Explore my favorite travel resources!
I often get asked what car rental companies I use or where I book my hotels. So here is everything I have used from travel planning to traveling to travel blogging!
Note: Some of the links below may be affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you! Thank you for your support!
Booking flights
Skyscanner
When it comes to booking flights, my go-to website is Skyscanner. It searches for flights from hundreds of airlines and even combines airlines to help you find the best prices. My favorite is the ‘Show whole month’ feature where you can see flight prices for each day for an entire month, so you know when is the best day to fly!
Google Flights
My second favorite go-to website for booking flights. I love that you don’t have to be specific: the search engine can show all flights to a whole country or even a continent. Or you can enter the departing airport, and a date, and then see flight prices for every possible destination you can fly to on that day from that specific airport! I usually use it to look for transatlantic flights.
FlightConnections
FlightConnections displays an interactive map that shows you how airports around the world are connected by direct flights. I use it frequently whenever I want to know all the possible places I can fly to from a specific airport and which airlines fly in each route. This is a fantastic free tool and makes travel planning so much easier!
Car rentals & transportation
DiscoverCars
Unless I’m traveling to the Canary Islands where I always book rental cars on Cicar, my go-to website for car rental comparison is DiscoverCars.
The website makes super it easy to find the best deals. Just make sure to pick one with good reviews!
RentalCars
My second favorite and alternative to DiscoverCars is RentalCars.com.
I’ve used this global car rental comparison platform many times and have only had good experience so far. Again, make sure to check customer reviews before choosing the best option!
Kiwitaxi
Kiwitaxi offers transfer booking service in over 100 countries worldwide.
It is a useful tool when you are traveling with extra luggage or pets and want a hassle-free, pre-booked transfer with a private driver to/from airports, train stations, or hotels.
Busbud
Busbud is the world’s largest online bus ticket booking platform—a lifesaver for those who rely on public transportation when traveling between cities.
We used Busbud a couple of times in Mexico for our trips between the big cities—Mérida, Tulum, and Cancún.
Rail Europe
Rail Europe is another lifesaver, especially for travelers exploring multiple countries in Europe by train.
It’s a leading online platform for booking train tickets across Europe. Makes it easy to book tickets for multiple countries in one transaction!
Hotels & Accommodations
Booking.com
Yep, nothing original! Booking.com is my go-to platform for finding accommodation, whether it’s hotels, apartments, or vacation homes. I especially appreciate their loyalty program—the more you book through Booking.com, the bigger the rewards and discounts you get!
Airbnb
Airbnb is, probably, the No. 1 platform to use for booking apartments and vacation homes! We used to book long-term stays through Airbnb quite regularly but not anymore since Booking.com now has basically the same rental offers. If you book on Airbnb, then look for bigger discounts for weekly and monthly stays.
Vrbo
Vrbo is a popular alternative to Airbnb, focusing on apartments, beach houses, condos, cabins, and full-home stays which is ideal for families, groups of friends, digital nomads, or anyone wanting accommodation with all the essentials for a comfortable stay. I’ve been liking this platform more and more lately!
Booking tours & activities
GetYourGuide
Be it food tours, boat trips, or other cultural experiences, you must check out what GetYourGuide offers in the destination you are visiting!
I have used GetYourGuide to find fun activities, entrance tickets and tours numerous times!
Viator
Viator is another online platform where you can find a wide range of tours, day trips, and activities.
While GetYourGuide is more popular in some countries, Viator is widely used in others. I use them both, depending on the destination!
Go City
Go City is practically the only platform you need when visiting big cities around the world!
It offers digital sightseeing passes so with a single purchase you get multiple entrance tickets to multiple top attractions in a city. Saves both time and also money!
Tiqets
Have you ever struggled to find official tickets or wasted time in long lines at the ticket office?
Welcome to the 21st century—where most attractions accept digital tickets on your phone! Yes, Tiqets offers instant, mobile-friendly tickets to top attractions worldwide!
Other travel resources
Radical Storage
Not too long ago, I didn’t even know this luggage storage tool existed but it came in very handy for us when our flight arrived in Portugal early in the morning, and we had to wait a couple of hours before we could get the keys to our apartment. We quickly found a storage point nearby, left our suitcases, and went on to explore the city. This was so, so useful!
Airalo eSIM
Running around searching for a local SIM card right after landing in a foreign country is a thing of the past. Nowadays, all you need to do is download the Airalo app, select your destination (you can even select an entire region like Europe!), choose a data plan, and start browsing! The Airalo app functions as a virtual SIM card on your phone. We used it during our travels in Mexico and Morocco, and it saved us time while sparing us unnecessary stress. Just make sure your device supports eSIM before purchasing!
Photo & video editing
All photos on my travel blog are my own or taken by my husband. I’m definitely no photographer but sometimes people ask me what equipment and tools I use so here they are. To take photos and videos, I only use my iPhone (I try to have one of the latest Pro models) and our DJI Mini drone. For editing, I use the Lightroom app for photos and the VN app for videos. And that’s basically it!
Travel blogging
BigScoots + WordPress
If you’re considering starting your own blog and wondering what I use, now you know—BigScoots & WordPress!
I have a self-hosted WordPress blog and I use BigScoots shared hosting plan for WordPress blogs. BigScoots are popular among bloggers, and I love it, too! Premium hosting for the price of a coffee!
Cloudflare
If you have a WordPress blog, you should use Cloudflare—just like millions of websites worldwide! But why? It’s free!
You get a free SSL certificate, better security, and a faster website thanks to its CDN (it caches your site on hundreds of servers worldwide). Plus, you can also purchase your own domain through Cloudflare!
Travelpayouts
Travel blogging takes a lot of work, but it’s also fun and rewarding! Beyond receiving thank-you letters, monetization is another great perk.
That’s why I’ve been using Travelpayouts affiliate network for years! When recommending the best hotels, flights, or tours, simply add your affiliate links and earn small commissions for each purchase!
Kadence Theme
You don’t need to be a web designer to start a blog. WordPress offers numerous themes you can use. I use Kadence.
Kadence is widely popular among bloggers because it’s one of the most lightweight, fast, and customizable themes. There’s a free version, but I bought the Willow theme from Restored 316.
