I always use the Internet to plan my vacations. Kiplinger.com recently featured the article, “24 Best Travel Sites to Save You Money.” Anyone who loves to travel should know which websites offer the best travel deals. Knowing where to find the best travel deals online will save you a lot of time and money. My tip is to check various websites such as Expedia, Orbitz, Travelocity and airline websites several times a day. The rates change based on the time and day of the week.
Another huge tip is to make sure you clear your browser history and cookies after each rate quote. Keep in mind, once you visit a website, that site adds cookies to your computer that allows the site to recognize you when you visit the site in the future. I have experienced getting different rates when I use different computers, yet repeatedly getting the same rate when I use the same computer.
Expedia.com
This easy to navigate site has even teamed up with Groupon to offer even more great deals. You can search by “Last-Minute Deals,” “Book Early & Save” or “Hot Deals.” What I like about Expedia.com is that they offer email alerts to keep you abreast of all the latest travel deals, hotels, flights, car rentals and activities. Be sure to sign up for these alerts that will bring all of the latest travel deals to your inbox.
Travelocity.com
You can save a lot of money using Travelocity.com because it offers vacation and last minute packages. The first way to save money on your vacation is to book an online vacation package. It’s so much easier to find an inexpensive package deal than to find separate airfare and hotel deals. As a regular traveler, I appreciate the convenience of vacation packages that help me save by combining the cost of airfare and hotel lodgings. I love to use Travelocity.com when I am looking for a good vacation deal, but I don’t have a particular destination or travel date in mind. For example, the day I checked the site for a deal on my favorite vacation spot, Las Vegas, I searched for flight and hotel from New York and within seconds received a breakdown of offers: “cheapest flight,” “closest match” and “shortest flight.
Orbitz.com
Orbitz.com is affiliated with CheapTickets.com. The site allows you to perform a “Quick Search” by vacation deals, activities, flights, hotels, car and cruises. You can even download a free mobile app to search for travel deals on the go.
Once you have narrowed down the best vacation packages, I recommend going to the various city and hotel websites for more information about the locale. These websites tell you about the hotel’s amenities, neighboring shops, restaurants, and the attractions. By looking at an online map, you can see the other attractions in the area and plan your excursions.
