Best online travel sites 2022

Use the best online travel sites to plan your trip ahead of time so you can enjoy your time away.

Best Online Travel Sites

  • Buying advice
  • Testing process

The best online travel sites are wonderful not only plan your next trip for peace of mind, they're also a fun way to get excited ahead of your next adventure. You can simply go to one site and plan most of your trip's main parts from flights and hotels to rental cars and excursions. If what you're after is just hotel bookings, check out our list of the best hotel booking sites .

While what many of these sites offer is similar, it's the way in which they do it which is important. The last thing you need is a stress-inducing website when planning to go away to relax and unwind. So we've reviewed the best sites based on their price, of course, but also on the way they work, with the ease of use and clarity as important features. We also checked to make sure you won't suffer any extra charges added on top at the last minute. Plus, we took rewards schemes into account, which could help you save money upfront or in the longer term if you use some sites more than once.

With all that in mind, these are the very best online travel sites out there right now.

The best online travel sites

1. expedia.com: best online travel site overall .

Why you can trust Top Ten Reviews Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test .

Best Online Travel Sites: Expedia

Our expert review:

Specifications

Reasons to buy, reasons to avoid.

Expedia is a big name in online travel sites and hotel booking services and owns many popular sites like Hotels.com and Hotwire.com. We're fans of the original, though, thanks to its clean and straightforward to use interface. Hit the packages section of the site, and you can add up to five connecting flights, choose to add accommodation for all of or only part of your trip, and tag on car rentals too. 

It's all suitably well laid out, and it only takes a few seconds to start putting together your itinerary. However, we do wish there were a few more options for filtering out accessibility issues. Still, for most people, Expedia.com has everything they'll need, and there's even the option of a cruise too if you fancy it. It's as aspirational to look at as it is useful to, well, use and there are extra discounts for booking multiple parts of your vacation with the site. A Things To Do section rounds off the site's bid to help you plan your entire trip in one place.

2. Booking.com: Best for ease of use

Booking.com

Booking.com

Booking.com is a giant in the world of holiday bookings and not only offers over half a million properties in more than 207 countries but also offers flights and car rental services too. As such you can do it all from this one spot which makes it a very easy-to-use option. That said, there is a lot going on, and the user interface can be a little overwhelming at times. 

But with a superb rewards program, it is a great option that encourages you to keep coming back, making it easier to use as you become accustomed. You can even sort your taxi hire from this site meaning there is very little to think about when you get traveling as it's all been planned ahead of time. You also don't have to pay a booking fee on lots of hotels, allowing you to remain flexible – ideal if you're traveling about a lot on your journey.

3. CheapTickets.com: Best for finding things to do 

Best Online Travel Sites: CheapTickets

CheapTickets.com

CheapTickets is another site acquired by Expedia, but it does things a little differently. You can easily add on flight, hotel, and car or any combination of the three for package deals, although multiple flights are under a different option. So far, so Expedia (if less intuitive), but you can also clearly purchase event tickets from the site, which is far more useful if you want a one-stop-shop place to buy your trip. It's something other sites provide, but CheapTickets is that bit keener to entice you into the process, even if the site itself is a little cheesier looking than others. 

There's also the site's Vacation Value Finder, which lets you tweak how much you're willing to spend and what you're looking for from a vacation before making some fun suggestions. It's perfect for finding a last-minute deal if you don't have your heart set on one place. Students will also appreciate a section dedicated to them with extra discounts once you verify you're a student. All in all, it's a great varied site for numerous different needs. 

4. Priceline.com: Best for user reviews 

Best Online Travel Sites: PriceLine

Priceline.com

Priceline is a big deal in the online travel site world for a good reason. It's effortless to use with options available for flights, cars, hotels, or any combination of the three. It's mildly annoying that Priceline's super cheap Pricebreaker deals don't extend to bundles, so you won't get an incredible bargain like you would if you booked separately. However, combining the set is still a worthwhile deal with discounts offered for the more you bundle together. 

One thing we really appreciated is that every hotel we looked at had dozens of reviews, and they're all from verified customers. It takes seconds to gain a reasonably accurate picture of what to expect from wherever you're considering booking. That's the perfect peace of mind when you're booking online, and you can't be sure of what you're getting without user reviews backing hotel statements up. Clearly laid out, you can focus on enjoying rather than worrying. Finally, Priceline is keen to make its VIP scheme easily accessible with straightforward discounts offered to you over time -- something that not all sites so clearly highlight. 

5. Kayak.com: Best for aggregated results 

Best Online Travel Sites: Kayak

If you're short on time, Kayak is pretty useful. That's because you simply enter where you want to go, and it aggregates results from multiple different sources. While it means you never book directly with Kayak, it does mean you get results quickly and without having to search around yourself, even if you will feel a bit overwhelmed with adverts while you search. 

The site itself looks a little basic, but under the hood is a surprising number of different filters (although no accessibility ones to speak of) and all the critical information you could require, although obviously you'll be sent to another site for the full details. The site also has a deals section, which has some great bargains for things you can do once you reach your destination, along with cheap car rental deals. It might not be pretty, but if you simply don't want to do the groundwork yourself, Kayak has you covered. It can be a real time-saver, and we reckon it's particularly useful if you're mostly researching possible trips in the future and want rough price estimates. Just watch out for the fact you can’t bundle in car rental deals. 

6. Hotwire.com: Best for renting properties 

Best Online Travel Sites: Hotwire

Hotwire keeps things straightforward. All you need to do is enter what you're looking for, and a somewhat dated interface tells you what's available. It's not as pretty as some sites, but we really liked the extensive property type filters available. Want to stay on a houseboat or in a chalet at your destination? Hit the relevant filter, and you can find out if that's an option in the locale. That might not matter if your heart is set on a hotel, but it's a nice bonus even amongst the awkward site layout. 

Elsewhere, it's mostly business as usual, but that's no bad thing. Well laid out discounts are available to compare reasonably quickly, and most locations have plenty of reviews. If you feel like tracking down specific deals, you can do that too, with the site keen to offer up discounts to central locations if you're not quite sure where you'd like to visit next. It feels like the site needs updating when you compare it to its rivals, but it works well and speedily enough.

7. Agoda: Best for private home rental in Asia 

Agoda

Agoda is a great option if you want to look for accommodation that isn't a hotel as this specializes in offering apartments and private rentals. In fact, there are dedicated market managers that work on finding properties, especially in Asia. As such you can find unique destination rentals at decent rates and should you change your mind there is a helpful 24-hour free cancellation policy in place. 

Everything is very easy to use and if you want to make more than one booking you can make great savings. Customer support is also a plus, as there is a 24-hour multilingual customer support service available when booking. With millions of reviews, Agoda makes finding a property very easy with a feeling of trust that can offer great peace of mind.

What to look for in an online travel site

Booking Travel Packages Travel packages can let you combine flights, hotel reservations and car rentals together for a better deal than booking separately. Some companies, like Priceline, pick hotels and flights for you, to get you to your destination for the lowest price. Other companies let you mix and match flights, hotels and car rentals to fit your schedule.

Booking Airfare One of the biggest reasons for searching on a travel site is to find cheap airfare. While there are dozens of airfare-specific websites, travel sites also give you the option to add hotel stays and car rentals. The best travel sites combine flight information from over nine different airlines and let you sort flights by price, number of stops, duration and flight class.

Booking International Travel Finding airfare for international travel is the easiest part of booking an overseas trip. AirGorilla helps you find accommodations and rent GPS units with your rental car, so you can find your way around. Often, sites will recommend hotels that are far from your actual destination or event. Searching for reservations on a site that gives accommodation recommendations will help you schedule an international trip with less stress.

How we tested the best online travel sites

We looked at how easy each site is to use during our testing, such as how quickly the site loaded and how easy it was to find what we were looking for. We considered whether the site felt cluttered with adverts or seemed like a dated interface. We also looked at how easy it was to find Contact Us pages, price guarantee information, and any kind of special deals section. 

We also considered how easily bundle deals could be arranged and how extensive they were and any potential discounts tied to them. We checked filter options to see how flexible and easy it was to look up different needs along the way.

We looked at trips between Los Angeles and Miami, Paris to Lisbon, and New York City to Los Angeles during testing. We also looked at lesser-known routes to see if they were also catered for appropriately.

Get the Top Ten Reviews Newsletter

Sign up to receive the latest news, reviews, buying guides and deals direct to your inbox

Jennifer has been freelancing for over 10 years. In the past, she's written about all things tech and gaming wise for outlets as varied as The Independent, Playboy, Eurogamer, and TechRadar. In her spare time, she spends far too much time watching films, attempting to train her pet guinea pigs, and mastering making the perfect burrito.  She's a full time freelancer, but a regular tech news contributor to Top Ten Reviews.

Masterbuilt Gravity Series XT Digital Charcoal Grill + Smoker review: a large charcoal grill and smoker with Wi-Fi technology

Numatic International CVC370 Charles Wet/Dry Vacuum review: a sturdy vac that gives a professional finish

Shark StainStriker review: an easy-to-use portable spot and stain eliminator carpet cleaner

Most Popular

top 5 travel booking sites

  • Credit cards
  • View all credit cards
  • Banking guide
  • Loans guide
  • Insurance guide
  • Personal finance
  • View all personal finance
  • Small business
  • Small business guide
  • View all taxes

You’re our first priority. Every time.

We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with confidence. And while our site doesn’t feature every company or financial product available on the market, we’re proud that the guidance we offer, the information we provide and the tools we create are objective, independent, straightforward — and free.

So how do we make money? Our partners compensate us. This may influence which products we review and write about (and where those products appear on the site), but it in no way affects our recommendations or advice, which are grounded in thousands of hours of research. Our partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews of their products or services. Here is a list of our partners .

6 Best Websites for Booking Cheap Flights

JT Genter

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money .

The desire to get a good deal unites practically all travelers. Whether you're looking for a cheap getaway or a luxury vacation, no one wants to spend more than necessary. When it comes to booking flights, travelers may naturally head to an airline's website. However, that's not always the best site to book flights.

Whether it's taking advantage of credit card perks, earning bonus miles or saving money, the best flight booking site can vary depending on your situation and willingness to get creative. Let's take a look at six of the best sites to book flights and when each is the best option.

» Learn more: The best travel credit cards right now

The best flight booking sites

1. google flights.

For ease, speed and features, Google Flights is arguably the best website for flight searches. Search results appear almost instantly. Filters let you narrow down to nonstop options, select a subset of airlines, limit by price or factor in the price of a bag. Similarly, you can use Google Flights filters to avoid certain airlines, multi-stop itineraries, long layovers, early flights or pretty much whatever you might want to avoid.

You can easily check flexible dates, and if you're flexible on where you go you can use the Explore map to see prices for a variety of destinations for certain dates, a certain month or anytime in the next six months.

top 5 travel booking sites

Google Flights partners with hundreds of airlines and online travel agencies (OTAs) to pull current flight prices. That way you don't have to search each of these sites to be able to see the options. Once you select your preferred trip, Google Flights links you to the top booking options for actually booking your flight — including the airline itself and the best OTA booking options.

top 5 travel booking sites

The downsides of Google Flights are few. One downside is that Google Flights doesn't always show the cheapest prices — particularly for international flights. That means it's worth double-checking prices on another site before booking through Google Flights.

Like Google Flights, Kayak searches hundreds of other websites and flight booking platforms to find the best deal. Kayak generally doesn't let you book flights directly. However, one benefit of Kayak is the streamlined process. Rather than having to click through several pages to confirm your selection, clicking "view deal" on the results page can take you right to the cheapest booking option.

top 5 travel booking sites

Also, some travelers may find Kayak's flexible date search a bit easier to work with as you can see results from several days in the search results — eliminating the need to check each day's results separately.

top 5 travel booking sites

But perhaps the most important reason to use Kayak instead of Google Flights is that it can catch better deals. For example, we found a $550 round-trip flight from Los Angeles to Barcelona using Google Flights. Kayak found a way to lower that price to just $472 round-trip — at least once you scroll past an advertisement.

top 5 travel booking sites

Note that Kayak manages other flight search sites — including Momondo and Cheapflights — so the results may be very similar between these sister sites.

» Learn more: Is Kayak legit?

So far, we've focused on ease in flight searching, and that's going to be enough for many travelers. However, now let's add in some additional elements to consider when choosing the best flight booking site: earning rewards and saving by booking packages. Expedia excels at both of these.

Through the new One Key rewards program , travelers can earn 0.2% in OneKeyCash from flight bookings made through Expedia. That's not much, but it can stack on top of the awards you earn from the airline and those that you earn on your credit card purchase.

Even better, you'll earn credits toward One Key elite status by booking your flight through Expedia. As you climb up the tiers, you'll unlock up to 20% savings on hotels, get hotel upgrades, priority support and even price drop protection.

Plus, Expedia boasts that travelers can "save up to 30%" when bundling a hotel with a flight booking — although actual discounts are likely to vary.

» Learn more: The pros and cons of Expedia

4. Capital One Travel

For many Capital One cardholders, Capital One Travel might just be the best flight booking site. Part of this is to take advantage of cardholder benefits.

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

For example, Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card holders earn 5x Capital One miles when booking flights through the Capital One Travel portal. Plus, Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card holders get up to $300 off travel booked through the Capital One Travel portal each cardholder year.

» Learn more: How to maximize the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

Also, Capital One Travel can help you truly get the best price for your flight. Capital One partnered with travel data company Hopper to show suggestions about when it's the best time to book.

top 5 travel booking sites

Capital One backs up these recommendations with money. If you book a flight through Capital One Travel when Hopper recommends doing so, you'll get up to a $50 credit toward future travel if the price drops within the next 10 days.

top 5 travel booking sites

» Learn more: How the Capital One Travel portal works

Would you be willing to book a trip as two separate tickets in order to save money? That's the idea behind Kiwi. Instead of simply searching flights from your home airport to your destination, Kiwi checks all potential options to get between A and B. That could mean taking a bus or train from your home city to another to catch a flight to your destination. Or, Kiwi might pair a low-cost domestic flight with a cheap international flight from another city to lower your total cost.

Protect your upfront travel expenses by booking with a card that has travel insurance or by purchasing a separate policy .

For example, when we priced out a round-trip flight from Phoenix to Tokyo, the cheapest option when booked as one ticket cost $1,353 round-trip — and that's with an overnight stay in Vancouver.

top 5 travel booking sites

Pricing out the same itinerary and dates through Kiwi drops the price to just $789 round-trip. The secret? Booking this as two round-trip flights: One from Phoenix to Los Angeles on Frontier and a separate round-trip from Los Angeles to Tokyo on Zipair.

top 5 travel booking sites

Keep in mind that there are risks with booking separate tickets to get where you want to go. If a delay or cancellation causes you to miss your connection, the second airline/bus/train company isn't obligated to honor your ticket and rebook you on the next option. So make sure to factor in all of the risks of booking travel like this.

» Learn more: When to use Kiwi for your next flight booking

6. BookWithMatrix

ITA Matrix is a very powerful and ultra-customizable search platform for finding exactly the flight itinerary you want — whether that's booking a longer layover, avoiding certain aircraft types or booking nerdy trips such as the Alaska Milk Run .

The catch: Travelers can't actually book flights through ITA Matrix. And, unlike Google Flights, ITA Matrix doesn't even link to the best flight booking site for that itinerary. Instead, travelers are left to attempt to re-create the same itinerary through another flight booking website — which can be hard in the case of certain complex itineraries.

top 5 travel booking sites

Enter BookWithMatrix. Travelers can copy-paste their perfect itinerary from ITA Matrix into BookWithMatrix to get bookable links through the airline or select OTAs.

top 5 travel booking sites

Alternatively, travelers have the option to install the PowerTools extension in Google Chrome .

top 5 travel booking sites

This extension adds booking links right on the ITA Matrix itinerary page, avoiding the need to browse to another page.

Popular cards for booking flights

Depending on the airline and credit card issuer you choose, you may earn anywhere from 1 to 3 miles per dollar spent on the card that you can put towards booking flights.

You usually earn more when you use the card to purchase travel directly from the airline. You could also earn more by making purchases in expense categories that pay bonus miles, like restaurants or gas stations (these vary from issuer to issuer).

Chase United Airlines Mileage Plus Credit Card

on Chase's website

Chase Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card

on American Express' website

Barclays JetBlue Plus Credit Card

$0 intro for the first year, then $95 .

$0 intro for the first year, then $150 .

• 2 miles per $1 on United purchases.

• 2 miles per $1 at restaurants and hotels (when booked directly with hotel).

• 1 mile per $1 on all other purchases.

• 2 points per $1 on Southwest purchases.

• 2 points per $1 on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases, local transit and commuting (including rideshare), and on internet, cable, phone services and select streaming.

• 1 point per $1 on all other purchases.

• 2 miles per $1 on purchases made directly with Delta and at U.S. supermarkets and restaurants (including takeout and delivery in the U.S.).

• 1 mile per $1 on all other eligible purchases.

Terms apply.

• 6 points per $1 with JetBlue.

• 2 points per $1 at restaurants and grocery stores.

• 1 point per $1 on other purchases.

• 1 Mosaic tile per $1,000 spent.

When you open a new airline credit card account, you may be eligible for a big welcome bonus after meeting a minimum purchase requirement. After that, you'll continue to earn miles for purchases you would have made anyway.

If you seek more flexibility in redeeming miles for award flights, consider applying for a more general travel credit card instead. A more general travel credit card differs from an airline card in that you can book flights with multiple carriers, rather than reaping the benefits of staying loyal to a single brand.

The more high-end (or 'premium' ) the travel credit card, the more benefits you can enjoy, including airport lounge access or automatic elite status in certain programs. That said, a brand-specific airline card can net you benefits like waived baggage fees, which can have meaningful dollar value.

» Learn more: The best airline credit cards

Final thoughts on the best flight booking site

There's not a one-size-fits-all best website for booking flights. Instead, the best flight booking site for you is going to depend on how simple you want the process to be, whether you're willing to get creative with your booking, and even which credit cards you have.

For most travelers, the simplicity of Google Flights is going to make it the best one-stop shop for searching and booking flights. However, it's worth considering other options if you're flying internationally, want to book a flight-and-hotel package or have a Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card .

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2024 :

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card

1x-5x 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

75,000 Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's over $900 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

Chase Freedom Unlimited Credit Card

1.5%-5% Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

Up to $300 Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

on Capital One's website

2x-5x Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options.

75,000 Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

top 5 travel booking sites

Best Hotel Booking Sites

We recommend using Booking.com for hotel reservations

Ligaya Malones is an editor, blogger, and freelance writer specializing in food and travel. Ligaya's work has appeared in publications including Lonely Planet and BRIDES.

We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more .

All aspects of travel planning can be handled online, and the best hotel booking sites help customers find places to stay based on cost, availability, proximity, amenities, and more. By searching a range of dates in a specific area, customers can view hotels with vacancies along with details about those hotels and reviews from other customers.

The best hotel booking sites give customers the broadest range of options with as many details as possible about the listed hotels. In addition to competitive prices, sites offer rewards or discounts to frequent travelers depending on how often they book. They also allow customers to cancel reservations with little to no penalty, or they offer bigger discounts on reservations that cannot be canceled.

The Best Hotel Booking Sites for 2023

  • Best Overall: Booking.com
  • Best Overall, Runner-Up: Hotels.com
  • Best for Luxury: Mr and Mrs Smith
  • Best Budget: Hostelworld
  • Best for Spontaneous Travel: Hotel Tonight
  • Best for Membership Rewards: Marriott Bonvoy
  • Best for Social Impact: Kind Traveler
  • Our Top Picks

Booking.com

  • Mr and Mrs Smith
  • Hostelworld

Hotel Tonight

Marriott Bonvoy

Kind Traveler

  • See More (4)

Final Verdict

Frequently asked questions, methodology, best overall : booking.com.

This hotel booking site sports one of the largest numbers of hotel accommodations around the world, and guests often gravitate toward it to find a great deal. In addition to hotels, Booking.com allows guests to search for car rentals, flights, and flight and hotel packages.

Broad selection

Reviews only by those who have booked

Customer service challenges

Booking.com is an aggregator site known for its volume of hotel options at all price points, though many travelers turn to the site to compare rates on hotels around the world. The site has been known to deliver some of the lowest rates on the internet. Reviews of hotels displayed on the website are written by individuals who’ve booked and completed travel through Booking.com. It also makes a point of including taxes as part of published rates for hotels located in Europe and Asia.

