Travel Resources
Over the years, and with a lot of trial and error, I’ve discovered a lot of great travel resources that we use every time we travel. I’ve found these resources to be incredibly helpful and wanted to share them with you!
This page may contain affiliate links. If you click on these links to purchase something, we may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you! We only share products that we personally use and recommend.
Please read the disclosure for more info.
Travel Planning Resources
Google Flights
Google flights is my go-to for finding cheap flights.
If you have a destination in mind, you can search dates and prices or you can use the explore option and see prices for different destinations on the map.
Skyscanner is also another great flight search engine, and both will help you find the best prices for flights.
Lonely Planet Books
While there is so much information online nowadays, the Lonely Planet Guides are still so valuable.
I find them very helpful in terms of planning itineraries, sights to see and even places to eat.
Most of my books are dog-eared, full of highlights and sticky notes!
You can find Lonely Planet books in your local library, bookstores or here on Amazon.
Accommodations
Booking.com
When I am looking for accommodations, I usually search on booking.com.
I find it’s easy to search for places and apply filters to search for things that we prefer (wifi, parking, pool, etc).
You can also filter for different accommodation types, including hotels, apartments or hostels and they almost always have the best prices.
In fact, other than when we camp, we’ve used booking.com almost exclusively for the last four years.
Booking.comAirbnb
Airbnb is another popular accommodation option, especially for families.
The nice thing about Airbnb is that you can get more space than a typical hotel, which is great for families, especially if you are staying there for awhile.
However, we’ve found that with the increase in prices and ‘extras’, like cleaning fees and other added fees, unless we are staying someplace for a month or two, it isn’t worth it for us.
Trusted Housesitters
Housesitting is becoming more and more popular, but it isn’t for everyone.
Basically, you stay in someone’s house, in exchange for looking after their house, plants and usually pets.
It’s a great situation if you love pets and want to experience local life somewhere new.
And if you’re flexible with where you want to go and dates that you are available, housesitting might be a good choice for you.
There are several housesitting opportunities out there, but we like Trusted Housesitters, as it is a paid membership and you can read reviews of each sit before you apply.
Use this link for a 25% discount on your membership.
Rental Cars
Rental cars can be booked through booking.com, mentioned above.
We have found some amazing rates through the app and have always been happy with our rental experiences.
Tours
While we usually prefer to experience a place on our own, there are times when we do choose to do a guided tour.
Aside from free walking tours in a city, we use Get Your Guide or Viator to check and book tours. They’re competitively priced and we’ve always had a great experience booking with them.
Travel Gear
Osprey Fairview 40L
While I travelled with a (rather old) large 60L backpack for our first few adventures, I upgraded/downsized to this Osprey pack after reading several recommendations from other travellers. And I’m so glad I did – it’s amazing!
It opens up like a suitcase, with a pocket in front for laptop and it’s small enough to go as carry-on on some flights, although I have always checked it. Well worth the price!
Osprey Fairview 55L
For those that prefer a larger pack, this 55L by Osprey will do the trick.
The 55L is similar to the 40L, but has a detachable day pack on the front.
When the day pack is removed, the 55L bag can fit most carry-on size dimensions (although be sure to check with the specific airline), and I’ve used it to travel for several months at a time.
Carry-On Suitcase
In the past, the boys have used soft-sided suitcases with popular characters on them. They’re inexpensive, lightweight and easy for for them manage. BUT, being soft-sided, things aren’t protected too well, and they are ready for an upgrade.
I love that these carry-on suitcases have spinner wheels, so no more trying to wrangle the suitcase up over a curb or bump and having it tip over.
They’re heavier than the other soft-sided ones, so I wouldn’t recommend them for toddlers or small preschoolers, but at 6 years old, my guys can manage these without a problem.
CARES Harness
The CARES Harness is an approved child restraint system that is designed for kids age one and older, weighing between 22 and 44 pounds.
It’s a great alternative to carrying a car seat on the plane, and it folds up small enough that it’s easy to carry around for the rest of your travels.
**While the CARES Harness states that it’s designed for kids aged one and older, I found it didn’t fit my kids well until they were closer to age 4.
Mi-Fold Seat
The Mi-fold seat is a compact and portable booster seat that adjusts the adult seat belt to fit close to the child’s body, making it comfortable and safe.
