As travelers, we are always on the lookout for ways to make our travel life easier – from the pre-trip planning to help on the road – there are so many travel sites and apps that can make the travel experience much smoother. These are some of the websites and apps that I use in my every day travel world to help me travel cheaper, better and most importantly like a local!
For Travel Planning…
Rome2Rio
Ever since I discovered rome2rio, I’ve been obsessed. Users can input any address, town or landmark as the origin and destination and rome2rio presents routes for traveling to and from those destinations.
Skyscanner
Skyscanner is like the best travel search engine on the web today. It is my first step in my travel planning process. Skyscanner allows you to search millions of flights and compare prices over a day, a month a year so you can find the best time of year to fly. I don’t travel without it. Skyscanner is how I found my flight to Europe for only $350!
Kayak
I actually use Kayak in conjunction with Skyscanner. First, I check Skyscanner to find the cheapest month/days to fly and then once I have some dates narrowed down, I use Kayak to check a more narrowed timeframe. Sometimes Skyscanner doesn’t show fares for certain dates so this is a process that I’ve adopted over the years.
Skiplagged
Skiplagged is probably one of the coolest travel planning sites out there. Skiplagged helps you find the cheapest flight possible by making use of “hidden city” opportunities. If you want to fly from Los Angeles to Chicago, it’s sometimes cheaper to buy a ticket from LAX to NYC with a Chicago layover, and skip the Chicago to New York connection. Unfortunately, this only works for those who carry-on otherwise your bag will be checked all the way through to your supposed final destination.
For Accommodation…
Airbnb
While Airbnb is no means a “new” website but it deserves a place on this list. I’ve Airbnb’d my way through Europe. I stayed in some very cool places and met some pretty amazing people along the way so I wholeheartedly recommend using Airbnb.
Couchsurfing
I’ve been reluctant to try Couchsurfing, only for the reason that I find the concept strange. However, countless friends have sung the praises of Couchsurfing and I feel it deserves a place on this list for those brave enough to go to a stranger’s place who is kind enough to offer up their couch for free. Not quite my cup of tea but I think that it is a great concept and kudos to those who have travelled the world via couches instead of hotels. The site also offers meet ups for travelers around the world, whether you’re couchsurfing or not.
Workaway
Workaway is a great website that I actually first heard about when I was traveling through Vietnam. Workaway connects travelers and hosts who will provide travelers with free room (and often board too) in exchange for a few hours of work a day. A two-year subscription costs roughly $28 USD. Working opportunities range from farming, to childcare to hotel reception.
Triptease
Triptease offers a “Price Check” widget that sits on hotel websites and displays prices from across the web in real-time. The idea is to reduce the uncertainty surrounding a hotel’s direct price, and ensure you don’t wander off to search elsewhere but instead book direct and with confidence.
While You’re There…
Spotted by Locals
Spotted by Locals is the best way to experience a city like a local. Locals provide handpicked insider tips in 60+ cities across North America and Europe. The app is 100% offline so you can browse data free while roaming around your destination.
Viator
I first used Viator when I was in Thailand for a trip to the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market outside of Bangkok. Viator provides group or private tours and itineraries for a reasonable fee. Tour guides are informative and extremely knowledgeable. I’ve yet to hear bad feedback from tours booked with Viator.
Meet2Talk
At Meet2Talk you find members near you, who would like to swap languages. You learn their language, and they learn yours. Once you are connected, you decide where and when to meet. You continue the meetings, speaking the two languages alternately.
EatWith
EatWith is a global community that lets you enjoy authentic and intimate dining experiences in the homes of local food lovers around the world. Connect with amazing hosts, share stories and unforgettable experiences, and enjoy delicious native cuisine. EatWith is currently available in over 20 countries in North America, South America, Australia, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
Hi,Nice Post 🙂 Skyscanner is my personal favorite I love their ‘Who Flies’ feature.But both travel search engines you have listed works fine for flight search but not for hotel search.I would like to add hotelhike.com for better hotel search.