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60 Best travel websites for researching & planning a trip

Researching and planning a holiday is like decorating a room. It’s all about the preparation. (Yes, you can have a great spontaneous holiday, but there’s a lot of luck involved in that…).

In the good old days, before the internet, we relied on travel agents, but in today’s digital world, a wealth of online websites and apps are on-hand to help.

But too many. The choice is overwhelming and the quality and trustworthiness variable.

So which ones are the best? Which ones should you use and for what purpose?

Planning a holiday – even before you book it – involves several steps. We’ve broken down this process and recommended the best tools to use at each stage, to make your research and planning process as simple, painless, fast –and enjoyable – as possible.

Where to go & what to do

1.1 ideas & inspiration.

Discover new places you never thought of going to, wonderful things to see & do on your travels. Add them to your travel bucket list.

Bucket List Travels

Concept: This specialist travel inspiration site works with an impressive list of leading travel writers around the world to recommend the world’s greatest travel experiences. It also offers destination guides, simple itineraries that link the top attractions together, and recommends the best places to stay while you’re there. You can search and filter through the recommendations e.g. to find recommendations by price, or that are suitable for kids. You can also save your ‘finds’ to your travel bucket list.

Pros: the search and filtering is unique amongst travel inspiration sites, and it allows you to sort through the thousands of expert recommendations to find what you want quickly – a huge time saver. The destination guides have curated, not comprehensive recommendations, so they’re effectively handing you a list of great recommendations for when you visit a new destination, i.e. the ‘bucket list’ experiences not-to-be-missed. The adding to favourites is also unique – great for ‘saving for later’ those brilliant experiences or places to stay you come across.

Cons: coverage is limited to only 100 or so destinations, which mainly centres on the UK and western Europe. Non-Europe content is limited (but being added in the near future).

When to use: Use it before any other site to decide on where to go or what to do next, and to get an outline list/itinerary of what you want to do there. Then supplement that with tours & activities from other inspiration sites listed here, especially the ones with the local authentic experiences.

Website : https://www.bucketlisttravels.com/

Concept: Instagram is a social media platform that allows users to share photos and videos with their followers. It’s popular among individuals, influencers, and businesses for promoting their personal brands or products.

Pros: Insta is a great source of travel inspiration, as it allows you to discover new destinations, attractions, and experiences through visually appealing and engaging content. You can follow travel influencers and bloggers for tips and recommendations, discover lesser-known destinations and experiences, find out about local events and festivals, and see how others experience a particular destination, which can provide ideas for your own itinerary.

When to use it: Day-to-day inspiration and idea generation for your next trip. Bookmark your favourites, or save your ideas to your travel bucket list for the next time you do want to go somewhere special.

Website : https://www.instagram.com/

Concept: Pinterest is a social media platform that allows users to discover, collect and share images and videos on virtual pinboards. Users can create boards on any topic and save Pins from other users or external websites, as well as search for inspiration and ideas. The platform has over 400 million active users worldwide.

Pros: Like Instagram, it’s a great visual travel inspiration tool, for discovering what to do in the world and specific destinations.

When to use it: For visual searches of potential destinations, and saving ideas (pins) for future trips.

Website : https://www.pinterest.com

Travel & Leisure

This high-end, luxury travel magazine covers a range of topics including hotels and resorts, airlines, cruises, food and drink, and various travel destinations around the world. Being a magazine, it focuses on the new and topical, so it’s a showcase of the latest and greatest in travel if novelty is your thing.

Pros: It’s top-quality content and genuine expertise from leading journalists and travel writers, with selective, curated recommendations. They have tonnes of round-ups of the ‘world’s best’ too.

Cons: Recommendations can be a bit too curated, missing lots of smaller experiences, and are often outside of the budget of most travellers. It’s primarily a magazine with an online afterthought, so recommendations tend to get buried in long pages of text. The site search turns up articles/posts that you then have to read further, rather than specific recommendations, and you can’t filter anything which is the big time saver.

When to use it: Sign up for their social feeds and newsletters, which often feature great round-ups like: “Best place to…”. Great for day-to-day inspiration and idea generation for your next trip. Bookmark your favourites, or save your ideas to your travel bucket list for the next time you do want to go somewhere special.

Honourable mentions: other great magazines for this include Conde Nast Traveller (featured later) and Wanderlust .

Website : https://www.travelandleisure.com/

Travel blogs

Concept: Travel blogs (too many to mention, but pretty much all the same in format) feature personal experiences, advice, and recommendations, usually written by an individual traveller or group of travellers who share their travel stories, photos, and tips with their audience.

Pros: You can’t beat personal experience when it comes to travel recommendations, and often these experienced author-travellers offer good insights and tips. They’re also usually an interesting, engaging read.

Cons: for planning a trip, blogs are hit and miss. They are written from the perspective of the blogger i.e. where they have just been or what they have just done, so it’s pot luck if that coincides with where you want to go or do next. They are also flat, text articles – you can’t search or filter their recommendations.

When to use it: Follow the ones you like if you enjoy reading such things. Once you have your list itinerary roughly planned out, they’re worth a quick scan for additional tips and insights (if you can find something relevant).

1.2 Top attractions, activities, tours & events

If you’re ready to start planning your trip, and nothing on your travel bucket list fits the bill, take a look at one of these sites to decide:

Concept: See listing above.

When to use: Head to their search results that shows all 100+ destination they cover, then use the filters to select a destination based on cost (cheap v expensive), or theme  (e.g. Science & Nature, Art, History & Culture) etc. You can also handily filter the list according to the best month of the year to visit.

FlightsFrom

Concept: this handy website lists all of the destinations you can fly to from every airport, on what days and with what airline.

When to use it: great for identifying where you can fly to from your local airport, and planning multi-destination trips.

Website : https://www.flightsfrom.com/

Google Flights

Google’s flight aggregator and comparison service consolidates flight schedules from all of the world’s commercial airlines in one place. By entering your dates and departure/arrival airports, you can quickly see who flies there, on what dates and at what times, and the price of the fare. Prices and availability are updated in real-time, and you can sign up for price alerts.

How to use it: The ‘Explore’ function allows you to specify a departure airport and see the cheapest flights to any destination you can fly to from that airport, for certain dates and trip durations – so great if you don’t have a fixed destination in mind. You can also handily add more than one departure airport if you have more than one departure option. (NB FlightsFrom shows you all available flights; Google Flights shows you available flights and their prices). NB Skyscanner has a similar ‘Explore everywhere’ feature, however, it is only available on the app and you can only enter one departure destination).

Website : https://www.google.com/travel/flights

This travel inspiration website provides a wealth of travel content, including destination guides, hotel and restaurant recommendations.

Pros: there’s loads of decent quality content, and their network of experts worldwide have good credentials and specialise in the destinations they write about.

Cons: The recommendations feature in text-heavy pages, making it hard to use for planning. You can’t filter, or save your favourites, and if you site search, you then have to wade through lots and lots of article posts. The content can also be quite random – as if it’s what someone felt like writing at the time, rather than being structured.

When to use it: Once you have your main list drawn up from the other sites listed here, it’s worth a quick scan for additional tips and insights.

Website : https://www.tripsavvy.com/

This global deals site specialises in providing exclusive offers and one-of-a-kind experiences to its 30 million members worldwide (membership is free). They partner with over 5,000 travel suppliers to source cut-price inventory.

When to use it: Sign up for their newsletter, then sit back and let the deals roll in. If you’re price-conscious, or just love a deal, then use their offers to decide on where to go and what to do next. Works best if you’re flexible on dates – most deals will be for when demand is lower i.e. in winter and/or outside of school holidays.

Website : https://www.travelzoo.com

1.3 What to do when you get there: attractions

Now you’ve decided on a destination, what should you do there? What are the top attractions, the must-see-and-dos, and the ‘bucket list experiences not to be missed?

How to use it: Navigate to the destination guide webpage. Our expert writes not only curates the top travel experiences – attractions, activities, tours & events – for you, but also further splits them as either ‘bucket list’ i.e. the not-to-be-missed, or ‘other’ experiences – nice to know about, but only for if you have time/interest.

Also, be sure to scroll through the destination page photo gallery for a pictorial summary.

Google Travel

Concept: Google’s travel planning platform offers a range of tools to help users plan their trips. It includes Google Flights (see later), a hotel aggregator and holiday rentals

For deciding what to do when you go somewhere, type your destination into the search, then click on the ‘Things to do’ side icon for full listings. It tries to list in order of priority/popularity, which mostly works, though it is an auto-generated list. The written descriptions come from Wikipedia, so it lacks that human expertise and it all feels a bit soulless (to me anyway). The interface however is easy to use, and you can add favourites to a trip list.

How to use it: After you’ve been to Bucket List Travels for the curated, expert list, if you feel you need more in your itinerary, and/or you’re worried we may have missed something, then use Google Travel to check the full comprehensive listings and see if there is anything else you want to do.

Website : https://www.google.com/travel/

Lonely Planet

Concept: The original ‘guidebook’ company, they have destination guides for pretty much every place on the planet. Their expert writers, who must specialise in the destination, provide comprehensive listings and recommendations for sightseeing, accommodation and food & drink, plus very detailed logistical and practical information.

How to use it: They’re comprehensive, not curated. They include a lot of minor attractions that the majority of travellers would not want to bother with, and there’s not a lot of imagery, just text. I use them as a cross-check once I have outlined what you want to do. It’s too detailed/comprehensive for researching and planning – unless you’ve got days to spare. Handy to take the book with you, though, for the in-depth local tips when you’re there.

Honourable mentions: all of the guidebooks are broadly similar. Also try Rough Guides , Fodor’s , Frommers’ , Rick Steves (Europe only) and DK Eyewitness .

Website : https://www.lonelyplanet.com/

Tourism Associations

Concept: A local government body, tasked with promoting tourism to the destination, that will provide comprehensive information, advice and recommendations for visitors to both attract and facilitate their visit. Being the local specialist, they should know better than anyone what to see & do, and they often include many smaller, high quality attractions and tours that others will miss. However, the quality of websites is highly variable (best in the most developed, richer nations as you’d expect), and they have to be impartial so there is no curation and little opinion.

How to use it: A great resource when it’s done well. If you’re going to a developed nation, I would say they are a must-visit. Use them to start drafting up your list.

