If you are tired of trying out many travel websites for the best flights, accommodations, gear, and gadgets, look no further. After years of full-time/part-time traveling, I’ve spent hours trying to figure out how to travel cheaper and better. This is a collection of the best travel resources when it comes to flights, accommodation, and gears that I and other seasoned travelers are using. Travel Resources for 2025
Find Cheap Flights
TIP: Remember to use an incognito window for searching or clear your browser’s cache after searching to avoid price increases!
1. Skyscanner
Sick of going through hundreds of airline websites to find the cheapest flight? Look no further. Skyscanner lets you search “everywhere” to see where is cheaper to fly to and from! It also lets you search full month if you are flexible with dates. I was impressed to find the lowest one-direction prices per day over the month so I could change my dates to adjust for lower prices. This saves a lot of time from multiple queries to compare the best dates. This is my first go-to website for comparing flight prices.
2. Momondo
I started using Momondo frequently now because I tend to find cheaper flights here than anywhere else. I like the filter by airline alliance, which is also helpful when trying to earn frequent flyer miles in a particular loyalty program. It also displays an overview of information about your route and the factors that affect the price. You can refine the filter by selecting the tabs along the top, Airline, Seasonality, Days to Departure, Airport, Day of Week, and Time of Day, you’ll see a separate breakdown of these price factors. You’ll learn how far in advance you should book your flight for the best price, which months are the cheapest or the most expensive, and which airlines tend to offer the lowest prices for your route.
3. CheapOair
The best thing about CheapOair is their price drop payback perk. It has extensive partnerships with top travel brands and a wide breadth of inventory. Hence I find it worthwhile to check out their diversified travel services and score the best flight deals. Recently I needed to change one of my flights and based on my previous experience with online travel sites, I was thinking it was going to be a hassle to get it sorted. However, because of their quality customer support, it was resolved in no time.
4. WhichBudget
If you are a frequent flyer and constant traveler, you should benefit from this site. This is a great website that tells you exactly which budget airlines fly between destinations. I have used it myself plenty of times.
Find Suitable Accommodation
1. Booking.com
Feel free to click above to compare accommodation costs. I use booking.com for almost every trip. I find that they have the best selection and almost always have the lowest rates in particular in Asia, but in recent years they’ve expanded well around the world.
2. Agoda
Agoda is my second option for accommodation when travel planning. I like their Insider deals and love how you can also earn flying points with your bookings!
3. Expedia
4. VRBO
Overland Travel Resources
1. Rome2rio
Do you want to know how to get around a certain country via train or overland? Rome2rio will tell you! I recommend it because it is an Australian online multimodal transport journey planner offering traveling services globally.
2. Greyhound, Megabus, FlixBus, and Bolt Bus
If you want to save money then, these are your best bets. Long-distance buses generally have air conditioning, reading lights, adjustable seats, and free wifi. In Laos intercity buses, there were none of the facilities mentioned above but a double sleeping bed inside the bus! Australia’s national coach operator, the Greyhound, offers hop-on-hop-off passes for popular routes, short trip passes, and flexible passes based on the number of kilometers you wish to travel.
I have personally used all three of them during my travels to Europe, Australia, and Canada. It was hard not to when you can get $1 fares on the Megabus and Bolt Bus. I once traveled from Florence to Pisa for $1 on the Megabus and from Auckland to Rotorua for $1 via Intercity Bus in New Zealand.
4. TrainLink for Australia
I find Train travel is a convenient, affordable, and scenic way to explore Australia. TrainLink runs services between Sydney and the regional centers of New South Wales and along Australia’s east coast to Melbourne, Brisbane, and Canberra. There are also spectacular rail journeys such as The Ghan and Indian Pacific, which sweep across the continent, offering comfort and a sense of nostalgic slow adventure.
5. RailEurope
If you aren’t sure whether to buy your tickets directly from your destination’s train system or through a booking site, I recommend using Rail Europe. They make it simple to do everything from planning routes to checking times to buying tickets.
6. Virgin Trains
There is no booking fee here! One of the reasons why I used it and recommend booking trains while traveling in the UK.
Travel Gears
Below are the travel gears I use personally and consider essentials.
Mountain Design Backpack 30 Litre
This is the only carry-on bag I use (8 -10kg) because I can’t be bothered with check-in baggage. I store all my technology products ie: my Laptop, and chargers, as well as my valuables, and never leave my side while traveling. I donate my old clothes and buy new ones along the way. Also, I carry a little foldable Japanese carry-on bag which I use as a day bag when I arrive at my destinations.
