Best Travel Deals: Where To Find Them

There are many travel sites that offer package deals, which bundle together a combination of flights, hotels, rental cars, and even travel insurance. Some of the most popular travel sites include Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz, CheapTickets, Priceline, and CheapCaribbean.com. These sites offer various filters and sort options to help users find the best deals based on their preferences, such as price, location, guest ratings, and departure and arrival times. Meta-search sites like Kayak and Google Flights are also useful for comparing prices across different travel sites. Additionally, certain sites like goSeek and Airfarewatchdog offer hidden coupon and mobile deals, while others like UnitedVacations.com provide negotiated-rate hotels.

Best travel sites for airfare

There are a variety of travel sites that can help you find the best airfare deals. Here are some of the best ones:

Google Flights and Kayak

These sites allow you to track airfare prices by setting alerts for specific flights. They also let you see which days are cheaper to fly in a given month. They are great tools to keep up with airfare prices and find deals.

Airfarewatchdog

This site lets you search and compare flight deals to find the best prices available.

Going (formerly Scott's Cheap Flights)

Going offers a newsletter with deals on domestic and international flights straight to your inbox. However, to access all deals, you need to pay for a $49 annual membership.

Kiwi

Kiwi came out on top in a Forbes Advisor study for the cheapest flights. It often undercuts competitors by offering unique itineraries that leverage "travel hacks", such as self-transfer ticketing. While these can be risky and less convenient, you can choose to screen out these types of flights. Kiwi also has a Nomad tool that provides a unique itinerary based on your travel period and destinations, which can save you money.

Expedia

Expedia is one of the most well-known travel sites and offers a full range of flight, hotel, car rental, and other bundle options. It has a good mix of sorting and filtering options, and its pricing is usually competitive and reliable. However, the savings it advertises don't always match the actual price difference when booking each element separately.

Priceline

Priceline offers every possible combination of flights, hotels, and rental cars. Its search results are easy to navigate, with plenty of filters and a map view. Priceline offers "Express Deals" for rental cars, where you get a discounted rate but don't know the rental company until after booking.

Momondo

Momondo is an aggregator that allows you to book directly with the airline while also showing if online travel agencies (OTAs) offer cheaper rates. It has a wide range of filters, including airline, cabin, seat choice, baggage, trip duration, and number of layovers. It also provides unique pricing charts and insights, showing daily pricing for several days before and after your selected date.

Skiplagged

Skiplagged is a website that recommends flights involving "hidden city ticketing", where you book a flight with a layover at your actual destination and skip the second leg of the journey. This can provide significant savings, but it is risky as airlines may cancel your ticket or revoke your frequent flyer miles if caught. Skiplagged has a rewards program where you can earn up to $25 per flight booked.

CheapCaribbean.com

CheapCaribbean.com is ideal if you're planning a trip to the Caribbean. It offers cheaper-than-average prices and is one of the best sites for all-inclusive packages. It has useful filters like "adults only" and "children's amenities". However, it doesn't offer the option to add a rental car or create other package combinations.

Best travel sites for flight information

While there are many travel sites that offer flight information, some of the best are listed below:

• FlightStats.com: Advises on the best time of day to fly from a specific airport, which terminals to avoid when connecting flights, and provides live updates on flight delays.
• Flightaware.com: Tracks and predicts flight delays.
• TripIt Pro: A smartphone app that sends alerts about cancellations, delays, or gate changes, locates alternate flights, tracks rewards program points, and more.
• Google Flights: Predicts prices and tracks them, sending an email if prices change for specific dates. It also includes Southwest flights in its search results.
• Kayak: Sends alerts about price changes, and allows you to compare some of the best vacation booking sites in one place.
• Airfarewatchdog: Searches flight deals to help you find the best price.
• Going (formerly Scott's Cheap Flights): A newsletter with deals on domestic and international locations, though a membership is required for full access.

Best travel sites for hotels

When it comes to finding the best travel sites for hotels, there are several options to consider. Here is a list of some of the top travel sites that can help you find great deals on accommodations:

Booking.com

Booking.com is one of the largest and most popular travel sites, offering a vast selection of accommodations worldwide, from small mom-and-pop lodgings to hotels and apartments. It provides flexible cancellation policies and a user-friendly interface, making it easy to navigate and find what you need. Booking.com also offers insightful customer reviews and excellent filtering tools to narrow down your search by various criteria, such as price, location, or guest ratings.

Expedia and its partner sites

Expedia is a well-known travel site that offers a full range of bundle options, including hotel, flight, and car rental deals. It has a reliable pricing system, and while you may not always find the absolute lowest price, you can expect fair rates and a wide range of options to choose from. Expedia also provides useful filters and a map view to help you find accommodations that meet your specific needs and preferences. Its partner sites, such as Travelocity, Orbitz, and CheapTickets, often have similar inventory and pricing, so it's worth checking them out as well.

Hotels.com

Hotels.com is another excellent option for finding hotel deals. It offers a wide range of accommodations and features a rewards program where you can earn free nights after a certain number of bookings. Their rewards program, called OneKeyCash, allows you to earn rewards for every dollar spent on eligible bookings. Hotels.com also makes it easy to search for accommodations that meet your specific needs, such as location, price, or guest ratings.

Priceline

Priceline is a travel site that offers every possible combination of flight, hotel, and rental car bookings. It provides easy-to-navigate search results pages with various filter and sort options, as well as a map view for hotels. Priceline offers numerous hotel options at different price points and locations, making it convenient for travellers with specific preferences or budgets.

TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor is a comprehensive travel site that provides detailed lists of rated hotels and excursions near your destination. It links you to partner sites, such as Expedia and Travelocity, to facilitate your bookings. TripAdvisor allows you to compare prices and select the best option for your needs. It is worth noting that you may need to check multiple partner sites to find the most suitable deal.

In addition to these sites, other platforms like Agoda (particularly popular for bookings in Asia), Hotwire, and HotelTonight also offer hotel deals and are worth exploring. Remember to compare prices, read reviews, and take advantage of any rewards programs or promotions to get the best value for your money.

Best travel sites for vacation rentals

When it comes to finding the best travel sites for vacation rentals, travellers have a wide range of options to choose from. Here is a list of some of the top sites to consider:

Airbnb

Airbnb is one of the most well-known and trusted vacation rental sites, offering over six million listings in 100,000 cities worldwide. The site is easy to navigate and allows users to filter their searches based on various factors such as location, property type, and amenities. Airbnb also offers a host guarantee insurance policy and damage protection, giving guests peace of mind during their stay.

Vrbo

Vrbo, formerly known as Vacation Rental by Owner, is another popular option, especially for those looking for private vacation rentals in the United States. The site offers a wide range of spacious homes with family-friendly amenities and is part of the Expedia Group, making it a reliable choice for travellers.

Booking.com

Booking.com provides a diverse range of accommodation options, including vacation rentals, apartments, and hotels. With over 28 million listings worldwide, it is a convenient platform for finding rentals in various destinations. However, users should be cautious of additional fees that may be added at the time of booking.

Expedia

Expedia is a well-known travel booking platform that offers vacation rentals, hotels, villas, and more. Users can easily filter their searches to find suitable vacation rentals, and the site often provides useful information such as reviews, nearby attractions, and policies.

HomeToGo

HomeToGo is a holiday rental search engine that aggregates listings from various platforms, including Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com. It allows users to quickly compare listings across multiple sites, making it convenient for travellers to find the best deals.

Marriott Homes & Villas

Marriott Homes & Villas is a premium vacation rental platform introduced by Marriott International. It offers upscale homes and villas in sought-after destinations worldwide, providing travellers with the quality assurance associated with the Marriott brand.

Tripping

Tripping is another search engine that aggregates listings from different booking platforms, allowing users to compare properties from multiple sites simultaneously. It offers a wide range of options, including hotels, hostels, apartments, and homes, making it a versatile choice for travellers.

Sonder

Sonder is a modern alternative to traditional hotels, offering apartment-style accommodations with a blend of home-like comforts and hotel-like amenities. With a presence in major cities globally, Sonder stands out for its design-forward properties and seamless tech integrations, such as keyless check-in.

Plum Guide

Plum Guide is known for its selective and rigorous vetting process, ensuring only the highest-quality vacation rentals are featured on its platform. With listings in over 20 cities globally, it appeals to travellers seeking premium, verified properties.

Agoda

Agoda is a global online travel agency that offers vacation rentals as part of its broad range of accommodation options. With a strong presence in Asia-Pacific markets and multiple language options, it is a convenient choice for international travellers.

These sites offer a variety of features and options to suit different traveller needs, whether you're looking for a family-friendly space, a design-forward apartment, or a premium, verified property. Each site has its own unique offerings, so be sure to explore each one to find the best match for your specific vacation rental needs.

Best travel sites for cruises and vacation packages

There are many travel sites to choose from when looking for cruises and vacation packages. Here is a list of some of the best ones:

CruiseCompete.com

More than 500 travel agencies compete to give you the lowest prices for the dates, ports, and ships you specify. You can set up an account and receive their best offers without disclosing your personal information.

Kayak.com

Kayak is a popular metasearch site that saves travellers time by searching many of the best travel package sites with a single click. You can search for vacation packages by typing in your destination and travel dates to find the best prices. However, Kayak only searches for flight and hotel packages by default, and you cannot specify which elements of your trip you want to bundle.

Expedia and its sister sites

Expedia is a well-known and reliable site for booking vacation packages. It offers a full range of bundle options (flight/hotel, flight/car, hotel/car, and flight/hotel/car) and trips to destinations all over the globe. Expedia also has useful filters to help you find what you need, such as sorting hotels by price, distance from the city centre, guest ratings, package discounts, and property class.

Expedia's sister sites include Travelocity, Orbitz, CheapTickets, and Hotwire. These sites typically have very similar inventory and pricing to Expedia, so you may not need to search all of them. However, on certain itineraries, Orbitz and CheapTickets offered slightly cheaper packages than Expedia.

Priceline

Priceline offers every possible combination of flight, hotel, and rental car. Its search results pages are easy to navigate, with plenty of filter and sort options, plus a map view for hotels. However, Priceline lists departure and return flights together as a pair, which can make it more difficult to find the exact flights you want.

CheapCaribbean.com

CheapCaribbean.com is ideal for those planning a trip to the Caribbean. The site offers cheaper-than-average prices and is one of the best vacation websites for all-inclusive packages. It also has a unique feature called "Deals of Fortune," where you know the destination but not the exact resort until about a week before your trip.

Vacations To Go

Vacations To Go is the world's largest cruise agency and has helped more than 8 million travellers since 1984. They offer a 90-Day Ticker, which is a listing of last-minute cruises with average availability of less than seven days. They also have early bird discounts, two-for-one promotions, and other cut-rate promotions on the world's best cruise lines.

Cruise.com

Cruise.com has been connecting travellers with cruise vacations since 1998 and has won awards from major cruise companies such as Carnival Cruises, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, and MSC Cruises. They offer cruises on all cruise lines, including Carnival, Celebrity Cruises, and Princess Cruises. You can select your preferred cruise line, destination, and other search options to find the best cruise for your vacation.

Frequently asked questions