🏡 Accommodation:

I usually stay in hostels when solo backpacking, or in private rooms when I’m with friends.

• Booking.com is my go-to website for booking accommodation. They have the largest selection of accommodation options and prices are great. Also, I love their Genius program as they always run promos.

• Hostelworld is where I go first when I look for hostels. As they specialize in hostels they often have more options than Booking. I’ll never stay in a hostel before reading reviews on Hostelworld. Occasionally I’ll pick a hostel here and book on Booking as they sometimes require a small deposit when booking.

✈️ Flights:

I have an in-depth strategy to find cheap flights depending on whether I have a set destination and date or not.

• When I have a fixed destination I use Google Flights. I found they have the most “up-to-date” prices for every possible date combination – I love their calendar option where I can mix and match dates to find the cheapest option.

• Skyscanner is my go-to for getting travel ideas. I love their “everywhere” option when I just want to travel, but don’t care where exactly. Also, it works when planning a trip to a region, and I want to know which country is the cheapest to fly to.

• I use Kiwi.com when I know where I want to go, but I can select several airports to fly from. It is basically a reverse “everywhere” option from Skyscanner.

• If your flight got delayed or canceled, let Airhelp deal with getting the compensation for you!

🚌 Getting Around:

I use public transport to get around when traveling. I always check if there is a metro or a bus at my destination and how they work. Then I compare the prices and travel time between trains and intercity buses to get around the country.

• When backpacking Europe there are so many different apps and operators to use to book transportation. Flixbus is usually the cheapest option!
• I use Omio to compare the prices of all bus and train operators on my route.

• 12GO is the app I use when I’m backpacking SE Asia. It works for buses, trains, ferries, and private transportation. It is truly an all-in-one app for transportation in SE Asia!

🚗 Rental Cars:

I rarely rent a car when traveling, but some destinations are better explored on a road trip!

• Discover Cars is the website I use the most often when I want to rent a car. Their prices are fantastic, and sometimes they run promos where you can get additional discounts or other services for free.

• I’m all about saving money so I also check the prices on Rentalcars. Sometimes they are cheaper for renting a car in France.

🎏 Tours & Activities:

I’m all about organizing activities yourself, but I still don’t own a boat to go on boat trips on my own. That’s where joining organized tours comes in handy!

• I love GetYourGuide for booking tours and activities. The website is so easy to navigate, you can read reviews, and they are very responsive if you need help!

⛑️Travel Insurance:

Don’t travel without health insurance. It might seem like paying for something that you won’t use, but trust me, you’ll be happy if you have to use it and even happier if you don’t!

• I use Safetywing travel insurance. They are great as you can buy insurance when you’re already abroad. Once I bought my travel insurance while sitting in the plane waiting for departure!