5 useful travel pages that you probably don't use - and 5 others that you are probably doing

5 useful travel pages that you probably don't use - and 5 others that you are probably doing

A year before we left for our trips, I thought about hosting couch surges in my apartment. I saw it as a way to invest in the couch surfing community before I tapped something of the good karma on our trips abroad.

Unfortunately, I was instead seduced by Airbnb with its clean design, the intuitive user experience, the useful evaluation system and of course the possibility of earning some additional money for our trips. Surprisingly, we didn't use Couchsurfing on the way.

Peter and I agree that we feel more comfortable by paying the accommodation and are less committed to our hosts. That may change if the funds go out, but at the moment we will remain true products of our decent western society.

This is basically a long-winded way to say that you will not find couch surfing on the list below, but you will find 10 other pages that are ideal for long-term and short-term trips.

1. Helpx

This page was introduced to us by a derby girl named Mandy we got to know in Tonga. Mandy had been on the road for five years and had used Helpx to find internships in several cities.

This extremely useful page offers an online list of farms, host families, ranches, lodges, B&BS, backpacker hostels and even sailing boats that invite volunteers to stay with them at short notice, in exchange for food and accommodation. It deals with visaby restrictions, since they are not essentially "paid" for the "work", but are more likely to be hosted for help.

There are limited options in the South Pacific, but we will register for the premium service as soon as we reach South America (20 USD for 2 years).

helpx.net

2. Team bay

This is useful for water rats who want to travel by ship or boat. It was developed to connect both amateur and professional yacht crews with sailing and motor boats from all over the world. You simply set up a profile with details about who you are, what you are looking for and what relevant experiences you have, and either wait for being contacted, or looking proactively for advertised areas - all free of charge.

Peter and I drive in the wrong direction for the season (to the east), but our roommate in Suva managed to jump onto a boat that drove west to Vanuatu. If you have time and want to keep the costs low, Crewbay is a great way to see the world.

crewbay.com

3. Busbud

Peter swears on Busbud to find bus lines, prices and timetables worldwide. It was of limited use in the South Pacific (there are no buses from Samoa to Tonga!), But we will surely use it in South America.

between all the dives we made in the South Pacific, not to mention swimming with whales (and only going online in Rarotonga!), We used a little more of our budget than we had hoped.

Therefore we have to travel as cheap as possible as soon as we have solid ground under our feet - enter Busbud.

busbud.com

4. Seatguru

I have already mentioned that Seatguru is a great way to ensure that you feel comfortable on a flight. This website is particularly useful for long -haul flights and offers seating plans for various aircraft that help you avoid a lighting spot.

For example, an output series can be tempting because of the additional legroom, but did you know that the output rows are smaller and no larger rows on some aircraft?

Seatguru makes this information clear so that you can choose with carefully. This may not be important when jumping into the Pacific, but believe me, for London to Vanuatu it was a gift from heaven.

seatguru.com

5. Set up

Peter loves camping and although I am less enthusiastic about it, I cannot deny that it is a super favorable way of traveling. In order to find good campsites in the South Pacific, a lot of careful research was required (search for forums, read valuation pages, contact hosts, just to determine that the places no longer exist), which is why we would be happy if Pitchup would expand its offer.

With PitchUp, which currently covers 5,000 campsites in 12 European countries, you can search for the date, place and available facilities and create a list of options.

pitchup.com

and now for the more well -known useful travel pages:

1. Skyscanner

There is no better website than Skyscanner for the search for flights. In contrast to so many other flight units, you can search for a whole month with Skyscanner - perfect for long -term travelers with little time.

skyscanner.net

2. Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor has become the best way to check the quality of accommodations online. With its abundance of information about local sights, it is also a great way to decide where to go and what you want to see. We use it all the time.

tripadvisor.com

3. Airbnb

We have been for long fans of Airbnb (see Airbnb label: 10 tips for guests and 5 reasons why Airbnb is doing so well). Although there are a number of little things that we have with its current state (namely the increase in the actual hotels there instead of person-to-person lists), it remains unprecedented in terms of diversity and value.

Try Airbnb for the first time and save $ 20 on this link on your first trip.

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4. Lonely planet

As mentioned in defense of the travel guide, we firmly believe in the value of a good travel guide and therefore do not be ashamed to contact the experts for the answers we need.

lonelyplanet.com

5. Hostelwelt

Hostelworld is a trustworthy page that we have been using for years, ideal for those who are looking for cheap accommodation for backpackers.

www.hostelworld.com

main picture: Lupo

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