All you need to plan your next adventure.
USEFUL TRAVEL RESOURCES
Many friends and readers keep asking what websites I use to search for the best flights and awesome accommodations around the world. Of course, in order to travel more and get better value for your money, you need good travel resources. That’s why I’ve compiled this list of the most useful websites for travel planning, including where to find the cheapest flights, book the best accommodations, rent a car, and more.
Read on, and I’m sure you’ll find something useful for planning your next trip!
FIND CHEAP FLIGHTS
SKYSCANNER
Skyscanner is a great flight search engine and the very first place I start checking for flights. The site instantly compares millions of flights, including those provided by low-cost carriers, every time you search. There is also a great tool that allows you to search for a “flight to anywhere”. Just type your home airport and choose “ANY”, and you’ll get a list of the cheapest flights from your airport.
MOMONDO
Momondo is another website I use when searching for flights. It’s great not only for booking but also researching prices, making it extremely useful for travel planning. The best feature is definitely the calendar view, as it lets you see which days are cheapest to fly. Before I book any flights I often always check through Momondo in case there’s a better rate out there that I’ve missed.
KIWI
Kiwi is a search engine that makes it possible to find the cheapest combination of flights, including being able to combine flights on budget airlines with normal ones, and makes it possible to book it all in one click. The interface is not as user friendly as with Skyscanner or Momondo. Still, it is worth including in your search: it’s great for finding flights between Europe and Asia on various budgets.
GOOGLE FLIGHTS
This is one we have just started using recently. What I love about Google Flights is it will give you notifications when flights prices are changing and it will also suggest which flight is the best bang for your buck so you won’t have crazy layovers or can take advantage of any non-stop flights available. You should always check Google Flights before booking.
HAVE A GOOD SLEEP
BOOKING.COM
With such a huge variety of places to stay all around the world, Booking.com is by far the best accommodation booking platform. The verified reviews and ratings give users a very clear idea of what hostels, guesthouses, and hotels are like. Especially in Europe, Booking.com sometimes offers some real bargains. And the best part: you can still stay very flexible, cancel for free up to a certain date, and even book your rooms on the day you want to check in!
HOSTELWORLD
Do you enjoy staying in hostels? Staying in a hostel can be a fun experience, especially for solo travelers who want to meet and hang out with like-minded people. Hostelworld features the biggest choice of hostels on the Net. I have even been able to find places to stay in small towns thanks to Hostelworld. You can choose between the cheapest rate and the more flexible one that allows changes.
AIR BNB
Are you tired of anonymous hotels and hostels? Looking for a more unique experience? Then check out Airbnb. You will get to stay in real homes, which can be not only cheaper but also more comfortable. It’s also great if you’re planning to travel longer, in which case you will surely appreciate the feeling of “being at home”. Airbnb features countless unique rooms and apartments all around the world. Plus,I am giving out this $28 Airbnb credit!
AGODA
Often referred to as the best accommodation booking platform for Asia, Agoda offers some regional deals that can’t be found anywhere else. There is a lot of variety in terms of budget on offer; you will find everything from budget hostels to luxury resorts. If you are planning a trip to Asia, Agoda will help you to save a lot of money.
UNIQUE ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS
COUCHSURFING
If you are about to try traveling for the first time or on a very low budget, Couchsurfing can be great way to start. The platform allows users to arrange free stays on people’s couches (and real beds!) and make new friends all around the world. Remember to check the reviews (especially if you travel solo) and remember it’s not just about free accommodation, but a cultural exchange as well. PS: Note that following a recent change, there is a very small monthly or annual fee to use Courchsurfing.
Alternatives: Hospitality Club, Global Freeloaders, Warmshowers (for bicycle tourers), WWOOF (Willing Workers on Organic Farms)
TRUSTED HOUSESITTERS
Trusted Housesitters is the largest house & pet sitting website in the world. As a house sitter, you can take care of someone’s house and get free accommodation. If you are looking to do some long term travels, house sitting can help you to save a lot on accommodation. If you are lucky, you may even get to spend few weeks in a village near the beach while taking care of a couple of a lovely dogs. Sound nice?
Alternatives: MindMyHouse, Housecarers
MOVING AROUND
UBER
Uber is a convenient, inexpensive and reliable alternative to regular taxis. On average, you will end up paying 30-40% less. You can order an Uber straight from your mobile phone, track the route the driver is taking, you will know how much the fare will be before you get in, and it gets charged directly to your credit card. With this link, you get $5 off your first ride. Or simply go ahead and enter the promo code S82PHT to get the discount.
