There are a variety of travel sites that either help people book flights, hotels, and ground transportation or allow them to share their travel experiences and connect with friends. Some travel sites provide a combination of the two functions. We looked at a number of travel sites and analyzed them based on the following criteria:

• Ease of navigation and use
• In-depth, honest users’ reviews and tips
• Information on local attractions and restaurants
• Descriptions of hotel amenities
• Comparable rates and good deals on vacation packages
• Allows users to submit their own photos, experiences, and reviews
• Provides secure, reliable travel booking and information
• Highlights the little-known locations as well as the best-known destinations

• One of the world’s largest travel sites • Attracts more than 65 million visitors a month • Features more than 93,000 destinations, 520,000 hotels, and 715,000 restaurants

A comprehensive travel site that helps you search for flights, hotels, restaurants, and attractions all over the world, Tripadvisor.com is a trusted tool for planning… read more

• Online travel site and blog platform that reviews over 9,000 destinations • Has over 1 million travel reviews and photos • Developed in 2005

IgoUgo.com is more than a travel booking site; it’s also a platform for members’ blogs, photos, stories, and tips, providing visitors with personalized… read more

• A fast-growing travel social networking site • Wayn stands for “Where are you now?” • Involved in 193 countries with over 17 million members

Today the young people who love to network with friends have the opportunity to share their travel experiences with others around… read more

• Features over 140,000 hotels in 60 countries • Includes a 24-hour call center • Includes an affiliate program • An affiliate of Expedia, Inc.

Whether you’re traveling with the family or going on a business trip, it’s nice to know you are booked at a hotel that meet… read more

• Its goal is to provide information for every attraction on the planet • Founded in 1995

Most travel sites provide information on hotels, restaurants, and attractions in far-flung reaches of the world, but neglect the… read more

• A popular online travel agency • Suited for planning business or leisure trips • Has over 20 sites across the world to offer localized deals

One of the leading online travel agencies, Expedia.com allows you to plan your trip—from the flights, hotel, rental cars… read more

• Developed to showcase the world’s most unusual and bizarre hotels • Provides an online community • Highlights experiential hotels that in and of themselves justify the trip

If you’re looking for a wholly unique experience the next time you travel, check out Unusualhotelsoftheworld.com… read more

• A website that helps you find work, schools, and housing abroad • Founded in 1998

If you’re a student or recent graduate feeling the stirrings of wanderlust, iAgora.com could provide you with a unique experience abroad… read more

• An auction travel site that specializes in hotels, flights, ground transportation, and cruises • Features over 80,000 hotels around the world • Includes affiliate programs

For the traveler looking for the best deals, Priceline.com is a useful tool that lets you place bids on hotels and flights… read more

• A popular discount travel site • Helps book unsold hotel rooms, rental cars, and flight seats at low prices • Started in 2000

If you have a dream destination you’d love to visit, Hotwire.com can keep track of travel costs and alert you when the … read more

Featured Online Travel Website Articles

Booking Trips on a Budget: Comparing Priceline and Hotwire

Everyone enjoys a vacation every now and then; the challenge is finding good deals on flights, hotels, and ground transportation. Many online travel site let you search for fair prices and make arrangements from the comfort of your home…. [more]

Connecting with International Friends through travel social networking sites

If you’re young, footloose, and fancy free, you can still stay connected with friends and family back home through online social networking sites designed specifically for travelers. More and more travel agent sides are implementing social networking… [more]

Tips for Booking Inexpensive Flights Online

Whether you’re flying for business or pleasure, there are techniques you can use to get the best deals on flights online… [more]

For the traveler looking for the best deals, Priceline.com is a useful tool that lets you place bids on hotels and flights. You can bid what you think the trip is worth and hope you luck out with a great deal. Priceline doesn’t charge you booking or cancellation fees, and it does its best to help you out with last-minute travel plans. It’s nice being able to book a rental car and tickets to see a show or attraction all in advance. Users leave generally positive feedback; they suggest being open to unusual flight times if you want to capitalize on the deals offered. The website is fairly easy to navigate but could be overwhelming to newcomers.

