A curated library of the tools, services, and products we actually use and recommend for family travel. Every resource here has been tested by our team or a family in our community. Some links are affiliate links — those don’t change what we recommend or cost you anything extra.

Booking & Accommodations

  • Booking.com — our go-to for hotels and apartments worldwide. Free cancellation filters make it family-friendly.
  • Vrbo — best for full-home vacation rentals, especially for multi-generational trips.
  • Expedia — useful when bundling flights + hotels for savings.
  • Kayak — best for flight comparison searches across airlines.

Experiences & Tours

  • Viator — large selection of family tours with verified reviews.
  • GetYourGuide — excellent for European destinations; mobile tickets work flawlessly.
  • Tripadvisor — still the best source for reviews when vetting an operator.

Travel Insurance

  • Allianz Travel — family annual plans work well for frequent travelers.
  • World Nomads — best for adventure travel with kids (coverage for hiking, snorkeling, skiing).
  • Travel Guard — our pick for pre-existing condition coverage.

Family Travel Gear

  • Guava Lotus travel crib — fits in a duffel, sets up in 15 seconds.
  • Osprey Poco Plus child carrier — for trail hiking with toddlers.
  • Munchkin travel booster seat — clips to any chair for restaurants.
  • CARES airplane harness — FAA-approved flight safety for kids over 22 lbs.
  • Yeti coolers — overkill for road trips but they keep snacks cold all day.

Planning & Organization

  • Our Digital Planners — see the full library. Trusted by 8,000+ families.
  • Google Maps (offline) — download maps before international trips.
  • Google Translate — camera mode is magical for foreign menus.
  • TripIt — parses confirmation emails into a master itinerary.
  • PackPoint — generates packing lists by destination and weather.

National Parks

  • America the Beautiful Pass ($80/year) — pays for itself after 3 parks.
  • Every Kid Outdoors — free family pass for 4th graders.
  • Recreation.gov — for campgrounds, tours, and park lodging.
  • Junior Ranger program — free at every national park.

Currency & Payments

  • Wise (formerly TransferWise) — best multi-currency debit card for international trips.
  • Chase Sapphire Preferred — no foreign transaction fees + excellent trip insurance.
  • Capital One Venture — our runner-up recommendation for family travelers.

Kids on Flights

  • Bluey, Bluey, and more Bluey — pre-download episodes offline.
  • Khan Kids app — educational and kids don’t notice it’s educational.
  • Cosmic Kids Yoga (YouTube, offline) — works for flight-day fidgets.
  • Kids’ headphones with volume limiter — don’t board without these.

Have a resource we should add? Tell us — if it meets our standards we’ll include it.