TRAVEL HACKS & GEAR
Make Family Trips Easier
Our Best Travel Hacks & Gear
Looking for Flights?
Flight Search Engines
Google Flights
We primarily use Google Flights to get an idea of best prices and what flights are available. However, we always book directly with the airline and .don’t recommend using 3rd party booking apps.
If something happens to your flight, you have little recourse with the airline if you didn’t buy your fight from them.
Heads Up: Some of the links on this page are affiliate links, meaning we get a small commission if you buy something. We don’t recommend things we don’t personally use, we don’t accept products for review, and we don’t accept sponsored posts. And we link to lots of things that we don’t receive a commission for as well. If it is a good product that we use, then we will recommend it. For more about our philosophy, see our Disclosures page.
What’s In My Bag?
General Packing Recommendations
Tech
Packing Lists For Specific Activities
Travel & Camping Gear Blogs
Where to stay
Our Go-To Accommodation Platforms
Booking.com
We have been using booking.com for years and it has a reliable reputation, especially internationally. It’s great for hotels and also small apartment rentals. If you are traveling to Europe, booking.com is the one of the best lodging platforms to use.
VRBO
We prefer renting a house or apartment for our trips because it makes life so much easier when traveling with kids. VRBO is our platform of choice, because of its reliable quality, ease of use, and wide variety of choices.
Hotels.com
We use hotels.com and booking.com interchangeably, especially in the USA. We like to price compare on both platforms and have found hotels.com to be reliable and easy to use,plus it is often very competitive on price.
Pro Tip:
Reviews are your friend! Take the time to read all the reviews before you book lodging.
We don’t expect perfection but how an accommodation deals with a bad review can tell you a lot about how they treat their guests. And whether a dirty room was a one-time issue or a recurring problem.
Booking an Excursion?
The Best Places To Look For Tours
Get Your Guide
Find a tour, personal guide, or immersive experience that’s perfect for your family with Get Your Guide. One of the world’s largest marketplaces for travel services, we like the hundreds of reviews you can peruse to make sure you are getting something reputable.
How to get around
Transportation Recommendations
Hertz Rental Cars
In the US, we tend to rent from Hertz simply because we have loyalty points with them and we have always had a good experience. We tend to stay with the name brand car rental companies such as Hertz, Alamo, Budget, or Enterprise because you have a far more reliable customer service experience than with some of the internet companies.
Europcar Rentals
In Europe, I like to rent from Hertz or Europ Car, again because I have had good experiences with both.