Concept: A video-sharing website where users can upload, share, and view videos on a variety of topics. It attracts billions of monthly active users. There’s a digital tonne of travel content on there, covering every aspect – from destination recommendations to videos on how to book flights.

When to use it: if you’re a visual person, YouTube is a great resource for travel inspiration. It’s jammed packed these days with ‘What to see in X’, with video and image slideshows showing you the top sights. It tends to be top sights only, but a good place to start drawing up your shortlist. It’s also great for travel advice and tips.

Website : https://youtube.com

1.4 What to do when you get there: local experiences

‘Authentic’ experiences enable you to experience the real destination, to experience its culture, to meet its people, and to live like a local. Indeed, many travellers prefer them to crowd-thronged, tourist-spoiled ‘big ticket’ attractions. Here are some resources I use to discover them in my chosen destination:

Air BnB experiences

Concept: This service allows individuals and small businesses to offer unique activities and tours to travellers in over 1,000 cities around the world. Experiences can range from food tours to pottery classes to wildlife safaris, and are designed and led by locals who have expertise in their field.

Pros: Coverage is extensive, and the experiences can be a more immersive and authentic way for travellers to connect with the local culture and community.

Cons: Some of the experiences listed I feel are more for locals than tourists, and it’s tours/classes, so not really attractions you visit like museums.

When to use it: If you’re a first-time visitor wanting to tick off the main attractions, use a site like Bucket List Travels first to find those out and make a preliminary list, then complement what they give you with these experiences to add some local flavour and insight to your itinerary.

Website : https://www.airbnb.com/experiences

Atlas Obscura

An online travel guide that features unique, offbeat and even bizarre travel experiences – be it unknown/obscure destinations or little-known experiences within well-known destinations. It also offers tours and experiences to some of the destinations featured on the website.

Pros: Once again, this is a site for those seeking off-the-beaten-track, authentic and unusual experiences.

Cons: It’s very niche, aimed at the truly intrepid traveller. If you’re a mainstream tourist, wanting to tick off the main sites, this is not the site for you.

When to use it: If you want to avoid the big tourist sites and experience something unique and different in a destination. If you’re a first-time visitor wanting to tick off the main attractions, use a site like Bucket List Travels first to find those out and make a preliminary list, then complement what they give you with the Atlas Obscura experiences to add some local flavour and insight to your itinerary.

Website : https://www.atlasobscura.com/

Spotted by Locals

Concept: A travel website/blog that provides insider city tips from locals. Each city ‘guide’ is curated by a team of handpicked city residents, featuring their favourite local spots for food, drinks, culture, and entertainment.

Pros: it’s a great source for finding those authentic local experiences, away from the tourist hoards.

Cons: Recommendations/articles are quite random in subject – and you have to scroll through pages and pages of blog posts. You can’t search or filter by interest for example. Coverage is also limited to only 80 cities.

When to use it: They also don’t cover the big-ticket attractions first-time visitors will want to see, so use this for filling gaps in your itinerary or for second visits once the big ones have been ticked off.

Website : https://www.spottedbylocals.com/

1.5 What to do when you get there: tickets & tours

Get Your Guide

Offers a very similar proposition to Viator (see below). GyG though is Europe-based, so it has much stronger tour options in Europe than the US-based Viator, which conversely has a better US inventory.

Website : https://www.getyourguide.com/

Concept: An online tour ‘aggregator’ combines and lists multi-day organised tours, both small and large group, from all the leading tour operator brands like Intrepid , G Adventures and Exodus. They are to guided tours what Booking.com is to hotels. Search is by destination, so you need to know where you want to go first.

Pros: Listings are comprehensive and up to date, giving you a window on all of the options available that you can search and filter to your specific need.

Cons: Always beware the pricing on aggregators. Operators have learned to use low pricing to get you to click through to them, then load that up with expensive extras and upgrades once you are on their site (or they lie about the price in the first place).

When to use: If you want to go on a guided tour, this is a great place to start. It will tell you who the best tour operators are, what are your tour options, and the prices.

Website : https://www.tourradar.com/

Concept: A ‘tour aggregator’ offers a wide range of tours and experiences in destinations worldwide, through local third-party tour operators. (Think of them as the Booking.com or Expedia of tours). Tours can be anything from 1-hour walking tours to 10-day organised tours. A US-based company (owned by TripAdvisor), it’s much more comprehensive in the US than in Europe.

Pros: They partner with the best local tour operators, so the tour quality is good, and you have someone to complain to if things go awry. The site search allows you to sort through the extensive catalogue quickly.

When to use it: Work out where you want to go, and get a feel for the top attractions, somewhere else, then come to Viator to book tickets and tours.

Website : https://www.viator.com/

1.6 Draft an outline itinerary

Now you know what you want to see & do in your destination, work out a rough day-by-day itinerary to ensure you get to do everything you want to do, with minimal travelling around.

Concept: see listing above.

How to use it: For most destination guides (where it makes sense to do so), our writers have set out simple itineraries of what to do and where to go on each day of a trip. For cities, they are usually 3- and 5-day itineraries (the 5-day version has the same first 3 days, then two additional days on top). They link all of the top attractions together in the most logistically convenient way, minimising travel, and including recommendations for lunch and dinner while you’re there.

Rick Steves Europe

Rick Steves is a travel guidebook author and television personality who specialises in European travel. His guidebooks offer practical advice and recommendations for budget travel, including tips on accommodations, dining, and sightseeing. His approach emphasises cultural immersion and connecting with locals, and his guides often include suggested walking tours and off-the-beaten-path destinations.

Pros: Rick’s guidebooks offer much more in-depth expertise than the others for Europe, with high-quality, well-researched recommendations based on experts with years of experience. The website has great travel forums for asking fellow travellers questions.

How to use it: It’s not a site for researching where to go and what to do. It’s better once you know where you want to go, and really want to drill into the fine detail. However, like Bucket List Travels , the site does have helpful itineraries that set out where to go and what to do day-to-day.

Website : https://www.ricksteves.com/

1.7 Specialist travel

Cruise Critic

The world’s leading online cruise review website and community provides comprehensive reviews, ratings and forums to help you assess cruise vacations. It’s the TripAdvisor of cruises (and not surprisingly, it’s owned by them), so just like with TripAdvisor, don’t believe everything you read.

When to use: We would personally recommend finding recommendations elsewhere e.g. from cruise travel journalists writing for newspapers, magazines or even Bucket List Travels. Then come to this site to check out the reviews of your shortlist.

Website : https://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/

Euan’s Guide

Set up by wheelchair user Euan MacDonald MBE, this disabled access review website is the go-to tool for many disabled people wanting to travel in the UK and beyond. It shares accessibility information for venues and the experiences/reviews of other disabled users.

Pros: Helps to solve some of the challenges disabled people face, and gives them the confidence to travel.

Cons: the coverage is mainly UK and Europe, but thankfully is widening to the rest of the world at a pace.

Website : https://www.euansguide.com

We Love 2 Ski

This excellent online resource provides skiers and snowboarders with up-to-date and comprehensive information on ski resorts, conditions, accommodation, equipment, and more. The website features detailed reviews, insider tips, and expert advice on everything related to skiing, as well as an active forum for the ski community to share their experiences and knowledge.

It’s managed by 3 ski experts, with a wealth of expertise between them and who really know their stuff and take pride in keeping the information up-to-date. It’s one of those more genuine sites that care about their advice and is not trying to constantly do the hard sell.

When to use: if you want to go skiing, start here. If you’ve already found somewhere to go or stay, be sure to check what they say about it here before you go.

Website : https://welove2ski.com/

Getting there & around

2.1 flights.

Concept: a flight deal finder service that sends you price and deal alerts on flights. You enter your preferred departure airport and they send you notifications of great deals, and price movements. Tickets are discounted 40-90%, for flights 2-6 months out in Economy, Business and First classes.

How to use it: If you’ve got flexible travel dates, or have a bucket list destination in mind. Sign up and wait for a deal.

Website : https://www.going.com/

Google’s Flights is a flight aggregator that allows you to find and compare flights. It enables you to find the airlines that fly between your destinations, and available flight times.

Prices and availability are updated in real-time, and you can sign up for price alerts. The pricing can sometimes be inaccurate, however, and when you click through, it’s usually for a basic fare without any luggage.

When to use it: Start your flight search here. You may have to add in the extras, then compare prices, or you may not get the cheapest option.

Honourable mentions: Skyscanner and Kayak offer similar services. In my experience, they pretty much have the same inventory. It really comes down to which interface you prefer.

Hopper is one of the US’s most successful travel apps, selling over $4.5B of travel each year. It helps you find the best deals on flights, hotels, home rentals, and car hire by analysing trillions of data points to predict when prices will rise or fall. When you set your dates, you see a helpful calendar showing when prices are highest and lowest, and you can sign up for price alerts.

Their second big USP is their ‘price freeze’ option, where you pay a small fee (5%-15% of the price) to freeze the price for a limited duration (options range up to 3 weeks). If the price goes up, you pay no more; if it goes down, you pay the lower price (like insurance). They also offer Flight Disruption and Cancel for Any Reason Guarantees.

Pros: Simple to use, the most accurate predictor of prices, really helps you get the best deal (if your dates are flexible). The insurance options have been a godsend to many in the recent years of travel disruption and inflating prices. Unlike other flight aggregators like Kayak or Skyscanner they show the different airline fare options within the app, so you don’t get caught by the artificially low basic fare enticing you to click through (see Skyscanner summary).

Cons: None that we can see! It really is an excellent service.

When to use it: Once you know where you want to go, come to the site to get the best deal on flights, car hire and accommodation. Simple as that.

It works best if you’re dates are flexible, so you can pick the cheapest travel dates, and/or if you have time before you book – take out the freeze option and you can be assured that the price will only come down, or sign up for the price alert.

Website : https://hopper.com/

Concept: This flight aggregator, owned by Chinese-backed Trip.com and based in Edinburgh, does the same thing as Google Flights. . It enables you to find the airlines that fly between your destinations, and available flight times.

Prices and availability are updated in real-time, and you can sign up for price alerts.

When to use it: I’ve not found much difference in pricing to Google Flights, though I much prefer Skyscanner’s user interface. It really comes down to personal choice.

Honourable mentions: US-based Kayak , originating in the US, offers a similar service to Skyscanner.

