TRAVEL RESOURCES
Planning a trip can be a weird mix of stress and excitement, whether you’re venturing to your first foreign destination or you’re an experienced traveller. No matter your travel style or destination of choice it’s vital to have the best resources at your fingertips to save you stress, time and money on the road, even if you aren’t “the planning type”.
This page consists of handy travel resources that I personally use and highly recommend including transport, accommodation, tours, tech, helpful Apps, products and advice. Safe to say that without all of these resources, travelling the world would look a lot different!
Disclosure: This page may contain affiliate links that are no additional cost to you, but I may earn a small commission from if you make a purchase through them. I only recommend products or services I have used or would use.
Transport resources
Skyscanner – If you’ve ever been on a plane before, you likely used Skyscanner to seek out the best option. By dedicating some time to planning and searching different routes you can end up getting some really decent prices. For example earlier this year I flew from Morocco to Edinburgh but stopped in Belgium for a few days because that actually worked out cheaper than going direct. A good excuse to spend a while somewhere new!
Trip.com – The chances are that if you use Skyscanner to book a flight you’ll be redirected through Trip.com. Skip out the middle man and maybe get a cheaper price on hotels and flights on their great website here or make a search below.
12Go – Ideal for buses, trains and ferries in Southeast Asia, 12Go is a very handy App to have, especially for places where you can’t find accurate information online. Compare modes of transport to seek the best deal and quickest journey time.
Rome2Rio – Rome2Rio is almost the exact same as 12Go but offers hotels and car hire too.
RentalCars.com – RentalCars.com is a Booking.com company and is the world’s largest online car rental service. Browse options here.
Omio – For train, bus and plane journeys in Europe, the U.S. and Canada, Omio is the one. Book tickets it’s very user friendly App or website. 12Go is Asia’s version.
FlixBus – Flexibus offers safe and comfortable long-distance bus travel in 26 countries throughout Europe.
Accommodation resources
Booking.com – This is the big dog of the online accommodation booking industry. With amazing deals, loyalty bonuses and a ridiculous amount of options of where to stay, Booking.com is the best choice and one you can certainly rely on.
Airbnb – Choose to rent an entire place, a studio, a spare room or to share with other travellers – it’s up to you! Usually Airbnb is more expensive than the likes of Booking,com but it’s a great way to meet local people and ideal for longer stays somewhere.
Hostelworld – It might be obvious from the name of the site, but Hostelworld is the place for you if you prefer hostels to hotels. Cheap beds are available worldwide in shared dorms, it just depends how many people is too many for you!
Couchsurfing – Free accommodation! Couchsurfing is a site where hosts offer free overnight stays to travellers, often on their… you guessed it… couch. If you’re lucky you might get an actual bed! Remember it’s always nice to give something back, even if you just cook dinner one night.
Tours & activities
Intrepid Travel – I’ve used Intrepid Travel twice and went to Egypt and Morocco on my first trips as a solo backpacker. The higher price tag and having to travel with others might make some wary, but I really loved both trips. Tours span anything from 3 days to 3 months and they also have tours specifically to 18-29’s. Find the right one for you on their website.
Travel Apps
Ride-hailing Apps – Uber, Grab, Bolt and Dart are popular ride-hailing Apps that are available in many locations across the world. Which App to use depends on where you are, but they all offer affordable, safe and reliable car or motorcycle rides where journeys can be paid automatically by card. It’s best to check which App is used in your travel destination to save some money on arrival.
Xe Currency – This wee beauty provides real-time exchange rates that automatically update every 60 seconds so you’re always on the ball with current rates and how much things cost.
TripAdvisor – TripAdvisor is a brilliant App for reading recent reviews of bars, restaurants and attractions and finding the top things to do in your area. It comes in super useful but is often a place where people go just to moan. Don’t let one bad review deter you, but if you notice a trend in negative feedback then it’s probably a sign.
Maps.me – Many people use Google Maps, but I find Maps.me far more suitable because you can use it offline. Download maps to use later, plan a route and pin destinations around the world!
Google Translate – Everyone knows this App for quick and easy translations, but did you know it also has a photo function? Take a photo of any foreign text and it’ll be translated in about 3 seconds – a real game changer!
5 essential travel items
Power Bank – With this you’ll always feel safe in the knowledge that you can charge your phone at any time and remain connected to maps and social media or make emergency phone calls. There are thousands of options out there. View them here.
Kindle – Any readers out there? Don’t be like me currently travelling around Southeast Asia for 4 months with 3 books in my bag. Save weight and get a Kindle – a lightweight device for storing and reading books.
Packing cubes – Packing cubes are an absolute game-changer. There’s nothing worse than looking for a certain item and having to rake through your entire bag to find it. Save space in your backpack and organise everything into specific cubes. View the ones I use below or check out these ones on Amazon.
International adapter – You will need an international adapter when you travel – fact. Check out options here. Most of the best adapters are set up to work in every country in the world and have multiple USB sockets so you can charge more than one gadget at a time. I use this one: MyTravlPal.
Travel camera/GoPro – I’m always amazed by how many people don’t travel with a camera. Sure, phones are good these days… but a camera is better! I use the Sony A7ii which, for me, is absolutely perfect and very versatile albeit maybe a bit fancy for your average traveller. Check out these compact cameras on Amazon or the ultimate adventure camera below.
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