In 2022, the Amsterdam-based company eliminated a few thousand call center jobs, while existing positions were outsourced, which might mean customer service challenges on the consumer end during this transition.

Best Overall , Runner-Up : Hotels.com

A bulleted list of fees and policies makes listed hotels easy to compare.

Millions of listings

Detailed reviews

You may miss out on hotel brands' loyalty programs

Hotels.com is one of the longest-running hotel listing sites in the business and publishes more than 3 million different listings in nearly 20,000 locations around the world including in cities like Cape Town, Lisbon, countries within the Caribbean, and Japan. Use its search engine to filter hotel results by category, such as by accessibility requirements—like a roll-in shower or sign-language capable staff—preferred neighborhood, and must-have amenities such as an ocean view or free airport shuttle. Search also by type of accommodations, including motels and apartments. Its app also offers an additional 10 percent off bookings.

Its collection of 10,000 VIP Access properties are cream-of-the-crop listings that have received top ratings for exceptional service by Hotels.com guests. Hotel reviews by Hotels.com guests indicate how long and what type of trip users took (business vs. leisure) for additional context.

Best for Luxury : Mr and Mrs Smith

Mr & Mrs Smith

Discerning traveler-curated boutique hotel listings include exclusive perks when you book with this site.

Listed hotels must pass vetting process

Listings across multiple continents

Limited number of listings

The U.K.-based Mr and Mrs Smith considers itself a global travel club. Guests booking through its site receive access to a curated list of more than 1,700 upscale hotels and villas throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean, among other locales. Peruse listings by categories, such as child-friendly hotels, properties ideal for a honeymoon, and pet-friendly hotels.

Each Mr and Mrs Smith property must be invited into its roster after passing a strict, anonymous review by one of the company’s in-house travel specialists. Most of the listings are boutique hotels with a penchant for considered aesthetics and lots of unique touches (such as an onsite restaurant that produces its own olive oil). Many unique accommodations are offered, with options including treehouse hotels and tropical retreats with both overwater and underwater rooms. 

The site offers three membership tiers. Its second and third tiers are paid options (choose to make either a monthly or an annual payment, beginning at $150 annually) and include perks like priority booking on exclusive offers, discounted access to airport lounges, and room upgrades as available.

Best Budget : Hostelworld

 Hostelworld

Socially minded and budget-conscious travelers turn to this hotel booking site for affordable rates and a flexible cancellation policy—24 hours prior to arrival.

Caters to budget-focused travelers

Can plan for large groups

Lacks the depth of larger, aggregate sites

Budget travelers looking for a hostel or cheap hotel should check out Hostelworld. It lists 36,000 properties in 178 countries, with more than 13 million verified guest reviews to back them up in backpacker-friendly locales from Amsterdam and Berlin to New Zealand. 

Filter results by room type (such as all-female dorms or en-suite family rooms), distance from the city center, and accommodation type. Although the site is called Hostelworld, you can also book bed and breakfasts, apartments, and campsites. Overviews of each listing are provided by the property owners and are accompanied by a Hostelworld description of the property, a summary of amenities like free WiFi or complimentary breakfast, and other travelers' reviews. Select your room type, pay a nominal deposit to reserve your room, and receive instant confirmation. 

Traveling in a group of 15 or more? Use the site’s group travel bookings feature to plan your friend-cation, reunion, and more. And since hostels typically have a social, communal vibe, in 2022, Hostelworld announced its platform now offers the optional capability to interact and connect with other Hostelworld guests checking in to the same city and hostel 14 days before arrival.

Best for Spontaneous Travel : Hotel Tonight

Travelers with flexibility and those in need of last-minute accommodations find this app-first hotel booking service offers heavily discounted rooms in a pinch.

Accommodates short-term needs

Loyalty program

Still must coordinate some details directly with hotels

Need a last-minute hotel room, or have a flexible schedule and like to make travel plans as they unfold? The HotelTonight app, owned by Airbnb as of 2019, is your answer to discounted hotel rooms in a pinch (though the app will allow bookings up to 100 days in advance). Search for a hotel by date and location, and if it’s available, choose your room type. Insider tip: HotelTonight lists excess hotel room inventory, which is why you aren’t always able to select your room.

Hotels are categorized with descriptors like Hip (stylish and quirky), Charming (intimate, and can include bed and breakfasts), and Luxe (for impeccable service and impressive amenities). Its tiered loyalty program unlocks steeper discounts the more you book with the app, and its Deals offers are occasional flash sales that offer even deeper discounts if you book within a 15-minute window. Note that as of October 2022, specific requests like early check-in can’t be made within the app, so you’ll have to coordinate with the hotel directly.

Best for Membership Rewards : Marriott Bonvoy

There are 30 brands under the Marriott name and growing, and you can sign up for its free travel rewards program to begin earning points and perks.

Includes all 30 Marriott brands

Compatible with Marriott Bonvoy-branded credit cards

No access to non-Marriott hotels

If you’re booking a hotel, chances are it might be a Marriott brand property. Marriott boasts 30 brands at all price points within its portfolio, from SpringHill Suites to Design Hotels, and Westin to the Ritz-Carlton. That said, travelers should take advantage of its free loyalty program, Marriott Bonvoy. When you sign up, rack up points to climb its tiered status levels. The more you stay, the more points you earn toward perks like free upgrades, access to club lounges, late check-out, and upgraded WiFi. And the higher up in elite status one goes, the higher the percentage increase in points you receive per booking.

There are a number of ways to earn points with Marriott Bonvoy in addition to booking a hotel room, including making purchases with a Marriott-branded or partner credit card (like The Platinum card by American Express), and booking a car rental with Hertz. Note that points expire after 24 months if you do not complete at least one of a host of actions to remain eligible in the program.  

Best for Social Impact : Kind Traveler

As of 2023, this hotel booking site is still arguably the only one out there with a business model that accounts for social and environmental impact.

Recommendations for nearby sites to see

Rewards charity donations

Limited to a niche market

Travelers in pursuit of peace of mind knowing their travel dollars are making a direct impact on the destination they’re visiting will enjoy perusing the hotels listed on Kind Traveler. This hotel booking site’s get-and-give model asks travelers to make a $10 donation to a charity in exchange for a dollar amount off nightly rates. Booking with Kind Traveler also means exclusive perks and amenities—for example, a reservation at pet-friendly Kimpton Armory hotel in Bozeman, Montana, includes a room upgrade and late check-out (though both perks are dependent on availability). At this property, your $10 donation goes toward funding day camp experiences for people with disabilities.

We also love that each hotel listing includes several recommendations to “do good for the day” near your selected hotel. In Bozeman, for example, Kind Traveler suggests a visit to the Emerson Center for Arts and Culture to support its art community, or a donation to No Kid Hungry Montana, an organization serving the food-insecure.

When it comes to hotel booking sites, there’s something for every type of traveler. Many of the sites key in on finding the best deals on the web, and some get super-specialized, such as presenting hotel room listings for last-minute travelers. Overall, for tons of options with an eye for affordability, Booking.com is our top pick for the best hotel booking site.

What Is the Best Hotel Booking Site?

The answer may vary depending on specific needs, but we found that Booking.com offers the broadest range of hotel properties along with ease of use and opportunities for discounts. Another aggregate listing site, Hotels.com, was a close second, and most travelers should be able to find what they need through one of those sites.

Is It Better to Book Directly With the Hotel?

It depends. If you can speak with someone at the hotel with authority to offer discounts, you may be able to negotiate a lower rate , a free room upgrade, or other amenities. However, this requires taking the time to reach out directly to hotels and the skill to negotiate such deals. If you're in a hurry or if haggling isn't your thing, a hotel booking site may be your best option.

What Is the Cheapest Site for Booking Hotels?

Most of the sites on our list allow customers to search by price. While Booking.com and Hotels.com have the largest listings and should be able to direct customers to cheap options, Hostelworld is specifically geared toward budget travelers .

What Days Are Cheapest to Book Hotels?

This is another question that depends on the details, such as the type of hotel. If it's a hotel that caters to business travelers , it's likely to be busiest during the week, meaning you might find weekend deals. However, if it's a hotel in the middle of a popular tourist destination, weekends might be the busiest time, meaning a weekday trip might fetch the best deal.

We evaluated the major (and some niche) hotel booking sites for the volume of hotel room listings, unique value propositions (such as steeper discounts for last-minute bookings), and guest reviews. We also considered travelers’ values, such as social- and environmental-impact opportunities, and budget preferences.

Best Online Travel Agencies

The Best Hotels for Watching the Thanksgiving Parade in NYC

The Best Old Montreal Hotels

Best Disneyland Hotels

Best Budget Disney World Hotels

Best Car Rental Companies of 2024

The Best Oceanfront Virginia Beach Hotels

Best Dreams Resorts

Best London Budget Hotels

Best Las Vegas Hotels for Couples

Best Budget Hotels on the Las Vegas Strip

The Best Key West Beachfront Hotels

Best All-Inclusive Resorts for Solo Travelers

Best Hotels Near Universal Studios Hollywood

Best Budget Manhattan Hotels

Best Walt Disney World Resort Hotels in Orlando

We compared 7 travel-booking sites to show you what each is best at

When you buy through our links, Business Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships so we may get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

Planning a vacation or trip is undoubtedly stressful. You're bombarded with seemingly endless options for flights, lodging, and things to do, and it can be difficult to figure out where to start. Many travel aggregators strive to present you with the best deals, but they all end up looking very similar to each other.

These similarities make it easy to know what to do and expect when you first visit a site. Typically, you enter your destinations, dates, and number of travelers. After you click search, you can further filter based on price range, airlines, and departure times for flights; amenities, hotel stars, and location for hotels; and type of car and rental car company for cars. 

So what makes one site better than another?

It all depends on your priorities and preferences. Everyone travels and plans for that travel differently. Here are seven travel sites and the factors you should consider when choosing a site. 

Booking.com

top 5 travel booking sites

Booking.com is a huge bank of information, offering more than 1 million properties in 117,000 destinations in 225 countries and territories. Wherever you'd like to go, you'll find it through this site. It offers booking for flights,  hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars.  Clicking  restaurants will take you to OpenTable. 

Highlights:

I found their desktop homepage to be cluttered and a lot to look at compared to the homepages of other sites, but their app experience was noticeably simpler, which makes sense as travelers increasingly turn mobile. 

One feature on the homepage that stood out to me (shown above) was the "Are you traveling for work?" option. Clicking "Yes" will present popular business travel options like WiFi and breakfast.

Another feature was its flexible date suggestions if your chosen destination is a popular choice and accommodations are more than 50% reserved during your selected dates.

Best for: 

  • Wide variety of options, including hostels, homestays, and bed and breakfasts
  • Easy access to your plans and searches by syncing your account across your devices 
  • Getting the best deals with their Price Match offer 
  • Destination travel guides and articles 

Lacking or not the best for:

  • Bundling hotel, flight, and car packages

Book a trip with Booking.com

top 5 travel booking sites

Expedia offers booking for  flights, hotels, vacation rentals, rental cars, cruises, and things to do. 

You can bundle flight, hotel, and car deals so you don't have to go through the headache of looking separately and trying to coordinate all the deals. 

The "My Trips" section is helpful for managing your entire itinerary in one place, so you don't have to search through endless emails and accounts to figure out your vacation plan. 

If you sign up as a member, you can earn Expedia+ points to use toward future trips. Use the mobile app to earn 2x Expedia+ points. 

Like Booking.com, Expedia also offers suggestions for date shifts, date extensions, and route changes to get you to the cheapest deal. 

  • Hotel, flight, and car bundles 
  • Coordinating your whole vacation itinerary 
  • Reward points system
  • Single bookings. The site is best utilized for its bundle packaging.

Book a trip with Expedia

Tripadvisor.

top 5 travel booking sites

TripAdvisor offers booking for flights,  hotels, vacation rentals, restaurants, and things to do.

It's well-known for its user-generated reviews, so as you're booking, you get the added benefit of reading reviews all in the same place. While I'm partial to Yelp for food recommendations and believe it to be better for US destinations, TripAdvisor is much more widely used in the international community. 

TripAdvisor is the most experience-driven travel site. You are not just booking somewhere to live — you're signing up to experience and explore a destination. 

  • Detailed filtering (e.g. style for hotels and distinctive features for vacation rentals) 
  • Comparing deals across aggregators 
  • Strong user-generated review community 
  • Bundling hotel, flight, and car packages 

Book a trip with TripAdvisor  

top 5 travel booking sites

CheapOair offers booking for  flights, hotels, and rental cars.  Clicking on its cruises  tab takes you to another site, Cheap Cruises.  

The "Travel by Interest" section offers special deals for senior , military , student , and last minute travel . The military and student discounts emphasize keeping costs low, while the senior discount focuses on senior friendly destinations at an affordable price. 

Whether you're coordinating a reunion, wedding, or corporate event, a Group Travel Request is a good option. You can work with an agent on your travel needs. 

  • Specific travelers like senior citizens, military, students, and large groups
  • Higher than usual service fees (e.g. $32 per night per room for hotel bookings)

Book a trip with CheapOair

top 5 travel booking sites

Hotwire offers booking for  flights, hotels, and rental cars.

Hotwire gives you all the filters and options you need but maintains the balance of not giving you too much. It keeps its sections simple, so you don't need to worry about something you may be missing out on. 

Thanks to partnerships with other travel sites like Hotels.com and Expedia, Hotwire can offer extremely low prices. There is also a free 24-hour cancellation policy on most flights. 

  • Focused searchers who do not want to be distracted or overwhelmed by too many options, things to do, and city guides. Destination guides and inspiration can be found on a separate blog page. 
  • Travelers on a budget
  • Travelers with very specific preferences like hotel brand or car brand

Book a trip with Hotwire

Travelocity.

top 5 travel booking sites

Travelocity offers booking for  flights, hotels, vacation rentals, rental cars, cruises and things to do.  And no, you're not seeing double. Expedia owns Travelocity, which may explain why the two homepages look almost exactly the same. 

From what we can tell, the most noticeable difference is Travelocity's Roaming Gnome, which represents the inspiration and wanderlust of traveling. The "Inspiration" section contains interesting articles like "Best Foodie Finds in Airports Around the World" and themes like "Luxury" or "Romantic." Expedia's travel blog, on the other hand, is relegated to an easy-to-miss link near the bottom of the page. 

  • All the benefits of Expedia but with a more exploratory inspiration angle 
  •  Single bookings. The site is best utilized for its bundle packaging.

Book a trip with Travelocity

top 5 travel booking sites

Priceline offers booking for  flights, hotels, rental cars, and cruises.  

The " Express Deals " option rewards flexible travelers with up to 60% savings on hotels. The site will give you the location and star rating, but not the name of the hotel. You can still choose the bed type for many of the options. 

Another way to save is the Name Your Own Price feature where you input the location, star rating, and price bid for a hotel. 

For car rentals, you can also Name Your Own Price and bid for a car. If you don't have big preferences on the car brand, you'll be able to find a car for a price less than the search listings give you. For example, I was able to get an economy car with unlimited mileage for $30 a day, while the general search yielded cars that were all at least $37 a day. 

The cruise section is clear and easy to navigate. The search option is similar to searching for flights, with more dropdown selections than other sites. This feature is ideal for travelers who know exactly what they want for their cruise experience, and are not merely shopping around. 

  • Travelers with low hotel and car brand loyalty who want to find a great deal
  • Having a more focused cruise search process 
  • Travel inspiration or destination guides
  • Low risk takers who like to know exactly what they're getting

Book a trip with Priceline

top 5 travel booking sites

Subscribe to our newsletter. You can purchase syndication rights to this story here. Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the Insider Reviews team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at [email protected] .

top 5 travel booking sites

  • Main content

Inside the Travel Lab

The 50 Best Travel Websites and Travel Resources 2024

March 28, 2024

The best travel websites for cheap flights and great deals. Find the best travel toolkits and guides for booking flights, finding cheap deals, hotels, car rental, honeymoons, rail journeys, health advice and more. My tried and tested travel resources.

Here’s my collection of the top 50 travel websites and travel resources for all stages of dreaming, planning, booking and remembering your trip based on decades of professional travel. 

Woman working at laptop with sunglasses

The Best Travel Resources for Booking and Planning Your Trip 2024

As a regular contributor to  The Independent’s 50 Best Travel Websites feature , I know my way around travel websites. As a frequent traveller myself, I practically live on the things.

From dreaming about a trip, planning a trip, writing up a trip and reviewing trips for work, these are the travel resources, online booking sites, search engines and route planners I use to help me get the job done. Booking travel without travel agents has never been easier – even if it doesn’t feel like it at times.

So here’s my list of the best travel websites for 2024. It’s the best time to uncover the best places.

If you book or buy through the links on this page, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. However, we only ever recommend things we believe in and use ourselves. We also don’t earn a commission from all of these travel websites. Alas ;-)

Al Bait Hotel interior in Herat of Sharjah

The Best Hotel Booking Sites for Special Occasions

To find the best hotels needs a little bit of legwork. If you’re looking for somewhere beautiful to stay with a real travel experience, then try these sites first. If you’re looking for something more practical, jump on down to the next section.

Here are the top travel websites when it comes to boutique hotels:

Design Hotels

Beautiful, stylish and with up to 40% off for members, the chic and sleek Design Hotels website is a firm favourite of mine. Membership is free, quick and easy on the eye.

Best Loved Hotels

Best Loved Hotels gathers together properties from the UK and Ireland that show a real passion for what they do. From countryside manors to city break boltholes, I’ve stayed in several of their properties and have loved each one.

Mr & Mrs Smith

You may be forgiven for thinking this gorgeous collection was all about romance, but beyond finding great places for anniversaries and honeymoons, Mr & Mrs Smith cover great child friendly places too. Not just a website for inspiration, you can book directly on the site.

Small Luxury Hotels

The name says it all. Small Luxury Hotels   collect together independently minded hotels on their website and promise – and deliver – an authentic travel experience.

Leading Hotels of the World

Another website that wears its heart on its sleeve, Leading Hotels of the World gather together more than 375 luxury properties (including resorts) around the world.

MyBoutiqueHotel.com

With a great eye for design, MyBoutiqueHotel.com , as the name suggests, sources boutique hotels from around the world available for direct booking. Properties are combined into an easy on the eye collection, with curated lists for main cities plus the ability to create your own shortlists as you narrow down your choice. Membership is free and the themed lists save hours of research. You’ll find budget and luxury boutique hotel choices and can drill down to those suitable for work, for the kids, for romantic getaways and more.

Best travel websites 2021 - bedroom interior

The Best Hotel Booking Sites for the Best Deals and Specifics

These are the best travel websites for 2024 for booking flight and hotel packages together or for searching for accommodation when you have very specific needs. These online travel agencies let you trawl through thousands of places to stay in the blink of an eye. Plus, several offer exceptional hotel deals for your next adventure.

cozycozy.com

Describing itself as a search engine for accommodation, CozyCozy.com is an exciting newcomer on the hotel booking block. It rounds up offers from hotels, rentals, hostels, treehouses and boats into one easy to use platform. You’ll find the giants, like Booking.com and AirBnB and VRBO, as well as smaller accommodation solutions too. By searching with Cozycozy.com, you can save yourself a lot of time. They won’t cover everything. But they come pretty close.

A few more things to note. They guarantee that the price you see is the price you pay. They have a range of filters that go further than the rest (think searching for a hairdryer or washing machine.) And, my favourite. They have an “unusual” tab that opens up possibilities you may never have known existed. Yurt for one anyone?

Lastminute.com

I’ve grown old with Lastminute.com , originally because I fell in love with the name. But over the years, I still find them useful for last minute city break or resort based holidays (vacation packages if you’re from the US.) They’re an online travel agency with easy to navigate interface and lots of last-minute deals!

Expedia is SO big and all-encompassing that it’s sometimes easy to get lost within the website. But that’s also its strength for when your travel plans don’t fit into the travel sites I’ve mentioned above.

TripAdvisor

The great green travel website can really give you an inside look at a hotel. Yes, some of the reviews are fake but even the bad reviews can be helpful. One person’s “bad review” because there was no nightlife is another’s blissful discovery if they want a quiet, relaxing stay.

Plus, you get the benefit of booking through a trusted source with backup. AND the TripAdvisor community is really helpful if you have specific niggly questions about tourist destinations or are looking for great ideas.

