Short on time? My top two picks for the best bargain travel sites to find cheap deals are Hotels.com and Going.
Our ultimate list of the best travel deal sites to make sure your money is well spent when planning your next trip.
It doesn’t matter if you’re traveling for one week or one year; everyone wants to have their money go as far as possible.
You can achieve this by finding cheap flights, reasonable prices on car rentals, and other great deals on the best vacation package websites.
Since 2020, travel deals have become harder to find due to labor shortages, the rising cost of fuel, and inflation.
However, you can still find a good handful every month– if you know the best websites to find the best fares. And that’s is where this article comes in.
Over the years, I’ve used numerous vacation websites and have narrowed down which are the best booking sites for saving the most amount of money and finding the best deals.
With my years of first-hand experience, I’ve compiled this comprehensive guide to the best deal sites so that you can take advantage of them too.
My style of travel ranges from budget to luxury, and so do these sites.
Note: this post contains affiliate links, which help run this site at no extra cost to you so we can keep providing free travel advice and tips.
Here’s a Quick Look at the Best Travel Deal Sites
- Best Tour and Travel Agency Deal Site – GetYourGuide
- Best Hotel Deal Site – Hotels.com
- Best Flight Deal Site – Going
- My Favorite Other Deal Site – Expedia
Best Travel Websites for Finding Flight Deals
Google Flights
Google Flights is one of the overall best travel websites for flights to use when looking for cheap airfare.
However, I use this website more as a jumping-off point rather than the only tool to book the cheapest flights possible.
One of my favorite aspects about Google Flights is that it separates top-rated routes from the more unusual ones.
Also, Google Flights now has a price guarantee if their own price decreases after purchase, which can be pretty amazing.
Just note that this will only apply to those flights that have the ‘price guarantee badge’ next to them.
Skyscanner
For years now, Skyscanner has topped the list of my go-to travel websites when looking for cheap flight deals.
It allows me to brainstorm an upcoming dream vacation easily by comparing graphs and calendars of prices.
If my travel schedule is flexible, I can even search for the cheapest month to fly to that destination.
One of Skyscanner’s better features is the option to search for flights without a destination.
The ‘explore everywhere’ option gives a list of countries in order, starting from the cheapest to fly to from your starting destination.
You can then click the box to get more details on the best fares for these flights.
Another nice feature is the ability to turn on notifications for when prices drop for a certain route. The interface is also very easy to use, which is always a plus.
If you want to keep it simple, you could honestly get away with just using Skyscanner and Google Maps to start planning a cheaper dream vacation today.
Hopper
Hopper is a unique travel website that gives you deals only available on the platform.
You are also able to collect carrot cash that you can redeem on their site for even better deals.
Personally, I’ve found Hopper to be better in the United States than outside of it. Even with this limitation, flights in the United States can be expensive, so a deal is a deal.
When you first join the website or app, you’ll immediately get money off your first flight, so that alone makes it worth using at least once.
Is Hopper all it’s cracked up to be? Check out our full Hopper review!
Skipplagged
Skipplagged is a unique resource that you can use on top of Google Flights and other travel sites.
If you do flight research for long enough, you’ll come across destinations that are cheaper to fly to if you have it as a layover instead of the final destination.
For example:
- If you want to fly to Panama City in Panama, the flight might cost you $200 one-way from Antigua.
- You can then look at a flight from Antigua to Medellin and see that the flight has a layover in Panama City and only costs $150.
- That’s $50 in savings if you get off at your layover.
Skipplagged cuts out the middleman in this scenario and helps you easily find these types of cheap flights. That $150 Medellin flight will appear in your search results for Panama City, marked as a ‘Skiplagged rate.’ It’s a sneaky way to score cheap nonstop flights.
Check out our Skiplagged review for more information on how this travel booking site works.
Going (Formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights)
Going (Scott’s Cheap Flights) is a newsletter and website that began in 2015 when a guy named Scott wanted to share flight deals with friends and family.