Website : https://www.skyscanner.net/

The Points Guy

If you’re someone that loves to save on travel using reward points, check out this advisory site by Brian Kelly. As he puts it, it’s ‘your go-to source for all things travel, points, miles, credit cards and more’. His advice covers both where best to earn points, and how best to spend them. There’s both a US and a UK website , with custom advice based on where you reside.

He gives up-to-date advice and tips in this ever-changing, evolving space that cuts through all of the confusion, and helps you find the best deals in the market, and explains how to take advantage of them.

How to use it: Visit here first if you’ve got points to burn, or will have and want to know the best scheme to sign up for.

Website : https://thepointsguy.com/

2.2 Car hire & taxis

Rentalcars.com

A global car rental booking platform that provides customers with access to over 60,000 rental locations in more than 160 countries worldwide. The site enables you to compare prices and features from a wide range of rental companies. Customers can also benefit from 24/7 support and free cancellation on most bookings.

I’ve regularly rented cars via them, and never found a cheaper deal. The customer service and support are also very good. There’s not really a reason to start looking anywhere else.

Website : https://www.rentalcars.com/

It doesn’t really need any introduction… but just for completeness. Founded in 2009, Uber is a ride-hailing service that connects riders with drivers in most major cities around the world. Through the app, you can request and pay for rides, track your driver’s location, and rate the experience.

Uber’s meteoric rise to a global brand can be attributed to solving several customer issues with then-taxi firms: they would find you a ride tell you how long it would take to arrive, how much the fare would be upfront, and sort payment automatically through your account, thus avoiding the need to have enough cash on you.

Other leading ride-sharing apps include Lyft (US and Canada) and Cabify (Spain & Latin America).

2.3 Rail, Bus & Ferry

Concept: Omio is a comprehensive travel search and booking platform that helps users find and book the best deals on trains, buses, and flights across Europe. The website offers a user-friendly interface, with real-time price comparisons and flexible search options to suit individual needs and preferences.

When to use: It’s a great tool for planning and booking multi-modal trips.

Website : https://www.omio.co.uk/

Rail Europe

Concept: Rail Europe is a one-stop-shop for planning and booking train travel in 33 European countries. The website offers a wide range of tickets, passes, and packages for different destinations and budgets, as well as information on train schedules, routes, and stations. Note, they don’t cover local trams and metros, it’s intercity trains only (that includes Eurostar). Enter the destinations you want to go to and they’ll recommend the best value ticket/pass.

For multiple trips, you’ll likely be recommended a Eurail pass. This brilliant invention allows you to travel on over 30 European railway operators and some ferries too. Kids under 11 travel free with an adult.

Website : https://www.raileurope.com/

2.4 Route planning

Google Maps

Who hasn’t used google Maps? And for good reason. Its coverage is comprehensive, it’s simple to use, and it’s is invaluable when you’re trying to figure out how to get from A to B in an unfamiliar place. It shows travel times and distances in multiple transport modes: on foot, bike, by available public transport and by car.

How to use it: use it to help plan upfront your transportation from point to point in your itinerary.

Website : https://www.google.com/maps

Hands down the best service for planning and booking journeys within and between countries. It combines and compares transport options from over 5,000 transportation providers across 160 countries, then recommends the cheapest, fastest, and most convenient routes for different modes of transportation including flights, trains, buses, and car rentals. The website also provides comprehensive travel information. It will quote prices, distances, times, mileage, route numbers, and which companies to book.

Their slogan is “Discover how to get anywhere by plane, train, bus, ferry & car – and it does exactly what is says on the tin.

Website : https://www.rome2rio.com/

Where to stay

3.1 'best' hotels - curated selections.

Whatever you go, there are always thousands of hotel options. These sites do the research work for you and use experts to curate a list of the best, based on location, quality and quality.

How to use it: For all the destinations we cover, we provide you with a curated list of the best hotels – for all budgets, from the mainstream to the unusual.

The selections are made by our writers, who must not only be leading travel journalists, but also specialise in that destination (either living there or visiting frequently). The writers have at least inspected and usually stayed in the properties they recommend.

Conde Nast Traveller

Similar to Travel & Leisure above, this high-end, luxury global travel magazine covers a range of topics including hotels and resorts, airlines, cruises, food and drink, and various travel destinations around the world.

When to use it: They do great round-ups of the ‘best’ hotels to stay in a destination – but obviously at the top end. If you’re not that price sensitive, start with their shortlist.

Honourable mention: Travel & Leisure, their great rival, also does destination hotel round-ups.

Website : https://www.cntraveller.com/

In my view, it’s the best ‘guidebook’ website for researching and planning a trip online – once you know where you want to go. They simply and helpfully list out a reasonably long short list of things to see & do and places to stay, and rate them each from 1-3, depending on how good they are.

However, like all the guidebooks online, coverage is comprehensive at times, requiring a lot of time and effort to research through it. The website is also swamped with banner ads that are off-putting and annoying.

How to use it: A good place to start your hotel search. They generally do select good options, though it’s more aimed at budget travellers.

Website : https://www.frommers.com/

The Telegraph (Travel)

This long-standing British newspaper does a fine job of curating and rating (out of 10) the best hotels in destinations around the world, for all budgets. The reviews tell you what you want to know – style, location, key amenities – without being overwhelming.

As for Bucket List Travels , selections and reviews are written by top travel writers who have inspected and usually stayed in the property. The number of hotels they recommend is a lot more than Bucket List Travels – and includes ones we certainly wouldn’t include – but it does give you a longer list to start with.

When to use it: if you care about where you stay, and really want one of the best places, this is a great place to start your start for somewhere to stay.

Website : https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/

TripAdvisor

The original hotel review site, it has since expanded to become the global platform for reviews (and information) on hotels, restaurants, attractions, and other travel-related businesses. It also offers a variety of travel-related content and resources, including travel guides and forums.

Over the years it has, sadly become increasingly corrupted with fake reviews, but they can’t fake all of them and as long as there are at least several hundred reviews, the score should be reasonably reflective.

When to use it: I personally like to start drawing up a shortlist of places to stay on other sites listed here, then do a quick check of the reviews of each on TripAdvisor. I also filter to see only the negative comments, then look at 1) how recent they are 2) if it is a one-off complaint i.e. someone had a refund request refused and 3) if it is something that can and probably has been fixed e.g. a rude receptionist. Small room sizes, traffic noise from road proximity, and so on – these issues are not easily fixed.

Website : https://www.tripadvisor.com

3.2 Boutique hotel collections

If it’s a boutique hotel you’re after, try one of these specialist sites. They only list high-quality properties that meet their individual criteria.

Design Hotels

As the name suggests, this website offers a curated selection of over 300 independently owned and operated hotels and resorts around the world, each chosen for its unique design and aesthetic. The site emphasizes design and architecture and offers a range of luxury and boutique properties.

Pros: It’s a brilliant resource for finding unique and interesting stays, especially with modern and/or minimalist interiors.

Cons: if you’re not that worried about hotel design, then it doesn’t offer a lot of value other than a list of interesting hotels.

When to use: if you’re interested in design, and prioritise that in your accommodation, then this is a great resource. If it’s not that important, you’re better off elsewhere with a greater selection and better prices.

Website : https://www.designhotels.com/

This boutique hotel booking website offers a carefully curated selection of stylish, unique and independently-run hotels and vacation rentals around the world. They offer in-depth reviews of each property, personalised recommendations, and a friendly, 24/7 booking service.

Pros: The curated selection of unique and stylish properties is exceptional and of a consistently high quality that you can rely on. Each property has been personally inspected by staff. The reviews, from both customers and staff, are honest and in-depth and tell you who it is and isn’t for, rather than pretend everyone’s going to love it.

Cons: There’s a limited number of properties in many destinations, and it is property, not destination, led – meaning is easier to find the place, then decide on the destination rather than the reverse (which may suit).

When to use: if their style of property i.e. unique, high quality, small and independent, is what you like/are looking for, there’s no better resource to use. If they don’t have something in your preferred destination, then look elsewhere, but check first.

Honourable mention: Sawdays offers a similar service, but they’re UK & Europe only.

Website : https://www.i-escape.com/

Mr & Mrs Smith

This first-rate, UK-based hotel booking website curates handpicked, boutique hotels around the world, each personally inspected to meet their high standards of facilities, service and location. The website has in-depth reviews of each property, with insider tips like what are the best rooms to book, without being overwhelming.

There are also exclusive benefits for members like gifts on arrival, or late checkouts, and a 24/7 booking service.

Pros: The standard of hotels is consistently high, so much so that the brand has become a trusted stamp of quality. The booking service and post-sales support is efficient yet very personable, and hotel staff genuinely care about ‘Smith’ customers so you feel very welcome when you arrive.

Cons: They have limited or no options in many destinations. They also can’t match the benefits of the OTA reward schemes like Booking.com .

When to use: The site is great if this is your style of hotel, and you want to be looked after at every step. Limited coverage is only an issue if you are dead set on a destination. If you’re not really that bothered where you go, or at least are open to suggestions, check this excellent site first.

Website : https://www.mrandmrssmith.com/

Secret Escapes

A members-only hotel booking website that offers exclusive deals and discounts on luxury hotels and vacations around the world. The site negotiates special rates with hotels and resorts, available to their members only.

Pros: There some great deals and genuine exclusive discounts to be had, though max discount tends to be 30% (and average of 15%-20%), but still not to be sniffed at. They also do a good job of curation, so you know you’re getting a decent hotel.

Cons: You still need to compare prices to other sites like Booking.com and the hotel’s own website, as there are lots of sneaky tricks and breaking of agreements that going on behind the scenes and you never really know where the best deal is until you check.

When to use: if you know where you want to go, it’s well worth checking in for a deal.

Website : https://www.secretescapes.com/

Small Luxury Hotels of the World

This website has personally visited, verified and vetted every single one of its 520 hotels in more than 90 countries. The criteria for inclusions I small (<50 rooms, non-chain and offering the highest standards of luxury and service.

Pros: it’s an exceptional collection of outstanding hotels, and the brand guarantees a high-quality, luxury stay. Members get 10% off and extra (tiered) benefits like upgrades and late checkouts. Hotels welcome their members with open arms, as they usually spend well, and SMH look after their customers.

Cons: things this good come with a price tag. Many hotels are out of reach of most travellers’ budgets.

