Travel Tools to Make Planning a Trip Easier

These travel tools are what I turn to first when planning a trip. I like travel planning, but I don’t like spending hours looking for simple answers. How much should I tip? What should I pack? How early should I get to the airport? Is Global Entry worth it? How much is the whole trip really going to cost?

That’s why I’ve put my favorite travel tools together in one place.

Some help before you leave, while others are useful when you’re already traveling. Use the tools you need and skip the ones you don’t.

TSA Wait Times

Airport security is one of those things that’s hard to predict.

Wait times can change based on the airport, terminal, time of day, season and how busy the airport is.

Checking current TSA information before heading to the airport can help you decide how much extra time you may need.

Trip Cost Calculator

A cheap flight doesn’t necessarily mean a cheap vacation.

Hotels, rental cars, meals, attractions, transportation, parking and other expenses can quickly change the real price of a trip.

The Trip Cost Calculator is designed to help travelers put those expenses together so they can get a better idea of what the entire vacation may cost before booking.

Packing List Generator

Forgetting something important can turn into an expensive inconvenience once you’re away from home.

The Packing List Generator helps create a packing checklist based on your trip instead of giving you the same generic list for every vacation.

Use it when you’re getting ready for your next trip and want an easier way to organize what goes in your suitcase.

Tipping Calculator by Country

Tipping rules change dramatically depending on where you’re traveling.

In the United States, tipping is common in many situations. In some other countries, a smaller tip may be customary, service may already be included, or tipping may not be expected at all.

The Tipping Calculator by Country gives travelers a quick way to check before paying a restaurant bill, taking a taxi, staying at a hotel, or using other services.

Best Time to Visit

Timing can make a huge difference in both the experience and cost of a vacation.

Peak season may offer great weather but also higher hotel rates and bigger crowds. Traveling during a shoulder season can sometimes mean lower prices and fewer people without giving up everything you wanted from the destination.

The Best Time to Visit tool helps travelers compare when to go based on the factors that matter to them.

Jet Lag Calculator

Jet lag can take some of the fun out of the first few days of a long-distance vacation.

Crossing several time zones can affect your normal sleep schedule, especially on international trips.

The Jet Lag Calculator is designed to help travelers think ahead about the time difference and prepare before departure.

Global Entry

For travelers who regularly return to the United States after international trips, Global Entry can make the arrival process easier.

Global Entry provides expedited U.S. customs screening for approved travelers and also includes TSA PreCheck eligibility for eligible members.

It’s especially worth comparing if you expect to take international trips over the next several years.

CLEAR

CLEAR is different from TSA PreCheck and Global Entry.

At participating airports, CLEAR uses identity verification technology to help members get through the identity-check portion of airport security. Travelers still go through the appropriate physical security screening.

Whether it’s worthwhile depends heavily on which airports you use and how often you fly.

REAL ID and Airport Identification

Airport identification requirements are something I would rather check before leaving home than discover at the security checkpoint.

Top Travel Deals also has a guide explaining REAL ID, who needs one and what other identification may be accepted for flying.

About Us

I created TopTravelDeals.net to make planning and comparing travel easier. There are so many websites, prices, memberships, and booking options that it’s easy to spend hours trying to figure out whether you’re actually getting a good deal. My goal is to bring useful travel information and tools together in one place so you can decide what’s worth the money and what isn’t.

Find the Tool You Need

You don’t need to use every tool on this page. Trying to figure out whether you can afford a vacation? Start with the Trip Cost Calculator. Getting ready to leave? Use the Packing List Generator. Going out for dinner? Open the Tipping Calculator. Deciding when to take your vacation? Try Best Time to Visit. Flying across several time zones? Check the Jet Lag Calculator. And if you’re trying to make your airport experience easier, explore TSA wait times, TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, and CLEAR+. Start with what you need today, and come back when you’re ready to plan the next part of your trip.

Travel Tools to Make Your Next Trip Easier

You don’t need every tool for every vacation.

For a simple domestic trip, you might only use the packing list and TSA information. For an international vacation, the tipping calculator, trip-cost calculator, Global Entry information and jet-lag planning may be much more useful.

My goal with these travel tools is simple: make some of the annoying parts of planning a trip faster and easier so you can spend more time thinking about where you’re going.

Bookmark this page and come back whenever you’re planning another trip. I’ll continue adding useful tools as Top Travel Deals grows.