For the traveler looking for the best deals, Priceline.com is a useful tool that lets you place bids on hotels and flights. You can bid what you think the trip is worth and hope you luck out with a great deal. Priceline doesn’t charge you booking or cancellation fees, and it does its best to help you out with last-minute travel plans. It’s nice being able to book a rental car and tickets to see a show or attraction all in advance. Users leave generally positive feedback; they suggest being open to unusual flight times if you want to capitalize on the deals offered. The website is fairly easy to navigate but could be overwhelming to newcomers.

If you’re a student or recent graduate feeling the stirrings of wanderlust, iAgora.com could provide you with a unique experience abroad. Developed in 1998 by some travelers in Europe, the website helps users find schools, housing, and jobs all over Europe. Whether you want time to see the world and learn a new language or you’re ready to find your dream job in an exotic locale, you can read helpful reviews from other travelers. They describe the activities, nightlife, and general atmosphere of particular locations and provide invaluable tips.

One of the leading online travel agencies, Expedia.com allows you to plan your trip—from the flights, hotel, rental cars, and activities—all from your computer. Whether you’re traveling on business or packing up the family to go to DisneyWorld, Expedia strives to offer the lowest prices available. Booking flights to multiple destinations may or may not be a convenient process; sometimes it’s actually cheaper to book each flight individually instead of together. But Expedia is a trusted resource for making travel plans. It already includes hotel reviews from real-life travlers, and it plans to integrate social networking features such as friends’ suggestions, photos, and favorites.

Most travel sites provide information on hotels, restaurants, and attractions in far-flung reaches of the world, but neglect the U.S. PlanetWare.com includes great details and photos for attractions across America both well-known and obscure. Enter in your particular hobbies and interests—scuba diving, doll collecting, museums—and see what pops up. Or search by city and region and view the photo collections. If you’re looking for hotels, PlanetWare links to other travel agent sites so you can compare rates and book rooms. Whether you’re traveling overseas or rediscovering your homeland, PlanetWare can help you find your passions

Whether you’re traveling with the family or going on a business trip, it’s nice to know you are booked at a hotel that meets all your specific needs. With Hotels.com, you can search for hotels in any location by the amenities they provide: pool, pets, free breakfast, gym, etc. Book a room in advance through the website or call the 24-hour call center to speak to a live person. Also, the Welcome Rewards program gives you one free night for every 10 hotels you visit. We appreciated how easy it was to navigate the site and how you could search for hotels near a specific landmark or attraction.
http://www.hotels.com/

Today the young people who love to network with friends have the opportunity to share their travel experiences with others around the world. Wayn.com (“Where are you now?”) lets users set up a profile and share their photos, stories, travel experiences, and advice. You can connect with friends and family back home or meet new people in the cities you’re visiting. Search for members with similar interests, whether it’s dancing, rock climbing, or playing Scrabble. Wayn.com combines the conveniences and connectivity of social networking with the excitement of travel writing.
http://wayn.com

IgoUgo.com is more than a travel booking site; it’s also a platform for members’ blogs, photos, stories, and tips, providing visitors with personalized information. If you have a friend who travels a lot, you can follow his or her journeys on this site. Contributors—even you—can earn points that count for online gift certificates and frequent flier miles. If you love reading honest, engaging, and funny travel stories while planning your own trip, you’ll appreciate IgoUgo.com. And if you love to share your own stories, the website gives you a voice, lets you gain followers, and rewards you with points.
www.igougo.com

www.tripadvisor.com

A comprehensive travel site that helps you search for flights, hotels, restaurants, and attractions all over the world, Tripadvisor.com is a trusted tool for planning your next trip. You can even get recommendations for fun activities to try in your own hometown, ranked with user reviews and comments. Real-life travelers submit their advice and photographs, giving you practical feedback. It’s not unusual in this age to see websites connected with Facebook, but I was initially surprised to see my friends’ favorite travel destinations listed on the homepage. Overall, we were pleased with how easy it was to search for information and find unexpected surprises along the way—like the local weather, for example.

If you’re young, footloose, and fancy free, you can still stay connected with friends and family back home through online social networking sites designed specifically for travelers. More and more travel agent sides are implementing social networking tools that allow users to connect with one another to share photos, stories, tips, and reviews. One of the major benefits is obvious: We prefer to hear honest, personalized travel advice from real people, even friends, and not just companies trying to sell us stuff.