When to use: if you’re a discerning, occasionally demanding, traveller, that specifically wants a smaller hotel, this is a great place to start your search. Check other websites though for better prices – even with the 10% off – but if you’re not that price sensitive, it’s nice to book with someone who cares, as opposed to a hotel production line like Booking.com.

Website : https://slh.com/

Tablet Hotels

This New York-based brand, founded in 2000 and well-known across the US, has curated over 3,500 boutique & luxury properties around the world. In 2018, it was purchased by and merged with Michelin.

Similar to Mr & Mrs Smith, they curate a selection based on criteria, offer a full booking service, and exclusive benefits for ‘Tablet Plus’ members like VIP upgrades and free valet parking.

Pros: the curated selection guarantees a measure of quality, and some of the VIP benefits are really nice ones to have and make you feel a bit special.

Cons: You inevitably will pay more than on other sites, and sometimes they overpromise and underdeliver on the VIP experience – much depends on the attitude of the hotel. The criteria for selection is much broader than a Mr & Mrs Smith, so you’re not getting that real consistency of accommodation, and the personal relationship that Smith has with its properties.

When to use: If you want to feel like a VIP and value those benefits over saving a few pennies or cents, then they are worth a look.

Website : https://www.tablethotels.com/

3.3 Home rentals & stays

Launched in 2008 and needing no introduction, this global accommodation powerhouse forever altered the holiday market. Now with more than 300,000 listings in over 190 countries, it has expanded from its original core offering of ‘spare rooms to rent’ to include apartments, treehouses, villas – whatever you can stay in, it’s likely to be on AirBnB.

Pros: the sheer number of options and global coverage means you’re highly likely to find something you want. The site is simple and easy to use, with lots of photographs, user reviews and star ratings.

Cons: The product and website is great, but they don’t really care about customers, and customer service if something goes wrong can be challenging to find.

When to use: whenever you’re looking for something other than a hotel, and/or something more authentic or with a local feel. It’s especially good for families and groups wanting to stay together in one place.

Website : https://www.airbnb.com

Couchsurfing

This global hospitality exchange enables you to stay with a host for free for a few nights – be it sofa or, if you’re lucky, a bed. You simply create a profile, search for hosts, and request to stay with them. Surprisingly, perhaps, it works, and over the years the site has built a loyal following and a strong community of ‘couchsurfers’ who help and support each other, and even organise events around the world.

When to use it: When budget is tight and you just really want somewhere to crash, and/or you’re looking to connect with other travellers and the local community.

Website : https://www.couchsurfing.com/

This upscale holiday home and apartment rental specialist has a large catalogue of privately-owned places to stay, which you can filter by key criteria like price, location, number of bedrooms etc. Each listing is vetted by their team to ensure it meet minimum standards. It’s owned by the Expedia Group.

The quality of homes for rent is exceptional and varied, from lake houses to treehouses, and the search and filtering makes it quick and simple to find something that suits. Customer service is good, much better than AirBnB for example.

Website : https://www.vrbo.com/

Villas of Distinction

Villas of Distinction is a luxury villa rental company that offers an extensive portfolio of properties in over 50 destinations worldwide. They provide personalized service to help clients select the perfect villa for their vacation, and offer a range of amenities such as private pools, chefs, and concierge services to enhance the guest experience.

When to use it: When you’re looking for an independent, self-catering stay in an uber-luxurious villa. It’s top-end, with a price tag to match.

Honourable mention: One Fine Stay offers a similar service.

Website : https://www.villasofdistinction.com/

3.4 Campsites & Hostels

HostelWorld

The hostel specialist is the go-to place for booking budget accommodation in over 170 countries – both dormitory beds and private rooms. The website and mobile app allow you to browse and book from a wide range of hostels, hotels, and guesthouses, with a focus on affordable and social options. There are also offers travel guides, reviews, and a loyalty program for frequent users.

Pros: The UX is really smooth, the inventory (number of options) is much is larger than on the major hotel search engines (OTAs), and it does a much better job of setting out dormitory bed pricing and deal options. There are a number of ‘community’ features that encourage you to connect with fellow travellers.

When to use it: If you’re on a budget or want to meet people when you’re travelling, start here with your accommodation search.

Website : https://www.hostelworld.com/

If you’re looking for something off-grid, preferably unique and unusual – but don’t want to compromise too much on luxury, this website is for you. It’s a directory of for luxury campsites and stays, with various accommodation options ranging from tents to tipis, log cabins to vintage caravans. Coverage is mainly Europe & UK, though they have plans to expand beyond.

Website : https://campaglam.com/

3.5 Price comparison

Concept: This Expedia-owned hotel search engine allows you to compare prices from various booking sites for over 1.8 million hotels in more than 190 countries. You can search & filter to discover hotels matching your criteria, then each hotel listing shows the price of a room on the various OTA sites. The site also offers user reviews, ratings, and filters to help you decide.

For all aggregators, the prices are often inaccurate, and not the cheapest option when you click through. The OTAs (like Expedia, Booking.com) have learned over the years how to manipulate them to ensure their listing comes up first with the cheapest price.

When to use it: It’s a good place to start your hotel search, especially when you have specific requirements such that you can use the on-site filters to narrow down the options quickly. If you discover a hotel you want somewhere else, always come and check the prices here before booking.

Note – it doesn’t always include the hotel direct price (so make sure you check separately), and sometimes the prices are inaccurate when you click through.

Honourable mentions: HotelsCombined , owned by Booking.com and the main rival to Trivago, is known for having better deals as they search lesser-known booking sites (though that can come with risks). Both I suspect of bias, however, in pushing Booking.com and Expedia products. Skyscanner also now offers accommodation price comparison, and they have the advantage of being independent and unbiased of the leading OTAs. Kayak also offers price comparison – but they are owned by Booking.com too. I prefer Trvago above the rest purely because they also helpfully show you show the lowest price depending on the ‘deal’ type i.e. cancellable or non, including breakfast etc. which obviously makes a big difference to the ‘cheapest’ price.

Website : https://www.trivago.com

3.6 Accommodation booking

Booking.com

The world’s largest accommodation online booking service that lists over 28 million hotels (and now rentals, B&Bs and hostels) from around the world. They offer a tiered loyalty program called ‘Genius’ The three levels offer 10%, 15%, and 20% discounts (respectively) on bookings at hundreds of thousands of participating locations. They also include priority customer service help, and free breakfast packages or room upgrades when possible.

Pros: The website is easy to use, with excellent filter options, and once you have created an account, you can book within a few clicks. Their inventory is phenomenal, with most hotels in the world signed up. The loyalty program is accessible and with great benefits.

Cons: The loyalty program only applies for a limited number of participating hotels, so you won’t always get the benefits. Hotel websites often still have a better deal, and some don’t release all of their room types to Booking.com so you can’t see these rooms.

Booking.com may also confusingly say ‘sold out’ when there are rooms available still on the hotel website. So always check the hotel website before booking.

When to use it: Start your accommodation search here, and then once you’ve narrowed down the options with the filters, check other sites and the hotel website for a better deal.

Honourable mention: Agoda is essentially a carbon copy of Booking.com – they are owned by the Bookings Holdings Group. Agoda has it’s roots in Asia, and is based in Singapore, so it has more comprehensive Asian content. If that’s where you’re going, it’s worth using.

Website : https://www.booking.com

Concept: same as for Booking.com, with a similar tiered loyalty program, though at time of writing, the tiered benefits are not lifetime like they are with Booking.com. You need to be a regular customer to benefit from the higher tiers – not the case with Booking.com.

Their famous loyalty program of stay 10 times, earn one free reward night – now the basic tier – requires you to book at least once every 12 months or your reward night expires.

Honourable mention: Expedia is essentially a carbon copy of Hotels.com. They’re owned by the same group, and effectively have the same hotel inventory and pricing. There are slight differences in the reward program – I think Hotels.com’s one is better, hence why they got the nudge.

Website : https://hotels.com

HotelTonight

Owned by AirBnB , this mobile app and website offers last-minute hotel rooms at discounted rates. Inventory ranges from budget to luxury, and you can use the filters to specify your location and preferences. There’s also a ‘Rate Drop’ feature that discounts same-day prices after 3pm.

When to use: if you need a last-minute room, it’s definitely worth checking for a deal. However, in my experience, their deals weren’t especially good compared to other standard booking sites – though the ‘Rate Drop’ does deliver discounts.

Website : https://www.hoteltonight.com/

Food, drink & entertainment

4.1 food & drink.

A food and dining news website that provides reviews, guides, and information on restaurants and food trends in various cities across the world. The site offers articles on topics such as dining culture, chefs, industry news, and more. They also feature videos and podcasts related to food and restaurants. The quality of content and recommendations is excellent, and they’ve regularly won awards to their food & wine journalism.

When to use it: Officially it only spans 23 US cities, and if that’s where you’re headed, it’s a good place to check. However, that’s for detailed coverage. For most cities, however, they have a round-up of ‘the best restaurants in X’, covering all price ranges. Just search for it on their site.

Website : https://eater.com

Foodie blogs

Local foodies blog about anything from food trucks to Michelin-starred restaurants. In any destination, especially cities, the food scene changes so fast that almost any corporate website will not keep up. Local foodies are out testing daily, and take pride in keeping their blogs up to date with the latest and greatest. They also cover the smaller, more niche places that only a local would know about.

There are too many to mention, but search for ‘food blogs in X’ by Googling (or Binging) and see who you can find.

When to use: When you want to discover some insider foodie experiences in a destination, and get some good restaurant tips that are not Michelin-starred.

Concept: Increasingly the go-to resource for vegan and vegetarian dining around the world, run by vegans, as the popularity of the movement continues to gather a welcome pace and momentum. The site is also becoming a thriving community hub, with active forums and listings of fellow vegans in local cities that you can message for tips.

When to use it: to discover the best vegan and vegetarian dining options in your destination, or to get tips/advice from the local community.

Website : https://www.happycow.net/

This stalwart former magazine is still the place to go in the digital era for local listings of ‘what’s on’. It provides comprehensive listings, information and reviews on cultural events, concerts, theatre performances, film screenings, and other entertainment in cities around the world.

When to use it: If you’re wanting to book in some entertainment on your trip, this is the best place to start looking.

