Resources

We are constantly looking for new music for our playlists, interesting foods to try, and fabulous tools that make traveling (and travel planning!) easier, cheaper, and more interesting. We will pass along the best travel finds right here in the hopes they make your life easier too - you're on your own for dinner and a soundtrack.

Flights

Even the smallest amount of effort researching flight options can result in big savings, especially if you use a flight aggregator which lets you search dozens of airline websites, and/or main travel booking sites, at once - think of it as one-stop shopping. To ensure we're getting the most flight for our hard earned cash, we tend to search three main flight aggregators (below), and then follow up with a quick search of the airline websites for the carriers offering the best price. Maybe we are a bit cautious, but we figure that by taking the time to quickly search the airline's website as well, we can ensure the price we end up paying is the best available.

Kayak is one of the better-known aggregators out there and for good reason - in our opinion it's probably the best place to start searching. Kayak does all the work for you, searching many other travel sites (like Expedia, Travelocity, and Orbitz) simultaneously and then compiling the results for you to see. The site offers a number of great filtering options and gives different booking options so you can avoid those annoying hidden fees and surcharges.

 

Skyscanner is a fantastic aggregator that we just recently discovered. It is very similar to other aggregators like Kayak, but often provides more low-cost airline options. The great thing about Skyscanner is their extremely flexible search options which include city-to-city flights as well as country-to-city and country-to-country options. This site also lets you search for flights over a month or whole year time-span which is helpful for GAP or prolonged trips.

Momondo is a very similar site to Skyscanner - as it includes a number of low-cost airline options as well. In addition to the usual useful filters, it also has a great slider that lets you balance out options like time and price to find the most suitable flight for your needs.

Remember that the cost of the flight itself is not the only factor to consider when searching for the cheapest option - Does the airport you fly into charge a tax? How much does it cost to get to your accommodation for the night? Do you get in at awkward times? Sometimes it's better to pay a bit extra and arrive at a decent time, or fly overnight and avoid paying for accommodations. Will you be in a remote terminal that add hours to your time? Can you fly into another airport and then take a budget flight to your final destination? What is the airline's cancellation policy and the likelihood you will have to use it? Make sure to look at the big picture and not just the cost that comes up after clicking "search".

Websites 

Nerdy Day Trips is a fantastic website that we've just started using. It has hundreds of thousands of day trips appealing to the nerd inside everyone of us and lets you get off the tourist-beaten path to discover some fantastically cool places. These include everything from abandoned nuclear bunkers to submersible bridges to strange museums.

Spotted by Locals offers up to date tips and insider information for 44 different European cities. The best part is that it's written by locals in each area, so you know the recommendations are tried and tested. We've found some neat off the beaten path sites through this website and it's constantly being added to and updated.

Although we didn't get a chance to take a tour with We Hate Tourism Tours, however they have some great resources on their website as well as an in-depth article about different, lesser known, attractions in Lisbon. Definitely a good read if you are headed to the area.

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