Have you ever had it where you wanted to plan a great vacation but were left with too many websites and “great deals” arriving in your inbox or mailbox leaving you so overwhelmed and lost that you want to cancel everything? Ok, maybe it wasn’t that dramatic, but at least there was frustration in something that was supposed to be relaxing and necessary. Well, whether you’re abroad or the next state, help is available to find the best package for you, at least places to go to guide you through the process of planning the perfect getaway.
I now know that there are people out there who money is not an issue in such an endeavor, while there are some like me who want a great trip but don’t have a wallet that I can leave open all the time. So I’m going to tell you about some places that can help you along the way.
oCheaptickets is a website for domestic and international flights. You can get package deals on tickets, car rentals, and hotels. Mix and match if you want. There are also options for cruises and activities to the place you are looking for. For those who travel regularly, you can sign up with them and get additional offers and you can save your itinerary on the site itself.
oExpedia Also domestic and international, but this holds a bit more promise for those looking for a more detailed vacation. Just like with Cheaptickets.com, you can do activities, cruises, package deals, but unlike Cheaptickets.com, you can plan a trip based solely on a particular purpose. Take skiing, for example: expedia.com can find great ski destinations as well as the best price for your budget. They can help with accommodation and even point you to places in that area to rent ski equipment. Another thing I’ve noticed in my search for good ticket prices is that expedia.com on average has lower airfares and fewer transfers. It can also be viewed in languages other than English.
oTravel in yahoo I have used yahoo for international and also national tickets. Yahoo is very thorough when it comes to planning a trip. You will find activities, cruises, hotels and car rental. Great package deals and you can plan a trip entirely on one activity like mountain climbing, skiing, and whatever else suits your fancy. Their prices vary, but I have gotten great prices using yahoo. The only problem I had with using Yahoo Travel was that their main customers are Americans. I say this because I couldn’t use a bank card from Europe to pay for the tickets. I had to use a card issued from the United States. It can be quite inconvenient when your starting point is outside of the US.
oPriceline When searching through your site, I have observed that this site would be better suited to the US rather than foreign travelers. Your departure has to come from within the US, but you fly internationally. Again, there are package deals on hotels, car rentals, and tickets. The site is easy to use and the prices are great. While it does depart outside of the US, its best deals can be found on domestic flights.
These are the most popular places to plan a vacation on the web, but there’s so much more out there. My departure is from the Netherlands and that is why I can find great deals with local agents and websites for this particular country. Other countries have their own agents that are popular with the locals, so keep that in mind when you plan and travel. If you have travel agencies or websites that you recommend that I forgot to mention, of course leave a comment telling me. Another thing I want to add is about flights and in particular transfers. I have made both direct flights and flights with transfers. I personally hate transfers. Lots of things can go wrong and when all you want to do is go home, transferring somewhere else can be a hassle. An example of this was when I was flying from New York to the Netherlands. I had a transfer in Italy. The flight out of New York was delayed two hours and so the flight I was supposed to be on in Italy left without me! I had to wait a few hours at the airport for the next available flight to Amsterdam. I went with the transfer flight because it was cheaper, but I’ve learned from this experience that I’m going non-stop from now on.
Now notice that there are people who do not care about transfers. You can get great deals with transfer flights. Some enjoy the experience of going somewhere else while en route to their main destination. My experience has shaped my journey from here on out, but it might not for others. I’ll have more info on agents, airlines and anything else relevant to the holidays as I have them, if you have something others might enjoy please share your secrets!