Travel Resources I Use: From Planning to Booking
Great question. And one I get asked constantly when I mention I’m in travel!
Here’s the truth about travel planning: You don’t need to use every booking site on the internet. You need to use the right travel tools at the right stage of planning. That’s it.
After 37 years as a Professional Tour Manager, booking travel all over the world I’ve refined my process down to a core set of reliable resources that actually deliver results. No endless tab-switching. No analysis paralysis. No wondering if you’re getting ripped off.
What You’ll Find in My Travel Resources Guide
I’m sharing the exact booking platforms and planning resources I use for planning my trips:
- 🛡️ Research and Plan: Tools to find destinations and how to get there
- 💸 Insurance: Travel insurance, medical insurance and specialist cruise insurance
- ✈️ Airports and Parking: Everything you need to make airports a better experience
- 🏨 Accommodation: Hotels, apartments, and self catering accommodation
- 🚗 Getting Around: Car hire and train booking tools
- 🎯 Activities & Tours: Book tours and skip the line
- 📋 My Planning Process: The exact workflow I follow from idea to departure
These aren’t random recommendations. They are tools I trust and use myself when I am planning my own trips.
A Note on Transparency
Some of these links are affiliate links, which means if you book through them, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps keep this website running. However, I only recommend tools I genuinely use myself and would recommend to my own family. If something stops performing well, I remove it—regardless of commission rates.
You can read more about how I evaluate and recommend travel resources in my editorial policy.
Research and Planning Travel Resources
Booking Flights
- Recently I have been using Trip.com for booking flights. I really like the rewards, which have included great hotel rates and a free airport lounge pass amongst other things.
- I recently booked a trip to London which included multiple flights, train journeys and hotels all on Trip because it was too complicated to keep track of so many bookings on different apps.
Searching Routes by Budget
- If I have a set budget for a trip then I often take a look at Kayak Explore.
- In this tool you set how much your budget is, how long you would like to go away for, and you will get a map showing the flight routes that are in your budget.
- As someone that likes to travel as far as possible within my budget this is very helpful research.
Planning Train Travel
- I am starting to travel by train more – it’s such a great way to actually see more of the places you are visiting.
- I use The Man in Seat 61 for getting an overview of routes and timetables for countries and places I want to visit.
- Then I use The Trainline for buying tickets – I really like the fact you can change your ticket right up until the time you depart and the money you paid goes towards your new ticket so you don’t lose it all. I recently had to do this on a trip to London and it saved me £60.
- I also use Trip.com for train tickets. Sometimes for shorter trips I will book everything in Trip so it’s all in one place. There is no need for a trip planning app as the Trip app updates with each part of the journey as you move through it, and all the information is one place.
| Research routes to and from your destination on Skyscanner | Learn More |
| Check flight prices on Trip.com – ideal for booking everything in one place | Learn More |
| Use Kayak Explore for planning travel with a budget | Learn More |
| Check the Man In Seat 61 for everything you need to know about train travel | Learn More |
| Use the Trainline to book train travel around the world in one place | Learn More |
Insurance Travel Resources
Don’t Leave Home Without It – Travel Insurance
- I have seen guests experience medical emergencies all over the world. I’ve seen the value of travel insurance first hand. I’ve liaised with insurance companies when they have been organising ambulance transfers, rescheduled flights, nurses to accompany guests, hotel accommodation and medical treatment.
- I’ve helped guests deal with the paperwork and I’ve liaised with their families to keep them updated at a very worrying time. I know that when it really matters travel insurance is invaluable.
- As a frequent traveller I have a yearly policy which means I can book travel anywhere, anytime and I know I am covered. This gives me huge peace of mind when travelling.
- I use Coverwise and have done for years. I like their coverage and I also like that they cover business travel – which is most of the travel I actually undertake.
If you prefer to compare travel insurance details then you this travel insurance comparison site is great. It compares over 200 travel insurance providers in one place so you can find the cover that suits you best.
If you are a traveller that has medical conditions that need a bit more management – heart issues for example – then this specialist medical insurance comparison is great. You can compare multiple specialist providers in one place to find the best option for your travel needs.
If you are planning on taking a cruise then specialist cruise insurance is likely to be a better deal. The cost of medical repatriation can be really high for cruise ships so don’t risk being caught out without it. Most cruise ships now ask for your travel insurance details as part of the booking process.
Important Travel Insurance Information
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that your European Health Card is a travel insurance equivalent. It isn’t. It just allows you to be treated in the country applicable as a local resident. It does not cover any form of repatriation to your home country.
It is simply not worth taking the risk of travelling without travel insurance.
It is also incredibly important to declare everything to your travel insurance provider initially so that you are completely covered. Failure to disclose any condition, no matter how minor, is likely to mean you have no cover.
If your health changes between taking the policy out and your travel dates you must update your travel insurance company otherwise you may find you have no cover when you really need it.
If you have a health condition which is currently undiagnosed, because you are waiting for further tests for example, you will not be able to get any type of travel insurance.
| Compare over 200 travel insurance policies | Learn More |
| Compare over 200 medical travel insurance providers | Learn More |
| Compare cruise insurance providers | Learn More |
Travel Tools
Airports and Parking
- Holiday Extras have great deals with 25% off airport parking.
