​TRAVEL RESOURCES
Trying to decide which companies to book your trip with? Over the last 5 years of travel, I’ve used hundreds of companies during my travels. Some have been great, some have been just awful.
Below is a list of the ones I come back to time and time again. They are the best out there and continually offer superior deals and experiences. They are were all my travel planning and booking starts. Use them to book your trips too!
Airfare
​This is my all-time favorite flight search engine. It always seems to find the best deals and its calendar view lets you see which days are cheapest to fly. I like it because it searches the small booking sites no one else does so no stone is left unturned. Start all your flight searches here.
Expedia is another trusted platform for booking flights, accommodations, and vacation packages. With an easy-to-use interface and a variety of travel options, it’s a solid choice for all your travel needs.
​Google Flights lets you enter your departure airport and see flights all over the world on a map so you can determine where the cheapest destination is. It’s a good search engine to get a sense of routes, connections, and fares.
For more information on how to find a cheap flight, read this article with all my tips.
Accommodation
​This is the best hostel-accommodation site out there, with the largest inventory, best search interface, and highest availability. I use it for all my hostel bookings. There’s not many other options out there that compare to the scale this site has.
Trusted Housesitters is a platform that connects you with people in need of pet and house sitters. In exchange for looking after their pets or home, you’ll get access to free accommodation. It’s an amazing resource for long-term travelers looking to travel slow.
​Booking.com probably has the widest selection of budget accommodation in the world (it is especially good for listings in developing countries). In my research, it consistently finds the cheapest rooms. I also like its easy-to-use interface and no-money-down policy. I book all my hotels through here.
​This new card gives you up to 20% off hostels throughout Europe. It’s a great way to save money. It’s constantly adding new hostels too. I’ve always wanted something like this and so I’m glad it finally exists.
​This website should be your primary accommodation website for guesthouses and hotels in Asia. It has the most robust inventory and offers the best rates. When I travel around Asia, I always use this website It’s just the best.
For more information on how to find cheap accommodation, read this article with all my tips.
Travel Insurance
​Safety Wing offers convenient and affordable plans tailored to travelers and digital nomads. It has cheap monthly plans, first-rate customer service, and an easy-to-use claims process that makes it perfect for those on the road. I use them to cover me on all my trips.
​Medjet membership is a very affordable option for those who are going to be far from home and want added evacuation coverage. If you’re looking to do adventure activities or going to remote destinations, MedJet is a must! It has help lots of people out.
Insure My Trip is a wholesaler that helps you compare prices so you can buy the one that’s best for you. If you are 70 or over, use InsureMyTrip. They can find a plan for you as a lot of companies have age limits so they knew where to look.
​For more information on choosing the best travel insurance, visit this page with all my tips.
Tour Companies
​Walks offers in-depth history, food, and cultural tours in cities around the world (especially Europe). Its small-group tours offer exclusive behind-the-scenes access other companies can’t get and use really incredible and knowledgeable guides. I can’t recommend them enough.
​Intrepid uses expert guides and focuses on leaving a small environmental footprint. I love their trips and the company’s ethos. They are amazing. If you want a good multi-day tour operator, use them.
​Devour has all kinds of amazing food tours around Europe. If you’re a foodie who wants to learn more about the history and culture behind each dish, these tours are the best on the continent. I take them every chance I get.
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​EatWith allows you to eat home-cooked meal with locals. Every host sets their own price (so they can vary wildly, depending on the cook), but this is a great way to do something different, pick a local’s brain, and make a new friend.
​Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace for tours and excursions. The site has tons of tour options in cities all around the world, including cooking classes, walking tours, street art lessons, and more! It’s a good resource to search for specific tours in any destination.
Transportation
​RVshare is like Airbnb for RVs. You can browse privately owned RVs all around the country, find one that suits your needs and budget, and then rent it directly from the owner. It’s super affordable and makes RVing easy and accessible.
​This website shows you how to get from point A to point B the best and cheapest way possible. Just enter your departure and arrival destinations and it will give you all the bus, train, plane, or boat routes that can get you there, as well as how much they cost.
​This website is the ultimate guide to train travel anywhere in the world. It has the most comprehensive information on routes, times, prices, and train conditions. If you are planning a long train journey or some epic trip by rail, consult this site.
​If you are going to Europe and taking a lot of trains, get a rail pass. I’ve used one three times and saved hundreds of dollars each time. The math just works. You can read about my experience using rail passes by clicking this link.
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​BlaBlaCar lets you share rides with vetted local drivers in exchange for pitching in for gas. You simply request a seat, they approve you, and off you go! It’s a cheap and much more interesting way to get from point A to point B than by bus or train!
​The International Drivers Association helps travelers get an International Driving Permit, a document needed to drive in over 165 countries around the world. They have all kinds of tips and driving guides on their website too!
​Discover Cars is a car rental aggregator that can help you find the best deals for your next road trip. It pulls data from over 8,000 car rental locations to ensure you always find a great deal!
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​The Japan Rail Pass is a flexible transportation pass used for navigating Japan. Similar to the Eurail pass in Europe, it turns expensive bullet trains into budget-friendly modes of transportation. You honestly can’t visit Japan without one.
Job Resources
​Worldpackers offers travelers a chance to find volunteer experiences overseas (much like Workaway and HelpX). In addition to hostels, it can help you find experiences with NGOs, home stays, and eco-projects all over the world!
​This is another wonderful job-finding website! Workaway is a lot like HelpX except this website has more paid job opportunities (though it also has volunteer positions too).
myTEFL offers the standard TEFL programs, but they also help you find a job and provide an additional 6 months of access to their content so that you can use it once you start teaching.
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​WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) is a program that connects you with farms all around the world where you can work in exchange for room and board. It’s a great resource for long-term budget travelers!
​HelpX is one of the best places to find work and volunteer opportunities when you travel. It includes farm stays, home stays, B&Bs, hostels, and sailing boats that invite volunteers to stay short-term in exchange for food and accommodation.
For more information on traveling cheap (or for free), read this article with all my tips.