Best Travel Resources
Below you will find the best travel resources I use every day to travel for as long as I have, and grow my career through travel. I wholeheartedly believe in these companies and this is why they are listed. They are the best of the best travel resources, offering the best deals, some of which are discounted through The Alternative Ways discounts. Before your next trip, check back here for the latest updates.












Airfare
Find the cheapest flights using these apps!


Hopper - Get Monthly Price Overview
This app allows you to track any flight route and sends you alarms when the cheapest options are available. Filter by price, location, dates, and more. Since discovering it I swear by it!


Google Flights
It seems every time I use Google Flights it becomes more powerful! Once you found the cheapest time range to fly with Hopper, use this app to find the best specific day. You can either book through them or find even better deals through the following resources.


Skyscanner
Skyscanner will look through many more of the budget airlines and find the cheapest flights. By using their package options you can find great hotel and transportation deals as well.


Airtreks - RTW Trips
Planning a trip around the world? In that case this may well be your best option. Airtreks offers you the opportunity to book RTW trips.


Kayak
If you are looking to book a cheap flight and save on accomodation, transportation and fun activities then Kayak is your best bet. They have been around for a long time, perfecting there meta search engine over the years.


Momondo
Momondo will find the flights from small booking agents that no one else will find. Add their incredible calendar view to this and you get one of the best flight search engines around.












Accomodation
By using these accommodation services you will save costs and ease your travels.


Airbnb
Airbnb has revolutionized how we travel. Whether you are looking for cheap local accomodation or a luxury private suite, your options are boundless with Airbnb. Through this link you will get $35 USD for free on your first booking!


Booking.com
Theres a reason why this website became the largest booking website in the world. You will find amazing deals and their prices will always be under any other hotel booking website. You can think of them as the amazon of hotel booking.


Couchsurfing
Couchsurfing is amazing!! From Paris to Bangkok, live for free in over 190 countries. I’ve met so many interesting people and lived through some of the most authentic experiences through this sensational platform.


House Sitting
House Sitting is one of the coolest ways to travel around the world! I wrote an article with all the best house sitting websites in 2017 if you want to learn more about this amazing way to travel!


Agoda
If you are planning on travel throughout Asia this website is by far your best bet. They have a very comprehensive list and offer better discounts in the region.


Hostel World
When traveling on a budget hostels are often times your best bet. Hostel World is your best bet to find the quality hostels offered at discounted prices.


WarmShowers
If you are biking across a country, Warmshowers is for you. It’s couchsurfing for bikers!


The Crag
Travel according to the best places to climb. This is for anyone looking for great places to hike and climb!












Travel Planning Resources
Some of my favourite planning, packing, and insurance resources.


Reliable Travel Backpacks
REI Backpacks are some of the best in the industry. I fully recommend using a travel backpack and REI offers you the highest quality at an affordable price. This will hold all your valuables, so invest in something that’s quality made.


Most Reliable Travel Insurance
PLEASE DON’T TRAVEL WITHOUT TRAVEL INSURANCE!!! This is one of the best and most comprehensive travel insurances around. It’s affordable, reliable, and made especially for longterm travellers.


Make Money Renting Your Home - CHBO
Corporate House By Owners is an amazing resource that allows you to rent out your furnished house to professionals. I met someone who makes USD $2000/month renting her house on this platform. Definitely worth looking into this or other rental platforms.


Lonely Planet Guides
I rarely use guidebooks but when I do I use the Lonely planet guides. They can be very helpful and offer trending recommendations, activity specific recommendations and out of this world experiences. From time to time you should still try to get off the beaten path by going to cities that are barely mentioned in the books! Click here for the french versions.


Numbeo - Calculate Cost of Living
Budgeting is one of the most important yet difficult parts of planning a trip. This app will help you find out the true cost of living in each place you want to go.


EU Train Pass
Planning a backpacking trip across Europe? If you are likely to travel by train, get the pass, it’s 100% worth it.












