Before we set off on our adventures, we spent too many hours working out which bank card gives you what, the best travel apps and how to not spent all of our money after one month on the road.
Naturally, some of the advice we found was useless, but some of it has proved invaluable to us. So we thought why not share so that you can enjoy them too!
None of the products we recommend have any affiliation with us, they’re simply recommendations from one traveler to another.
Starling
We spent a long time comparing high street banks before realising that our best option wasn’t a high street bank at all. It was a start up ‘app only’ bank. If you think that sounds like a strange concept, worry not, Starling have by far the best set up we have ever used when it comes to banking as well as a fantastic support system. And the real beauty of Starling? Zero transaction fees on both cash withdrawals and card transactions. We can’t say enough good things about these guys.
Airbnb
We’ve all heard of Airbnb, right? What we didn’t realise until a month into our travels was how economical Airbnb can be in Central and South America. If you need a break from hostel dorms and dodgy lodgings then have a look at Airbnb for a little respite. It’s especially affordable if you’re a couple, in fact we’re typing this from an Airbnb in Lima right now!
maps.me
Google Maps has been a trusty friend to us all over the world, especially their feature which lets you download maps to use offline. But maps.me has been a revelation for two travellers with zero sense of direction. It even helped us navigate dirt tracks and farm fields while hiking the Quilotoa Loop and can also be used offline.
Splitwise
Unless you’re hitting the road solo, at some stage you’re going to need a way to keep tabs on who owes what to whom that’s a little more reliable than scribbling on the back of your hand. Enter Splitwise, an app which has become an unfortunate reminder of how much we have spent, but more importantly keeps a brilliant record of who owes what. You can run a country by country tab, use any currency you like and set up groups with different people.
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