Below is a compiled list of the resources I use and LOVE and think are worth sharing with others. These range from accommodation to finding people to meet with if you’re traveling solo or even to save money in general.
This list will be constantly updated: old resources will be replaced if I don’t love them anymore and new resources will be added as they’re discovered.
Hopefully, you find this list helpful and can find something new and useful!
I only promote resources I absolutely love and recommend to my friends and family. Some of these are affiliate links – meaning I receive a commission at no extra cost to you. You will usually also receive a bonus, making it a win-win! Read my disclaimer to learn more.
You can also click on these to skip to a specific section:
Accommodation Resources
Transportation Resources
Money Resources
Flight Resources
Communication/Social Resources
accommodation resources
Accommodation Resources
This is by far my favorite place to look for accommodation. You can stay in someone’s house for a cheap price, take in a more authentic experience, and can stay anywhere from a hammock in Costa Rica to a castle in England.
Don’t get me wrong, I love hotels (I mean, I did work in one), but Airbnb is definitely the first place I look when trying to find accommodation for a short or long trip. (They even give discounts for longer stays). You can also get $40 off your first $75+ stay with my referral☺
AND, as a bonus, AirBNB also offers experiences now. So if you’re looking for a local to take you on a tapas tour around Barcelona, to take you hiking at dawn, or to do a photo shoot for you in their city’s hidden gems, definitely check them out as well.
If you’re looking to support a smaller business or to stay with people within your network, check out Overnight. It’s like AirBNB but it allows you to see mutual friends, give and receive special friend rates, and feel closer to your community. You can also get $25 off your first stay.
This is another great resource you could use in order to get a fairly priced hostel. Hostels are new experiences in and of themselves, but I’ve definitely scored awesome stays using this company. They lay out all the information you may need and make it SO much easier to look at hostels all in one place.
If you ever have to change plans very last minute, Hotel Tonight has the hookup! My boyfriend and I used them when we realized driving through both, Sequoia and Yosemite, National Parks on the same day was NOT the brightest idea.
My uncle also swears by this app when booking hotels in Vegas – he always gets amazing rooms for a super discounted price. As a previous hotel receptionist, I can tell you, at the end of the day, hotels just want to sell all the unoccupied rooms. So it’s legit! Plus, you can get $25 off your first booking with my code: NALVAREZ71.
If you’re traveling with an extremely low budget and are comfortable staying with someone you don’t know, definitely try Couchsurfing. There are very lovely people on here who enjoy traveling and meeting fellow travelers.
They usually have a couch, a spare bed, or a blow-up mattress available in their home and let travelers stay for free! It’s usually nice to bring a souvenir or gift of some sort to show your appreciation though ☺
money resources
Money Resources
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE TransferWise – you have no idea! This company makes it SO easy and cheap to transfer money to foreign bank accounts. So if you’re moving, living, or studying abroad and need to convert your money, definitely check them out. With my referral, you can get your first $500 transfer FREE.
It’s also really good for sending money to people you know overseas. They’re even coming out with a multi-currency debit card (and I can’t wait to get my hands on one!!) Feel free to also check out my TransferWise review if you need more convincing.
You can also use them as a currency calculator!
When it comes to saving money for travel, I like to use cash-back apps. Ebates is an awesome site that lets you get a certain percentage back on sites you probably frequent anyway. So whenever you’re shopping online, open Ebates first, or use their toolbar plugin so you can get money back on everything you’re already buying. They also have cash back on travel sites like Expedia and Travelocity. Use my referral to get $10 back after spending your first $25.
Related post: Top Airport Tips: Travel like a Pro
If you buy your own groceries (or have someone else in the house buy groceries…ssshh) you can get cash back on those receipts! I’ve made over $300 with Ibotta before I even started my blog (meaning without referrals)! Just unlock some items, scan the receipt, and cash out at $20+. AND they don’t have to be just grocery trips, you can also get cash back on Uber rides and some Amazon purchases. Of course, these deals change all the time, but it’s worth a try. You can also get $10 with my referral after confirming your first “rebate.” That’s FREE money!
I have been using Mint for years and they are my best financial management friend. I have all my financial accounts linked and can see everything all in one place. Mint also gives me monthly credit score checks, helps me reach savings goals (for travel!), and recommends different cards or savings accounts that could help me reap more rewards.
I’m a fan of Venmo because it’s quick, easy, and a fun way to send and receive money from friends. If you go to dinner and pay the tab, just tell them to “Venmo you” and you’re all good to go.
Have you ever eaten out with friends and sat there forever trying to calculate who owes what? It’s such a drag (unless of course, you have a friend who enjoys doing the math). Tab is my favorite app to use when dining out with people because all you do is scan the receipt, match the order to each person, decide how to split the tax and the tip, and that’s it!
Tab calculates everything for you. You can split plates between two, or bottles of wine between four, whatever you want – tab makes the complicated part of dining out super easy.
If you share an apartment with someone and need to keep track of costs, this is the app for you. It’s an easy way to split bills and see what you owe to your friends and what they owe you.
transportation resources
Transportation Resources
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If you need a ride somewhere and don’t want to deal with taxis (even though I believe we should ride taxis when convenient), then definitely use Lyft or Uber.
For the longest, I preferred Lyft to Uber because I found the rides more personable, friendly, and cheaper. But the reality is, Lyft is not available everywhere Uber is. And sometimes a certain app is cheaper than the other – depending on the time of day and other circumstances.
You can bounce between the two, get a super cheap carpool ride if you need to, and make new friends. Use the following on your first ride to get up to $5 off your first ride on Lyft and/or Uber.
This is basically the same as Uber... except it’s Cabify. They’re only available in limited countries (Spain and Portugal in Europe and some countries in South America). This came in handy for me in Spain, for example, because Uber is banned there. So if you’re traveling to any of the countries they operate in, definitely use them as an alternative.
flight resources
Flight Resources
When searching for flights, I always look at Skyscanner first. They are my loves! They are a metasearch engine that compiles all of the flights online in one place so you can easily compare prices, times, and routes across all airlines. Definitely, give them a shot if you’re not picky about who you fly with.
Related post: The Ultimate Guide to Booking Cheap Flights
This cute app is great for keeping track of flight prices and seeing when they’ll drop or rise. They are constantly tracking prices and will alert you when they think is the cheapest time to buy!
communication
Communication/Social Resources
If you’re trying to learn languages, definitely give Duolingo a go. I’ve learned Portuguese (of course with the help of speaking to others in person as well), but it’s taught me A LOT. I’ve also used it for the basics of 6 other languages…I’m kind of language crazy if you can’t tell. If normal academic learning of a language bores you, try the gaming version with this app (or their desktop version, which I prefer).
Related post: 7 Tips for Learning a New Language
This app is one of my favorites!! Whether you’re traveling solo, want to make friends, or need ideas for what to do…Meetup has your back. Meetup will show you all the Meetup events happening in your city and where to go. I’ve used this for cheap Zumba classes, yoga on the Barcelona Beach, and for language exchanges. It’s super cool to get inspired and meet people who are in the same boat.
Let me know if you found any of these useful, or if you have any suggestions for apps I should try. I'm always looking for cool resources to add to my life and make it easier 🙂