My Travel Resources
After nine years of near-constant international travel to all seven continents and countless countries I’ve managed to figure out the best travel resources to globe trot the world for longer, cheaper and better and I want to share these secrets with you all!
*Note that some of the following links are affiliate links, meaning if you purchase a flight, accommodation, tour, gadget, gear item etc. through one of these links I will get a small commission.
*A note to brands, companies, services, etc- Here’s the deal: this travel resources page is a list of products and services that I personally use and like, or have been highly acclaimed by my real life friends. So for the love of whatever the hell you believe in STOP EMAILING ME ASKING ME TO ADD YOU TO THIS LIST. If you want to pursue a partnership that’s fine and welcome, then by all means provide me with said product/service, generous compensation for my time AND a decent commission on affiliate links and if it proves useful, you may end up on this list. Keeping up with this blog costs me valuable time and running it does cost money, so no, I will not advertise your whatever it is you’re selling for free if I don’t see it benefitting any readers on here- and this is especially aimed at Allison from Nerd Wallet who keeps emailing me trying to get me to share your content for absolutely free and never replies back when I ask her what benefit is in it for me or my readers (we all know its ZERO).
Airfare:
Easy to find the cheapest deals, plus I haven’t decided if that ‘Everywhere’ destination option is helpful or dangerous… Ok, well genius on Skyscanner’s part.
Trusted travel search engine. Good for hotels, cruises, car rental, vacation packages and more.
Another trusted travel search engine offering much beyond flights.
Not always the cheapest, but damn is Qatar Airways nice. Qatar is one of my favorite airlines to fly with.
Accommodation:
Find rock bottom hotel, hostel, guesthouse and B&B deals here. They have an extensive network of hotels they book in Asia, but can be used worldwide. Agoda is by and far my go-to accommodation booking site. They also have a handy app.
I’ve always had good experiences with AirBnb and had great hosts. If you sign up using my link above you get $20 off your first booking!
Great network of hotels worldwide.
A go to for finding super cheap hostel accommodations.
Yep, Trip Advisor books hotels too. Neat huh?
Couchsurfing is a great way to find cheap accommodations and meet locals. I have Couchsurfed all over the world and had nothing but good experiences. I have also made friends that I will most likely have forever through this service.
Tours:
This is the first company I booked an overloading style trip with. I was anti-tour before this trip and boy did Africa Travel Co change my mind. I had a fabulous time and made friends that I miss so so much.
A well known overloading company offering trips worldwide.
Another name that’s been in the game for a long time. Also offers trips worldwide.
A tour search engine. You can find most everything anywhere conveniently located on here.
Land Transportation:
Especially if you are under 26 years old, these guys’ passes can really help you save if you play your cards right.
Website offering European rail services as well as access to rail passes.
An insanely extensive and detailed information for traveling all over the world my train or overland.
Company offering good deals on car rentals all over the world.
Polar Cruises
I cruised with Oceanwide to Antarctica and loved every minute of it. These guys have an extremely knowledgeable staff on everything Antarctic as well as Arctic.
Cruiselines:
You’ve probably heard of them. These guys are world-known for a reason. One of the top cruise lines.
Package Holidays:
Loveholidays is a UK based company that offers up package holidays, flights, and accommodations- making planning a trip a breeze.
Travel Insurance:
A well known and popular travel insurance provider. I’ve had good luck with them as well.
I’ve had good luck with these guys over the years with travel insurance. I have only ever made one claim to them and was paid out pretty effortlessly with no fighting.
Printed and E-book Travel Guides:
Gear:
Awesome website if you’re searching for outdoor gear.
I have loved both my Osprey backpacks and can’t recommend them enough. Not to mention these guys will replace damaged parts!
Never know what kind of weather you’ll get while traveling. A rain cover is a must.
Protect your backpack while in transport.
I travel to a lot of remote areas where water comes from a stream. This water filter is a trusty piece that I always carry with me.
It’s a GPS, SOS beacon and text messenger all rolled into one handheld item. I love my Inreach and can’t recommend it enough. They offer good monthly plans when in use.
Coming in at just over 1 kilogram this tent is a godsend.
Have clean clothes on the go.
These bags offer great security being slash proof.
Keep all your electronics safe when you’re traveling over water (or near it)!
Tammi makes amazingly cute scarves with secret pockets that she sells on Etsy. I love mine. Great alternative to a purse.
For camping or for sleeping on plains and trains.
If you plan to camp, this is a must.
I love these water bottles that are insulated so they keep your drinks cold (or hot) and they actually work!
Keep you debit and credit card numbers from being skimmed by thieves.
1 part adapter, 1 part power strip. The best of both worlds rolled into one.
Beauty/Toiletries:
If you haven’t heard of them already, say goodbye to tampons and hello to the Diva cup. Easy to use and reusable. No more chemical laden cotton tampons, and no more searching foreign country drug stores in search of one when you’re stupid period shows up on vacation.
I love everything from Lush. I really have to resist going into one of their stores because I want to buy everything. With Lush’s amazing products I have been able to travel with all my toiletries and not have to check a bag because you can get everything you need liquid free! The products I always carry with me are:
Shampoo Bars
Solid Hair Conditioner
Massage Bar (these double as lotion)
Bar Soap
Charcoal Face Bar
Powder Deoderant
Toothpaste Tablets
I am terrified of the usual sunscreens you see at the drug store. They are loaded with toxic, carcinogenic chemicals. I truly believe that in addition to having a tan being part of the increase in skin cancer rates, I also think that Oxybenzone among other chemicals found in typical sunscreens are helping to increase the rate. I have found my favorite toxic-free sunscreen to be Garden Goddess Sunscreens as they are easier to apply and rub in than some of the others. A close second is Badger Sunscreens. These toxic-free sunscreens do work to protect you against the sun (I’ve used them for a few years now). If I’m not going to be in lots of direct sun during the day I usually use coconut oil, shea butter or a concoction I blend up at home of them both. Both coconut oil and shea butter have a natural SPF to them (it’s not high, so it’s not going to prevent a sunburn at the beach).
Travel Insurance:
World Nomads is a decent option for most travelers going to most countries (meaning ones not considered war zones, conflict areas, etc.). Note that I personally have never had to make a claim with them, so I cannot speak on how easy or nightmarish the process is.
Global Underwriters is going to be a go-to for those headed off to conflict areas and war zones, such as Afghanistan and Yemen. These guys do cover US citizens unlike the next company I will mention below.
First Allied is a good option for non-American travelers heading to conflict areas and war zones. Note that I did not link them because they pissed me off on two separate occasions: they decided to quit covering US passport holders shortly after my second trip to Afghanistan (I’m not a dual Italian citizen, but this annoys me as many of you readers here are US based) and now that they cheap bastards decided to axe their affiliate program (running a blog is time consuming and does actually cost me money to run). I have used this company in the past.
Travel Photography Gear:
Trust me, this is all a post in itself! There is a lot to my kit, but guess what? It all fits in one small backpack. Check out what travel photography gear I carry.
These are all the travel resources I recommend for you all!
These are all services and products that I love. I hope this all helps you to travel the world better.