Booking.com

Booking.com offers more search filters for hotels than anything else I’ve come across in the travel industry. When the specifics really matter (rather than the sense of atmosphere or design) then I turn to Booking.com It’s a powerful hotel search engine, with guest houses and self-catering options as well.

Top tips for finding the best travel deals

  • Look for off peak options whenever you can.
  • Don’t just stick to the big booking websites. Check out the smaller, unique travel websites as well.
  • Consider flying from regional airports.
  • Have a system! Our handy Travel Toolbox © will help with this.

Finding Great Flight Deals

There is, quite simply, an art to finding a good flight. Not just in terms of cost but also in terms of comfort and connection. It really is a useful life skill to be able to skip the travel agent and find what you want yourself.

With that in mind, check out our guide to the  best flight booking hacks for savvy travellers here.  

Then, get acquainted with the following flight search engines, for both domestic and international flights.

Skyscanner is the travel agent boyfriend or girlfriend with special deals you never had. Skyscanner listens, remembers your birthday, cleans your windscreen and empties the bin even when it isn’t its turn.

Well, OK, it doesn’t do any of that but  it DOES make it very, very easy to look for flights. Instead of forcing you to enter the same details in, or tie you to a date, Skyscanner uses filters and choices that simplify the flight-finding process. You can also search by price and switch currencies between dollars, euros, sterling and more. For both domestic and international travel.

If you have any flexibility in your planning, Skyscanner can let you search through the whole month for the best fare, slide filters for time of day, number of connections, just about anything. The only weak spot is searching for flights with infants, where the system is a little glitchy. Other than that, it’s one of the best airfare sites.

Don’t be put off by the watery name. Kayak is a meta search engine that crawls the web for flights and lets you sift through the results with ease. If you’re committed to finding the cheapest flights, then make sure you check everywhere you can.

Google Flights

Fellow travel professionals swear by Google Flights, although it’s never quite become one of my favourites. The strength of using Google’s software is that it responds quickly to real time changes. Perfect if your flight has just been cancelled because of weather or some other external event and you need to find your way home quickly.

You can even use Siri. “Hey google, give me search results for flights to New York!”

Travel experiences await.

Feynan Ecolodge in Dana Nature Reserve Jordan

The Best Travel Websites for Driving Holidays

You’re in road trip heaven here. We love road trips and have everything for them. Check out these great resources for planning a road trip.

Your Road Trip Toolkit

  • The road trip essentials you need to know about
  • The Ultimate Road Trip Planner  with printables and handbook
  • 101 fun road trip questions for your next drive
  • I nspiring road trip quotes for your instagram caption ideas.

AA Route Planner

This is another travel website that I love for its simplicity. Want to know how to get from A to B? Enter it in the AA Route Planner. It shows you a map and clear journey times in a split second. You can just leave it at that or add in stop off points and adjust for traffic and so on. The only problem is that it only covers driving in Europe.

MapQuest offers fantastic coverage of the United States and is free and easy to use to help plot our road trips.

Google Maps

Google Maps , on the other hand, cover the world. But it’s slightly more fiddly to use. It’s a lifesaver while actually on the road but it’s also useful in planning.

You can save destinations, plot itineraries and tweak public maps for your own trips. And – did you know that you can download maps and directions offline? Indeed, you can. It’s not only an online travel site.

Car Rental Travel Resources

I’ve driven cars all around the world and used all kinds of car rental companies and rental cars. Sometimes needs must but these days, wherever possible, I book through a reputable, international company. Then I look for car rental deals.

Hertz is one of my favourites. It’s so widespread and well-organised. Plus, as an inside tip, if you sign up to their Gold members programme (for free) you can quickly get lots of benefits.

However, for more of a search comparison site, I use Holiday Autos and then open RentalCars.Com in a new tab.

  • Don’t forget to download your free copy of our car rental checklist here.

Healthy Tray of Treats at the One Aldwych Luxury Hotel in London Near Covent Garden

Healthy Tray of Treats Room Service at One Aldwych, Covent Garden

The Best Travel Resources for Health

Centers for disease control and prevention.

Clearly, you should consult your own doctor before you travel. But, the CDC Travel Website is the one my medical friends recommend. So, don’t rely on it entirely. You do need an appointment with a real person. But it’s helpful to get an idea of what vaccinations and medication you are likely to need for certain countries before you decide to book. This applies all the more if your situation has changed due to a recent illness or pregnancy.

The Best Travel Websites for Saving Money

Money saving expert.

Martin Lewis’ Money Saving Expert website firmly focuses its attention on a UK audience. It provides regularly updated and researched guides on essentials from currency exchange to travel insurance and finding cheap flights.

They also crunch the numbers with credit cards, publishing spreadsheets and tables to help you navigate the world of credit card rewards and the best way to save money.

Travel Insurance

I’d always recommend checking out the guide above before you book. But one of my favourite places to go for travel insurance is Heymondo.

Roaming Costs: Airalo

Unless you have roaming fees included in your usual phone package, remember to switch off mobile data when you travel.

Instead, embrace the brilliance of an eSIM. That means, you switch SIM cards without having to physically pop the plastic cover out of your phone using the back of an earring, hoping you don’t lose it before you head home again.

I’ve tested Airalo all across the world, including North America, Europe and the Middle East. It’s fantastic. So quick. So much money saved.

Train Travel Resources

Db rail planner for train travel in europe.

I love the DB site. It covers almost all of Europe and has an English version online travel website that is so easy to use.

National Rail Journey Planner

National Rail itself may be long gone but as a travel website, the National Rail Journey Planner is the best I’ve found to negotiate the different rail networks of the UK.

Eurail (Formerly InterRail)

Forget the sweaty backpacker image. The Eurail network includes First Class rail travel through glossy transport hubs. You can buy a range of rail passes or simply use their maps, itineraries and suggestions to help you plan your rail trip through Europe.

Heathrow Express

This remains the fastest way to reach the city centre of London from London’s Heathrow Airport, as well as Paddington Station, the gateway to the west, southwest and Wales. Using the Heathrow Express website in advance, you can book tickets for as little as  £5.50. Plus, children 15 and under travel for free.

The Elizabeth Line in London

A sneaky little bit of inside info. To save money on the Heathrow Express, take the slightly slower “normal” train from Paddington to Heathrow instead. Costs a fraction of the price and is generally more comfortable.

If you’re looking to travel through Japan, then you can’t miss their high speed shinkansen trains. They’re part of what Japan is famous for. Buy your Japan Rail pass before you go to get the best deals as a tourist.

The Best Travel Websites for Honeymoons and Anniversaries

While you can build your own honeymoon through the travel resources above, niche travel website 101 Honeymoons takes the hard work out of the equation for you. It filters honeymoons by month, interest and family situation, with trusted input from some of the top travel writers in the trade.

My Favourite Cruise Travel Resources

Everyone has different tastes. I prefer smaller cruises with plenty of cultural and adventurous options and excursions. Look for cruise lines which aim to introduce people to the destination and respect local customs rather than just keep people on the ship.

I would highly recommend Avalon Waterways for cruises in Europe and beyond and Uncruise Adventures for small ship cruising in Alaska.

In 2022, I took my first giant cruise with Princess Cruises – and you can read what that was like here.

The Best Tour Companies

It took me years to believe it but sometimes joining a tour, just for half a day, is a great way of connecting with locals and learning new skills.

These days, it’s easier than ever to find just the tour you need as one of the latest trends has become a permanent fixture. In popular destinations, it’s also useful to use these sites to skip the queues and buy your tickets in advance.

You can search for recommendations on travel blogs (ahem) or head straight to the big search sites.

I’ve tested both of these across the world and would highly recommend them:

  • Get Your Guide has great cancellation policies and an easy booking process.
  • Viator has a huge collection of local guides, transfers from the airport, cooking classes and more.

Treehouse glamping in Wales at Redwood Valley

The Best UK Travel Websites

Self catered cottages.

For ease of use, the app that comes with Sykes Cottages makes it easy to plan a trip away in snippets of down time in a busy life. Quality Cottages sweeps some gorgeous luxury cottages into view in Wales.

Glampingly remains my favourite site for finding quirky yet comfortable glamping spots in Europe. Want to know why? Check out this collection of the best treehouse holidays in the UK.

With a mix of glamping and alternative places to sleep, C anopy and Stars fills in the gaps.

A special, self-catered foodie twist

To add a sense of luxe to your self-catered holiday, order in a gourmet meal from One Fine Dine. This private jet catering company now packages up incredible meals with full instructions on how to finish them off and plate them up. Adds a lovely sense of occasion to a self-catered trip away.

In Conclusion

And one last note. Are you American and wondering why I’m not talking about dream vacation packages? I am, we just call them holidays in the UK. And car rentals are hire cars. And travel guides are, well, travel guides. I guess some things stay the same after all ;-)

Did you enjoy this collection of the best travel websites and travel resources for 2024? Bookmark this list of travel websites on Pinterest for later.

The best travel websites for cheap flights and great deals. Find the best travel toolkits and guides for booking flights, finding cheap deals, hotels, car rental, honeymoons, rail journeys, health advice and more. My tried and tested travel resources.

For more travel tips, check out our travel resources on how to plan your next trip here.

Our Favourite Travel Resources for 2024

  • Download your FREE pre-trip checklist
  • Download your copy of the Ultimate Travel Packing Checklist

Some of the best travel resources can be those you create yourself. Here are some creative travel journal ideas to get you started. Future you will be grateful!

Get Daily Travel Tips & Deals!

By proceeding, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use .

Person sunbathing on yellow beach chair on empty beach

The 8 Best Travel Package Sites for Booking a Cheap Vacation

'  data-srcset=

Sarah Schlichter

Deputy Executive Editor Sarah Schlichter's idea of a perfect trip includes spotting exotic animals, hiking through pristine landscapes, exploring new neighborhoods on foot, and soaking up as much art as she can. She often attempts to recreate recipes from her international travels after she gets home (which has twice resulted in accidental kitchen fires—no humans or animals were harmed).

Sarah joined the SmarterTravel team in 2017 after more than a decade at the helm of IndependentTraveler.com. Sarah's practical travel advice has been featured in dozens of news outlets including the New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, USA Today, Budget Travel, and Peter Greenberg Worldwide Radio. Follow her on Twitter @TravelEditor .

The Handy Item I Always Pack: "A journal. Even years later, reading my notes from a trip can bring back incredibly vivid memories."

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: "Road tripping and hiking through the rugged mountains of Patagonia."

Travel Motto: "'To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world.'—Freya Stark"

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: "Aisle. I get restless on long flights and like to be able to move around without disturbing anyone else."

Email Sarah at [email protected] .

Travel Smarter! Sign up for our free newsletter.

Booking a flight, hotel, and rental car together doesn’t just save you time—it can often save you money, too. But before you make such a significant purchase, it’s important to find the best travel package sites for booking your vacation.

I tested more than a dozen vacation package sites to see which ones had the lowest prices and best user experience. I discovered that many of the best vacation package websites allow you to book any combination of flight, hotel, and rental car, while others are more limited (flight + hotel is often the default). Fortunately, some sites will let you add a car onto a hotel+flight package, even if a car isn’t listed on the initial booking page.

It’s also important to compare the price of a vacation booked as a bundle to that same trip booked a la carte as separate components. Booking a package isn’t always cheaper, and sometimes you’ll get  better flight options to choose from if you search for your airfare separately. In some searches, I discovered that the flight options included by default with my vacation package had ridiculously long layovers or undesirable departure times (4:30 a.m., anyone?).

The Best Car Rental Booking Sites

Keep a sharp eye out for resort fees; many of the best vacation booking sites don’t count them in their initial per-person price estimate because they’re collected separately by the hotel, but they can drive up the final cost of your trip. Similarly, optional airline baggage fees can also increase your total bill, especially if you book a flight in basic economy, and some vacation package sites don’t disclose these fees as clearly as others.

Finally, it’s important to know that many of the best sites for vacation packages are owned by the same parent company, so you’ll often find similar inventory and prices from one to the next. Knowing which sites are mostly interchangeable can save you some research time.

The Best Travel Package Sites

We put them to the test to compare prices, inclusions, and more. The following are the best websites to book vacations, listed in no particular order. Scroll down for more in-depth analysis of each one.

  • Expedia’s sister sites: Travelocity , Orbitz , and CheapTickets

CheapCaribbean.com

Funjet vacations.

Illustration of a laptop computer screen showing the vacation packages search page for Expedia

This well-known site is one of the best travel package sites for a reason. Expedia offers a full complement of bundle options (flight/hotel, flight/car, hotel/car, and flight/hotel/car) as well as trips to just about every corner of the globe. It’s reliable when it comes to pricing, too: Expedia offered the lowest price in two of my five tests, and was cheaper than average in all but one test booking.

That said, the amount the site said I was saving on a given package didn’t always match up to the actual price difference when I added up the cost of the trip’s individual elements. In one of my test cases, it was actually cheaper to book my flight, hotel, and car separately. So take those supposed savings with a grain of salt (or even better, price out the components separately on your own to be sure you’re getting the best deal).

Expedia has plenty of useful filters to help you find what you need. You can sort hotels by price, distance from a city’s downtown, guest rating, package discount, and property class, while flight options can be filtered by general departure and arrival times (for example, morning vs. evening), airline, whether carry-on bags are included, and more. You can also sort flight options by duration (longest or shortest), price (highest or lowest), departure time (earliest or latest), and arrival time (earliest or latest). There’s also a map view so you can check out the location of each hotel.

Best Feature: The breadth of choice and consistency of pricing make Expedia perhaps the best site for vacation packages. You may not always get the absolute lowest price here, but chances are you’ll pay a fair rate and have plenty of options to choose from.

top 5 travel booking sites

Check out Expedia

How Far in Advance Should You Book a Vacation Home?

Expedia’s Sister Sites: Travelocity, Orbitz, and CheapTickets

top 5 travel booking sites

Many travelers don’t realize that Travelocity , Orbitz , and CheapTickets are all owned by Expedia Group, and typically have very similar inventory and pricing to Expedia. Each of these sites has similar layouts and filter options, too. Like Expedia, these three sites offer every possible vacation package combination involving a flight, hotel, and/or rental car.

It was rare for any of these sites to beat out Expedia’s prices in my tests; in general, the rates were identical (especially on Travelocity, where I didn’t find any deviations from Expedia) or a little bit higher. However, Orbitz and CheapTickets did offer slightly cheaper packages on one flight/car itinerary.

Because the pricing is so similar, it’s probably not worth searching all three of these sites in addition to Expedia unless a difference of a few dollars will make or break your travel budget.

Best Feature: Travelocity, Orbitz, and CheapTickets offer a checkbox on their main booking page to specify “I only need accommodations for part of my trip”—a feature that allows user to select a subset of their trip dates and search for travel packages only within that period. This feature is also reflected on Expedia’s search page.

Note: Expedia Group also owns Hotwire , which I didn’t find quite as reliable as the other three in my tests. For one itinerary, a nonstop flight that the other sites offered was not available when booking a Hotwire package (though it was available when booking a separate flight on Hotwire), and the pricing on some searches was a little higher than on the other sites.

Check out Expedia’s sister sites below:

top 5 travel booking sites

Like Expedia and its partners, Priceline also 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. Priceline offers numerous hotel options in popular vacation destinations at every price point.

One quirk to prepare for: Priceline’s flight result page lists departure and return flights together as a pair rather than letting you choose each one separately. This cuts down on the number of screens you have to click through but could mean extra scrolling while you try to find the exact two flights you want. Not all flights that are available when booking airfare separately on Priceline seem to be accessible to those booking a package—so it’s worth checking both.

Priceline was in the middle of the pack as far as pricing was concerned. It won one of my tests but was the most expensive option in two others; overall, it offered cheaper-than-average prices 60 percent of the time. To help you save money, the site offers “Express Deals” for rental cars, an opaque option in which you don’t know which rental car brand you’ll get until after you’ve booked. If you’d rather choose which company you’re renting from, standard car rentals are also available.

Best feature: Once you’ve selected your flight and rental car preferences, the site will keep them the same as you click through alternate hotel possibilities—saving you the hassle of having to select them over and over again.

logo_priceline

Check out Priceline

What Happens If You Don’t Turn Your Phone to Airplane Mode?

top 5 travel booking sites

As its name suggests, CheapCaribbean.com has a more limited scope than other sites on this list, but it’s worth checking if you’re planning a trip to the Caribbean, where package trips such as honeymoons are particularly popular. The site turned up cheaper-than-average prices for both of my Caribbean tests.

CheapCaribbean.com is one of the best vacation websites for all-inclusive packages. Once you’ve entered your trip information, you can also filter your results by “adults only,” “children’s amenities,” and “luxury.” Each hotel-specific page includes a list of active promotions, on-site activities, and the property’s Tripadvisor Traveler Rating.

In some ways CheapCaribbean.com isn’t quite as sophisticated as other travel package sites. There’s no map available to compare locations of the listed hotel options. Also annoying: not being able to group Houston’s two airports into a single search, though you can select “all airports” for New York City and Washington, D.C. But the affordable deals are worth a few snags, as long as you’re only looking for a flight/hotel package—there’s no option to add a car or create any other package combinations, though you can add travel insurance and transfers, at least for the destinations I checked.

Best Feature: The “ Deals of Fortune ,” or bookings where you know the destination but not the exact resort until about a week before the trip. This is a fun feature for value-conscious travelers who aren’t set on a particular island or property.

top 5 travel booking sites

Check out Cheapcaribbean.com

top 5 travel booking sites

A popular meta-search site, Kayak saves travelers time by searching many of the best travel package sites with a single click. Unfortunately, you can’t specify which elements of your trip you’d like to bundle; it searches flight + hotel by default. You can add a car later on some of its partner sites, but if you’re looking for a flight/car package, you’ll have to go elsewhere.

Results list the cheapest available packages from sites such as Priceline (Kayak’s sister company), Expedia, and CheapCaribbean.com. There’s a map view available, and the results page shows both air- and hotel-related filters to make it easy to find nonstop flights, free breakfast, or a specific hotel.

I found that the prices listed on Kayak didn’t always match the price on the source site when I clicked over to find the deal—a fairly common problem with meta-search sites. But I also occasionally discovered that I got a different price after clicking from Kayak than I did when searching the same itinerary from the booking site’s home page. For example, a Las Vegas package was $819 per person on Priceline when I clicked over from Kayak, but just $783 when I booked the same package from the Priceline home page. Another test offered the opposite result, with the price being cheaper after clicking from Kayak than it was when booking directly on Priceline. The lesson: Test both options when using a meta-search site.

Best Feature: Being able to search some of the best vacation booking sites in a single place is a major time saver. Though Kayak doesn’t always find you the lowest possible price, it’s a good place to start your search and get an idea of what’s out there.

top 5 travel booking sites

Check out Kayak

The Essential Caribbean Packing List

top 5 travel booking sites

The Funjet home page gives you a single package option: flight/hotel. However, you can work around this by adding a rental car on at the end of a flight/hotel or individual flight booking. There are plenty of sort options for your results, including price, hotel name, rating, points of interest, and location.

One annoyance: Similarly to CheapCarribbean.com, there is no option to select “all airports” for certain cities like Houston or Chicago. And Funjet’s prices aren’t the most consistent, ranking as the cheapest in one test and the most expensive in another. Still, the site is worth comparing to others when booking your vacation.

Best Feature: Rather than making you scour the web for coupons, Funjet automatically applies any relevant promo codes to your search.

Note: If you’re headed to the Caribbean, Central or South America, Hawaii, or Mexico, try your search on Funjet’s sister site, Apple Vacations . The destinations it covers are more limited than Funjet’s, but I found that the prices were often a little better. CheapCaribbean.com is also owned by the same parent company, Apple Leisure Group.

top 5 travel booking sites

Check out Funjet

Book Your Stay With SmarterTravel Hotels

If you’re ready to book your next adventure but don’t want to commit to a prepackaged bundle, you can still save big by booking your hotel stay with SmarterTravel Hotels.

SmarterTravel Logo

All of the products featured in this story were hand-selected by our travel editors. Some of the links featured in this story are affiliate links, and SmarterTravel may collect a commission (at no cost to you) if you shop through them. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Follow Sarah Schlichter on Twitter @TravelEditor for more travel tips and inspiration.

You Might Also Like:

We hand-pick everything we recommend and select items through testing and reviews. Some products are sent to us free of charge with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions and do not accept compensation to review products. All items are in stock and prices are accurate at the time of publication. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.

Top Fares From

top 5 travel booking sites

Don't see a fare you like? View all flight deals from your city.

