Let’s face it, without modern technology traveling how we like to do it would be nearly impossible. Our laptops and smartphones become unreplaceable allies in researching, planning and booking of our travels.
We are using many links and apps for researching, planning and booking and we have gathered some of them here so that you can also make traveling easier and some tips to get the best out of each tool.
Here are some Websites that we’ve found useful:
This is an excellent tool to schedule and plan your trip around the world. You can fill in a table depending on what continent plan to visit and find out what time of the year is the best time to travel in each country there. This will help you tremendously in your planning. At the end, you will get a personal link that enables you to reschedule anytime, any destination you want. The entire website is a comprehensive source for everything you will need to know for your journey around the world. Unfortunately, so far only in German.
The future of dining as the developers of this app call themselves. For us it’s good way to get in touch with locals and get background information about the area, city and culture, from the locals. There is another similar app now called TastePlease, this however still needs to grow, it is mostly concentrated on Denmark.
Google Flights for us the best search engine so far for flights. In some cases, it even includes bus connections and suggest these when they are cheaper. You will also receive useful information about the plane type, seat size and often occurring delays. You cannot book here but it tells you where to go next to book.
Apps that we have downloaded on our smartphones that make it all so much easier
Most of you know this platform and we can recommend it. Also check other similar platforms for comparison, such as misterbnb. Often, we found tastefully decorated housing there and very caring hosts. These apps allow private persons to rent their house, flat or one room to travellers. You often find very well located, well-kept places to stay in at reasonable prices. We would recommend using AirBnB if you plan to stay a longer time in a destination, more than a week or so, so the fix costs generated by the booking become proportionally lower.
We also noted that, especially in South America, some hotels enter their rooms in the AirBnB portal. You may end booking a normal hotel room for cheaper than the same room on Booking.com. Note though, that many of these rooms do not offer cooking facilities and the real “host to guest” relationship, so look carefully when you book.
This is a well-known booking platform. After approximately 5 bookings you will become a Genius member and will receive up to 15 % discount on your bookings on selected accommodations. As a comparison, hotels.com will only give you every 10th nigh for free. With bookings.com you get the discount immediately. In some cases, it might also be worth contacting the host or hotel directly to get an even better price.
Need accommodation? Book with this link and get 15 € off you at booking.
A very good platform to double check your flight price you found on google flights. Be careful, often the luggage is not included in the price.
This is an app for planning a road trip. Enter all the destinations you want to see in the application and it will suggest you the best route. Also, the app includes the calculation of the duration and distance you will absolve.
BusBud is a “one-stop-shop” that will allow you to book bus transfers in the whole world. They take a small fee for the booking but it is secure and easy to use and you can adapt the portal to speak your language. This also works well on their website. This app is useful especially in South America where bus travel is often the best way to travel.
If you would like to try Busbud to book your bus ticket, we grant you a USD 5 discount on your next booking. Just click this link and your discount will be applied ssqt.co/mvcqSh1
This app is not for booking but for searching of the best itinerary between two spots. It will suggest to you the time you need for travelling by bus, air or self-drive and then suggest you the booking portals according to your choice of travel.
Itineris is the app of the Swiss Foreign Ministry for travel information in all countries of the world. The advantage of the app is that it is in three languages, German, French and Italian. You can enter the country you plan to visit and you will get updated travel information about what to take into consideration, such as security, traffic, medical services and nature related risks as well as useful addresses. Even if it is a Swiss app, it is an easy to use guide.
This is a handy guide app for all things in a new destination from places-to-stay, things-to-do, sights, culture and shops, to bars, restaurants and clubs. The articles are short and concentrate to the essential and are written by diverse travel writers.
My Currency is the currency app we are using amongst many available. It is free, easy to use and features all the currencies you need, from Afghan Afghani to Zimbabwe Dollar. It works offline and updates the latest currency exchange rates when you are online.