Transportation
On-land transportation costs can add up. Here’s how to keep your budget in line.


Ridesharing
Blablacar is the best ridesharing platform in Europe! For ridesharing in North America try Amigo Express . Interested in ridesharing? Here is my full guide
on ridesharing throughout the world!


Gumtree - Craigslist of Travel
Imagine the Craigslist of travel. Guess what? It exists! And it’s called gumtree. This is easily one of the best travel resources around so check it out!


Train Travel Guides
The Man in Seat 61 is your ultimate guide to train travel. Mark Smith has been traveling by train for over 10 years, meticulously documenting his adventures. This website will help you plan train trips.


Rome 2 Rio
Absolutely love this app! Rome 2 Rio is the Google Maps of off the beaten paths. Find out how to get from anywhere to anywhere, using a combo of car, bus, train, flights, and more. Whenever traveling off the beaten path you should use this app to find out the alternative ways to get there.


Maps.me
If you ever plan to do a motorbike trip this app will become your best friend. You can download full maps ahead of time to serve as a gps when you don’t have wifi.


Google Maps
You probably already know all about Google Maps. I still decided to include it as it can really help you even when you are offline. Bookmark places you want to go to and you will be able to orient yourself using the saved bookmarks.












Sea Travel
Ever dreamed of living on sailboat? These apps do just that!


Find A Crew
Ever dreamed of crossing one of the world’s oceans on a sailboat? Find A Crew is a platform that connects crew members with boat captains. Using this app, I lived on a sailboat for 3 weeks in the Caribbean Sea . Even without any sailing experience you can find great opportunities. Your chance of being picked increases if you plan to stay on the boat for minimum 6 months.


Crew Seekers
This website connects yacht owners with crew members. If you are an intermediate to experienced sailor, you can use their platform to find a boat. Many friends of mine have mentioned this to be one of the best travel resources for sailing.


Ocean Crew Link
Here is another great website that connects you with boat captains. There are many more, including Float Plan & Sailing Networks .


How To Work On a Cruise Ship
Learn how to work on a cruise ship with this amazing and affordable guide by travel expert Wandering Earl. This guide will show you how to reach out for cruise ship jobs and greatly increase your chances of being chosen.


Cruise Sheet - Cruise Discount Deals
Finding cheap cruises has never been easier. This website will facilitate your search for cruise deals, sometimes being under $30 USD per night.












Job & Volunteer Resources
Feel like working abroad for a while? You can freelance, work remotely, or find a job abroad with these resources.


Freelance Platforms
There are countless freelance platforms on which you can offer your services. Freelancing is one of the best ways to grow your career through travel . Interested in freelancing? Here is the complete guide on how to become a professional freelancer .


Work Abroad Programs
Interested in working abroad? In an increasingly digital world, working abroad is becoming easier every day. Here are the best working abroad programs available for you today.


Work Remotely
In an increasingly digital world, working remotely is becoming more and more accepted. It allows you to have your own hours and work from anywhere in the world. Here are the best platforms offering remote jobs .


Grassroots Volunteering
This is one of the best travel resources around. It compiles all the most ethical and responsible volunteering opportunities worldwide! If you plan on volunteering during your trip, please consult this website ahead of time.


Helpx.net & WorkAway.info
Helpx & Work Away offer you free volunteering opportunities in over 190 countries. They are by far the largest volunteering platforms. Helpx allowed me to live with a family in Northern Laos for a month, eating and living for free in exchange for building this eco-tourism trekking website . You could do this too!


WWOOF
Work on an organic farm in any country in the world. In exchange for 3-4 days of work, you get free accomodation, free food, a local experience and invaluable knowledge about how to manage & maintain an organic farm.












Best Travel Resources for Blogging
Travel blogging – or blogging in general – is one of the best ways to generate long term side income.


