Resources

These are my go to resources – a quick look on Google Flights, which is super simple as you would expect, find a route you want then check the others for the bets prices. I also love the explore feature of Google Flights, Kayak and Skyscanner, add some dates, see where is cheapest and off you go. This is one way ive managed to travel so much within Europe, no destination, just dates in mind and see where the adventure leads!

Cheapest days to fly: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday.

Best day to buy low-cost tickets: Tuesday.

You can save money on airport/airline food and drink – Be resourceful and bring your own snacks an empty water bottle to fill up after security.

Below you will find a few sites that are handy on occasion, knowing which seats are best, airport facilities etc is a useful resource to have available, especially if you have a choice of layover destinations on long journeys. Both Onward Fly and Onward Flights offer a very similar service, there are many countries that will not allow you into the country without proof that you are going to leave, Costa Rica is a prime example, so these sites will rent you an onward ticket for a small fee. I’ve also included Jacks Flight Club as he manages to find some cracking deals at unbelievable prices.

Accommodation is always one of the biggest costs you will incur on a trip, so be smart about it.

I always tend to use Booking or Hostelworld as my default go to hotel finder, however its always worth a check on Trivago once you have found your perfect place as it compares multiple providers to to find the cheapest price. Hotels.com also has a great variety of places to stay.

For longer stays I always check Airbnb as long term prices are often far better, and you can get an entire apartment for a great price.

All the options below offer something a little different.

Workaway and Helpx allow people to often work in exchange for bed and board, but offers incredible experiences that you can only have living with locals.

Trusted House Sitters offers a very different experience in looking after other peoples properties as well as their pets. This is an excellent way to travel if you love animals. Couchsurfng is the ultimate way of meeting locals wherever you travel as you live with them in their property.

Nobody wants to have to spend money to get to your own money, especially when travelling. All of these cards are great when travelling.

Personally I have several, and most recently Revolut & Monzo have been my go to cards. It is free to withdraw money overseas but both have monthly limits but by having a selection, you can always get cash, as well as piece of mind incase the worse should happen and a card is lost or stolen.

An absolute essential, never travel without insurance. Simply, its not worth the hassle. You never know what might happen to you or your gear. Peace of mind, guaranteed.

World Nomads is the most trusted by long term travellers and should be your go to option aswell.

Nothing brings freedom like having your own set of wheels to get around, the ultimate resource, you can go anywhere you want, and not be tied to anybody else’s schedule. I’ve used all of these rental companies to find a hire car, and so far have never encountered any issues – I even managed to snag a car for a week in Spain for just 8 euros!!

Alternatively, grab yourself a taxi by using one of these. Always check online to see the best companies to use in your destination in advance.

One of the best, most relaxing ways to travel, especially in Europe. Simply gaze out of the window and whisked away to your next destination.

Alternatively sleeper trains are extra resourceful as great way to save a few quid and get where you want to be, wake up fresh in the morning in a new city!

Multi country passes like Eurail and Interail offer excellent value for money, just make sure you head to the correct site as one is for European residents, the other is not.

The must have resource. Who arrives in a city/country without knowing where they are going?

MAPS.me is a favourite of mine as you can download entire countries in advance, this was perfect in Africa, when phone service was poor and data expensive as I already had maps available. Google is every-bodies favourite, and does vary slightly from Waze, even though Google owns both.

Citymapper is great in many cities, but especially London as it incorporates the tube into its travel planning unlike Google. The tube map is essential in London as nobody can remember the entire map!

Excellent resources on how to get anywhere, by any means.

Probably my absolute FAVOURITE way to travel – Overlanding adventures are just such an incredible, life changing experience, I cant recommend enough that you give them a go.

I’ve travelled for 6 months around South America with Tucan Travel, and 10 months overlanding Africa with Oasis Overland.

Trips range from a few days to almost a year, and run all over the world. Meet like minded people and have a group to travel with.

Communication – we all need to do it whether it be with friends, family, partners back home, or just ordering food and drink wherever you are.

American friends have told me Google Fi is amazing, as you can head anywhere in the world and global roaming is included in the price, unfortunately it is for US residents only. Hopefully it is rolled out globally soon. Another option is a WorldSIM which allows you to use the same SIM everywhere but costs are higher.

Mobile hotspots are becoming increasingly popular as travellers have more devices, simply buy a local sim, pop it in the device, and share your connection with multiple devices.

I am personally a fan of buying a local SIM, as you tend to get the best rate, but there can be difficulties such as finding ut how much data comes with the sim, places to top up, and of course actually topping it up when its in a foreign language!

Below are some of the most popular communication applications that you simply need to have on your phone.

Polarsteps is probably the app I use the most whilst travelling, it tracks your travels, and allows you to add notes and photographs. Its wonderful for keeping track of where you have been, they also offer a service to create a memory book after your trip.

VPN’s – Essential for staying safe online. Many are available, ill be sure to write an article on these soon, but for now i would recommend Tunnel Bear as it offers 500mb free per month.

Cloud Backup Service – Another essential, there is nothing worse than taking amazing photos and then losing your phone and all those memories!  I use dropbox as it offers a competitive price, and works beautifully. Always keep a copy of your essential documents, passport, vaccination certificates etc online incase the worst should happen.

Travel Spend is a simple tool to track your expenses, it categorises your expenses and helps make sure you don’t spend more than your budget allows.