Today, Going (Scott’s Cheap Flights) is one of the top travel sites to find cheap flights around the world (don’t worry, you no longer need to know Scott personally to get on the email list).
Once you sign up, you can choose your home airport and any nearby airports and you’ll then start receiving monthly or bi-monthly deals directly to your email.
The Going (Scott’s Cheap Flights) newsletter list has a free version and a premium version.
The free version works great for those who don’t travel that often.
If you’re a regular traveler, however, I’d recommend getting the premium version since it’s not that expensive compared to how much you can save on flights.
Plus, you’ll not only receive their best flight deals but error fares as well (which are flights that an airline mistakenly lists as much cheaper than it’s worth.)
Secret Flying
Secret Flying is a company very similar to Going. On their site, they show you trending flight deals from all around the world.
These deals can have savings of up to 90%. There’s also a search bar in case you’re looking for something very specific.
Although I prefer Going over Secret Flying, it doesn’t hurt to have multiple options to check before you purchase a flight just in case you missed a great deal.
CheapOair
CheapOair has been around since 2005 and is one of the earliest travel websites to offer great deals on flights.
They’ve since expanded their game to include certain travel packages, rental car bookings, and other activities.
They also have a rewards program called ClubMiles where every 1,000 points equal $5 of rewards for their site.
Momondo
Momondo is another free tool that allows you to compare prices on flights and travel packages.
It used to be the main competitor to Skyscanner, but Skyscanner has since pulled ahead and is the app most travelers prefer these days.
With that said, Momondo can still be a good site to check to see if you can find a lower price for a flight.
It’s now also owned by Kayak, which makes sense when you see the different options that come up when you’re searching for travel deals.
Some of the best ways this site can help you save money are through its flexible dates tool & multi-city option.
The flexible dates tool is very easy to use for a quick glance at comparing prices and the multi-city option can help those long-term travelers plan their trips better.
Dollar Flight Club
Dollar Flight Club is the most comparable to Scott’s Cheap Flights (or Going).
It has three different levels of membership. The free plan, premium, and premium plus.
Similar to Going, they send the best flight deals straight to your inbox so you don’t have to do any of the work. These deals can also be up to 90% off.
With the premium plans, you can also get discounts on other discount travel sites for airfare and online travel agencies that they work with, like Babbel and Jubel.
Best Travel Booking Sites for Hotels Deals
Hotels.com
Hotels.com is, in my opinion, the best website for booking hotels. Oftentimes, you’ll be able to find the best hotel deals here.
What makes this site so unique is its rewards program.
For each night you stay at a hotel, you’ll get a stamp. After collecting 10 stamps, you’ll get one night free (or the average price of your 10 stays), which can rack up a lot of savings.
Airbnb
Airbnb has changed the accommodation game since its arrival.
The main perk of going through Airbnb compared to a hotel is that you get more of a feel of living in your destination. This is because people are renting out their homes to you.
It’s also very possible to find great deals with this website. The best way to get a deal with Airbnb is if you plan to stay for longer periods.
If you stay for a week or more, there are often weekly discounts that apply to your stay. If you plan to stay for one month or longer, the savings can be astronomical.
The owners will oftentimes give you a great deal if you message them directly, and it’s what makes slow travel so enjoyable.
Case in point–when our editor, Mimi, and her partner stayed at an Airbnb in Tahoe for a month, they were able to get it down to $3,000 total instead of the $7,000+ that was initially listed.
Owners will often appreciate a guaranteed long-term stay and will be open to lowering prices to secure that. And really, it never hurts to ask!
Hostelworld
Hostelworld is the king of finding the best hostels from around the world. This platform is amazing for those travelers out there who are on a budget, particularly solo travelers.
The reviews are very important on this website because you don’t want to get stuck in a party hostel when you’re trying to sleep, so just do your research and you’ll be fine.
