Travel Resources
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Best Travel Resources | Flight Search Engines
No one wants to spend more money on flights than necessary, but you also want the best service and hassle-free flying. Find the best apps here!
Best Travel Resources | Hotel & Accommodation Apps
- VRBO is a worldwide holiday home rental service. With over 2 million online bookable vacation rentals, you can choose between condos, cabins, lake rentals, apartments, beach houses, and more.
- Hostelworld.com provide more types of accommodation than just traditional hostels. You can find great boutique hotels here, and also Casa Praticulares in Cuba. I have often used Hostelworld for accommodation bookings and have always had good experiences!
- Hotels.com is a tried and trusted online service for providing hotel stays at competitive prices.
- Booking.com offers accommodation, flights, car rentals, information on tourist attractions, and more. Booking.com currently does not service Cuban destinations but has great options for other Caribbean destinations.
Wayaway Flight Search Engine & App
Wayaway Innovative Flight Aggregator provides travelers with the best rates on airline tickets AND a cashback system if you want to!
Users can purchase the WayAway Plus membership plan, which gives cashback on flights, accommodation, car rentals, tours, and more. You also get extra benefits by using the Wayaway apps; download here for either iOs or Anderoid!
Skyscanner
Skyscanner is a search engine and travel agency with more than 100 million users worldwide. I often land on a Skyscanner booking as it normally provides among the cheapest airfares available.
Expedia
Expedia is an online travel company for airline tickets, hotels, car rentals, cruise ships, and vacation packages.
TripAdvisor
Tripadvisor is not just for reviews; you can also book your journeys and stays here.
The concept is user-generated content on travel inspiration, and you find flights, destinations, hotels, accommodation, and more.
Best Travel Resources | Rental Car Deals!
Discover Cars will find the best deals for you at your destination by searching through all the available car rentals that exist where you are going!
Reliable Travel Insurance
Medical Travel Insurance (IMG) scores 4.6 on Trustpilot, and offers 16 different travel insurance plans for different types of travelers, which also include Covid 19 coverage!
“Although one hopes never to use travel insurance, IMG was a godsend throughout our ordeal. We couldn’t have done it without your continued assistance.”
JOAN D. UNITED STATES
Buying A Cuba Visa Online
Easy Tourist Card specializes in providing tourist visas for Cuba. You order your Cuban visa; or tourist card online, and it will be sent straight to your door hassle-free!
Make sure you order the correct one; if you have a stopover in a US airport, you need to get the Pink tourist card for Cuba. From any other destination, you want to order the GREEN tourist card.
Download A VPN Before Your Trip
Pro Travel Tips: Download a VPN before you travel! This is particularly important in Cuba, as a lot of services are blocked from access via Cuban servers, like booking pages, banks, social media, and more.
With ExpressVPN, I am able to access just about everything I need from Havana, which is a lifesaver!
Online security – Get ExpressVPN Before Your Trip Here!
Adventure Tour Companies For Day Trips
Viator, a Tripadvisor Company, provides travelers with great adventures in 200 countries! I have great experiences using Viator for day trips and adventure tours, super-easy online booking, and reliability, and they have great local guides as well!
BikesBooking is an online company offering bike, scooter, and motorcycle rentals in various destinations. In Cuba, BikesBooking is operating in Havana, and you can book your bike online in advance.
Civitatis is a tour company that offers one-day or multi-day tours and excursions in a multitude of destinations around the world. It is also one of the few tour adventure companies that arrange excursions in Cuba!
Travel-Made-Easy Tour Companies
Hassle-free travel is maybe the most important thing in order to be able to fully enjoy the experience without worrying about anything.
If you prefer a little help to organize your travel, check out if G-Adventures organizing trips to your next destination.
- G-Adventures is a travel company that organizes small-group adventures worldwide in a sustainable way, including in Cuba.
- I have used G-Adventures for the Inca Trail, a hike to the Lost City in Colombia, and a two-week small-group tour in Costa Rica.
- I confidently recommend G-Adventures as a tour organizer for adventure tours or small-group tours where you find kindred spirits!
Travel Safety Items
For any traveler, more so solo travelers, and particularly for solo female travelers, extra travel safety items and security measures will take your mind off possible safety worries.
She’s Birdie
She’s Birdie is a small keychain personal safety alarm made for women by women. This device has a very loud alarm and flashing strobe light designed to deter an attack and attract attention.
To deter an attack, you activate the LOUD siren and flashing strobe light.
The colorful She’s Birdie alarm comes with a solid brass keychain to keep with you day to night when needed, around town, on the trails, and on your journeys.
Proof Of Onward Travel
If you are traveling for a longer period and have not always got a plan or fixed date for your next departure, you might need “proof of onward travel” when entering certain countries.
