There’s an overwhelming number of travel resources available to anyone willing to perform a simple google search, some help to cut costs, some help to make your trip more convenient. We’ve experimented with a number of companies and apps and below are some of the resources we have found most helpful. We’re always looking to make our travels more convenient and cut costs (finding the cheapest flight, travelling during the off-season, and saving on hotels/airbnbs so we can splurge on activities), so we can save money and potentially take more trips!
Check out the below services and apps that we use to find cheap travel deals and make our travels easier in other countries.
Join Scott’s listserv, he sends out emails when he finds cheap flights to all sorts of locations (domestic and international) and tells you how to find them on Google Flights. He has a free listserv and a premium listserv, the difference between the two is that the premium listserv gets more deals and quicker notification of new deals.
A lifeline for vegans all around the world, Happy Cow is how we find all of our favorite vegan restaurants both around San Francisco and around the world. Catering to both vegans and vegetarians, the Happy Cow community reliably finds and posts information on all of the best vegetarian and vegan restaurants around the globe. The reviews are incredibly helpful. You can use the app for free (with ads) or just pay a minimal fee to use the app for life ($3.99?).
A travel company that provides trips for all shapes and sizes, we’ve been able to find plenty of great deals with Go-Today. If you subscribe to their email listserv they’ll routinely email you coupons for $50 off $500 or $100 off trips of $1,000, and the savings add up. They also create itineraries that take the logistical issues out of traveling (flights, hotels, train tickets, half day tours, full day tours, tickets to main attractions, etc.). If you’re nervous about planning your own trip to a new country, start with them.
We can’t speak to the verbal translation capabilities of Google Translate, but we can speak to the visual translation. Specifically, this app has saved us in Japan and Denmark as we roamed the grocery stores looking for some late night vegan snacks. Before your trip, just download the language pack for the country you’re visiting and presto, use the camera to read the back of Japanese snacks easy-peezy. You’ll be able to to find that sneaky lactose.
AllTrails has basically become the standard for hiking trails. Search by region, type, and highest rated. AllTrails is how we find most of our hikes and it has not disappointed us yet. The recent reviews provide helpful information to hikers (i.e. tree down on the trail, bee hive at X mile, they ticket at the trailhead). Load a trail map into your recorder before you go to track your elevation and miles – and use the directions function to get Google Maps directions straight to the trailhead.