Today's top travel deals.

Brought to you by ShermansTravel

Oslo to Bergen: 6-Night Norway Fjords...

top 5 travel booking sites

Luxe, 7-Night Caribbean & Mexico Cruise...

Regent Seven Seas Cruises

top 5 travel booking sites

Shop and Save with Country Inns...

Patricia Magaña

top 5 travel booking sites

Trending on SmarterTravel

Expedia Rewards is now One Key™

Expedia travel: search hotels, cheap flights, car rentals & vacations, search for travel.

  • Things to do

Add a flight

Save 10% or more on over 100,000 hotels with Member Prices. Also, members save up to 30% when you add a hotel to a flight

Go beyond your typical stay.

top 5 travel booking sites

Big trips are better when bundled

Find a faraway beach this summer and save up to $1,045 when you book your flight + hotel together., explore stays in trending destinations.

Sonoma Plaza showing bird life

Paso Robles

top 5 travel booking sites

Santa Barbara

top 5 travel booking sites

San Luis Obispo

Turtle Bay Exploration Park

Last-minute weekend deals

Image gallery for suncoast hotel and casino.

Suncoast Hotel and Casino

Image gallery for san diego mission bay resort.

San Diego Mission Bay Resort

Image gallery for level los angeles downtown - south olive.

Outdoor pool

Level Los Angeles Downtown - South Olive

Los angeles, image gallery for beacon grand, a union square hotel.

Beacon Grand, A Union Square Hotel

San francisco, image gallery for hotel beacon.

Hotel Beacon

Image gallery for queen kapiolani hotel.

Queen Kapiolani Hotel

Image gallery for grand sierra resort and casino.

Room

Grand Sierra Resort and Casino

Image gallery for harrah's lake tahoe resort & casino.

Harrah's Lake Tahoe Resort & Casino

Image gallery for ace hotel and swim club.

Ace Hotel and Swim Club

Palm springs, image gallery for palihouse santa barbara.

Pool

Palihouse Santa Barbara

Image gallery for uliv revolución tijuana.

ULIV Revolución Tijuana

Image gallery for timhotel opera blanche fontaine.

Timhotel Opera Blanche Fontaine

Image gallery for chaminade resort & spa.

Chaminade Resort & Spa

Image gallery for westgate palace hotel / universal / i-drive.

Outdoor pool

Westgate Palace Hotel / Universal / I-Drive

Image gallery for 21c museum hotel chicago.

Room

21c Museum Hotel Chicago

Image gallery for bobby hotel.

Room

Bobby Hotel

Image gallery for nopsi hotel, new orleans.

NOPSI Hotel, New Orleans

New orleans, image gallery for the lancaster hotel.

The Lancaster Hotel

Explore these unique stays, image gallery for a walk in the clouds - two bedroom cabin.

A Walk in the Clouds - Two Bedroom Cabin

Sevierville, image gallery for kings castle.

Kings Castle

Big bear lake, image gallery for muddy creek mining company.

Exterior

Muddy Creek Mining Company

Image gallery for 8939 stinger drive.

Exterior

8939 Stinger Drive

Image gallery for nana bear manor.

Nana Bear Manor

Big bear city, image gallery for the roost downtown.

Private kitchen

The Roost Downtown

Image gallery for 5 son's geronimo - birdhouse cabin.

5 Son's Geronimo - Birdhouse Cabin

Image gallery for schlafmans hollow solar cabins.

Terrace/patio

Schlafmans Hollow Solar Cabins

Image gallery for dungeness bay cottages.

Living area

Dungeness Bay Cottages

Image gallery for nantahala outdoor center.

Nantahala Outdoor Center

Bryson city, image gallery for grandpa's cabin.

Grandpa's Cabin

Image gallery for california adventure cabin.

Property grounds

California Adventure Cabin

Image gallery for la junta colorado cabins.

La Junta Colorado Cabins

Image gallery for idyllic flagstaff home w/ grill: 3 mi to downtown.

Interior

Idyllic Flagstaff Home w/ Grill: 3 Mi to Downtown!

Image gallery for yellowstone peaks hotel.

Living area

Yellowstone Peaks Hotel

Island park, image gallery for eagle cottages at gulf state park.

Eagle Cottages at Gulf State Park

Gulf shores, image gallery for secluded escape - one bedroom cabin.

Interior

Secluded Escape - One Bedroom Cabin

Image gallery for whiskey on the river.

Exterior

Whiskey on the River

Image gallery for above it all - four bedroom cabin.

Above It All - Four Bedroom Cabin

Image gallery for mountain fun - one bedroom cabin.

Property grounds

Mountain Fun - One Bedroom Cabin

Image gallery for charming 'fox den' cabin in whittier w/ hot tub.

Interior

Charming 'fox Den' Cabin in Whittier w/ Hot Tub!

Image gallery for pine needles 6 - one bedroom chalet.

Property grounds

Pine Needles 6 - One Bedroom Chalet

Pigeon forge, image gallery for windjammer cottage.

Exterior

Windjammer Cottage

Branson west, image gallery for tropical cottages.

Exterior

Tropical Cottages

top 5 travel booking sites

Earn OneKeyCash on eligible flights, hotels, cars, and more

top 5 travel booking sites

Handpicked hotels that go the extra mile

top 5 travel booking sites

Go all in and still save money this summer

top 5 travel booking sites

Go off the beaten path and save with deals for One Key Members

top 5 travel booking sites

Flight deals ready to take you to the most-loved places

  • Explore a world of travel with Expedia

Top Hotel Deals on Domestic Destinations

  • Top Hotels in Boston, MA
  • Top Hotels in Houston, TX
  • Top Hotels in Chicago, IL
  • Top Hotels in Pigeon Forge, TN
  • Top Hotels in Myrtle Beach, SC
  • Top Hotels in Los Angeles, CA
  • Top Hotels in Nashville, TN
  • Top Hotels in San Francisco, CA
  • Top Hotels in Miami, FL
  • Top Hotels in New Orleans, LA
  • Top Hotels in Atlantic City, NJ
  • Top Hotels in Orlando, FL
  • Top Hotels in Las Vegas, NV
  • Top Hotels in Anna Maria Island, FL
  • Top Hotels in New York, NY
  • Top domestic Hotels

Top Hotel Deals on International Destinations

  • Top All-inclusive Resorts in Turks and Caicos
  • Top All-inclusive Resorts in Puerto Rico
  • Top Hotels in Paris
  • Top Hotels in Puerto Rico Island
  • Top Hotels in Rome from $35
  • Top All-inclusive Resorts in Bahamas
  • Top Hotels in San Juan
  • Top Hotels in Cabo San Lucas
  • Top Hotels in Tokyo
  • Top All-inclusive Resorts in Mexico
  • Top Hotels in Cancun
  • Top All-inclusive Resorts in Cancun
  • Top Hotels in London
  • Top Hotels in Niagara Falls
  • Top Hotels in Toronto
  • Top international Hotels

Top Domestic Flights

  • Flights to Las Vegas
  • Flights to Hawaii
  • Flights to New York
  • Flights to Orlando
  • Flights to Miami
  • Flights to Los Angeles
  • Flights to Maui
  • Flights to Houston
  • Flights to Dallas
  • Flights to Denver

Top International Flights

  • Flights to Puerto Rico
  • Flights to Tokyo
  • Flights to Kannur
  • Flights to Mexico City
  • Flights to London
  • Flights to Cancun
  • Flights to Manila
  • Flights to Cabo San Lucas
  • Flights to Bali
  • Flights to Bora Bora

Save today on vacation packages

  • Las Vegas Vacation Packages
  • New York Vacation Packages
  • Miami Vacation Packages
  • Orlando Vacation Packages
  • New Orleans Vacation Packages
  • Williamsburg Vacation Packages
  • Portland Vacation Packages
  • Laughlin Vacation Packages
  • Tampa Vacation Packages
  • Atlantic City Vacation Packages
  • Austin Vacation Packages
  • St. Thomas Vacation Packages

Book international flights & hotels together to save

  • Cancun Vacation Packages
  • Punta Cana Vacation Packages
  • Aruba Vacation Packages
  • Bahamas Vacation Packages
  • London Vacation Packages
  • Paris Vacation Packages
  • Cozumel Vacation Packages
  • Playa Del Carmen Vacation Packages
  • Toronto Vacation Packages
  • Quintana Roo Vacation Packages

Top places to visit domestically

  • Visit Los Angeles
  • Visit Las Vegas
  • Visit New York
  • Visit Chicago
  • Visit Orlando
  • Visit Dallas
  • Visit Atlanta
  • Visit Phoenix
  • Visit Miami
  • Visit Houston

Visit places internationally

  • Visit the Bahamas
  • Visit Vancouver
  • Visit Mexico
  • Visit Cabo San Lucas
  • Visit Cancun
  • Visit Punta Cana
  • Visit Australia
  • Visit London
  • Visit Aruba
  • Visit Paris

Airport & car rental deals

  • Car rentals in Los Angeles
  • Car rentals in Orlando
  • Car rentals in Las Vegas
  • Car rentals in Denver
  • Car rentals in Phoenix
  • Car rentals in Chicago
  • Car rentals in Fort Lauderdale
  • Car rentals in New York
  • Car rentals in Atlanta
  • Car rentals in Houston

Find cheap car rentals at international airports

  • Car rentals in Dublin
  • Car rentals in Vancouver
  • Car rentals in Toronto
  • Car rentals in Dubai
  • Car rentals in Paris
  • Car rentals in Cancun
  • Car rentals in Puerto Rico
  • Car rentals in Rome
  • Car rentals in Calgary

Top Deals on Vacation Rental Destinations

  • Search all Vacation Rentals
  • Top Myrtle Beach Vacation Rentals
  • Top Vacation Rentals in Florida
  • Top Vacation Rentals in New Jersey
  • Top South Lake Tahoe Vacation Rentals
  • Top Galveston Vacation Rentals
  • Top Miami Vacation Rentals
  • Top Tampa Vacation Rentals
  • Top Orlando Vacation Rentals
  • Top Daytona Beach Vacation Rentals
  • Top Gulf Shores Vacation Rentals
  • Top Oahu Vacation Rentals
  • Top Geneva-on-the-Lake Vacation Rentals
  • Top Oregon Coast Vacation Rentals
  • Top Jersey Shore Vacation Rentals
  • Top South Padre Island Vacation Rentals

Popular cruise destinations

  • Cruises to Bahamas
  • Cruises to Mexico
  • Cruises to Hawaii
  • Cruises to Alaska
  • Cruises to Caribbean
  • Cruises to Europe
  • Cruises to Bermuda
  • Cruises to Africa
  • Cruises to Australia & New Zealand
  • Cruises to Canada & New England

Cruise departure ports nearby

  • Cruises from Galveston
  • Cruises from Miami
  • Cruises from New York
  • Cruises from Tampa
  • Cruises from Long Beach
  • Cruises from Boston
  • Cruises from Charleston
  • Cruises from Port Canaveral
  • Cruises from San Francisco
  • Cruises from Norfolk

Other Vacation ideas

  • Travel Trends 2024
  • Christmas Vacation Deals
  • Weekend Getaways
  • Plan your Vacation
  • Vacation Payment Plans
  • Expedia Group wildlife guidelines
  • All Inclusive Vacations
  • Ski Vacations
  • Beach Vacations
  • Golf Vacations
  • Kid Friendly Vacations
  • Luxury Vacations
  • Romantic Vacations
  • Honeymoon Vacations
  • Adventure Vacations
  • Cheap Vacations
  • Last Minute Vacation Deals
  • Best Travel Destinations by Month

More destinations

  • All Destinations

Advertiser Disclosure

Many of the credit card offers that appear on this site are from credit card companies from which we receive financial compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). However, the credit card information that we publish has been written and evaluated by experts who know these products inside out. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers that are on the market.  See our advertising policy here where we list advertisers that we work with, and how we make money. You can also review our  credit card rating methodology .

The 12 Best Websites for Booking Flights at the Cheapest Prices [2024]

Katie Seemann's image

Katie Seemann

Senior Content Contributor and News Editor

350 Published Articles 54 Edited Articles

Countries Visited: 28 U.S. States Visited: 29

Stella Shon's image

Stella Shon

News Managing Editor

94 Published Articles 679 Edited Articles

Countries Visited: 25 U.S. States Visited: 22

Juan Ruiz's image

Senior Editor & Content Contributor

105 Published Articles 704 Edited Articles

Countries Visited: 41 U.S. States Visited: 28

The 12 Best Websites for Booking Flights at the Cheapest Prices [2024]

Table of Contents

Book direct through the airline’s website, price comparisons, final thoughts.

We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our  Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.

Searching for a flight can be a bit overwhelming. There are so many factors: dates, times, price, fare class, airline, and more. Even when you know exactly when and where you want to fly, where should you look for the absolute best price?

Unfortunately, no website consistently has the lowest prices. Most of the popular OTAs (Online Travel Agencies) are usually in the same ballpark for the price, but not all offer the same benefits or search functionality.

We’ve combed through many popular OTAs to compare prices and show you the benefits and drawbacks of each site.

More often than not, booking directly through the airline’s website will give you the best price, or will at least be the same as the OTAs.

Some airlines, like Southwest, won’t even show up on sites like Expedia or Orbitz, so you have to book direct. It can also be the most simple way to book. If a problem arises, you don’t have to deal with a third party to get it resolved.

Another reason to book directly through an airline’s website is to use those frequent flyer miles — hooray for award flights!

Of course, to book through the airline’s website, you first need to know which airline has the best prices. There are lots of travel search engines and OTAs that can help you find the best deals so you know which airline’s website to visit. Some OTAs even offer perks that might make it worth booking someplace other than the airline’s site.

Hot Tip: A card such as The Platinum Card ® from American Express earns an impressive 5x Membership Rewards points per $1 spent on flights booked directly with airlines or with  AmexTravel.com on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year.

Momondo is a travel metasearch engine similar to Kayak. The home page displays a simple search box where you can plug in your travel details.

One of the things we love about this site is the visual way it shows you the price trends for your flight. At first glance, you can tell if you could save some money by shifting around your travel dates a bit. It also offers a price tracker and lots of filtering options on the left-hand side of the screen.

Monmodo flight search

Pros and Cons of Momondo

  • Great price tracking tools
  • Mix & Match fares require you to make 2 separate reservations; this is usually handled “behind the scenes” on other websites

Hot Tip: We cover the ins and outs of finding cheap airfare with this website in our guide to using Momondo .

Kayak is not an OTA. Rather, it’s a travel search engine — making it a great place to start your flight search.

The site compares prices from many websites in a single spot, so you can easily see the cheapest options . Most of the time, you’ll click through to a different site to complete your booking.

Kayak offers the ability to combine 2 one-way tickets (usually on different airlines) in 1 itinerary, which is a great way to save money on your flight. These itineraries can be pretty good deals and something that doesn’t always appear in search results of other websites.

A couple of new features were introduced in early 2024 — Kayak PriceCheck and Ask Kayak. Kayak PriceCheck allows you to upload a screenshot of an itinerary in the Kayak app, and Kayak will compare it to prices on hundreds of other sites to ensure you’re getting the best deal. Ask Kayak is an AI tool that helps you personalize your travel planning.

Pros and Cons of Kayak

  • Ability to combine 2 one-way flights on a single itinerary
  • Price Alerts to keep an eye on flight prices
  • Kayak PriceCheck
  • Kayak offers the most benefit when your travel plans are very flexible; many of its most valuable tools help you search for deals, so this site might be less appealing when you have a specific flight in mind

Bottom Line: For more information about Kayak’s travel search tools, check out the complete guide to booking travel with Kayak .

Daily Deals Special: Click here for up to 40% off at Expedia

Expedia is another tried-and-true OTA that people have been using since the 1990s. Back then, Expedia was a go-to source for searching and booking flights. But how does it stack up now?

You aren’t necessarily getting a better deal booking through Expedia, but you aren’t paying any more than you might on the airline’s website.

A nice perk of using Expedia is that it offers a rewards program called One Key. This program offers member pricing plus the ability to earn points for flights, hotels, car rentals, cruises, activities, and more.

The One Key loyalty program is also used by Hotels.com and Vrbo.

If you’re a member of an airline’s frequent flyer program, you’ll be happy to know that you can still earn airline miles on a flight booked through Expedia . However, you often won’t be able to earn miles/points toward status or be eligible for seat upgrades.

Pros and Cons of Expedia

  • Earn and redeem points through the One Key program
  • Booking through Expedia may limit your mileage earned toward elite status
  • Your ability to be eligible for upgrades can be limited when you book through Expedia

Hot Tip:  For more information, check out our post about how to use Expedia to find great deals on flights, hotels, vacation packages (and more).

4. Priceline

Priceline is a popular OTA that introduced the Name Your Own Price tool and opaque bookings. These types of bookings can offer discounts, but many of the details are hidden until after the booking. The Name Your Own Price tool was discontinued for flights in 2016, so now Priceline operates like most other OTAs .

One of the nice things about searching for flights on Priceline is that it has a nice color-coded calendar, so you can easily see which days offer the lowest prices.

Priceline color coded map

The search results on Priceline are clear and easy to navigate. As you scroll through your search results, you can easily see the cheapest nonstop options and things like flights with no change fees or early bird flights.

Priceline search results

Another way to save money is by looking at Priceline’s Express Deals . These opaque bookings are ones where select details of the flight (like the departure, arrival times, or even the airline) are hidden until the booking is complete.

Pros and Cons of Priceline

  • Express Deal flights can offer a good discount if you have some flexibility; many of the details of the flight, including airline and arrival and departure times, are hidden until the booking is complete
  • Color-coded calendar and easy-to-read search results
  • Price Match Guarantee
  • Free online cancellation within 24 hours of booking (except for Express Deal flights)
  • No rewards program
  • Express Deal flights can be good deals, but they can sometimes be even more expensive than a standard booking

Bottom Line: For more information, check out the complete guide to booking travel with Priceline .

Daily Deals Special: Check out Orbitz’s Daily Deals

Orbitz is another reliable OTA that has been around since 2001. One thing that makes this site a little different is that it offers its own rewards program called Orbitz Rewards . You can earn Orbucks when you book hotels, flights, and vacation packages through Orbitz. However, you can only redeem Orbucks for hotels.

When booking a flight through Orbitz, you’ll earn 1% of your purchase price back as Orbucks (or 2% if you use the Orbitz mobile app). If you book a $500 flight, you will earn 5 Orbucks, which is worth $5 toward a hotel booking. Joining the Orbitz Rewards program is free.

Earn Orbucks on flights

Unfortunately, Orbitz sometimes charges a 1% booking fee . Keep an eye out for these on your trip summary page before finalizing your purchase, and factor them into your calculations to see if you’re getting a good deal or not. While earning Orbucks is great, paying a booking fee could wipe out all of the benefits.

Orbitz booking fee

Pros and Cons of Orbitz

  • Orbitz Rewards lets you earn Orbucks that can be applied to hotel bookings
  • 24-hour cancellation policy
  • Low Price Guarantee: if you find a lower price for your flight on another website within 24 hours, Orbitz will refund the difference
  • Flight booking fees

Bottom Line: For more information, check out our guide to booking travel with Orbitz .

Agoda is an OTA owned by Priceline. This website doesn’t offer much more than a simple search with limited filter options when looking for flights. Agoda is worth checking out if you’re looking for unique accommodations such as an apartment or private villa, but it doesn’t offer much when searching for flights.

One cool thing about Agoda is that the site is multilingual. You can select your language by clicking on the flag in the top menu bar.

Agoda

Pros and Cons of Agoda

  • Simple search functionality
  • Multilingual option
  • Limited filtering options for flights

Hot Tip: Agoda has a loyalty program called VIP, but it only applies to hotel stays. For more information, check out our guide to booking travel through Agoda .

Special: See these Hotwire Flight Deals

Hotwire is a popular OTA that has been around for almost 20 years.

The simple home page offers the main search box to input your departure and arrival cities as well as your desired dates of travel.

Hotwire can offer a great deal when booking a hotel along with your flight . Many times during the booking process, you’ll see pop-ups or prompts advertising great savings when booking a hotel at the same time. We tested it, and every time we priced out a Hotwire vacation package deal against purchasing a flight and hotel separately, the package deal was cheaper.

Hotwire flight and hotel deals

Bottom Line: If you need a hotel in addition to your flight, booking both together through Hotwire can save you money.

