Travel Resources

This page does contain affiliate links, meaning if you buy/book something through one of my links, I may earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you, of course!).

Wondering what sites I use to search for flights or book hotel rooms? Below you can find some of my favorite travel-related resources. And yes, these are all sites/companies that I personally use and recommend!

BOOKING FLIGHTS
BOOKING HOTELS
BOOKING OTHER ACCOMMODATION
TOUR COMPANIES
MISC. TRAVEL
POINTS / LOYALTY TRAVEL
GETTING TRAVEL DEALS
TRAVEL GEAR

BOOKING FLIGHTS

Booking flights can be a huge pain! I HATE agonizing over flight prices and connections and the tiny, tiny seats – but these sites should help you find the best deals:

Skyscanner.com — I often turn to Skyscanner when I'm looking for flight options. It searches a TON of airlines, and I've found some great deals using it (especially when looking for flights within Europe). I also really like the “Everywhere” search. Using this, you can choose your departure city, but then just choose “Everywhere” as your destination. The site then shows you where in the world you can fly for the least amount of money.

Skyscanner also has a free app you can use to search for flights on your phone. Download the Skyscanner app for iOS or for Android.

Kayak.com — Kayak is another of my go-to sites when I'm looking for flight deals. It's very easy to use, and you can set price alerts if you're keeping your eye on a specific fare. On certain routes, Kayak also will show you the price trend on that route, and will tell you whether you should buy now or wait. Similar to Skyscanner's “Everywhere” search, Kayak has an “Explore” option where you choose your departure city and the month you'd like to travel, and Kayak shows you flight prices for destinations all over the world.

NOTE: While I usually search for flights on one or two of these sites in the planning stage of my trips, I try to book flights directly with the airline whenever possible. If something goes wrong with a flight or connection, the last thing you want is for the airline to claim no responsibility because you booked through a third-party site. (I know people who have run into this issue when booking with sites like Expedia and Priceline – it doesn't happen often, but it CAN happen, especially if a site places you on multiple airlines in order to get the lowest price.)

BOOKING HOTELS

Booking.com — Over the years, I have become a big fan of Booking.com. I like the information the booking site offers, and also the wealth of helpful reviews (which can only be left by someone who has actually stayed at the hotel). I also like that you get lots of options when booking rooms here — including options that include breakfast, and/or booking options that allow for free cancelation or the ability to pay later. If you write reviews after a stay, you can also earn “Genius” status, which unlocks more Booking discounts.

TripAdvisor.com — You should always take TripAdvisor reviews with a grain of salt because literally anyone can hop over to the site and review a property. BUT, I won't lie: I still tend to go check TripAdvisor once I've already decided on one or two hotels I'm interested in. As long as the TA reviews aren't horrible, then I usually feel confident with my choice(s).

RELATED: Check out my personal recommendations for where to stay in cities around the world.

BOOKING OTHER ACCOMMODATION

Hostelworld.com — Now that I'm pushing 40, I don't tend to stay in hostels much anymore. BUT, they are still an excellent option for budget travelers, and many hostels today offer private rooms. My go-to when it comes to booking hostels has always been Hostelworld. They offer a really comprehensive listing of hostels in a ton of cities around the world, complete with reviews and other useful information.

AirBnB — Hotels and hostels definitely are not the only accommodation option to use when you're traveling. Sometimes, renting an apartment can be the best option, especially if you're staying in a city for a long amount of time, or are traveling with a large group of people. I do encourage you to look into whether short-term rentals are legal in the city you are visiting first, though.

Vrbo.com — If you're looking for a slightly bigger vacation rental suitable for the whole family, consider booking through Vrbo. You can find beach houses, large cabins, condos, and more available to rent all around the world on this site, which sometimes has slightly different listings than what you'll find on Airbnb.

TOUR COMPANIES

The following tour companies are ones that I support and recommend:

Intrepid Travel – I've traveled quite a few times with this adventure tour company. I love their small groups, local guides, and dedication to sustainable, responsible tourism. They have tours literally all over the world, and they are the first tour company I recommend to people.

Viator – For day trips AND multi-day tours, I often turn to Viator. This site has thousands of tours in all corners of the globe, from sightseeing to food to cultural experiences. Sometimes I go check out the Viator page for a new destination just to get an idea of what there is to do there, even if I'm not planning to book any tours.

MISC. TRAVEL

RentalCars.com – Similar to some of the other travel search sites listed here, RentalCars.com allows you to search multiple rental car offers from brands like Hertz, Avis, Enterprise, and more in order to find the best deal on renting a car. They provide cars at over 53,000 locations worldwide, and are who I use for most of my rentals.

Skyroam – Staying connected while you travel is easier now than it's ever been. If you'd like to have wifi in your pocket just about anywhere in the world, check out Skyroam. These portable wifi devices are SIM-free, have a long battery life, and allow you to only pay for the data you use. Save 10% on your Skyroam with the code ADBSKYROAM.

Nord VPN – When you travel, you're probably connecting to all sorts of different wifi networks. Most of these are free and unsecure, meaning any info you're entering is not private and can be vulnerable. If you want to protect your information online when you travel, the easiest thing to do is to get a VPN, or Virtual Private Network. This helps you encrypt your online activity and keep your info safe from hackers and other nosy people.

POINTS / LOYALTY TRAVEL

A few useful resources for earning points (and keeping track of them!) to help cut down on travel costs:

Point.me – Use this site to keep track of all your loyalty programs and point in one place. Their paid plans can even help you book travel using your points.

Frugal Flyer – Frugal Flyer is the premier choice for Canadians who want to learn more about how they can use miles, points, loyalty programs, and credit card rewards to save money on their next vacation. Activate savings on flights, hotels, and much more, through the power of miles and points.

GETTING TRAVEL DEALS

Everyone wants to save some money on travel, right? Here are a few newsletters I subscribe to for great deals:

TravelZoo — This deal site is always full of goodies, from flight deals to cheap vacation packages. I'm signed up for the Top 20 newsletter, which collects and sends out the best travel deals once a week.

Get airfare alerts — I'm also signed up to get airfare alerts from my home airport through Hipmunk. You can also get some great fare alerts from Airfare Watchdog, search for current flight deals at The Flight Deal, and check Secret Flying regularly for sales and error fares.

TRAVEL GEAR

I have a whole separate Packing Page where I lay out all my favorite travel gear.

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