Planning and booking travel is one of the trickiest things about wanderlust. Over the years, I’ve figured out the simplest and cheapest ways to plan, book and enjoy a trip. Here are my go-to websites for finding the best deals, and the travel gear I don’t go anywhere without.

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Flights:

Google Flights: one of my favourite tools to find cheap flights is Google flights. Use the data raster to get a better insight in the best deals for you. You can also get a notification when the flight your following decreases in price.

Skyscanner: if you’re flexible in your dates or if you’re not sure where to go yet, then go to Skyscanner, put your preference on a whole month and your location to “everywhere”. You’ll find the cheapest flights available. If you’re less flexible, then Skyscanner is still a great tool to find the best flights possible. 

Getting Around:

Uber.com: I tend to choose Uber over taxis whenever possible, for a variety of reasons: you order the car straight from your mobile, know how much it’ll cost upfront (typically less than taxis), and you can track the route. It’s not available in every city, but is becoming more and more common around the globe.

Rentalcars.com: This is the site I use every single time I’m renting a car. It’s like Expedia but for vehicles, and lets you compare tons of different companies at over 60,000 locations worldwide. I tend to find the best deals on this website, and frequently save £50-£100 by just looking around a few minutes.

Accommodation:

Booking.com: This is my go-to for finding and booking hotels and apartments. They’re especially good, because they have almost every hotel that exists on there.

Hotels.com: This is my second option for finding hotels, the customer service at hotels.com is pretty good.

Trivago.co.uk: Search all comparison sites in one go to find the absolute lowest rate. It’s basically a hotel search engine and works like a charm. Before booking hotel rooms, I always check Hotels Combined for the best price.

AirBnb.co.uk: Feel more like a local in a new city/area by renting out a private room, entire apartment, or even a full house! We’ve had some fantastic experiences and wonderful hosts, and saved a ton of money!  Read all the reviews and make sure the property owner is readily available to contact. Always check the cancellation policy. There are some epic experiences to be had – from treehouses to yurts to castles and everything in between

Hostelworld.com: My #1 rated place to search for hostels. Location, cleanliness, and safety are the most important factors for me. And free breakfast! Always check reviews and photos. With 36,000 properties in over 178 countries, you’re bound to find low-cost accommodation options that meet your needs.

Tours and Activities:

GetYourGuide: I’m a BIG FAN of GYG when it comes to browsing activities and signing up for tours. From cultural experiences, to sightseeing, to food tours, I alway find a few things of interest to me. I’ve been using the site for years, and can honestly say 99% of the time the tours are downright AWESOME and a good bang for your buck. 

Viator: Whenever GetYourGuide doesn’t have what I’m looking for, I head straight to Viator. Viator tends to have more options and a greater number of destinations covered. However, in all honesty, I do prefer GYG since they’re upfront about the tour provider of the activity, whereas Viator only discloses this information after you book.

Travel Insurance:

World Nomads: If you’re traveling, you need travel insurance. World Nomads is not just for medical insurance, but also helps when luggage is lost, you need to cancel a trip, or when your gear is stolen or damaged. You’ll be kicking yourself mid-trip if something goes wrong and you’ve got to pay tons out of pocket. Now I won’t travel without it.

Safety Wing: This is by far the best insurance out there for digital nomads and long term budget travellers! You can even buy the insurance once you’re traveling! Their staff is super responsive and friendly, too.