If you are tired of not well-made backpacks. Consider this one. It is so strong and sturdy, yet not too heavy. I love how this has two entrances & raincoat pocket at the bottom. And I used this bag for 5 years & again bought a new one this year. Mountain Design sponsor me lol I like using this for short but also my long-term year-long trips.
Pacsafe Portable Safe
Have you ever been to a hostel or accommodation where there is no safe? Now, you can put your belongings in here and lock them to the strongest thing in your room (pipes are best, but use whatever you have).
Below are some recommended products from well-traveled friends
eBags Packing Cubes
You will be amazed how these packing cubes will help you fit in more than you thought you could and take you from squashing everything in your backpack to organized and efficient packing. I use the flat Spacepak for dresses and larger items. The eBags ones are long and narrow and I use one for tops, one for bottoms, and one for underwear, bras, bathing suits, and socks.
Safety Whistle/ Pepper Spray/Rubber Doorstop
These are so lightweight, I recommend them to all travelers of all genders. If you are endangered, trapped under something, lost or isolated in the remote areas, sea or deep in the forest or mountain high; a loud whistle brings attention. Hopefully loud enough to alert people to your location.
Pepper Spray, on the other hand, could be useful in situations where someone is not respecting your personal space.
Another safety item I recommend is a rubber doorstop. Usually, you will have a lock if you have a private room, but just in case, you don’t shove a doorstop beneath the door will make it difficult for people to enter your room.
Travel Smart Containers
If you are worried about spilling your shampoo or body wash or even your contact lens solutions; it makes sense to purchase these containers. They come in various size and travel-friendly with a ziplock bag as well. Must have when you travel with carrying on only.
Nike Women’s Air
I must tell you I walk A LOT! I feel I can see, smell and get better vibes of the new places that way. So, if you also love walking around good quality walking shoes is a must. I recommend Nike Air because this pair of shoes have lasted me longer than any other walking shoes and is super duper comfortable.
The Scrubba Wash Bag
And to complement #1 above, consider investing in a travel-friendly means of washing your hiking pants and other attire. The Scrubba Wash Bag is small enough to fit in your pocket when compressed. It makes it easy to wash clothes in the sink or tub (or lake): just add a small amount of detergent and utilize the included flexible washboard to give your dirty clothes a good scrubbing in only a few minutes.
Shoe Heaters
If you are going to be hiking or trekking somewhere a bit chilly like I did at Mt Everest Base Camp, the Therma CELL Heated Insoles can keep your feet both warm and dry throughout the journey. They incorporate water-resistant material and an in-built shoe thermostat to make your trip as comfortable and high-tech as possible. Also, they come in various sizes.
A No-sand Beach Bag
Now there is a solution. The Sandless Beach Tote is made of woven strands of PVC and/or PE material that are ideally spaced to drop the sand but nothing else. And the material is also mold/mildew resistant, so there’s no need to worry about moisture. Its strong stitches won’t easily break, and it has a handy pocket inside to keep your phone/wallet dry.
All Clear UV Purifier Bottle
In many rugged areas where more and more people are going on adventure-travel excursions, it’s possible you could lose access to pure drinking water for hours on end or even days. You can’t risk drinking bacterially infected water, but you have to quench your thirst. And you might even have this sort of problem in a hotel room in some remote areas, not just out on the trail.
The CamelBak All Clear UV purifier bottle solves the problem. It can purify virtually any water into safe drinking water in only one minute. The system kills off harmful germs with UV radiation.
The World’s Smallest Steam Iron
So you’ve invested in some tough-skinned but still comfy and stylish clothes to take on your latest travel adventure? Great. But what happens when you’re out in a rugged domain with no iron to take the wrinkles out of them?
Enter a 420 Watt travel steam-iron no bigger than a computer mouse (but admittedly a bit bigger than an actual mouse.) This is the smallest such device in the world, and it is perfect for taking out “suitcase wrinkles” as well as “hiking wrinkles” when you don’t have room for an ordinary iron in your luggage.
Travel Photography
Equipment I use to take these photos:
Sony A7III
Sony Lenses 104-207 mm
Samsung Ultra
I have been using SanDisk since my first camera which was back in 2009. They build quality memory cards. I recommend getting at least two, just in case something happens to one of them.
Do you think it’s a hassle of plugging your camera into your computer? This memory card reader will fit cards of all sizes and make an easy transfer to your computer. The reader supports all popular SD memory card formats, including SD™/SDHC™/SDXC™ memory cards, UHS-I SDHC/SDXC memory cards, and microSDHC™/microSDXC™ memory cards. It is also compatible with the latest UDMA 7-enabled CompactFlash cards.
