Travel Resources

 🌍 Travel Resources We Love and Trust

Below you’ll find a handpicked selection of our favorite travel tools, services, and gear. Each is chosen to make your journeys smoother, smarter, and more enjoyable. These are the exact resources we personally use, love, and trust, and we’re genuinely excited to share them with you!

Please note that some of the links below are affiliate links. This means we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase. Don’t worry, we only recommend products and services we truly believe in and use ourselves.

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✈️ FLIGHTS

United Airlines + Star Alliance

We love flying with United. Their loyalty program offers great perks, especially when you have status, and MileagePlus miles never expire. United is part of Star Alliance, so your perks carry over to partner airlines.
👉 Book United Airlines Flights Here

All Airlines

If you’re not loyal to a specific airline yet, we recommend comparing fares across multiple carriers to find the best deal.
👉 Search All Airline Flights Here

🏨 HOTELS & ACCOMMODATIONS

Hotels

We enjoy staying at Hilton Hotel properties when we travel. Hilton offers a wide range of hotels, and we’ve consistently had great experiences with their service and the level of comfort and luxury they provide. If you’re not loyal to a specific hotel brand, we recommend comparing prices across multiple chains to ensure you’re getting the best deal for your stay.
👉Book Hotel Accommodations Here

Vacation Rentals with VRBO

If you prefer the comfort and privacy of a vacation rental, VRBO is our top choice for booking vacation homes or condos. It’s perfect for longer stays or when you want a more personalized, home-like experience.
👉 Book Vacation Rental Here

🚗 RENTAL CARS & TRANSPORTATION

Rental Car

When it comes to renting a car, we recommend comparing prices across companies to find the best deal and pickup location. 👉 Book Rental Cars Here

Uber & Lyft
In larger cities, rideshares like Uber or Lyft are often the best ways to explore without the hassle of parking and navigation. PRO TIP: Install both Uber and Lyft apps to compare prices and availability of rides. We’re always surprised by the price differences!

Public Transportation
There are so many good options for public transportation. From subways to trains, make sure to take advantage of these wonderful options for transportation. They are usually affordable, easy to pay for, and easy to navigate.

Rail Europe

If you’re traveling across Europe, consider taking the train—it’s a scenic, efficient, and eco-friendly way to explore. We recommend Rail Europe for booking train tickets in advance and planning your rail journeys. 👉 Book Train Travel on Rail Europe

🌟 TOURS & EXPERIENCES

When it comes to booking tours, activities, and day trips, using trusted online platforms makes travel easier and far more reliable. These tools give you peace of mind throughout the entire planning process by offering clear descriptions, customer reviews, and flexible policies that protect your plans. Check out our favorites:

Viator

Explore thousands of curated tours, unique experiences, and day trips in destinations around the world. From food tours to guided adventures, it’s one of our go-to platforms when planning something special.
👉 Explore Viator

GetYourGuide

Discover and book unforgettable tours, local activities, and skip-the-line attraction tickets. We often check both GetYourGuide and Viator to compare options and find the best fit for our trip.
👉 Explore GetYourGuide

Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor is our go-to resource for checking honest reviews before booking restaurants or activities. It’s one of the best ways to discover top-rated experiences, get insider tips, and steer clear of tourist traps.
👉 Explore Tripadvisor

Big Bus Tours

Hop-on-hop-off bus tours are one of our favorite ways to get a feel for a new city. Big Bus Tours offers a fun, flexible way to see major sights while learning about the history along the way. Their app makes it easy to track bus locations in real time. We have found so many incredible things we might have missed by going on these tours. This is something we highly recommend.
👉 Book Big Bus Tours

📱 INTERNATIONAL PHONE PLANS

eSIM.sm
If you’d like to save a little money while still staying in touch while traveling, this affordable eSIM option is easy to install and works for international travel. There are different phone plans and detailed instructions for installing on your phone before you go and upon arrival.
👉 Set Up eSIM.sm

🏥INTERNATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE

VisitorsCoverage
Traveling with peace of mind is important to us, and international health insurance plays a key role in that. Your U.S. health insurance typically doesn’t cover you outside the country, so we recommend having a secondary plan.
👉 International Health Insurance

🧰 Tools and Apps

Here are some of our favorite tools and apps that help us plan smarter, explore deeper, and stay organized and informed throughout our travels!

🥾 AllTrails
AllTrails is one of our favorite apps for discovering scenic walks, nature trails, historic routes, and wilderness hikes. With detailed maps, user reviews, photos, and difficulty ratings, it’s easy to find a trail that matches your pace, interests, and adventure level. From quick urban strolls to challenging hikes with rewarding views, AllTrails helps you hit the trail with confidence.
👉 Explore AllTrails Here

🌍 Polarsteps
This is one of our favorite apps for tracking our travels in real-time. Polarsteps helps map your journey and lets friends and family follow along with your route, photos, and updates, almost like they’re exploring right alongside you! It’s a fun and visual way to document your adventures and look back on every step of the journey.
👉 Check Out Polarsteps Here

🪴 Seek by iNaturalist
Curious about the bird, flower, tree, or even spider you’ve spotted on your adventure? Seek by iNaturalist is a fantastic app that helps you identify plants and wildlife in real time. Just point your camera, and the app does the rest. They also offer fun challenges to inspire you to explore more and learn about the natural world around you.
👉 Explore Seek by iNaturalist Here

📱 Travel Apps
We recommend downloading the official apps for each part of your itinerary. For example, if you’re flying with United Airlines, the United app gives you easy access to flight updates, boarding passes, and seat changes. Staying at a Hilton property? Their app lets you check in, choose your room, and quickly find the hotel address.