There are all kinds of hostels, but the one thing hostels all have in common is that they’re usually a fraction of the price of a hotel.
And, if you don’t like the idea of sharing a dorm, some still offer cheap private rooms.
Hostels can also be a great way to meet other travelers, especially if you’re traveling solo but even if you’re traveling with a friend or two.
Be sure to look for the ones with a free breakfast!
Booking.com
Booking.com is one of the best travel websites for booking accommodations because of how many options it gives you.
You can find hotels and hostels on the website, although it focuses more on hotel stays.
Another huge perk of it being one of the biggest travel sites is the number of reviews.
Reviews are huge when it comes to choosing which accommodation you want. Since Booking is such a popular site, there are usually a lot of reviews to read through for each property.
Booking.com also just started offering its own reward program.
Everyone starts out at Genius Level 1 and can find 10% discounts on select accommodation deals.
Genius Level 2 unlocks after you stay at five places within two years, and it gives you 15% off!
The best deals come when you unlock Genius Level 3.
Once you’ve stayed at 15 places, you can start enjoying 20% off on properties and even start getting rewards for each stay. You can then use the rewards balance to book other properties.
Although I love Hotels.com, it’s hard to ignore how strong of a contender Booking.com is as one of the best hotel deal sites, especially with its loyalty program.
HotelTonight
HotelTonight is great for those travelers who like to save and also don’t enjoy booking accommodation far in advance.
This company specializes in last-minute deals. If you’re more of an off-the-cuff traveler who likes to decide where you’ll be staying for the night only once you arrive, this is the perfect website and app.
It allows you to still save some money on accommodation when booking things last-minute, which can be hard to come by in the hotel industry.
Kayak
Kayak is a large search engine for everything travel-related. This site is easy to use and has some great tools to compare prices to get the cheapest possible rental car or hotel.
One of the best features of Kayak is its ‘Pricebreaker’ option.
Once you turn on this option, you can get up to 50% off top hotels, but you won’t know which one until after the booking is complete.
It’s a bit of Russian Roulette, but if you’re flexible, you can get some great savings from it.
Hotwire
Hotwire is on this list of travel deals because of its exclusive deals for hotels that it gives to its customers.
The way this system works is that hotels often have unsold rooms so they sell them at a super-discounted price.
The only downside to this is that you don’t get to see the hotel name until after booking. However, you’re still able to see reviews, amenities, and the area where the hotel is.
Agoda.com
Agoda is another great tool to use when looking for hotel deals. You can use it all over the world, but it’s especially great for properties located in Asia.
Agoda also has a nice feature for recommending other hotel ideas if your travel dates are flexible. This is how to find the best deals.
Super (Formerly SnapTravel)
Super (what used to be SnapTravel) is more than a travel company these days. Not only can you save up to 50% on hotels, but they also have a shopping section.
Their shopping section is where you’ll find different deals on items you can purchase. These items include everything from apparel to furniture, health and beauty products, electronics, and beyond.
Super now also has its own credit card, which gives you up to 10% cash back when booking things on the website.
Best Websites for Tour and Travel Agency Deals
GetYourGuide
GetYourGuide is a great tour operator to use for finding guides with lots of reviews. It’s very popular in places like the United States and Europe.
With thousands of reviews on popular activities, great photos, and an easy-to-use interface, GetYourGuide is one of the best tour booking sites.
If you use the app or sign up with your email, you can enjoy up to 10% off on bookings.
Although I’ve found the quality of their tours to be hit or miss sometimes (which is why the reviews are important to look at!), they offer a lot of dirt-cheap tours.
I usually find their tours to be cheaper and to attract a younger clientele than their main competitor, Viator.
Also, for Viator tours, I’m usually always with other Americans, whereas for GetYourGuide it’s usually a mix of Americans, Europeans, and Australians.
GetYourGuide is one of the best vacation booking sites for solo travelers to book tours on, since it helps you get out and easily meet people while doing a fun activity.
