Best Travel Resources and Services for a Stress-Free Vacation

For all things travel, here are the resources we use when planning a trip.

“He who is best prepared can best serve his moment of inspiration.”

 SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE

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Are You Planning a Trip Soon?

Are you trying to decide which companies to book your next adventure through? With decades of travel under our belts, we have used what seems like an endless number of companies. Some we were not impressed with, and some have burned us. Here are our Best travel resources and services.

There are many sites out there for shopping for all aspects of travel, including travel gear and clothing. It can become overwhelming for many with so many options. Though we are very budget-conscious, we are not the kind of travelers who will fly in a middle seat, sleep in a sketchy hotel, stay in hostels, or stand in long lines to save a few dollars. The vendors we use must have excellent ratings, advocate for their customers when needed, and provide a quality product they stand behind. We are not expecting perfection, but a voice when things go sideways can be invaluable. That is why we are big believers in brand loyalty and wrote an article about it. Check it out here.

When we travel, we hit the ground running with little time to rest. When we sleep, it needs to be comfortable and safe. We need to know we are covered for the what-ifs that can happen, that we are secure with our tours and drivers, that our accessories are reliable, and that we can count on connectivity at all times. That is how we have come to find who provides the best travel resources and services.

Over decades of travel and almost 2.1 million combined flight miles, we have found companies/sites we trust and use regularly. That does not mean we don’t always compare and shop around. Below are the businesses we use and trust. If your experience is any different, let us know. It is valuable that people learn from your experiences so everyone can avoid the same scenario.

This travel planning resource page contains affiliate links. If you use these travel resource links to buy something, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for checking out our best travel resources and services

Travel Insurance

Squaremouth Insurance

Our favorite travel insurance site!

We are strong advocates of being well-insured, not just for the little stuff but for the big things like medical emergencies. We never leave home without it. Our go-to place is Squaremouth.com. It does a fantastic job with its user-friendly interface and works with top-rated, reputable insurance carriers. They also mediate on your behalf if you have problems.

To empower you as a consumer, we suggest you read our blog post on the importance of travel insurance and how to get the best coverage from top-rated companies for an affordable price.

MedjetAssist Membership

Medical transport back home from anywhere in the world

They are the premier global air medical transport. One caveat of travel insurance is that medical evacuation usually gets you to the nearest facility for care. Medjet gets you back to the U.S. to the hospital of your choice once you are stable enough to fly. A Medjet membership is only for medical transport. Medjet Horizon offers expanded coverage, which we now choose for our travels. They have individual trip policies starting at $99 and annual policies for around $300. Most of their policies limit the age to 74.

To learn more about how Medical Evacuation membership with Medjet Assist works, check out our blog post for a more detailed review.

Travel booking sites

Booking.com

Hotels, Home rentals, BNBs, Flights, and other Transportation & Tours 

Booking.com connects millions of travelers to memorable experiences, various transportation options, and incredible places to stay – from homes to hotels and much more. As one of the world’s largest travel marketplaces for established brands and entrepreneurs of all sizes.

It is a site we use on every trip. When researching an area, especially off the beaten path, there are great little places we read about to stay. We always start with Expedia to check prices, but sometimes it says it is sold out. We then tried Booking.com, and we found that it lists plenty of rooms. This had been the case, especially in Switzerland and Germany. We do book directly when we can, but we see more places relying on travel sites alone for reservations.

Expedia.com Travel

Hotels, Home rentals, BNBs, Flights, and other Transportation & Tours 

Expedia is a U.S.-based site whose mission is to power global travel for everyone. Whether planning a family vacation, business, or organizing the trip of a lifetime, they are the go-to resource. Wanderers Compass focuses on independent travel, and using sites like Expedia makes that possible. Every aspect of travel you need, from airfare, accommodations, rental car, cruises, and things to do at destinations, can be booked on Expedia.  

Vacation Rental By Owner (VRBO)

VRBO is ideal when traveling with a family or having an extended stay at your destination.

With over 2 million bookable vacation rentals, VRBO connects homeowners with families and vacationers seeking more than a hotel for their trip. The VRBO community offers families a variety of rental properties, including condos, cabins, lake rentals, beach houses, and more. Discover properties in destinations that everyone dreams of visiting.

