Use these tools to save money on travel. Note that these resources are displayed alphabetically within their subtopic.
Fly
AirHint – crunches data to let you know the liklihood you would be better off buying Southwest Airlines tickets now versus waiting it out. Also available for Ryanair, EasyJet, Vueling, jetBlue, Wizz Air, and Norwegian.
ClarkHoward.com Travel Deals – the financial guru shares where the best deals are right now and how to get them.
Cleverlayover – a flight search engine to find cheaper flights by comparing regular fares to discounted prices that combine two separately purchased round-trip tickets.
FlightAware – not a booking service, but a great tool to find out hours before your flight if your specific plane is already running on time or not, so you can be one step ahead of other travelers by rebooking your air travel or not departing for the airport until necessary. After entering your flight number, click on the “where is my flight now?” button.
Fly4Free – cheap flight alerts, saving hundreds of dollars per ticket. Join the email newsletter or follow on social media networks for immediate alerts.
Google Flights – best for searching domestic flights.
Hopper – smart device application to help you know when to fly and buy to score the lowest fares.
Kayak Explore – with fluctuations in local economies worldwide, if you book travel when it’s the least expensive to go to a given location versus just because you want to go there now, you’ll likely get a much better deal and eventually you’ll get around to everywhere on your wish list. So, next time you want to take a vacation, schedule the time off and then when the time gets close, see where the best deal is at that moment and go there.
Momondo – part of the Priceline family, known for cheap airfare and hotel deals. In Money Magazine’s September 2017 issue: “Frommer’s compared prices quoted by airfare search engines, aggregators, and booking websites for 25 popular routes, both for last-minute flights and those booked six weeks ahead. The results? Momondo is the best place to find the cheapest airfare. Skyscanner came in second. Frommer’s ran a similar test for hotel booking sites and found that Booking.com came out on top, especially for travelers looking for city-center spots under $200 a night.”
Scott’s Cheap International Flight Deals – cheap flight alerts, saving hundreds of dollars per ticket. Join the free email newsletter or follow on social media networks for immediate alerts. NextVacay.com and DollarFlightClub.com are similar email subscription services to be alerted to travel deals. In the case where you travel frequently, it may warrant the upgraded, paid subscription to each service.
SecretFlying – save up to 80% on flights around the world.
Skiplagged – so long as you’re ok carrying on baggage, this site will help you search for the lowest cost airfare from point A to point C by laying over at point B. Note, you may be able to check bags at the departure location all the way through, but most often you’ll have to pickup bags and go through security all over again, so it’s best you carry on.
Skyscanner – found to be the second cheapest site to book flights, behind Momondo, according to Frommer’s in the September 2017 Money Magazine issue.
TheFlightDeal – cheap flight alerts, saving hundreds of dollars per ticket. Join the email newsletter or follow on social media networks for immediate alerts.
Private Jet (more costly)
Jet Suite – private jet charter flights / rental service.
Surf Air – private air travel membership.
Sleep
Airbnb – rooms or homes for rent by owner.
Booking.com – comes out on top, according to Frommer’s in the September 2017 Money Magazine issue.
Hotel Tonight (Apple | Android app) – book rooms for use within the next week, that would otherwise go unoccupied, for a discount. Use promo code ALIPSIUS to save $25 off your first booking.
Book your first night on the Hotel Tonight app for $25 off with promo code: ALIPSIUS Share on XPriceline – click on the “Search Express Deals” button.
RoomerTravel – book your hotel room from people that can’t use theirs.
Third Home – home exchange club for luxury second homeowners.
Vacatia – rent a resort residence.
VRBO – part of the HomeAway Family, vacation rentals by owner.
Cruise
Cruise Critic – research cruise ships and destinations.
Cruise Critic Last-Minute Deals – for those with a flexible schedule.
Cruise Compete – put your group cruise out to bid.
Costco Travel – rebates much of the cruise sales commission to the member.
VacationsToGo – clearinghouse for last-minute or discount cruises.
Attractions
Mouse Savers – strategies for saving money on your trip to Disney / Orlando.
Theme Park Insider – a consumer’s guide to the world’s top theme parks.
Reviews
TripAdvisor – hotels, excursion, restaurant reviews.
Gear
PacSafe – anti-theft bags.
Insurance
InsureMyTrip – when you don’t want to loose sleep over your travel “investment,” get quotes, review the policies for inclusions, and book your favorite to get peace-of-mind.
For Additional Research
- Travel Booking and Planning Guide from financial guru, Clark Howard
- New websites aim to provide a hotel experience with Airbnb-style booking
- Atlanta Travel Deals – deals from originating from Atlanta; opt-into Clark Howard’s Travel Deals email newsletter too
- Costa Rica Travel Guide – no-obligation, custom itinerary with specific hotels and activities including a no-nonsense price quote
- Costco Travel – members get discounted vacation packages, cruises, rental cars
- Entertainment.com – members get discounted hotel and rental car bookings
- REI Adventures – experience something new
- Condé Nast Traveler: 4 Flight Discounts You Didn’t Know About
- Cheapism.com: 27 Ways to Do Disney on a Budget
- Cheapism.com: Best Sites for Cheap Travel and Vacation Planning
- Cheapism.com: 19 Expensive Mistakes to Avoid at Disney
- Clark.com: These 30+ hotel chains offer free breakfast
- Clark.com: This easy tool is what the pros use to find cheap flights
- Clark.com: Booking a cruise? Here are 3 tips on how to do it for less
- Clark.com: Pruvo tracks hotel price drops after you book — and you keep the savings!
I took this blog post’s Featured Image in 2013 at the Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany. Please do not use my photos without my permission.
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