Here is a list of all the tools, websites and brands we regularly use and love. We’ve tested them across years of travel — from toddler-friendly Lapland trips to café-hopping across Europe.
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🏨 Where We Stay
- Hostelworld.com
– We used to stay in hostels all the time in our early 20s. Today, many hostels in Europe are boutique-level quality with private rooms and excellent shared spaces – perfect for solo traveling or if you’re on a budget. Hostelworld’s reviews and photos are incredibly accurate, so you can book with confidence.
- Booking.com – It is a great all round solution to book everything from flights to hotels, to rental cars. We regularly take advantage of their Genius loyalty programme that can unlock discounts up to 30%, free breakfast, and room upgrades
☕ Coffee & Restaurants
- European Coffee Trip – We use European Coffee Trip in every city we visit and it’s our favorite tool for finding quality coffee on the road. It covers specialty cafés across Europe, and honestly — we haven’t had a bad cup since we started using it. Essential for coffee lovers!
- Michelin Guide – Perfect for those nights when you want to treat yourself. You don’t even have to visit a starred restaurant — many of the recommended spots offer fantastic food without the Michelin price tag. It helped us discover a magical place on the shores of Lake Garda, serving fish from the lake with absolutely impeccable service!
🎒 Clothing and Gear
- Icebreaker – Merino wool is a game-changer for travel, and Icebreaker is one of the best brands out there. Their base layers keep you warm without bulk, regulate temperature, and are not scratchy. We use them everywhere, from the Arctic wilderness to central London to Christmas markets!
- Dilling – They’re Danish manufacturers of Merino that sell directly to customers, which make their products cheaper, but are still exceptional quality. They’re another excellent source for merino, especially for kids. Their pieces are perfect for layering toddlers and staying cozy without overheating. We often use them alongside Reima gear.
- Reima – Our go-to brand for toddler outerwear. The fit is great, the quality stands up to snow, rain, and playground adventures, and the designs are fun. We were able to hike at -11°C (12°F) in Lapland with our 10-month-old toddler, without worrying that he’ll be cold. We also love how their clothes grow with your child — and they last long enough to hand down.
- Patagonia – Nik’s had his 30L Arbor backpack for over 7 years, it’s been across Europe with us and still looks like new. It fits way more than it seems and is equally at home on a day hike, a weekend city trip, or an international flight.
- Ecco shoes – Stylish enough for city breaks, durable enough for countryside walks, and comfortable enough for all-day exploring. We’ve both worn Ecco shoes on numerous multi-day trips without a single blister and we usually walk between 25 000 and 30 000 steps a day! If you’re looking for a travel shoe that does it all — this is it.
- Packing Cubes – The best way to keep your luggage organized and stress-free. No more digging for socks or wondering where your toiletries ended up. Especially useful when packing for the whole family or hopping between destinations quickly. 👉 Tip: Buy them in a different color for each family member, so you can super quickly find what you’re looking for!
🗺️ Activities & Tours
- Get Your Guide – Husky sled ride, cooking classes, skip the line tickets, guided tours and special experiences – this is our first stop. We got a small group guided tour of Alcázar in Seville here, skipping the line and we got to know its history much more we reckon than by just walking around and reading informational texts on the exhibits.
💻 Digital and Travel Tools
- ProtonVPN – We’ve been using Proton’s services since 2016. It is a privacy and encryption first company based in Switzerland. Their VPN has a free plan without bandwidth or speed restriction and it’s easy to use. We always activate it when logging into hotel Wi-Fi, checking banking apps, or booking flights. It also helps access content that might be restricted in certain countries. A safe internet connection is a must while traveling.
- Saily eSIM – Say goodbye to high roaming costs and unreliable Wi-Fi problems. Install it before your trip and get mobile data wherever you go without having to swap SIM cards. Their plans are flexible, and activation is smooth. We’ve used it for everything from Google Maps to remote work while abroad. Note: Your phone must support eSim to use Saily. Most modern phones have that functionality, but check before you buy, just in case.
- Wise – Formerly TransferWise, this card and app combo has saved us so much on currency conversion fees. It gives you near-real exchange rates and lets you hold money in different currencies. We use it for withdrawing cash abroad, paying for stays, and even paying deposits for tours or rentals. It saves you the trouble of looking for an exchange office and also any fees your bank might demand if you pay in different currency.
🚆 Getting Around
- Rentalcars.com – Exploring Lappish Nature, the sandy hills of Andalusia or Italian villages in Tuscany? You can get to a lot more off the beaten track spots by renting a car, which is why we’ve started doing that anywhere we go, unless it’s a city trip. This is our go-to site for booking cars. It compares prices from major rental companies (like Hertz, Avis, Europcar or Enterprise) so you can find the best deal fast — and most times includes free cancellation. The app is handy, too, especially for checking pick-up times and keeping track of your reservation.
- Trainline – Our favourite tool for shorter-distance trips or moving to the next city on our itinerary. It simplifies booking trains and buses across Europe. It’s perfect for price comparisons, seeing all routes in one place, and avoiding language barriers at foreign ticket counters or transport providers with no English version of their website. You can use it to move between cities in Europe.
- Organic Maps – Privacy offline alternative to GoogleMaps. It’s great for navigation around cities, but lacks real time traffic information for longer drives. It’s a free app based on OpenStreetMap data – fast, doesn’t track you, and works without a connection — ideal for remote hiking routes or wandering foreign cities without worrying about data usage.
🛡️ Travel Insurance
- Ekta – We always travel with insurance — especially with a small kid now. Ekta offers flexible, affordable coverage with options tailored for families, longer trips, and adventurous travelers. Their interface is easy to use, and claims are handled swiftly based on our experience.