USEFUL LINKS
I do not receive any commission or affiliate revenue from any of these sites - if that changes I will update accordingly.
When I traveled around the world I started filtering sites and going to the ones with the best and most useful information. These sites cover destinations at a macro level and are useful in planning where to go, what to see, where to sleep, and the best route, as well as, any travel requirements like visas or vaccinations. When it comes to selecting a place to eat, off the beaten path destinations, or train schedules, I really on blogs or local, in-country websites. I've included these sites in the country and destination pages.
When I traveled around the world I started filtering sites and going to the ones with the best and most useful information. These sites cover destinations at a macro level and are useful in planning where to go, what to see, where to sleep, and the best route, as well as, any travel requirements like visas or vaccinations. When it comes to selecting a place to eat, off the beaten path destinations, or train schedules, I really on blogs or local, in-country websites. I've included these sites in the country and destination pages.
THE MAN IN SEAT 61
The Man in Seat 61 is simply "The Man" when it comes to travel logistics. It is by far the best site I've ever found to assist with train, bus, ferry, etc. in-country travel. The breadth and depth of information provided isn't matched anywhere else. Whether you are planning an around the world trip or just a ten day trip with multiple in-country stops this website has all the answers and schedule links to make for seamless travel between destinations.
WIKITRAVEL
Wikitravel is a crowd sourced website that serves as a one stop shop for a destination's history, literature, attractions, accommodations, dining, etc. It's "Get In" section provides a good starting point for visa entry requirements although you should always consult with the Travel Section of the U.S. State Department for the most authoritative guidance. If you are planning a trip yourself, Wikitravel's format allows you to start at the Country level, dive into a region level, and eventually down to a city level.
You do need to be careful with the frequency updates and accuracy. For any restaurant, hotel, or attraction recommendations I always triangulate the information with TripAdvisor and at least one or two local sites. It's a good idea to check opening days and hours with the specific attraction's website.
You do need to be careful with the frequency updates and accuracy. For any restaurant, hotel, or attraction recommendations I always triangulate the information with TripAdvisor and at least one or two local sites. It's a good idea to check opening days and hours with the specific attraction's website.
FLIPBOARD - TRAVEL
This is an app, not a website. Flipboard pulls travel stories from the likes of Huffington Posts, CNN Travel, Lonely Planet, National Geographic, etc. and presents the information in a single section. It's much better at generating ideas for future travel than planning an upcoming trip - you can save articles for future reference. I actually think the major media sites do a relatively good job of filtering through 1,000s of blog submissions to present the best information so you don't need to subscribe to 1,000 blogs yourself.
FOR 91 DAYS
Two guys - a photographer and a blogger - selected a city and spend the next...91 Days...exploring. I don't subscribe to their individual blogs but always check the site to see if they've spent 91 Days in my next destination. I like the blog because they mix the major and minor sites - they do a good job of canvasing the entire city and far reaching neighborhoods beyond the main districts. They tend not to go to major cities - they've been to Buenos Aires and Tokyo but other cities include Busan, Savannah, Oviedo, etc.
INTREPID TRAVEL & DRAGOMAN
This is not an endorsement for this travel company...I find the website useful to plan routes and make sure I do not miss anything "major" that may only be a day or two off my original route. It gives you a good idea of how long to spend in an area and how much distance you can cover in a single day.
WORLD NOMADS
If you have health insurance and are traveling domestically, travel insurance will cover most, if not all, of any potential transportation issues and it's debatable whether or not it's a necessity. When traveling internationally I think travel insurance should be included as part of your overall travel costs. Your U.S. based health insurance will likely not cover you in Europe, Asia, etc. and if anything were to happen you paying out of pocket will only compound the travel disappointment. The good news is insurance is relatively cheap - for my around the world trip it worked out to under $50 / month - it doesn't cover any pre-existing conditions or non-travel, lifetime related diseases (if you are diagnosed with skin cancer, that won't be covered) but it does cover all injuries, theft, and similar travel related mayhem.
I do not have any affiliation with this site but it's worked well for me. This site is simply an agency and your policy is transferred to third party that handles a claim so when selecting a policy go with what offers the most at the lowest cost.
I do not have any affiliation with this site but it's worked well for me. This site is simply an agency and your policy is transferred to third party that handles a claim so when selecting a policy go with what offers the most at the lowest cost.
FLIGHT BOOKING WEBSITES
I find that Kayak is the easiest site to start with but given that airfare will be your single highest cost it's worth the effort to check multiple sites. The Get In section of Wikitravel often lists all the air carriers that service a city. Many times the low cost carriers are not listed on Kayak - the obvious example in the U.S. is Southwest Airlines. The low cost carriers are much more prevalent in Asia and Europe. If I'm really having issues finding a cheap flight I will actually go to the airport's website and look at it's arrivals section to see the complete population of air carriers. There are all sorts of articles on cheap airfare "hacks" - I've tried several of these hacks in my searches without any definitive help. The only thing I've ever found that really helps is if you are flexible with your travel dates and times. Play around with different routes and modes of transportation - in some cases it may be cheaper to fly north first then travel south than vice versa - I have no idea how airline pricing works but finding the lowest travel costs takes a lot of time and research. It's also useful to sign up for airlines promotions so if you do have flexibility you can purchase a flight as soon as you see a deal.
HOTEL BOOKING WEBSITES
Obviously, given Pete's professional affiliation, I'm partial to Agoda, however, I always check their prices with other sites. In most cases Agoda also pre-charges, sometimes without cancellation protection - there are some benefits to paying upfront, however, it makes it harder to change plans at the last minute. For hostels I use Hostel World and generally just go with the highest ranked hostel - there's typically a negligible difference between rate and location between a good hostel and a bad hostel - Hostel World offers cancellation protection for $1 per booking. Once you've purchased your ongoing travel, I'd make the hotel reservation at the same time...the best options and locations tend to fill up in advance.