Another thing to remember when using Hotwire to find great flight deals is that sometimes a booking fee will be charged.

Pros and Cons of Hotwire

  • Package deals that include a hotel stay can save money
  • Low Price Guarantee
  • Hotwire can sometimes charge a booking fee

Bottom Line: For more details about finding great deals, check out our complete guide to booking travel through Hotwire .

8. Skyscanner

Skyscanner is another travel search engine that does not sell flights directly. It shows you a list of flights and links to the airline’s website or OTA to complete the purchase.

This site excels for travelers with flexibility . In the search box, you can select Explore everywhere  to search for the cheapest destinations on your chosen dates.

Skyscanner search option

Skyscanner operates like most other travel search sites if you have a set destination with specific dates.

Pros and Cons of Skyscanner

  • Flexible searches, including Explore everywhere  and Multi-city search
  • Easy to change language and currency
  • Price alerts

Hot Tip:  For more information, check out our in-depth piece on Skyscanner . 

9. Travelocity

Travelocity is yet another OTA that has been around for a while and is very similar to the other websites we’ve been looking at.

On the plus side, there are some nice filtering options to help you find the best flight for your needs. On the downside, prices can change between selection and booking. We did a dummy booking, and by the time we got to the payment section, the flight price had gone up from $157 to $338!

Travelocity flight price change

Much like other online travel agencies, Travelocity can also charge booking fees, so keep an eye out for those in the payment section of the booking process.

Travelocity booking fee

Pros and Cons of Travelocity

  • Price Guarantee: If you find a lower price on an identical itinerary within 24 hours, Travelocity will refund the difference in price
  • Free cancellation on flights within 24 hours of booking (on most airlines)
  • Travelocity sometimes charges a booking fee
  • Prices can change between flight selection and payment

Bottom Line: For more information, check out our guide to booking travel with Travelocity .

10. Google Flights

Google Flights is not an OTA. Rather, it’s a metasearch engine similar to Kayak. Once you find a flight, Google Flights will link you to the airline’s direct website or an OTA to complete the purchase. It is a powerful search engine built on the ITA Matrix , which was originally developed for travel agents.

This site shows you price trends and how your travel dates could affect the cost of your ticket. Plus, it allows you to track the prices of a route , so you can jump on low prices when they pop up. These features make Google Flights a great tool to help you feel confident that the price you’re getting is a good deal.

Google Flights Price Graph

Google Flights recently rolled out a price guarantee feature on select flights departing from the U.S. If you book a flight with the price guarantee badge and the price drops, you’ll get a refund of the difference (with a maximum of $500 per calendar year) from Google Flights via Google Pay. However, you can only receive up to 3 price guaranteed refunds at any one time.

Google Flights price guarantee

Pros and Cons of Google Flights

  • The price graph shows you the pricing trends for your route and allows you to see what days might be cheaper to fly
  • Price tracking will send you an email when your flight’s price increases or decreases
  • Automatic price guarantee on select flights
  • Since this search engine is so powerful with lots of options, it could get complicated for a novice traveler

Hot Tip: You can earn frequent flyer miles on flights booked through an OTA, but you might not earn miles toward elite status.

11. CheapOair

CheapOair is an OTA that offers its own credit card. Before applying for the card, we recommend considering a better travel rewards credit card  for more lucrative and flexible travel rewards.

This site might not be as cheap as you would think. That’s because it can charge expensive “agency fees.” For most flights, the fees can be up to $35; however, once you read the fine print, you’ll see they can actually be as high as $200 per ticket!

Cheapoair agency fees

In addition, CheapOair charges a fee to change or cancel any ticket, including within 24 hours, which is free on many other sites.

Pros and Cons of CheapOair

  • Price Match Promise: CheapOair will refund the difference in price if you find a lower price on the same itinerary on a major OTA within 24 hours of booking
  • CheapOair charges hefty booking fees in addition to fees to cancel or change your flight
  • Price Match Promise is very limited; the guarantee is only good for identical flights on Expedia, Orbitz, Priceline, and Travelocity

Bottom Line: CheapOair might not be cheap after all. It advertises low base fares, but it charges booking fees, which usually result in a higher price than the airline’s website. For more information, check out our guide to CheapOair .

Hopper is an app that tries to predict the right time to buy a flight. It claims that using its app can save you up to 40% on flights. The simple interface and color-coded map show you the cheapest and most expensive times to fly to your chosen destination.

Hopper Fare Calendar

You can also set up alerts to watch the prices for your specific dates or watch a whole month if you have flexible travel plans.

Pros and Cons of Hopper

  • Easy to use
  • Choose to watch prices for a specific trip or choose to watch prices over a whole month
  • No ability to search on a desktop
  • Few filtering options

Hot Tip: There are many credit cards with travel insurance and extra protections like trip interruption and cancellation protection and baggage delay coverage . We suggest looking at Chase credit cards or Amex credit cards for great insurance coverage.

We searched for a flight from Los Angeles (LAX) to New York City (JFK) across different travel booking websites to compare pricing head-to-head. Below is the cheapest ticket each website offered.

In this search, we weren’t taking anything other than price into consideration. When you are actually booking a flight, there will most likely be more factors that go into your decision of which flight to book.

In this example, Google Flights, Hopper, and Priceline tied for the cheapest flight cost with Expedia, Hotwire, Orbitz, and Travelocity coming in just $3 more expensive. CheapOair was by far the most expensive option.

There is no one-stop shop to find the lowest prices on a flight every time. Most OTAs are in the same ballpark when it comes to price.

If you’ve got some flexibility, many of these sites can help you find the lowest-priced travel dates and destinations.

If you prefer a more traditional booking, start out with a travel search engine like Kayak or Google Flights to search all of the other sites. That will give you a good idea of the best website to use to save the most money on your next flight.

Are you a student? Don’t miss our guide to the best websites for cheap, discount student flights .

Like this post? Pin it on Pinterest!

The Best Websites for Booking Flights at the Cheapest Prices

For rates and fees of The Platinum Card ® from American Express, click here .

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best website to use to book the cheapest flights.

There is no single website that has the cheapest flights all of the time. Most of the travel search engines and online travel agencies all have similar pricing, however you can find some really nice deals when looking at opaque (hidden) bookings or vacation packages.

What is an opaque booking?

An opaque booking hides many of the flight details, including arrival and departure times and the operating airline, until your booking is complete. Many sites including Hotwire, Orbitz, and Travelocity offer these types of bookings.

Will I earn frequent flyer miles when I book through an online travel agency?

Generally, yes, you will still be able to earn frequent flyer miles on flights booked through an online travel agency. However, miles earned to qualify for elite status may be not be awarded unless you book directly through the airline’s website.

What are the best websites to buy cheap flights to Europe?

Your best bet would be to start with a travel search engine like Kayak or Google Flights. You will be able to see prices from many different websites in one place and you can track flight prices to help determine the best time to purchase tickets. Be sure to check out our guide to the best websites to book European vacation packages if you want to bundle your flight with a hotel and/or rental car.

Is it cheaper to book directly on the airline's website?

Often, an airline will offer the lowest prices through its own website. However, you can often save money booking through an online travel agency (OTA) that has the ability to combine flights from more than 1 airline into a single itinerary.

Was this page helpful?

About Katie Seemann

Katie has been in the points and miles game since 2015 and started her own blog in 2016. She’s been freelance writing since then and her work has been featured in publications like Travel + Leisure, Forbes Advisor, and Fortune Recommends.

INSIDERS ONLY: UP PULSE ™

Deluxe Travel Provided by UP Pulse

Get the  latest travel tips, crucial news, flight & hotel deal alerts...

Plus — expert strategies to maximize your points & miles by joining our (free) newsletter.

We respect your privacy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA. Google's  privacy policy   and  terms of service   apply.

Related Posts

A Complete Guide To Booking Travel With Priceline [2024]

UP's Bonus Valuation

This bonus value is an estimated valuation  calculated by UP after analyzing redemption options, transfer partners, award availability and how much UP would pay to buy these points.

GoAbroad

  • GENERAL TRAVEL

best travel booking apps and websites

12 Best Apps & Websites for Booking Travel Online

Elizabeth Gorga

Liz is a collector of grand adventures. She first discovered her passion for meaningful travel wh...

  • Travel Apps
  • button]:border-none [&>button]:bg-white [&>button]:hover:cursor-pointer [&>button]:hover:text-cyan-400"> button]:hover:text-cyan-400 [&>button]:bg-white hover:cursor-pointer" height="1em" width="1em" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">

If there’s anything better than traveling, it’s the build up. Daydreaming of the perfect destination, scrolling through unique places to stay, and browsing travel guides for the best hole-in-the-wall restaurants and local must-sees are all opportunities to start wanderlusting before you’ve even packed your bags.

booking travel online

Be honest—how many Airbnb Stays do you have bookmarked?

True, it can be overwhelming to map out the nitty gritty flights, connections, accommodation, and pit stops when there are endless options available, but having something exciting to look forward to is one of the keys to happiness after all.

Lucky for you, there are countless apps and websites to help you with booking travel online, so you don’t have to feel overwhelmed when planning the travel adventure of your dreams.

Whether you’re an Apple or Android fan, you’ll have the time of your life in the lead up to your trip with the best travel booking apps and trip planners around!

What to look for in the best travel booking apps

You’re scrolling the app store wondering, what is the best trip planner app? There are hundreds of apps out there—how do you choose? The struggle is real. The truth is, many of them will be more useless than helpful. So how do you weed out the junk that’s clogging up your phone?

The best travel booking apps have these essential features.

1. They’re available offline.

If you’re traveling overseas, there’s no guarantee that you’ll have easy access to WiFi. Unless you have an international phone plan, a local SIM card, or don’t mind roaming charges, limited WiFi can be a killer if you want to access your travel apps in-country. The best travel booking apps have an offline version, so you can access them anywhere, anytime.

2. They include a booking service.

If you’re looking for the best travel booking app, it will definitely have a booking service included. Whether you’re looking for accommodation options or are wanting to book tickets and tours, the ability to book from the app makes everything easier. Let’s call it your one-stop-shop.

3. They have reviews.

The best way to find authentic experiences is to look for recommendations from other people, whether they’re locals or tourists who have stumbled upon hidden gems. Reviews can really make or break your travel plans. The best travel booking apps will definitely have you covered with experienced travelers’ tips and recommendations.

4. They have a translation function.

When you’re traveling between countries, it can be helpful to have a translation function on your travel apps, so you don’t have to switch between apps to get what you’re looking for. With a translation option, you can move about without language barriers, making travel easy even if you don’t speak the native tongue.

5. They have social media integration.

As simple as it sounds, the time it takes to sign up and register for a new app can be a deciding factor for many. In a world where we want information at our fingertips, it can be a turn off when it takes too much time to create a profile before you can use an app.

The best travel booking apps allow you to link your social media accounts—not only for easy access, but so you can share the highlights of your trip directly to your social accounts!

6. They have a travel planner feature.

We want more than just a place to book a bed for the night. We want an app to help us organize our itineraries, bookmark our favorite travel destinations, create schedules, and make travel easy. If you’re wondering what the best trip planner app is, you’ll know you’ve found it when you can plan your travel all in one place.

READ MORE: How to Plan a Trip When You’re Short on Time—And Cash

What is the best trip planner app 6 top contenders.

Searching for the best travel booking apps around? Here are the top apps to download before your next big trip.

1. LikeALocal

likealocal logo

  • Why it’s the best: If you’re into hole-in-the-wall restaurants and hidden spots that only the most seasoned travelers frequent, LikeALocal is the best travel booking app for you. With guides, tips, and tricks, all the content is created by true locals who have lived in the destination for years.
  • The app allows you to browse destination guides, book tours, and even connect with residents through their Q&A feature—and it’s all available 100% offline.

airbnb logo

  • Why it’s the best: There’s no better way to settle into a new destination than staying in a local’s home. Airbnb is rising as one of the best travel booking apps for accommodation, offering an excellent in-between for hostels and hotels.
  • Whether you want to book individual rooms or entire houses from local residents, there are options to suit most budgets. Through the app, you can easily communicate with your host, making it easy to check-in, out, and get the best tips on local hot spots.
  • Available for iOS and Android.

3. HotelTonight

hoteltonight logo

  • Why it’s the best: While some travelers plan out every detail before leaving home, others live for spontaneity. Luckily, there’s an app for that, too. HotelTonight helps you find last-minute deals on nearby hotels, making it perfect for spur of the moment holidays or road trips with unplanned stops along the way.
  • It’s easy to use, with filter options to help you find the right place to suit your needs, and booking a room for the night is just one click away.

tripit logo

  • Why it’s the best: Are you a travel junkie? Love multi-destination travel? If you answered ‘ yes’ and you’re still wondering what the best trip planner app is, look no further than TripIt. All you have to do is forward your travel confirmation details to [email protected], and the app creates a master document for all of your travels so you can stay organized!
  • You can access it any time, WiFi or dead zone. Upgrade to their paid version to receive real-time flight alerts, a currency converter, socket requirements for your destination, tipping advice, alternative routes for canceled flights, and even track your reward points.

5. Skyscanner

skyscanner logo

  • Why it’s the best: If you’re looking for flights, Skyscanner is where it’s at! The app gives you access to flights from over 1,200 different sources so you can find the best options out there, whether you’re looking for the cheapest options, the fastest routes, or the most affordable days to fly.
  • If you’re in the daydreaming stages and open to new possibilities, Skyscanner also has an “anywhere” option to help you find affordable flights you never knew were possible. You can even set up alerts for price dips to find the best airfare rates around.
  • Available for IOS.

6. PackPoint

packpoint logo

  • Why it’s the best: For some travelers, packing can be the biggest headache when preparing for a trip. PackPoint will keep you organized and do the hard work for you. The app creates a custom packing list based on your gender, travel destination, dates and duration of travel, and the type of trip you’re planning. It even checks the weather for you!
  • You can add or remove items to make it more personal and check them off as you go, making the packing experience quick and easy.

6 best travel booking websites

Prefer to sit down in front of a computer to do some brainstorming for your next trip? Then you’re probably wondering what the best travel booking website is. Here’s a round-up of the best places for booking travel online.

1. Tripadvisor

tripadvisor homepage

No trip is complete without a visit to Tripadvisor. Whether you’re looking for tours, hotels, transportation, restaurants, or just a little travel inspo, Tripadvisor is one of the best websites for browsing and booking travel online.

You can read reviews, save your favorites, get organized using the map features, and book travel all in one place. This site is a must when planning your next trip.

2. Intrepid

intrepid homepage

Adventure junkies love Intrepid. With small group tours to more than 100 countries, Intrepid is one of the top tour companies for solo travelers who want an adrenaline rush and connection to like-minded people. While most tours attract young travelers under 30, there is no age limit for tours through Intrepid.

Search for unique, niche experiences, from cycling the Middle East to trekking the world’s tallest mountains. With great deals all year round, you can score discounts of up to 50% and reserve your next tour for as low as $1.

3. Hostelworld

hostelworld homepage

Who doesn’t love a good hostel? Backpackers on a budget can find some of the most affordable accommodation options through Hostelworld. Search for your destination, filter by price range or ratings, and find accommodation descriptions, reviews, and booking policies for hostels in over 170 countries worldwide.

The full-screen interactive map makes it easy to see if the hostel is near where you want to be—whether that’s down the street from night clubs or nature.

4. Couchsurfing

couchsurfing homepage

If you want a truly unique travel experience at the absolute lowest cost, why not try couch surfing? Through Couchsurfing, you can connect to locals and stay in their homes for free, saving you money and giving you access to true local experiences.

If you don’t feel comfortable staying in someone’s home, Couchsurfing also has a Hangouts feature for you to use to meet and socialize with other travelers—perfect for solo travelers!

momondo homepage

If you’re booking travel online, Momondo is worth a browse. This flight search engine is unique to other sites, showing prices of smaller airlines and travel companies that are often overlooked by other popular search engines.

With Momondo, you can find the best times to fly using their monthly matrix, featuring the best prices and routes, no matter where you want to go. Check out the flight insights page for trends and analytics, which will give you insight into how far in advance you need to book your flights to save the most money.

6. GoAbroad

momondo homepage

Last, but certainly not least on the list of best sites for booking travel online, is the one and only GoAbroad (that’s us!). Find your perfect program for meaningful travel abroad, with over 15,000 programs, destinations worldwide, scholarships, and insider tips.

If you want to travel abroad with purpose, GoAbroad can undoubtedly help you discover the program to help you smash your goals and make your wildest dreams come true! You can browse our Travel Resource Hub right now to get a jump start on your travel planning.

Booking travel online is fast and easy!

If you’ve been bitten by the travel bug, there’s really no excuse not to start planning your next getaway. Check out the best travel booking apps and websites to stay organized, score great deals, and quench your wanderlust. Booking travel online has never been easier! You’re just a click away from your next big adventure abroad.

Talk to Our Online Advisor & Get Matched with 5 Travel Programs for FREE

Do you have questions about planning your next trip? Talk to us on Twitter , Instagram , or Facebook !

Person exploring suitcase

Explore Programs on GoAbroad.com

Related Articles

tips for staying in hostels

By Eric Monteres Jamarr Black | 1 day ago

top 5 travel booking sites

By Shelby Sage Lisieski | 1 day ago

Chloe and Reuben of Global Travel Academy walking up steps smiling

By Hailey Jurd | 4 days ago

independent travel in europe

By Madison Jackson | 4 days ago

Popular Searches

Study abroad programs in italy, study abroad programs in spain, marine biology study abroad programs, study psychology abroad, fall study abroad 2024, spring study abroad programs, recommended programs.

ITA teacher sitting on the floor with her students

2571 reviews

International TEFL Academy

Volunteers in front of rainbow mural

1686 reviews

International Volunteer HQ [IVHQ]

Maximo Nivel students

1967 reviews

MAXIMO NIVEL

IAHQ participants in Dublin

564 reviews

Intern Abroad HQ

For Travelers

Travel resources, for partners.

GoAbroad

© Copyright 1998 - 2024 GoAbroad.com ®

  • Study Abroad
  • Volunteer Abroad
  • Intern Abroad
  • Teach Abroad
  • TEFL Courses
  • Degrees Abroad
  • High School Abroad
  • Language Schools
  • Adventure Travel
  • Jobs Abroad
  • Online Study Abroad
  • Online Volunteer Programs
  • Online Internships
  • Online Language Courses
  • Online Teaching Jobs
  • Online Jobs
  • Online TEFL Courses
  • Online Degree Programs

Find deals for any season

From cozy bed & breakfasts to luxury hotels

Fly away to your dream vacation

Get inspiration for your next trip More

5 of the best hotels in los angeles.

From Hollywood to Beverly Hills discover 5 of the best hotels in Los Angeles for your stay

The 6 best Orlando hotels for families

Get instant discounts

top 5 travel booking sites

Destinations Bookers love

List your property

  • Mobile version
  • Your account
  • Make changes online to your booking
  • Customer Service Help
  • Booking.com for Business
  • Places of interest
  • Guest Houses
  • Unique places to stay
  • All destinations
  • All flight destinations
  • All car rental locations
  • All vacation destinations
  • Discover monthly stays
  • Travel articles
  • Seasonal and holiday deals
  • Traveller Review Awards
  • Flight finder
  • Restaurant reservations
  • Booking.com for Travel Agents
  • Coronavirus (COVID-19) FAQs
  • About Booking.com
  • Partner help
  • Sustainability
  • Press Center
  • Safety Resource Center
  • Investor relations
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Partner dispute
  • How We Work
  • Privacy & cookie statement
  • MSA statement
  • Corporate contact
  • Content guidelines and reporting

Booking.com is part of Booking Holdings Inc., the world leader in online travel and related services.

Verified reviews from real guests.

We have more than 70 million property reviews, all from real, verified guests .

How does it work?

It starts with a booking.

The only way to leave a review is to first make a booking. That's how we know our reviews come from real guests who have stayed at the property.

Followed by a trip

When guests stay at the property, they check out how quiet the room is, how friendly the staff is, and more.

And finally, a review

After their trip, guests tell us about their stay. We check for naughty words and verify the authenticity of all guest reviews before adding them to our site.

If you booked through us and want to leave a review, please sign in first.

Check-in date

Check-out date

top 5 travel booking sites

Search hundreds of flight sites at once.

Trending cities, the most searched for cities on momondo.

San Francisco

Washington, D.C.

Trending countries

The most searched for countries on momondo.

