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How do you find your flights? How do you book your accommodation? What cards do you use?
These are all common questions I get, so here you’ll find an easy and quick rundown of all the travel resources I use to travel better, cheaper, and smarter.
FREE Accommodation!
Yes, it’s true, there are ways to get FREE accommodation! Here are my top favorites:
Trusted Housesitters
Get FREE accommodation by house and pet sitting around the world!
Use this link for a 25% discount (auto-applied at checkout).
Not sure if this is for you?
➡️ Check out this review to read more about it.
Worldpackers
Get FREE accommodation and immediate local friends! Trade some of your skills to help a local and get a free room (and sometimes food and activities too!). You can do this around the world!
Use this link for a $10 discount!
Not sure this is for you?
➡️ Check out this review to read more about it.
Credit Cards
Get FREE flights and hotels through your credit card points! Grab my fav credit card here, or read more about travel credit cards here.
Other ways on >>> HOW TO TRAVEL FOR “FREE” /LESS!
Other ways on >>> HOW TO GET FREE ACCOMMODATION!
Travel Clothes and Gear
These are just a few of my absolute FAV items. Check out my Amazon Store for even more travel must-haves that I’m obsessed with and make traveling easier and better!
SHOP MY: Beach Stuff
SHOP MY: Hair & Makeup
SHOP MY: Travel Anti-Theft Bags & Luggage
READ MORE:
SHOP MY: Electronics and Such
Money & Travel
ATM Bank Card
Grab a Charles Schwab Checking Account for zero fees at ATMs around the world.
Travel Credit Card
Capital One Venture X is currently the #1 travel card and one I use. You can compare travel credit cards here and choose which is best for you and your travels.
- Read more on travel credit cards
- Choose your best travel credit card
Investing for Dummies
Open an Acorns account and begin investing easily. This is how I invest my money every month without thinking about it!
Money Transfer
Send money overseas with ease and get a great exchange rate with Wise.
Choosing Where to Stay:
Booking.com
Genius discounts!
Hotels.com
11th night free!
Airbnb
A home, not a hotel!
VRBO
A vacation home, not a hotel!
Expedia
Search for great deals!
My top two ways of getting the best deals for long-term travel:
- Convenience – Sometimes, booking a month online can give you a hefty discount as it’s an extended stay. After booking it, I extend in person to cut out all the fees. It’s super convenient to land and have a home for the next month. This is often not the cheapest option, though.
- Cheapest – Book a week using anything I mentioned above, and then shop for a spot on the ground! Ask in specific Facebook groups for the town, walk around, ask around, look for signs… It’s actually pretty easy and definitely gets you the best deal. Plus, you can see the place before paying, which is always nice.
Transportation Abroad
Outdoorsy
Rent RVs and vans for road trips.
Car Rentals
Where you can find car rental deals anywhere.
OMio
The best way to get train, bus, or ferry tickets around Europe, Canada, and the US.
12Go
The best way to get bus, train, and ferry tickets around Asia.
GuateGo
The best way to get bus, shuttle, and ferry tickets around Mexico and Central America.
Travel Insurance
Sometimes life happens… And it gets EXPENSIVE! Be prepared and covered with insurance. I’ve done the homework for you already! Everyone has different needs, but Safety Wing and World Nomads are the top two travel insurance companies I use, depending on my trip.
GET A QUICK QUOTE
Safety Wing
Great for long-term travel. They use a subscription model that protects you until you cancel the plan. I use this the majority of the time.
World Nomads
I use this for shorter trips where I might be doing more physical activity and for USA travel!
Here are more long-term insurance options if you want to compare others.
In regards to the health coverage these provide, it’s mostly just aimed at an emergency type of situation. For other situations like needing a dental cleaning, getting sick and needing antibiotics, etc, I simply pay out of pocket!
It’s usually very reasonably priced and affordable anywhere in the world that’s not the US.
How to Find Flights
The three sites I use to check flights are…
- Skyscanner is my ultimate flight checker. I LOVE that you can choose by the month to see the cheapest date and you can choose “flexible” to find the cheapest city to wander to! Check out my guide for cheap flights to everywhere.
- Google Flights has a great set up for seeing the entire month’s price before even clicking anywhere and I love seeing a map!
- Kiwi.com is GREAT for one simple reason—You can enter in a continent or a few countries as your starting/ending destination which means you can research a wider variety of travel routes and possibilities that could save you tons of cash.
Tour Operators
I’m not much of a tour person, but sometimes a tour is necessary! Here are the most trusted tour companies around…
- G Adventures – Highly recommended for mega adventures spanning a week to a month long! Here are their current deals. (Perfect for a first time solo trip too!)
- Get Your Guide – Another highly recommended tour company; I’ve done numerous tours with them.
- Klook – They specialize in tours around Asia and are great for booking tours ahead of time.
- Viator – Probably the biggest tour operator!
- Airbnb Experiences – I love using them because you’re getting a cool experience with a local!
Phone Plan
There are numerous ways to stay connected abroad without breaking the bank. Here’s everything I’ve used/currently use now. Choose which is best for you. One of the most important things to do before you leave home, though, is make sure you have an unlocked phone!
- Buy a SIM – The cheapest, 99% of the time, is going to be to get a new SIM card in every country. I did this for many years; it’s easy and cheap to do in many countries.
- GoogleFi – This is what I currently use. It’s very easy, I only pay for the data I use, and I automatically get internet in over 100 countries!
- Skyroam – Your own private internet hotspot so you (and your friends) can have internet anywhere! Get a 10$ discount with code NINA77
- International SIM cards – You can get SIM cards in many ways, read my guide for more info.
Teaching Abroad
MyTEFL
This is one of the quickest, easiest, and most affordable ways to get certified online to teach English everywhere. You can check out this guide to teaching English abroad for more info on getting a job almost anywhere!
Discount code: Nina50 | Get the Course NOW
VPN
Express VPN
This is the most recommended VPN that works in 100 countries. People use VPNs to keep their privacy safe while browsing the internet while traveling.
It’s also convenient for buying flights or even getting a different selection of movies and TV on Netflix!