My Favorite Travel Resources For Trip Planning & Booking

As someone who travels frequently, I’m often asked questions like, “How do you book your trips?” and “How do you find the lowest prices?”

The answer depends! There are many resources out there.

After 10+ years of regular travel, I’ve tried a wide variety of booking services, and what I use today often depends on the trip type.

Below are my favorite travel resources for planning and booking trips.

My Favorite Travel Resources For Trip Planning & Booking

Trip Planning

Below are resources I use during the trip planning process.

Travel Blogs

Travel blogs are incredibly helpful for trip planning. They allow readers a glimpse at what it’s like to visit a destination, based off someone who’s already been there. 

There are so many excellent blogs out there, a few of my favorites are Earth Trekkers, Practical Wanderlust, Nomadic Matt, and Adventurous Kate… among many others.

I find most travel blogs through Pinterest and Google search.  

Pinterest 

Pinterest is a visual search engine that’s great for trip planning. Many use it for inspiration, but it can provide much more than that. 

On Pinterest, simply search something like, “Things to do in Paris,” and you’ll find a huge number of pins with links to websites with lists of things to do in Paris.

I often find unique websites this way, ones which would be harder to uncover in traditional Google search.

Guidebooks

Guidebooks are another excellent resource for trip planning, especially for bigger trips or more obscure destinations. 

I don’t have a specific brand preference, I just browse Amazon or the local library for whatever calls to me.

Reddit 

When planning a trip, I also use Reddit. I use it as if I’m checking product reviews, meaning I read through destination forums and get a vibe of whether or not an attraction is worth visiting based on Reddit-user’s experiences.

To find these forums, I’ll search Google with something such as, “Things to do in Paris Reddit.”

Flights

All services I’ve listed below are used for price shopping and general planning. When it’s time to book a flight, I do so directly through the airline. 

As often as possible, I book flights with points, which I amass from credit cards via spending from everyday purchases.

Google Flights

Google Flights is one of the best ways to shop flights.

The service compares flights across various airlines, and is easy to use thanks to flexible date options and helpful filters.

Go to Google Flights, enter your departure and destination, then click dates and see flight prices. If you’re ready to buy, you’ll be prompted to book directly through the airline.

The service also allows you to set up flight alerts. Let Google Flights know the destinations and dates you’re watching, and you’ll receive an email if flight prices drop. 

Going (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights)

Going is a free email service that I’ve used for years and absolutely love. They send you emails with upcoming flight deals.

Sign up at Going, tell them a little about yourself — which airport you fly out of, whether you prefer domestic or international flight deals, etc. They’ll then send upcoming flight deals based off your preferences. Sometimes they find crazy cheap flights.

Their basic service, which is what I use, is free. But the premium service has more features and will send you deals sooner. The paid service is very affordable, and I’ve heard great things about it from friends who use it.

Hotels & Lodging

When booking hotels, I do so almost exclusively through the hotel’s official website. Meaning I use websites like Booking and Hotels, listed below, just to shop prices.

However, sometimes Booking or Hotels will have a really good deal, it’s therefore advantageous to book through them instead of the hotel directly.

Booking.com 

Booking.com is a great resource for comparing hotel prices and finding deals. Their website is easy to use and they provide a lot of helpful information about each hotel, including reviews.

Simply visit Booking.com, search your travel destination and dates, then browse hotel options.

You can then book directly through their site, they sometimes have lower prices than booking directly through a hotel’s official website.

Hotels.com 

Hotels.com is the same as Booking, listed above. They compare hotel prices and help users find low prices. Hotels can be booked directly throughout Hotels.com, which offers competitive rates.

As with Booking, visit Hotels.com, search your travel destination and dates, then browse hotel options. When you’re ready to book, you can do so through their website.

Hostelworld.com

Hostelworld is the same concept as Booking and Hotels, but you’re shopping hostels only.

The website allows you to easily compare prices, see amenities, and has a huge database of reviews, all of which is really helpful in determining which hostel is right for you.

Visit Hostelworld.com, type in your destinations and dates, then browse hostel options.

Vacation Rentals

I love vacation rentals for travel. I enjoy having extra space and especially love having a kitchen. Additionally, when traveling with a group, the prices are often significantly lower than individual hotel rooms.

I use both Airbnb and VRBO, they’re more-or-less the same in my opinion. 

Both websites allow you to browse vacation rentals based on destination, and they have helpful filters, like search for specific amenities, search with flexible dates, etc.

Both websites also include reviews on each home, which is very helpful in deciding which rental is best for your needs.

Rental Cars

DiscoverCars

DiscoverCars allows users to shop and compare rental car prices among major rental car companies.

Users can then book directly through DiscoverCars, which sometimes has lower pricing than booking directly through the rental car company’s official site. 

Visit DiscoverCars.com, search your city and dates, then browse the prices of all major rental car companies.

For the most part, I just use DiscoverCars to compare prices, then book directly through the rental car company. However, sometimes DiscoverCars offers a much lower price, in which case, I’ll book through them.

Book A Rental Car Through An Airline

Most major airlines allow customers to book rental cars through the airline. It’s a very similar set up to DiscoverCars, where users can compare prices between major rental car companies, then book directly for a lower price.

Best of all, those who have airline points, can use their points towards the rental car.

I am a regular Southwest Airlines flyer, so I typically book my rental cars through them.

Costco Travel

Costco member? You should be shopping rental cars through the Costco Travel program. It’s the same as I’ve mentioned above, users can compare prices among major rental car companies, then book directly through Costco. 

I am not a Costco member, so I’ve never done this myself. However, I’ve traveled numerous times with friends who’ve booked rental cars this way and I’m always amazed by the deals they find.

All Coscto members have access to this.

Excursions

Excursions and group tours are a really fun way to see a city. I love browsing tour options through the companies listed below, and use them for booking as well.

Viator

Viator is a third party service that allows you to browse and book tours across thousands of cities.

As with many of the websites listed here, it’s great for ease of use and the reviews are super helpful.

Go to Viator.com, search city and date, then browse options. If searching for a specific activity, it may be helpful to search the city + activity. This is especially the case for larger cities where there are countless of tour options.

Get Your Guide

Get Your Guide is the same concept as Viator. I’ve used both companies and find them to be very similar in terms of usability and reliability.

Again, visit GetYourGuide.com, search your city and dates, then browse tour options.

Free Walking Tours

Free walking tours are a great way to see a city.

Local guides provide knowledgeable insights, history, and personal stories, perfect for getting acquainted with a new city.

To find these tours, I search “‘City name’ free walking tours” in Google. Not every destination will have free tours, but most major cities do.

Luggage & Packing

For luggage, I have hard shell suitcases, a duffel bag, a small backpack, and a couple totes. This way, depending on where I’m going — if I’m doing a road trip, flying, etc. — I have options that suit my needs.

My suitcases are from Amazon, my duffel is from Etsy, and my backpack from REI.

There are so many great travel resources out there, these are just the ones I use most frequently. I hope you’ve found this helpful in planning and booking your upcoming trip. Happy travels!

If you’d like to follow along with my travels in real time, check out @seen.by.amy on Instagram or @seenbyamy on TikTok!

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