Travel Resources

My travel styles are budget backpacking and solo female travel. I’ve listed my favorite travel resources I use when I travel and I highly recommend them.

ACCOMMODATION

Airbnb

Airbnb is a cheaper alternative to a hotel with all the comforts of a home. Airbnb was even cheaper than hostels around holidays in other countries. You can find a home or room to rent in many places around the world. There are a lot of fun, unique rentals like yachts or tree houses.

Couchsurfing

I spent a lot of time Couchsurfing to find accommodations when I traveled solo. You can’t always take it too literal. Yes, I’ve stayed on couches, but I’ve also stayed in many homes with a private room. I even stayed in a home with a maid! That took some getting used to. You’ll also have the chance to experience things that many travelers don’t—get invited to an asasdo (bbq), or visit a local farm. This site has definitely changed over the years, so make sure to do your own research and follow your gut.

Booking.com

Booking.com is great for booking hostels and cheap hotels. The app makes it really easy to use and you don’t have to make a deposit upon booking. I compare prices between Booking.com and Hostelworld because there are many times that I find the same exact booking to be slightly cheaper on Booking.com.

Hostelworld

Hostelworld is the best resource for finding a hostel. They have the largest inventory and the highest availability in 170 countries around the world. This is typically the first place I check when searching for accommodation. It gives you a good idea of what’s available.

AIRFARE

Google Flights

Google Flights is always my first stop when searching for flights. It quickly gives me a general idea of prices. I love its interactive map that allows you to explore destinations all around the world. You can also sign up for fare alerts. It doesn’t always have the lowest fares, so I always explore other sites afterwards.

Secret Flying

Secret Flying has a lot of good deals as well as error fares. Error fares typically don’t last long but they’re always amazing finds! You can sign up to receive emails from Secret Flying to make it easier to snag an error fare or just give you ideas on places you want to travel to.

Scott’s Cheap Flights

Scott is probably a really cool dude. Scott’s Cheap Flights are handpicked by experts. You can set up your preferred departure airports and sign up to receive emails letting you know about the best flights or error fares from that airport. You can sign up for free and get limited deals or get all the good stuff with the premium version for $39/year.

Skyscanner

Skyscanner is great for last minute flights. It searches sites to find the cheapest fares. My favorite thing about Skyscanner is that you can select your departure airport and choose to search “Everywhere.” So if you’re open and flexible to where you go, this is a great way to discover all of the cheaper places you can travel to.

Hopper

Hopper predicts prices to help you book flights at the right time. This is probably one of the easiest ways to save money on your airfare. One of my favorite things is that Hopper allows you to watch flights, so you can get an alert when your flights are the cheapest.

Momondo

Momondo is another free site to find cheap flights. If you use Scott’s Cheap Flights, it’s suggested to search for those flights using Google Flights and then find them in Momondo for the cheapest available fares.

MOBILE APPS

Google Maps

Having offline maps will instantly make you a confident traveler, especially if you’re a solo female traveler. I always download offline Google Maps to each place I’m visiting and save important locations on the map—my hostel, bus stations, airports, or other places I want to visit.

Google Translate

Google Translate is an easy way to translate basic words and phrases. You can also download specific languages offline so you don’t need the internet to use it.

Maps.me

Maps.me is another app for offline maps. It’s a great navigational tool when there is no wi-fi or internet. The cool thing about this app is that they have maps for a lot of trails which is perfect if you like to get off the grid and go hiking. You’ll avoid getting lost with the help of this app.

WhatsApp allows you to message and call people for free. I use WhatsApp to communicate with my couchsurfing hosts and other people I meet along the way.

TRAVEL INSURANCE

World Nomads

World Nomads is amazing. If you get bit by a monkey, wreck your motor bike, lose your luggage, you can find travel insurance to cover your expenses. It’s a good idea to have travel insurance, but i’ve also traveled without it.. I like to live on the edge or i’m just an idiot.

TRANSPORTATION

Uber

Uber is the modern alternative to cabs. You’ll feel safer when you’re traveling abroad and need to ensure you’re going where you need to be going. Some cities don’t offer Uber, but there are a few alternatives.

Lyft

Lyft is another ride-sharing app. Most of the time you’ll find that rides are cheaper on Lyft, but there may not be as many rides available in comparison to other transportation apps.
Get $5 in ride credit for your first ride.

WORKING ABROAD

Workaway

Workaway is a great place to find job opportunities abroad. The idea is that your host provides food and accommodation in exchange for up to 25 hours of work each week.

Worldpackers

Another site to find opportunities for work exchange is Worldpackers. You can exchange your skills for accommodation in hostels, homestays, NGOs and ecological projects, and more.