Here we've listed out top 10 favourite websites that will help you plan, book and save whilst travelling! 1. Agoda
We use this website everyday to book our accommodation either through the app or the website. It's super easy to use and has loads of accommodation options for any budget. You can filter your search through location and facilities to find exactly what you're looking for.
2. Rome2Rio
Sometimes there is no clear and obvious route to take, and you can feel a little overwhelmed and stressed by trying to work it out. This little website is an absolute life saver. Type in your starting destination and where you want to head. It will then tell you how to get there, and give you different options including, train, bus and taxi. What's even better is that it will give you a rough guide on how much the journey should cost. Honestly love this website and would be lost without it...literally.
3. Rough Guides
When we're headed somewhere new we always check out the Rough Guides website to get a general gist of the place. It's a really good place to start your research for a trip because it has all of the essential information all in one place. We've found that the itineraries are particularly useful as they highlight the major attractions and things not to miss.
4. Lonely planet
After reading as much as we can on the Rough Guides site, we then head to Lonely Planet. The forums and blog posts are really helpful for finding answers to questions on routes to take, when to travel and even what buses/ trains to catch. This kind of thing is really valuable when you're already travelling when plans inevitably change and you have to think on your feet!
5. Tripadvisor
Everybody knows about TripAdvisor and that's because it's so influential in our decision making regarding where to stay, where to eat and what to do. We used it a lot to research which companies to go on day trips with or book tours with. Of course you have to take every review with a pinch of salt but if 90% of the reviews are 'Terrible' then it's probably safe to say you should give it a miss. Also, just because a restaurant displays the TripAdvisor logo it doesn't mean they are recommended or even necessarily on the site. Business owners know that your reviews massively influence the success of their business and will often ask you to write a review to help them out, which you should take the time to do if not to share your pleasant experience then to warn everybody else away from it!
6. Government Website
It's really important to check the latest travel advice on the government travel website to avoid arriving in potentially dangerous places. Although they make it sound much scarier than it actually is as they mention everything that could pose a potential threat it will highlight certain areas that you should avoid for your own safety. This is also the best place to check whether you need a VISA to enter certain countries and what immunisations and vaccinations you need before making the journey out there.
7. BookMe
Recommended to us when we first arrived in New Zealand, this discount website saved us a shed load of money on entry to geothermal hot pools, whale watching flights, meals out and white water rafting. It's a bit like Groupon for New Zealand and Australia as it shows up loads of local deals for activities and dining at discounted rates. Without using this site we wouldn't have been able to afford half of the things we managed to do, so it's definitely worth checking the deals out on a daily basis whilst in New Zealand and Australia. 8. Skyscanner
One of the best price comparison websites for flights, we use skyscanner every time we look for flights. You are able to search prices over an entire month to highlight the cheapest days to fly which is definitely handy for those with more time than money. One of my favourite things about SkyScanner is that you can search for flights to 'Everywhere' which will list the cheapest possible flights you can get from your location - perfect for those who have flexible itineraries. 9. Air Asia
SkyScanner doesn't always find the cheapest possible deals though. Air Asia has hundreds of flights to hundreds of places which you may be able to get cheaper directly from their website by using discount codes. Though the website can be frustrating, it is worth putting up with for the savings you can make. 10. Travel Blogs
Travel Blogs are an amazing resource for everybody. One of the reasons we were inspired to create our own site was because we know how much blogs have helped us out! Whether it's for opinions on local cuisine, the atmosphere of somewhere new or just reading about different experiences. It's also a great place to share things ideas and places off the beaten track that the aforementioned websites haven't picked up on.
