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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 my travel resources I use to travel better, cheaper, and smarter.
Travel Gear
Grayl Water Bottle
Drink water anywhere! This water bottle filter is the best travel water bottle I’ve had.
Anti-Theft Bags
LOVE these bags. They are super simple, perfect for traveling, and of course, anti-theft!
Dry Bag
I use this as a rainy day purse, beach bag, snorkeling bag, and even as a laundry bucket!
Sturdy Sandals
Durable sandals are always in my bag. Believe it or not, Cros are my favorite because they are light, won’t break easily, and dry quickly.
Solar Power Charger
Stay charged on the go! This thing charges my iPhone about four times.
⇒ READ MORE: Travel Accessories
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! But no “flexible” option.
- 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 possibilties that could save you tons of cash.
Accommodation
By far the most comfortable stays I’ve had! You get something way more homey than a hotel. Plus you get a free $20 with my link. Boop! You’re welcome, friend!
I’ve used Agoda for ages now . It’s the best way to look up accommodation around the world. Even if you don’t book, it’s the perfect way to search what’s available and gives you an idea of the prices in the area.
A MASSIVE variety of properties to choose from. They offer hotels to homes.
Literally, hotels combined. They combine all the deals on offer for your selection from many of the popular hotel search sites.
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.
- 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.
- Airbnb Experinces – I love using them becuase you’re getting a cool experince with a local!
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.
Here’s more info on travel insurance and what happened when I travel for FOUR YEARS uninsured! And I have more info for those who are in need of more long-term insurance needs as well.
Dealing with Money
Let’s keep it REALLY simple. I use only three methods of money for my travels. One for ATM and purchases, one for transferring and one credit card. Here’s how to manage your money best while abroad, trust me, I’ve tried all the things already!
- Charles Schwab – Hands down the only travel card an American traveler needs. You get reimbursed for each ATM fee incurred and they don’t charge a dime themselves. Depending on what account you open, you could get $100 bucks (code REFER. nonaffiliated)
- Wise – THE easiest way to transfer money, especially in different currencies, around the world. It doesn’t hurt to compare, but I’ve found it to be the cheapest.
- Chase Sapphire Reserve – The best travel card out there right now with a great points system in place, amazing rewards, Priority Pass, and more. It’s the only travel credit card I use. You can read this for more info on how I use my card and the benefits plus the other Chase card that may better suit you! (I may receive a commission from The Point’s Guy Affiliate Network if you apply for a credit card but reporting and recommendations remain independent and objective.)
Phone Plan
There are numerous ways to stay connected abroad without breaking the bank. Here’s everything I’ve used/currently use now. Choose which is best for you. One of the most important things to do before you leave home though, is make sure you have an unlocked phone!
- Buy a SIM – The cheapest, 99% of the time, is going to be to get a new SIM card in every country. I did this for many years, it’s easy and cheap to do in many countries.
- GoogleFi – This is what I currently use. It’s very easy, I only pay for the data I use, and I automoatically get internet in over 100 countries!
- Skyroam – Internet almost anywhere! Get a 10$ discount with code NINA77
Teaching Abroad
MyTEFL 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: Nina35
VPN
Express VPN is most recommended VPN out there that works in nearly 100 countries. Most people use VPNs to keep their privacy safe while browsing the internet, but sometimes countries block things you want to use. If you’re going to China, this is something you will literally need! Unless you can live without anything related Google, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram… Yeah…
It’s also very handy for buying flights or even getting a different selection of movies and TV on Netflix!