Website : https://www.timeout.com/

Yelp is a platform that allows you to search for and review local businesses, including restaurants, bars, shops, and other services in 220 cities in 32 countries . It’s best known for restaurant reviews, however – some of the other business listings can be fairly light. As with all review sites, it suffers from fake reviews,  but the volume is sufficient to give you an overall sense of what’s worth a try.

How to use it: I use it to draft a short list of places to try, then cross-check that with other sources and/or my hotel if I’m staying in one. Concierges will give good restaurant tips, but in my experience, the options they give are limited.

Website : https://www.yelp.com

Before you go

Centre for Disease Control

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is a national public health institute in the United States. The website provides comprehensive information and resources on health and safety topics, including infectious diseases, vaccines, travel health, environmental health, emergency preparedness, and more.

When to use it: before you go to a new destination, stop here to check any disease risks and vaccination requirements (you can search by country from the home page). It also has helpful advice for people with special health conditions , and/or doing specialist activities.

Website : https://www.cdc.gov/

5.2 What to take

This global online store is a specialist in all things travel accessories, with over 200 products covering everything from adapters, to travel pillows and luggage security.

How to use it: have a skim before you go. I always end up seeing/buying things I never even knew I needed!

Website : https://go.travel

Packing List Checklist App

A handy app to create packing checklists – a godsend for people like me who always forget their sunglasses. A plethora of packing list apps, I like and use this one before it’s simple, quick – and free. No upgrades needed.

You manually create your own list(s) – you can create multiple different ones, for different holiday types for example – then select from a list of a fairly comprehensive list of suggested items to start you off. Most of the time that will do it, though you can add your own if needed. When it comes to packing, you can tick things off as and when they’re in the case.

How to use it: Next time you get a few free moments, create a packing list. Add to it as and when things pop into your head. Tick them off when you pack.

Website : https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/packing-list-checklist/id1235121075

5.3 Travel planning

TripIt is another travel organising app that allows you to store all of your travel plans in one place. Users can forward their confirmation emails for flights, hotels, and rental cars to the app, which will then create a master itinerary for their trip. The app also provides real-time flight alerts, directions, and travel recommendations.

Website : https://www.tripit.com/web

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Planning a trip or vacation shouldn’t be tiresome and complicated. Easy to use, an intuitive and neat Travel Planning Platform that we created is for travelers like YOU! Tripety helps you compile, organize, and share your travel arrangements. Keep an eye on your travel budget while on vacation or business trip. We are trying to make your world a bit more colorful and a lot more relaxed. Tripety, add travel to your life!

Planning a trip can become quite challenging, especially when you have to go over many big and small details. The last thing you want is to run into problems while you’re away. This is why you must always plan all the details of your trip beforehand.

Thankfully, now you can use Tripety, a travel planner and itinerary maker, to plan each and every detail of your trip. From budgeting to group collaboration, we ensure that you have a smooth planning process. We also have an online road trip planner that’s sure to give you the hassle-free trip of your dreams.

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Collect your vacation ideas in an online trip notebook, and keep everything organized in one place.

That's where Planapple comes in. A web travel binder of sorts, Planapple helps you collect your ideas, possibilities, and plans — and saves them all in one place, organized and manageable.

Planapple even creates a custom map tailored to your plans, so you can actually see which hotel is closest to your daily destinations!

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Looking for the best time to buy airline tickets to get a cheap flight to everywhere? We’ve got you covered anytime, anywhere. Here’s how to find the best deal for flight booking no matter where you want to go in the world.

Which day of the week is the best day to buy cheap airline tickets?

For both U.S. domestic and international travel, Sundays can be cheaper for airline ticket purchases. Fridays tend to be the most expensive day to book a flight. Booking on the right day of the week could save you up to 6% on your airfare, according to historical data*.

When is the best time to buy airline tickets?

Based on 2020 And 2021 global flight data for Economy tickets, prices usually start to increase 56 days before departure for domestic flights. When traveling internationally, prices usually start to increase 21 days before departure*. Keep in mind that this isn’t a hard-and-fast rule; keeping an eye on prices is a good idea when trying to find the best airfare deals. Compare fares across different airlines, and set up a price alert for your preferred route.

Which are the cheapest days to fly?

Analysis of domestic and international airfare prices shows that flying out on Fridays can be cheaper. Many travelers start their trips on Sundays, so your chances of a lower price are better when departing early in the week instead. Starting your trip on a Friday could be almost 11% cheaper than air travel on Sundays, so book flights online wisely*!

Which is the cheapest month to fly?

The cheapest month to fly can vary depending on where you’re going, so finding the best rates largely comes down to avoiding peak travel times for your destination. If you’re looking for cheap international flights , the most expensive month tends to be February, while the cheapest is November with cheap flights in November offering potential savings of up to 34.6% relative to February. Cheap domestic flights work a bit differently, with March being the most expensive and August being the least expensive with cheap flights in August offering savings of up to 35%*.

How can I find the cheapest flights on Expedia?

Compare cheap airline ticket prices at a glance from a large inventory of carriers on Expedia. You can get cheap flights by staying flexible with travel dates, carriers, and nonstop/layover flights to get the best price. Insider tip: Become a member (it’s free!) to earn rewards back on every booking. We make your travel stress-free and source incredible airfare deals so you can sit back, relax, and start your vacation or business trip.

How can I save money on flights?

Mixing and matching airline tickets and fare types could help save money on airfare to your destination. Easily compare prices for carriers, arrival and departure dates, airplane cabin class, and more when you book with Expedia. Booking your plane ticket on a Sunday, and departing on Friday, could possibly save you money* based on historical data. You can also filter for flights based on your budget, such as looking for cheap flights under $200 specifically.

How can I get cheap last-minute flight deals?

The historical data analysis of flight pricing patterns shows that you can still find amazing airfare deals 3 weeks prior to departure* when traveling domestically. International last-minute flights offer great deals 2 weeks prior to departure if you’re flying premium, but economy travelers may want to strive for no less than 4 weeks out*. Try to stay flexible with travel dates, airports, and nonstop/layover flights to find the cheapest flights on Expedia. Whether you’re planning a quick business trip or a spontaneous holiday with friends, you’ll have your choice of last-minute flights, roundtrip, or multicity flights on Expedia. You’ll find everything you need for your travels all in one place — and all at the right price.

How do I book with Expedia?

Booking your flight with Expedia is easy, as all you have to do is implement your travel dates, departure destination, like flights from Atlanta or flights from Hartsfield-Jackson , and arrival destination into the search. Then, all the available flights for those dates and destinations will appear. You can use search filters to narrow down the results as well based on a variety of factors like the airline, number of stops, departure time, and policies like seat choice and refundable bookings. Additionally, travelers may alter their search for round-trip flights, one-way flights, and multicity flights.

What should I look out for when booking flights?

Several factors go into any flight booking, and you’ll need to keep an eye out for them all to ensure that you get the travel time, luggage policy, airline, and class you want. Consider which airport is closest to your ultimate destination (travelers to Los Angeles may prefer flights to LAX over flights to PSP , and make sure that the flight will accommodate all the luggage you plan on bringing. Additionally, consider the different flight classes including economy flights for functionality and premium flights if you want to enjoy a more relaxing experience.

Where’s the cheapest place to travel?

The cheapest place to travel can be in the same country, like Chicago. Flights to Chicago are fairly affordable no matter where you’re coming from in the continental United States. Flights to Las Vegas tend to be pretty affordable as well. While the Vegas airport isn’t a hub for any major airline, it does have plenty of competition to keep prices relatively low.

Where can I fly for cheap?

Staying within a strict budget still allows you to find plenty of cheap flights, even to destinations like Puerto Rico. In fact, flights to Puerto Rico don’t even require U.S. citizens to have a passport. Flights to Alberta and other destinations in Canada can be fairly affordable as well.

Is it cheaper to buy flights last minute?

Flight tickets can be cheaper at the last minute depending on how late you’re actually booking, where you’re going, and the kind of flight you opt for. For domestic flights with Economy tickets, prices usually start to increase 3 weeks before departure, and 4 weeks for international flights, according to historical data*.

Are fully refundable flights available?

Yes, several fully refundable flights are available and will be labeled as such right on your search results page in green text. You may also filter for fully refundable flights specifically to eliminate all flights from your results that don’t qualify. Just make sure to check the specific policy for each flight before booking.

Why should I book my flight with Expedia?

Booking with Expedia makes finding a flight easy, but that’s just the beginning of everything you can take advantage of. We also offer hotels, car rentals, and even activities that you can purchase with package deals available for travelers planning more than one aspect of their trip at a time. Plus, Expedia offers stunning cheap flight deals that can help you save with ease. As a One Key member, you will earn OneKeyCashTM for every eligible booking that you can use to save on future bookings. Plus, OneKeyCash can be earned on top of airline miles.

*Data specialists from both ARC and Expedia Group analyzed ARC’s global flight data to distil actionable information to help people save money on travel. While it’s impossible to guarantee when to find the lowest prices, after examining the variables, we were able to observe trends. Best day of the week to book and best day of the week to depart is based on average round-trip ticket prices for January through August for 2021, sourced from ARC’s global airline sales database. Best month to depart recommendation is based on average round-trip ticket prices for January through December for 2020, sourced from ARC's global airline sales database. Best time to book recommendation is based on average round-trip ticket prices for January through August for 2021 & average round-trip ticket prices for January through December for 2020, sourced from ARC's global airline sales database. OneKeyCash is not redeemable for cash and can only be used on Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo.

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How To Plan a Trip: Clark’s Best Travel Tips To Save Money

Most of us have to book travel at some point or another, whether it’s for work, to visit family and friends or just to get away from it all on vacation.

Money expert Clark Howard , a former travel agent himself, has spent decades perfecting the art of planning and booking trips. In this article, we’ll share his secrets and show you how to use all of the available tools to make travel plans that suit your needs at the lowest possible price.

Booking Travel the Clark Howard Wa y

How to plan a trip, how to book flights, how to find a hotel or other lodging.

• How To Reserve a Rental Car

How To Book Bus or Rail Tickets

• How To Select a Cruise

When To Buy Travel Insurance

• Travel the Clark Howard Way

The very first thing you need to do is to make a plan. It can be as simple or as involved as you want it to be. Some people love to fly by the seat of their pants and do minimal planning, while others like to have every minute of an itinerary accounted for before they leave the house.

