I’ve used Lonely Planet guides for ideas and inspiration for over 15 years. I like their commitment to only publishing information that has been tested in person by one of their reviewers

Growing up I used to love browsing my parents’ huge collection of National Geographic magazines. These days you can access their inspiring travel photography and content online via wide variety of digital and print media.

Google flight search is a quick and no frills way to search for flights online. You can specify direct flights, preferred airlines and flying times through its simple and intuitive interface. If you find a flight that meets your requirements click on the link and Google offers you several buying options for the flights you choose.

Travel search site Skyscanner useful if you are looking for the cheapest flights available. The site has similar search capabilities to Google Flights but defaults to finding the lowest cost alternative. You can also use Skyscanner to book hotels and car hire.

I love Google maps and use it almost every day. When planning travel it is very useful tool for estimating travel times via different methods of transport – car vs train for example. Some major cities have public transport links and times as well as live traffic alerts built in so you can change your plans easily if required. It is also easy to save destinations on your own map for a later date.

Travel search engine Rome2Rio uses information from more than 4,800 transport operators in over 158 countries to provide travel route options, times and prices all over the world. I usually check Rome2Rio if I have some tricky connections to make and am always thrilled with the alternative suggestions made. I also like the interface because it is visual and appealing.

An incredible resource for planning train travel, particularly in Europe,  The Man in Seat 61 started its life as a humble blog by a train enthusiast.

My favourite site to book accommodation is Booking.com because I feel it has the biggest listing of hotels, apartments, b&bs and other specialty accommodation available. Many of the properties may be booked with free cancellation which is useful when you are in the initial planning stages. Please do remember to cancel your bookings well in advance if you have done this. Many smaller operators really suffer from late booking cancellations.

Industry giant TripAdvisor is a great place to read accommodation reviews and tips and now you can also book short term rental properties online using TripAdvisor’s booking engine – Holiday Lettings which is also integrated into the main TripAdvisor site. Note – When you book hotels you are given several options of hotel booking sites to choose from while lettings are sold direct using PayPal

We have been using AirBnB since 2014 and have stayed in some fantastic places. We always choose to rent the entire home. I like to use AirBnB for longer stays as since Booking.com entered the short term rental market the convenience of searching for and comparing accommodation options in the one place is useful. If you haven’t tried AirBnB please feel free to use my link for free AirBnB credit [£25 or equivalent] when making your first booking.

If you know your travel dates and are set on staying a hotel Hotels Combined does all the hard work for you by comparing the rates from all the major hotel booking sites. I find it very interesting to see the different rates being offered across each platform and have secured some incredible deals using this service that also guarantees the lowest price. Note – you do not pay for your hotel using this service – it acts like a search engine.

Lonely Planet guides are excellent sources of information about the area you are visiting as they are written by independent travellers. I usually check on their hotel and eating recommendations as they have not failed me yet.

It is important to me that I know the cultural and historic context behind the places I am visiting. I use DK Eyewitness travel guides for this purpose.

I love the visual layout that often includes diagrams of buildings and landmarks with explanations of the symbolism behind them.

I love the convenience offered by Get Your Guide. Book tours, attractions and activities online or via their handy app. There are almost 30,000 activities listed in over 6,000 locations. All your tour and payment information is stored on your phone so you don’t have carry paper about or rummage through emails.

Often the best way to discover any destination is through its local dishes. Join a food tour by Eating Europe and you’ll not only have a delicious time but you’ll learn all about the history and culture of cities like Paris, London and Prague. Their tour of Rome’s Testaccio district made our list of best food tours in Rome

Choose tours and activities on line with Viator. Similar to Get Your Guide mentioned earlier, Viator is owned by TripAdvisor and features reviews and online support.

Search for the top rated tours and attractions online with TripAdvisor and then book directly on their site. I tend to do a quick check of TripAdvisor but use other providers to book the tours as they don’t seem to have as many tours available to book.

If you are looking for tickets to some of world’s biggest attractions check AttractionTix where you can find great deals on iconic experiences like a bateau mouche cruise in Paris or taking in the view from The Shard in London.

If you want your travel full of local experiences organised for you Intrepid offers some of the best and cost effective small group tours. I used them as a new solo traveller and enjoyed having the security of a group and the expertise of local guides. These days I find their website is a great resource for checking itineraries and finding ideas on activities and places to visit.

Sharing a meal with locals is one of my favourite ways to experience local culture. Bon Appetour connects travellers with local chefs and cooks for unique and authentic home dining experiences in cities around the world.

If you are visiting a major city, chances are you will need some help understanding the transit system. Citymapper is a free online resource and app that will help you get from A to B easily. The smarts in this system even tell you what train carriage to get on.

Car rental prices can vary wildly across countries and providers. We use Rentalcars.com to help us find the best car hire deals for our trips. They source the best options and prices from known vendors so it is easy to compare and find the right car for your trip.

The FreeNow taxi app works in many cities around the world. It’s useful because you can track your taxi and fares and there is no need to know local numbers. Paying via the app also means not having to carry local cash. I’ve used it in London, Melbourne and Rome without a hitch. Also available in the USA
it is easy to compare and find the right car for your trip.

Sometimes the best way of getting from A to B is with a professional driver. This often happens with airport transfers when you have a lot of luggage and people to transport. Blacklane has an excellent service that we have used in Italy and London. Prices are fair, your booking can be canceled at any time and are fully inclusive.

I love travelling by train in Europe. One of the easiest ways to buy train tickets and rail passes is via Omio. The site covers 28 countries and 15,000 cities and towns across Europe so you don’t have to navigate the train booking systems of each country you want to visit. Plus it is in native English and accepts international credit cards and you keep your tickets on their handy app.

Uber is a transport option I came to rely on in London and then it got banned. There are many countries and cities following suit so I use Uber as a back up when I can.

Most travel insurance policies need to be purchased in your country of residence. Available to people from over 150 countries, World Nomads insurance has flexible insurance policies available to travellers. You can buy, extend and even claim online. Note – they do not offer great coverage for travellers over 60

Sometimes when you are travelling you need access to funds fast. We avoid bank charges using HiFX – a quick, easy and safe way to transfer funds abroad.

We have been caught out a couple of times needing to pay cash for accommodation (when I didn’t read the fine print). The solution has been to use PayPal and it is a great back up solution for those emergency situations.Securely link your bank account, debit cards and credit cards and then you can pay via PayPal in 202 countries and markets, and in 25 currencies. The fees can be high but as I said, it’s a back up solution.