Costco Travel
Costco Travel is owned by one of my favorite stores for discounts and deals, Cosco Wholesale.
Costco Travel finds some of the best travel deals around and only gives them to their members.
When purchasing through Costco Travel, you know that the quality will be as top-notch as their stores because everything is hand-picked by their skilled travel buyers.
Costco members also receive an annual 2% reward on all Costco Travel purchases.
Viator
Viator is an extremely popular tour company owned by Tripadvisor. This means you know you’re getting a good product with many reviews to back it up.
On their website, you can search for a place or activity to help find what you’re looking for, or you can scroll down to see their most popular tours.
When you download the app, you can also get exclusive promo codes and deals.
Viator has a wide range of cheap to more expensive tours and usually attracts an older, mostly American clientele.
The quality of most of their tours is top-notch, and their depth of tour options for most destinations is unbeatable.
My Other Favorite Travel Deal Websites
Expedia
Expedia is one of the largest travel companies in the world and one of the best vacation deal websites.
The Expedia group owns the companies of Orbitz, Hotels.com, Hotwire, Travelocity, Trivago, VRBO, and more.
Because of this, Expedia is an all-in-one travel agent that allows you to book discounted travel packages.
On the website, you’re able to purchase many things related to travel, like cruises, flights, hotels, resorts, tours, and even car rentals.
The search engine for rental car bookings is comparable to travel websites like Kayak.
These bundles can save you a lot of money as well as being part of their rewards program.
Tripadvisor
Tripadvisor is one of the best-known and overall best websites for travel.
There’s a reason store owners want that green logo on their front window. It means something.
With thousands of reviews on activities and restaurants, you can simply book whole vacation packages here or find a cruise line.
No travel deal or vacation package is a good deal if the experience is bad.
What makes Tripadvisor a great travel deal site is the millions of reviews on all things travel. You’ll know if an experience is likely to be worth the money when you’re using this site.
Travelocity
Travelocity is comparable to other sites like Expedia, but it won’t have as many cheap vacation packages as those other sites.
However, that doesn’t mean you can’t find good deals. It’s still one of the best vacation booking sites on the market these days.
In fact, you can sometimes find better deals to save money than sites like Expedia because Travelocity isn’t connected with other large travel agencies and their vacation package deals.
Plus, if you use their app, you can earn up to 15% off on certain vacation packages.
Daily Drop
Daily Drop is one of the fastest-growing newsletters in the travel space. This daily newsletter is all about travel tips and hacks to find the best travel deals around the world.
These deals range from hotels to flights to cruises and use various tactics, such as credit card points and hotel loyalty programs.
This isn’t the place to find easy and quick last-minute deals; rather, it’s more where you can learn how to become a top-notch travel hacker to always save on future travel.
Homestay
Homestay is a great way to meet locals and stay in their homes. This will still cost money, but a lot of times, it can be cheaper than staying in a hotel.
Depending on the host, they might even make meals for you as well.
Workaway
Workaway is one of the largest volunteer sites for travelers on the web.
On the site, you can apply for different jobs, such as working on a farm, greeting guests at hostels, or bartending. In return, the host will let you stay at their place for free.
They sometimes also include other amenities such as free tours and meals.
Trusted Housesitters
Trusted Housesitters is one of my favorite travel sites on the internet. If you’re a slow traveler or just want to take a week off, this is a great tool.
Most homeowners on this site want you to watch their pets while on vacation. In return, you can stay at their house for free!
You can filter it to have certain pets, no pets, and even a free car to use! Trusted Housesitters is the best website I’ve found to help you travel for as long as possible for cheap.
Discover Cars
Discover Cars is one of the best websites for car rentals on the web today.
This site looks at over 500+ rental car companies from around the world to help give you the best deal on rental cars.
Simply type in your pick-up location and dates and they will show you all of the best options for a car rental to keep you saving money.
