I’m always planning trips. Since we travel full-time that means a LOT of planning. Below you’ll find the companies we use when arranging our bookings.
Some of the links below are affiliate links (the ones in orange). Don’t be afraid of affiliate links. Although we get a small commission whenever you use them to book something, they don’t cost you a cent. The companies we use are also the best companies in the travel industry. As I say up top, they’re all companies that we use ourselves.
If you enjoy this blog please consider using our affiliate links when booking your next hotel, car rental or tour. You might not be planning a trip anytime soon but if you keep us in mind for the next time it would be greatly appreciated. It helps support this blog and allows me the time to write all the free content you see on this website.
Accommodation
Booking.com for hotel stays. We are increasingly also using them for apartment stays.
Airbnb.com for apartments. We used to be big Airbnb users when we travelled full-time. It’s especially advantageous if booking longer-term stays. But we’ve increasingly used Booking.com instead.
Car Rental
booking.com for car rental. Yes, they are now in the car rental business and we use them because they’re dependable and the booking.com umbrella always reliable. We don’t rent cars very often but some places (like Croatia and South Africa) you can’t do without. Some of our best adventures have actually been road trips where I’ve rented a car (like our South Africa road trip).
Tours
GetyourGuide.com for tours. Sometimes you HAVE to pre-book a tour. When we were in Krakow for example we missed out on the Wieliczka Salt Mine because they had no openings that week. We usually like to wing things, but if there is something we really want to see we’ll pre-book.
Flights
Skyscanner is great for searching for the best priced flights. It’ll compare airfares between the major airlines and let you select the one you want. You are then directed to the airline site where you can complete the booking. Even if I book through another source, I’ll always check prices on Skyscanner.
CheapOair also compares the airlines for the best priced flights and they’re in the same price range as Skyscanner. But what I prefer about CheapOair is that you book directly with them. It’s just easier and cleaner in my opinion. For this reason I actually book my flights with CheapOair (after comparing prices with Skyscanner). CheapOair is also known for it’s good quality customer service.
Note: it is always best to book directly with an airline. But if you are searching for the cheapest flights, or last minute flights, Skyscanner and CheapOair will give you the best prices.
Train travel
Seat61.com. We do a lot of train travel and “The Man in Seat Sixty-One” definitely offers the best advice on the internet on train travel. Whenever I have to plan a train trip the first thing I check is this site.
For all travel in Asia
12Go Asia. Whether bus, train, or plane, we use this company to pre-book all our Asian travel. Prices are the best, plus you can pre-buy your reservations on buses and trains (which can otherwise be a hassle).
Instead of Taxis…
Uber. We started using it in South Africa because that’s what all the locals use. And we fell in love with Uber because 1) you know what you’re going to pay before getting in the car, 2) you never have to handle cash. Anyone thinking of travelling should get Uber installed on their phone. Because taxi drivers the world over make it a mission to screw over tourists.
Transferring Money
Wise (formerly Transferwise). If you live overseas like us, Wise is the cheapest way to transfer money from your home country to your foreign bank account (we save 3% per transfer). And if you’re nervous about using them as we were – well, they’re listed on the London Stock Exchange and valued at 11 Billion US. I wrote about the advantages of Wise here.
Travel Luggage and Suitcases
Level 8. Our travel style has evolved with time and we’re big fans of our level 8 equipment which are high quality, light and durable.