10 Sites You Need to Check Before Booking your Trip

Trying to book a trip?

Or maybe you keep saying you need a vacation but never actually take the plunge to book one? Where on earth do you begin... discount sites? Airline sites? Review sites?

How to travel on the cheap!

There is a lot of information out there and it's tough to tell which fancy headlines are legit and which ones really WILL save you 50% or more. Here is my  list of the 10 sites i check before booking any trip.

1. TripAdvisor

This is a no-brainer. You can compare websites, hotels, read reviews and see maps all in one site (or app). This is the first place I go. You can explore the area you want to travel to and look at a map of all the hotels in and around where you want to be. Many sites have the map feature but you can't get TripAdvisor's directory of reviews in one click anywhere else. (Two clicks, maybe). 

2. Google Maps

Seriously, google maps. You can put in the address of the hotel you're interested in and check its proximity to the airport, to entertainment, or to bars (Drinking and driving is never cool, especially on vacation). You don't want to be surprised by a two hour bus drive to an excursion on your Mexico Trip or an hour drive into the center of the city from that budget hotel. Also note, for the most part, airports are not in city center so staying in a hotel near the airport to save money will leave you driving further to get to your attractions. 

3. Groupon.

Groupon Getaways has some great deals in most major cities, If you find a deal you like, make sure to check the reviews and pricing on TripAdvisor first to get the best deal.

4. Hopper (app for iphone and android)

If you are going to book a flight, Hopper will give you a calendar of the cheapest times to fly. It will also alert you with a notification when its the best time to book. This is a must download app for travelers.

5. Booking.com

I usually check this one once I already have a hotel in mind. This site is useful for its "book now, pay at the hotel" option. If the hotel I want to reserve is listed on booking.com for a similar price and I can reserve it with no money down and free cancellation, then its a no-brainer... just in case you need to change anything about your trip.

6. Southwest and Southwest Vacations.

If you are needing a flight within the continental US, check Southwest first. You wont find it on discount sites, so in order to know all of your flight options you need to check it separately. It's worth it though! I frequently fly to Boston for $59 on Southwest.

7. AirBnb

This is not much of a secret these days, but if you want to save on lodging you should check Airbnb before settling for an overpriced hotel. If you aren't down for sharing a house or a room, check the "Entire House" search option so you are guaranteed your own space. I used AirBnb to get a mountain home in Asheville, North Carolina for $75 a night. A decent hotel would have been $249. 

8. VRBO

Like Airbnb, VRBO offers deals on vacation rentals. If the city you are looking to travel to doesn't have enough Airbnb options, VRBO totally will. They also have a cool maps setting where you can pick the area you want to be near (I.e. downtown) and find the closest rentals. I super love the map setting on any site. location location location!

9. Yelp

You don't want to end up getting to your destination and find out the restaurants and nightlife are terrible, or there's nothing to do. Check yelp first, and look up reviews on the stuff you are looking to do. Children's activities, bars, nightlife, mini golf, sightseeing... whatever you are into, make sure there is enough of it there to do and that the reviewers recommend it. Be aware of trolls on Yelp though, people who complain about useless crap live for the internet.

10. Facebook,

No, seriously. You know how many times I've completed a trip only to find out I missed a seafood and craft beer fest or dollar taco night or a food truck festival, simply because I didn't know those events were happening there? A lot. Check the community Facebook page and the pages of the local restaurants before you book. What if the week after the one you want to book is the start of the fishing rodeo where bars boast all-day happy hour pricing that could save you serious dough? (that happened to me...) You may want to book your trip around the activities happening in the area. This is probably even more true for people with kids who are looking for family activities. 

All of these sites have easy to use Apps that I use for every trip. Try it, and don't miss out on an awesome vacay!