No matter which type of traveler you are, there are some basic steps you’ll need to take if you want to travel on a budget:

• Select your destination: In some cases, your destination will be selected for you, and there will be no decision to make. Other times, you might have some days off from work and decide you want to scratch a place off your bucket list. Or, if you’re like Clark, you might just wait for a deal to come along and let the destination pick you .
• Figure out your trip length: If you have only a few days off, this might already be decided for you. But if you have some flexibility in your schedule, being fluid with the number of days in your trip could be the key to saving money on travel expenses. And your destination can play into this part of the decision-making. For example, you might be able to do everything you want to do in a smaller city in a day or two, but taking in everything important to you in New York City might take a week or more.
• Research your destination: If you’re going somewhere for the first time, you’ll want to get the lay of the land. Figuring out what you want to accomplish on your trip can help you decide exactly where you want to stay and how you intend to get around. The research process can also help you start figuring out approximate costs of things (lodging, transportation, attractions and meals) so that you can make sure you stay within your budget.
• Know the rules: Policies and procedures can change frequently and quickly. It’s crucial to ensure you have all documents (like a driver’s license, passport and any other required information) before leaving home. Lori Silverman from Team Clark’s Consumer Action Center recommends checking Travel.State.Gov for the latest information on your destination. And also remember to check the latest health-related regulations for your destination at the CDC website .

Once you’ve got the planning part down, it’s time to figure out how you’re going to get to where you’re going. If your destination isn’t within easy driving distance or you simply don’t want to drive, an airline flight is probably going to be your best option.

Booking flights has come a long way since the days when you had to call a travel agent or the airline itself to buy tickets. Now, there are literally thousands of places to turn to book a flight. So how do you find the best price?

Conventional wisdom has held for a while that there is a “perfect” day of the week to book air travel. With the advent of dynamic pricing , that has changed. According to Team Clark’s travel expert, Clara Bosonetto, “Technology has marched on from the days of manually loading new prices. Airfares are now updated constantly and automatically using complex algorithms.”

But it’s still important to have a strategy. Flexibility is the key to landing a great deal. When you have firm travel plans, start gathering airline quotes several weeks in advance , but resist making a purchase until you’ve learned the fare patterns to your destination or until an excellent deal comes along.

We’ve found that the most robust flight search engine is Google Flights .

“Google Flights should be the first website to visit to search domestic and international airfares before you jump over to a specific airline to book a flight,” according to travel expert Clara Bosonetto. “With its many filters, it’s the best site to use when you must fly on a specific airline, must have a nonstop flight, you have a multiple city trip (flying into one city and out of another) or you want to book one-way travel.”

When you search your itinerary, Google Flights will show you options for your selected dates and let you know if the prices are higher, lower or about average for your route. The site also lets you explore fares on alternate dates with its calendar and price graph features.

Once you’ve selected a flight, the site will show you the total cost of your ticket and what’s included with that fare. You’ll also see options for upgraded tickets (if available) and what paying more will get you. If checked bags are not included in your fare, the site will let you know what that will cost you.

When you’re ready to book, Google Flights will send you directly to the airline’s website to complete your transaction.

The site will also let you track prices, which can potentially help you save big on airfare. When you toggle the “Track Prices” button (you must be signed in to your Google account), Google will send you alerts if the price on your selected route changes. It is important to note that fares on Southwest Airlines do not appear on Google Flights.

See our full guide to using Google Flights here.

When it comes to planning where you stay during your trip, there are a lot of options. The increasing popularity of Airbnb and other private accommodation booking services means more choices for travelers.

Still, some people prefer to stay in a hotel when they travel, and Clark has a three-step process for booking a great hotel room on a budget.

1. Book a Refundable Room

“If I’m flying somewhere — you usually book your airfare pretty well in advance — I also book a hotel room at the same time,” Clark says. “I book the best deal I can find for where I’m going but always a refundable room.”

Doing this leaves you the option to cancel the room if you find a better deal in the days leading up to your trip.

2. Search for Better Deals Before Your Trip

That’s where the next step comes in: really doing the research to find the best deal.

“I already know I have a room if I need it,” Clark says. “But I want a deal! So what I do is heavily concentrate on Hotwire and Priceline , two sources where you don’t know where you’re staying until you book nonrefundable.”

Clark understands that some people might be uncomfortable not knowing the name of their hotel before they book. That’s why we published our guide to finding out which Hotwire or Priceline hotel you’re getting before you book .

As for when you’re likely to find the best deals on those sites, Clark has a strategy: “I’ll check throughout the time period leading up to my travel, but I especially concentrate one week out and less,” he says. “A lot of times, the best deals are the last few days before you travel.”

Clark also checks other hotel booking sources to compare prices to what he finds on Priceline and Hotwire, including:

• Trivago : a handy hotel comparison site for travelers
• Hotels.com : site that offers a price guarantee and often offers discount codes for room bookings
• Roomer : a hotel site that lets you buy beds from motivated sellers who bought nonrefundable rooms

3. Cancel the Original Booking

The last thing you need to do, assuming you’ve found a better deal, is to cancel your original refundable booking.

“Occasionally that room you booked when you booked your airline deal will be the best hotel deal you’ll find,” Clark says. “But if you do it my way, most of the time you’re going to save big bucks.”

See Clark talk about his three-step hotel booking process in the video below.

If you’re looking for a more unique travel experience, Airbnb , VRB O or the vacation rentals offered through major travel sites such as Tripadvisor or Expedia , might be the way to go. This also applies if you need a larger space, prefer to have your own cooking facilities or if you plan to stay for more than a couple of nights in a destination.

You’ll sometimes get a much better deal by renting a home or condo from a private owner. But take care to know the all-in price before you hit that “Reserve Now” button. In a recent podcast , Clark pointed out that more and more vacation rentals are tacking on fees that end up making the total much higher than you’d expect when you look at the nightly rate.

See our guide for how to book the best — and safest — Airbnbs here.

How To Book a Rental Car

So, you’ve taken care of your flight and lodging plans, but you might need some way to get around on your trip. Some destinations are totally walkable. Others have great public transportation. But if you need a car, there is a strategy to booking a cheap rental.

Here are Team Clark’s six steps to getting a great deal on a rental car.

1. Figure Out What Kind of Vehicle You Need

Whether you get a sedan, SUV or van, you need to make sure the vehicle you rent makes sense for you. Important questions to ask yourself include:

• How many people will be traveling?
• How much, if any, luggage will I need to stow?
• Do I need more than two doors to accommodate car seats or special needs?
• Will I need a vehicle that can handle rough terrain?
• Do I care if the vehicle is a basic model, or do I want something more luxurious?

2. Start Your Research With AutoSlash

The first part of your search for a rental car is a secret to a lot of people, but one that Team Clark has found can save you a lot of money: a site called AutoSlash .

One of the great things about AutoSlash is that the site will monitor the vehicle you select and email you if the price on the rental drops between the time you book and the time you pick it up, allowing you to re-book at the lower price. Read our full review of saving money on rental car bookings with AutoSlash here.

3. Check the Other Aggregator Sites

Once you’ve established the lowest price you can get on your desired vehicle through AutoSlash, it’s time to compare prices on the other sites that aggregate rental car rates. Some of the most popular and trustworthy are:

• Travelocity

4. See if You Can Get a Better Deal Directly From the Rental Car Company

Once you’ve established the best deal available between AutoSlash and the major travel booking sites, head directly to the rental agency to see if it can match or beat the price you’ve already found, either on the agency’s website or by calling on the phone.

5. Book the Best Deal

Generally, with car rentals, you’re just reserving the car and not paying upfront. That means you won’t even have to give up a credit card number to lock in your reservation. It also means that, unlike most airline tickets and hotel reservations, you won’t be penalized if you need to cancel or change your reservation later.

6. Check Back a Week Before Your Trip To See if Prices Have Dropped

Finally, since you’re not locked into your reservation with a credit card, you have one more trick up your sleeve, and it’s one of Clark’s favorite travel tips.

“When I book my flight weeks or months before the actual date of travel, I also book my car rental at the same time,”  he says. “Then a week before my travel date, I re-shop the car rental rate. At least 90% of the time, I find that I can book a new car cheaper at the last minute, so I just let my old reservation go.”

READ MORE: 6 Steps To Getting the Best Car Rental Deal

Whether you don’t like flying or you want to enjoy the landscape, you might decide to travel by bus or train. If that’s your plan, here’s how to find the best deals.

Bus Tickets

There are a number of internet resources for booking bus tickets. Go online to the following bus travel sites:

• Wanderu : This transit website and app specialize in affordable bus and train fares (but also offers flights and hotels) in North America and Europe.
• Gotobus.com : This lists ticket prices for bus rides, bus rentals and hotels. The Deals  tab has some of the most affordable bus tickets around.
• CheckMyBus : CheckMyBus is a travel portal that claims it can save you up to 70% on average and offers the most bus routes worldwide.
• Busbud : Busbud is well-regarded for its comprehensive search results and mobile app. The site, which shows routes in more than 63 countries, also has user-submitted travel reviews for every route. If you search online, you may even be able to find a discount code, which could save you up to 20% on selected travel routes.

Read more about how to find cheap bus fares here.

Train Tickets

When it comes to domestic train travel, Amtrak is pretty much your only interstate choice. The rail carrier covers more than 21,000 miles across 46 states.

If you want to purchase train tickets at the lowest possible price, keep these things in mind:

• Look for discount Saver and SmartFares: Saver Fares are usually web-only specials that require the advance purchase of tickets. SmartFares are weekly discounts that are typically used to fill up trains. The tickets are nonrefundable and subject to availability.
• Seek out discounts: Amtrak offers 50% discounts for children , 10% for seniors , 10% for military personnel and their families and 10% for disabled adults and their companions.
• Check out Amtrak’s Deals page: Amtrak’s Deals page often features buy-one-get-one-free specials and special prices on select routes.
• Sign up for the rewards program: Join Amtrak’s Guest Rewards program , and not only will you get deals sent straight to your inbox, but you earn two points per dollar spent on Amtrak. You can redeem those points for upgrades and free travel.
• Look for special offers at RailServe.com : It has an Amtrak coupons section .

Read more about how to save on domestic train tickets here.

