Best Online Resources for Travel Planning
Posted on Friday, April 04 2014 10:30:00 PM in Blog by Brad Cox
When it comes to planning your travels, ditch the travel books and search the web! Books are heavy and a pain to carry around when on the road. By searching the web and finding the perfect resources for each location you're going to, you can simply create a small itinerary folder to guide you on your trip. Here are some of our favorite online resources for trip planning:
Pinterest is a treasure trove of great ideas for travel. Whether you know where you would like to visit, or if you are still looking for a great place to go, Pinterest will definitely serve your needs. Posts on guides to exploring locations are common, and beautiful, awe inspiring photos will have you building a long list of places you'd like to see in the world. When we traveled Europe for three months, Pinterest was always one of our first choices for finding the next place to check out.
2. Rick Steves
Rick Steves website is also a great resource for trip planning. His best articles and guides are definitely on countries in Europe, but he's been all over. The great thing about Rick Steves is that he recommends sights and places off the beaten path. These unique locations he recommends will be a better representation of the location's culture and country than other tourism driven places. We definitely noticed the difference in location choices when we used Rick's recommendations in Europe.
3. Trip Bucket
Trip Bucket is a forum where people post places they would like to go and they have been and share their ideas and experiences from travel. It's basically a huge collection of bucket lists from people all around the world and feedback from the parts they've completed. You can even create your own bucket list on there! They have recommendations of festivals, places, restaurants, sights, and more. You can sort lists by the most sought after destinations, man made versus natural, spiritual, extreme, sports...I think you get the point, but this site is awesome!
Hostel World and Bed and Breakfast World are two great websites to find cheap places to stay all over the world. All you do is type in your destination and dates and they give you options based on what hostels, hotels, or bed and breakfasts have. You can narrow results to female only rooms, male only, co-ed rooms, or singles. Most of the places listed have ratings and reviews which usually helps in deciding where to stay. We found that the reviews became the most important aspect of choosing a place because everyone's standards and preferences for what is considered a good experience is different.
2. Airbnb
Airbnb is a great resource for people who are sick of staying in hotels and hostels. Airbnb offers a range of properties, but essentially is a place where people post homes, apartments, or rooms for rent. It has the same concept as staying in a hotel or bed and breakfast, with a warmer more homey touch. If you are worried that someone who has posted a listing is a serial killer or something, don't worry, people leave reviews for people they've stayed with and the website makes sure the listings are safe.
1. TravelZoo
TravelZoo publishes a top 20 every week on the best 20 deals you can get for travels. They have discounts on plane tickets, hotels, all inclusive vacation packages, and more. They even have options for local deals around you! Whether its food, mini excursions, or a one night getaway to a hotel, TravelZoo will be sure to let you know when to buy a deal.
2. Living Social
Living Social is a great resource for local deals and grand vacations. There are new options for deals almost every day and we can almost always find something that perks our interest. Its good to check in on this website from time to time to see what deals they have to offer.
Destinations
1. PinterestPinterest is a treasure trove of great ideas for travel. Whether you know where you would like to visit, or if you are still looking for a great place to go, Pinterest will definitely serve your needs. Posts on guides to exploring locations are common, and beautiful, awe inspiring photos will have you building a long list of places you'd like to see in the world. When we traveled Europe for three months, Pinterest was always one of our first choices for finding the next place to check out.
2. Rick Steves
Rick Steves website is also a great resource for trip planning. His best articles and guides are definitely on countries in Europe, but he's been all over. The great thing about Rick Steves is that he recommends sights and places off the beaten path. These unique locations he recommends will be a better representation of the location's culture and country than other tourism driven places. We definitely noticed the difference in location choices when we used Rick's recommendations in Europe.
3. Trip Bucket
Trip Bucket is a forum where people post places they would like to go and they have been and share their ideas and experiences from travel. It's basically a huge collection of bucket lists from people all around the world and feedback from the parts they've completed. You can even create your own bucket list on there! They have recommendations of festivals, places, restaurants, sights, and more. You can sort lists by the most sought after destinations, man made versus natural, spiritual, extreme, sports...I think you get the point, but this site is awesome!
Places to Stay
1. Hostelworld and BedandBreakfastworldHostel World and Bed and Breakfast World are two great websites to find cheap places to stay all over the world. All you do is type in your destination and dates and they give you options based on what hostels, hotels, or bed and breakfasts have. You can narrow results to female only rooms, male only, co-ed rooms, or singles. Most of the places listed have ratings and reviews which usually helps in deciding where to stay. We found that the reviews became the most important aspect of choosing a place because everyone's standards and preferences for what is considered a good experience is different.
2. Airbnb
Airbnb is a great resource for people who are sick of staying in hotels and hostels. Airbnb offers a range of properties, but essentially is a place where people post homes, apartments, or rooms for rent. It has the same concept as staying in a hotel or bed and breakfast, with a warmer more homey touch. If you are worried that someone who has posted a listing is a serial killer or something, don't worry, people leave reviews for people they've stayed with and the website makes sure the listings are safe.
Vacation Deals
Everyone loves a good deal on an all inclusive vacation. Here are some of the best sights for getting the best deals for a vacation:1. TravelZoo
TravelZoo publishes a top 20 every week on the best 20 deals you can get for travels. They have discounts on plane tickets, hotels, all inclusive vacation packages, and more. They even have options for local deals around you! Whether its food, mini excursions, or a one night getaway to a hotel, TravelZoo will be sure to let you know when to buy a deal.
2. Living Social
Living Social is a great resource for local deals and grand vacations. There are new options for deals almost every day and we can almost always find something that perks our interest. Its good to check in on this website from time to time to see what deals they have to offer.
