15 websites you shouldn't skip when planning a trip

Published: 19/07/2026

Planning a trip rarely happens on a single website any more. Flights are searched in one place, accommodation in another, transfers in a third, and then it all has to fit together and stay within budget. Over the years a handful of tools have become the ones experienced travellers open automatically. Here are fifteen worth keeping in your bookmarks.

Flights

**Google Flights** is the fastest way to see the whole picture: the price calendar shows the cheapest days of the month and the map shows where you can fly at all on a given budget.

**Skyscanner** is useful for its "anywhere" search and because it catches smaller carriers other aggregators miss. Always confirm the final price on the airline's own site.

**Kiwi.com** combines flights from airlines with no agreement between them. It can be much cheaper, but read carefully what happens if the first leg is delayed.

**Azair** looks dated but still does one job better than most: finding the cheapest low-cost combinations across a date range.

Accommodation

**Booking.com** remains the largest database and the best place to see what exists in a destination, even if you end up booking directly with the host.

**Airbnb** works better for whole flats and houses, especially for longer stays and bigger groups. Check the total with the cleaning fee before comparing.

For a holiday in Serbia, accommodation on this portal is contacted directly — no guest commission. The same goes for apartments, log cabins and holiday cottages.

Transport and routes

**Rome2Rio** answers the question "how do I even get from here to there", listing every combination of plane, train, bus, ferry and car with rough prices and durations.

**Omio** and **FlixBus** cover European bus and rail, with online tickets. FlixBus is particularly useful from Serbia towards Vienna, Budapest, Ljubljana and Munich.

**Seat61** is one man's site that has explained European and Asian rail travel in detail for twenty years. For train journeys there is no better source.

Money, documents and safety

**Wise** gives a real exchange rate when paying abroad and is the cheapest way to move money across borders. Order the card at least two weeks before you travel.

**XE.com** is the quickest way to check a rate when a bureau de change offers you an "excellent" one.

**The Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs** (mfa.gov.rs) publishes current visa and entry rules by country. These change more often than people expect.

**AMSS** (amss.org.rs) publishes road conditions and border waiting times — in season, checking it before departure can save hours.

Maps, weather and content

**Organic Maps** or **Maps.me** keep maps offline, which saves the day when the signal disappears in a canyon or abroad without roaming.

**Windy** shows detailed wind, rain and wave forecasts — essential for hiking, sailing or rafting. For Serbia, we also publish a forecast for around fifty destinations.

**Wikivoyage** is a free, non-commercial guide written by travellers. No ads and no sponsored recommendations, which often makes it more honest than affiliate-funded blogs.

Using them in the right order

Sequence matters more than it seems. Set the rough dates and budget first, then check when flying is cheapest, and only then look for accommodation — nightly rates can double during local festivals. Check how you will reach the property before you pay, not after.

One last tip: keep a single document with links, booking numbers and host phone numbers. When a phone dies or the internet drops, one printed page is worth more than fifteen websites.