Technology and Digital Resources
MacBook Air
I was a window girl and loved it. However, I have now made the switch to Macbook because of its lightweight and convenience. Thanks to my dear sister for this wonderful present. This is a debate between Apple or windows laptops and phones. As for my personal use of the internet, creating presentations, blogging, emails, editing, movies, music- the Macbook air seems to be the right fit.
Seagate Expansion 2TB External Hard Drive
I highly recommend this item if you have a laptop and lots of pictures. This is a quality hard drive for a good price. And is extremely easy to use and save all your pictures, movies, and more.
Anker Powercore 10000 mah
Skross World Travel Adaptor 3
This universal adaptor will have you covered almost everywhere in the world. I bought it 2 years ago and still travel with me everywhere I go. (Keep in mind that some countries with unusual plugs are best off picked up upon your arrival in the country.)
GoTenna
When backpacking in remote regions, it’s not uncommon to lose your cell phone signal. GoTenna is a small radio plus antenna that can fit into your pocket. It works in tandem with your smartphone to help you communicate with other smartphones up to 50 miles away in any direction (under ideal conditions). It just might save your life, get you “un-lost,” or let you communicate important information to your travel partners who aren’t right there with you at the moment.
Mini Power Strip
When you return from a long time without power like I did during my Mount Everest Base Camp Trek and need to charge everything you own in a hurry, from phone to laptop to iPad to multiple camera batteries, this lets you charge several devices from a single outlet.
Boingo
Usually, most Airports have free wifi between 30 mins to an hour. In case they don’t or you are traveling to a new country like Japan or South Korea where you have to be a member of WIFI networks to use WIFI (Boingo is a partner). Boingo makes it easy to access Wi-Fi on any device at more than 1 million hotspots worldwide, including airports, hotels, cafes, stadiums, and more. It has a variety of plans for you to access.
Dropbox/ Google Drive
I keep ALL of my important documents backed up in Dropbox and Google drive because hard drives can fail and laptops can be stolen. My passport, visa papers, contracts, and more. Dropbox has a subscription fee module like iTunes but Google Drive is free. However, I highly recommend both of them.
Skype
If you are traveling and want to call or video chat for free- it is a useful app to have as long as you have WIFI. And the best part is – Skype also lets you make cheap calls anywhere in the world, whether your bank at home, a hostel abroad or a client call overseas. I top it up to $200 about once a year. I love how easy is it to make that international call or meeting now.
Many, but not all, of the links on this page, are affiliate links that at no extra cost to you, will earn me a small commission and reduce the ever-increasing costs of keeping this site active. Please know that commission or no commission, I genuinely recommend every product on this page. If you have any questions about these products, please let me know!
Let me know in the comments –
- If you’ve any questions about Travel Resources for 2023
- 99% of readers found must see on the east coast of Australia helpful.
- Read best day trips from Sydney by train
- The best Instagrammable places in Sydney
- Read the solo travel Sydney, Australia guide
- Check out how you can explore Adelaide South Australia the best way.
- Heading to iconic Alice Springs for that unique Uluru trip?
- Here I share must do in Darwin, Australia.
- Solo travel guide to Brisbane (Insta worthy places included!)
- Heading to Melbourne next, check out Melbourne travel guide for first timers.
- Sydney itinerary 5 days
- Heading to Perth, read things to do in Perth
- Review of Captain Cook Cruises whale watching Sydney
- Next Stop? check out the most beautiful places in New Zealand South Island.
- Going to Vietnam after Australia? Check out the 7 days Hanoi travel guide.
- Solo trip to Taipei
- Check hotel prices and book it through trusted Agoda, or Booking.com
- If you like this article, follow my adventures on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Pinterest, but most importantly sign up to my e-mail list to keep up with updates and travel posts!
this is the best travel list I have seen in a long time! very extensive. I have been looking for a camera to travel with. Might be asking Santa for a new Canon Powershot this year. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Just when I was looking for it. Glad I bumped into your post. Definitely going to use that 50$ discount for Airbnb 😀 handy traveling during this festive period. Thanks!
some great resources to prepare for the trip. I’ve used booking.com and found some great deals. going to use that $50 credit for Airbnb. thanks
That rubber door stopper tip is an excellent one. They are easy to carry with you, and reinforce your privacy in almost any space.
That $50 credit for Airbnb is awesome! Glad i bumped into your post. I’m always on the lookout for cheap flight as well so bookmarking your post. xx
Hi there. Thanks for this list! Is the main bag the correct link? It shows an Osprey bag without wheels but you mention wheels. I’m looking for the dream backpack on wheels bag ☺️
Hi Laura, good catch. I have now updated the backpack I personally use which you can buy directly from their website but it doesn’t have wheels if that is what you are after.
