Travel Tools We Love: Our Go-To Websites for Stress-Free Trips
In this guide we share the travel websites we use most for booking accommodation, flights, transport, activities, and insurance. They’re the tools that help us plan our trips quickly and confidently.
Traveling is so much smoother when you know where to look. Having the right booking platforms saves hours of searching and takes away a lot of stress. From finding affordable flights and unique places to stay to reserving tours, transport, and even travel insurance, these are the websites we personally rely on. After 1.5 years of traveling full-time, we’ve tested plenty of options, and these are the ones we keep coming back to again and again.
The Best Travel Websites
Accommodation: Finding the Best Stays
When it comes to accommodation, we always look for places that feel comfortable, well-located, and give a bit of local charm. We love stays that offer a cozy vibe, easy access to main sights, and good value for money. Sometimes that means a boutique guesthouse, other times a modern hotel or a unique Airbnb. In each of our destination guides, we link to the most popular booking websites tailored to that country because not every site works best everywhere. This way, you can find the best deals and trusted options no matter where you’re headed.
Our go-to because it has tons of options everywhere and flexible cancellation policies.
We like Agoda for Asia trips since it often has the best local deals and last-minute discounts.
It is great for booking trains, activities and flights in China, all in one place and easy to us. It owned by Booking.com and is growing popularity in many Asian countries.
Hostelworld is great if you’re looking for dorms or private double rooms on a budget. We like it because the reviews are written by real travelers, and hostels usually have a social vibe that makes it easy to meet people on the road.
Transportation: Getting Around Made Simple
When we plan transportation, we look for options that are easy, reliable, and affordable. We want to get from A to B without stress, using trusted apps or websites that offer clear schedules and prices. Whether it’s trains, buses, or rideshares, having simple booking and smooth payment makes the trip more enjoyable.
12go (public transport)
Our favorite website for booking trains, buses, private shuttles and ferry rides in Asia. It always gives us reliable options and great prices.
Rentalcars.com (car rental)
Our go-to for booking rental cars worldwide. We like it because it offers lots of options at different price points, and the booking process is super easy. Plus, the site shows clear policies, so there are no surprises when you pick up the car.
Klook (private transfers)
We like using private transfers for hassle-free rides straight to our hotel or between cities. it’s also great for car rentals in some asian countries like Taiwan or South Korea.
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FIND HOTELS | Booking.com
FIND A RENTAL CAR | Rentalcars.com
FIND FLIGHTS | Kiwi.com
GET TRAVEL INSURANCE | HeyMondo (get 5% off)
BOOK TOURS & ATTRACTIONS | GetYourGuide
BOOK A BUS / TRAIN / TRANSFER | 12Go
Activities & Tours: Discover Unique Experiences
We love finding unique activities and tours that show a deeper side of a destination. Depending on the country, one platform is usually more popular than others. We always link the activities we loved in each city guide, so you can find the best tours and experiences wherever you travel.
All-rounder: tours, transfers, tickets, car rentals and hotels. We mostly use it for tours & tickets. Booking is quick, often with great discounts, and their tickets usually let you skip long lines. Klook is very popular in South Korea, Taiwan, and Malaysia.
We like GetYourGuide because it has a huge variety of tours and experiences all over the world.
We love the huge selection of tours and activities, honest reviews, and how quick the booking process is.
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Finding the Cheapest Flights
Finding ways to cut down flight costs can free up a big part of your travel budget. It all begins with doing some research, and there are plenty of smart tricks to help you score the lowest airfare.
This is our favorite tool for booking flights. It compares fares across airlines and shows helpful daily price trends, making it easier to spot the best deals.
Sven loves to use this tool to plan itineraries, as it shows all airports over the world and their direct connections. Super useful if you don’t know yet how to navigate in or between countries.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is always high on our checklist, especially for bigger trips or when we’re carrying valuable gear like cameras and laptops. We make sure the coverage matches our needs, so we’re protected no matter what happens. For just a few dollars a day, it’s peace of mind worth having (check out our guide to the best travel insurance).
It offers flexible travel insurance plans that you can easily customize to fit your trip. We love how quick it is to manage everything through their app, from getting a quote to handling claims.
Our favorite for long-term travel and digital nomad life. Their monthly subscription model makes it affordable and super easy to keep coverage going while you’re on the road.
Staying Connected Abroad with an eSIM
One of the biggest travel headaches used to be dealing with SIM cards. You’d land in a new country, search for an airport kiosk, wait in line, and often pay tourist prices for a local SIM. Or you’d stick with international roaming, which usually meant shockingly high bills for just a few gigabytes of data.
That’s why we now always go with an eSIM. It’s fast to set up, usually takes just a few minutes, and you can install it even before you leave home. The best part is that you’re online the moment the plane touches down, so you don’t waste time hunting for Wi-Fi or figuring out where to buy a SIM card. For us, it’s been the most stress-free way to stay connected on the road.
Saily is our go-to because it offers some of the cheapest rates for data while traveling.
Airalo offers affordable eSIM plans for almost every country in the world.