We’ve traveled all over the place, both planned and booked everything ourselves. Below, we’ve listed some of the companies and resources we’ve used frequently ourselves. These sites and services represent some of the best info and deals you’ll find online. We hope you find them as useful as we do!
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Airfares
Skyscanner
This is where we look 9 times out of 10 for flights. They usually have the best combination of prices and flight durations, and we rarely have to look elsewhere to find our ideal flight.
Kayak
For when Skyscanner isn’t quite cutting it. Kayak can offer an alternative look on flights, sometimes offering up a gem.
Google Flights
We use Google Flights a lot for planning out a trip. You’ll be able to get a feel for what day of the week is best to leave, and can also get destination suggestions based on where the cheapest spot is.
Accommodation
Booking.com
One of our starting points for accommodation. They have a good range of accommodation types, a wide range of price points, and have listings all over the world. Once you’ve made 10+ bookings, you also get a loyalty discount. In our experience, don’t stay in a place rated lower than an 8. It’s usually not worth it.
Agoda
Agoda is great for travel in Asia. If you’re going to be spending some time there, look no further.
Priceline
The unique selling point of Priceline, is that you can “bid” for hotel rooms. Have a budget and only want to pay a certain amount for the room? Take a bid, and you might get lucky!
Airbnb
We love Airbnb, expecially when traveling in more expensive countries. You can often find rooms or even entire apartments at a cheaper price than the local hotels. Another benefit is that you may have access to a full kitchen. This can really save you some money on food, so you can shell out for other exciting experiences.
Hostelworld
The biggest player in the hostel market. Sometimes there are just no affordable hotels, or Airbnbs, and we’re left with looking at hostels. When that happens, we look here.
Gear
Osprey
Every once and a while we’ll flirt with a different backpack brand, but we just keep coming back to Osprey.
Bluffworks
These guys make a killer pair of travel pants, and now that they have them in navy, there’s no reason to look anywhere else.
T-Mobile
T-Mobile has some great deals for travelers. From roaming at no additional cost, to free in-flight WiFi!
Transportation
Rentalcars.com
Our go to for rental cars. They’ve got a great range of vehicles, and usually offer up some nice deals. Their full coverage insurance is very resonably priced.
Carrentals.com
When we can’t find anything good elsewhere, this is our second stop.
Uber
Probably the most widespread car service app around. We’ve used Uber in the USA, in Asia, in Europe, and in Africa. You can’t beat that convenience.
Grab
Grab is the king of car service in Southeast Asia. They go a step further than Uber, in that you can also hitch a ride on the back of a motorcycle! Grab recently accquired the Southeast Asia branch of Uber, so they’re definitely the biggest player there.
Lyft
A great alternative to Uber, especially in the USA. They’re finally branching out of the USA, so you’ll start to see them elsewhere. Prices are usually similar to Uber, or maybe a little under.
Blablacar
A ridesharing service which can sometimes work out much much cheaper than a train or a bus. We were going from Budapest to Zagreb, and our only bus/train options went via Vienna (several hours out of our way). For about half the price of the bus, we took a ride with a great guy and got dropped right at the door of our Airbnb in Zagreb. Score!
The Man in Seat 61
The bible of train travel. If you’re planning on taking a train anywhere in the world, this site will let you know what to expect, where to book, and what kind of ride you’re in for.
12Go
The best site for booking bus/train/ferry tickets in Southeast Asia. Super easy to use. Great prices.
Rome2Rio
Rome2Rio is fantastic for planning out your trip. Give it a departing spot and a destination, and it’ll show you how you could get there via plane, train, bus, rental car, or ride sharing.
Google Maps
The best of the map apps. Directions for the most part are spot on, though they can be a little hairy in lesser known locations.
Mapfactor Navigator App
This is a fantastic offline alternative to Google Maps. We used this throughout Namibia and Botswana, and found it had more detail and was more accurate than Google Maps. The fact that it can give you directions offline is a huge bonus.
