Did you know that in 2012, 14.6 million jobs in the U.S. were supported by the travel industry? Most people, when traveling, would prefer to save money on transportation rather than pinching pennies during their vacation. The difference between comparison shopping and just picking the first offer you see can be hundreds of dollars. What are the best websites for getting deals and checking out alternatives? Here is our list of the top travel search websites.
1. Best Airline Discount Travel Site
There are many sites for booking airline tickets, but we’re going to recommend Orbitz. It’s easy to look for car rentals, hotels, flights, and vacation combos all at the same time. They have some of the lowest listed prices you can find, and it’s possible to do a three day flexible search. They have a fairly good record of customer service, which is important for this industry. On the other hand, many people find their fare alerts insufficient. Other useful sites include Kayak, AirfareWatchdog, and Skyalert, which keeps track of cheaper local options, especially when traveling abroad.
2. Best Travel Video Website
Did you know that in Germany and many other countries, once it gets colder out vendors will sell hot chestnuts to people in the cities? One way to get a feel for a location is to check out online travel videos. This can be helpful whether you’re trying to narrow down your list of places you could visit, or if you want to get useful tips from people who’ve already been there. Great websites include Travelistic, Trip Films, and Zoom and Go. Online travel videos can also be useful to look up if you want to know the condition of a particular hotel or hostel.
3. Best Travel Websites Hotels
Did you know that the Hotel de Sal in Bolivia is constructed entirely out of salt? It was built in 1993 and has since continued to be a popular tourist destination. If you’re looking for an affordable hotel, or perhaps just a really unique and salty one, there are several great websites you can choose from. BedandBreakfast can connect you to smaller local places and has even the smallest inns registered. If you’re traveling alone, HostelBooker is great for finding hostels with either large group rooms or small, single rooms. Kayak is usually a top pick for all around hotel selection.
What are your favorite travel sites?