Having the right apps on hand can save time, reduce stress, and make your travel days run more smoothly.

🎧HEADPHONES

We appreciate our noise cancelling headphones for our flights. Even if you don’t use them to listen to anything, they are wonderful for blocking out some of the flight noises.

Christine uses Apple AirPods – great for travel, compact and easy to use.
👉 Get AirPods Here

Chandler swears by his Bose QuietComfort headphones for next-level noise cancellation.
👉 Get Bose Headphones Here

📚 E-Readers & Tablets

Kindle Paperwhite
I love to read and have found that you can easily download books from your local library for free. I love my Paperwhite because it fits nicely in my hand, the settings can be adjusted, plus you can even use it for reading at the beach in bright sunny conditions. You’ll never be without a book if you go with this option!
👉 Shop Kindle Paperwhite

Get a Library card at your local library and get the free Libby app to download free books to your Kindle. The library also has free audio books you can download on your phone if you prefer listening, which I do for when I’m walking outside. 

Apple iPad Pro 13-Inch (M4): You can also download the Kindle app on your iPad and read books this way. This is a nice option if you want the versatility of an iPad for watching movies and reading books. This has the added benefit of knowing you can watch movies on flights where they don’t have the screens in the seats. You just need to make sure you have the airline’s app on your iPad (and latest version) prior to going into airplane mode.
👉 Shop iPads

To make the most of your iPad experience, consider purchasing the Apple Pencil. It’s a fantastic tool for journaling on the go, whether you’re capturing travel memories, sketching scenic views, or working through mindset prompts. With the Apple Pencil, your iPad becomes a digital journal that’s always ready and no extra notebooks are required. Plus, it pairs seamlessly with apps like GoodNotes, Notability, and the Notes app, making it easy to write, doodle, or reflect wherever your travels take you.
👉 Shop Apple Pencil

For added versatility and protection, the Apple Magic Keyboard Case is an excellent companion to the iPad Pro 13-inch. Whether you’re traveling or using it at home, this setup lets you take full advantage of everything the iPad Pro can do, with the feel and function of a laptop.
👉 Shop Magic Keyboard Case

🔌 POWER ADAPTERS and BACKUP POWER SUPPLY

Power supply differs depending on the country. We carry a versatile power adapter that has multiple options for multiple countries.

EPICKA Universal Adapter – One plug, multiple countries.
👉 Buy Adapter Here

Running out of battery life on your phone is a bummer. We carry a backup power supply while we are out exploring to ensure we never run out of power on our phone (remember pictures, but also navigation).

Portable Charger – A must-have for phones, navigation, and photos while exploring.
👉 Get One Here

USB-C to USB-C Cable – Ideal for fast-charging modern phones, tablets, and laptops. Durable, reliable, and travel-friendly.
👉 Stay Powered Up

⌚ APPLE WATCH

We used to rely on the Fitbit, but we’ve since switched to the Apple Watch, and we love it! It’s fantastic for tracking workouts, monitoring health stats, and staying mindful with meditation features. One of our favorite features? Using it with the AllTrails app during hikes keeps us on the right trail.
👉 Shop Apple Watch (Women’s) 👉 Shop Apple Watch (Men’s)

🧳 LUGGAGE

TUMI Luggage & Accessories
We’ve used TUMI for years. Durable, reliable, and stylish. Bonus: they offer personalized monogramming.

🔄 MISCELLANEOUS MUST-HAVES

REUSABLE WATER BOTTLE:
Keeping hydrated is very important when traveling. We prefer using a reusable water bottle not just to save money, but because it’s a simple way to reduce waste and make more eco-conscious choices. Contigo bottles are durable, leak-proof, and are perfect for travel! Fill it up after airport security and stay hydrated on the go!
👉 Buy a Contigo Water Bottle Here

PROPEL IMMUNITY SUPPORT:
We love adding a burst of flavor to our water, and Propel Immunity Support is a great way to do just that! Each packet provides electrolytes and immunity-supporting nutrients, making it a perfect travel companion. Skip the overpriced airport drinks by packing a few of these. Just fill your reusable water bottle after security, add a packet, and you’re good to go!
👉 Buy Propel Immunity Support Here

QUEST PROTEIN BARS – Travel Snacks
When we’re on the go, Quest Protein Bars are our favorite snack to carry with us. They’re not only delicious but also packed with protein, making them the perfect travel-friendly fuel. Whether we’re exploring a new city or heading to the airport, these bars are always in our bags. Our favorite flavor is Chocolate Brownie
👉 Shop Quest Protein Bars Here

GOOD TO GO – Travel Meals
Chandler discovered these on a 50-mile hike and still enjoys them at home. Lightweight, delicious, and convenient. They are a great option if you are in a remote location!
👉 Explore Meal Options

BUZZ MORNING ENERGY DRINK
Christine loves starting her travel days with a refreshing Buzz Morning Energy Drink for that natural, sustained energy boost. Whether gearing up for a long flight or a full day of exploring, Buzz helps us stay sharp, focused, and ready for adventure!
👉 Shop Buzz Morning Energy Drink Here

✈️ ADDITIONAL HELP FOR NAVIGATING AIRPORTS

🛂 SECURITY & U.S. CUSTOMS

🌍 Global Entry
A must-have for frequent international travelers. Once approved through the application and interview process, you’ll enjoy expedited U.S. re-entry through customs.
👉 Apply for Global Entry

🌍 TSA PreCheck
Ideal for domestic travel: quicker lines, keep your shoes on, and laptops stay in your bag!
👉 Apply for TSA PreCheck

🧭 FINAL TIP

Travel Safe & Make Memories!
If you ever have questions or need custom travel tips, feel free to reach out. We love helping fellow travelers plan unforgettable adventures!