My top picks for the best
Travel Resources
Everything You’ll Need to Plan a Trip
This is where you’ll find helpful links to all my best travel resources, favorite trip-planning tools, sites, and travel resources for booking flights, cruises, hotels, and unique accommodations. You’ll also find recommended sites and apps for travel inspiration, planning tools, and my recommended gear. Sometimes, I’ve had to learn the hard way by trying a product and finding out they weren’t as good as they promised. I’ll do everything I can to spare you those headaches.
- My Favorite Hotels, Unique Lodging, Tours and Experience websites
- My Picks to book Cruises, Cars, Trains and Transportation
- Where to find Travel Gear and Planning Tools
Jump to the end to see some of my favorite posts – travel apps, tools, places to eat and drink, the best gear that I use on my trips, and cool lodging that I absolutely love. I’ll be adding more to this page every time I come across great travel resources to help you plan your next adventure, so bookmark the page to come back whenever you’re starting the trip-planning process. Be sure to let me know if you use any of these sources and have a bad experience. I don’t want to promote a service that isn’t doing an amazing job with my readers and VIP customers.
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Transportation, Cruises, Rental Cars & More Travel Resources
If you’ve never had the joy of cruising, I highly recommend it. Terry and I have taken several cruises. Each one was different, but we loved every one of them. Our latest was an ocean cruise to Norway. It’s on my Bucket List to do a European river cruise soon too.
Cruise Direct has been around for more than 20 years and has access to hundreds of destinations worldwide. They have a “best price guarantee” and plant a tree for every cruise they book.
You’ve probably heard of Expedia Travel because it’s one of the best travel resources, it’s highly rated and has been around since 1996. If you like to make as many travel reservations as possible in one place, this is the site for you. You’ll find great deals for booking a wide range of worldwide rental vehicles, hotels, unique vacation rentals, pet-friendly lodging, and money-saving travel packages.
Expedia is also an excellent option for finding and booking unique lodging, activities, events, and things to do at your destination. This includes audio and physical tours, venue tickets, theme parks, helicopter and hot air balloon rides, local cruises, and more.
Train travel is one of the easiest, most efficient and planet-friendly methods of getting around in Europe. Rail Europe is one of the best travel resources for selling train tickets and rail passes for over 50 different European train companies. It’s an excellent travel resource for comparing prices to see which options work best for your next adventure.
Rail Europe was founded in 1932 and has has been helping travelers explore Europe for more than 90 years. and has access to hundreds of destinations worldwide. They have a “best price guarantee” and plant a tree for every cruise they book.
Trainline
Trainline works with over 210 rail and coach companies to help their customers travel to thousands of destinations across 45 different countries. They also offer unique reporting tools for business customers.
It’s simple to compare prices between bus/coach travel and train/rail routes to find the most cost-effective, comfortable, and timely routes for your needs. Many trains offer both standard and first classes tickets, especially for longer routes. You can find out the differences in the tickets here.
Radical Luggage Storage
Radical Storage offers secure storage locations for your luggage so you don’t have to worry about the gaps in time between early or late check-out and leaving town. It’s also excellent if you’re traveling by train and want to stop for the day in a city or town along the way.
Reserve your secure storage location in advance, and show your QR code confirmation when you drop off your bags. We stored our luggage when we stopped at Oxford on our way from Bath to London and it was such a relief knowing that our bags and valuables were safe.
Google Flights
Google Flights is a great trip-planning resource for comparing prices and finding airfare deals, especially if you’re open to finding a new destination that you may not have thought of before.
When searching for airfare deals, Google Flights has a section showing the best time to visit. You’ll know when to expect peak season and off-season rates. There’s also a price graph showing various prices to fly on different days of the month and a flight reminder tool that will email you if prices go down.
Where to Find
Unique Lodging, Tours & Experiences
Booking.com is one of the best travel resources for reserving unique hotels, motels, and accommodations around the world. They offer 30 different types of lodging, like homes, hostels, B & Bs, farm stays, boats, and even treehouses!
It’s easy to customize your search by neighborhood, lodging type and specific amenities needed. Searches are available in 43 different languages. Save by buying in bundles like flights, hotels, car rentals and more. Click the button below to find all the latest “Getaway Deals” starting at 15% off.
You’ve probably heard of Expedia Travel because it’s one of the best travel resources, it’s highly rated and has been around since 1996. If you like to make as many travel reservations as possible in one place, this is the site for you. You’ll find great deals for booking a wide range of worldwide rental vehicles, hotels, unique vacation rentals, pet-friendly lodging, and money-saving travel packages.
Expedia is also an excellent option for finding and booking unique lodging, activities, events, and things to do at your destination. This includes audio and physical tours, venue tickets, theme parks, helicopter and hot air balloon rides, local cruises, and more.
Get Your Guide
Get Your Guide is your go-to tool for finding fantastic travel experiences no matter where your adventures take you. Book hands-on experiences like cooking and craft classes, so you can create memories (and souvenirs) to cherish. Whether it’s ticking off those bucket list items or uncovering hidden gems you wouldn’t find on your own, GetYourGuide has what you need.
But wait, there’s more! For those looking for something truly extraordinary, there’s GetYourGuide Originals. These exclusive tours are designed to give you an unparalleled exploration experience. Picture yourself relishing a private tour of the Louvre with an art historian, embarking on a VIP safari adventure in South Africa, or sailing along the Amalfi Coast on a luxury yacht. You’ll have unique and unforgettable moments, making your travels even more magical. So go ahead, let GetYourGuide show you the world in the best way possible!