United Kingdom

Philippines

United Arab Emirates

Netherlands

Flight deals by destination

Find and compare cheap flights.

We search and compare billions of real-time prices on plane tickets so you can easily find the cheapest, quickest, and best flight deals for you.

New York flights

  • Flights from Los Angeles to New York
  • Flights from Fort Lauderdale to New York
  • Flights from San Francisco to New York
  • Flights from Dallas to New York
  • Flights from Chicago to New York
  • Flights from Atlanta to New York
  • Flights from Miami to New York
  • Flights from Orlando to New York
  • Flights from Seattle to New York
  • Flights from Burbank to New York

Los Angeles flights

  • Flights from New York to Los Angeles
  • Flights from Seattle to Los Angeles
  • Flights from Dallas to Los Angeles
  • Flights from Boston to Los Angeles
  • Flights from Chicago to Los Angeles
  • Flights from San Francisco to Los Angeles
  • Flights from Washington, D.C. to Los Angeles
  • Flights from Oakland, California to Los Angeles
  • Flights from Atlanta to Los Angeles
  • Flights from Houston to Los Angeles

Copenhagen flights

  • Flights from New York to Copenhagen
  • Flights from Washington, D.C. to Copenhagen
  • Flights from Boston to Copenhagen
  • Flights from San Francisco to Copenhagen
  • Flights from Los Angeles to Copenhagen
  • Flights from Chicago to Copenhagen
  • Flights from Seattle to Copenhagen
  • Flights from Atlanta to Copenhagen
  • Flights from Philadelphia to Copenhagen
  • Flights from Dallas to Copenhagen

Tokyo flights

  • Flights from Los Angeles to Tokyo
  • Flights from New York to Tokyo
  • Flights from San Francisco to Tokyo
  • Flights from Seattle to Tokyo
  • Flights from Dallas to Tokyo
  • Flights from Ontario to Tokyo
  • Flights from Washington, D.C. to Tokyo
  • Flights from Chicago to Tokyo
  • Flights from Boston to Tokyo
  • Flights from Burbank to Tokyo

Chicago flights

  • Flights from New York to Chicago
  • Flights from Los Angeles to Chicago
  • Flights from San Francisco to Chicago
  • Flights from Seattle to Chicago
  • Flights from Washington, D.C. to Chicago
  • Flights from Dallas to Chicago
  • Flights from Boston to Chicago
  • Flights from Atlanta to Chicago
  • Flights from Orlando to Chicago
  • Flights from Philadelphia to Chicago

London flights

  • Flights from New York to London
  • Flights from Boston to London
  • Flights from San Francisco to London
  • Flights from Washington, D.C. to London
  • Flights from Los Angeles to London
  • Flights from Chicago to London
  • Flights from Seattle to London
  • Flights from Miami to London
  • Flights from Dallas to London
  • Flights from Orlando to London

Paris flights

  • Flights from New York to Paris
  • Flights from Los Angeles to Paris
  • Flights from Washington, D.C. to Paris
  • Flights from San Francisco to Paris
  • Flights from Chicago to Paris
  • Flights from Seattle to Paris
  • Flights from Boston to Paris
  • Flights from Dallas to Paris
  • Flights from Miami to Paris
  • Flights from Atlanta to Paris

Miami flights

  • Flights from New York to Miami
  • Flights from Los Angeles to Miami
  • Flights from Boston to Miami
  • Flights from Atlanta to Miami
  • Flights from Washington, D.C. to Miami
  • Flights from Dallas to Miami
  • Flights from Chicago to Miami
  • Flights from Philadelphia to Miami
  • Flights from Houston to Miami
  • Flights from San Francisco to Miami

Manila flights

  • Flights from Los Angeles to Manila
  • Flights from San Francisco to Manila
  • Flights from New York to Manila
  • Flights from Ontario to Manila
  • Flights from Chicago to Manila
  • Flights from Seattle to Manila
  • Flights from Washington, D.C. to Manila
  • Flights from Dallas to Manila
  • Flights from San Jose to Manila
  • Flights from Honolulu to Manila

Las Vegas flights

  • Flights from New York to Las Vegas
  • Flights from Dallas to Las Vegas
  • Flights from Chicago to Las Vegas
  • Flights from Los Angeles to Las Vegas
  • Flights from Seattle to Las Vegas
  • Flights from Atlanta to Las Vegas
  • Flights from Boston to Las Vegas
  • Flights from San Francisco to Las Vegas
  • Flights from Philadelphia to Las Vegas
  • Flights from Houston to Las Vegas

Bangkok flights

  • Flights from Los Angeles to Bangkok
  • Flights from New York to Bangkok
  • Flights from San Francisco to Bangkok
  • Flights from Seattle to Bangkok
  • Flights from Chicago to Bangkok
  • Flights from Dallas to Bangkok
  • Flights from Washington, D.C. to Bangkok
  • Flights from Ontario to Bangkok
  • Flights from Houston to Bangkok
  • Flights from Boston to Bangkok

Istanbul flights

  • Flights from New York to Istanbul
  • Flights from Los Angeles to Istanbul
  • Flights from Chicago to Istanbul
  • Flights from Washington, D.C. to Istanbul
  • Flights from San Francisco to Istanbul
  • Flights from Miami to Istanbul
  • Flights from Seattle to Istanbul
  • Flights from Dallas to Istanbul
  • Flights from Boston to Istanbul
  • Flights from Atlanta to Istanbul

Rome flights

  • Flights from New York to Rome
  • Flights from Chicago to Rome
  • Flights from Washington, D.C. to Rome
  • Flights from Boston to Rome
  • Flights from San Francisco to Rome
  • Flights from Dallas to Rome
  • Flights from Los Angeles to Rome
  • Flights from Miami to Rome
  • Flights from Philadelphia to Rome
  • Flights from Atlanta to Rome

Barcelona flights

  • Flights from New York to Barcelona
  • Flights from Los Angeles to Barcelona
  • Flights from San Francisco to Barcelona
  • Flights from Miami to Barcelona
  • Flights from Boston to Barcelona
  • Flights from Chicago to Barcelona
  • Flights from Washington, D.C. to Barcelona
  • Flights from Dallas to Barcelona
  • Flights from Atlanta to Barcelona
  • Flights from Philadelphia to Barcelona

Orlando flights

  • Flights from New York to Orlando
  • Flights from Boston to Orlando
  • Flights from Chicago to Orlando
  • Flights from Dallas to Orlando
  • Flights from Los Angeles to Orlando
  • Flights from Philadelphia to Orlando
  • Flights from Washington, D.C. to Orlando
  • Flights from Detroit to Orlando
  • Flights from Seattle to Orlando
  • Flights from Houston to Orlando

How to find cheap flight deals with momondo

  • How does momondo find such cheap airfare? momondo searches across hundreds of airlines and travel sites, from major booking sites to individual company sites, to give you as many cheap airfare options as possible. When you conduct a single search on momondo, you can find and compare cheap airline tickets like you’ve done hundreds of searches at once. momondo is completely free to use - with no hidden charges or fees - and the prices you see are never affected by your searches, no matter how many you make. We believe in an open world, where traveling and getting acquainted across borders and cultures is available to us all, so we’re committed to showing you the cheapest flights in our flight finder.
  • How do I find the best price on plane tickets? Choose your destination and preferred travel dates, and we’ll provide you with an overview of the cheapest, quickest, and best flights so you can compare prices and book flights with confidence. Flexible on dates? It’s even easier to find cheap flights by using our Price Calendar (found above your search results), which shows you the cheapest travel dates. This is available on all of our most popular flight routes.
  • How can Mix & Match save me money? Sometimes you can save money by combining flight tickets from different suppliers, and we call that Mix & Match. This means you can book your outbound flight with one supplier, and your return flight with another. If you can save money by combining tickets from different suppliers, we’ll automatically include this option in your flight results and label it Mix & Match. You’ll have to complete two separate booking flows after you select this deal on our site, but it’s worth it if you can save money over a traditional round-trip with one supplier. It’s an advanced way of getting the cheapest flights even if they’re offered by different suppliers.
  • How do I make sure I don’t miss a flight deal? Sign up for Price Alerts on your favorite flight routes and automatically get live price updates, so you can book flights when the price is right. You can do so next to your flight search results or in the profile menu. If you're on our app, you will find Price Alerts in the navigation menu. You can also subscribe to special offers and limited-time flight deals from our partners. Just sign in, go to Notifications in your profile and subscribe to the topics you’re interested in.

Compare flights from 100s of sites.

Big names, great deals, filter for what you want, track prices, more than flights, search cheap flights by destination, find cheap flights.

Save money on airfare by searching for cheap flight tickets on KAYAK. KAYAK searches for flight deals on hundreds of airline tickets sites to help you find the cheapest flights. Whether you are looking for a last minute flight or a cheap plane ticket for a later date, you can find the best deals faster at KAYAK.

New York Flights

  • Flight Chicago - New York (ORD - LGA) $39+
  • Flight Fort Lauderdale - Newark (FLL - EWR) $40+
  • Flight Miami - Newark (MIA - EWR) $50+
  • Flight Atlanta - New York (ATL - LGA) $52+
  • Flight Miami - New York (MIA - LGA) $56+
  • Flight Atlanta - Newark (ATL - EWR) $62+
  • Flight Fort Lauderdale - New York (FLL - LGA) $62+
  • Flight Orlando - Newark (MCO - EWR) $67+
  • Flight Dallas - Newark (DFW - EWR) $69+
  • Flight Orlando - New York (MCO - LGA) $69+
  • Flight Dallas - New York (DFW - LGA) $80+
  • Flight Chicago - Newark (ORD - EWR) $96+
  • Flight Chicago - New York (ORD - JFK) $127+
  • Flight Los Angeles - Newark (LAX - EWR) $129+
  • Flight Los Angeles - New York (LAX - LGA) $138+
  • Flight Dallas - New York (DFW - JFK) $159+
  • Flight Burbank - Newark (BUR - EWR) $185+
  • Flight Los Angeles - New York (LAX - JFK) $191+
  • Flight San Francisco - New York (SFO - LGA) $206+
  • Flight Seattle - Newark (SEA - EWR) $212+
  • Flight San Francisco - Newark (SFO - EWR) $246+
  • Flight San Francisco - New York (SFO - JFK) $267+
  • Flight Seattle - New York (SEA - JFK) $267+
  • Flight Ontario - New York (ONT - JFK) $287+

Orlando Flights

  • Flight Atlanta - Orlando (ATL - MCO) $41+
  • Flight Philadelphia - Orlando (PHL - MCO) $43+
  • Flight Baltimore - Orlando (BWI - MCO) $52+
  • Flight Houston - Orlando (HOU - MCO) $57+
  • Flight Houston - Orlando (IAH - MCO) $57+
  • Flight Newark - Orlando (EWR - MCO) $73+
  • Flight Detroit - Orlando (DTW - MCO) $74+

London Flights

  • Flight Washington, D.C. - London (IAD - LGW) $382+
  • Flight New Windsor - London (SWF - STN) $392+
  • Flight New York - London (JFK - LGW) $393+
  • Flight Boston - London (BOS - LGW) $399+
  • Flight New York - London (JFK - LHR) $405+
  • Flight Newark - London (EWR - LHR) $432+
  • Flight Boston - London (BOS - LHR) $440+
  • Flight New York - London (LGA - LHR) $449+
  • Flight Washington, D.C. - London (IAD - LHR) $457+

Fort Lauderdale Flights

  • Flight Atlanta - Fort Lauderdale (ATL - FLL) $39+
  • Flight Baltimore - Fort Lauderdale (BWI - FLL) $40+
  • Flight Cleveland - Fort Lauderdale (CLE - FLL) $40+
  • Flight Newark - Fort Lauderdale (EWR - FLL) $40+
  • Flight Raleigh - Fort Lauderdale (RDU - FLL) $44+
  • Flight Atlantic City - Fort Lauderdale (ACY - FLL) $47+
  • Flight Charlotte - Fort Lauderdale (CLT - FLL) $48+

Boston Flights

  • Flight Newark - Boston (EWR - BOS) $44+
  • Flight Chicago - Boston (ORD - BOS) $50+
  • Flight Baltimore - Boston (BWI - BOS) $51+
  • Flight Charlotte - Boston (CLT - BOS) $52+
  • Flight Fort Lauderdale - Boston (FLL - BOS) $64+
  • Flight Houston - Boston (HOU - BOS) $64+
  • Flight Houston - Boston (IAH - BOS) $64+

India Flights

  • Flight New York - Mumbai (JFK - BOM) $575+
  • Flight Washington, D.C. - New Delhi (IAD - DEL) $613+
  • Flight New York - New Delhi (JFK - DEL) $695+
  • Flight San Francisco - New Delhi (SFO - DEL) $696+
  • Flight New York - Hyderabad (JFK - HYD) $701+
  • Flight New York - Ahmedabad (JFK - AMD) $715+
  • Flight Newark - New Delhi (EWR - DEL) $721+

Japan Flights

  • Flight Los Angeles - Tokyo (LAX - NRT) $557+
  • Flight San Francisco - Tokyo (SFO - NRT) $647+
  • Flight Seattle - Tokyo (SEA - NRT) $721+
  • Flight Chicago - Tokyo (ORD - NRT) $743+
  • Flight Dallas - Tokyo (DFW - NRT) $760+
  • Flight Houston - Tokyo (HOU - NRT) $798+
  • Flight San Francisco - Tokyo (SFO - HND) $806+

Phoenix Flights

  • Flight Dallas - Phoenix (DFW - PHX) $57+
  • Flight Ontario - Phoenix (ONT - PHX) $58+
  • Flight Los Angeles - Phoenix (LAX - PHX) $74+
  • Flight San Francisco - Phoenix (SFO - PHX) $86+
  • Flight Santa Ana - Phoenix (SNA - PHX) $86+
  • Flight Seattle - Phoenix (SEA - PHX) $87+
  • Flight Portland - Phoenix (PDX - PHX) $90+

Honolulu Flights

  • Flight Los Angeles - Honolulu (LAX - HNL) $185+
  • Flight San Jose - Honolulu (SJC - HNL) $209+
  • Flight Ontario - Honolulu (ONT - HNL) $239+
  • Flight San Francisco - Honolulu (SFO - HNL) $242+
  • Flight Oakland - Honolulu (OAK - HNL) $253+
  • Flight San Diego - Honolulu (SAN - HNL) $260+
  • Flight Las Vegas - Honolulu (LAS - HNL) $300+

Los Angeles Flights

  • Flight Oakland - Los Angeles (OAK - LAX) $39+
  • Flight San Jose - Los Angeles (SJC - LAX) $52+
  • Flight Seattle - Los Angeles (SEA - LAX) $61+
  • Flight Phoenix - Los Angeles (PHX - LAX) $65+
  • Flight San Francisco - Los Angeles (SFO - LAX) $65+
  • Flight Portland - Los Angeles (PDX - LAX) $69+
  • Flight Atlanta - Los Angeles (ATL - LAX) $79+
  • Flight Newark - Los Angeles (EWR - LAX) $85+
  • Flight Philadelphia - Los Angeles (PHL - LAX) $88+

Chicago Flights

  • Flight New York - Chicago (LGA - ORD) $50+
  • Flight Boston - Chicago (BOS - ORD) $51+
  • Flight Dallas - Chicago (DFW - ORD) $51+
  • Flight Atlanta - Chicago (ATL - MDW) $54+
  • Flight Atlanta - Chicago (ATL - ORD) $55+
  • Flight Newark - Chicago (EWR - ORD) $78+
  • Flight Orlando - Chicago (MCO - ORD) $79+

Denver Flights

  • Flight Austin - Denver (AUS - DEN) $58+
  • Flight Houston - Denver (HOU - DEN) $68+
  • Flight Houston - Denver (IAH - DEN) $68+
  • Flight Minneapolis - Denver (MSP - DEN) $75+
  • Flight Ontario - Denver (ONT - DEN) $78+
  • Flight Chicago - Denver (ORD - DEN) $86+
  • Flight Cincinnati - Denver (CVG - DEN) $98+

Washington, D.C. Flights

  • Flight Boston - Baltimore (BOS - BWI) $39+
  • Flight Atlanta - Baltimore (ATL - BWI) $53+
  • Flight Orlando - Baltimore (MCO - BWI) $53+
  • Flight Fort Lauderdale - Baltimore (FLL - BWI) $56+
  • Flight Houston - Baltimore (HOU - BWI) $69+
  • Flight Chicago - Baltimore (ORD - BWI) $97+
  • Flight Dallas - Baltimore (DFW - BWI) $100+
  • Flight Los Angeles - Baltimore (LAX - BWI) $106+
  • Flight Miami - Washington, D.C. (MIA - DCA) $127+
  • Flight Boston - Washington, D.C. (BOS - DCA) $133+
  • Flight Boston - Washington, D.C. (BOS - IAD) $159+
  • Flight Atlanta - Washington, D.C. (ATL - IAD) $169+
  • Flight Seattle - Baltimore (SEA - BWI) $177+
  • Flight Los Angeles - Washington, D.C. (LAX - IAD) $197+
  • Flight Chicago - Washington, D.C. (ORD - DCA) $198+
  • Flight Houston - Washington, D.C. (HOU - DCA) $204+
  • Flight Los Angeles - Washington, D.C. (LAX - DCA) $204+
  • Flight Dallas - Washington, D.C. (DFW - DCA) $208+
  • Flight San Francisco - Washington, D.C. (SFO - DCA) $219+
  • Flight San Francisco - Baltimore (SFO - BWI) $220+
  • Flight Dallas - Washington, D.C. (DFW - IAD) $226+
  • Flight Seattle - Washington, D.C. (SEA - DCA) $231+
  • Flight Seattle - Washington, D.C. (SEA - IAD) $277+
  • Flight San Francisco - Washington, D.C. (SFO - IAD) $307+

Atlanta Flights

  • Flight Fort Lauderdale - Atlanta (FLL - ATL) $39+
  • Flight New York - Atlanta (LGA - ATL) $40+
  • Flight Newark - Atlanta (EWR - ATL) $40+
  • Flight Tampa - Atlanta (TPA - ATL) $40+
  • Flight Orlando - Atlanta (MCO - ATL) $41+
  • Flight Detroit - Atlanta (DTW - ATL) $44+
  • Flight Houston - Atlanta (HOU - ATL) $50+

United States Flights

  • Flight Newark - Miami (EWR - MIA) $40+
  • Flight Los Angeles - Seattle (LAX - SEA) $61+
  • Flight New York - Fort Lauderdale (LGA - FLL) $61+
  • Flight New York - Miami (LGA - MIA) $61+

Hawaii Flights

  • Flight Los Angeles - Hawaii (LAX - USHI) $189+
  • Flight San Francisco - Hawaii (SFO - USHI) $203+
  • Flight San Jose - Hawaii (SJC - USHI) $225+
  • Flight Ontario - Hawaii (ONT - USHI) $239+
  • Flight San Diego - Hawaii (SAN - USHI) $261+
  • Flight Las Vegas - Hawaii (LAS - USHI) $303+
  • Flight Seattle - Hawaii (SEA - USHI) $306+

Tampa Flights

  • Flight Atlanta - Tampa (ATL - TPA) $39+
  • Flight Baltimore - Tampa (BWI - TPA) $57+
  • Flight Raleigh - Tampa (RDU - TPA) $57+
  • Flight Richmond - Tampa (RIC - TPA) $66+
  • Flight Cincinnati - Tampa (CVG - TPA) $68+
  • Flight Houston - Tampa (HOU - TPA) $68+
  • Flight Newark - Tampa (EWR - TPA) $70+

Houston Flights

  • Flight Philadelphia - Houston (PHL - IAH) $46+
  • Flight Atlanta - Houston (ATL - IAH) $49+
  • Flight Tampa - Houston (TPA - IAH) $51+
  • Flight Baltimore - Houston (BWI - IAH) $55+
  • Flight Orlando - Houston (MCO - IAH) $57+
  • Flight Charlotte - Houston (CLT - IAH) $58+
  • Flight Miami - Houston (MIA - IAH) $58+

