As a passionate solo traveller, I know how important travel resources can be to help make your trip as smooth as possible. Whether it’s cheap flights, accommodation or other travel necessities, it’s always useful to have a list of resources you can refer to.
Please note that I would never recommend a company or product that I didn’t love. Here’s a work in progress list of all the travel resources that I use and trust whenever I’m travelling.
What I Take With Me
✅ My Backpack
I always try to travel light when I’m solo travelling – the less items I can take with me the better!
I recently bought this small rucksack from Mountain Warehouse and I love it! It’s small enough to use as a carry on for a flight, yet it has so much space! It has a lot of storage – plenty of pockets, including a laptop pocket which is perfect for when I’m blogging during my travels.
✅ Noise Cancelling Headphones
I never go on a trip without my noise cancelling headphones! I pretty much use them all the time when not travelling as well – either at the gym or while blogging in a noise cafe usually!
These are absolutely perfect for short of long haul flights to listen to some music, a podcast or an audiobook. I would be lost without them!
✅ Worldwide Travel Plug Adapter
Definitely an essential item! This one is a UK plug adapter for US, Australia and Thailand.
✅ Water Bottle
An essential item to take with you, stay hydrated!
Good Travel Books
Of course, having a good book to read is ideal for your travels and I’m always looking for my next read to delve into. I know a lot of people prefer audiobooks these days, but for me you can’t beat a physical book! Here are 3 of my favourite travel books that I’ve read multiple times over the years:
- The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo (everybody’s favourite, but I still love it!).
- Life of Pi by Yann Martel (a great read and much better than the movie).
- On the Road by Jack Kerouac (a classic read to go back to again and again).
Accommodation
Booking.com – In my opinion the best site/app when it comes to finding accommodation. You can find so many cheap hotels and hostels and the more you use it the more you’ll be rewarded with it’s Genius loyalty programme, where you’ll receive discounts on future bookings. I love it’s free cancellation policy as well, which is always useful when your travel plans change at the last minute!
HostelWorld – If you’re travelling on a tight budget (which I’ve done too many times!) then you’re probably going to have to rely on cheap hostels to get you through your trip. I’ve used HostelWorld so many times and it never fails – it has an extensive list of hostels wherever you’re travelling to.
Hotels.com – If you prefer hotels to hostels then hotel.com has you covered! From luxury hotels to rooms on the cheaper side, this app is similar to Booking.com and has plenty of deals and discounts too!
Airbnb – I love Airbnb! I’ve used it so many times over the years all over the world and it’s such an interesting way to meet locals wherever you’re travelling too. The app is really easy to use, I love the map function which allows you to see where the cheapest Airbnb’s in which area or city you’re searching are.
Flight Search Engines
Google Flights – Known to have the cheapest prices available, always worth checking!
Kiwi – I use this app all the time when searching for the best flight tickets to any destination around the world. It compares every airline and it’s simple and easy to use, especially when filtering budget range, dates and so on.
Kayak – Quite similar to Kiwi and just as good, Kayak can also be useful when looking for a place to stay, as well as car rental.
Skyscanner – One of the most popular flight search apps and still one of the best, Skyscanner is reliable and easy to use.
Cheap Flights Alerts
Jack’s Flight Club – This is a great way to find cheap flights to all over the world. Simply sign up to their newsletter for free and you’ll receive so many discounted cheap flight alerts. You can also pay for a subscription service which means you’ll get cheap flight alerts before those who aren’t subscribed.
Matt’s Flights – Similar in all ways to Jack’s Flight Club except for their name, Matt’s Flights will send you plenty of cheap flight alerts and you can also pay for their subscription service to get some great deals before everyone else as well.
Travel Insurance
SafetyWing – One of the best travel insurance companies, though not available in the US.
The Post Office – A popular choice for UK residents travelling abroad.
Just Travel Cover – Another top choice for UK travellers.
Tours
Viator – Fantastic resource of tours for wherever you’re travelling to, I always check out viator when I’m travelling!
GetYourGuide – Another great resource for tours for all over the world.
Tourhub – Tourhub collects tours from all over the world and provides an easy way to find which tour you’d like to book. They have plenty of offers and lots of different types of tours as well, from adventure and luxury tours to health and relaxation tours. A great platform that can save you a lot of time when planning your next trip!
57 Hours – 57 Hours is quite similar to Tourhub but focuses primarily on every type of adventure that you can imagine. They’re a very sustainable focused company and offer webinars and Q&A’s from all around the world on a regular basis with some fascinating adventure experts!
Transportation
Rental car company: Discover Cars
Blablacar – This is a useful carpooling site that is popular in European countries. I’ve used it a few times in Spain and it’s a great way to meet locals and save on transportation costs.
Rome2Rio – This is a great app to plan your trip and find out the best modes of public transportation in whatever country you’re visiting. This is my go to app whenever I want to find out the best travel options abroad.
Uber – In some countries Uber is widely used, in others not so much. During a recent trip to Cairo I was amazed at how popular Uber was and how cheap – just a few Euros to travel from Giza to Cairo!
Bolt – this service is just as good as Uber and I used them frequently during my visit to Malta – the app is really user friendly and the service is and really cheap!
Airlines
Ryanair – Yes, this airline has been much maligned for being cheap as chips over the years but for me there’s no better budget airline in the world! Sometimes flights can be delayed and don’t expect quality service, but it’s cheap!
If you’re based in the UK or Europe and looking for a cheap flight on the European continent then there’s no better choice than Ryanair. It’s app is easy to use and makes check-ins at airports quick and hassle free.
Easyjet – Easyjet offers low cost flight tickets just as Ryanair does to more than 34 countries, and you can also book holiday packages with them too, offering everything from all inclusive holidays to self catering and city breaks all throughout the year.