Wayn.com is one of the biggest social networking sites for travelers. Members create a profile and share where they’ve traveled and where they plan to go. They connect with others who share their interests, hobbies, and dream destinations. It implements many of the features common on other social networking sites like Facebook: chatting, forums, photos, and amassing friends. Users who become friends through the website can even agree to meet in the same city.

Other sites combine social networking with travel booking information. Tripadvisor.com, for instance, is one of the biggest travel sites in the world, allowing people to read reviews and blogs from real-life travelers and share photos. Tripadvisor also connects with with your Facebook account, letting you see where your friends have been, where they are now, and which locations they “liked.” IgoUgo.com has a similar system; it rewards contributors who submit photos, blogs, and reviews with Go points that they can redeem for online gift certifications or frequent flier miles. Members gain fans who follow their blogs.

As more travel sites recognize the benefits of letting travelers connect with one another, whether for professional or personal purposes, the more they’ll integrate social networking into their websites. And we’ll be happy to read honest, personal accounts from people who have been there—especially people we know.

Brittany Rowland researches new developments in Appliances, Kitchen and CE products features with a vigor to which few would aspire… but someone has to do it. See more about Brittany

Whether you’re flying for business or pleasure, there are techniques you can use to get the best deals on flights online.

Start looking early, but not too early.

It helps if you know your travel times at least 3 weeks in advance; you’re unlikely to find a good deal if you wait until the week of your flight. Budget travel sites may offer deals for last-minute trips, but you may be forced to leave at some crazy hour. For the best results, start looking early.

At the same time, don’t try to book a flight months in advance. Because airline prices fluctuate over time, it’s best to check back often to get an idea of the highs and lows in pricing. Some websites, such as Expedia and Orbitz, offer to keep an eye out for the best prices and deals for you.

Compare different deals.

Don’t rely on just one travel site; shop around as you would for any product you’re buying. You can either search different sites yourself or consult a search engine like Farechase, Qixo, or BestFares that compares what different travel sites offer.

Allow some flexibility.

If your trip allows it, see what turns up if you alter the arrival and departure dates. If you’re willing to take a flight at any time of the day, discount sites like Hotwire and Priceline offer interesting deals. Priceline even lets you name your price—but be aware that if the airline accepts your bid, your card is charged automatically and only then do you find out what airline and flight time you purchased.

Brittany Rowland researches new developments in Appliances, Kitchen and CE products features with a vigor to which few would aspire… but someone has to do it. See more about Brittany

Everyone enjoys a vacation every now and then; the challenge is finding good deals on flights, hotels, and ground transportation. Many online travel site let you search for fair prices and make arrangements from the comfort of your home.

Priceline.com and Hotwire.com are two sites in particular that offer savings and special deals on flights and accommodations. They can offer such low prices because they’re partnered with airlines, hotels, and car rental places, helping them fill empty rooms and seats that would otherwise go unsold.

With Priceline, you place bids on what you think a flight or hotel room is worth. Bidding can take a while—if you turn down an offer, you must wait 24 hours before placing your next bid—but you can find some great deals if you’re patient.

Hotwire doesn’t involve bidding; you select a hotel room based on the price and the description of the amenities offered, but you don’t find out the exact hotel name until after you’ve made your payment. Prices are a little higher than Priceline’s, but you have to remember that you’re booking rooms right away without worrying about bidding.

Whichever option you choose, it’s advised to call the hotel after booking a room to confirm your arrangements. You can specify how many beds you need and whether it’s smoking or non-smoking. Also, consult other travel sites like Tripadvisor.com to read some feedback from travelers so you know what you’re getting in advance.

Budget travel sites are a convenient option if you really need to travel on the cheap. They’re designed to help you throw together a last-minute trip with reasonable prices. You just have to remember to be flexible; often the flights they offer are at unusual times—early in the morning or late at night.

Brittany Rowland researches new developments in Appliances, Kitchen and CE products features with a vigor to which few would aspire… but someone has to do it. See more about Brittany