VRBO
VRBO [Vacation Rentals by Owner] is the perfect travel resource for finding beautiful and unique accomodations around the world. You’ll find 2 million listings in 190 countries, loved and hosted by their owners. We’ve used VRBO many times! I love being able to find unique lodging where I feel like a local. The extra sitting areas, kitchen and outdoor spaces make every trip much more comfortable than a hotel. We even stayed in a lovely houseboat in Amsterdam
Whether you’re looking for a houseboat or a highrise city-view condo, you’ll find options at every price range & location. There are even luxurious castles & villas for rent! Search by destination, dates, lodging type and specific space and amenities. Click the button below to find the perfect stay for your next adventure.
Viator Tours
Viator is the world’s largest experiences marketplace, connecting travelers with tours and activities that they will remember for a lifetime. With Viator, you’re not just booking a trip, you’re signing up for an adventure. Another cool thing about it is that you can earn rewards too. Whether you’re looking for a wine tasting in the rolling hills of Tuscany or a catamaran ride along the pristine waters of the Caribbean, Viator has you covered. Offering more than 300,000 experiences across 200 countries, the possibilities are endless.
Viator brings unique experiences right to your fingertips. Check out these dozens of options for the next time you visit Washington DC. Imagine taking a cooking class in the heart of Paris, or strolling through the historic streets of Rome on a walking tour. From tickets and passes to the world’s most popular landmarks to travel and transportation services like bus tours and day trips, Viator ensures that every part of your journey is unforgettable.
If you love animals and like to keep things tidy, consider being a housesitter or petsitter in exchange for unique homestays around the world. Or if you have pets that you must leave at home when you travel, you’ll find this to be one of the best travel resources for verified and reviewed sitters to care for your pet while you’re gone. Trusted Housesitters has over 180,000 members, so you’ll be sure to find a perfect match!
I haven’t had a chance to try this, but I’ve heard so much good news about it that I’d love to do it. We don’t have pets right now, but have had them in the past. Our sweet cat, named Shredder lived to be 22 years old and we’d love to be a stitter for someone else’s pet and home!
Important Travel Tools
Best Travel Resources for Before You Leave Home
When all travel screeched to a halt a few years ago and people were stranded around the world, many people realized how important travel insurance is. This is one of the best travel resources that you won’t want to skip.
I buy insurance anytime I’m traveling internationally. I also recommend buying trip insurance anytime you invest money that you don’t want to lose on travel arrangements.
If you have any health issues that sometimes keep you from traveling, or when you get older and unexpected issues may arise more often it’s also wise to invest in protection. Do you have family members who may need you at home unexpectedly? That’s another reason that travel insurance may be helpful.
My Best Travel Finds
If you’re anything like me you’ve become lazy when it comes to in-store shopping…especially when it’s items that aren’t easy to find or you need them right away. I will admit that I rely probably too much on Amazon Prime because of the fast free shipping. I’ll also admit that I’ve found some great deals and some of my favorite travel resources, gear and products on the site as well.
Each one of the links above is for a product that I bought on Amazon and it has become a go-to item for some of the best travel resources that I use over and over when I’m traveling. I have a post about compression packing cubes here and I intend to write about the rest of these as well.
If you don’t have Amazon Prime yet, you can sign up for a free trial here. Did you know if you’re between 18 and 24 or a college student you can get discounted rates? Find out more here.
You’ve probably heard the name Travelpro before because they’re known for their high quality products. The original luggage was designed by an airline pilot who knew what was needed for frequent travelers. Now all their products are of the highest quality and the luggage lining is made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles. Yay!
I love that they offer hard-sided and soft-sided spinner pieces, depending on your preference. I also love that their smaller bags slide over the handles of wheeled luggage to make rushing through airports so much easier. They even have a charging port to plug in your device while you’re waiting to board.
Etsy Creative
If you’ve never had a chance to browse on Etsy, I highly recommend it! First of all it’s a great way to support small businesses and creative artisans. My list of “20+ Awesome Gift Ideas for the Hopeless Romantic” gives a bunch of ideas from Etsy.
This online marketplace gives makers, artists, artisans, and creatives the tools and resources to market their items worldwide. That benefits you, by gathering a world of innovative entrepreneurs in one place so you can search for the original products and gifts they create. Many times they can be personalized or customized or even designed as one-of-a-kind creations just for you.
If you use your phone a lot for taking pictures or mapping routes the battery can run down pretty quickly. I love my Anker Portable Charger Power Bank to recharge my phone on the go. It’s about the size of a smartphone. I carry it in my pocket or purse and plug it into my phone to carry me through to the end of the day.
Anker offers a variety of sizes and styles plus cords and cordless charging options for both Apple iPhone and Android iOS products. They even have a magnetic version that attaches to your phone.
Pinterest is an excellent free travel resource to help you find inspiration for your next destination. You can use it just like any search engine, like Google. When you enter a city, country, or region and the word “travel” in the search field you’ll see hundreds of pins linking to articles about the area.
Or maybe you’re looking for experiences for a specific travel theme like astronomy, football, or scuba diving. Just enter a question like “best places to go for …” and you’ll get tons of results. I also use it to share my own travel tips, and links to my latest blog posts so they’re easy to save and read later. You can follow my account on Pinterest to get updates on new travel ideas and tips when I post new stuff.
If you’re like me, so much of the fun of traveling is planning the trip. Lonely Planet is one of the best travel resources for hundreds of travel-related books and guides including foreign language learning, kids’ activity books, specialized guides for culinary travel, hiking, biking, and snow adventures.
Their travel guides cover destinations worldwide and come as “classic”, “authentic experiences”, or “pocket” guides. Each option is tailored to a different style of traveler.
Click the button below and use coupon code “TWPSave10” you’ll get 10% off your travel resources purchase!
Posts About my Favorite Travel Resources
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