affiliate links
If you're looking for a way to support Only A Bag but you don't necessarily want to hunt down all of the affiliate link, we've decided (at the recommendation of a listener—thank you!) to put all of the links in one easy place. Sorted by what you'll need them for, we've also put them in order of the companies we use most often to least often, just to give you an idea of which ones we prefer.
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As we're approved for more brands, we'll add them here.
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Thank you so much for supporting us!
Lodging
Booking.com — One of the leading booking platforms used for traveling, has a decently robust reward system which can give you discounts or certain guarantees like no-penalty cancellation.
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Agoda.com — We've only started using Agoda in 2025 (so fairly recently) however, we've been really happy with the discounts and buyer protection offered. As a word of caution, the first two times we booked a hotel through Agoda they were "Pay at the Property" which was awesome, but we totally forgot, so we had a moment of panic when we thought we were being double-charged. We weren't, and everything worked out well, but it's still something we tell people to look out for, especially if you think you already budgeted the hotel in!
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Expedia.com — While we mainly use Expedia for flights, they also have a robust loyalty program and can act as a one-stop-shop for hotels, flights, and even car rentals.
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TrustedHousesitters.com — We've talked about housesitting a ton, and we've done it a ton. If you're looking to stay long-term (a few weeks to 3 months) in Italy, housesitting is the way to go. And whole TrustedHousesitters does have a robust affiliate program (and so a bunch of blogs sharing links to them) they're also one of the most complete housesitting websites out there, also offering insurance, numbers to call in a medical emergency (for the pets), and even cancellation coverage.
Flights
As we've mentioned before on our podcast, we tend to book flights directly through the airline or through our credit card. However, there have been times where an aggregate shows a much cheaper price than the airline does and honors it, so it pays to look around!
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Omio.com — We'll mention this below as well, but when it comes to traveling around, the only other site we really use is Omio. Whether it's trains, planes, or ferries, this is always on our list to check, especially if they're running discounts or a deal.
Trains
Again, as we've mentioned on the podcast and on this website, it's often better to book directly through TrenItalia or Italo. However, the help desk for both rarely speaks English, so if something goes wrong, it can be difficult to communicate if you don't know Italian.
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Omio.com — Probably one of the most popular ways to book a train in Italy is through Omio. It's all in English (or your native language), the tickets are sent straight to your phone and on the app, and if you have a problem, their help desk speaks English.
Tours
If I'm being 100% honest (this is Nathaniel speaking), tours are often the last thing on my list to book—or even consider. And every single time I've taken one, I've been blown away. It sounds obvious, but sometimes we'll go to a museum, look at a sculpture, and I'll think "neat". Then you go with a tour guide, and you're whole world is blown open. Case in point, I've been inside St. Peter's Basilica (Vatican City) a handful of times. It wasn't until I took a tour that I learned that all those frescoes? Not frescoes. They're mosaics. Mind = blown.
Lastly, if you see a tour that looks interesting, book now. They sell out fast and it's easy to end up going without a tour if you wait until making it the very last thing to do (like me. Don't be like me.).
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GetYourGuide.com — Like Viator below, these are often interchangeable. The only reason I put Get Your Guide on top is because you can search without first putting in dates, so you can get a little inspiration before booking a trip.
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Viator.com — Just as good as Get Your Guide, but you have to search with dates selected, which means you might not see some of the tours.
Electronics
Okay, not just electronics, but VPNs as well. What's a VPN? Basically, it's a little program that tells the internet you're in a different physical location than you really are. So if you're trying to access the Netflix catalog of the United States while in Italy on holiday, you'll need a VPN. Or, if you're like me, and you're trying to access your bank and they're giving you the message of "You're in Italy? Well, you're not getting in here, pal." then you might need a VPN to pretend to be located in the same state.
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NordVPN.com — One of the biggest names in VPNs, they offer affordable rates if you're using the VPN long-term, but they also have monthly plans if you just need it while on vacation.
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Belkin.com — Travel adapters, chargers, battery packs. You name it (or need it), they have it.
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Moment.com — If you're into photography (or getting into it) and you don't want to lug your camera with you, Moment sells a selection of lenses for iPhones. While they're not as good as a dedicated camera, they will absolutely let you elevate your photos, whether you're sharing sunste pictures on Instagram or group shots with the family.
Credit Cards
We've talked about credit cards before and we are not financial consultants in any way. That said, we've mentioned that we used credit cards for most of our travels for the cash back, the travel protections, and the fact that if someone does swipe our number, the credit card company has always been on our side and immediately refunds us. Below are the few cards we tend to use.
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Savor — From Capital One, this card offers 3% cash back on grocery stores, restaurants, and entertainment (including streaming services). 1% on everything else. Since most of what we do is eat, that's 3% back on every meal.
This link also works if you're more interested in their Venture card (earn miles towards your next trip) or their Quicksilver card (a flat 1.5% back on everything).
Gear
This section is a bit of a catch-all for any gear, clothing, bags, etc. that we either use or have heard amazing things about and intend to purchase as soon as our current versions are unusable.
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32Degrees.com — We pretty much only use this company for baselayers in the winter. They're affordable, they last a few winters before becoming too stretched out, and they're easy to pack. If you have a Costco near you, you can also check that out. They often carry 32DegreeHeat in the winter and run pretty great deals.
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Nomatic.com — Also a mainstay at Costco (and Costco online), Nomatic makes a number of different style of bags, from messenger, to backpack, to camera bags. They're definitely more "technical" looking than other styles, but if you're looking for a solid backpack to accompany your roller bag, you should give them a try! Not to advertise Costco too much, but if you purchase through Costco, their return policy is a lot more robust and will be willing to take returns even after you've used it (for a small trip to try it out, not to use heavily and return). Sometimes, with backpacks, you don't know the pain points until you're on your trip.
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AmericanTourister.com — What's a trip to Italy without a perfect bag? Of course, we highly recommend bringing at least one roller bag with your backpack or messenger bag. Something hard-sided is the way we go in case it rains, but if you like to stuff clothes into a suitcase and put your faith in the zipper, soft-sided is the way to go!
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TimBuk2.com — If you're looking for a bag that you can beat up, toss across the parking lot, and then keep on wearing like nothing happened, then you're looking for a Timbuk2. Laptop bags, backpacks, messenger bags, cross-body, whatever you prefer, they have it. Plus, if you want your bag to scream you, you can customize all of the colors and piping, perfect for your trip to Italy.
Insurance
Learning that your flight has been cancelled, or your hotel is overbooked, or that—for whatever reason—you can't go on your trip anymore is devastating. And while many credit cards have built-in travel insurance, it's not a standard, especially if you need emergency medical care.
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WorldNomads.com — It started about 20 years ago and has slowly become a gold standard in the world of travel insurance. A wide variety of plans that are affordable are a winning combination—who knew! If you're curious, you can go to the link above and enter your information (nothing identifying) to receive a free quote.