroom apartment, cottage, house, or villa, Vrbo is the perfect website to use. With a wide range of homely accommodations, it is an excellent choice for booking accommodations.

Ground Transportation

• 12Go: 12Go is my favorite way to securely and easily book buses, trains, ferries and more when I’m traveling. While it provides options for destinations around the world, it was especially a life-saver when I was backpacking Southeast Asia!
• Omio: If you’re looking for the best deals on trains, buses, ferries, and flights within Europe, Omio is the perfect website for you.
• Busbud: For a reliable website offering bus-booking services around the world, Budbud is a great choice.
• Flixbus US: If you’re planning to travel around the US by bus, Flixbus is an absolute gem! A dependable bus-booking service, it offers cheap, comfy, and trouble-free rides.
• Discover Cars: If you prefer road trips over bus rides, Discover Cars is the way to go. With stellar customer service and over 10,000 locations in 145 countries, it is one of the easiest ways to rent cars.

Tours

• Viator: Whether you’re a travel novice or an experienced vagabond, Viator is a great option for booking activities, as it offers some of the best tours for exploring new destinations. I love booking tours that take me out of the town, as it can get pretty stressful to plan day trips by myself!
• GetYourGuide: Another great website for simplifying your travel itineraries is GetYourGuide. Filled with great tours around the world, from cooking classes to paid walking tours, it’s one of the best ways to create memorable and authentic travel experiences.

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