Tickets
If you don't have a set date for your trip, Kayak is the place to look for cheap flights. It gives you the option of flexible dates, which means you can find the cheapest price available. It also gives you advice on whether now is the time to buy, or if you should hold off for lower prices.
If date flexibility isn't an option, Skyscanner is anther great place to find and compare tickets from all airlines. It's especially useful if you know you want to travel but can't decide where to go, because it can give you the cheapest options based off where you're leaving from.
Hotels
Hotel Tonight is a great app for last-minute hotel reservations (as in, seven days or less in advance). It has a huge variety of hotels all over the world, and makes the process of booking as simple as a few swipes and taps. It even recommends hotels based off your budget and preferences, doing the searching for you.
If you're traveling internationally, Hostel World is another great resource. It has thousands of properties listed all over the world, and is particularly useful in that it guarantees your booking. No more worries about showing up to your hostel to be told they never got your reservation because their server was down.
If you're looking for something more unique or long term, Airbnb is a good option for solo travelers. It allows you to rent out space in people's homes or in unique accommodations like castles, for as long or short as you want. And unlike Craigslist, it's all done through Airbnb's verified services.
Cash
XE is a great site for quick exchange rate information, automatically refreshing every minute or so. You can make a set list of currencies on your homepage, search specific rates, calculate your travel expenses and convert currency for free. They also have a useful app for when you just can't decide if a split-second purchase is worth it.
There are several other highly rated currency apps available through your app store.
Deals
Groupon is incredibly well known for a reason, and that is because it has great deals for people all over the place. It operates in 48 countries, which means you can probably find a deal near you. Again, it has an app, meaning you can take it with you to discover new deals as they're listed.
Travelers in France, Switzerland, Belgium, Spain and Italy can use La Fourchette to find deals on restaurants they actually want to eat at, rather than settling for something just because it has a Groupon. It works similarly to Yelp, but with discounts included.
Travelers to Uruguay, which can be more expensive than its neighboring South American countries, can find daily deals through sites like woOw. Argentina offers discounts through Big Deal, which is similar.
Destinations
If you have a specific destination in mind, are going somewhere on business, or can't decide where to go next, the New York Times' 36 Hours column is a fantastic resource. It takes locations and gives the low down on what to do, what to see, where to eat and more, in 36 hours.
The Frugal Traveler column, also from the New York Times, is another excellent resource for travelers on a budget.
Tripzard is not only extremely useful, but also a fun site to bring out your inner wanderlust. It allows you to choose from options such as the types of trips you've been on in the past, the locations you like best, or when you plan to travel and gives you recommendations for where to go. Think of it as your online travel agent, pick a location, and get going, traveler!
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