BLABLACAR
BlaBlaCar is the Airbnb of ride-sharing, and it’s exploding throughout Europe. The idea is simple—drivers post their travel itinerary and how much they’re charging for a seat. Riders then login and search for drivers that are taking the same route: the prices are usually much cheaper than the train. Plus, It becomes especially handy on routes where you can’t find any direct bus or train connection. I have used it a lot to travel between Czech Republic and Germany (to get to Ingolstadt, I would have to transfer 4 times!)
FLIXBUS
FlixBus is the Germany-based company behind Europe’s largest intercity bus network. Their green buses connect many destinations throughout Europe, representing one of the most affordable ways to explore the old continent. I frequently travel with them across the Czech Republic and Germany. Once I even completed a 24-hour journey all the way to Sweden. You can read my bus travel tips here.
AUTOEUROPE
Do you prefer to explore a new country at your own pace? Then renting a car is the perfect solution. You can find some interesting deals over at AutoEurope, a large car rental wholesale company. All you have to do is to enter the dates of your trip and country or countries you will be visiting, then the system produces a detailed comparison of various rental options. I used them for renting a car in Sweden and it worked perfectly. If you book early, you can get as much as 30% off.
TRAVEL PLANNING
MY DESTINATIONS PAGE
Looking for some ideas to start out? Head over to my destinations page to see all the places I’ve been to. There you’ll find articles covering destinations across Europe and Asia, my beloved regions. You will find articles covering all kinds of cool activities and the best ways to spend your time and money.
SLEEPING IN THE AIRPORTS
Are you about to have a long stopover? It’s definitely worthwhile to know where the best places to rest in a given airport are. Sleeping in Airports covers just about every airport in the world and tells you the best places in each one to catch some z’s. I often use it to find the most comfortable lounge to wait in, even if it’s not overnight.
WIKITRAVEL
Wikitravel is a crowdsourced travel platform that has proven to be an incredible resource for me when it comes to researching new destinations. Like Wikipedia, there are contributors who keep the pages running and up to date. Wikitravel is a great source when you are after travel tips and prices for a destination. This has been my number one go-to destination research site over the course of the last few years.
GET YOUR GUIDE
For all of my day trip and city tour needs, I use GetYourGuide. It has the world’s largest collection of things to do, with more than 30,000 activities in 7500 destinations. It is a leading travel platform for booking tours, attractions, excursions & activities. GetYourGuide offers reliable day tours with a best price guarantee.
ROME2RIO
An excellent resource for those trying to figure out the best way to get from point A to point B using all forms of transportation including flights, buses, trains, ferries, public transport and more. Rome2Rio lays out the best routes, including all the related costs. They also display the routes on GoogleMaps, and it works offline.
REVOLUT
Say goodbye to ATM fees! Figuring out how to pay for things in the local currency on the road without being ripped off by a bank or foreign exchange office is a great challenge. Revolut card is a great alternative for travelers. Signing up for an account is free, and it comes with free ATM withdrawals all around the world. The shipping costs 5 USD but you can get it free with my link.
MY PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR
OLYMPUS PEN
My first mirrorless camera, the Olympus Pen, has been with me since 2014. I still remember the happiness of switching from my heavy and oversized DSLR to something more lightweight and portable. The Olympus PEN has been with me to so many countries. I love that small and light enough to easily have it on me all day hanging on my neck, without any back pain.
OLYMPUS TOUGH TG-6
This is my camera to bring on all adventures. The Olympus Tough TG-6 is one of the best waterproof cameras on the market. It features a 12 Megapixel sensor, 4X optical zoom lens, numerous sensors and, of course, serious protection against the elements. I fact, it’s unbreakable. It has been with me on a sailing trip, kayaking trip, and much more. I love both its small size and the high quality of the pictures.
SONY 6000
This mirrorless camera is the newest addition to my photography gear. I purchased this new toy in June 2020, so I still have a lot of experimenting to do. With a of around $400, Sony 6000 is pretty affordable and comes with one of the best sensors on the market. I love it so far; it’s small, compact, fast, and versatile. Plus, you don’t have to rob a bank to afford one.😊
BLOGGING TOOLS
BLUE HOST
If you are looking into joining a blogging market, web hosting is one of the first things you will have to solve. Every blogger has been solving this at least once in their lifetime. And you better take a good choice: choosing the wrong host might cause lots of various problems for years to come. There are several big companies, yet Bluehost is among the most popular options.
TRAVEL BLOG SUCCESS
A comprehensive course for those interested in travel blogging. This course especially helped me with the basic things one needs to learn when running a travel blog. The private forums and Facebook group are particularly helpful for having your questions answered.
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