There is an endless number of travel sites out there, all claiming to have the lowest fares, cheapest rooms and best deals, but most of them neglect to mention their outlandish hidden fees and costs. I couldn’t count the number of times I’ve thought I found a great deal, like a 4 day Caribbean cruise for $179, just to have the total be teetering on $1000 by the time they add in taxes, security fees, and baggage costs. So I’ve compiled a list of all the sites I’ve found to be the most affordable, reliable and upfront about real totals.
1. Travelzoo.com
A one stop shop for all your domestic and international travel needs that features deals on everything from flights to shows. The site compiles deals of all kinds into a weekly top twenty list along with hundreds of other deals broken down by category. You can view deals by location or need i.e, hotels, flights, cruises, all-inclusive packages, tours, or shows.
2. Vacationstogo.com
A discount cruise site with unbeatable prices that boasts a wide-array of search options. You do have to register with the site, however its free, easy and you don’t have to worry about them selling your e-mail address. They feature a comprehensive database of cruises all over the world and with little to no effort you can find cruises up to 75 percent off.
3. Cheapcarribean.com
True to its slogan, “Luxury for Less”, CheapCarribean has some amazing deals and true to its name, the deals are Caribbean-specific. The site features flights, lodging and cruise search options but its most notable deals come in the form of their vacation packages. If you sign up for the websites newsletter, you’ll be privy to even larger discounts and more spectacular trips.
4. Kayak.com
The Google of travel sites. Kayak.com is a no frills discount travel site that lets you “compare hundreds of sites at once to find the deal that’s right for you.”
5. Tripadvisor.com
Tripadvisor is the travel hybrid of the new-age, combining the ease of finding deals online with opinions of real unbiased people who have experienced the deals. You can search for the cheapest lodging and find out if “quaint and cozy” really means a small country inn or a 6’x6′ room in Pedro’s shack.
6. HostelBookers.com
The simplest way to find and book hostels all across the world. The site includes pictures and reviews by other backpackers for each location, along with prices and a list of amenities.
5. Farecast.com
Also known as bing.com, Farecast does all the work of gathering information from a multitude of other sites so you can see if airfare costs are rising or dropping over the next week. You can also compare current hotel rates to previous prices and see if other sites are offering better deals.
8. CouchSurfing.com
A necessity for any dollar conscious traveler . CouchSurfing, a global network for the adventurous explorer, matches frugal travelers with gracious hosts, allowing you to save hundreds on hotel costs.
9. LastMinute.com
Want to get away next week? This weekend? Tomorrow? LastMinute is the place for you. They specialize in finding no-notice deals and offer a multitude of search options.
And finally…
10. Yapta.com
Yapta, aka Your Amazing Personal Travel Assistant lets you know when flight costs go down along with a ton of other amazing features. Yapta will even e-mail you price changes when you’ve already bought a ticket, which can sometimes mean getting reimbursed the difference in cost from the airline. You can also use Yapta to haggle with the airline for a mere $15 which can result in even larger savings. Another great feature (out of many) enables you to get e-mail alerts when a seat that is eligible for reward miles is available.