- Don’t forget to check for park and fly deals – these sometimes work out cheaper than just the parking. Holidayextras does these too – it’s also worth checking your local airport hotels to see if they have any offers themselves.
- I hate airport security – getting shouted at by various people when I am already anxious about flying. Booking Fast Track security is a great way to reduce this stress.
- From security I then head through to an airport lounge. If you are a business traveller, nervous flyer or just find airports noisy and overwhelming then using an airport lounge is well worth it.
- There are plenty of paid for lounges at airports that you can use regardless of which airline you are flying with. Priority Pass Standard Plus Membership works out to £18.30 per visit with 10 visits included in the membership.
- If you need one off lounge access then Holiday Extras have 10% discount on airport lounge access.
| Get 10% off Airport Hotels with Holiday Extras | Learn More |
| Check Park and Fly Deals on Holiday Extras | Learn More |
| Get a 25% off Airport Parking with Holiday Extras | Learn More |
| Buy Fast Track Security with Holiday Extras | Learn More |
| Get 10% off Airport Lounge Acess with Holiday Extras | Learn More |
| Get a great deal on Priority Pass airport lounge membership. Standard Plus membership is just 18.30 per visit (for 10) | Learn More |
Travel Tools
Accommodation Resources
- I take a bit of a hybrid approach to booking accommodation depending on where I am going and what I am looking for.
- I always check Booking.com. My Genius level membership means I get free room upgrades and free breakfasts so that’s generally where I start. I always look for free cancellation given my plans sometimes change.
- My next stop for accommodation is Trip.com. They have some great deals on hotels too.
- If I am doing a complex trip then I might just book it all on Trip.com to keep everything in one place. I did this recently for a 4 night trip that involved multiple flights, train journeys and 4 different hotels.
- I have a small dog so I like taking self catering holidays so we can go together. I always check out Holiday Cottages and Sykes because between them they have lots of holiday cottages in any of the places.
| Find great hotel deals, with reward offers on Trip.com | Learn More |
| Research and plan accommodation in one place, on Booking.com | Learn More |
| Find great holiday cottages throughout the UK with Holidaycottages.co.uk | Learn More |
| Find more choice, including National Trust properties, at Sykes | Learn More |
Getting Around
- How you get around when you visit somewhere depends on where you are going and what you plan to do.
- For some trips a hire care is best – there’s nothing like having the freedom of your own vehicle to head off on day trips and it’s a great way to live a bit more like a local.
- If you are planning on hiring a car then taking an excess insurance policy is a great way to save money. I always take this cover out myself. This covers the huge excess that car hire companies have and it is always cheaper than the excess cover insurance they will try and sell you when hiring a car.
- Using local transport is also a great way to see a bit more of daily life too. I love using local trains particularly. Thankfully the fabulous Trainline means I can book transport in any country.
- In some countries there is one main train operator and they can be good value for train tickets. OBB is the main train operator for Austria and their trains travel all over Europe.
- Several countries also have unlimited train travel schemes which can be great value too.
| Find hire cars around the world with Discover Car Hire | Learn More |
| Buy a one off or annual policy to cover care hire excess insurance | Learn More |
Travel Tools
Activities
Often when we travel we are looking to experience new things – see new sights and visit new places. Booking the key activities in advance is a great way to ensure you don’t miss out on that key visit during your trip.
Get Your Guide has quite a good cancellation policy if you know your plans are going to change.
I also look on local pages for places I am going to visit for events and festivals. The other thing I do is scroll around on Google Maps – I use this to find places that are near where I will be staying or visiting. It’s a good way to find something a little unexpected.
| Research and book great activities with Get Your Guide | Learn More |
| Skip the line by booking tickets on line with Tiqets | Learn More |
Travel Tools
Top Time Saving Travel Tool!
Planning a trip, particularly if it is complex or somewhere you are not familiar with, can be terribly time consuming. Getting different suppliers to align in terms of timings and dates not to mention pricing.
If you want someone to do all the hard work for you so you can just relax and enjoy your holiday then using an independent travel agent is a great time saver.
Independent travel agents are not bound to a particular holiday company – they work with a large range of suppliers – so they are free to find the holiday that suits you bet.
I’m an independent travel agent.
Get in touch and let me do all the hard work for you.
FAQs
My Recommended Travel Essentials – Tried and Tested Travel Gear
Check out my list of recommended travel essentials – tried and tested travel gear.
It’s everything I use when travelling to make sure I have everything I need whatever trip I am taking.
Affiliate Disclosure: Some links on this page may earn me a small commission if you make a purchase. This helps keep my website going at no extra cost to you. Rest assured, I only recommend things I genuinely love! For more details, check out my cookie policy., editorial policy and privacy policy
My Recommended Essential Travel Gear List
Find all the items I use on every trip all in one place
My Social Media Links
More Resources
- Travel Inspiration – trip reports, reviews, and more to inspire your next trip
- Time Saving Travel Tools – all the things I use to research and plan my trips
- Airport Lounges – Everything you need to know including lots about Priority Pass
- Invergordon Cruise Port – all you need to know to help your plan your visit
- Independent Travel Agent – a huge timesaver. I specialise in touring holidays & river cruises
- About Melanie – background and travel experience
- About the Professional Traveller – what this website is all about
- Work with Me – details of the services I provide