Megan Bryant is a passionate writer and traveler who has combined her two loves to help others fulfill their traveling dreams. When she isn’t writing, she’s usually curled up with her 3 Dachshunds and a good book or planning her next adventure—wherever that may be.
It’s unfortunate that traveling costs so much money—wouldn’t it be great if it didn’t? But there are some websites and apps that help you compare prices and grab great deals on hotels, activities, flights, and other forms of transportation.
There are also ways to find out if a certain landmark or attraction is even worth visiting—potentially saving yourself hundreds of dollars on entrance fees and travel. After all, you don’t want to spend your hard-earned money on something that isn’t worth it, do you?
The following 10 websites and apps are designed to make your holiday planning easier. And with savings to be had, it’s worth visiting them all.
Skyscanner
Skyscanner is a website that mainly focuses on comparing flights from different airlines to destinations all over the world. You can input your destination, preferred dates, and how many people you’re traveling with, and Skyscanner will bring up dozens of flights ranging in price and duration.
If you have the flexibility, you can also play around with dates to find which days of the week/month are cheaper than others. This feature comes in very handy—especially if you’re trying to vacation on a budget.
In addition to flights, however, you can also book hotels and car hire on the Skyscanner website and app, meaning everything you need is all in one place.
Tripadvisor
Although you can book everything from flights and hotels to car hire and activities on Tripadvisor, what most people use it for are reviews. You can type in any landmark, hotel, restaurant, or activity on Tripadvisor and be met with reviews from previous customers/visitors.
Tripadvisor is a lifesaver when you’re trying to book a vacation, as it can save you from wasting your money and time visiting places that aren’t worth your while. Then once your holiday is over, you can leave your own review to help others in the future.
Google Reviews
Google Reviews is another great place to find opinions on hotels, activities, and landmarks. For example, if you wanted to find out whether the Eiffel Tower was worth visiting, you would type in “Eiffel Tower” on a Google Search. Then to the right of the screen, there will be a star rating and reviews for you to scroll through.
Review websites like Google Reviews and Tripadvisor have saved me plenty of times while I’ve been traveling. And they often come up with information you’d never have known otherwise. It only takes 5 minutes to do a quick search, but it can save you hours when you’re out on your trip.
Get Your Guide
Get Your Guide is a one-stop shop for all things activities. All you have to do is type in your destination and Get Your Guide brings up various activities in and around the area. If you find an activity you like the look of after reading through the detailed description and itinerary, you can proceed with booking through the website.
Get Your Guide even has a review section from previous visitors so you can compare prices and recommendations from all the different tour companies on the site.
Agoda
Whenever I travel, I always like to compare hotel prices by looking through Agoda, Booking.com, and Airbnb. Sometimes you’ll find the exact same hotel on all three sites at a different price, allowing you to snag the best deal.
Agoda does also have a flight and activity search option, but hotels are their specialty and what most people use them for. Typing in your destination and vacation dates brings up hostels, homestays, hotels, and villas in the area so you can browse through pictures, reviews, and room types before deciding which hotel suits you and your needs.
Booking.com
Booking.com is similar to Agoda. But like I said, it’s best to check both to see which site offers a better deal. On Booking.com, you book stays, flights, car rentals, attractions, and even airport taxis, so you’re prepared long before arriving at your destination.
Airbnb
Airbnb is the place to go if you’re after vacation homes or condo rentals. The company is slightly different from Agoda and Booking.com, as Airbnb focuses on renting entire places to yourself. But they do also have hotels that you’d find on Airbnb’s competitor’s sites.
Whether you want a luxury villa with a pool, a beachfront bungalow, or a tiny home in the jungle, Airbnb has a place for all styles and preferences.
Kayak
Kayak is a vacation planning website that combines flights, hotels, and car hire, so you don’t have to mess around with various websites.
With travel guides on destinations all over the world, the highlighting of top attractions, predicted weather forecasts, and popular accommodation areas, Kayak is the perfect website for first-time travelers and people who aren’t the most tech-savvy.
Rome2 Rio
Rome2 Rio takes vacation planning to a whole new level as visitors can see more than just available flights. The Rome2 Rio site provides information on trains, buses, and subways, giving detailed descriptions of how to get from point A to point B.
For example, if you want to travel from New York to Florida, Rome2 Rio will show you all of your transport options, their travel duration, and their price.
If you’re anything like me and get totally confused about the subway systems, then Rome2 Rio is a godsend, as it tells you the exact subway line you need to be on. You can also book hotels and car hire through the site.
Expedia
Expedia is yet another travel website that lets you book everything in one place without having to scour the internet. With stays, flights, things to do, and car hire all on one website, booking travel has never been easier.
On Expedia, you can even book cruises which is a unique feature that not many other travel booking websites have.
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