With 35 years of travel experience we want to share with you our best travel tips and travel resources.Are you trying to decide which companies to book your trip with? With 30+ years of travel experience, I’ve used many companies and bought hundreds of items. Some experiences were good, some not so much.
Below is a list of the ones I come back to time and time again. They are the best out there and continually offer superior deals and experiences. They are where all my travel planning and booking starts. Use them to book your trips, too!
Disclosure: Please note that some of the links below are affiliate links. At no extra cost to you, I earn a small commission from each booking that allows me to keep content up to date and create new guides and stories to help you travel with confidence. I used all the companies listed and used the products I recommended. They’ve made my travels better!
Travel Essentials For Women
Read more on the full list of travel essentials for women as identified by 25 frequent travelers. This includes selecting luggage, what to pack in your hand luggage, top toiletries to take, electronics, and the list goes on…check it out.
Best Travel Apps for Europe
Please read the full blog to find the best travel apps for Europe based on my experience.
Tours and Activities
Private Paella Cooking Class in Valencia
Airfare
SkyScanner, Google Flights, Going, TripAdvisor, European Destinations
Travel Insurance
Generali, Safetywing, Medjet, Insure My Trip
Accommodation
Booking.com is by far my favorite site to use. It allows for lots of filters and offers many hotels, apartments, and even houses for booking.
Hostelworld, Trusted Housesitters, Hostel Pass are other great apps.
Luggage
Find the list of recommended luggage resources, including:
AWAY Luggage: This luggage is generally considered the best travel luggage. AWAY has recently gained popularity for a blend of stylish design, durability, smart features, and echo consciousness. Please read the full review based on our experience.
Osprey 34l Kyte Backpack for Woman:
Deuter Women’s Trail 28 SL Hiking Backpack:
Osprey 34l Backpack For Women: This backpack is ideal for walking the Camino de Santiago.

Osprey 34l Backpack For Men:
TANGCORLE Carry-on Backpack: Airline Approved for Men Women, Travel Backpack 50L Expandable 17.3 Inch Laptop, Water Resistant Overnight Daypack with USB Charging Port Casual Backpacks Luggage
Rick Steve’s Back Pack, Packing Cubes.
Tour Companies and Trip Organizers
Devour Food Tours, Walks, Get Your Guide, Intrepid Travel, Eat With
Accessories
Unique Travel Accessories
Gear and Clothing
Smart Wool Socks: Smartwool Women’s Hike Light Cushion Ankle socks. These wool socks are perfect for walking the camino. Tried and tested and they performed excellent.
MERIWOOL Men’s Base Layer—100% Merino Wool Midweight. This Long-Sleeve Thermal Shirt is ideal for wearing in the winter as an underlayer. It is quick-drying and ideal as part of the layering system required to walk the Camino de Santiago in colder seasons.
Travel with Kids
Strollers: Delta Children Apollo Jogging Stroller – Shock Absorbing Frame with Large Canopy & Recline – Car Seat Compatible, Black
This stroller is ideal for the cobble streets of Europe, or as a daily jogging stroller to get back in shape.
Momzocy Stroller organizer: with 2 Non-Slip Stickers and 2 Large Capacity and Detachable Mesh Bags, Fits All Strollers Like Britax, Uppababy, Baby Jogger Stroller
Photography Equipment
We’ll help you capture the best moments of your life with our recommended camera and lenses for travel. See our preferred cameras, lenses, drones, and accessories.
Fijifilm X-mount Camera:
Lens: Viltrox 23mm f/1.4: for Fujifilm X-Mount Cameras. For more details, see the description here.
Transportation
RV Share, EURail, Discover Cars, Rome2Rio, Bla Bla Car, The Man In Seat 61, International Drivers Association
Travel Credit Cards
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, Chase Ink, Bilt Rewards Card
To make the most of your time planning a trip, review the travel resources below to see how they can optimize your planning time, streamline your trip, and have the best experience imaginable. All recommendations are based on real-life experience using the products and services. Learn how to book hotels and what travel products we have used for over 100 vacations in the last 40 years. Learn from our experience who you can trust. For example, we took insurance out on two previous trips to cover unexpected medical expenses. One company paid in full after they received that required documentation; the other…well, it is four months in, and they still need to pay out. The stress associated with this is just not worth the money we paid.
Read the small print carefully, but you might be able to get all the trip insurance you need by using your credit card.
An In-Depth Look At Travel Resources

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