Before we spill the tea on how we prepare our travel, you need to know that we like to travel with the flow. Most of the time we do not make a fixed planning because we feel that this creates unnecessary stress. But on the other had, there are always certain things we definitely want to see, so we always map out a rough route along the things we want to see, that is open to changes.
We mainly use this way of planning when we are going to travel with our van. It can also be used for other kinds of travel. but that will require a bit more specific planning, such as airplanes, transfers and transportation.
We continuously save posts on instagram with interesting places and information. We have sorted these posts into folders by country. So we always start by looking at the map of the country we are heading to. Then we source google (blogs), Pinterest and our books. All the places we like, we pin on a map in Mymaps (by google maps) and add all information we’ve found to it.
The easy thing about this map is that you can use different color codes, layers and icons. For places we really want to see we use for example a star. But you can also indicate restaurant, hikes… This way you get a complete overview in one map and you can start planning a route.
When you have your route and decided what you want to see during your trip, you can start making a planning and search for transportation and accommodation.
We’ve listed the resources we use below. When you purchase something through some of these links, we’ll get a small commission at no extra cost to you. A win-win which helps us keeping our travel blog alive.
Staying a great and pleasant accommodation will probably make or break your trip. Whether you prefer a hotel or a hostel. you will find the best accommodations through the following links.
Booking.com ➚
On booking.com you find the largest collection of accommodations: From hotels and hostels to bed & breakfast and apartments.
Tripadvisor ➚
On Tripadvisor you can browse hundreds of millions of traveler reviews but also find and compare the best deals on hotels.
Hostelworld ➚
Besides the largest collection of hostels, you will also find hotels and bed & breakfasts on hostelworld.com
Trip.com ➚
On trip.com you can plan almost your entire trip, not only accommodation but also airline tickets, rental cars, public transport and activities.
Finding the cheapest flights ensures that there is more budget to do other fun things in your destination. The cheapest flights can be found on the next websites.
Skyscanner ➚
Skyscanner is a great tool to find cheap flights. This site compares prices from thousands of providers and show you the best options.
Google flights ➚
Google Flights is a powerful flight search engine. It’s a great tool for finding cheap flights and finding out if the current price are high or low.
Trip.com ➚
On trip.com you can plan almost your entire trip, not only airline tickets, but also rental cars, trains, accommodation and activities.
Rental cars are useful if you want to go on a road trip. But even if you stay in the same place, a rental car provides more freedom and requires less planning. Via the following links you will find the perfect rental car or even camper for your next (road) trip.
Paul Camper (only UK, Germany, Austria and the Netherlands) ➚
Paul Camper is the largest camper-sharing marketplace in Europe. It lists over 10,000 camping vehicles throughout Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom for you to enjoy.
Rentalcars.com ➚
Rentalcars.com is part of booking.com and it is the world’s biggest online car rental service. From luxury and economy to family rental cars. The platform partners with over 900 car rental companies in 60.000 locations across 160 countries.
Trip.com ➚
On trip.com you can plan almost your entire trip, not only rental cars and trains but also airline tickets, accommodation and activities.
When you travel around with a campervan or motor home, it is always good to know where you can park and/or stay the night. But it is also useful to know where you can empty and fill your water and how others have liked the place.
Park4night ➚
This is our go-to app when it comes to finding places to stay the night with our campervan for both free camping and camping sites. Whether you just need to know where to camp nearby or you want to plan a free camping road trip, these apps will come in handy. The app includes camping sites, parking lots, laundry services… and even private persons or farmers who open their domain to park your van, sometimes for free, sometimes for a small contribution. You’ll find pictures, reviews and any other information you need.
Unique and fun activities can take your trip to the next level. You’ll be able to experience a destination in a different way. We’ve listed the best websites to book local activities here.
GetYourGuide ➚
It is thé booking platform for awesome experiences. GetYourGuide helps travelers find the best things to do wherever they’re headed, including skip-the-line tickets to the world’s most iconic attractions, walking tours by top local experts, immersive food and beverage tours, cooking and craft classes, bucket-list experiences, and niche offerings you won’t find anywhere else.
Tripadvisor ➚
Tripadvisor is a travel platform that brings people, passions and places together. You can find out where to stay, what to do and where to eat based on the advice of millions of travelers who have been there before. But also book experiences, reserve a table at excellent restaurants and discover great locations nearby.
Viator ➚
Viator (by TripAdvisorà is the world’s largest experiences platform, connecting travelers with tours and activities that they’ll remember for a lifetime. Viator offers more than 300,000 experiences in 200 countries, such as tickets and passes to popular landmarks, bus tours, day trips, walking tours, cooking classes, catamarans and so on.
Trip.com ➚
On trip.com you can plan almost your entire trip. Not only activities, but also accommodation, rental cars, trains and airline tickets.