Las Vegas Flights

  • Flight Burbank - Las Vegas (BUR - LAS) $29+
  • Flight Los Angeles - Las Vegas (LAX - LAS) $31+
  • Flight Oakland - Las Vegas (OAK - LAS) $45+
  • Flight Santa Ana - Las Vegas (SNA - LAS) $48+
  • Flight Seattle - Las Vegas (SEA - LAS) $53+
  • Flight San Francisco - Las Vegas (SFO - LAS) $58+
  • Flight Houston - Las Vegas (HOU - LAS) $77+
  • Flight Houston - Las Vegas (IAH - LAS) $77+
  • Flight Denver - Las Vegas (DEN - LAS) $78+
  • Flight Dallas - Las Vegas (DFW - LAS) $82+
  • Flight Atlanta - Las Vegas (ATL - LAS) $83+
  • Flight Charlotte - Las Vegas (CLT - LAS) $90+
  • Flight Newark - Las Vegas (EWR - LAS) $94+
  • Flight Orlando - Las Vegas (MCO - LAS) $95+

Miami Flights

  • Flight Baltimore - Miami (BWI - MIA) $39+
  • Flight Philadelphia - Miami (PHL - MIA) $39+
  • Flight Chicago - Miami (ORD - MIA) $43+
  • Flight Atlanta - Miami (ATL - MIA) $45+
  • Flight Charlotte - Miami (CLT - MIA) $48+
  • Flight Raleigh - Miami (RDU - MIA) $53+
  • Flight Dallas - Miami (DFW - MIA) $55+
  • Flight Detroit - Miami (DTW - MIA) $62+
  • Flight Houston - Miami (HOU - MIA) $63+
  • Flight Houston - Miami (IAH - MIA) $63+
  • Flight Boston - Miami (BOS - MIA) $89+
  • Flight Cleveland - Miami (CLE - MIA) $100+
  • Flight Minneapolis - Miami (MSP - MIA) $110+
  • Flight Phoenix - Miami (PHX - MIA) $116+
  • Flight New York - Miami (JFK - MIA) $117+
  • Flight Washington, D.C. - Miami (DCA - MIA) $127+
  • Flight Washington, D.C. - Miami (IAD - MIA) $137+
  • Flight Los Angeles - Miami (LAX - MIA) $139+
  • Flight Denver - Miami (DEN - MIA) $171+
  • Flight Ontario - Miami (ONT - MIA) $178+

San Francisco Flights

  • Flight Ontario - San Francisco (ONT - SFO) $56+
  • Flight Los Angeles - San Francisco (LAX - SFO) $58+
  • Flight Phoenix - San Francisco (PHX - SFO) $58+
  • Flight Portland - San Francisco (PDX - SFO) $86+
  • Flight Denver - San Francisco (DEN - SFO) $118+
  • Flight Seattle - San Francisco (SEA - SFO) $141+
  • Flight Atlanta - San Francisco (ATL - SFO) $159+
  • Flight Chicago - San Francisco (ORD - SFO) $160+
  • Flight Dallas - San Francisco (DFW - SFO) $162+
  • Flight Houston - San Francisco (HOU - SFO) $164+
  • Flight Houston - San Francisco (IAH - SFO) $164+
  • Flight Austin - San Francisco (AUS - SFO) $183+
  • Flight Minneapolis - San Francisco (MSP - SFO) $183+
  • Flight Detroit - San Francisco (DTW - SFO) $201+

Seattle Flights

  • Flight Phoenix - Seattle (PHX - SEA) $76+
  • Flight San Jose - Seattle (SJC - SEA) $95+
  • Flight San Diego - Seattle (SAN - SEA) $97+
  • Flight Ontario - Seattle (ONT - SEA) $98+
  • Flight Santa Ana - Seattle (SNA - SEA) $113+
  • Flight Burbank - Seattle (BUR - SEA) $121+

Paris Flights

  • Flight Boston - Paris (BOS - CDG) $298+
  • Flight New Windsor - Paris (SWF - CDG) $335+
  • Flight Baltimore - Paris (BWI - CDG) $336+
  • Flight Washington, D.C. - Paris (IAD - CDG) $338+
  • Flight New York - Paris (JFK - ORY) $381+
  • Flight Chicago - Paris (ORD - ORY) $383+
  • Flight New York - Paris (JFK - CDG) $396+

Europe Flights

  • Flight New York - Barcelona (JFK - BCN) $312+
  • Flight Newark - Barcelona (EWR - BCN) $323+
  • Flight New York - Madrid (JFK - MAD) $380+
  • Flight New York - Rome (JFK - FCO) $387+

Florida Flights

  • Flight Newark - Florida (EWR - USFL) $40+
  • Flight Philadelphia - Florida (PHL - USFL) $43+
  • Flight Atlanta - Florida (ATL - USFL) $45+
  • Flight Chicago - Florida (ORD - USFL) $50+
  • Flight New York - Florida (LGA - USFL) $61+
  • Flight Boston - Florida (BOS - USFL) $62+
  • Flight Dallas - Florida (DFW - USFL) $63+

Dallas Flights

  • Flight Atlanta - Dallas (ATL - DFW) $56+
  • Flight Phoenix - Dallas (PHX - DFW) $57+
  • Flight Chicago - Dallas (ORD - DFW) $58+
  • Flight Fort Lauderdale - Dallas (FLL - DFW) $62+
  • Flight New York - Dallas (LGA - DFW) $71+
  • Flight Newark - Dallas (EWR - DFW) $71+
  • Flight Houston - Dallas (HOU - DFW) $78+

San Diego Flights

  • Flight San Jose - San Diego (SJC - SAN) $40+
  • Flight Oakland - San Diego (OAK - SAN) $50+
  • Flight San Francisco - San Diego (SFO - SAN) $58+
  • Flight Houston - San Diego (HOU - SAN) $60+
  • Flight Houston - San Diego (IAH - SAN) $60+
  • Flight Phoenix - San Diego (PHX - SAN) $71+
  • Flight Denver - San Diego (DEN - SAN) $78+

Frequently asked questions

What do i need to know before booking a flight.

There are various factors to consider when booking a flight including cost, fare classes, baggage policies, the complications of flying long haul, and complying with airport regulations. To make your booking journey smoother KAYAK has developed a comprehensive flight guide including insights on finding affordable flights, packing efficiently, and utilizing the best travel tools.

What is the cheapest day of the week to book a flight?

The best day to book your flight depends on a number of factors, but there are general trends that you can follow to increase your chances of cheaper plane tickets. Based on an analysis of KAYAK data for all flights departing from inside United States over the last 12 months, the cheapest day to fly for domestic flights is Wednesday. For international flights, Tuesday had the cheapest tickets on average.

Which month of the year are flight prices lowest?

It’s well established that flights in the low season are generally cheaper than ticket prices during the high season. That means that knowing which month to find the lowest priced plane tickets will depend heavily on seasonality and your destination. While avoiding peak travel times can help you keep costs down, our data shows that the month with the lowest priced plane tickets for domestic flights based on all searches made on KAYAK in the last 12 months was January, while the most expensive was June. If you’re booking an international flight, then January is the cheapest month to fly and June the most expensive.

When is the best time to buy plane tickets - Last minute or in advance?

Last minute flight deals are definitely up for grabs but when exactly to purchase your plane tickets will depend on where you’re traveling to and from. Based on all data for flight searches made on KAYAK over the last 12 months, prices for domestic flights remained below the average price up to 1 weeks before departure. For international flights, deals could still be had up to 1 weeks prior to the departure date, with prices remaining below average. If you’re flexible, KAYAK brings you both advance and last minute one-way and round-trip flight deals.

Can flying international flights with a layover save money on airfare?

For many long-haul international flights, flying non-stop is not possible and you will have to fly with a layover. Some routes will offer both and you could consider flying with a layover for a number of reasons. Firstly, breaking up what would otherwise be a long-haul flight, taking a rest and then completing the journey might make the flight more manageable. Secondly, prices can also be lower than non-stop flights, so while it might take longer for you to reach your destination, you could save money. We’ve looked at prices over the last 12 months for the 100 most popular international destinations for KAYAK users and on average, prices for non-stop flights were cheaper than flights with a layover.

How does KAYAK find such low flight prices?

KAYAK processes over 2 billion flight queries annually and displays results from hundreds of airlines and third party sites, allowing it to find a variety of flight prices and options. It also displays results from 2M+ properties along with rental cars, vacation packages, activities and millions of verified reviews so users can see as many available travel options as possible.

How do I find the best flight deals on KAYAK?

A simple flight search at https://www.kayak.com/flights scans for prices on hundreds of travel sites in seconds. We gather flight deals from across the web and put them in one place. Then on the search results page you can use various filters to compare options for the same flight and easily choose the best flight deal from all of the deals coming straight from the travel sites to your screen, with no extra fee from KAYAK.

How can Hacker Fares save me money?

Hacker Fares allow you to combine one-way tickets on different airlines when it can save you money over a traditional round-trip ticket.

Does KAYAK query more flight providers than competitors?

Yes, KAYAK has access to more data and information than online travel agencies and consistently outperforms the competition in accuracy, globally.

How does KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy?

KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a given destination and date is likely to change within 7 days, so travelers know whether to wait or book now.

What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care?

Sometimes travel dates aren't set in stone. If your preferred travel dates have some wiggle room, flexible dates will show you flights up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. That way, you can see if leaving a day or two earlier will find you a better deal. You can also select the flexible "weekend" or "month" search options to widen your search range and find the cheapest price that works for you.

Search cheap flights with KAYAK. Search for the cheapest airline tickets for all the top airlines around the world, airports around the world and the top international flight routes . KAYAK searches hundreds of travel sites to help you find cheap airfare and book a flight that suits you best. Since KAYAK searches many plane tickets sites at once, you can find cheap tickets from cheap airlines and for trains and buses quickly.

KAYAK also helps you find the right hotels for your needs.

  • How to Tie a Tie
  • Best Coffee Beans
  • How to Shape a Beard
  • Best Sweaters for Men
  • Most Expensive Cognac
  • Monos vs Away Luggage
  • Best Luxury Hotel Chains
  • Fastest Cars in the World
  • Ernest Hemingway Books
  • What Does CBD Feel Like?
  • Canada Goose Alternatives
  • Fastest Motorcycles in the World

Get the best deal without the hassle: The best sites to book flights

If you're not booking direct, try one of these sites to book flights.

man holding credit card looking at computer

Finding cheap flights can feel like a full-time job, with prices varying wildly across different booking sites and search engines. Spend too little time searching, and you could easily overpay. But go down an endless rabbit hole of flight searches, and the “deal” you scored may not be worth the hassle. 

Google Flights: The easy, feature-packed option

  • Kayak: The price comparison specialist  

Capital One Travel: Great value for cardholders

Expedia: bundle flights, hotels and earn rewards, bottom line.

The good news is that not all flight search engines are created equal. Some make it easier to find great deals without the headache of combing through countless options and websites. When you use the right flight booking site for your needs, you can take the stress out of trip planning while still saving big. 

Don’t worry – we’re here to help! We compiled some of the best sites to book flights and get fantastic value with minimal effort.

  • The best places to visit in the south of France: These charming spots are must-see
  • This is the best time to visit Switzerland
  • 4 reasons why Seattle is Kayak’s No. 1 summer travel destination

For simplicity combined with powerful search capabilities and features, it’s hard to beat Google Flights. Just enter your origin, destination, and travel dates, and Google instantly pulls flight results from across hundreds of airlines and online travel agencies. 

The search filters are robust. You can quickly narrow things down by airline, number of stops, departure times, flight duration, price range, and more. You can even filter out basic economy fares or flights on certain aircraft types. 

One of the most useful features is the explore map, which is great for finding cheap destinations if your travel dates are at least somewhat flexible. Just select your home airport and possible travel dates, and Google will show you the lowest fares to different regions of the world.

The main downside of Google Flights is that it doesn’t always surface the absolute cheapest fares, particularly for international routes to less traveled destinations. But for a fast, clean search experience with plenty of customization, Google Flights is tough to top.

Kayak: The price comparison specialist  

While Google Flights queries a huge range of sources, Kayak takes things even further by scanning across hundreds of individual airline and online travel agency websites to try to find the lowest fares. It doesn’t sell tickets directly, but it streamlines the booking process by linking you straight to the cheapest option to finalize your purchase.

Kayak’s flexible date search calendar is cleanly designed and makes it easy to see at a glance the cheapest days to fly for your particular route. You can quickly compare fares across an entire month or two to find the best deal. But most importantly, in testing, Kayak frequently surfaces lower fares than Google Flights, especially for international routes. 

For frequent Capital One credit card users, the issuer’s dedicated travel portal could be the most rewarding flight booking site. Key benefits include bonus rewards on travel purchases made through the portal as well as statement credits that can trim costs.

Those with the premium Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card earn a hefty 5x miles spent on flights and hotels booked through Capital One Travel. In addition, Venture X cardholders receive up to a $300 annual travel credit that can be used to offset bookings made through the Capital One Travel portal.

So, booking even just a modest $300 flight through the portal would essentially make it free after factoring in the travel credit.

Capital One Travel also partners with travel data company Hopper to provide pricing forecasts and recommendations on when to book to get the best deal. As an added incentive, they’ll give you up to a $50 credit toward future travel if the price drops for the same itinerary within 10 days of when you booked with their recommendation.

For some travelers, factors like earning rewards from bookings and packaging flights with hotels can be higher priorities than finding the absolute rock-bottom price. 

For those looking at the fuller picture, Expedia could be the best flight booking site.

Through Expedia’s new One Key rewards program, travelers earn back 0.2% of their flight booking cost in the form of OneKeyCash. It’s not a huge return, but it can help offset costs a bit and stack with rewards earned from your credit card and the airline itself.

More compelling are the credits you’ll earn toward elite status in the One Key program. Work your way up to the higher elite tiers, and you’ll unlock benefits like bonus OneKeyCash earnings, hotel upgrades, and price protection on bookings.

Additionally, Expedia advertises potential savings of up to 30% when bundling your hotel and flight into a vacation package. While actual discounts will likely be smaller in many cases, it’s still worth pricing out the package option if you need both air and hotel for an upcoming trip.

At the end of the day, there is no definitive “best” flight booking site for every situation. The right option for you will depend on your particular priorities and how much time and effort you’re willing to invest to potentially save a bit more.

For those looking for simplicity and a quick, powerful search experience, it’s hard to beat Google Flights. For comparing prices across the most sources, Kayak is a great option. Those wanting to earn extra rewards or discounts for packaging a hotel should look at sites like Expedia, while certain Capital One cardholders can get value from the issuer’s travel portal.

Whichever route you take, using the right flight booking site for your needs can make finding a great deal much easier.

Editors' Recommendations

  • These are the 10 best things to do in San Diego, according to a local
  • Don’t commit a faux pas: Your guide to tipping around the world
  • This is the best time to visit Iceland
  • Report: These are the best (and worst) airlines to fly on Memorial Day weekend
  • Sleep tourism is really a thing, and these are the best places for it
  • Advice and how-tos
  • Advice and insights

Kelly Baker

Thailand's a magnet for tourists, and for good reason! From its mouthwatering food to its stunning scenery, there's something for everyone. But timing your trip right can make all the difference. Here's a breakdown to help you pick the perfect time to visit Thailand:  The best time to visit Thailand for good weather

For many travelers, the cool and dry season from November to February is considered the best time to visit Thailand for optimal weather conditions. This is when the whole country sighs in relief – comfortable temperatures, low humidity, and barely a drop of rain. 

We’ve all been there- gripping the armrest of the plane seat with white knuckles as the aircraft jostles and jolts its way through the sky. For many passengers, turbulence is the bane of air travel, transforming what should be a stress-free journey into a nerve-wracking ordeal.

In a recent study conducted by Turbli, a leading aviation research firm, the most turbulent flight paths in the United States were identified, highlighting regions where passengers are most likely to encounter the daunting effects of rough air. From coast to coast, these are the routes that test even the most seasoned flyers. What is turbulence?

Air travel lets you cover thousands of miles in mere hours, opening the door to destinations far and wide. Sometimes, that can be a hectic experience, with crowded boarding lines and cramped overhead bins. Subpar service makes it even worse. When that happens, taking a flight is more a test of endurance than a comfortable ride, and you can’t wait to exit the plane. 

On a full flight, a gracious staff makes all the difference, ready to lend a hand and ensure you have what you need. Some airlines do that better than others. 

top 5 travel booking sites

5 Of The Best Websites To Use When Booking A Flight

W hen it comes to planning a trip , doing as much research as you can is highly essential, especially when you have a budget to stick to and a specific travel timeframe in mind. That means conducting your accommodation searches on various platforms. If your adventure entails getting on an airplane, booking a flight several months in advance is usually a good idea so you can track prices more efficiently.

There are also a lot of factors you ought to consider when booking flights. How much time do you have before your preferred travel dates? Although planning a last-minute trip is completely doable, finding cost-friendly airfare becomes a bigger challenge, especially if you don't have much date flexibility or are planning to fly during the holidays when travel is notoriously expensive. If money is an issue and you just want the cheapest flight combination available, you may have to be willing to slog through late or overnight flights or endure longer-than-usual layovers. Lastly, if you have credit card perks or rewards programs that offer free miles, you should prioritize avenues that allow you to take advantage of these benefits.

Considering all these components, the process of finding and booking a flight that fits most of your requirements is fairly easy to accomplish. To help you get started on your search, we've rounded up some of the best flight booking platforms for you to utilize based on personal experience, suggestions, and positive reviews shared online by travel experts and regular customers alike. At the end of the article, there will be a more detailed explanation of how we went about the website selection process for this roundup.

Read more: The 20 Best Mac Apps That Will Improve Your Apple Experience

As a one-stop travel search aggregator that lets users look up not just flights but car rentals and hotel accommodations, among other things, Kayak is a popular go-to among air travelers who have a budget at the top of their priority list. It has a user-friendly interface, whether you use the platform on desktop or mobile. After entering the airports you'd like to depart from and arrive at as well as your preferred travel timeframe, you'll immediately see a list of available flight combinations, with the cheapest and best — in terms of flight times, the duration of all flight legs and layovers, and price combined — options at the top of the queue. Various filters are also on hand to help you finetune your results, allowing you to limit the number of stops, prioritize takeoff and landing times, and choose your preferred airlines, among other things.

When you access Kayak on a computer, even before you hit the search button on the main page, you'll immediately see a price trends graph given your selected destination, so you can sort of plan to keep an eye out for potentially lower prices. On the search results page, a useful Advice box at the top of the filter side panel tells you if it's a good time to buy or wait for a better deal. In any case, you can also switch the Track Prices toggle on so you can get email alerts regarding your flight search.

If your travel dates are not set in stone, simply indicate it in the date selection dropdown box before hitting the search button. This will produce a helpful Flexible Dates table on the results page that will let you choose the cheapest timeframe possible without having to do multiple searches.

Like Kayak — its parent company — Momondo is another travel search engine that is becoming a favorite among various online travel roundups. It has most of the same features and is likely providing the same flight search results as Kayak, but the price trends graph for your destination is conveniently on top of the results page instead, allowing you to make quick date modifications if needed without having to exit out of the flight's list.

There's also a nifty Flight Insights link at the top of the results page that gives you a guide on how to get the cheapest possible flight to your chosen destination. This feature mostly benefits travelers with flexible travel dates as it gives advice on which month, day, and time flights to the selected destination are most affordable, as well as the best airline options available. More importantly, a recommendation on how far in advance you should be looking into flights is also provided if you want to save some money.

Google Flights

Google's Flights portal is pretty straightforward and is a great option for people who don't want to open too many tabs to do their flight research. Everything you need to access is on the same page, and the list of available flights is generated pretty quickly. Results dynamically update even when you change the airports you want to leave from and arrive at, which is ideal when you're trying to pick the best location to fly to price and time-wise. There's a Date Grid button that lays out all the flight prices in a convenient matrix, with the most optimal options highlighted in green. Meanwhile, the Price Graph provides a selection of trip durations based on the number of days you've initially selected, in case you are able to move your itinerary earlier or later.

A number of the best flights available are separated from other available flight options, all of which you can instantly compare without opening a new window by clicking on the dropdown arrow next to the trips you are considering. There's also a useful Price History section that alerts you when the costs of flights are higher than normal compared to usual costs and illustrates it in a chronologically arranged graph.

Air travelers who just want to go somewhere for an adventure may enjoy Google Flight's Explore option, which provides you with the cheapest possible destinations that leave from your home airport. Note that suggested itineraries are based according to popularity, cost, and convenience, among other factors.

