Booking Tools: The Right Link for Each Step of Your Trip
Every trip needs a plan, but that doesn’t mean every step has to be booked in the same place. This page is designed to point you toward the right kind of tool for what you’re trying to do, whether that’s locking in flights, finding a bed for the night, sorting out transport, staying connected, protecting your bookings, or handing everything to a human travel specialist.
Start with the button that matches your next move. Each section highlights a primary tool with a live search widget, and then reveals a curated list of alternatives with notes on who they’re best for.
Lock In Your Flights First
Flights usually set the tone for the rest of your trip, dates, routes, and budget. This section focuses on flexible search tools that help you compare routes, prices, and options before you commit. Start with our main widget below, then open the additional tools if you need a second opinion.
▼ Show more flight tools (Kiwi, Aviasales, and others)
Kiwi.com
Powerful multi-city and “everywhere” search for when you’re flexible on where or when you fly.
Best for: open itineraries, creative routes, and long-term travel planning.
Aviasales
Strong for deal hunting and spotting cheaper alternatives on similar routes.
Best for: fare comparison and budget-conscious flyers.
CheapOAir
An additional marketplace for flight deals, useful for cross-checking.
Best for: deal stacking and last-minute fare checks.
TravelUp
Flight and hotel combinations if you like bundled itineraries.
Best for: flight + hotel bundles on mainstream routes.
Find a Place That Fits How You Travel
Once flights are roughly sorted, it’s time to think about where you’ll actually sleep. Hotels, apartments, homestays, and hostels all have different strengths.
▼ Show more stay tools (VRBO, hostels, homestays, and more)
VRBO
Whole-home and apartment rentals that work well for families, small groups, or longer stays.
Best for: families, groups, and “live like a local” trips.
HostelWorld
Dedicated platform for hostels and social stays.
Best for: solo travelers and budget-friendly, social stays.
Homestay.com
Hosted stays where you live in someone’s home for a more personal local experience.
Best for: cultural immersion and slow travel.
Trivago
Compare offers from multiple booking sites in one place.
Best for: cross-checking hotel prices before you commit.
Expedia
Full-service platform for hotels and packages.
Best for: travelers who want packages in a single account.
Orbitz
Another option for hotel and package deals.
Best for: repeat travelers who like platform-specific rewards.
Travelocity
Similar ecosystem to Expedia/Orbitz with familiar booking flows.
Best for: comparing a familiar brand against other package sites.
Sort Out Cars, Scooters, Bikes, and Transfers
Once you know where you’re going and where you’re staying, the last big question is how you’ll move around when you land.
▼ Show more transport tools (cars, scooters, bikes, and transfers)
Rentalcars.com
Global comparison tool to compare major providers side-by-side.
Best for: familiar rental flow with options.
EconomyBookings
Budget-friendly car rental deals and wide international coverage.
Best for: budget-conscious rental car shoppers.
Localrent
Connects you with local car rental companies.
Best for: supporting local operators and niche vehicles.
BikesBooking
Scooter, motorbike, and bicycle rentals for flexible day-to-day movement.
Best for: city exploring and coastal towns.
Welcome Pickups
Pre-booked airport and city transfers with clear pricing.
Best for: stress-free arrivals and late-night landings.
GetTransfer
Compare private transfer quotes and pick what suits your route.
Best for: families or groups that prefer private transport.
Qeeq
Car rentals with frequent promos in many destinations.
Best for: deal-seekers comparing popular regions.
SeaRadar
Boat, yacht, and sailing charters.
Best for: coastal trips where the ride is the experience.
Intui.travel
Pre-booked transfers between airports, hotels, and resorts.
Best for: scheduled point-to-point transport.
Get Data Before You Land (So Everything Else Works)
This is the quiet travel problem that causes loud travel stress. If you can’t connect, you can’t pull up maps, confirm bookings, message your hotel or guide, or sort out transport when plans shift.
We built a dedicated eSIM guide that breaks down simple options for international travel, plus backup choices when eSIMs aren’t enough.
Best eSIMs for International Travel
Quick picks (Saily, Airalo, Roamless), a comparison table, plus hotspot and remote backup options.
▼ Why this matters (quick reality check)
Arrivals go smoother
Maps, ride apps, pickup messages, and check-in details work immediately.
Best for: airport arrivals and first-day logistics.
Tours stay on track
Meeting points change. Guides message. Data keeps you in the loop.
Best for: day trips, local guides, and last-minute adjustments.
Backup beats panic
When Wi-Fi is weak, data saves the booking, the transfer, or the plan.
Best for: travelers who want a calm plan B.
Works with how you travel
Short trips, long trips, multi-stop routes — choose once and move on.
Best for: flexible itineraries.
Cover Disruptions, Delays, and Flight Issues
Travel doesn’t always go to plan. Airlines can delay, reroute, or cancel flights and sometimes that means you’re owed compensation or support.
▼ Show more protection tools
Compensair
Secondary option for checking and claiming passenger compensation.
Best for: double-checking eligibility or comparing claim outcomes.
LegalShield
Access to licensed provider lawyers for disputes and correspondence.
Best for: escalations when refunds or compensation become unclear.
SafetyWing
Flexible international medical coverage purchased monthly or per trip.
Best for: long-term travel and flexible itineraries.
Note: These tools are not replacements for travel insurance, but they can help you recover money you may be owed after disruptions.
Let a Fareconnect Agent Connect All the Pieces
Not everyone wants to juggle flights, hotels, transfers, and tours across a dozen tabs. If you’d rather have a professional travel specialist connect everything into a single, cohesive itinerary, you can work directly with our trusted Fareconnect partner.
This is especially helpful for bigger trips, multi-city routes, family travel, cruises, or all-inclusive packages, where having one point of contact and one set of confirmations is worth it.
Visit Brenda Lepine’s Fareconnect PageTip: If you know you’ll work with Brenda, try to let her handle most of the core bookings. Mixing too many self-booked pieces with a curated itinerary can make changes more complicated than they need to be.
Affiliate Disclosure: Many of the tools linked on this page are affiliate partners. If you make a booking or purchase through these links, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. This helps us keep Earthbound Tours running and allows us to keep testing and recommending tools that genuinely help travelers plan better trips.