Planning your next big adventure? not sure where to start? First, check out how to save for a holiday, then this travel resources page will be your best mate. There are so many companies, offers, and destinations to choose from. It can become overwhelming so to make your life easier we have put together this page of all of our favourite (and reputable companies) we use for booking travel and finding the best travel deals. All of these companies have been tried and tested with positive experiences, which takes the guessing component out of planning your travel.
Flights
Expedia
Expedia doesn’t just do accommodation anymore. They have some fantastic flight deals and packages worldwide. Their booking site makes it super simple to piece an itinerary together in one place while getting the best travel deals. You also get Expedia reward points on the flights booked.
Etihad
Etihad are a fantastic airline, they often have amazing deals on flights to London and Europe. Their hub city is Abu Dhabi, I have always found the service to be top-notch, with plenty of food and comfortable planes.
Skyscanner
Skyscanner is my favourite website for searching for cheap flights. You don’t even need to know where you are going… Just click the box that says search everywhere and put in your dates Skyscanner will give you every option to compare places, airlines, and prices.
Seatguru
Before you book your seats in check out SeatGuru by Tripadvisor, put in your flight number and it will provide you with insider tips to each aircraft type. You can see the map of the plane and most importantly the best places to sit and the ones to avoid.
Cruise
Cruise Critic
Cruise Critic is a wealth of information, it is a fantastic site to compare various deals at the same time. They have great filter functions to choose a length, destination and cruise line.
Accommodation
Airbnb
Airbnb is a game-changer in the accommodation industry. We are turning to Airbnb more often as they offer a large range of experiences from cozy homes to castle stays, usually in prime locations and great prices. Click on the link below and get up to $90 off your first stay.
Expedia
Booking.com
Booking.com has a fantastic selection of hotels/motels all around the world. I use their website particularly for the map function, Simply type in a place and you can search results on a map. It is a great way to get an idea of how far away the attractions are.
Hotels Combined
Hotels Combined offers a fantastic website to search and compare hotel deals from various websites. This is a good way to see if you can get the best travel deals on an alternative site for the same hotel. The website is really easy to use and offers a lot of great information.
Hotels.com
Hotels.com has some awesome deals, especially if you’re a member. The website is really user friendly and has a lot of great information.
Wotif
Wotif is a great way to get a broad range of accommodation, they offer unique stays as well as motels/hotels.
Lastminute.com.au
Last Minute Beds are great, for exactly that. Last Minute deals, you can find some absolute bargains if you are on at the right time.
Tours
Tour Radar
Tour Radar has a fantastic range of one-day or multiple-day tours from various tour operators. If you click the link below you will receive 5% off your first booking
Viator
Viator is a great travel resource for full, half-day tours and tickets to all major tourist attractions in almost every city in the world. They also offer unique or off the beaten track experiences like a cooking class in Italy or a craft beer tour. If you’re looking for something outside the box to do, check out Viator;’s list of activities. Viator is also great for airport transfers worldwide.
Big Bus
Big Bus Tours are all around the world, it is a hop-on hop-off bus service. These tours/tickets are self-paced tours around big cities with an onboard commentary. It is a great money saver as you can use it as your transport to get around a city.
G Adventures
There are destinations that I would suggest booking a guided tour, having someone who speaks the language and knowledge of the country is what makes it an unforgettable experience. G Adventures runs all types of tours from, small groups, wellness, active, rail, family, 18-25year old you name it they do it. ALL over the world!
Intrepid
Intrepid is a fantastic company, they pride themselves on sustainable travel and helping the locals of the places they visit. The guides are all local people and love what they do. I did a China tour with Intrepid and absolutely loved it, they give you the security of being on a group tour but also give you plenty of space to explore on your own. Intrepid has amazing short and long tours all over the world.
Transport
The Trainline
The Trainline is an amazing website for booking all sorts of Train tickets around Europe. It gives you a range of options with train carriers, departure times, prices and always have the best travel deals. The App is fantastic and you can store all of your tickets/trips in one place.
Flixbus
Around Europe, Flixbus have the most incredible routes you can get literally anywhere. It is an affordable way to travel, with tickets as low as 5 Euro. It does take a little longer, however, book an overnight bus so you’re not wasting a day travelling. (Also 1 night less accommodation)
Rail Europe
Rail Europe is a great booking platform for 100’s of rail and bus providers that travel all over Europe. They offer a one-stop-shop and a website to compare providers for times and prices.
Italia Rail
Booking a trip to Italy? One of the best ways to get around is by rail, Italia Rail offers a huge network of destinations so you can literally see the whole country by rail.
Rental Cars
Rental Cars is great to compare big-name car hire companies such as Hertz, Avis and many more. It gives you the option to put in your dates and search through the best travel deals and car sizes.
Travel Insurance
Travel Insurance
Travel Resources
Travel Resources
PACKING GUIDES
Packing for a trip! Do not overpack! You are the one who has to carry that bag and of course, it has to fit within weight restrictions. Plan your clothes strategically, pack items that you can mix and match. Our packing guides will help you pack only the essentials needed for your trip.
Suitcase
You may not think it but your suitcase can make or break the comfort of your trip, it needs to be durable, easy to maneuver, and the right size. A suitcase that is too big can be awkward to move around and you have the ability to pack too much stuff into it (which could mean going over your weight allowance). Anywhere between 50-60cm in height will comfortably hold 25-30kg which is usually the maximum weight allowance for large airlines.
Tips for buying a new Suitcase
- Look for a full retractable handle to wheel the case
- A handle on the top and side to make it easier to carry
- The wheels on your case will cop a hammering look for the smaller wheels that are close to the body of the suitcase, this way they have less chance of snapping off.
- Look at the zipper, you can get hard cases with an expandable zipper it may seem like a good idea however it allows for movement in the middle of the case which becomes hard to manoeuvre. I would suggest a hard case one that closes on itself as it strengthens the case and doesn’t allow for over-packing.
By far the best out of all of them is Samsonite, they are not the cheapest but it is the old saying of you get what you pay for. I have had the same Samsonite case for 6 years now, it has been on the road with me throughout Europe for 3 years consecutively and is still going strong. Samsonite is the best product in the market and I would strongly recommend looking at their range if you are in the market for a new case, Amazon carries Samsonite and you can often get some great deals.