With One Way Fly, you can get a plain ticket confirmation valid for up to 48 hours to get you through passport controls and immigration as proof of your planned departure from the country!
When And Why Book Directly Through Airlines?
If you are going on longer, a bit more “complicated” journeys with several stopovers, booking the whole flight through one airline or air alliance may be smart.
Prices are often not dramatically higher, and often check-in luggage is often included. This simplifies problems like lost luggage, delays, refunds, etc.
- Lufthansa is a part of Star Alliance, operating worldwide, and also has joint ventures with companies like Air Canada and United Airlines, flying to 211 destinations across the world.
- Qatar Airways flies on all six continents, with over 140 daily destinations, of which 17 destinations are in the Caribbean, including Cuba.
- American Airlines has daily direct flights from Miami to Havana. In Miami, you can conveniently buy a tourist card to Cuba at the American Airlines boarding counter. The staff in Miami work with travelers to Cuba every day and know how to handle the special requirements for American travelers to Cuba hassle-free.
Hotels & Resorts For Luxury Getaways
From time to time, it is AMAZING being able to just lay back and have everything sorted for a couple of days.
- Melia Hotels & Resorts has 40 luscious hotels in 9 destinations in Cuba, as well as in Jamaica, the Bahamas, and the Dominican Republic.
- Iberostar Hotels & Resorts has 18 hotels in Cuba and 7 more in the Caribbean. My experience with Iberostar has always been wonderful, with great amenities, service, and beautiful surroundings!
Travel Packing Essentials
The Osprey Farpoint backpack – has been my favorite travel buddy for the last three years. I have the Osprey Farpoint 80, and although quite large, it is perfect for long journeys with multiple destinations.
Lifestraw Go Water Filter Bottle – is a lifesaver for journeys where you can not drink tap water. Whenever you are off the beaten track or traveling to destinations where water can be scarce, I always thank myself for bringing this!
Mophie Powerstation XXL Power Bank – charges your phone an amazing 4 times on one fully charged power station! It is a bit bigger than most but will keep your gadgets going for even your longest journeys.
TP-link M7350 Mobile Wifi Router – is a LIFESAVER for exploring off the beaten track when you might get 4G every now and then but where wifi is nowhere to be seen. Love it!
Express VPN service provider – is my best friend in my current base country Cuba. Express VPN will help you stay safe online and will also help you surf from whatever location in the world you choose!
Resistance Loop Exercise Bands – for workouts on the road when you are leaving the gym behind at home. They are cheap and take no space or weight at all!
Best Travel Resources | Favorite Holiday Reads
Some books are better than others, and here is a small collection of my favorite books to bring for travels and holidays.
Best Travel Resources | Travel Guide Cuba
In June 2022, I published my first travel guide e-book about Cuba after living in Havana for one and a half years.
This travel guide is now available here on Amazon!
My goal is to provide you with as much helpful information as possible. You will find all about the different destinations and sights, but also a lot of information no one tells you about – that you really need to know before visiting Cuba!
As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying sales, including my own products.
Other Excellent Holiday Books!
Best Travel Resources | Blogs And Websites
Wonderlust is a UK-based travel magazine and website that focuses on adventure travel. In their own words, they are “a new kind of luxury and aspirational travel publication, sophisticated, expert, fun, smart, intuitive and imaginative”.
Travel and Leisure is a New York-based travel magazine and website that provides news and insights related to destinations, hotels and resorts, tips, and bookings. It is also the world’s leading membership and leisure travel company, with a portfolio of nearly 20 resorts, travel clubs, and lifestyle travel brands.
Gonomad.com is one of the world’s best travel sites and publishes great travel articles and inspiring travel stories. The site aims at providing information and articles from destinations out of the mainstream path, as well as well-known and popular places.
Vagabondish claims to be a travel site for “semi-responsible adults”, and publishes news and articles on off-the-beaten-track backpacking and travel, advice, how-to tips, and travel stories from around the world.
Active Traveler is a website for anyone who prefers an active life even if on holiday, more than the chill poolside relaxing kind of traveling.
Best Travel Resources | Inspirational Travel Magazines
There are countless inspiring travel magazines, websites, and blogs out there that can help you research destinations, plan your trip, decide on activities and adventures, and maybe set up an itinerary and a budget.
- National Geographic Magazine provides a magnitude of information, photos, videos, history, and travel inspiration on every thinkable destination in the world. You can also find insightful articles about related subjects connected to a destination or a theme if you want to do a deep dive into something special.
- Travel and Leisure is a New York-based travel magazine that provides news and insights related to destinations, hotels and resorts, tips, and bookings.
- Condé Nast Traveler is an award-winning luxury and lifestyle travel magazine with content ranging from destination guides, styles & culture, food & drink, spa guides, and wonderful places to stay around the world.
