Travel Resources and Tips

Traveling is a wonderful way to explore new places, immerse yourself in different cultures, and create lifelong memories. However, the process of planning a trip can sometimes be overwhelming, especially with so many options and details to consider. I’ll walk you through some essential travel resources and tips that cover everything from travel planning to booking flights, accommodations, and planning your itinerary that I personally love to use. Let’s dive in!

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Where to Travel?

It can be hard to figure out where you want to travel to if you aren’t familiar with many countries or what there is to do and see in each country. I’d first check out my Destinations page to see if any of my posts can determine your next trip. With details on countries, cities, or festivals throughout the world, let me help plan your next trip easier.

For Flight Booking

Skyscanner is a great way to search for flights when you really don’t have a plan yet. Skyscanner assesses all airlines with flight times, and you can filter through best price, direct flights, or flight times. I love the feature of “Everywhere” when looking at flights from my local airport. When you put in the dates available for your travel, it will show numerous countries available with the starting price.

Google Flights is another great travel resource when searching for flights. You can also search the “Anywhere” feature and filter by flight times, direct flights, or price.

I’m a firm believer of always booking your flights directly with the airline instead of third party. The airlines are more willing to work with you for delayed or cancelled flights. If you choose to book third party and something happens with your flight, the airlines can be a pain to work with and will forward you to the third party site.

Another one of my favorite travel resources if flying to or from any EU country, is keeping in mind about European Union’s “EU 261/2004” regulation. If you fly inside the EU or from Europe to elsewhere, you’re entitled to compensation for a cancellation or a delay of more than three hours regardless of airline.

But if you fly to the EU, you must be on an EU airline. There are quite a few rules and restrictions, but always good to remember about this regulation with flying and check with the airline for time limits for submitting the claim.

For Hotel Booking

There are numerous sites to book your lodging for your trip. I like to compare with different sites to gauge the price differences. You can always have great success by booking directly with the hotel.

If traveling in Europe, something to remember is that many hotels are strict on the amount of people in one room. If you’re planning to stay in a basic size room, they don’t allow more than 4 people. It’s always best to call the hotel directly to ask.

When booking accommodations, always read reviews! Reviews from fellow travelers can provide insights into the quality of service, cleanliness, and location of a hotel or rental property. Look for recent reviews to get the most accurate information.

Booking.com is a great hotel travel booking site that you can filter by rating, available facilities such as parking, free cancellation, property types, and much more.

Airbnb is another great option for bigger groups, longer stays, if needing a kitchen or other necessities, or just a better overall price. Like stated before, it’s always best to compare all the sites for your budget. We found some exceptional stays in Croatia on Airbnb compared to hotels.

One more option to consider is HostelWorld. If you’re ballin’ on a budget, solo traveling, or looking to meet like minded people, staying in hostels could be beneficial. There are some hostels that also provide private rooms, while also not having an age limit.

Trip Planning & Tools

There are many sites and tools I use when planning my trip. Personally, I have been making Google documents in my spare time for all the countries we want to visit with details, sites, tours, and more for each city. These documents are easily shared with the guests on the trip and work well for us. These are some of the travel resources I’ve used to put these documents together.

Pinterest is one of the first places I start trip planning. If there is a country or city I want to visit, I search that specific location to see what blogs have written about. I love how much you can find from Pinterest and learn things about each city that you might not have known, such as landmarks or travel tips.

Get Your Guide is one of my favorite websites to help with planning tours in the countries I’m visiting. Get Your Guide takes out all the logistics for myself when planning to see major landmarks. They book your tickets, can help with and include transportation, help skip the line, as well as sometimes provide meals as well. My husband and I have taken many of their tours and could not recommend them enough.

Wanderlog is another great website or app where you can plan your itineraries with details for your trip. While you put in your landmarks, Wanderlog will put walking distance and time between each one, and you can input information such as notes with ticket prices or hours. You can also add your hotel stay, restaurants, and budget with expenses. Wanderlog also offers travel guides for many countries and cities.