For booking international rail travel, it’s hard to beat UK-based International Rail . Bookings can be made for 66,000 point-to-point routes in Europe, including on Eurostar, French TGV, German ICE, InterCity, EuroCity and Spanish high-speed trains. Rail bookings for other regions include Australia, New Zealand, Asia and South Africa.

How To Book a Cruise

During an episode of his podcast early this year , Clark warned about booking a cruise in 2022 because of still-changing conditions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. He cited the fact that, depending on COVID restrictions, some ports on your cruise might not allow passengers to disembark. He also pointed out that COVID protocols on some ships can make for a less than optimal cruising experience.

As the pandemic waxes and wanes, so does the availability of cruises and deals. “Now you have to do a lot more picking and choosing,” Clark says, adding that before you can find a good cruise deal, you need to make a couple of adjustments regarding your mindset and travel plans.

“You have to adjust to today’s reality and adjust  how you book  with the flexibility of the ship you go on, and particularly  when you sail to get the best deal,” he says.

It is important to check on current guidelines from the CDC and the policies of individual cruise lines before you book.

Keeping in mind all those caveats, Clark has three primary rules to follow when it comes to booking cruises.

1. Let the Calendar Save You Money

“There are certain cycles through the year when cruise lines have trouble filling all their cabins, and that’s when you steal the great deals,” he says.

So when is typically the best time to book?

“After Thanksgiving but before Christmas kicks off is a bargain time for any kind of travel — and cruises are right in the midst of that,” he says.

Comparison shopping will give you a better understanding of what prices should look like at certain times of the year.

One of Team Clark’s favorite sites for finding last-minute cruise deals is  VacationstoGo.com . (Note: We do not recommend that you book on this site , but it’s a good place to do research.) If you want to compare prices from multiple travel agencies, CruiseCompete.com can also be a good source.

2. Don’t Let Cruise Brand Loyalty Cost You More

Some people are really loyal to cruise line brands, but that can absolutely kill your budget.

Clark’s advice is when planning your trip, venture away from what you know and explore other companies and what they’re about: “Look at things like experimenting with cruise lines you’re not that familiar with.”

Clark does offer this one caution though: “Never book a deal on a cruise just because it’s a deal. You need to really be comfortable that that ship is going to fit your lifestyle, the things that you’re interested in.”

The price won’t matter much if you find yourself on a cruise ship that doesn’t mesh with your expectations. Do the research.

3. Read the Reviews

You should try to get a balanced view of the cruise lines and particular ships you’re interested in, so it’s best to read some reviews.

Clark recommends a site where you can take a deep dive into cruise ship specs as well as deals and booking tips.

“I’d love for you to spend time on CruiseCritic.com , reading about a ship before you book on that ship,” he says. “Additionally, you can look closely at the various individual cabins to make sure you don’t get in a cabin that’s going to be a problem because it’s in a noisy area of the ship, for example.”

Another really helpful tip is to ask family, friends and coworkers if they have any recommendations. And travel agents who specialize in cruises sometimes have the inside scoop on particular ships and itineraries.

Now more than ever, it is important to consider purchasing travel insurance because of the still-changing travel conditions related to COVID-19. There are many different types of travel policies available, but there are two types we recommend that will likely cover most of your needs.

The best policy is one that allows you to cancel for any reason. It happens to be called Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) insurance, and Clark says it’s great because it can you get at least most of your money back no matter why you decide not to make the trip.

Even before the pandemic, Clark recommended getting CFAR insurance for these four types of travel:

• Embarking on a cruise
• Booking a tour as part of your trip
• Traveling on an itinerary that requires prepayment of thousands of dollars
• Purchasing a trip that is non-refundable

“If you book a tour or you book a cruise — those two in particular — if you’re going to lose all your money regardless of why you can’t come, then you need to get insurance,” Clark says.

Clark recommends that you comparison shop for travel insurance that suits your needs at InsureMyTrip . It’s an aggregator site that helps you analyze all of the different choices available.

In addition to a CFAR policy, you may also want to consider travel medical insurance.

“The thing with international travel, which almost nobody knows until it’s a big problem, is that your health insurance usually doesn’t cover you outside the United States,” says Clark.

Read our full article on travel medical insurance here .

Travel the Clark Howard Way: Let the Destination Pick You

Over the years, Clark has used a trip-planning strategy that has allowed him to visit 49 states and almost every corner of the globe without spending a lot of money. His secret is surprisingly simple.

“My #1 rule of travel is buy the deal first and then figure out why you want to go there. By following that simple rule, I’ve been able to visit every continent except Antarctica and every state except North Dakota. And I’ve done it all on a dime.”

In order to accomplish this, Clark does three things that you can do, too.

1. Don’t Pick a Destination

How do you figure out where the deals are? Kayak Explore is a tool that lets you find great airfare deals that fit your budget.

You simply select how much you’re willing to pay and available destinations in your price range pop up on a world map. You can drill down further by season and month of travel.

2. Sign Up for Cheap Flight Services

Another way to approach the question of how to travel on the cheap is to sign up for any of a variety of cheap flight services. Clark likes and subscribes to all three of these to get the early word about the best airfare sales:

• Going (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights )
• Dollar Flight Club

Going and Dollar Flight Club both operate on a freemium model. You can use a basic version of their services for free, but you have to pay to upgrade in order to access a more robust version of the service. Clark says the upgrade is worth it if you really love to travel.

3. Set Up Fare Alerts

Not everybody can be flexible and let the deal drive their travel plans all the time. If you have a place you know you need to go — maybe a wedding or a family reunion — your best bet is to set up fare alerts.

Fare alerts will let you know when the price on a particular route drops and by how much. This kind of pricing perspective can save you a lot of money.

“They’ll be able to give you historical averages, telling you this fare is lower than normal by X number of dollars,” Clark says.

Try setting up fare alerts on both Google Flights and Kayak to ensure you find the best deal.

Read more about how Clark Howard books travel here.

Final Thoughts

Now that you have Clark’s advice for planning and booking a trip on a budget, you should be ready to pack your bags.

We know the process can be intimidating, especially when you’re going somewhere you’ve never been before. In fact, there are times when we recommend you consult a travel agent for help .

But for the majority of cases, if you follow the steps outlined above, you’ll be on your way to your next adventure without breaking the bank.

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Human-sounding AI can plan, help book your travel. But can you trust it?

It wasn’t so long ago that travelers planned trips without the internet.

“Back in the day, our parents used to go to these travel agents and really kind of express what they were looking for and what kind of vacation they wanted,” said Saad Saeed, co-founder and CEO of Layla, an AI travel planner whose website launched this year. “Slowly, we kind of acclimatized ourselves to start using these search boxes, clicks, these forms and filters.”

Artificial intelligence-driven tools like Layla can now turn back the clock on that experience, engaging with users almost like humans to customize travel plans with lightning speed plus all the resources of the web. But does AI actually make travel planning easier and can it compare to human expertise? 

Yes and no. Here’s why.

Can AI actually understand us?

It can try. 

“What are you personally looking for in this trip and what do you want out of it?” asked Saeed. “Do you want to reconnect with your partner, for example, or do you want to just feel some adventure and thrill?” 

A human travel agent may ask a series of questions to understand a client’s needs. So can generative AI , which picks up on keywords. Mindtrip, an AI planner launched publicly on May 1, has an actual travel quiz that asks users to rank priorities like “Is your ideal vacation day an exhilarating adventure or a relaxing break?” using sliding scales.

“What we get at the end of that quiz, using the AI, is a really customized description,” explained  Mindtrip Founder and CEO Andy Moss. That then informs what the AI suggests to the traveler. 

Informed suggestions can save users time in narrowing down destinations and experiences, as well as  introduce places users may never have discovered on their own.

AI travel planning is here: How to use it to plan your next vacation and what you should know first

Can AI fully replace humans?

No. Layla may sound human, using conversational phrases like “I've got three cozy nests that won't make your wallet cry.”

“She has a personality. We try to make her funny and so on, where it's really that friend that can get to know you and then recommend you the perfect stuff,” Saeed said.

But part of Layla’s expertise comes from the real-life experiences of some 1,600 travel content creators  the Berlin-based platform has partnered with. Their videos and insights can give users a richer picture of what to expect.

Mindtrip also leans on human expertise, having tapped a limited group of travel influencers for curated content with plans to eventually open it up so anyone can share their travel itineraries and experiences with the public.

Story continues below.

Is AI a threat to privacy?

With all the rapid advancements in AI in just the past year, some users are wary of its safety .

“Data privacy is definitely one of our biggest concerns, and we ensure that none of the personal identifiable information ever reaches basically the model providers. That will all stay with us,” Layla’s Saeed said. “None of their personally identifiable data can ever be basically used to profile them or basically go into any of these systems, which are training these different models.”

Booz Allen Hamilton, the nation’s largest provider of AI to the federal government , focuses heavily on ethical and  secure AI, as well as adhering to the government’s policies on data collection. 

“We collect as little information as we can in order to provide a secure transaction,” said Booz Allen Hamilton Senior Vice President Will Healy, who heads up their recreation work, including Recreaton.gov , the government’s central travel planning site for public lands like national parks. “We don't save your searches. We don't save your credit card data. We're very careful about the data that we store.”

Yoon Kim, an assistant professor in MIT’s Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department and Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory , isn’t too worried about security in the initial brainstorming stages of travel planning with AI.

“I don't see, at this point, how AI-generated advice is spiritually different from travel guide articles that you might read on certain websites,” he said. “Travel planning is one really nice use case of these models, as narrow as it is, because it's a scenario in which you want to be given ideas but you don't actually need to commit to them.” 

What’s next for AI? 

Things could be different, though, if AI is used beyond trip planning. Deloitte sees AI being woven into all parts of travel.

“There is an opportunity for a real engine – I'm going to just use a generic term, engine – that allows you to search and pull it all together and to sort based off of your personal reasons for prioritization and then not stopping at ‘hey give me a list’ or ‘here's what to do,’ but ‘OK, now go create my itinerary, help me book it, track it all the way through that travel process,” said Matt Soderberg, principal, U.S. airlines leader for Deloitte. 

Deloitte’s Facing travel’s future report, released in early April, identifies seven stages where AI can intersect with a trip, from personalized recommendations based on past travel, online purchases and tendencies to day-of issues to a post-travel pulse, where travelers may be asked about their experience and start thinking about future trips. 

