This Travel Resources page lists a lot of my favourite travel companies. I’ve been living and travelling abroad since 2012 and have tried a ton of different products and services. These are the ones that have made the cut.
Below, you’ll find everything from my favourite sites for flights and transportation, to the best accommodation and tour platforms, helpful points and miles information, vanlife services, some of my must-have travel products, and more to help make your travel planning easy and fun. Another helpful resource on the blog is The 26 Best Travel Apps in 2026.
If you’d like to see other travel categories on here, like packing items, camera gear, and so on, let me know in the comments below. Have a question about any of the companies listed here? Feel free to send me an email.
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Points and Miles
Are you looking to fly around the world for super affordable prices? I’m talking $22 from Europe to North America, $280 between Asia and North America, etc… Guess what! I’ve been booking flights with points and miles since 2015 and I help Canadians and those living in Canada do just that. Check out my Private Points and Miles Consultation Services or the Pay Yourself to Travel online course where I help Canadians fly for less than a tank of gas! It’s easier than you think and the best time to start is now. Trust me – future you will be thrilled you signed up today.
point.me is a booking platform that boasts a 6-12x increase in value for your points. For members, they make booking with transferable points super easy.
CardPointers offers free and paid versions of the app. It helps you organize and manage your Canadian and American cards, with notifications for annual fees, card benefits, and more. This is a handy tool for the person juggling multiple cards who keeps forgetting which card will give them the maximum benefit. Using my link above will give you 30% off either the annual or lifetime plan!
Flights
Google Flights is a fantastic free tool to give you an overview of what’s available. My favourite feature, “Explore Destinations”, is the site’s unsung hero.
Daily Drop PRO is a service that sends you flight deals from the North American airports of your choice to destinations around the world!
Accommodation
Trusted Housesitters is the best place to find free, comfortable, and sometimes even luxurious accommodation options. Sits are available from a couple of days to a few months and both homeowner and sitter are vetted.
Hostelworld is my favourite platform to find affordable and unique hostel accommodation. I’ve been using this site since 2012 and continue to do so today!
Booking.com is a third party booking platform for worldwide accommodation. With a mix of affordable to luxury properties, there’s something for every travel style.
Agoda is the go-to booking platform for hostels in the eastern hemisphere.
Tours & Activities
Guess Where Trips is hands-down one of my favourite travel companies – and it’s Canadian to boot (eh? eh? 😉 )! Guess Where Trips is your answer to exciting weekend and day-trip plans in Canada and the United States. I wrote a blog post about how the surprise trips work and have shared many times in my Instagram stories over the years of the trips I’ve gone on and the one Ontario Waterfall Route that I created for them. These make an excellent gift for any age too. BONUS: Use code “TRAVELWITHTMc10” for 10% off.
Get Your Guide is an extensive resource for finding different activities and tours. Search for and book walking tours, food tours, tickets to attractions, multi-day trips, and more. I’ve also put together a GYG Storefront with tours that I’ve personally been on, along with a few others I’ve saved for future trips.
Viator is a third-party booking platform that links travellers (you!) with tour operators from around the world.
Transportation
Discover Cars allows you to compare prices and book with partners in over 145 countries. Simple, economical, easy.
Welcome Pickups provides airport transfers in 100+ countries and personalized sightseeing rides with safe and professional drivers who are local experts.
OMIO is a website and app that helps you to search for, compare, and book transportation such as trains, ferries, flights, and buses.
Rome2Rio has been my go-to when looking for transportation routes around the world and when booking trains or buses since 2012. The website and app are super easy to use.
Vanlife
Harvest Hosts are my favourite spots to dock at when in the van. As a solo female traveller I feel super safe when I’m there. The bonus is getting to learn of really cool businesses, meet the amazing owners and hosts, and leave with delicious goodies!
The iOverlander app is a must in any vanlifer’s resource bank. While it’s no longer fully free, there are still free aspects to the app and it’s more than worth paying for the service. What does iOverlander do? Help you find free camping sites!
