Tools you need to plan Your travel
My name is Mishana Sturdivant and I run Tad Bit Rad Travels. This blog aims to share tips, tricks, and recommendations to empower my readers to travel efficiently and unapologetically.
I’ve traveled to over 25 countries and over half of the United States. I like to have a trip planned for 1-2 times each month. Sometimes, it feels as if I unpack my luggage just to repack it again. Travel can be exhilarating and exhausting, but I wouldn’t trade these experiences for the world. I’m a person of habit, so I keep at it when I find something that works. Some travel tools I use for every single trip that I take. Here are my favorites.
For flights:
Google Flights is my old faithful. I use Google Flights to figure out where the deals are. I also use Google Flights to price check with I’m monitoring flights that I know I want to book.
Skyscanner is also useful. Skyscanner is good for finding the most affordable way to reach your desired destination. You can even search flight options by month to see where the best place is to fly under your budget.
Hopper is great for predictions on when you should book your flights. When you know where you want to go and the dates, it will give you predictions on if you should book now or wait.
Airfordable is great for when you find your desired flight and would prefer to pay on a payment plan.
Airline Apps: I’ve downloaded all the apps of airlines that I use frequently. I use the app to check in, make changes, and choose flight seats. I also have signed up for free memberships of all the airlines to earn points and upgrades.
For accommodations:
Booking.com is where I go for all my accommodations. I always start here. When I find a hotel or other accommodations that I like, I go on the direct website for reviews, pricing, and any other benefits for booking direct.
Airbnb for rentals. I love Airbnb when I’m solo traveling. I don’t mind booking a private room and bath inside a larger home. Hotels even appear on Airbnb for a cheaper cost at times.
Sonder is a great alternative for Airbnb. I would describe it as a mix of the benefits of an Airbnb and a hostel. You get the community living by other residents sharing the building, commune areas like workspaces and entertainment rooms but you get the privacy of an Airbnb with your own room and bathroom.
Hotel Tonight is what I used for cheap last-minute hotel options. I rarely book third-party reservations, but if the discount is significant and it’s just for a night, HT is perfect.
Vrbo is a great alternative to Airbnb. I rarely use it because many of the listings on Booking.com and Airbnb are on Vrbo. However, Vrbo comes in clutch whenever I can’t find something on Airbnb or Booking.com. They specialize in vacation rentals like beach homes.
For activities:
Viator is where I start for all activities in a destination. These are sometimes local tours and operators but not always.
Get Your Guide is like Viator but sometimes they will offer more unique options than Viator.
Expedia is great for activities too. It’s a great aggregator for available flights, hotels, activities, and rental cars. However, I do not recommend booking directly from third-party sites like Expedia. Just use them to see what options are available to you and go directly to the operator's site.
On-site, on-demand Transportation:
Uber/Lyft – of course! Be sure to research if it’s available in your destination before you arrive.
Google Maps is great when navigating public transportation. It will give you several options of routes to get you where you need to go. I also use it to book the local ride-sharing service if it’s not Uber/Lyft.
On-demand food:
Uber Eats – sometimes I arrive at a destination late. I will 100% of the time order something from uber eats to have it delivered to my doorstep. When I travel solo, I do not feel comfortable traveling at night to find food.
GoPuff – it’s not available everywhere but this tool is perfect for late-night munchies and snacks.
Location Services:
Life360 is how I share my current location with my loved ones. They can check where I’m at any given time with Life360.
Other tools:
Translate Now: A translator that translates texts and photos in real-time
Whatsapp is for all international communication with vendors, tour guides, drivers, and restaurants for reservations. WhatsApp seems to be what everyone uses internationally for messaging.
Google Docs is a tool that I use to plan my itineraries by the day. I have the app on my mobile device, so I always have the information I need in one given place. When I’m on group trips, the Google doc is shared among the group so that everyone can see at any time what’s going on and what to expect. Google Docs is a great communication and organization travel tool.
If you would like to see how I use all these tools together to plan my trips, check out this blog post.
