In April 2008, my parents took me to Paris and I fell in love with the City of Light forever. In May 2011, a study trip took me to Prague and Budapest, followed by a 15-day interrail trip through Italy. These three trips marked the beginning of this irrepressible passion to travel, travel far and travel well.
But you have to admit – and if you like to travel and do it regularly, you will agree with me – that not all trips turn out well: weather, unforeseen events or language barriers are some of the things that can turn a trip you expected to be amazing into one that is not so much. This happened to me in February 2024 in South Korea, where cold temperatures and bad weather took their toll…
While unexpected situations are fortunately few and far between, it is also common for an adventure to be cut short by lost luggage, overbooking, a hotel that leaves much to be desired, or an activity that is cancelled at the last minute.
In my case, there are some websites that offer different tourist services that I trust, either because I have never had a problem or because, if I have – if you know someone who has never had an unpleasant situation while traveling, it is likely that they have lied to you – they have given an optimal response, solving the unforeseen quickly and diligently.
In addition to this problem-solving, there are companies, brands and services that I like on a user level, for their offerings, their customer service, their prices or their multiple benefits. That’s what I want to talk about in this article, in which I’ve made a selection of my favorite travel planning websites.
Content index
Booking – Hotels
The hotel portal par excellence is the king of this list. Loyal to it since 2012, I cannot count the bookings I have made with them during my travels. Booking always makes it easy to find the hotel that best suits each person, thanks to a system of filters and results offer that gives you, in a few seconds, exactly what you are looking for.
In this way, I have experienced sleeping on a futon in a traditional hanok in Jeonju, sleeping in a hammock on an eco-farm on the Nicaraguan island of Ometepe, or entering a cave house in Favignana, where a beautiful stone room awaited me. Here you can choose your ideal accommodation and start living unforgettable journeys.
Kiwi – Flight comparison
When it comes to flight, there is no hard and fast rule, so it is always a good idea to check prices on different sites and dates, and to avoid jumping from one site to another, Kiwi allows you to compare the options offered by airlines. Just like Skyscanner, it is very useful in the sense that it has hundreds of options to filter and select the features that fit your trip.
You can select the time of departure, how many pieces of luggage you want to take with you, type of travel and much, much more. Also regarding their customer service, I had to cancel flights to Israel and Malaysia with them, which just happened to coincide with the COVID-19 pandemic, and there was no problem at all. In addition, on more than one occasion I have saved a few dollars by choosing Kiwi over other options. Check it out and tell me about it…
Iati – Travel insurance
If I had known what a good travel insurance can protect you from, or what it can help you in complicated situations, I would have started taking it much earlier. In my case, I didn’t start taking out travel insurance until recently; I was always sure that nothing would ever happen, but the more I traveled, the more accidents I saw: some students who had an accident on a quad bike in Capadocia, a stomach virus in El Salvador, sprains on adventure tours in Southeast Asia…
There are many situations that can arise while traveling, many of them unexpected, which is why I can’t stop recommending that you take out an insurance policy that will give you coverage on your trips. The ones I pay most attention to are health, liability and luggage coverage. Depending on the type of coverages you choose, there are different rates, so travel insurance is affordable for everyone, regardless of budget. Here you can compare coverages and prices based on your destination:
IATI SEGUROS
GetYourGuide – Tours, day trips and other activities
This is another one of my top 10 travel planning sites because it is perfect if you like to complement your itineraries with plans and activities to make it more fun. GetYourGuide makes it easy because it has a huge list of activities such as excursions, tours, workshops, sports and many more options that will bring you closer to the local culture and history in just a few hours. This is a great option whether you are traveling alone, as it allows you to join a group of people in the same situation, or if you are traveling as a couple or family, to enjoy an original plan together at your destination. For example, you can take a cable car ride to Tian Tan Buddha in Hong Kong, travel to the border between South and North Korea, or canoe down the Tiber River in Rome.
Lonely Planet – Travel guides
The great star of travel guides has always been one of my essential resources when organizing my trips, and although I then tell my experiences in a very personal way and according to my own views, these guides usually provide a broad historical and cultural context so that you know well where you are going.
They are often accompanied by additional materials, such as maps or lists, that can be useful for day-to-day life at the destination. With different formats – e-book, paper book, e-book and paper book combined, special editions – they can be the ideal base to start dreaming about a destination. That’s how I use them, more like a book than a guide, to turn a country or a city from a wish into something tangible, and it can also be a very cool gift for your travel buddy 🙂.
Tiqets – Entry tickets
If you are looking for tickets to see shows, go to amusement parks or visit a museum, you will find them at Tiqets. Their catalog is huge and they often have special offers, so this is a site that is always in my bookmarks. Search by activity if you already know what you want to do, or be inspired by the options at each destination or attraction and complete your trip. That way, you’ll be sure to get an unparalleled view from The Edge skyscraper in New York, among thousands of other options.
In addition, they usually have very interesting discounts, like this 10% discount promo to save in cities like London, Barcelona, New York, Rome, Lisbon or Paris, only available until the end of the month!
Amazon – Electronics and appliances
The world’s largest marketplace has a plethora of items perfect for traveling the world, as evidenced by this list of my travel must-haves. From pillows to use on planes and public transportation to Bluetooth transmitter for long trips, you can find gadgets, books, items to make your life easier on the road or to adapt to the baggage restrictions, and more.
