It’s been seven years since my first independent trip abroad. And man oh man, how times have changed since then! So many facets of the travel industry are dramatically different, smartphones exist and basically everyone has one, and the internet proves to be one of the best resources to plan a trip.

I wanted to share some of the most helpful websites I use with you all. These are the resources I use, day in and day out, to help me plan trips and to get the information I need. While many of them now have specific apps, I chose not to list any apps themselves (such as Instagram). Go ahead—these are 17 of the BEST online resources for travelers out there!

Transportation

1) Skyscanner

The holy grail for finding cheap flights! Skyscanner is an airfare comparison engine. Put in your airport, where you want to go, and Skyscanner will search all the websites out there to find the cheapest flights for you! I use Skyscanner to book all my flights, and have done for about 3-4 years. My favorite feature? Their “everywhere” option, so you can see all the cheapest flights to anywhere in the world! Search for flights here!

2) Google Flights

Even though I am a Skyscanner girl through and through, I have to admit Google Flights is fantastic. Like Skyscanner, it’s an airfare comparison website. It’ll find you the cheapest flights. One of my favorite things about Google Flights is that you can search for all flights to/from multiple airports! This is great for me, as living in York I’m within distance to Leeds-Bradford, Manchester, Doncaster, and Newcastle airports.

3) Thrifty Traveler (Facebook)

If you’re too lazy to search for flights yourself on Skyscanner or Google Flights, head over to Thrifty Traveler and let them do it for you. This Minneapolis-based blog is the best for cheap flights and great airfare deals. They have a Premium product that alerts you to the best deals right away (although it does have an annual fee), but liking their Facebook page is completely free. The best thing about Thrifty Traveler is that they share deals not just from MSP Airport, but from destinations all over the US—not just the big cities like New York City and Los Angeles! I definitely recommend following them and especially liking them on Facebook!

4) Rome2rio

What did I do before Rome2rio?! I honestly can’t remember. This is one of my favorite transportation websites in existence. All you have to do is put in a start point and an end point, and Rome2rio does the rest of the work. They will find you every single option to get from Point A to Point B, and they’ll tell you which ones are cheapest, and which ones are fastest! Flying, trains, buses, boats, taxis, car rental—you name it, Rome2rio will find it. Rome2rio also links to the transportation website, so it’s easy to check timetables for your routes.

5) The Man in Seat 61

The best online resource for train travel is by far Seat 61. If you want to know how to travel by train from London to Beijing, Seat 61 will have the routes, prices, and the timetables. I have never searched for a train journey in the world and had it not show up on Seat 61. Not only does Seat 61 generally have lots of photos of specific trains, it also has information and tips from other travelers, as well as updated prices. If you’re planning a train journey, Seat 61 is where you should start.

6) Trainline

It can be hard to find good prices for train tickets in the UK and Europe. For most of the last 5+ years, Trainline has been my go-to for rail fares. While yes, there is a booking fee (which I find very annoying), the prices are so much cheaper than if you buy it at the station, or if you book direct through the rail company’s website. They will tell you all the possible train connections between destinations, prices for every kind of ticket, and basically anything you’d need to know for traveling by rail. You can still use railcards, and still get seat reservations. I use this website every time I book train tickets in the UK—they are one of the best out there! Tip: I’ve found that tickets are generally more expensive on the app or when using a mobile device, so try to book on a computer.

7) BlaBlaCar

This is the ultimate carpooling website on the internet and across the world. Think of BlaBlaCar as a type of long-distance Uber. People post their routes, and put up a price. You can then contact the drivers and arrange a ride to where the driver is going (or somewhere along the way). With a review system and driver profiles in place, it’s a lot safer than hitchhiking. Once you book your ride, you can get in contact with the driver directly to arrange a meeting point/drop-off point. It is a fantastic way to save money on the road, get to know locals, and get to your destination without having to rent a car.

