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Use These Great Sites For Booking Your Next Holiday
There are so many sites for booking out there, that sometimes it is hard to choose which one to use in order to get the best deal.
You have all kinds of options available for you to make the right choice. So where do you start?
I have put together the ones I used most frequently. They are also the sites where I have been able to get great travel deals for flights and hotels.
As a busy bee who loves to travel, I like being able to get online and find great deals without having to spend endless hours searching. Powerful search tools can make a big difference in helping you find what it is you are looking for.
In this post, I decided to exclude insurance as I live in Europe, whilst you might live in Australia, Canada or Djibouti and your local insurance might already offer cover for travel.
Adding extra travel insurance is great, but I will leave that to your discretion.
“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.” – Saint AugustineClick To TweetBooking Sites For Booking Flights
Kayak
I love Kayak. This is my go to site which I always visit first because I have always been able to find great flights here.
It not only allows you to check for one-way, or return flights, but you can also make a flight itinerary of multi-city flights, ALWAYS giving you the best options.
Set the time of day you wish to travel, airline preference, and whether or not your dates are flexible.
Alerts can also be turned on for when flights are about to be fully booked or for when prices drop!
Once your flight is booked you can track flight status, access to airport maps, baggage fees and of course check in times and information.
Skyscanner
Skyscanner has some really great rates.
There’s a function to search for the cheapest deals to “anywhere” – which shows you cheap deals from your current location to any destination. This is a fun feature! It is great for when you are planning a holiday, but not certain on where you want to go yet.
Also, Skyscanner will save your last search for you. This makes it easier when returning to search again.
On Skyscanner you can also book cheap hotel deals as well as other essentials you may need for your trip.
Expedia
Expedia is a one of the most used sites for booking flights and hotels. I particularly love it because it is so user-friendly.
It is best for booking flight and hotels together as a package. It will show you which flights are available, and then connect you to hotel deals associated to the flights so you end up saving money on both.
You can sort your flight times, and choose from different hotel star ratings.
There are also a variety of other options for last minute deals, car rentals, and event bookings.
You don’t have to be rich to travel well.Click To TweetBooking Sites For Booking Accommodation
Booking.com
Of all the sites for booking accommodation on the internet, Booking.com is my absolute number one site!
It is so easy to use and there is not a chance you won’t find a place to stay when using this site.
You’re guaranteed to find accommodation at every destination.
What I love most about this site is that when you book a hotel room, most of them offer free cancellation. Therefore, you can book three hotels/rooms, then wait until you are sure of the one you want.
Most cancellation options are 24-hours prior to arrival or the day of arrival.
No cancellation fees are charged. Just make sure you cancel on time. You do not want to pay for all rooms booked if you forget!
The reviews from others that have stayed at each of the accommodations listed is another plus point. It is very helpful for me to know what others from around the world have to say about their stay.
Ratings are helpful to avoid potentially nice looking hotels with bad rooms or customer service.
You can filter accommodation by location, facilities, wifi, breakfast included etc.
Payment is made upon arrival or checkout. It’s all so easy.
Airbnb
Airbnb is great because you can plan well according to your budget. You are shown the homes, apartments, villas in pictures. You can then read the description of the accommodation and area that the place of rent is located in.
I like this site for bookng because you can also contact the host directly to answer any questions you may have. We stayed in a lovely flat we booked on AIrbnb on our trip to Barcelona.
Reviews from others who have stayed at the accommodation help you gain insider tips on what the pros and cons are of staying at the establishment.
After staying at the accommodation, you can rate the home and host. Be careful on how you leave the place, you will be rated as well.
If you leave the home like crap, other hosts may deny you when you apply to stay at their place.
'It's better to see something once, than to hear about it a thousand times.' - Asian ProverbClick To Tweet
Other Sites For Booking You Should Consider
Couchsurfing – Are you brave enough to stay with a stranger on their couch? I am not.
Hotels.com – They offer welcome rewards and offer last minute deals.
Orbitz.com – Book tickets and hotels as well as read reviews.
When planning a trip or booking a hotel do you use any of these sites for booking?
Have you found them to be helpful? What are the great sites you use?
Please share them with me below and let me know why you like and use the site for booking.
You suggestions will help both new and frequent flyers.
49 comments
Thank you for reminding me that I have to book HOLIDAY tickets like NOWWWWW or else they might get extremely expensive!
