There are many smart websites and apps that make your travel life very easy. You can save money, find better flight deals, hostel prices, and so much more. The Hostelgeeks resource page is your gateway to smart travel gear. Bookmark this site; we always keep this page updated!
We love traveling light, in a minimalist way. We share our backpacks, day packs, gear and packing essentials, and essential guides we wrote for you.
Everybody loves shortcuts. We share following resources:
- Tools and Websites we recommend (and use)
- Flight Comparison (and websites to use)
- How to get your proof for onward travel
- Travel Insurance
- Hostel Bookings (and websites to use)
- Travel Apps
- How to get tickets to sights
- Visa
- Public Transport and Bus
- Luggage
- Travel Essentials
- Electronic Gear
- Photography Gear
- Books
- Packing List
Ultimate Travel Resources
Shortcuts:
Flight Comparison – Travel Insurance – Hostel Bookings – Travel Apps – How to get tickets to Sights – Visa – Public Transport
Let us talk about powerful and smart resources to use when traveling.
The whole Hostelgeeks team has been travel a lot, using different apps and websites for budget traveling. We were able to catch a flight from Barcelona to the Canary Islands for just 12€!
Not only that: we took a road trip across Central Europe, saving 70% of the transport costs thanks to an app.
Flight Comparison
The best websites to find cheap flights are:
- Skyscanner
- Kiwi
- Flights.google.com
- Omio.com
- Onward Ticket (see below details)
Especially Omio.com and Kiwi are both incredible powerful website.
It comes with a radius feature. Simply draw a circle on the map around your desired destination and find the cheapest connections.
You can search for cheap destinations only, and compare numerous days to fly from A to B.
How to get proof for onward travel?
Did you know, some countries require the proof of onward travel? Meaning, when entering the country you need to show proof that you are leaving the country again before your visa expires.
A proof of onward travel can be a flight ticket, train ticket or bus ticket. The most reliable way to prove onward travel is having a flight ticket.
The problem? As a real backpacker, you do not always have an outbound flight yet, or even know where you’ll be heading next.
This can cause you big trouble. Why? Well, often the check-in desk will ask for proof of onward travel (from the destination you’re heading to), and if you don’t have it, you may not even be allowed to board the flight to your first destination!
Therefore, check if you require an outbound flight and get your official ticket only for $12 on Onward Ticket.
We wrote a detailed guide and review of Onward Ticket and why you need it.
Find below our video for you. It shows the easy steps to get your proof of onward travel.
Travel Insurance
We have used World Nomads on our travels around South East Asia and Europe.
We are currently using Safetywing as well as Iati Seguros and World Nomads. Here is our review of Safetywing, compared with World Nomads.
Since we travel with a bit of gear and planned to do some activities like skydiving, motorbiking, diving and such, a travel insurance simply makes sense.
Our travel insurance really depends on where we travel and what we do. While Safetywing is cheaper, World Nomads covers more destinations and activities. For instance, for Cuba we had to show a travel insurance. Safetywing does not cover Cuba, but World Nomads does.
Therefore, pay attention. We know, it is not the most entertaining topic, but seriously get an insurance. If something goes wrong, you will be incredibly grateful.
Hostel Bookings
Booking hostels has become more and more complex over time.
There are more hostels to choose from now than there were years before. And there are several hostel websites and booking portals you can use.
First, how to find good hostels? The answer is our website: Hostelgeeks.com!
You can find all our handwritten guides on the best hostels in the world here and all 5 Star Hostels here.
For more stuff on hostels, we wrote many articles about different hostel topics, like different hostel types, rooms, and packing list.
YET: which hostel booking site is the best and the cheapest? For sure you have heard of Hostelworld.com and Hostelz.com
We wrote a in-depth guide to booking hostels and which websites to use.
Find here our guide on how to use Hostelworld. Here is another guide on how to book with Booking.com, a review.
How to get tickets to Sights?
Travelling the world also means visiting the most famous sights all over the globe.
From Colosseum to Taj Mahal. Some of the sights you really have to pre-book before visiting the city. This goes for Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Colosseum in Rome and other major sights. Please read this up before you go to avoid disappointment.
We use two websites to find tickets to sights:
Both websites are reliable. it is worth it to compare both as there can be different prices. We wrote a full review on Tiqets.com, and how to use them.
Visa
For many countries of the world you need a visa. Yet, it depends on your nationality and the agreement of your home country with your destination.
So, how to find out if you need a visa? And how much is it? We always use ivisa.com.
It is a fast and simple way to find out if
- you need a visa in the first place
- how to get your visa
- and if it costs money, how much it is.
We wrote a big review on how to use iVisa.
Public Transport and Bus
Public Transport like buses and trains are a fantastic way to travel cheaper. We love to use two websites for finding public transport:
Omio.com is a website finding all official trains and bus schedules around the world.
Flixbus is a bus company connecting mostly European cities and US cities. We wrote a complete review of Flixbus here.
Travel Apps
We love travel apps. Here we share our favorite apps for your smartphone. We dedicated a huge article on our 47 best travel apps 2021.
1. Maps.me
MapsMe is the perfect offline app for your phone. It works without internet connection.
Thanks to your GPS location you can find your way, wherever in the world you are. As an alternative you can use Google.Maps directly. It works as well offline.
2. TrailWallet
Traveling on a budget?
Then get TrailWallet to keep track of your budget.
It is so easy to use and gives you a full, up-to-date report. There is a free version which allows you to test it, but we loved it and invested 4,99€ in the full version.
3. FourSquare
This app is a gold mine!
FourSquare is an underrated app which has been used a lot, but nowa- days less people seem interested. This is what makes it so awesome.
It helps you to find places around, such as
- cafés
- bars
- venues
- restaurants
With this app we found so many gems and design-led coffee shops. Go for it!
4. Snapseed and Lightroom
The best app for editing your photos on the road, Snapseed and Lightroom. Snapseed is easy to use and free to download. You can download Snapseed both for Android and iOs.
Lightroom from Adobe is also free for the phone. I absolutely love their functionalities. It is more powerful than Lightroom, yet you really have to know what you are doing. So in a nutshell, Snapseed is lighter and easier to handle, Lightroom more advanced.
5. Kiwi Flights App
The previously mentioned Kiwi.com has also a handy map for finding flights. We love to activate the notifications for cheap deals to destinations we are interested in.
Read our complete review of Kiwi.com and how to use it.
Luggage
When it comes to luggage, we recommend getting a backpack.
Yet, not any backpack. A bulky, heavy backpack is not recommended. For traveling light, a backpack must accomplish certain criteria, such as lightness and functional. The chic-factor may also be something to take into account.
Here are our top recommended luggage – including Matt’s own #1 choice: Lowe Alpine Carry-On 40l