What to Pack
Lululemon has long been one of my favourite clothing companies to shop at – especially since they have (some) pants that are actually long! My favourite are the Align™ No-Line High-Rise Pant 28″. It’s also a Canadian company, which I love. The Everywhere Belt Bag, their Swiftly Relaxed Long-Sleeve Shirt, and their raincoats are constants in my closet at home and on the road.
Lululemon’s Structured Baseball Cap, or any of their hats really, are a must-have in my carry-on. They’re perfect for runs, going on a hike, or the days when I don’t want to do my hair.
I have never been a big make-up person and I prefer using products that are as clean as possible. The beauty products from Merit have been my go-to for a few years, thanks to my sister’s recommendation. My favourite items are the blending brush, the Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Stick, and the Flush Balm, which is their cheek tint.
Moroccanoil makes my hair feel so soft and smooth. The travel container size is actually the one I use for everyday at home and it lasts me forever.
Dr. Ward’s Fresh Mist is one of my favourite Canadian companies. It’s woman-owned, locally-run, and uses clean and simple materials (I’ve seen where they make them in-person). The only downside is the plastic bottles, though I’m hoping glass + refill options will be available in the future. That said, I’ve got Dr. Ward’s Fresh Mists in my bathroom, in my purse, in my gym bag, and of course in my luggage. It’s a must on the road!
Deuter has been my go-to for travel backpacks since 2012. In fact, the brown travel backpacks in the photo are still in fantastic (near pristine!) condition after almost 15 years of worldwide travel. The blue Deuter backpack is one I bought for my huge RTW trip in 2017 and still comes with me on every single trip. It’s also in perfect condition – and even comes with a rain cover! I highly suggest Deuter for quality gear.
These balls are life-changing. Really! I first bought Yoga Tune-Up Balls and the purple Coregeous Ball to help with sore muscles prior to my RTW trip in 2017. Stupidly, I didn’t actually use them until years later. Huge mistake. Now, I use them every single day at home and abroad to keep my body (and brain) sane. The Tune-Up Balls are my biggest pain/discomfort reliever when my body is out of whack, whether because I’ve been sat like a prawn in front of the computer or squashed on a long-haul flight or I need relief from period cramps. Their website and Instagram provide loads of free helpful videos on how to effectively use them. I use the Coregeous Ball to support my lower back on flights and sometimes as a pillow, as well as in Pilates and yoga.
Books!
Call me crazy, but I don’t own an e-reader. I love the physicality of books – the smell, the feel, the weight, how they overflow on my bookshelves, and the tips and adventures that spill from their pages. Here’s a running list of books I’ve read (travel and otherwise) and here are the best travel books I’ve read to date. (For the record, all of the books I list are available for e-readers too.) In support of fellow independent business owners, I am transitioning the book lists to link to Canadian independent bookstores instead of Indigo, however a few will still link to the former site. Thank you for supporting indie bookshops and Travel with TMc!
Peace of Mind
Travel insurance is a MUST. If you are planning a trip, trust me, you want to make sure your travel is insured. Nomad Insurance with SafetyWing provides global health and travel coverage for people travelling to over 180 countries. It’s ideal for digital nomads, frequent travellers, and remote workers, as well as those who travel from time to time. There are 2 plans: Essential and Complete. The first plan, Essential, provides travel medical coverage. The second plan, Complete, offers full health insurance with extended travel coverage, which is great for people working or travelling through multiple countries.
If you’re anxious or new to travelling and looking for a holistic way to help you prepare your mind and body, The Travel Mindfulness Guide I created in collaboration with Book My Therapy is going to be an excellent resource for you. Included in the guide are 2 delicious and nourishing recipes that can be enjoyed as breakfast or a snack on the go, a relaxing playlist to put on while you pack or are in transit, and 5 journal prompts to help you reflect before, during, and after your trip.
eSIMs & Connectivity
GigSky is an eSIM company that provides data-only eSIMs worldwide. Visa holders can trial their services for free!