These are some great tips – I usually book through Booking.com or Skyscanner but I’m always looking for new ways to save a few pennies as I always want to travel! I often use the “Fly Everywhere” function on Skyscanner to help choose my next trip!
I use booking.com from your list and Expedia sometimes. I also find hotelscombined very helpful. Thanks for sharing!
There are some very useful sites here for booking flights and accommodation. I have tried Expedia and Skyscanner but never Kayak, I’ll check it out to compare prices next time I’m booking a flight.
These are all amazing booking sites. My favorite one is the Skyscanner because it is the best flight comparison site. I would check out your other suggestions and maybe they are better.
Some great insights. I knew a few, but you have provided a couple I have never heard or used. I have to look into Kayak and Skyscanner.
Love the options. Have to try out AirBnB sometime. I have been a hostel guy till now.
I always use Skyscanner and Expedia and I think they are the best, nothing to say about their good services. I’ve heard about Kayak but never tried, you gave me the right motivation with your opinion 🙂
I always use Booking.com for my accommodation too! The free cancellation policy is incredible, and the reviews seem to be more accurate than some other sites. Great round-up!
Such a useful guide. I love skyscanner but I’m always jumping between different sites to check I’m getting the best deal. I’ll be sure to try these all out.
I love Skyscanner but am also starting to use Tripstreak more. They show the airline rewards which, as a rampant travel hacked, is very valuable.
Great tips. Though I am not much of a traveler but I do appreciate this information. It sure would come in handy sometime soon. Great job.
These are great recommendation. My favorite is Skyscanner, i always book with them.
Wonderful tips, thank you for sharing these! There are plenty of websites I haven’t heard before. Next time we’re traveling we’re definitely going to book a stay from airbnb, it’s been on our to do list for a while now haha 😀 And when we book our flight tickets we usually use momondo.
I used AirBnB for the first time in the Summer and I found it easy to use plus the accomodation we had was lovely, I have heard a few not so nice stories about places through AirBnB but I guess that can apply to any company you use as a third party. I’ve not heard of Sky Scanner before but will look into them.
Great tips, thank you. We use booking.com, airbnb and sky scanner regularly. One thing I would add is to look for flights on private or incognito window so the airlines dont bring prices up between searches by gathering information.
Great list will be checking these out.Ages ago I used to use Expedia but had forgotten about that site thanks for the reminder. Recently have been looking at Booking.com.
Always useful to have several site options.
Some great tips shared for booking the flights! I use Expedia, Cheapoair, Google Flights and Getgoing while booking any flight for my trips. I’ve also subscribed to their newsletters for the better deals and discounts!
This is a great and comprehensive list. I usually use Booking.com for accommodation and Skyscanner for flights. I will look into other options next time I plan a holiday.
I love Kayak Explore. You type in where you’re departing from and it shows you which city is cheapest to pick as your destination. If a nearby city is cheaper, you can fly there and book a separate flight to save money on your final leg. I also love skyscanner.
I travel a lot and I find Kayak to be helpful. All of the sites are good, but Kayak is the best one IMO.
I’ve been a fan of booking.com for about 10 years, but I’ve recently switched to Hotels.com on certain trips. I still check both before booking my hotel stay, but Hotels.com’s offer of one free night for each ten you pay for is pretty cool 😛
Hi Alina, I have been hearing some good things about them also but never actually used them. I like the idea of a free night for each ten you pay because even though it may not come together quickly, it will pay off in the end when you need it.
Booking.com and Skyscanner are 2 sites that I use almost everytime. Expedia sometime offers higher rates, but it has some great deals as well. Informative post.
These are great suggestions. I also like Kayak and Booking.com. I get good deals with Booking because I am a “Genius” (haha, like my mom always told me). But sometimes I get nervous booking through Kayak because I’m afraid some of their really cheap deals are too good to be true. Fortunately I have not had a bad experience yet!
Same here Stella! I love how when you log on it say “Genius deals” LOL. I get what you are saying about Kayak – it happened to me once and I was scared all the way to the airport as I was wondering how a ticket could be so cheap! Thank God it worked out and it was a true and fantastic deal. Fingers crossed for more great deals and good experiences.
Sheri, thank you for the list of booking services. I have never used Kayak before, but I will try it, if you say it is good. I always used Orbitz and I have always been very satisfied with their customer support.
