Websites to Help you Save Money on Travel
I’m excited to share this list of websites with you! These are some of the best ones I’ve found to help you compare prices on airfare, lodging, car rentals, and other travel needs! This way, you can spend a little extra on activities during your trip, or start saving for your next adventure!
Travelzoo.com
I’ve mentioned this site a few times because I personally have found great deals here. I just used it to travel to Australia in the off season, and then came home and used the site again to book a Christmas trip to Europe! It’s a great site to use when you aren’t sure exactly where you would like to go, and it can be used for flights, cruises, hotels, activities, and inclusive packages. They send out a Top 20 list each week, which can serve as your inspiration for picking your next destination! It’s pretty user friendly as well, allowing you to search by continent, and then narrow your search down to a particular country.
Google Flights
Google flights works a lot like Kayak.com, but I find it to be easier to use. In my experience, Kayak throws too much up on the screen all at once, which for me, can be distracting and overwhelming. Google flights collects data from multiple airlines, hotels, and travel sites, and allows you to compare prices and track price trends, which can help in deciding when to purchase your tickets. You can filter your searches by airline, price, and number of stops. It’s also connected to the Google search engine, which allows you to easily do your research on the place you will be visiting.
Airbnb, VRBO, HomeAway and Vacationrentals.com
These are all great sites to check out when you prefer the comfort of a home, condo, apartment, cabin, or even mansion, as opposed to staying in a hotel! They will connect you, the renter, with a homeowner who is renting out their place to travelers. It’s not a bad idea to check out a few of the sites, since not all owners will post their home in multiple places. This way you can get a good idea of all available rentals in the area you are visiting. Vacation rentals can be a great deal, especially when traveling with a group, because of the extra space and amenities. Often times, you will find prices that are similar or even less than hotel prices.
AirfareWatchdog, HotelWatchdog
These sites are great for travelers who can leave on a whim! You can sign up for rewards programs that offer promotional codes and discounts to their users. You can also sign up for airfare and hotel alerts, which will be sent to your email inbox when the next deal drops. They also have a built-in blog on the site!
Priceline
A unique feature of this online travel agent service type site is that it has a negotiator. It’s particularly useful when looking for hotels. It allows you to put in the minimum number of stars, dates of travel, preferred neighborhood, and then actually name the price you are willing to pay. Low bids work well for last minute trips. The downside here is that you don’t find out which hotel you will be staying at until you pay. So, this may work well if you are more of an adventure seeker type, than a detailed planner. The site also allows you to name your price on flights and car rentals as well.
Here are a few more sites worth checking out:
TripAdvisor.com – hotel review site
HomeExchange.com – trading places with other travelers
JetSetter.com – luxury hotel deals
HotWire.com – car rentals
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