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Travel Resources

The Minted Traveler contains affiliate links and is a member of the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. If you make a purchase using one of these Amazon links, I may receive compensation at no extra cost to you.

Throughout my years of traveling, I have found several planning and travel resources that I personally use and love! Each and every one of these I have personally used and recommend. Some of these links may contain an affiliate link where I may receive a small commission if you purchase, at no additional cost to you.

Travel Planning

When starting to plan a vacation or travel destination, often the hardest place to start is where to go.  These resources are a good place to get ideas flowing and see what’s out there.

Books

These two books are my favorite to gather ideas, find something interesting, and narrow down your options. With so many places to go and see, the options can become overwhelming rather quickly. Use each to pick a few locations that pique your interest and go from there.

Picture of a book: 100 Countries 5000 Ideas

100 Countries 5000 Ideas – This book is great for ideas about which countries to visit. If you are starting to travel or need new ideas, this book is for you.

100 different countries are highlighted with unique ideas that may intrigue and excite you! Each country has a map showing nearby areas, an annual climate forecast, and pros and cons for each.

Picture of a book: 50 States 5000 Ideas50 States 5000 Ideas – This book is great for ideas about the United States and recently they’ve added Canada too! Each state is highlighted with top sites, things that can’t be missed, and fun facts for each.

For those with a bucket list to visit all 50 states – this is for you.

Google Flights

Another great travel planning tool is Google Flights. I especially love the explore tool for Google Flights where you can search destinations based on your departure airport and see how far you can go. Check out my tutorial on how to use Google Flights to stretch your budget.

Google Maps

Planning a trip and seeing where you can go, the best place to stay, and the ultimate route to take can seem daunting. I use Google Maps to create my own maps that highlight these places. Sometimes seeing it really helps the planning process.

Next to the search bar, select the 3-line stack, then select Your places. Here you can create your maps, add pinpoints and locations, and even stack these on your own Google Maps once finished.

Travel Rewards

Maximizing your budget and using travel rewards is an excellent way to travel more. My favorite card is the Chase Sapphire Preferred which offers generous travel rewards, annual hotel credit, and other perks.

By shifting items you would normally spend (don’t go into debt for travel rewards) you can rack up travel rewards and reduce the out-of-pocket cost for your vacations! Think utilities like electricity, gas, water, cell phone, groceries, gas, etc.

Most credit cards also have sign-up bonuses which increase the number of rewards points as well. Consult with your financial advisor before making financial choices.

Packing Favorites

Travel Scale

Photo of a white luggage scale with strapThe Escali Velo travel scale is the perfect way to ensure you aren’t unpacking your suitcase at the airport  (believe me, I’ve been there!) or having to pay for overweight luggage. The travel scale is a lightweight, digital scale that shows the luggage weight in both pounds (lb) and kilograms (kg).

The strap can go around any suitcase handle and provides the best reading. This small scale is battery powered with a CR2032 battery most common in watches.

TSA Locks

Photo of a TSA approved luggage lockLocks on your luggage provide extra peace of mind when traveling, but make sure they are TSA Approved.

We use these TSA Approved cable locks that allow more wiggle room between our suitcases without needing different locks. The cable is flexible yet strong, and the 3-digit combination code is easy to remember across all our luggage.

GoPro – action camera

Photo of a GoPro 9 action camera frontNo trip is complete without some epic video coverage to remember your travel highlights when you return home. We love the GoPro action cameras due to their compact size, ability to be used underwater or for action sports, and high-quality images and videos.

Accommodation Favorites

Google Hotels

Another great way to find hotels, read reviews, and check prices all in one is Google Hotels. Similar to how Google Flights works, you can select an area, add your dates, and move the map around to see where hotels are. 

Filters for hotel rating, class, reviews, and pricing will help you narrow down your selection. One cool tip is to check for the deals – each hotel that is on sale will have this indicated, sometimes allowing you to stay in a 5-star hotel for a 2-star price! 

Marriott Hotels

The Marriott brand has dozens of hotels across various price points and locations, offering quality where ever you are. We love staying at their hotels for the convenience, top-notch quality, and their rewards and loyalty program.

Travel Memories & Souvenirs

Post-travel memories are the best, but sometimes pictures go years before being used and you aren’t sure what type of souvenirs to bring home. These are my favorite:

Travel Map Photo Frame

Picture of the United States with each state as a photo.By far, one of my favorite gifts was a travel map photo frame from Thunder Bunny Labs! Our goal, like many others, is to see all 50 states – and what better way to capture each state than with a photo highlighting our trip. 

This map is a large 24 x 36-inch map that comes framed and each state can be printed out with a unique state shape. Using their online photo lab, you customize your photos and alter the display area for each before printing. It’s a fun way to fill in the map and plan the next state to mark off our list.

Passport Books

While gathering passport stamps is fun, adding non-approved stamps is a big no-no. A fun way to visit the U.S. National Parks and get passport stamps is with their Passport to Your National Parks book.

Each park has pages where you can add passport stamps from the parks along with maps, information, and guides. This is a cool souvenir that is free in the parks – and quite addictive!

Christmas Ornaments

At each destination we visit, we pick out a Christmas ornament. It’s a fun way to bring some of the places home with you since every location is unique and different. Every year when we put up the tree, we bring out our ornaments and recount all the places we’ve been and the memories made!

about

I’m Christina, a California native, excited to share my travel tips, budgeting hacks, and ultimate destination guides with you.

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