TRAVEL PLANNING RESOURCES
I have been travelling for over +30 years and over time I have discovered many online resources that have helped me greatly when planning my trips and booking online. I always use them and can highly recommend to everyone. If you are looking for good travel websites, this list will help make travel planning simpler and smarter, as well as save you money and time. Come back here to the Rocky Travel Site before booking your travels. I'll be updating this page on a regular basis by adding new sites and tools to help you plan your trip.
FLIGHT DEALS
Momondo Flights it's a fantastic flight comparison site. No. 1 in the US, it is now becoming popular in Europe and in other parts of the world. The plaftorm is visually the most intuitive and complete among all comparison sites. When searching for flights you get a diagram displaying the aifare prices for each day. You can pick among a long list of online travel sites names that you don't usually get anywhere else.
Kiwi Flights is a great plaftorm for checking combination of flights. If you plan a multidestination trip and want to book a long flight with several layovers and stopovers then the Kiwi is a great resource. However KIWI is an OTA not a comparison site. OTA means Online Travel Agency, which means if you decide to book through them, you will get all the customer services that goes with it. If you need to modify your bookings or adding, deleting something they will help with that and they can also help out with fight delays, cancellation and all those booking related matters.
Skyscanner is the travel site I mostly use for brainstorming international flights. The site has an intituitive and user-friendly platform when it comes to flight comparison. Skyscanner is a very reliable site and one of the best for findng great airfare deals. For domestic flights I would however cross check with more resources as not all low-cost airlines may be in the Skyscanner flight search results.
Google Flights finitely one of my favourite comparison sites when looking for flights. Google Flights is a great tool for brainstorming availability and rates, especially when looking for multiple destinations and cross-check rates with other sites.The best feature is the calendar as a drowdown window that shows prices for each day and airline company.
TRAVEL GEAR
WorldNomads The next step after booking your flight is purchasing good travel insurance. I have been using WN for the last 6 years and it's the best fit for my needs. If you look for a travel insurance with a wide coverage including flight cancellation, health insurance, personal liability, theft and covers outdoor adventures too, the insurance plans from WordNomads offer competitive prices, great conditions and and excellent customer services 24/7.
VisaHQ If you plan multiple destinations and countries with complicated visa application procedure, I would use a travel visa service like VisaHQ. This is the best way to make sure that you get your travel visas applications done in an accurate way, thus saving precious time and money. This service is valuble when travelling to multiple destinations and applying for travel visa for different .
ACCOMMODATION
Airbnb If are looking for something different from traditional accommodation, through airbnb you can rent a room or a whole home from private owners. I have been using it for 7 years and it has become my preferred type of budget accommodation. Airbnb will save you money and offer a more intimate experience. You can get 30 USD off your first booking by signing up with my free link.
Booking.com is the most popular booking site in the world for hotels. I have found great deals on this site. If you keep checking it on a regular basis you may find top-notch offers, especially for weekend gateways.The best feature is the free cancellation for online bookings before the date, which means you can book with no deposit and cancel with no fee.
CouchSurfing mostly known for a free bed or a couch in a private home. However it's much more than this. It's the largest online community of people who love to engage with visitors. if you sign up you can alsoo check the calendar for meet-ups and more events organised in each city. A great resource if you are travelling on your own and want to get to know the locals and get insiders tips.
HotelsCombined is a great site that searches through +30 hotel comparison sites like booking.com, Agoda, Hotel.com and more. Definitely the best site for booking hotels in Australia, it finds accommodation from +200 locations. I would recommend using it for brainstorming the best accommodation deals from different sites.
Hostelworld is the largest website for booking hostels around the world. I always use this site when searching for hostels in new places that I visit. They have a very large listings and the platform is very easy to use. For hostels I wouldn't use anything else.
TRANSPORTATION
DriveNow is the be best comparison site for car hire and campervan rentals in Australia and New Zealand. I have been using it for years and there is nothing that beats it: real time search results and best offer with no upfront deposit. They also have a fantastic relocation offer section for those interested in long-distance & one-way campervan rentals. You can also book your car rental in Europe and US, however only from airports and main cities.
BlaBlaCar is the largest ride sharing company in Europe and US. A former community platform that has been existing for longer thatn two decades. Since it turned into a company a small fee applies for booking a ride share but it includes insurance. I have been using it for +20 years and simply love it. For those who don't own a car and want to travel around Europe is a real boon, especially to reach destinations that are not well served by public transportation.
TRAVEL TOURS
TourRadar is one of the largest comparison sites for multi-day tours. It searches through +30 companies and it delivers all tour offers available for the destination you have picked. A great tool worth considering if you plan your trip with a group tour from +7 to +25 days. They have very detailed information about each tour and offer a live chat-customer service to answer any questions before booking.
Intrepid if you like to travel with small group tours this is a site I would recommend checking out. It's one of the most reputable tour companies offering high-quality tours for small groups and expert guides. Within the Intrepid Travel Group there are more companies that specialises in backpacking tours, adventure travel, hiking, culture and more specialty tours.
Viator is a a great site for booking day tours. It has the largert pool of local tour companies offering a variety of day trips from all almost anywhere in the world. With its easy interface, they also list discounted tours. Bookings have to be paid in full, but there is a refund policy for cancellation. Every day new tour companies are added, so it's worth checking it on a regular basis.
TRAVEL PACKING
Samsonite is my favourite brand when it comes to luggage. becuase of its durability and comfort. The higher price pays off with many features that are hard to beat. I use a duffle bag for all my long-term travel adventures and a Samsonite carry-on for short breaks. Samsonite boots and travel shoes are also top quality and have been using the same for years, they don't wear out. On this page you can chek out my travel packing list.
Pacsafe If keeping valuable safe is your priority when you travel, then Pacsafe is the best travel gear company. With the special anti-theft and shlashproof features coupled with high-quality fabrics and design, Pacsafe gear offer the highest standard as far as safety gear is concerned. They have become my companion not only in my travels but in my daily life. here you can read my Pacsafe Review.
Disclaimer: Some of the above links are affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase through the links I will earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. I share resources that have helped me greatly on all my travels. If you are ready to book and want to use these links, you will contribute towards the running costs of this website. If you have questions about the above travel resources you can get in touch with me. Thanks for supporting the Rocky Travel Site!
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