It’s adjustable and designed for kids aged 4 and up, who are over 40lbs and between 40 to 57 inches tall. It’s easy to clean, super portable and great in taxis or rental cars.
Although I prefer the 5 point harness when we’re at home (and my boys were rear-facing until 4.5 years old), I feel confident using this seat when we travel.
It’s also one of the few portable booster seats that’s approved for use in Canada and Australia (the Bubblebum is not approved in Canada).
Packing Cubes
I was skeptical of using packing cubes at first, but they are fantastic!
Especially if you’re travelling with kids, you can easily pull out one packing cube for each child.
Or organize the cubes by days, with an outfit for everyone in one packing cube.
It makes packing and organizing SO much easier!
Read more | Why You Should Use Packing Cubes for Travel
Cord Organizer
This amazing little bag has literally changed my life.
Maybe that’s a bit dramatic, but I love having all my cords in one spot AND having them zipped inside so nothing falls out.
Everything has a place, earphones, cords, SD cards, USB sticks and even some chargers and I don’t have to go looking for something when I need it.
Travel Clothesline
If you’re travelling for longer than a week, or somewhere where you will have wet clothes, a portable clothesline is invaluable!
Rather than hanging clothes over a chair, you can hook this up and hang clothes to dry.
We use ours for camping and travelling, and rinsing out clothes in hotel rooms!
Doorstop Alarm
We don’t travel anywhere without these doorstops now.
Although we stay in hotels quite often, we also stay in apartments and other places where I feel SO much better having these beneath the door.
After having someone try to open our door in a 5* hotel once (lucky we had the deadbolt on), I quickly purchased these and we use them everywhere!
A few dollars is well worth the peace of mind that these give me…
Activities & Toys for Travelling with Kids
There are so many great toys and activities out there that are great for travelling. I could go on and on listing all the great options out there, but these are the two that have gotten the most use in our family.
Magformers
These are great to take travelling! This was the first set of Magformers the boys had and it packs fairly small, fitting nicely into their suitcase (they have other sets of magformers as well with other pieces, but they don’t pack as small as this set).
We travelled for 3.5 months with this set (one for each kid) and they used them EVERY day!
The boys were 4 at the time, but they still use them often and come with us when we travel (currently my kids are 7 and they STILL pack Magformers when we travel).
Melissa and Doug Water Wow
Melissa & Doug make lots of great products but these Water Wow activity books are by far the best thing for travelling with little ones.
They only require water (so no mess!), and once dry, they can be reused over and over again.
We took these Water Wow books on our first few trips to Italy and Colombia and the boys would use these when we had some downtime at the hotel.
We’ve also pulled them out while waiting in the airport!
For more ideas on what to take travelling, check out these travel games for families or ideas of gifts for kids that travel.
For young kids, these are some great travel toys for 2 & 3 year olds and fantastic toys for travelling with 4-5 year olds.
If you’re doing any road trips, these are some of the best road trip activities for young kids and some healthy and easy road trip snacks for kids.
Travel Apps
Booking.com
This is probably the app I use most. I book most of our accommodations through booking.com, as I find they have the best rates and many offer free cancellations within a certain period. The app is great for quickly checking available hotels or accommodations, and you’ll receive a discount when booking through the app.
XE Currency
XE Currency lets you quickly and easily compare currencies. You can also transfer money internationally with the app. We use it multiple times a day when we’re in a different country, checking prices and comparing it to our home currency. It’s one of my most-used apps!
Airalo
Airalo is an eSIM card that saves you the hassle of buying a physical SIM card once you arrive in a new country. Simply add an eSIM on the app for whichever country you are travelling to, and then activate it as soon as you arrive.
Once I discovered this, it’s been a game-changer – no need to search out a physical SIM card on landing, and I have data to arrange transfers as soon as we arrive.
Podcast Player
This may seem like an odd recommendation but this one is SO handy, especially if you’re renting a car or doing a road trip. Pull up a kid-friendly podcast and your kids will be entertained through the journey!
For a more complete list, check out 15 Great FREE Travel Apps for Families.
I hope these travel resources have helped you plan or prep for your travels! If you have any questions or suggestions, send us a quick email or leave us a comment below.
I hope this list of travel resources has been helpful! If you have any questions, let us know in the comments below.