Travelling has been a big part of our lives since teenage trips to Majorca and Barcelona in the 1980s. Our love of discovering new places is no less today. We’ve tried many products and websites/apps to plan trips ourselves over the years, and not all have helped. So, we created this article about our best travel resources.
These are travel essentials we have tried, trusted, still use today, and happily share with friends.
If you feel it takes ages to get organized or just crave more trusted online travel planning ideas, take a look below at our favourite travel planning tools.
Note: This page has affiliate links, so if you click and buy something, we may receive a small commission at no cost to you. Our recommendations are only products and services we use & trust. Disclaimer Policy
Prefer to have your online travel resources as Apps? Great! Our suggestions below include services that also offer some of the best travel apps.
✈️ Flights & Airport Services
Google Flights – A great way to compare the ideal dates for cheaper flights from a range of airlines – a great planning tool. Set a route and get price updates.
Expedia USA & Canada – we like Expedia to search for deals on ‘packaged’ trips, including flights and hotels. So efficient for a short getaway adventure. Expedia UK is also fantastic for deals if you are searching from the UK.
Wayaway – a newer site, but wow, its reputation is growing fast. We’ve started to use this ourselves to check out flights. They have a membership option with cash back, which has been so popular that it’s on pause atm.
Skyscanner – an old faithful, although you still have to go to airline sites to book. Love their ‘anywhere’ option, and this is where to find real deals!
Priority Pass – If you travel a lot, this is worth exploring or getting as a gift for someone. You can access many lounges with Priority Pass, although you have to pay for membership and some lounge visits. Nevertheless, it can be a godsend on long layovers.
Welcome Pickups – After a long flight, trying to book an Uber or navigate public transport options isn’t fun. We don’t use car transfers all the time, but when we have, the service from Welcome is prompt, safe and value for money.
🚘 Cars 🚆Trains 🚌 Buses 🚢 Ferries
Discover Cars – compares the prices from a variety of suppliers to ensure you get the cheapest rate. Rental Cars has a similar service.
BlaBlaCar – While we love and still use Uber a lot, check out this ridesharing app for low-cost transport. BlaBlaBus fares are as low as £25 between London and Paris.
Trainline – we use this App all the time in the UK and Europe. It’s really easy to view options and book via the site. On a trip to Pisa, Siena and Florence, we used Trainline to book our inter-city trips. They also highlight times of the cheapest trains in your search – always appreciated!
Direct Ferries – we have used them to book so many boat journeys, including from Buenos Aires to Uruguay. They’re great for seeing the best deals on less-traveled routes, like from Finland over to the Baltics.
12Go – Ruby’s kids used this on their Vietnam travels and found it fantastic to book buses and accommodation in Asia.
🛌 Accommodation
Vrbo – We have stayed in wonderful homes in Florida, Colorado, and Hawaii. Descriptions on the site are factual and service fees are transparent. It can work out cheaper than buying multiple hotel rooms.
Booking.com – we use this site frequently because it offers free cancellations on numerous hotels as plans can change. Just read the small print to make sure you have this flexibility before you press confirm!
Expedia USA & Canada – another site we’ve used for years to search and book flights and hotels. With 3 million+ options around the planet, you’re going to find that gem! Similarly, Expedia UK is great for bundling!
🏞️ Activities, Tours & Getting Around
Guru Walks – Free City Walks are something we love to do early on in any new destination. Available in over 800 cities worldwide we have booked numerous times with them and always have great experiences.
Viator – Day tours can be tricky to book last minute. Sometimes hotels send you on ones that aren’t great or pricey as they take a cut. Viator has over 300,000 experiences and we find them reliable and competitive.
Get Your Guide – 12,000 cities experiences and a passion to create memorable trips! We also use G-Y-G to find food walking trips and cooking experiences. Download the App to check deals when you are at your destination. Apps are some of the best travel resources to check for last-minute deals.
Big Bus Tours – we took their Edinburgh Bus Sightseeing Tour with our niece visiting us this summer. It was a fantastic way to quickly let her see the sights and then hop off when we wanted to.