The infamous Rick Steves is another great resource for information since he incorporates history, culture, food, while also providing tours. Google Maps and Google My Maps is another great asset to keep on your phone for saving recommendations and sites with easy, quick access.

My Favorite Travel Apps

There are some invaluable apps to have while traveling. In addition to some of the tour and hotel apps previously mentioned, these are my favorite and well used.

Google Maps – Used for driving and directions, as well as restaurant recommendations. Finding highly rated restaurants in countries are a direct result of Google Maps and restaurant reviews. I love looking at everyone’s pictures of their food and reading about their experiences. Google reviews honestly help me choose where we’ll be eating at when we travel.

Google Translate – I love this app because of all the features it has. Voice to transcribe from one language to another. The camera features allows you to either hover over a sign/menu to translate to your preferred language or take a picture of something and translate. The camera function has helped me in grocery stores and in restaurants many times.

Priority Pass – Available through my favorite travel credit card, Priority Pass is a great app to have while traveling for lounge access at airports. Priority Pass saved us when we missed our connection in Zagreb and had to sit in the airport for 5 hours.

Visit a City – Just like Wanderlog where you can plan out a trip itinerary with landmarks and sites, or they offer already pre-done itineraries depending on how many days.

TripAdvisor – Although I don’t use TripAdvisor enough or frequently, this app is another great resource for hotels, attractions, restaurants, and booking tours. My friend Allie books numerous tours through TripAdvisor and has no complaints.

Trainline – If you plan on riding any trains while visiting Europe, Trainline is a great app for buying train tickets.

Travel Documents

If you plan on traveling outside of your own country, you will need a valid passport. You should always have minimum 6 months validity left on your passport when traveling. Many countries and airlines can be strict on the 6 month rule because they don’t want to have issues if an accident or something happens with you being stuck in that country while your passport expires.

Some countries may also require a Visa to enter. Usually you can get one at the airport upon landing, but some countries may require you to apply prior. I like the US Department of State Travel website to check each country I plan to visit to see what is required. Another valuable website for visas and entry requirements for the EU and Schengen Area is Schengen Border Requirements.

Another set of documents to consider is a valid driver’s license and international license if you plan on driving in another country. If you’re traveling to Europe, there are at least 9 countries in the EU that require US citizens to have an international driver’s license.

Those countries are Austria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Greece, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Italy, Slovenia, and Spain. You can apply for an international driver’s license at your local AAA for $20. For more information, check out their website.

I always like to make photocopies of my documents in case of any emergencies or lost documents. Copies of your passport, travel insurance, licenses, and other important documents are always best to bring on any international trip. Make sure to keep these copies in a separate place from the originals in case of loss or theft.

Travel Insurance

Travel insurance provides financial protection in case of trip cancellations, medical emergencies, lost baggage, and more. It’s a crucial aspect of travel. Research different travel insurance options to find a policy that covers your needs. Read the terms and conditions carefully to understand what’s included.

World Nomads is one highly rated company for travel insurance for US residents. Secondly, Allianz is another highly rated travel insurance option that also offers annual plans if you’re planning multiple trips.

It’s always best to consider medical while looking for travel insurance out of the country, as medical evacuation can be insanely expensive. Also, some credit cards also offer some sort of travel insurance.

Staying Connected

Roaming and SIM Cards: Research your mobile carrier’s international plans or consider purchasing a local SIM card at your destination for data and calls. Many newer phones can do dual SIM cards or even purchasing an E-Sim. Depending on your length of travel, a local SIM card would be the most cost effective.

Download Offline Maps: Apps like Google Maps allow you to download maps for offline use. This can be a lifesaver when you don’t have access to data. Like previously stated, you can also download languages on Google Translate as well to help in case of no data access.

Travel planning can seem daunting, but with the right resources and tips, it becomes an exciting part of your journey. Remember to remain flexible, stay organized, and make the most of the incredible experiences that travel brings. By utilizing the tools and suggestions in this guide, you’re well on your way to creating unforgettable adventures around the world. Happy travels!