Seethebigworld shares practical advice for your self-guided trips, including my travel (failure) experiences, city guides, things to do, itineraries, road trip routes, and useful tips. If you know your destination, you can search by country or city in the main menu. If not, hopefully, my articles will offer some inspiration.

Travel Footprints

After graduating from university, I spent most of my early years travelling around Asia. Now that I've moved to the UK, the time and financial cost of travelling to Europe is comparable to how it used to be for me to visit Southeast Asia. In fact, travelling to Asia has become a luxury, and I'm really grateful that I had the chance to visit so many Asian countries back then.

Here is my travel map. Excluding Hong Kong, I’ve visited 22 countries and over 140 towns and cities so far. The "Orange House" icons mark cities where I’ve lived long-term, the "Blue Car" icons indicate road trips, and the rest represent city travels.

The blank spaces are all part of my travel wish list. My top three destinations are the Sahara Desert, Mexico for the Day of the Dead, and North Korea.

Featured Guides

Useful Tools For Travel Planning
London Travel Guide
Barcelona Travel Guide
Useful Tools For Travel Planning
Amsterdam Travel Guide
Useful Tools For Travel Planning
Rome Travel Guide
Paris Travel Guide
London Eye
London Pass Guide

Useful Tools for Self-Guided Trip Planning

Itinerary Planning Tools

Excel：As a "Spreadsheet Enthusiast," no matter how fancy other tools are, Excel's straightforward efficiency can’t be beat. I use it to log sightseeing times, routes, transportation, and costs.

Google My Maps：Customise your map by marking attractions, restaurants, routes, adding notes, and using colour coding for better organisation. You can also directly use my pre-marked maps in my travel guides.

Flight and Accommodation Search

For flights：I first search using *Google Flights*, then cross-check with * Expedia Flight Search *. If prices are similar for my preferred flights, I book through Expedia, as it offers package discounts when combined with hotel bookings and allows points accumulation. However, note that Expedia may not show all budget airlines.

Accommodations：I'm a big fan of * Expedia Hotels Search *! Once, while planning my next trip, I was surprised to find a hotel completely free. It turned out that my previous stay had earned me quite a few points, and those points were used to offset the cost of my next booking, saving me a decent amount! *Hotels.com Taiwan * is also owned by Expedia, so they share resources. The points and offers may vary slightly.

I only write about accommodations I have personally stayed in and found worthwhile. I won’t provide a generic 'recommended accommodations' list for places I haven’t experienced myself. However, based on years of trial and error, I’ve summarised a set of criteria that work for any destination and budget.

>>> Accommodation Selection Guide <<<

Attraction Tickets, Activities, and Local Tours

Disclaimer：I once ended up paying more than three times the official price for a Vatican Museum ticket because I couldn’t get the official ticket and my schedule was too tight to adjust the timing. I certainly do not encourage anyone to buy overpriced "scalper tickets" with no added value. The ticket and tour links I share are usually in line with the official prices, and sometimes they even offer discounts or added value, such as skip-the-line access or guided tours in both Chinese and English.

For booking platforms, I often use *Get Your Guide*. This platform has extensive user reviews from global travellers, so you can gauge tour quality from the ratings. *KKDAY* occasionally offers Chinese-guided tours, it’s a good option for those travelling with family who want Chinese commentary.

FAQs For Self-Guided Trips Planning

I often use *Google Flights* and * Expedia Flight Search * to compare flight prices. If the prices are similar, I prefer to book through Expedia because the platform allows me to accumulate membership points that can be used to reduce my overall costs further.

In my article *Travel Accommodations* , I've outlined practical tips and recommendations for selecting the ideal places to stay.

Booking flights and accommodations in advance, searching for discounted tickets, using loyalty points from reputable platforms to reduce actual costs, or choosing to participate in free activities. For example, in London, using *London Pass* allows you to visit multiple famous attractions at a discounted price, saving you a considerable amount.

I often book Local Tours using platforms like *Get Your Guide*, which offers discounted tickets and guided tours, most of which come with free cancellation and 24/7 customer service. When travelling with my parents, I prefer tours with Chinese-speaking guides, making it a great choice to use *KKDAY.

Make good use of public transport, and purchase travel cards or passes in advance to effectively reduce transportation expenses. For example, in London, you can also refer to my *London Transportation Guide* to learn how to save money.

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