Resources

We get asked a lot about travel advise on, who do you book with, what sites do you use and what is a good price. If you want to get the most out of your trip, firstly you need good travel resources. Below is a list of my top recommendations of products and services that we personally use to plan our trips.

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Booking.com is our first resource when booking hotels and other accommodation for a trip, as it has one of the biggest selections of properties worldwide. It is easy to use and you can add filtering options, like showing the lowest price to the highest price. Most of the properties also offer FREE cancellation before a certain time period. With a little bit of research and planning, you can get some great deals, especially if you create an account. 

Their app allows you to keep all your bookings in one place, which means don’t have to print anything out. You can go paperless. 

Airbnb Another great alternative for searching for accommodation is Airbnb. You can either stay with the owner or for more privacy you can rent the whole property. My favourite thing about Airbnb is the variety and the quirkiness of properties that are available from treehouses to even a castle. I tend to use them more if I am wanting to stay in a location for a longer period of time where I can cook or if there is a group. 

Sometimes the properties are even cheaper than staying in a hotel. The best bit is that when you sign up for the first time using this Airbnb link, you can get a £35 discount towards your stay.  

Skyscanner is a search engine that compares thousands of flights from various companies to most destinations around the world. I use the website a lot when looking for flight deals. I like that you have the option to check the different prices for different days for the desired destination. When you find found a great deal, the site sends you directly to the airline website for no extra fees.

The Skyscanner app allows you to book flights on the go and keep track of any great deals. Watch out though because looking at flight deals can give you serious wanderlust.

Purple parking is one of the largest off-airport car parking available across the UK with 7 million car spaces. We use airport parking frequently especially when we are flying out for a weekend like to Lake Garda Italy. I love the stressfree of knowing that our car is secure and safe.

You can even book meet and greet. If you book in advance, you can sometimes receive a discount which is a bonus. Currently, if you sign up with Purple parking, you will get a 15% discount

Wanting an all-inclusive or even a half board holiday, which includes your flights, transfers and even luggage? Then Jet2 Holidays the second largest tour operator in the United Kingdom is a good resource. I have been to Turkey and Malta with Jet2 holidays before and really enjoyed my trip. They offer a variety of options for families, couples or even groups. 

Jet2 also just do flights without accommodation, which I have used to go to Cyprus. 

GetYourGuide is a great way to book all sorts of activities before you go away or even while on your trip. It is considered to be one of the biggest booking platforms for booking attractions, tours and activities. Working with local guides and suppliers to try to give you the best experience possible at an affordable rate. You can even do some really cool off the beat trips like visiting Taroko Gorge in Taiwan.

One of the things I do like about the site is that if your situation changed and you need to cancel. You can do so FREE up to 24hrs in advance. 

Nothing beats getting a hardcopy guide book and flicking through the pages researching before your trip. Lonely Planet are one of the most well-known travel guide book companies worldwide and one of my main preference. I remember meeting one of the original owners Maureen Wheeler at Australia House and thinking I wanted to be just like her.

I like the fact that their guide books are in depth and has various ratings on accommodation and restaurants. If you don’t want a hardcopy then not a problem Lonely Planet also do ebooks.

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