- Holiday packages are a great way to save time when booking travel because you can take care of your flight, hotel, and car rental in a single transaction.
- The global tourism industry is massive and sifting through all the information you need can be frustrating and confusing.
- The best travel websites allow you to find what you need by helping you eliminate all the destinations and packages outside your price range.
- You can still find great prices on holiday travel packages even if you’re booking the trip at the last minute.
Whether you’re looking to get away a few months from now or in a few days, travel sites help you find affordable holiday packages. With so many sites on the internet to browse, it’s easy to feel like booking your trip is a chore, however. Each travel site caters to people with different needs, so what works for some people may not be a fit for you.
This guide reviews some of the best booking sites on the internet so that you can plan your upcoming vacation. Here’s a look at some of the most popular and useful travel sites.
Stanisic Vladimir / ShutterstockTripAdvisor
TripAdvisor is one of the most well-known travel review sites, and you can book trips there as well. There’s a ton of information available to sift through when you’re looking for the perfect vacation, and while some want a simpler interface, others appreciate the in-depth information and reviews. When you’re researching the area you plan to visit, you can learn where to go sightseeing, find good food and enjoy the nightlife.
TripAdvisor allows you to bundle your flight, hotel reservation and rental car into a single package. This can save you a lot of time on comparison shopping for each need.1
Kayak
Kayak is a great platform if you’re looking for a range of travel destinations. Some of the vacation packages may be for places you’ve not heard of before but want to explore, such as the island of San Juan. You can also find deals on common European and tropical destinations.
Where Kayak excels is finding you excellent prices on flights and hotels. You may need to cover some of your own expenses, such as for food and entertainment each night. The money you’ve saved on your flight, hotel and rental car helps cover these expenses for you.2
Expedia
It’s hard not to have heard of Expedia by now because the company’s advertising is everywhere. What’s great about it is that you have a lot of options to browse. The destinations available range from ski resorts to island beaches.
It has an entire service dedicated to finding a holiday package that includes airfare, hotel stays and entertainment. This is super handy because you don’t need to compare hotel and car rental quotes on other websites.3
Travelocity
Travelocity is less focused on price and more on simplicity. The website is easy to use so that you can find exactly what you’re looking for. You can set a budget when you’re searching, and Travelocity then only shows you packages that stay within the amount you want to spend.
Multiple package options are available to choose from, so you can opt to simply book your hotel and entertainment through Travelocity or to go all-inclusive with deals on airfare and car rentals as well.4
Priceline
Priceline, one of the largest travel sites on the internet, has tons of options. If you’re looking for trips to places you’ve never even considered, this is a great site to explore. Priceline scans the internet for holiday packages and compares rates on a single platform.
You can book a hotel on its own or find travel packages that include your flight and rental car. You may also be able to get deals on resorts that include meals and entertainment.5
Funjet Vacations
The large travel sites offer an almost endless selection of travel packages for you to review. Funjet Vacations takes a different approach, showing you a limited selection of high-quality, all-inclusive deals. Some people prefer to see the best offerings, so they can save time and worry, and that’s why Funjet Vacations is becoming popular.
If you already know what you plan to do and need a package for airline tickets, a hotel, and a rental car, Funjet has you covered. The packages are easy to understand, so you know what you get and don’t get when you book your vacation.6
Skyscanner
Skyscanner is another travel site that’s direct and to the point. It’s not as widely used as some of the other options, but it relies on information from all the large travel websites to narrow your choices. One of the things that most people complain about when searching for vacations is information overload, but you don’t need to stress over it with Skyscanner.
Skyscanner can hook you up with travel agents too. Sometimes it’s easier to allow someone else to plan the itinerary for you within your budget and requirements.7
Orbitz
If you suddenly find you need to use your vacation time or lose it, you may be stressed when trying to book a last-minute trip. This is where Orbitz comes in, with deals specially meant for travelers who have short notice ahead of their trips. There’s a large variety on the Orbitz website, with destinations throughout the world.
If you pay close attention, you can find deals that include everything you need, from plane tickets to hotels and local transportation. If you’re looking to get away to a warm location, Orbitz offers great cruise packages and trips to beach resorts.8
Booking.com
Booking.com has branded itself as the new “lt” travel site that takes care of everything for you. All you need to do is book the trip. If you’re looking for resorts and getaways, this is a great site to browse because many of its listings are for trips to upscale vacation resorts that provide their own food, entertainment, and hotel bookings.
Whether you’re looking to fly to Japan, Spain, or the Caribbean, Booking.com has deals for you.9
Apple Vacations
When it comes to all-inclusive travel packages, you may not have heard of Apple Vacations. It’s a smaller site, but it has some pretty amazing deals. You have to keep your eyes open and check in regularly, but huge discounts regularly show up on packages to Hawaii, Fiji, the Caribbean, and Europe.
The website takes care of all your holiday considerations, such as car rentals, lodging and travel itineraries. Just find the package you like, and book it. Apple Vacations automatically sets up all your reservations.10
Hotels.com
You’re unlikely to associate Hotels.com with airline travel services, but the site works with major airlines and can book an entire travel package for you. Some of the most popular destinations people book on the site are Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and Key West. Most of your browsing on the site showcases the type of hotel or resort you’re staying at, so if your accommodations are a top priority, Hotels.com is a great place to look.
You can take virtual tours of rooms and see whether the resort you’ve chosen offers spa treatments, fine dining, and entertainment packages.11
Hotwire
If you’re looking to save money, Hotwire puts a definitive number on what you can save — up to $422. You can take advantage of these savings when you select packages that include your flight and hotel stay. All-inclusive holiday packages are available that include even more.
You don’t need to travel outside your country to have a good time, and Hotwire makes it really affordable to take a vacation to beaches in various parts of the world. It has some steals to destinations such as Florida for around $100 a night.12
Cheap Caribbean
If you’ve decided you want to take a cruise or flight to the Caribbean, this is your perfect site. That’s all that Cheap Caribbean offers. It’s popular among newlyweds and married couples looking for a second honeymoon. While you can’t find deals to areas outside this limited region, the deals on other travel sites to the Caribbean simply don’t compare.
Most travel packages include your flight, entertainment, and resort. You may even be able to find packages that include food and drinks.13
