If you have ever wondered how I plan and book my trips, these are the websites, apps and companies I use again and again. If I haven’t used it myself, you won’t find it on this page. I only recommend services I genuinely trust.
Flight Search Engines
Skyscanner
After years of travelling, Skyscanner is still the first place I look for flights. I particularly like their Whole Month and Everywhere search options, which make it easy to find the cheapest flights worldwide and travel dates.
Momondo
But I also check Momondo, as it sometimes finds different fares, particularly with budget airlines. It’s always worth comparing both before booking.
Even if it’s slightly cheaper to book through a flight search engines, I often book directly with the airline. If flights are delayed, cancelled or changed, dealing directly with the airline is usually much easier.
Budget Airlines
Love them or hate them, budget airlines are a great option for short trips, especially if you travel light. As long as you don’t expect legroom or lots of frills, they can offer excellent value.
Let’s be honest, we’ve all sworn never to fly a budget airline again…until we see the next bargain fare!
Airlines I regularly use:
Europe: Ryan Air, Easy Jet and WizzAir.
Asia: Air Asia.
Flight Compensation
AirHelp
If your flight is cancelled at the last minute or delayed by at least three hours, you may be able to claim compensation. I used AirHelp after my Lufthansa flight was cancelled and the compensation I received more than covered the cost of my flight.
AirHelp checks whether you’re eligible for compensation and, if you are, they’ll handle the claim for you. They charge a percentage of any successful claim, so if your case is straightforward, it may be worth claiming directly with the airline first.
Transportation Resources
Rome2Rio
Rome2Rio is a really useful website that details all the ways to get between two destinations. It will also give you an idea of the price for each transportation option.
Travelling By Train
The Man In Seat 61
My first stop whenever I’m planning a longer train journey. It’s packed with route information, ticket advice and practical tips from around the world.
OMIO
I use the OMIO app regularly across Europe. It’s a simple way to compare trains, buses, and flights, and I book most of my European train tickets through it.
Trainline
If I can’t find my train journey through OMIO, Trainline is usually my next stop.
Renting A Car
I don’t rent cars very often these days as I much prefer travelling by train. But when I do need one, Discover Cars and Rental Cars are the companies I use.
Accommodation
Booking.com
99% of my time, I book through Booking.com. You can book hotel rooms with free cancellation. If ever there’s been a problem which has been rare, Booking.com has been pretty quick and helpful at sorting.
Agoda
If not having much luck with Booking.com, I turn to Agoda, which may offer additional properties.
Worth knowing – once you have found a property, it’s sometimes cheaper to go direct. Especially the smaller properties are quite happy to deal direct and not have to pay commission.
Housesitting
Trusted Housesitters
I regularly use Trusted Housesitters both to find wonderful people to look after Winston, my cat while I travel and to find house sits around the world. If you like living like a local, spending time with pets and saving on accommodation costs, it’s well worth considering.
If you decide to join using my link, you’ll usually receive around 25% off your first membership. I also receive a membership extension, so it’s a win-win for both of us.
Day Trips And Excursions
Free City Walking Tours
Whenever I visit a new city, I love to start with a free walking tour. It’s the quickest way to get my bearings and make sure I don’t miss the highlights. I usually book with GuruWalk because they offer a wide choice of tours in most cities, and the groups are often much smaller than traditional free walking tours.
Get Your Guide
Great place for booking day trips, guided tours or skip-the-line tickets to popular attractions. I use it regularly when I’m looking for organised excursions.
Viator
Viator is my second choice if I can’t find what I’m looking for on GetYourGuide. Sometimes it has different local tour operators or extra availability.
These are the travel websites and apps I genuinely use and recommend. I’ll keep this page updated whenever I discover something worth updating.
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