I also use airbnb and booking com for my travels. Have you heard of Agoda? It is so good for Asia.
You know what Veronica? Someone else mentioned Agoda to me today and I had not heard about it before but will definitely have a look and add it to my list for the next time I am looking to go Asia.
I always use skyscanner for searching the flights. And booking.com for accommodation. The thing i love about booking.com is that once you become a “genius” member after a few bookings, you get these really good prices and late checkout/early checkin deals.
All good and sensible information. We too use most if not all of them. We use Skyscanner a lot as well as Expedia. Booking.com and Airbnb are also our favourite hunting ground for accommodation.
Great list! I also use Skyscanner a lot for flight tickets but for accommodation I usually go with agoda.com. They sometimes have better prices than booking.com on Asia. You could give it a try
Nice list – there is one that’s very popular for booking accommodation , at least in Asia – agoda.com very good online experience , have got hotel prices reduced because of agora loyalty points – I will try our skyscanner- thanks
My favorite for accommodations is definitely Airbnb. With all the law that is trying to be pass for Airbnb I’m a little worried it will affect the prices and availability of a lot of unique stays.
Everyone talks about Skyscanner as their go to website for flights. I’m trying to get use to it but still haven’t gotten there yet.
Thank you for this great list!
Hi Jojo, what is the law they are trying to pass on Airbnb – I have not yet heard about it. Thank you for your feedback.
Hi Sheri, below is one of the article I was reading. I guess it’s not a “law” exactly but lots of new rules throughout different major cities.
I booked a 4 night stay on Airbnb in Southern California earlier this year. It was accepted then I was contacted by the host a couple of days later asking me to cancel because a new law/rule was pass in her town that no longer allowed residents to rent out short-term.
http://www.cnet.com/news/cities-worldwide-join-forces-to-write-rulebook-for-uber-and-airbnb/
Oh wow, never knew about this, thanks for sharing it with me and others Jojo!
Thanks for sharing this info Sheri, so many websites not sure where to start!!!
Great advice! I always go straight to Skyscanner and Booking.com when I plan my trips! I’ve neevr tried Kayak before though, so for my next flights, I think I’ll definitely check them out too! 🙂
I consistently use Skyscanner for booking flights, and also love the feature where you can look for flights to “everywhere” or throughout an entire month. Great for flexible budget travel.
We have always been using airbnb to book apartments for more than 15 countries we have travelled to and we have never faced any problem. You have some great information on sites for flight booking which we would definitely wanna give a try.
Thanks for the tips I always use kayak and booking.com like u I’m not brave enough to stay on someone’s couch
Booking is my number 1 for accommodation as well! I love the fact I can simply book a room but don’t have to pay for it in advance! It gives me the flexibility I need when traveling! Great tips!
Hi. thanks for the booking related information. I want to be on Airbnb but that will take a couple of years as my daughter is preparing for her school leaving exams. Are you on Airbnb, Sheri?
Hi – I am only on Airbnb as a guest using people’s apartments. I have not offered my apartment as a place to stay and not sure I would or could. I know it sounds weird because I use the service, but I would be too nervous to give up my apartment if I was away for someone else to stay in. Maybe if I had a second apartment, then I would definitely consider it.
Right now, I’m staying on an Airbnb-listed property! I love this site especially when I feel like cooking or wanting the feel of home. Haha! I also love Agoda aside from booking.com. For flights, I only Skyscanner to compare the prices and go to the airlines’ sites and check if they have better deals before booking anything. I haven’t used Kayak! Will check it out, Sheri!
I frequently use Expedia for booking accommodations, locally and international. Recently I also tried using Airbnb especially for local travels, coz advertisers gives good deals. And for Couchsurfing, I haven’t tried their booking service, but I use it for events and meet-ups 🙂
Hi Blair, thanks for your feedback. I am wondering how couchsurfing is used for events. Can you please explain?
LOVE Skyscanner! I’m actually addicted to their inspire map and seeing what the fares are around the world. Airbnb is a great alternative to traditional stays also. Will have to check out many of the others 🙂
Thanks for the useful tips! I’ve never heard of Kayak, but I will surely try it now. I usually like Expedia, but I had some bad experiences with them recently. As for Couchsurfing, when I was younger I liked it because it’s a good way to meet local people, if you are interested in that. And it’s free! However, some of my experiences were good, and some were bad. Now I prefer my personal space too much for that.