As we approach the end of the year I find its a good to starting planning and getting organized for 2020 travel. These are a few of my favorite travel tools… (please note these are all my own opinions and I receive no compensation for any companies I mention)
1.) Tripit – It’s a great tool to organize and create an itinerary. All you have to do is forward your flight, hotel etc booking to their email and it puts everything together for you. If you also travel for work it connects to the Concur system that a lot of companies use. They have a very user friendly app that has often given me more current flight updates and gate changes before the airlines make the announcements. (Super helpful if traveling with people who need extra time) They have a pro-version as well which helps with re-booking if there are flight issues etc.
2) Google Flights – Not sure where you want to go or just know a region (ie Europe) you can be as general or specific as you want it will show you your best flight options. Note that Southwest does not allow their flights to be searched but otherwise its one of the best most comprehensive comparison tools out there.
3.) Viator – Visiting somewhere new and not sure whats in the area? Know what you want to do but not sure of tour companies in the area? Viator is a great source of options. I have used them in about 10 different cities and countries and had great experiences with the local guides. If you are already staying somewhere hotel concierge’s are also a wonderful source of information and sometimes have better access but if you are doing your research ahead of time this is a great source.
4.) AAA – AAA still makes their annual Tourbooks and Maps and if you are a member this is one of your benefits. If you are somewhere where you might not have internet being prepared with a map and/or a guidebook with information on places to stop can definitely be a life saver! They have lots of other travel services but the books are my favorites and take me back to travel when I was a kid.
5.) Having a physical planner where you write things down and plan them out. I am a fan of the good old fashioned planner where you can make lists and cross things out and map out your schedule. For 2020 I’m trying the Commit30 planner because the format looks like something that will help me plan better and I like the pockets and look and feel of it. It also has a lot of tools on goal setting which is good for me as I’m trying to maintain a better schedule with my blog and planning topics etc. I’ll let you know what I think as I’m using it but right now I’m excited about it!
What are your favorite travel tools?
Three Generations of Travel 