I have been a solo woman traveling for 10 + years now! And when I first started to explore the world, travel planning websites were pretty basic. The internet has come a long way since 2010. And, all this technology has been game-changing for women traveling on their own!
Why use a travel planning website? The answer to this question could be endless. But narrowing it down to why it is most beneficial, we can start with finding the best deals! When travel planning, budget is most everyone’s major factor. This is why using a site to help you find a flight or hotel can be so helpful. Also, more inclusive sites provide suggestions for the best restaurants and attractions in the area.
When booking my trips, there are 6 travel planning websites that I use consistently. Once I have arrived at my destination, there is also 13 must-have travel app for solo females I use every trip. I will start to break down each travel planning site and why these are vital in helping me get from point a to point b.
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6 Travel Planning Websites
On to the actual list of sites that I find most useful. These sites will help you book any trip whether it is a road trip, vacation rental, or just a little getaway off the beaten path! Some of these sites have membership reward programs!
Skyscanner
This travel planning website is gold! When using Skyscanner, I love getting inspired to choose where to go by setting my destination to “anywhere.” Just put in your departing city and the dates you want to travel, then add anywhere to your destination choice. Click search, and BOOM, a list of destinations will appear sorted by cheapest option first.
Who doesn’t love finding the best deals and discovering new cities? Using this feature, I have discovered a couple of “off the beaten path” destinations. I can credit my trip to Bari, Italy, and Valletta, Malta to using Skyscanner.
Booking.com
I love booking.com for so many reasons! It is not just a site for hotels, but vacation rentals as well! You can also use this traveling planning website to book airport taxis! I feel like I am always finding the best deals on booking.com!
This site has a nifty loyalty program that saves you money the more you book with them. Genius level one, which is achieved with any 2 stays within 2 years, gets you 10% off for your account’s life. And, when you complete 5 stays within 2 years, you are upgraded to Genius level 2. In level 2, you are bumped up to a 15% discount and free breakfast and upgrades at some select hotels.
I should also mention the travel community forum on this site. It’s perfect if you plan to visit somewhere, perhaps in the offseason, and want to know if it’s worth it. This sort of travel forum is beneficial for solo females traveling interested in safety advice.
Get Your Guide
Get Your Guide is a highly rated and user-friendly site and travel planning app. This site is wonderful to get an overview of the cities best attractions and tours. The ease of using this site and helpful traveler reviews make it a winner.
Many people often don’t think of a traveler hack using a day tour to get from point a to point b. BUT LET ME BE CLEAR, you can only do this if you are traveling with a backpack. Showing up for your day tour to another city with your suitcase will not work. I would often travel with a small backpack to the destination city and stay after the tour.
Get Your Guide as a travel planning site has been really terrific. I would recommend it over any of the other travel sites offering similar services.
Omino Travel
I use Omino Travel for on the ground transit travel. This includes buses, car rentals for a road trip, or train travel. What I also really love about Omino is the travel planning suggestions.
When you log on to Omino and type in your destinations, it will display search results based on the shortest duration. Having this feature has really shaped some of my travel planning. Sometimes you might think the fastest way to reach your destination is by train, but sometimes it turns out the bus is better or vice versa.
Omino also has a $5 referral program. Sign up and refer a friend, and as soon as they sign up and use Omino, you both get $5!
Direct Ferries
There is something magical traveling from island to island. For my trips via the open sea, no better site to use than Direct Ferries. This travel planning website will display search results by the cheapest and shortest duration. This way, you are finding the best deals with the optimal travel time.
Direct Ferries has a user-friendly App and friendly customer service. I have used them most recently and had to make some changes to the travel dates. I was able to do this easily on their site without hassle or fees.
Wanderlog
A NEW and exciting travel planning app out there is Wanderlog. Wanderlog is especially cool if you are planning a road trip. Use this highly integrated app easily to keep all your travel plans organized.
Use Wanderlog on your desktop or on your phone with the ISO/ Android App. In addition to keeping all your travel plans organized, you can find loads of travel guides created by locals.
Easily export all your saved points of interest into Google Maps! I am very impressed with the overall ease of use and functionality of Wanderlog.
More Travel Planning Websites
These days there are so many sites to use for travel planning. My top 5 are the ones that I have used the most with consistent success. If you are still looking for more, here is a list:
- Airbnb– Great for vacation rentals and creative experiences with locals. Get $30 for your first stay.
- Google Flights– Another site that shows you a variety of choices in destinations by price.
- Open Table– A great site to use for making restaurant reservations
- Travel Planning Books – Atlas Obscura.
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I hope you enjoyed this post 6 Travel Planning Websites! Share your experience with my recommendations in the comments below! My goal is to encourage and inspire any solo traveler who has always dreamed of traveling but had been waiting for a partner. Traveling alone can be a liberating and powerful experience.
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Chris Pederson says
I like the idea of checking on a website that has restaurants and attractions laid out for me to read about. Vacations are a way for me to escape my boring hometown. To try new food and experiences that I can’t get anywhere else.
Melissa Byron says
It’s exactly why I travel! I love trying new places to eat.