TravelBirds: The Best App for Travel Planning

Travel Inspiration and Travel Planning

My days are filled with travel inspiration and travel planning. Sometimes they’re mutually exclusive. During the COVID-19 lockdown there was definitely a lot more inspiration going on than planning! But most of the time they intertwine – I’ll see a hotel on Instagram for example, or a city in a guidebook, and then start researching, becoming more and more certain that I want to visit, and trying to figure out the best hotel for us and what we would do as a family if we visit. I may go out to my Facebook friends and as for suggestions as well. The process is messy and imprecise, but I’m used to it and it more or less works.

Except that there’s now a better way.

TravelBirds

For the past month I’ve been using the new TravelBirds app and loving it. At first glance it’s a place to review businesses and locations. But diving in I love everything that it adds to the travel planning process, and it’s fun as well.

How I use TravelBirds:

I Recommend Places I Love

There’s no room in TravelBirds for negative reviews, or complaints or individual praise. It’s nice and simple: if you like a business, recommend it to others. In the process you categorize it – e.g. how expensive it is, whether it’s good for families, whether it’s handicap accessible and how easy it is to park – and then you can expand the recommendation page to dive into specifics for restaurants, experiences and hotels. It’s fun to think through why we love a place. Is it because it’s laid back, or because it’s an amazing place to watch the sunset, or because the food is great? Or all of the above? Check anything that’s applicable and then click on Submit Recommendation.

TravelBirds: Step one: Search for a location in a city — Step one: Search for a location in a city

TravelBirds: Step two: Click Recommend (if you like it!) — Step two: Click Recommend (if you like it!)

TravelBirds: Step three: assign general categories that fit — Step three: Assign general categories that fit

TravelBirds: Step four: Click on what you love about a place — Step four: Select what you love about a place and then click Submit Recommendation

TravelBirds: Step five: You see a summary of your recommendation, and future TravelBirds users will add to this as they review a destination — Step five: You see a summary of your recommendation, and future TravelBirds users will add to this as they review a destination

I See Recommendations from Others

When I search for a city, I now see the most recommended places, whether it’s a hotel, a park, an activity or a restaurant. I don’t need to sort through 1,000 places – if it’s on the first screen with multiple reviews (you can see how many reviews immediately), people like it. And then when I click on a place, I can see why people are recommending it.

TravelBirds: Looking up San Francisco immediately brings up recommendations — Looking up San Francisco immediately brings up recommendations

I Can Save Places to My Wish List

I’m always discovering places around the world that I want to go. Now I save them all within TravelBirds, categorized by area.

TravelBirds: My wish list — My Wish List, with destinations near and far

It’s Local…and International

When I think about travel, it typically involves destinations 10+ hours away…by plane. But this is looking like the summer of the road trip, and we’re using TravelBirds to sketch out an itinerary between California and Colorado and to keep track of everything my kids want to see. I also rate places as I’m experiencing them, in order to help future travelers.

TravelBirds: I took 30 seconds during the sunset in Carpinteria to rate the beach (and include the sunset) — I took 30 seconds during the sunset in Carpinteria to rate the beach (and include the sunset)

TravelBirds: My specific recommendations — My specific recommendations

I Have a Flock!

One of my favorite things about TravelBirds: I can invite friends and family to join my flock. That lets me prioritize their recommendations (exactly the same reason I post on Facebook looking for suggestions) and it’s a great tool for organizing a trip. If I’m meeting up with a friend in Florence, we can both have wishlists and I can look at his/her wishlist (and vice versa) before the trip so that we can buy tickets or make reservations accordingly. And if it’s a family trip, my wife, kids and I can all have Naxos Greece folders, for example, and I can check out what they want to do and see during our trip. Much easier than sending messages and links back and forth.

There Are Badges, and Every Location Has a Founder

This is where a lot of the fun comes in! For every recommendation that you make, you earn badges, and you can compete with others in your flock to rank the highest. But also, if you are the first person to review a location in a city, you become the Founder of that city, and when you’re the first person to review each location/activity/attraction, you become the Founder of that place. Forever. I find myself trying to think of random amazing places I’ve been where no one else has likely reviewed yet just to be listed on more as the Founder! And sometimes I’ve been able to grab a big one, like the Taj Mahal. I’ll never be a king. It’s not a bad backup…

TravelBirds: I missed out on being the Founder of San Francisco, but the Bay Bridge will always be mine! — I missed out on being the Founder of San Francisco, but the Bay Bridge will always be mine!

TravelBirds: My Flock's leaderboard — My Flock’s leaderboard

Where to Download TravelBirds

TravelBirds is free! It can be downloaded here: Apple | Android

When you sign up, add me to your Flock! I’m here (clickable from your mobile device). I’ve had a head start building my badge numbers, but it’s always possible to pass me! And see how many places you can become the Founder. Hint: start with your hometown.

Note: This post was sponsored by TravelBirds. The text, photos and excitement are mine.