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Travel Resources
This comprehensive guide covers a wide range of resources for travel, from flight and hotel bookings to transportation and general trip planning. Websites are categorized to help you find the right tool for each stage of your journey.
Flight and accommodation booking
These resources focus on finding flights, hotels, vacation rentals, and package deals.
Google Flights: A powerful search tool to find cheap flights. You can track fare alerts, explore prices on a map, or search for the "cheapest month" to fly.
Skyscanner: A meta-search engine that compares prices across various airlines and online travel agencies (OTAs) for flights, hotels, and car rentals. Use the "Everywhere" search to find the cheapest destinations from your airport.
Kayak: A booking site and comparison tool for flights, hotels, and vacation packages.
The "Best Time to Travel" calculator can help you find the cheapest dates to fly.
Priceline: An OTA known for its "Name Your Own Price" bidding feature and rewards program. It has a good balance of rates and search results for hotels.
Booking.com: A global travel website with a wide selection of hotels, homes, apartments, and flights. Its loyalty program, Genius, offers discounts and other perks.
Expedia: A popular OTA that offers vacation packages combining flights and hotels, car rentals, and activities. It offers a rewards program called One Key.
Hopper: An app that predicts future flight and hotel prices, suggesting the best time to book to save up to 40%.
Scott's Cheap Flights: A subscription service that finds and emails exceptional flight deals, including "error fares," to members.
Airbnb: A marketplace for booking unique accommodations like homes, rooms, and experiences. It is ideal for travelers looking for local flavor and lower costs than traditional hotels.
Vrbo: A vacation rental website focused on booking entire homes, rather than shared spaces.
Hotels.com: An OTA owned by Expedia Group with a strong rewards program. It lists many accommodations, particularly in the Western Hemisphere.
Hotwire: An OTA specializing in last-minute deals on flights, hotels, and rental cars.
Trip planning and logistics
These tools help with destination research, itinerary building, and on-the-road navigation.
Tripadvisor: An extensive platform with millions of user reviews and opinions on hotels, restaurants, and attractions. It also offers a booking platform.
Google Maps: The best free tool for road trip planning and general navigation. It allows you to plot routes, explore destinations, and get live traffic updates.
Roadtrippers: An app and website tailored for road trip enthusiasts. It helps with navigation and identifies popular destinations along your route, like landmarks, parks, and attractions.
Rome2rio: A resource for planning transportation between destinations. It includes details for flights, trains, buses, and ferries.
SeatGuru: A website to check the seat maps and reviews for specific flights. This helps you find the best seats and avoid undesirable ones.
Wanderlog: A trip planner that organizes your flights, hotels, and activities into a shareable itinerary.
TripIt: An itinerary planning app that can scan your emails for booking confirmations and automatically build your travel schedule.
Safety and specialized travel
These resources focus on government advisories, budget travel, and alternative options.
U.S. Department of State: Offers official travel advisories for every country. U.S.
citizens can also enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security alerts and make it easier to be located in an emergency.
TrustedHousesitters: An option for free accommodation in exchange for house and pet sitting for the homeowners.
Workaway and Worldpackers: Platforms that connect travelers with hosts for volunteer opportunities in exchange for free accommodation and food.
Saving money on travel
Travel during the off-season: Prices for flights and hotels are typically lower during less-popular travel times.
Be flexible with dates: Use search tools like Skyscanner's "Cheapest month" feature to find the most affordable days to fly.
Consider nearby airports: Flying into or out of smaller, alternative airports can sometimes offer significant savings on airfare.
Clear your browser's cache or use incognito mode: Some booking sites track your search history and may raise prices on repeated searches.
Book on the right day: Historically, booking flights on Sundays and flying on Tuesdays or Wednesdays can be cheaper.
Cruise Line Resources
The following are resources for researching and planning a cruise vacation, including popular cruise lines, booking sites, and helpful advice.
Cruise lines
Cruise lines are often categorized by the type of experience they offer, from mainstream and family-friendly to luxury and expedition-based.
Mainstream/family-friendly
Carnival Cruise Line: A popular, budget-friendly option known for its party atmosphere and family-friendly activities.
Disney Cruise Line: Offers an immersive, family-focused experience with character interactions, themed activities, and high-quality entertainment.
Norwegian Cruise Line: Known for its "freestyle cruising," which means no set dining times or strict dress codes. The ships feature a wide array of attractions, including waterparks and go-karts.
Royal Caribbean International: Features some of the largest ships in the world, offering a huge variety of onboard activities like surfing simulators, rock-climbing walls, and elaborate entertainment.
Premium
Celebrity Cruises: A more upscale, modern experience than mainstream lines, with a focus on fine dining and sophisticated onboard amenities.
Princess Cruises: Offers a classic cruise experience with more relaxed, contemporary ships. They are particularly popular for their Alaska itineraries.
Holland America Line: Known for its enrichment programs, live music, and emphasis on elegant dining. It's often geared toward a more mature audience.
Viking Ocean Cruises: A premium, small-ship experience featuring Scandinavian-inspired design. Fares often include excursions, wine and beer at meals, and Wi-Fi.
Virgin Voyages: An adults-only cruise line with a focus on modern design, upscale dining, and a party-hard atmosphere.
Luxury
Regent Seven Seas Cruises: An all-inclusive experience that covers everything from airfare to excursions, meals, and drinks.
Seabourn Cruise Line: Offers an ultra-luxurious, small-ship experience with personalized service and decadent amenities.
Silversea Cruises: A luxury brand specializing in all-suite accommodations and sailings to over 900 destinations worldwide.
Booking websites
CruiseDirect.com: An online booking engine offering a quick and straightforward way to find cruise deals.
CruiseCritic.com: A valuable resource for cruise research, including reviews, itinerary information, and discussion forums.
Expedia Cruises: Part of the larger Expedia Group, this site offers access to deals on major cruise lines.
Costco Travel: A good option for Costco members, who can often find competitive prices and additional incentives.
Vacations To Go: A specialist site for cruises, particularly known for last-minute and discount deals.
Planning and packing resources
Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA): The main trade association for the cruise industry. Their website offers industry information and research data.
Condé Nast Traveler Reader's Choice Awards: An annual list of the best cruise lines as ranked by travelers.
Packing checklists: Many cruise lines, such as Carnival and Celebrity, and travel websites like The Points Guy, offer downloadable or printable packing lists to ensure you don't forget essentials.
First-timer's guides: Websites like Meet Me In Departures and Cruiseline.com provide advice for first-time cruisers, covering topics like choosing a destination, picking a cabin, and understanding pricing.