Totally gonna bookmark this page as we are always on the lookout for cheap accommodations and more.
Thanks for the Free $50 for Airbnb. I am going on some trips pretty soon so these will come in handy!
Sondra xx
Love this list… I’m always looking for ways to save on travel and especially flights. I just signed up for Airbnb with your $50 credit as well. Thanks
Awesome list, Definitely gonna make it in mind when i travel next time because sometime we dont get all of the essential travel when we travel xp!
Thanks for $50 Airbnb travel credit, I just signed up. Great airline pricing tips as well! I’m trying to find my mother in law a low price ticket to Phoenix, so I’ll be using your tips.
Wow this post I found at the right time
I’ll really be needing some cheap accommodations this holidays ?
Thanks for such a lovely post
What a very well thought out guide, I didn’t know most of these and there were a lot more places for certain things that I wasn’t aware of. I am sure this will help so many people!
These are all great tips, and some of those travel site I have not heard of before but I will pin your list for my next big travel plans. Love the idea of the doorstop that is brilliant!
WOW! That’s a very extensive list – covers all the areas possible:) I’m not surprised that once a Windows girl, now you rock your Mac – they are just the best 😀
I’m so excited about this and saving now! and Wow $50 Airbnb credit! Thanks
This is a complete package for a travel! It really helps when planning a trip. I’m always looking for a cheap flight and this helps me a lot and a little help looking for accommodation. This is Awesome!
A good extensive list you compiled! I’ve used many of those resources and am quite happy with them. Can I suggest you kiwi.com – finds cheap flights, especially low-cost combinations, and maybe he Uber app which saves tons of money on local transportation 🙂
Never heard of Momondo before. Thanks for that link. A lot of those links were ones I (and most travelers) were already familiar with but you had some that I had not seen before, which was a great resource. Maybe you should consider an addition to the post like “travel links off the beaten path” for some of the other resources that readers might not be as familiar with.
This is the holy grail of guides! I needed this right now!! I am getting ready to move overseas for 6 months, and I am mostly at a lost. This helped a lot.
Glad it did. Thanks for dropping by Marissa
I love Momondo. I recently used that site for my $99 flight to Ireland! Best site for flights ever.
Great resource list! I’ve heard of some but not all of the links there. I’m one of the few people who are still scared to use Airbnb after only hearing bad stories 🙁 Please tell me some positive stuff about it!! I love the idea though.
Hi Stephanie, I recently wrote tips for Airbnb guest that works. You can check it out here – https://annasherchand.com/pro-tips-from-airbnb-superguest/ If you follow the tips on the blog, it should help you to make a good selection of your Airbnb accommodations. Ultimately bringing your easier and happier travel moments. Hope it helps!
Great resource! I would add Scotts Cheap Flights and Google Flights for finding cheap flights.
Wow great post! Lots of really hot tips. I am sure I will refer back to it again in the future!
This is an amazing post! I haven’t heard about the majority of these resources before, I’ve only used Skyscanner and some of the hotel booking sites. I’m so excited to look into all of these tips and use them as I plan for my next vacation. Thanks so much for putting this together, it’s going to be so helpful!!
You are awesome! I was looking to do this on my own, but looks like you’ve got my back! I am definitely bookmarking this for our family travels next year. Thank you! Thank you! Well done.
Amazing list, Im actually thinking to get a camera for my travels, I was considering to buy the Canon T6 Rebel but also the one you recommend Canon PowerShot G7 looks like a good option, I have to check it out!
Airbnb and Momondo are my favourites!
Wonderful post on travel resources for forthcoming year. All the info and options at one place. Impressive read for me.
There are a few resources in your gear and technology sections that I need to get, will highlight for Christmas presents. Thanks for sharing this list
These are great resources and tips. I really need those kinds of technologies on my travels, and I always looking for a Cheap Flights, thanks for these.
Wow, that’s a seriously impressive list Anna. I think you’ve covered everything and a whole bunch I never would have even thought about. Pinning, because I’m going to be coming back to it often
Superb list Anna! so comprehensive and has practically everything a traveller needs! Saving this especially for the flight booking resources. So glad you included overseas travel resources too!
Oh wow this is quite a long list! I just signed up with Airbnb, Thanks for $50 discount 🙂 I love Skyscanner! i always go there for flights!
These are amazing long list Anna!! I’ve tried using booking.com and Airbnb and I really like the quick service of their company. I am always looking for a cheap flight and I think this helps me a lot for looking for accommodation.