With recent issues with Airbnb and its lack of customer support, many are turning to VRBO. Many of the same properties exist there. It is now under Expedia Group ownership, which many were worried about, but it hasn’t panned out as a concern. It is a massive network with access to all lodging forms should issues arise. Joelle has used VRBO for many years with her family, traveling with no problems.

Communication products for seamless connectivity overseas

GigSky International eSim Data Plans

Local Prices. No Roaming. Fastest Networks.

GigSky eSIM keeps travelers seamlessly connected worldwide without the hassle of swapping physical SIM cards or facing unexpected roaming charges. With affordable data plans and instant activation, you can enjoy reliable internet access in over 190 countries, making travel more convenient than ever. They have a great offer, a 100 MB data plan for free, and no credit card is required. They are so confident that you will love their product!

Enjoy 10% off all GigSky Plans (except cruise and inflight) with our discount code WCOMPASS10

To learn more about how GigSky works, check out our blog post for a more detailed review.

Transportation services

Daytrip

Personalized city-to-city private car transfer service

Daytrip is an affordable private car service for city-to-city transfers worldwide. We love their service, and it costs much less than renting a car. You can enjoy comfortable, stress-free travel with the bonus of scenic sightseeing stops along your journey. For example, we used them between Budapest and Vienna, making some fantastic stops along the way. Their professional drivers and customizable routes ensure a smooth ride while allowing you to explore hidden gems and local attractions.

To learn more about Daytrip, check out our blog post for a more detailed review.  

Rail Europe Bookings

Discover Europe by Train

Rail Europe offers train and bus tickets for travel across Europe. They cover 24 countries, 105 rail operations, and 20,000 stations. Rail Europe is the official rail and bus operations agent in the UK, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. They continue to add coverage all the time.

It is a fast, easy, and economical way to purchase European train and bus tickets. Eurail passes are also available for purchase on their website.

Traveling by train in Europe is one of the highlights of many of our trips. It is a fantastic and unique way to experience Europe. Try it at least once; you will likely be back again soon!

Travel Experiences

Viator

Leading Marketplace for travel experiences

As the leading marketplace for travel experiences, Viator believes that making memories is what travel is all about. With 300,000+ experiences to explore—everything from simple tours to extreme adventures (and all the niche, exciting stuff in between)—making memories that will last a lifetime has never been easier.

With industry-leading flexibility and last-minute availability, it’s never too late to make any day extraordinary. This one site has it all and has experiences throughout the world. We use them often during our travels, especially for food tours. We especially take the time to read the reviews provided.

Travel shopping

Amazon.com

An excellent source for travel essentials and guides

We now have our own Amazon Storefront with all our favorite travel accessories and gear in one place. Check out our travel store at the link below. As an Amazon Affiliate, we do earn a small commission on purchases at no additional cost to you.

Wanderers Compass Travel Blog Amazon Storefront

Amazon is one of the most comprehensive online shopping sources in the world. On behalf of their customers, teams worldwide provide lower prices, better selection, and rapid delivery. They offer a vast inventory, and their 1.7 million small and medium businesses worldwide selling on Amazon.com provide more options for customers.

We buy all our travel books, accessories, and luggage from Amazon. We had ordered up to two days before travel and received what we needed on time. It is an invaluable travel planning resource for us.

Travel Documentation Services

PhotoAiD

Be your own passport photographer

Do you feel like you are wasting time visiting an on-site photographer only to be embarrassed by the photo? Would you like control of the final product? Get the perfect VISA or passport photo online with PhotoAID.

When traveling, you often need to apply for official documents such as a passport, ID, and different kinds of licenses or cards. Those applications require a picture that must meet specific conditions to be accepted, depending on the country. Now, it is possible to take this picture at home without the help of a professional photographer. The PhotoAiD app allows you to take the perfect biometric photo that you can guarantee without leaving your house.

Traveling involves many elements of preparation. To make your trip even more successful, check out our blog post, Ryan’s Top Travel Tips.

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