If you’re looking for a rental car for your next trip, Discover Cars needs to be on your list.
Couchsurfing
Couchsurfing is a very cool concept in which people from all around the world lend out their bed or couch to a stranger for free.
This is a fantastic way to meet the locals and for those hosting, it’s a great way to meet foreigners.
Couchsurfing has changed a lot over the years. It used to be 100% free but now costs around $15/year.
This is still an extremely great deal considering how much money you can save on accommodation.
Rome2Rio
Rome2Rio is one of the best travel sites you can add to your arsenal. Choose any two locations, and it will show you all the different options for how to get from point A to B.
I used it a ton in South America for travel tips on how to find the cheapest ways to get around.
For instance, when looking for the best routes from Quito to Baños in Ecuador, I clicked the bus option and instantly found the cheapest company to book a ticket from.
Tip: It’s often cheaper to book with the company directly than going through a third party.
Travel Zoo
Travel Zoo is another large search engine that helps you find the best deals from across the world.
A useful feature of this site is its “Last-Minute Deals” section. Here you can find the best travel deals, cruises, hotels, flights, and more!
Priceline
Priceline is another one of the best sites to find travel deals this year.
It was founded in 1997 and still has the same goal now as it did back then: to help you save money when trip planning.
On the site, you’re able to search for hotels/flights and then bundle these together with other things like a rental car to save even more money.
Priceline also has a VIP membership program that can save you up to 50% on hotels, 20% on car rentals, and a 10% coupon for express deals after every purchase.
Another feature that many people might not be aware of is Priceline’s express deals. You can save up to 70% on hotels but you won’t know which one until after booking.
Orbitz
Orbitz hit the scene in 2001 to compete against the fast-growing companies of Expedia and Travelocity, and it’s one of the best travel package sites.
On the Orbitz site, you can search for any type of travel package you’re interested in as well as look at the day’s top deals. If you’re a member, then the prices get even better.
As a member, you can get instant hotel savings of up to 10% once you sign up.
They also have something called Orbucks, where you can get reimbursed up to $50 a day on travel expenses, making your vacation package even more affordable.
Cruisewatch
Cruisewatch is a website that you should definitely bookmark if you love going on cruises.
This is one of the best websites to use to find great deals on cruises.
You can sign up for Cruisewatch and then let them do all the work for you by sending you any price drops you might be interested in.
Plus, if you book a cruise by destination, you can save up to 71%.
Their search engine also allows you to find that perfect cruise, or it can find you many options to choose from if you don’t care about the dates or cruise line.
Keep an eye on prices, as their price prediction has an 80% accuracy rate.
Bonus Travel Deal Sites
- Travel Pirates: This is a team of travel deal hunters that give you insane prices for flights, hotels, tours, and all-inclusive vacation packages. It helps if you’re flexible with your travel dates.
- Holidu: If you’re looking for vacation rental homes, this is one of the best websites on the market with up to 55% in savings.
- Airfare Watchdog: This is a great website for getting notifications for cheap airfare and its feature “the weekender” helps those looking for a quick getaway.
- Dayuse Hotels: If you’re a digital nomad looking to use a hotel room just for the day to get some work done, this is a great site to find cheaper options. It’s also ideal for anyone who wants a place to crash for the day after a long haul flight.
- Hotels By Day: This is another hourly hotel website that can help save you money, up to 70% off.
- The Flight Deal: This is another tool to add to your list of travel websites. It’s essentially a blog that highlights hot deals on airfare, travel credit cards, and more. Check back every day for the latest in best travel deals right now.
FAQs About Travel Deal Sites
What is the best website to find vacation deals?
The overall best vacation websites to find travel package deals would be Kayak or Expedia.
There are other sites that sometimes have better fares for airline tickets and hotels or have a better rewards program, but Kayak and Expedia do everything all in one place.
These two best vacation deal sites are great for trip planning because you can do a price comparison before you book vacation packages.