Tiquets – we love to explore local culture when we travel and include a museum in each city. If you want the best choice of museums and attractions in many major cities, Tiquets is for you.
Rome to Rio – download this App even if you are not travelling soon. It’s a great resource to get you from A to B anywhere in the world, like weaving our way from the railway station in Pisa to our hotel. No more fights over directions!
🎒TPOP Tip: Download/Save an offline Google Map of your destination. Use when out & about or data services & connectivity are poor.
🏥 Travel Insurance & Safety
Fit To Travel – a fantastic resource created by the UK National Health Service. It’s full of helpful information covering 100+ destinations and is simply organized.
Visitors Coverage Insurance – we always cover our trips with insurance because well things can happen. Visitors have been around for ages. Their site is well structured to see what cover you are getting in each offer.
AirHelp – We hope travels always go to plan, but sometimes things don’t. Air Help is a great resource to check country regulations and see what you can claim. Wish we had it when our bags didn’t arrive in Thailand for several days years ago.
Security. We always suggest checking Government Travel Advice for your Home Country before a trip and here are a few examples of travel resources with the latest information:
- Australian Citizens – Smart Traveller Website Guidance
- Canadian Citizens – Global Travel Advice and Advisories
- UK Citizens – 220+ countries covered UK Foreign Travel Advice Site
- USA Citizens – Travelers State Travel Advice
🎒Travel Gear Essentials
CabinMax Luggage – approved for hand baggage for Ryanair, Southwest and EasyJet so great for any budget airline with restrictions. No need to get out the tape measure once you own one of these and we have traveled with them for thousands of miles without any problems. Also great for a road trip!
Tumi Luggage – yes, it’s pricey, but they last forever. The Cabin size is perfect for shorter trips and holds a lot more than you imagine with expandable zips.
Patagonia Duffles – we’ve tried so many over the years! These convert into backpacks for easy carrying. They were perfect for flying on bush planes in Kenya, as hard shell cases are not allowed.
Packing Cubes. You can likely find what you need on Amazon. If you want something fun and colourful, these Baggu designs are fun gifts!
Portable Power Bank – Never get lost in Lima or London without a map because your phone died again! Invest in cordless battery chargers and never search for cables again! Also helps with reducing what you need to pack.
Manfrotto Pixi Mini Tripod – We both always travel with this easy to pack portable tripod. It adds so much flexibility for snapping on the go. Get via Amazon.
Air Tags – pop an Apple (or Samsung) air tag into your luggage and then relax. You can track exactly where your bags are in transit, removing stress about worrying if your bag made it or not. Great to pop into kids’ backpacks too!
📱Phones and Internet Abroad
Airelo – forget messing around with cards, this e-sim store lets you instantly download a digital pack. It’s competitively priced and if you’re visiting multiple countries in a region, their combined packages are super value.
E-Sim offers similar services and is a go-to for Ruby when exploring Europe. We love their reach into lesser-known areas like Skopje.
🏧 Money Abroad
Revolut – a digital bank, top-rated in terms of convenience for use when travelling abroad. It’s also perfect if you have a child going overseas and they need you to top up their travel fund. You can make an international transfer once a month for free 🙂
Monzo Debit Card – we love this card when travelling in Europe. Whether you’re buying pierogis in Poznan or a bargain in Istanbul’s grand bazaar, it’s so flexible with no currency fees. Free Cash withdrawals of £200/month if you need extra cash.
Chase Sapphire Card – a fantastic credit card for frequent travelers – Jude has used one for years. No fees for foreign spending and you can collect points (cash back) on flights, hotels, and restaurants. Customer service is top-notch if you have a problem in the likes of Uganda. Benefits more than cover the $90 annual fee.
Tricount – ever been on a trip with friends and felt awkward about tallying up costs? Download the App and in 5 mins you can set it up for you and your travel partners!
9 Great Travel Tips Reads
As well as the best travel resources and tools, our articles help with top travel planing challenges. Have a browse and see what might be helpful to you.