Superstar Blogging Course
If you are planning on traveling for a long time, travel blogging is a great way to make side income. Rather than making the same mistakes I did, invest in this course by blogging guru Nomadic Matt and set everything up correctly right from the start.


Hostgator
When you set up your blog, you will need a good host provider. Hostgator offers the highest quality hosting at the most affordable price. Plus you can get an extra discount through this link. Here is a step by step guide to starting your blog today .


Quicksprout
If you plan to start a blog or already have an active one, I recommend you subscribe to Neil Patel’s blog Quicksprout. His articles are always top quality and offer practical advice on how to grow your blog quickly.


Bablic - Website Translation Services
Adding a second language on your blog or website can be quite difficult and time consuming. Bablic makes this process easy and automated for a very acceptable monthly price. I would recommend this to anyone who wants professional translation services at a fraction of the regular cost.


Shopify - Best E-Retail Website Builder
Rather than taking hours to build and configure a website yourself, you can use Shopify to set up a great looking website in a few minutes. They take care of all the backend logistics, allowing you to spend all of your time promoting and selling your products and services.












Food Apps & Products
If you are a foodie like me, you will love these apps… especially in Asia!


EatIgo - Quality Restaurant Discounts
This dinner reservation platform changed my life. Get 10% – 50% discounts for thousands of restaurants in major asian cities including Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur. This is definitely one of the best travel resources if you are planning on staying for a long time in major asian cities.


EatWith
This app allows you to eat home cooked meals with locals. What better way to get to quickly integrate yourself in a new place?


LifeStraw - Drink Any Water Anywhere
This bottle has a filter that allows you to drink any water from any river, tap, or restaurant. It has quenched my thirst many times and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys not having to buy water all the time. Buy two of them by clicking on the picture and get 25% off + free shipping .












Learning & Teaching Languages
With every new language you gain a new soul. Start learning now with these apps and courses.


Fluent in 3 Months
Best selling author Benny Lewis discovered a way to learn languages in 3 months. I tried it out and it totally works! If you are planning a trip in the next few months, this is a great way to pick up a language ahead of time.


Duolingo
Learning a language can be very fun when using Duolingo. This gamefied app is free to download and allows you to learn many languages up to a conversational level. I strongly recommend it as it’s helped me learn Spanish, French and Italian.


Ninchanese
This new app has made learning Chinese easy(er), fun and extremely adorable. You learn by following the storyline of a baby dragon found by a community of ninja cats. Hence the name, ninchanese. I could not have learned Chinese without this!


Toefl - English Teaching Certification
This amazing program will allow you to become a certified english teacher. They even help you land your first job teaching english abroad. I fully recommend it as it’s a great way to make money on the road.












Recommended Literature
These are my all time favourite books. Most are very philosophical and will make you think.
The Fountainhead – Ayn Rand
Kane and Abel – Jeffrey Archer
Like the Flowing River – Paulo Coelo
The Alchemist – Paulo Coelo
Of Mice and Men – Steinback
The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini
To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee
Siddhartha – Hermann Hesse
The Pigeon – Patrick Süskind
The Perfume – Patrick Süskind
The Man Who Planted Trees – Jean Giono
The Count of Monte Cristo – Dumas
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn – Mark Twain
The Old Man and The Sea – Hemingway
The Little Prince – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Animal Farm – George Orwell
1984 – George Orwell
How to Win Friends & Influence People – Dale Carnegie
Journey to the Center of the Earth – Jules Verne
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea – Jules Verne
Journey to the Center of the Earth – Jules Verne
One Piece, Vol. 1: Romance Dawn – Eiichiro Oda












Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you I may earn a commission if you make a purchase. I use all the companies listed on a regular basis and recommend them as they make my travels better. If you are ready to book your trip and would like to support this website, using these links will help do exactly that. By doing so everybody wins, so if you have any questions about these best travel resources please don’t hesitate to e-mail me.