This is an awesome post. I had no clue World Nomads did travel insurance. I love the blog they run, but am happy to know they’re a little more substantial!
This is an excellent post I have come across recently. I use some of these resources like sky scanner and Booking .com extensively for my travel plans. Very well written. thanks for sharing.
Wow, this is a huge list! Super useful. I love Skyscanner and Booking especially!
I just bought a new camera for my next travels and I can’t wait to test it out this weekend. I love using Skyscanner as well for flights and on Booking I am a genius member 🙂
Great list! We loved using Airbnb on our last trip -we saved hundreds. Plus, Skyscanner is great for comparing flights online.
This is a really great and detailed list! Very useful! Thanks for $50 discount on Airbnb Anna. I also use Skyscanner and booking.com a lot 🙂
I’ve used cheapoair for all my flight bookings when I travelled back forth between TX and PA and I loved the ease of booking with them. I know that if I ever fly again I’ll be booking through them again.
I am going to Africa in ONE MONTH… Holy crap! ONE MONTH!! That trip is all taken care of, but AUS and NZ are in May of next year. I have been before but my husband hasn’t and we haven’t arranged any of the details yet – so this blog post is VERY helpful!
What an amazing compilation of all the travel resources, it is so helpful. I have used Skyscanner and Cheapoair, definitely going to check more for a trip I am planning next month.
WOW, thanks for sharing this incredible list. 2018 is my travel year and your list is perfect; I haven’t heard of most of these sites. Can’t wait to check it out
Aw such a useful post! I’ve been wanting to get a GoPro for so long, I think it will be going on my Christmas wishlist 🙂
Wow, this article is great! So much information in one place and exactly what everyone needs to book a good trip, from flights to accommodation! Thank you for sharing this, I have bookmarked this page for my future travels!
This is a really comprehensive list! I was going to put on together myself but you’ve done an AMAZING job (Better than I can do for sure!) – Bookmarking to come back again and again. Thanks so much!
Thanks for that $50 Airbnb discount! I just signed up for Airbnb using your link.
You put up a great travel resources post. I use most of them myself but couple of them were new
An amazing compilation of resources! I can’t see myself travelling far in 2018 but I would love to try an Air b&b… I really like the sound of those!
These are great resources! I’ ve heard about AirBnB and it’s really accomodating! I’m going to save this for the future.
Have you had any dealings with momondo? All of these are great resources. For someone who travels this is much needed!
This is such a useful list. I am hooked to Momondo for finding cheap flights. 🙂 Thanks for that $50 Airbnb discount link!
Wow, you have some great travel resources here. I can’t live without Google Maps and the Rome 2 Rio app.
I have used a few of these sites but I need to check out the rest of them! Thanks for sharing!
Great list! I have not heard of Seat61, I’m excited to check it out. Waterproof backpack is on my travel wish list.n
This list is soooo extensive. You hit the nail on the head in so many different areas. Thank you for taking the time to put it together!
Wow, you have some great travel resources here. I can’t live without Google Maps and the Rome 2 Rio app. Skyscanner is great for finding cheap flights, too.
So true, it’s endless searching the web for the best deals when you’re preparing for the next trip. Nice that you’ve listed all those sites for best flight deals, didn’t use some of them so far, but I’ve bookmarked. 😉
And as for the photo gear, I wouldn’t trade my Canon camera for anything, even though it’s been used for several years now! 🙂
Awesome list of resources! I’m glad I checked this out, as there are some amazing ones to try out!
I love Vacations To Go. I use them every time I book a cruise. I also rely lot on SkyScanner to help our family save on flights. There some resources here I haven’t heard of yet and I am excited to look into them.
My family enjoys travelling and these are great resources. they definitely come in handy, i have learnt some new things too.
I always use Skyscanner to book flights 🙂 Had heard of most of these resources before but some of them are new to me!
So many resources I was not aware of. Bookmarked this page as it is going to be very useful for us.
This is like, the ultimate travel guide list! Booking.com is always my go-to for hotel bookings when I do my concert trips and vacations. They always have some kind of deal and I love how the more you book, the more you can save, I will definitely use more of these for other aspects of travel next time we vacation.
Agoda is my long-time tested app when it comes to travel, next will be Airbnb. Thanks for the $76 free credit 😀
These all look like great places! I’ve used a few myself, but I’m always on the hunt for new sites to get cheap travel perks from!
How timely!! I was just yesterday trying to find the best place for cheap flights so this is perfect. Thank you!!
Great list of ways to save while travelling. I am hoping to vacation to Europe next year…this is useful for me. Thanks for sharing!
I’ve been already using a few of them and would love to dig out more about Hotels Combined!