Plan your trip

Our trusted travel resources

Everything we use to plan a trip, in one place.

There’s a lot to think about when you plan a trip on your own. These are the flight, hotel and car rental sites we don’t just recommend, but use ourselves, trip after trip.

How we plan every trip

Four steps from daydream to departure

  1. Pick where

    Browse our destination guides and find a place worth chasing.

    Explore destinations

  2. Find the cheapest flight

    Compare fares across sites first, then book the best deal.

    40 tips for cheap flights

  3. Book the right stay

    Agoda for Asia, Booking.com for Europe and North America.

    See our picks

  4. Get around

    Rent a car for road trips, or follow our guides to local transport.

    Car rental

Booking flights

Flights

Where we start every flight search.

CheapOair

Best for: Multi-city trips

We don’t know a flight site that more consistently beats CheapOair on price. We’ve booked many flights with them over the years, and their simple multi-city search is the one we use for every big trip.

BookingBuddy

Best for: Comparing fares

One of our favorite price-comparison sites. It searches around eight flight sites at once, which has saved us time and some serious cash over the years.

Booking accommodation

Stays

Two sites cover almost every night we spend away.

Agoda

Best for: Stays in Asia

We book over 95% of our accommodation in Asia with Agoda. It has the widest selection and best prices in the region, and bookings can now earn air miles too.

Booking.com

Best for: Europe & North America

Our favorite for developed countries, and our readers’ too. We’ve booked with them for over 10 years for the customer service, prices and cancellation policies.

Car rental

Cars

For road trips and places public transport can’t reach.

Discover Cars

Best for: Car rental

A comparison site for rental deals from many companies, with quotes that include mandatory fees, taxes and extras up front, backed by a strong customer-service record.

Read before you go

Planning guides worth bookmarking

Still deciding?

Find your next place worth chasing

Browse 25 countries of guides and stories, then come back here when you’re ready to book.

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