There are dozens of websites that offer to help you plan your trip and save your money. Some are huge and famous (Expedia, Travelocity, Priceline) and others are worth checking out, too. Here are 21, in alphabetical order:
Bing.com/travel — Fare alerts and tools to help you decide when and where to go when you set the time frame and maximum price
BookingBuddy.com — Comparison shop by searching 140+ travel websites and sign up for a weekly travel deals newsletter
Carrentals.com — Search all the major car rental companies for their best rates and make your reservations
CFares.com — Promises to finds lower international airfares than any other website 95 percent of the time
Cheapseats.com — Offers vacation packages, hotels, car rental, cruises, flights, and event tickets
Cheaptickets.com — Vacation packages, hotels, car rentals, train tickets, cruises, flights, event tickets and last-minute deals
Dealbase.com — Finds hotel deals in United States, Caribbean and Mexico
Expedia.com — Books flights, vacation packages, hotels, car rental, cruises and activities
Franceonyourown.com — Features cultural updates, articles on France, plus information on accommodations and transportation, and has a new “France On Your Own” online newsletter
Frequentflier.com — With the motto “May your miles never expire,” this site offers frequent flyer program information and advice such as how to earn more miles and get more valuable rewards
Hotwire.com — Offers discounts on air fares, hotels and rental cars and lets you compare its prices with other websites
Kayak.com — Search engine for flight, hotel and car rental deals to find the best dates to travel at lowest fares
IndependentTraveler.com — Travel tips, deals, destinations, forums and a newsletter, plus bargains of the week, giveaways and polls
Priceline.com — Search to save money as you bid your own price for flight, hotel and rental car
Rentalcars.com — Its motto is “all the best names at great low prices”
SeatGuru.com — Good source for airplane seating, in-flight amenities, and airline information; helps you find the best seat before you buy, backed by 25,000 flier reviews
SmarterTravel.com — Shop travel deals, advice, compare prices and check out specialty travel
TheSavvyTraveler.com — Says “Don’t just see Europe…experience it!” and offers itineraries, tours, hotels, cruises, flights, cars, trains, ferries, prepaid passes to attractions, and updates from its blog TravelNotes
Travelocity.com — Books flights, hotels, cars/rail, cruises, vacation packages and activities, last-minute deals, and searches for lowest fares
TripAdvisor.com — Has more than 30 million traveler reviews and opinions, and provides recommendations for hotels, resorts, inns, vacations, travel packages and travel guides
Vayama.com — International air travel including 400 airlines as well as hotels
Yapta.com — Prowls to check prices on the specific flights and hotels you choose
And last but not least, check the direct websites of hotels and airlines to see if they’ll beat these other deals.