Top-rated websites for planning your next vacation
Plan your next holiday with confidence and savings in mind by utilising a variety of reputable travel websites and strategic approaches. Here's a guide to help you find the best deals for flights, hotels, transportation, food, and activities.
Flights:
Use flight comparison tools like Google Flights, Skyscanner, Kayak, and Hopper. These platforms search multiple airlines simultaneously and allow flexible date and destination searches to find the cheapest options. Set price alerts on these sites to monitor fare drops. Consider budget airlines such as Southwest, Ryanair, or EasyJet, but be mindful of additional fees for baggage and seat selection. Book flights 1–3 months in advance for domestic and 2–6 months for international trips, and try midweek or early morning departures for lower prices.
Hotels:
Compare hotel prices across sites like Booking.com (largest overall), Expedia, Hotels.com (best loyalty programs), Kayak, Priceline, Trivago, and HotelTonight for last-minute deals. Consider Airbnb or vacation rentals for longer stays or groups, but compare total costs including cleaning fees. Book longer stays or look for monthly discounts. Stay outside city centers where accommodations are often 30–50% cheaper and use public transport.
Transportation and Activities:
Use comprehensive travel booking platforms like Booking.com that also cover car rentals, taxis, and local attractions to bundle deals and save. Set a daily travel budget for transportation, food, and activities to control spending during your trip. Look for activities and tours on local deal sites or apps, and consider free or low-cost attractions.
Food:
Save money by eating one main meal out per day, meal prepping, shopping at local markets, and taking advantage of complimentary hotel breakfasts.
Additional tips:
Use incognito mode when searching to avoid price hikes from repeated searches. Use rewards points or travel credit cards to reduce costs on flights or accommodations. Tools like Kayak’s PriceCheck and AI assistance (Ask Kayak) can help ensure you're getting the best deal and customize travel planning.
By combining these reputable websites and strategic approaches, you can effectively save on all key aspects of your holiday planning. Some other useful resources include Zest Car Rental, offering excess-reduction coverage and a second driver in the rate, and Turo for car rentals for as long or as little time as needed.
For unique and offbeat travel experiences, consider Atlas Obscura, GoUnusual, and Atlas Taste for traditional food. Small Luxury Hotels of the World curates a variety of unique, upscale accommodations, while Bouteco offers stylish, sustainable hotels.
For train travel, Eurostar and Trainline can be used to book tickets in Europe. FlightConnections helps find non-stop flights from airports closest to your location, while Seascanner lets you choose all-inclusive, last-minute, and destination-based cruises.
Reward Flight Finder and SeatSpy help find reward flights using points, and My Kind of Cruise offers top deals from various cruise lines. GetYourGuide helps find iconic attractions and takes the stress out of planning a trip, while Viator allows customizing activities, events, and sightseeing tours.
Finally, Reddit can be a useful source of unfiltered travel information, and The Man in Seat Sixty-One helps find the best way to book trains globally and get the best deals. Don't forget to sign up for newsletters like Cheap Flights Club, which sends weekly newsletters with top airline deals.
Happy travels!
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