Minimal Traveler Backpack (Matt’s #1 choice)
Lowe Alpine Carry-On 40l

Backpacker Style
Osprey Porter 46 Gear Hauler Duffel
Day Back Digital Nomads
CoolBELL Laptop Backpack with USB Port

Day Backpack
Fjallraven Backpack
Travel Essentials
The travel survival kit, the hostel starter kit. Here we list a bunch of travel essentials that you should bring.
We made our experiences and recommend bringing certain items you most likely own already. Yet, a few things are worth it the extra investment such as light and quick-dry towels and dry-bag.
You can find our detailed travel packing list here.
Here is our list of recommended travel essentials to bring on your adventure.
Quick-Dry Towel
Antibacterial Premium Microfiber Travel Towel
Security Lock
Combination Lock with 4 Digit 3-inch Padlock
Re-Usable Water Bottle
Sagan Journey Water Bottle with Filter
Eye mask & Ear plugs
Dream well Kit with comfy eye mask and ear plugs
Backpack Rain Cover
Solid Backpack Rain Cover
Sun Glasses
Loaal Sunglasses Design Fashion
Head Lamp
Bright LED Headlamp Flashlight
Sewing Kit
Travel-sited sewing kit
Multiusage blanket
Beach Sarong for Women Bohemian Throw Bikini Cover up
Toiletry Bag
Hanging Travel Cosmetic Organizer Toiletry Bag
Electronic Gear
Welcome to the 21st century. We at Hostelgeeks travel with a bit of gear. Since we are working from the road, we carry laptops and cameras.
Here is our recommendations for camera gear and electronics.
Mac Book Pro 13”
Mac Book Pro Retina 13 Inches
Mac Book Cover
Hard Rubberized Full Body Matte Cover for MacBook
iPhone 7 or 7S Plus
Apple iPhone 7 Plus 128 GB Unlocked, Jet Black
iPhone Protective Case
Laser Engraved Wood iPhone 7S Plus Case – Nautical World Map
Headphones
Folding Lightweight Headset for traveling
External Disk Lacie
4TB La Cie Rugged Mini USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive
Travel Ad Travel Adapter
Worldwide All in One Universal Travel Adaptor
USB Multi Charger
Portable Travel Power Strip with 3 Smart USB Ports
Photography Gear
This section covers our camera gear.
Go Pro
GoPro HERO6 Black
64 GB Disk Space
64GB Micro SDXC U3 Card Plus SD Adapter Pack
You can purchase all these items via Amazon.
Not sure how to buy on Amazon? For the Spanish speaker: read this guide on how to buy on Amazon.
Travel Books and Guides
Life’s a good read. Here we recommend books we enjoy and that can help you travel longer, with more confidence and stay in cooler places.
Packing List
Our ultimate hostel packing list covers 23 items you need to bring. From padlocks, to hostel games and the perfect backpack.