Travel Planning Resources
from Dreams to Reality
After travelling to 105 countries, I learned a lot about travel planning resources. Here is a collection of important links that will help you plan your travel itinerary like a pro. Being ahead of the game and knowing these resources can save you a lot of time so you can enjoy your travels even more. Overall, I included the main categories of travel with popular travel links for your next journey.
Disclosure: Please note that some of the links below are affiliate links. At no extra cost to you, I earn a small commission from each booking that allows me to keep content up to date and maintain this website.
Multi-Service Travel Packages
This platform is one of the world’s leading full-service online travel brands It helps travelers easily plan and book trips with the widest selection of vacation packages, flights, hotels, rental cars, rail, cruises, activities, attractions and services.
Trip.com
This provides one-stop travel booking services in 20 languages through the website and mobile app. It is one of the world’s leading online travel agencies. Also, it offers accommodations in more than 200 countries and regions. Overall, it connects flights with more than 5,000 cities around the globe. A priceless bonus is the 24/7 English customer service.
Travelers across the globe use the Tripadvisor site to discover where to stay, what to do, and where to eat. It is based on guidance from those who have been there before. With more than one billion reviews and opinions of businesses, travelers turn to Tripadvisor to find deals on accommodations, book experiences and reserve tables at delicious restaurants
Klook is a booking platform on which travelers book hotels, cars, tours / activities, attractions, and shows at great prices. Thanks to the convenient app, travelers can access the most popular attractions and hidden gems at their fingertips.
Airfare
The Skyscanner is a flight, car rental and hotel search engine. It scans all the top airlines and travel providers, so you can compare flight fares and other travel costs in one place. Once you’ve found the best flight, car rental or hotel, you book directly with the provider.
Compensair is a UK based online service that helps air travelers to receive up to €600 compensation from airlines in case of a flight delay, cancellation, or denied boarding. Compensair takes care of all the paperwork and negotiations with the airlines.
CheapOair is a leading provider of airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars and vacation packages through its extensive partnerships with top travel brands. CheapOair is one of the fastest growing online travel companies in US.
Accommodations
This platform is available in 43 languages and offers more than 28 million reported accommodation listings, including homes, apartments and other unique places to stay. Wherever travelers want to go, Booking.com makes it easy and provides them with 24/7 customer support.
The Agoda platform makes discounted rates available at hotels and private homes around the globe, ranging from budget options to five-star luxury stays. Their range of accommodation types is diverse, as travelers can book everything from tents to treehouses to tropical villas in more than 200 countries around the world.
Vrbo is the world’s leading marketplace for vacation rentals, with listings of vacation rental homes in 190 countries. Vrbo offers an extensive selection of vacation homes that provide travelers with memorable experiences and benefits. It includes more room to relax and added privacy, for less than the cost of traditional hotel accommodations.
This is the global hostel-focused online booking platform, inspires passionate travelers to see the world and meet new people. It’s the social nature of hostels that turbo-charges these travelers’ global adventures and empowers them to “Meet the World”.
Tours / Activities
The tripaneer is the ultimate platform for wellness travel trips. It offers a plethora of retreats, activities and educational trips in all continents, except Antarctica. You can book a health- boosting trip with yoga, meditation, weight-loss, fitness, detox, Ayahauasca and more. Overall, these trips offer a true adventure of life-changing transformation.
This platform is the world’s largest experiences marketplace, connecting travelers with tours and activities. Viator offers tours throughout 200 countries, including wine tastings, walking tours, cooking classes, catamaran rides, tickets and passes to popular landmarks, as well as travel and transportation services, such as bus tours and day trips.
The GETYOURGUIDE is a booking platform that helps travelers find incredible travel experiences. These experiences include skip-the-line tickets to the world’s most iconic attractions, walking tours by top local experts, immersive food and beverage tours, cooking and craft classes and bucket list experiences.
The Eatwith is the largest global community for authentic culinary experiences with passionate locals worldwide. We connect travelers and locals with hosts in over 130 countries, providing unique, intimate, and immersive experiences in private homes and exclusive venues.
Transportation
This is an online bus-booking platform that has compiled the world’s largest selection of bus tickets. Wherever you’re traveling, you can easily compare bus tickets from different companies and book the best option for your next trip.
This platform is an Award-winning car rental comparison website (World Travel Awards, Financial Times 1000, Inc. 5000). Customers can find, compare and rent a car globally. We have over 1 million user traffic in the high season and a very high customer review on TrustPilot.
This is a platform offers tickets for trains, buses, flights, and ferries, as well as car rentals and airport transfers. Travelers worldwide can easily explore Europe, the United States, and Canada, while comparing transportation options and finding the right price for their budget.
SEARADAR is a professional concierge service specializing in sailing yacht rentals worldwide. On SEARADAR’s website, anyone can rent a yacht just like they book a hotel or airplane tickets. Plus, the brand provides a concierge team which is ready to support you.
Travel Insurance
The Safety Wing is my first choice for travel insurance. It offers a flexible, pay-as-you-go alternative with straightforward pricing. They offer extensive coverage with a large network, one overall deductible ($250/year), long-term coverage if needed.
The VisitorsCoverage is the largest provider of visitor’s insurance for inbound travel to the U.S. and offer numerous specialized coverage products for travelers in a world of growing natural disasters, civil incidents and travel calamities.
Travel Photography & Videos
My Gear
I love the reliable quality of Canon products and the compact, lighter weight of mirrorless cameras for travel.
EOS Canon RP Mirrorless Digital Camera with RF 24-105mm F/4L
SanDisk Memory Card
Portable External Hard Drive
Mount Adaptor
As a solo traveler, I travel light with my GoPro for YouTube and Pinterest videos and Instagram Reels.
GoPro Hero 13
Go Pro Dual Battery Charger
Waterproof Hard Case
Stay Connected
Airalo is the world’s first eSIM store that solves the pain of high roaming bills by giving travelers access to eSIMs (digital SIM cards). More than one million people are already using Airalo’s eSIMs. With eSIMs from Airalo, travelers can download and install a digital data pack for over 200 countries/regions and get connected anywhere in the world as soon as they land.
A VPN hides your online activity. This is especially important when using public WIFI: NordVPN is one of the world’s leading VPN services, trusted by millions for secure, private, and fast internet access. With servers in over 60 countries, NordVPN ensures online privacy, data protection, and unrestricted browsing.
Travel & Outdoor Recreational Gear
Recreational Equipment, Inc. sells quality gear, clothing and footwear for outdoor recreation and travel. All products are backed by a 100% guarantee. REI.com customers can enjoy free shipping to any of REI’s 138+ stores nationwide. REI Outlet has the best assortment of brand-name closeouts, overstocks with discounts of 20% to 70%.