Accommodation

8) Hostelworld

The largest booking platform for hostels, I absolutely love Hostelworld. I’m even a Hostelworld affiliate—meaning if you book on Hostelworld through my blog, I make a small commission at no extra cost to you! Hostelworld has hostels in 170 countries around the world, and will show you all the options available for hostels in any given destination. You can also see prices for multiple dorm rooms (4-bed, 8-bed, 12-bed, etc.), and prices for private rooms (when available). Not only is Hostelworld safe and reliable, they’ll almost always have directions to the hostel online, a map showing the area, and amenities offered. My favorite thing about Hostelworld? They have a wealth of reviews from other travelers, and only travelers who have actually stayed at those hostels. When you want to book a hostel, this should be your first port of call on the internet!

9) Airbnb

I think everyone knows about Airbnb now, as it’s taken the world by storm in the past few years. Airbnb is an accommodation website, generally with people opening up their own properties for travelers. It’s a great alternative to hotels: Airbnb is cheaper, gives you a more local experience, and helps you meet amazing hosts around the world. You can rent out a room in someone’s house or apartment, or rent out an entire flat, cottage, or villa! Airbnb has revolutionized the travel industry, and while it’s not without its problems (pushing housing costs higher as tourists will always pay more than locals), it’s a fantastic way to travel.

10) Booking.com

If you are interested in hotels for your accommodation, Booking.com is a great place to start. A search engine and booking platform for accommodation around the world, I like Booking.com for their wealth of pictures for properties, and their reviews. You can get great deals on accommodation around the world on Booking.com

11) Hotels.com

Close behind Booking.com, I have to say that I really like Hotels.com for hotel accommodation as well. Why? If you stay 10 nights with Hotels.com at eligible properties, you get 1 night for free! Of course there are restrictions on the offer (your free night covers the average price of the 10 nights), but if you stay in hotels frequently, this is one loyalty program to get on.

Sightseeing

12) Atlas Obscura

It’s only been in the last few years that I’ve discovered Atlas Obscura. And I’m kicking myself for not using it earlier! Atlas Obscura focuses on lesser-known, obscure sites and attractions in destinations around the world. I’d never have known to visit Stalin’s Printing Press in Tbilisi without them! If you’re looking to get off the beaten path, look no further.

13) Trip Advisor

Trip Advisor is the ultimate review website for everything and anything. Restaurants, bars, cafes, accommodation, attractions, tourist sites, pretty much anywhere you could think of visiting—someone will have reviewed it on Trip Advisor. This is great for researching places before you go!

Miscellaneous

14) Oanda

If you’re going abroad without checking the currency conversion, you’re a fool. And with websites like Oanda out there, you really don’t have any excuses for not knowing what you’re spending! I use Oanda’s “Traveler’s Cheat Sheet” for every trip I take abroad. XE is another popular currency conversion website, but I really prefer Oanda’s cheat sheet.

15) The Passport Index

A few years ago, the website VisaMapper took my world by storm by showing visa restrictions for every country in the world based on your passport. They’ve since closed down (the website no longer operates), and the Passport Index is basically a newer, better version. Not only does it rank the best passports in the world, but you can select your nationality and it’ll list visa restrictions for you for every country in the world. As a word of caution, only use this for a general overview—always check visa restrictions on the official government website (see below!).

16) United States Department of State and UK Foreign Travel Advice

While every country will have current and updated travel advice, I have to say I mainly use the US and the UK official websites. Each have profiles on every country in the world (including entry/exit requirements like visas and vaccines), list travel advisories and warnings to certain destinations, and are a wealth of information. I use the US Department of State as an American, but I also typically check the UK Foreign Travel Advice as the travel advisories are a bit less extreme.

17) Travel blogs!

And of course, for all of the above sections, the best online resource for travelers are travel blogs! Whatever you’re looking for, I can guarantee that a travel blog somewhere out there will cover that topic. Blogs are such a treasure trove of information, and I honestly can’t recommend utilizing them enough.

Thanks to the internet, we can go online and discover so much information it can be overwhelming. These are the absolute best 17 websites and online resources for travelers. I hope these help you plan your next trip!

What online resources and websites do you use to plan trips and travel?!

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