If you have a specific destination in mind, Skyscanner functions similarly to the rest of the travel search engines mentioned earlier. After providing your location, destination, departure and return dates, and number of travelers, you will be provided the most ideal flights available, with the best, cheapest, and fastest options highlighted at the top of the list. By default, flights are sorted according to what's best — determined by price, speed, number of stops, and the level of hassle, among others — but you can also organize the list in terms of flight duration, overall cost, and according to departure time at either your home base or from your flight back.

Skyscanner works a lot better if you have flexible dates and destinations. Using your home airport or your departure and return dates, the Explore Everywhere button on the home page will give you a wide variety of vacations, including international ones. You can highlight the cheapest flight suggestions or ones that fly you directly.

There's also a "Let us inspire your next trip" button, an AI-backed travel search currently in its beta stage of development. You can enter any phrase you like to describe your ideal escapade — "family beach trip in the Caribbean," for example — and be given relevant flight suggestions.

To round out your airfare research, make sure you check if Southwest services your particular destination. In most cases, the budget airline provides the cheapest options available. If you happen to have a Southwest credit card, you can also accumulate and use miles just as easily. Although the airline doesn't have assigned seats — priority boarding is based on the time you check in — one of Southwest's best perks is that, as a passenger, you get to fly with two bags for free.

Based on testing, none of Southwest's flights appear in search results when you use any of the previously mentioned flight-booking websites. Because of this, Southwest is a must-visit platform whenever you're booking a flight.

You can also make the rounds with other popular low-cost airlines just to cover your bases, namely JetBlue , Frontier , and Spirit , to name a few. Unlike Southwest, they may show up in aggregator searches, but it doesn't hurt to go directly to your chosen airline's website. If you're traveling internationally, make sure you look up budget airlines local to the area as well.

How We Chose These Travel Sites

The websites featured in this piece were chosen based on our actual and successful experiences with them in our travels. We also considered suggestions and positive reviews shared online by travel experts and regular customers alike. While most of our suggestions are available via mobile app, we highly recommend conducting your airfare search on a computer for a wider view of the results and to access the full slate of your chosen platform's features.

The travel-booking services we highlighted in this list should adequately give you an idea of what to expect to spend on your impending airfare, but don't let this guide limit your search to just these websites. Finding the best flights isn't a perfect science. Since cost fluctuations are expected and unpredictable, it's recommended that you book a flight as soon as you find one within your parameters.

As much as possible, if you can, book your flights directly with your chosen airline. Whether it's because of your prior experience or it's the airline you have the most rewards points with, it's generally the smarter choice as it does away with extra fees and the potential hassle of having to course your booking through an online travel agency. If your flight gets canceled or there are any real-time issues the airline has to deal with, having a direct line of communication and getting timely assistance without going through a third party is more convenient. While trying out the flight-booking websites on our list, don't hesitate to also take a peek at what any mentioned airlines offer on their official websites for a well-rounded comparison. 

Read the original article on SlashGear .

man using laptop travel site

From an overwater villa in the Maldives to a private island: 8 luxury hotels you can book with points

Katie Genter

Editor's Note

There are many ways to redeem points for hotel stays. I usually redeem for good-value properties that I can book for relatively few points. Having hotel points opens up a whole world of possibilities and has allowed me to stay at some spectacular properties that I couldn't — or at least wouldn't — have booked otherwise.

Many major hotel loyalty programs let travelers book amazing luxury properties with points. Unfortunately, standard award space for a reasonable-length stay is virtually nonexistent at some properties, such as the Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi. Other properties, like Hyatt's new Mr & Mrs Smith collection , have such sky-high award pricing that they may not be the best use of your points. To set reasonable expectations, I left properties off this list that didn't have at least decent award availability or points value.

Here's a look at some of the most amazing luxury hotels you can book with points, including a few I've been lucky enough to visit and several more that are still on my wish list.

Alila Ventana Big Sur

top 5 travel booking sites

Cost in cash : From $1,606 per night

Cost in points : From 45,000 World of Hyatt points per night

You go to Ventana Big Sur to get away and relax. This rustic forest resort near Monterey, California, has 54 rooms and suites. Each resort booking includes all meals and select activities like yoga, meditation, tai chi and daily hikes. As such, Ventana Big Sur is certainly a resort where your points can provide significant value.

TPG's Zach Griff loved his stay, as evidenced in his review of Hyatt's Ventana Big Sur . But as I found when researching availability — and as Zach noted in his review — award space for rooms priced at off-peak rates is limited. However, I did find several nights with off-peak Category 8 pricing for standard rooms and many nights with off-peak standard and premium suite availability.

The resort is adults-only, so no guests under 18 can accompany you. Note, too, that the glamping side of Ventana Big Sur is different from the resort and doesn't have access to many of the resort amenities.

Overall, this is a resort for those with plenty of cash, an ample stash of World of Hyatt points or a special occasion to celebrate. I'd likely try to book a short stay with off-peak standard room award pricing and use my points for a longer Pacific Coast Highway trip to get the most value.

Related: The best Hyatt all-inclusive resorts in the world

Miraval Arizona

top 5 travel booking sites

Cost in cash : From $1,074 per night for single occupancy (from $1,933 per night for double occupancy)

Cost in points : From 40,000 World of Hyatt points per night for single occupancy (from 57,500 points per night for double occupancy)

Hyatt's most luxurious wellness-focused brand is Miraval, which has full-scale resorts and spas in Texas, Arizona and Massachusetts, plus an international outpost in Saudi Arabia. TPG staffers have stayed at all three domestic properties, giving each heaps of praise.

So, it's not surprising that at least one Miraval resort would make my list of amazing luxury hotels around the world that you can book with points. I'm most excited to visit Miraval Arizona due to its desert location and status as the original Miraval resort.

There's a special World of Hyatt award chart for Miraval resorts, but redeeming Hyatt points still provides good value on most dates. All meals, snacks, coffee, smoothies and nonalcoholic beverages are included in stays. Plus, guests get shared shuttle transportation from Tucson International Airport (TUS) and a $175 per person nightly credit for spa services, fee-based activities and private sessions.

Related: Does it make sense to redeem World of Hyatt points for all-inclusive resorts?

The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands

top 5 travel booking sites

Cost in cash : From $1,504 per night

Cost in points : From 82,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night

If you have a lot of Marriott Bonvoy points and want a spectacular stay in the Maldives, The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands is an excellent option. It's just a 45-minute speedboat ride away from the airport in Male, where most international flights arrive in the Maldives. The standard point redemption will get you a one-bedroom ocean pool villa with an ocean view — although you can redeem more points at booking for an upgraded room type.

Former TPG reporter Chris Dong summed up his stay perfectly when he wrote, "I enjoyed my time at the Ritz, not because of how glamorous it was but because I felt truly cared for in a way that I've never felt at any other hotel in the world."

Frankly, I doubt I'll ever be willing to redeem the points required to stay at The Ritz-Carlton Maldives. However, especially considering paid rates, you're getting a steal on most dates — particularly if you redeem points for at least five nights of your stay and can get a fifth night free .

Related: Stay at these amazing Ritz-Carltons across the world

Six Senses Laamu

top 5 travel booking sites

Cost in cash : From $1,049 per night

Cost in points : From 190,000 IHG One Rewards points per night

My Six Senses Laamu review indicates how much I loved the resort, and it's remained my favorite stay years later. As such, I had to include it on this list of amazing luxury hotels around the world that you can book with points.

Six Senses Laamu is a rustic luxury resort focused on environmental sustainability. It employs an entire team of marine biologists, offers amazing on-site snorkeling opportunities, includes some memorable experiential activities, has a cool kids club and features multilevel overwater villas as its base room type.

However, I'd likely book a paid rate if I return to Six Senses Laamu (which I hope to do). Redeeming IHG One Rewards points doesn't make sense for most Six Senses stays for two reasons: You'll get a lower redemption rate than at most IHG hotels, and Six Senses frequently offers excellent half-board paid rates if you stay at least four nights.

Related: Most luxurious Six Senses resorts across the world

Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa

top 5 travel booking sites

Cost in cash : From $800 per night

Cost in points : From 25,000 World of Hyatt points per night

Another luxurious option in the Maldives, the Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa is home to more than 50 land and overwater villas, all of which are surrounded by a 360-degree private reef that offers plenty of snorkeling opportunities. Amenities include four restaurants and a bar, multiple pools, a yoga studio and fitness center, a spa and an on-site dive center.

Thanks to World of Hyatt's generous award chart, this Category 7 property costs only 25,000 to 35,000 points per night, depending on the dates. That's a solid value for a hotel where cash rates can climb to well over $1,000 per night.

Related: The best ways to get to the Maldives on points and miles

Al Maha, a Luxury Collection Desert Resort & Spa, Dubai

top 5 travel booking sites

Cost in cash : From $1,176 per night

Cost in points : From 96,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night

I debated whether Marriott's Al Maha resort in Dubai was worth splurging on a few years ago. After visiting in the summer of 2022, I'm happy I decided to try out this aspirational, essentially all-inclusive resort in the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve. Our two-night stay was certainly memorable, from the meals on our villa's patio and hours spent in our private pool overlooking the desert to the included activities.

The resort has 42 private villas with swimming pools, and guests redeeming points for their stay can enjoy three meals and two activities per day. Activities include archery, desert nature walks, desert drives, wildlife safaris, falconry demonstrations, horseback rides, camel trekking and sundowners in the dunes. We learned a lot during our desert nature walk and enjoyed light dune bashing during our wildlife safari.

Related: The best Marriott hotels in the world

Conrad Bora Bora Nui

top 5 travel booking sites

Cost in cash : From $1,202 per night

Cost in points : From 120,000 Hilton Honors points per night

I loved my trip to French Polynesia, during which I visited Bora Bora and a few other islands. TPG's Summer Hull did, too, falling in love with the Conrad Bora Bora Nui. Describing it as her best Hilton points redemption, her stay at the Hilton property is one she'll never forget.

At the Conrad Bora Bora Nui, you'll have access to four different beaches. There are also complimentary snorkeling equipment, kayaks and paddleboards to see marine life around the resort. Daily activities, including demonstrations on how to open a coconut and lei-making workshops, await as well.

Standard award nights typically cost 120,000 Hilton Honors points per night. It's easy to find five or more consecutive standard award nights during some seasons, though standard award availability can be difficult to find during other seasons. Unless you have more Hilton points than you'll ever be able to redeem, you'll likely want to avoid the outrageous premium award night pricing.

Remember, too, that Hilton Honors elite members can benefit from a fifth night free on standard award night stays.

Related: Which should you choose? 5 top Bora Bora resorts and how to book

Necker Island

top 5 travel booking sites

Cost in cash : From $5,650 per night

Cost in points : 2,000,000 Virgin points per seven-night stay

Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands is one of the most epic hotels you can book with points. In fact, it's a bit of a stretch to call this private island retreat a hotel.

If you book an award stay at Necker Island , your stay includes your accommodation, breakfast, round-trip transportation from Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport (EIS) and access to water sports equipment. The island is also home to various animals, including lemurs, giant tortoises and flamingos.

You can book a room through Virgin Red, the sister program of Virgin Atlantic Flying Club , but you'll have to commit to a seven-night stay, and award stays are only available during a handful of "Celebration Weeks" each year, some of which are adults-only. Children can stay for a surcharge on some "Celebration" dates, but the above prices are only for double occupancy.

Related: Private-island resorts you can book with points

Bottom line

This is far from a comprehensive list of luxury hotels you can book with points, and you'd likely include different hotels on your own list. For instance, while many travelers would include the Park Hyatt Sydney on their list, I personally think the best hotels are remote and separated from urban life. Even if your idea of an amazing hotel differs from mine, I hope this list helps you dream and aspire to build your stash of points and miles in 2024.

IMAGES

  1. Top 20 Best Travel Booking Sites Ranked 2019

    top 5 travel booking sites

  2. The Best Travel Booking Sites for Deals

    top 5 travel booking sites

  3. Top 10+ Best Travel Websites (Find Deals on your next Adventure) [2021]

    top 5 travel booking sites

  4. The Best Travel Websites to Save You Time and Money 2019

    top 5 travel booking sites

  5. Top 20 Best Travel Booking Sites Ranked 2021

    top 5 travel booking sites

  6. We compared 7 travel-booking sites to show you what each is best at

    top 5 travel booking sites

VIDEO

  1. New Business Travel Booking Plans

  2. Top 5 Travel Destinations

  3. Book with Confidence: Use Reputable Platforms #travel #wanderlust #realestate #wanderlustjourney

  4. Protecting yourself from travel-site scams

  5. Make Tour & Travel Booking Website

  6. TOP 5 Travel MISTAKES to AVOID in 2024!!💯 #traveltips #dontdothis #2024 #debitcard #forex

COMMENTS

  1. 10 Best Travel Sites Reviewed by Buyers in 2024

    Read 5,822 Reviews. Expedia is an online travel agency founded by Microsoft in 2001. The site helps people find and schedule diverse travel services, including car rentals, flights and hotels. It ...

  2. Best Online Travel Sites 2022

    The best travel sites combine flight information from over nine different airlines and let you sort flights by price, number of stops, duration and flight class. Booking International Travel Finding airfare for international travel is the easiest part of booking an overseas trip.

  3. 17 Best Travel Sites in 2023: List of Top Websites for Traveling

    Best travel sites for booking flights Skyscanner. All epic adventures begin with a skyscanner search. For frequent travelers, Skyscanner is a favorite. Unlike other best travel websites, Skyscanner allows you to search 'Everywhere.' It then sorts results by country, offering the lowest prices first. This is a great way to find the most ...

  4. 6 Best Websites for Booking Cheap Flights

    The best flight booking sites. 1. Google Flights. For ease, speed and features, Google Flights is arguably the best website for flight searches. Search results appear almost instantly. Filters let ...

  5. 17 of the Best Hotel Booking Sites to Book Cheaper Prices

    5. Kayak. As far as online travel agencies go, Kayak is among the better options, in our minds. The powerful search and booking tool lets you search through multiple booking sites at once, set price alerts, and filter down results to an unmatched level of specificity.

  6. Best Online Travel Agencies

    Find deals on airfare, hotels, and car rentals with an aggregator site like Skyscanner, which uses a metasearch engine to compare prices from all online travel agencies and the airline, hotel, or car rental company in question.Run searches with fixed dates, opt to compare airfare prices month to month, or click "Cheapest Month."

  7. The 14 Best Flight Search Sites for Booking Cheap Airfare

    Editor's note: BookingBuddy is owned by SmarterTravel Media, SmarterTravel.com's parent company. Compare multiple airfare sites with one click to find the best flight deals on BookingBuddy ...

  8. The Best Hotel Booking Sites for 2023

    The Best Hotel Booking Sites for 2023. Best Overall: Booking.com. Best Overall, Runner-Up: Hotels.com. Best for Luxury: Mr and Mrs Smith. Best Budget: Hostelworld. Best for Spontaneous Travel: Hotel Tonight. Best for Membership Rewards: Marriott Bonvoy. Best for Social Impact: Kind Traveler.

  9. We compared 7 travel-booking sites to show you what each is best at

    Travelocity. Travelocity. Travelocity offers booking for flights, hotels, vacation rentals, rental cars, cruises and things to do. And no, you're not seeing double. Expedia owns Travelocity, which ...

  10. The 50 Best Travel Websites and Travel Resources for 2024

    The Best Hotel Booking Sites for the Best Deals and Specifics. These are the best travel websites for 2024 for booking flight and hotel packages together or for searching for accommodation when you have very specific needs. These online travel agencies let you trawl through thousands of places to stay in the blink of an eye.

  11. The Best Travel Sites

    Kayak. Kayak has grown tremendously in the last few years, and it's currently our favorite travel site for searching and booking. It excels at helping you search for complicated flight itineraries ...

  12. 17 Best Flight Booking Sites for Cheap Airfares

    A metasearch flight booking website searches multiple airline ticket sellers. Examples of metasearch sites include Kayak, Google Flights, and Momondo. An online travel agent (OTA) is a true flight booking site because it actually sells you the ticket. Among the best known OTAs are Expedia, Hotwire, and CheapOair.

  13. The 8 Best Travel Package Sites for Booking a Cheap Vacation

    guteksk7 | Adobe Stock & Expedia. This well-known site is one of the best travel package sites for a reason. Expedia offers a full complement of bundle options (flight/hotel, flight/car, hotel/car ...

  14. Search Flights, Hotels & Rental Cars

    Simply use one of our travel search engines to scan for prices gathered from hundreds of travel sites. KAYAK's search results pages have loads of filter options to help you find deals, discover exactly what you're looking for and make booking seamless. Plus, there's no extra fee from KAYAK. What makes KAYAK a great travel app?

  15. Cheap Flights: Book & Compare Airline Tickets & Airfare

    Skyscanner is your ultimate destination for booking cheap flights from anywhere to everywhere. Compare and find the best airline tickets to your favourite destinations, whether you're looking for a direct flight, round-trip flight or one-way ticket. Explore flight deals to Tromso, France, Montreal, Dominica, Switzerland and more with Skyscanner.

  16. Expedia Travel: Vacation Homes, Hotels, Car Rentals, Flights & More

    Your one-stop travel site for your dream vacation. Bundle your stay with a car rental or flight and you can save more. Search our flexible options to match your needs.

  17. 12 Best Websites for Booking Cheap Flights [2024]

    Skyscanner. $438 (Delta) Travelocity. $401 (American/Delta) In this example, Google Flights, Hopper, and Priceline tied for the cheapest flight cost with Expedia, Hotwire, Orbitz, and Travelocity coming in just $3 more expensive. CheapOair was by far the most expensive option.

  18. 12 Best Travel Booking Apps & Websites

    1. LikeALocal. Why it's the best: If you're into hole-in-the-wall restaurants and hidden spots that only the most seasoned travelers frequent, LikeALocal is the best travel booking app for you. With guides, tips, and tricks, all the content is created by true locals who have lived in the destination for years.

  19. Booking.com

    Whether you're looking for hotels, homes, or vacation rentals, you'll always find the guaranteed best price. Browse our 2,563,380 accommodations in over 85,000 destinations.

  20. Cheap Flights

    Find the cheapest flights with momondo. We find and compare fares from more than 1,000 airlines and travel sites, giving you the best rates

  21. Compare Cheap Flights & Book Airline Tickets to Everywhere

    Compare cheap flight prices from all major airlines and travel agents, and find the cheapest tickets to all your favourite destinations. Book online today. Compare and book cheap flights from anywhere, to everywhere ... Best car hire in Puducherry Cheap car hire in Kerala Best car hire in Rajasthan Car rental in Jammu and Kashmir St. George car ...

  22. Cheap Flights, Airline Tickets & Airfare Deals

    Save money on airfare by searching for cheap flight tickets on KAYAK. KAYAK searches for flight deals on hundreds of airline tickets sites to help you find the cheapest flights. Whether you are looking for a last minute flight or a cheap plane ticket for a later date, you can find the best deals faster at KAYAK. New York Flights.

  23. 5 Best Websites For Booking The Cheapest Flights Of 2024

    Best Websites for Booking Cheap Flights of 2024. Kiwi: Best for Combining Separate Tickets (Star Rating: 5.00) Expedia: Best for OneKey Rewards Members (Star Rating: 4.99) Skiplagged: Best for ...

  24. Get the best deal without the hassle: The best sites to book flights

    Google Flights: The easy, feature-packed option. Kayak: The price comparison specialist. Capital One Travel: Great value for cardholders. Expedia: Bundle flights, hotels and earn rewards. Bottom ...

  25. The 20 Best Travel Apps 2024

    The app makes it simple to book reservations, manage itineraries and interface with travel hosts along the way. You can even book local experiences, from food tours and photo walks to wine ...

  26. 5 Of The Best Websites To Use When Booking A Flight

    Like Kayak — its parent company —. Momondo. is another travel search engine that is becoming a favorite among various online travel roundups. It has most of the same features and is likely ...

  27. 9 Stunning Travel Agency Website Examples in 2024

    The best way to get inspiration is by looking at successful websites. Here are 9 beautifully designed selections that check off all the boxes for creating a standout online presence: 1. ASARO. ASARO's website , themed "Adventure Reimagined," masterfully captures the essence of unique and luxurious travel experiences.

  28. 8 aspirational luxury hotels you can book with points

    Pool at Alila Ventana Big Sur in California. ALILA VENTANA BIG SUR/FACEBOOK. Cost in cash: From $1,606 per night. Cost in points: From 45,000 World of Hyatt points per night. You go to Ventana Big Sur to get away and relax. This rustic forest resort near Monterey, California, has 54 rooms and suites.