– Inspiration –
Pinterest is where I start all of my travel planning. I try to read a lot of blog posts because I like to get a good mix of “major sites” and “off the beaten path” on my itineraries. You can find the major sites by just searching on Google or Trip Advisor, but it’s hard to find off the beaten path sites unless you read other people’s itineraries and tips! That’s where Pinterest comes in.
Instagram is another place I look to see off the beaten path places. I also use this right before I travel to see good picture spots and inspiration!
– Flights –
Sky Scanner is great for if you have exact dates and can not be flexible. Sky Scanner compares over 1,200 sites to find the lowest and most valuable flights. Keep in mind though, the price always looks significantly lower than other websites because it does not factor in taxes and fees.
Scott’s Cheap Flights is a FREE email subscription that sends you flight deals when airlines make mistakes or a sudden drop / sale in flights. He also has a premium subscription, but the free one has always been good to me!
Google Flights Google flights is my favorite resource. The only downside is it’s only beneficial if you have very flexible dates and can plan far in advance. For example, if you got a Christmas bonus from work and are looking to take a summer trip somewhere in Europe, Google Flights can find you amazing deals!
Booking.com Booking.com & Expedia are both very similar. They both rack up points that you can use towards car rentals, hotels, flights or excursions. If you plan on using either of these sites, try to bundle as much as possible to get the best deal!
Expedia Same as Booking.com for the most part, but I prefer the layout and easy to use website of Expedia. What I also LOVE about Expedia for flights is that when you search for a flight deal, it includes taxes, fees, EVERYTHING! That way you know what your end payment will be when comparing.
– Hotels –
Whether you are searching on Booking.com or Expedia, I would recommend staying as consistent as possible. Both of these websites allow you to rack up points to use towards future travel expenses. The more you bundle (flight, hotel, rental car, etc), the more you save! I also like these sites because they are known for no hidden fees. When you add the hotel to your cart, that is what you can expect to pay.
Google: I often use this for looking and comparing hotel prices. The map feature is extremely handy and allows you to filter by rating, price, and hotel class. I still purchase on Expedia or Booking.com to get the best price!
– Excursions –
Local Businesses are always the way to go when traveling somewhere new. I always find that you get a much better experience because they appreciate your business so much!
Viator is what I use when I am going to a country that has higher crime rates. Viator is a world known company that gives you extremely fair prices. They offer endless tours offering anything from one day to multiple weeks! Plus, most of them have reviews so you can ensure their reputable before booking.
Get Your Guide is very similar to Viator and has similar tours. I typically check both to see which one offers the best deal, but usually Viator has more options at the same or cheaper price!
– Blogging –
Siteground is the hosting site that I use for everything involving tech support, site speed, and making sure my site is backed up daily. There are many hosting sites out there, but I found Siteground to have the best reviews and fairest prices!
Nomadic Matt’s Super Star Blogging Course: Matthew Kepnes is the top travel blogger in the industry. After building his multi-million dollar blog from the ground up, he is now transitioning into education, writing books, and travel conferences. I signed up for his Super Star Blogging Course after reading many, MANY reviews.. and WOW am I glad I did.
Slaying Social is such a great FREE resource for me. I signed up for their email list so I can get notified when they post anything new. They also do courses, which after reading just about every free post on their site, I signed up for their Pinterest course. Lia is amazing and her writing is a breeze to read! You can also sign up for their Facebook group where everyone shares their tips and stuff they learned from the course.
Practical Wanderlust – 5 Day Blogging Boot Camp Email Course is just the Lia part of Slaying Social. This is where she posts her personal tips on Pinterest, her blogging journey and all of her travels! She has a similar writing style to mine, which makes her long posts so easy to read. I signed up for her FREE 5 day blogging boot camp and it made me have so many questions I didn’t even know I had questions about.