Where is the best place to find last-minute deals?
The best place to find last-minute travel deals would have to be Hotwire.
This is because their hotel deals are almost always going to be the best price you can find.
Some people might not like waiting until the last minute, but it’s sometimes necessary to find the lowest prices.
What is the most used travel deal website?
The most used travel deal website is Booking.com.
It currently ranks 1st, right above TripAdvisor. This is due to the fact that Booking.com normally has the most accommodation options out of any website.
How do I book the best travel deals?
When planning a trip, many people like booking their flight (especially international flights) for a specific date. The same goes for hotels.
However, if you want the best travel deals, then you need to be flexible.
Being flexible on hotel dates and flights is huge. Prices will rise and fall depending on when and where you go.
Traveling in the low or even shoulder season is generally cheaper than going in the high season. And the experience can sometimes be even better with fewer crowds!
Another tip for getting the best travel deals is something called The Greek Island Trick.
This is where you purchase the cheapest possible ticket to the continent of the country you’re going to.
Once there, you can then find another cheap mode of transportation to your final location.
This works especially well in Europe or Asia, where you can find ultra-cheap regional flights, buses, and trains.
It doesn’t work quite so well in the US with how expensive our flights, trains, and overall transportation is here.
This mode of travel usually takes more time, but the cost savings will be worth it for some.
Is it cheaper to book vacations through a travel agent?
In this day in age, you usually don’t get cheaper vacations when booking through a travel agent.
It can be far more convenient to travel this way, but you’re paying extra money to have someone do the work for you.
Are travel deals worth it? Is it actually cheaper to book through these travel deal sites?
Travel deals are totally worth it if you’re looking to make your money last as long as possible and are capable of being a flexible traveler.
The top websites we’ve mentioned above can save you money, and lots of it.
The pros of good travel deal sites are simple. They can find you the best vacation packages for cheap and most likely will do the majority of the work for you.
The cons of travel deal sites stem from them being 3rd party retailers. You may lose out on perks like free cancellation and free breakfast.
This means if something goes wrong with your booking, there’s a possibility you’ll have trouble getting it sorted out or your money back.
This is the subject of many of the negative reviews for these types of sites, so it’s important to always read the fine print and have good travel insurance.
How far ahead should you book a flight? What’s the Goldilocks window?
The Goldilocks window varies depending on whether you’re booking for peak or off-peak season. For domestic flights in peak season, you should book between three and seven months in advance. Off-peak, that range goes down to between one and three months.
If you’re booking international flights in peak season, this timeframe should be increased to between four and ten months in advance. The best time for off-peak international travel booking is between two and eight months.
The Goldilocks window refers to the timeframe above. If you buy flights too far in advance or wait until the last minute, then you run the risk of missing out on a cheap flight.
Do flight prices go down on Tuesdays?
In the early days of the internet, airlines would release new flights on Tuesday nights.
They did this manually because the technology wasn’t as good as it is today. This is where the rumor started about Tuesdays being the best day to purchase plane tickets.
Now, these same flight routes are updated constantly every day based on algorithms.
My suggestion would be to frequently look at Google Flights in incognito mode, so you know you’re getting the best price.
Why are some websites cheaper for flights?
Some of the best sites are also partner sites with airlines. Other times these websites can buy up flights when they’re cheaper than they currently are to offer users a better deal.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Phillip Anderson
Phillip Anderson is a freelance travel writer, personal trainer, and adventure enthusiast. With years of travel experience under his belt, Phillip is an expert in finding the best deals through travel apps and websites. He knows how to find cheap domestic and international flights, like a flight to Peru for as low as $350.
When looking for cheap accommodations, Phillip combines his knowledge of websites like Airbnb, Booking.com & Hostelworld with more unique sites like TrustedHousesitters, for even more savings. Whether it’s flights, accommodations, or local experiences, he teaches travelers to make informed decisions, ensuring their adventures are both memorable and economical.
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