Jun 30, 2008, 12:26 GMT
Washington - With travel season kicking into high gear in many parts of the world, the challenge is finding travel deals. Especially these days, when energy prices have driven up the cost of everything from airline tickets to accommodations, bargains can be hard to find. But if you know where to look on the Internet, you still have a fighting chance. Here's a rundown of where to search.
---Buying tickets
Go to the big online booking sites, such as Expedia or Travelocity, and you won't find many bargains. That's because these sites often work with a limited number of partners and do not really provide much in the way of comparison shopping.
The same can't be said of Kayak.com (http://www.kayak.com), however. Available in six languages, Kayak pulls rates on airline tickets, hotels, cruises, and cars from hundreds of sources around the Internet and presents them to you in an easy-to-read list. When you click on an airfare, for instance, you go directly to the source of the fare, whether that's an airline itself, a travel agent, or another travel site. Kayak is to travel sites what Dogpile is to search engines - a meta-search tool that gives you quick access to resources that otherwise would take you hours to consult.
Kayak works very much like any major airfare site: You log on, type in a starting point and destination, specify a few options, and then begin your search. Once Kayak learns a bit about you through your searches, though, it becomes even more useful, keeping a handy history of recent searches you've made and suggesting popular, inexpensive flights from your location. You can even sign up for an e-mail alert containing the latest travel ideas and deals.
The one thing that travel search engines, including Kayak, don't do very well is find deals on smaller air carriers, which tend to fly shorter routes between smaller hubs in particular continents. Wegolo.com (http://ww1j.wegolo.com) targets that market in particular, and is a very good site to use if you're looking for cheap tickets within Europe. Zuji.com (http://www.zuji.com) has the same mission, and it's the one to use if you're looking for deals within Asia.
Haggling over price has long been seen as a way to save money, and Priceline (http://www.priceline.com) has taken the pain out of haggling - at least for the consumer. Long a site primarily thought of as a place to get good prices on hotel rooms, Priceline has branched out to allow visitors to make an offer on flights, hotels, and cars, as well.
You log on, tell Priceline where you're going and how much you're willing to pay for a particular ticket, hotel room, or car, and wait to see whether your offer is accepted. Priceline usually works best if you're trying to get a good price on cars or hotel rooms that are considered luxurious, as there tend to be more of those available at deep discounts than products for which profit margins aren't typically as wide.
---Deals for flexible travelers
Travelers with the most flexibility in their travel plans can often find the best travel deals, even using conventional methods. But the Internet gives those with wiggle room in their schedules even more of an edge.
Cheapflights.com (http://www.cheapflights.com) can act just like most other travel sites, finding you deals on particular dates from major partners. But the site is at its best when you say you're flexible with your travel dates, which is the default way of searching. The fares that Cheapflights can uncover this way can be truly remarkable - often half of what you would pay for a ticket otherwise. But you'll have to be prepared for stopovers - sometimes several - and travel within a certain range of dates.
No one has more time to travel but less money to do so than a student. But that doesn't mean students can't have every bit as much fun on the road as anyone else. TravelPunk.com (http://www.travelpunk.com) is geared toward those who consider backpacking, hostelling, and hiking acceptable means of accommodation and getting around. Not only will you find a gateway here to ultra- cheap airfare, updated every 10 minutes, as well as train tickets, but there's also a plethora of information on budget accommodation in over 168 countries.
TravelPunk can be a student's one-stop shop for travel planning. In addition to ready access to rates, messages boards, travel tips, and articles on safety in various locations round out the offerings.
---Budget-conscious ideas
You may have to think a bit unconventionally this year to make your travel budget last, and that's exactly what Budget Travel (http://www.budgettravel.com) helps you do.
The big tip from Budget Travel this year: Use the traditional tourist destinations - Paris, London, Madrid - as landing zones only, and then quickly head out to the less discovered places, where prices are often much lower.
And since gas prices have reached astronomical levels, Budget Travel suggests great holiday destinations in places where a car is most definitely optional - if available at all.
At every corner, the site is geared toward giving you great travel ideas on a budget, with sections labeled 'real deals,' 'trip ideas,' and 'tips and experts.'
High on Budget Travel's list of places where money tends to go farther this year are the United States, Eastern Europe, Portugal, and even undiscovered areas right in your own vicinity.
View blog reactions
If you liked this story please support M&C and Buzz the site on Yahoo.
There are currently no comments for this article. Be the first to comment! (no registration required)
Advertising
There are currently no comments for this article. Be the first to comment! (no registration required)