Step 1 – Choose Your Destination
There are hundreds of great websites to read all about the best destination to choose for your next trip. To save you some time, here is how we recommend figuring out what kind of trip you would like to go on and how to learn more about the destination. First you will want to head over to Frommers’ Trip Ideas section of their website.
Browse through the very large selection of articles about each idea for each category. Once you decide to on where you want to go, head over to Travel and Leisure’s Travel Guide section for some research on your destination of choice.
Step 2 – Research: Check Reviews
Now that you have all of your preliminary information, it’s time to get some endorsements from other travelers. The best place to do this is TripAdvisor and Yelp. Here you will be able to narrow down which activities you will want to do, where you want to eat and even where you want to stay.
Step 3 – Price Compare: Where to Save Big
Now that you know where you want to go, what you want to do, where you are going to eat and where you want to stay, it’s time to book. Aside from Kayak, here are some other sites that we use that have saved us a considerable amount of money with each booking that we have made:
Goseek
A travel meta search engine like Kayak that adds the human element to finding the absolute best deals. Their slogan: “We’re a group of online travel veterans who happened to be obsessed with getting the very best deal on every trip we (and you) take.” A quick browse of their website will show you that they just might be better than Kayak.
TravelPony
This Social Sharing OTA offers great deals in exchange for sharing with your friends. On each hotel details page you will find a list of their competitors and their price comparison. All you need to do in order to get the best rate is use the promo code TPSAVINGS at checkout. Here’s an example:
Sky Scanner
They claim to be the best travel search engine in the world and they are not far off with their claims. Their flexible search options allow you to browse prices across a whole month, or even a year. This allows you to get the best deals and find the cheapest times to save big on your trip. You always book direct with the airline or travel agent, so you get the lowest price, with no extra fees added. They also offer extensive search features to find the perfect hotel for your trip.