“When you solve across all of those, that's going to be the Holy Grail,” Soderberg said. “The difficulty is that doesn't all sit in one place. And so how do you get the right information and the right data to bring all of that together for a single experience for the consumer? And who's going to own that?”

Layla and Mindtrip, among others, already offer booking through partners like Booking.com. “It's all about making things actionable,” Moss said.

But for now, if issues come up mid-trip, AI tools can’t fix them like humans can. Humans still have to get involved.

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A practical guide to travel in Egypt, from tipping culture to independent touring

From packing tips to advice on haggling, here’s everything you need to know while planning your trip.

Whether you want to sail down the Nile on a felucca, explore ancient temples, browse the museums of Cairo or go trekking in Sinai, there are a few things to bear in mind when planning your trip to Egypt. Here’s what to be aware of when it comes to visas, tipping, guides and more.

Do I need a visa?

Almost all travellers, including visitors from the UK and the EU, need a visa to travel to Egypt. While it’s possible to get a visa on arrival, it saves time at the airport if you apply online in advance. A single-entry tourist visa costs US$25 (£20). If you plan to stay in the resort towns in Sinai for fewer than 15 days, you do not need a visa. Instead, you receive a ‘permission stamp’ in your passport when you land at Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport. While this option is a money saver, the list of places you’re permitted to visit is quite limited — even Ras Mohamed National Park at the southern tip of Sinai is off limits without the full visa.

What should I pack?

Egypt is a majority Muslim country, so it’s respectful for travellers to dress modestly. For all genders, this means covering everything between your shoulders and knees. You will likely be asked to cover up more if you visit a mosque or church.

The tap water is not safe to drink here so bring a water bottle with a filter, such as those from Lifestraw .

Wi-fi ranges from infuriatingly slow to nonexistent across the country, even at five-star hotels. Get mobile data through your service provider at home or buy an Egyptian SIM card when you land at the airport.

Can I pay by card in Egypt?

Cash reigns supreme but you can use a card at some higher-end hotels and restaurants. Take some Egyptian pounds out of a cash machine when you arrive, but be mindful of the fluctuating exchange rate and don’t take more out than you need. For bigger expenses, consider bringing US dollars, the most — and sometimes only — accepted foreign currency.

Tipping, called baksheesh, infiltrates almost every interaction you’ll have. It’s customary to tip nearly everyone you come in contact with, even for services you don’t want or require. Keep small change on hand for toilet attendants, porters, mosque caretakers and guards at temples and tombs.

Should I join a tour or travel independently?

Egypt has been a package-tour destination since the days of Thomas Cook, who first led a group to Egypt in 1869. The country is well set up for tour groups, and many first-time visitors find this option easiest, with guides and transport logistics arranged for you. Egypt’s historic sites have little signage, making a tour guide a necessity for deeper understanding.

Nile cruises generally run between Luxor and Aswan in both directions, but a few make the long journey from Cairo. Trains, planes and buses connect cities along the Nile, and buses or internal flights can take you to the Red Sea coast.

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Experience europe’s finest cities via post-olympics travel.

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Paris readies to host the Summer Olympic Games.

The “City of Light” will be abuzz with activity from July 26 to August 11 as the Summer Olympics come to Paris. Officials estimate that 15 million visitors will attend The Games, along with the 10,500 athletes competing for glory.

For many people, The Games will serve as a starting point for an extended holiday with plans to travel throughout Europe after the Olympics conclude. Occurring only once every four years, this year’s Olympics present an ideal opportunity for people to experience Europe coupled with one of the world’s storied sporting events.

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After the adrenaline and celebrations of Paris, London offers visitors an air of sophistication in a city renowned for its historic sites. Guests can experience such iconic landmarks as Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square and more. For a relaxing night out head to the famed West End for dinner and a show. Be sure to include Piccadilly Circus in your plans, a vibrant section similar to a smaller Times Square. The Stafford London is an elegantly designed luxury hotel offering guests an inviting atmosphere to take in the decadent interiors, charming service and rich royal history. Guests can enjoy one of the few remaining ‘American’ cocktails bars, The American Bar, a historic and legendary 380-year-old wine cellar, along with the classic British restaurant, The Game Bird, helmed by Michelin-starred Chef Lisa Goodwin-Allen. Travelers looking to be a part of quality service and old-school charm can appreciate the hotel’s refined Afternoon Tea, taking guests through British culture.

Celebrating 100 years of regenerative agriculture with a series of joy-filled centenary experiences and events rooted in nature, this summer is the perfect time to embrace the great British outdoors at luxury countryside retreat, Heckfield Place . Experiential happenings including a Home Farm Cooking Experience with Lunch , Foraged Cocktail Making Workshops, produce sales, talks and screenings. Hotel guests can further take advantage of the property’s outdoor playground through wild swimming, relaxing picnics underneath the willows, boating on the serene lake and going on a peaceful bike ride to explore the estate.

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With intriguing history, rich cultural attractions, delectable cuisine, an unrivaled scenic setting and welcoming natives, Naples is the perfect Italian city to spend after the Olympics. Visitors can see the iconic Piazza del Plebiscito, enjoy a show in San Carlo Theater, shop on Via Toledo and Galleria Umberto I, see the historic Spanish Quarter and beautiful Naples Cathedral, bask in stunning coastal views and feast on authentic Neapolitan pizza. For unmatched views of Mount Vesuvius and the island of Capri, ROMEO Hotel is the ultimate modern luxury five-star hotel. Completely redesigned by Japanese architect Kenzo Tange & Associates, the immaculate 79 rooms and suites offer stunning views. From an exciting new restaurant to debut this summer to over 1,000 Italian wine labels to explore in the Wine Cellar, guests can enjoy excellent F&B options.

Amsterdam is one of Europe's most picturesque cities.

Amsterdam, Netherlands (1.5-hour flight or 3.5-hour train from Paris)

Spend a few days meandering through Amsterdam’s iconic canals by foot or bicycle, or immerse yourself in the rich art and culture that the city has to offer visiting the landmarks in Museum Square. The city is about to celebrate its 750th anniversary in October, so it is the ideal time to visit this Dutch city. Conservatorium Hotel stands proudly in Museum Square in the epicenter of the city’s many beloved cultural hotspots and iconic landmarks. Originally built in the 19th century and opened as a hotel in 2011, the extravagant property exquisitely tells the stories of the past, fusing elegant Dutch architecture and beautifully restored design by Piero Lissoni with the simplicity of the present and intrigue of the future to provide guests with inspired moments at every turn. Discover some of the best culinary offerings Amsterdam has to offer at Taiko Cuisine, Taiko Bar, Barbounia and The Lounge, all under the direction of Dutch chef Schilo van Coevorden.

Andermatt offers natural beauty and alpine adventure.

Andermatt, Switzerland (1-hour flight or 6.5-hour train from Paris)

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Bruges is home to many unique tourist attractions.

Bruges, Belgium (1-hour flight or 2.5-hour train from Paris)

Bruges is one of the most charming and popular must-visits during a European summer. Here you’ll find true romance via lazy canals, horse-drawn carriages and tons of green space, with so much to explore in the warm, dry weather. This summer, climb the Belfry, relax on the nearby beaches and learn about and view some of the world’s most famous art works and the vibrant street art for which the city is famous. Only 50 meters from the Place du Marché, the Relais & Châteaux Hotel Heritage is an excellent choice for accommodations. This 19th century building is the ideal starting point to explore on foot, by carriage or boat. On returning to the Heritage, relax in the lounge bar, Le Magnum and savor local cuisine at Le Mystique (est.1869), where you will be privy to the delights of a 14th century wine cellar.

Over 15 million visitors will attend The Games.

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Tips for a First Camping Trip With Grandkids

Family camping is a perfect opportunity to bond with grandchildren. gather camping ideas to plan an awesome adventure.

Terry Ward,

Summer is coming, and with it, pleasant temperatures across much of the United States that just beg for time spent outdoors , enjoying nature.

Planning a family camping adventure with kids or grandkids is a great way to make your precious bonding time together last longer — and naturally unplugged too. 

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When it comes to entertaining children, time in nature has been proven to be one of the best options, with benefits such as building confidence, teaching responsibility, getting kids moving, and even reducing stress and fatigue, according to the Child Mind Institute, a New York–based nonprofit that works to improve the lives of children struggling with mental health.

But to plan a camping adventure with young children , you might be wondering where to start — and that applies whether it’s your very first time camping at all or your first time attempting to do it with kids in tow.

“I would suggest going as a couple first or camping with friends before taking children,” says former scout leader Peggy Cleveland, 61, of Tacoma, Washington. It’s important to know that you enjoy the experience before embarking on it with kids, she says.

From there, you can graduate to camping in the backyard with the kids or grandkids, or even venturing to a park or campground close to home, Cleveland says.

“You want to be close enough to home that you can throw everything in the car in the event it is a disaster,” she says.

Limiting your camping trips to a weekend before building up to longer stays is a good idea too, she says. Cleveland recommends a combination of tent and car camping (which is when you pull your car right up to a campsite and keep everything handy, as opposed to hiking to the site and carrying everything with you) for a first camping trip with children.

And new campers might want to consider a fall adventure to start, she says, calling it the perfect season for beginners. “It is not as hot, and the cooler evenings are more conducive to sleep,” Cleveland says.

Slow your pace and enjoy the lessons along the way

Part of the joy of a camping trip with kids is exposing them to life lessons you can’t always instill in the same way when surrounded by four walls at home or in a classroom.

“Activities like setting up camp exposes [kids] to valuable life skills, like problem-solving and resourcefulness,” says Diane Eichler, senior vice president of marketing at Kampgrounds of America (KOA). But it’s important to proceed at a slower pace so kids can keep up with everything that camping involves, she warns.

“Engage them as much as possible and allow extra time for setting up camp, preparing meals, and hiking or exploring, as kids may need more breaks along the way,” Eichler says.

And don’t forget to embrace the magic of the experience together.

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“[Kids] bring awe at discovering new things and joy at being in the outdoors,” she says.

While setting up the campsite is a group activity, Cleveland suggests designating appropriate tasks so each child can help in their own way.

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“Make sure each child is paired with an adult who is responsible for watching them,” she adds. “It is easy for kids to wander off if they don’t have something to do.”

Cleveland advises staying flexible while also planning each day while camping.

“You won’t be sitting around the campsite sipping wine,” she says. “Do an active activity in the morning such as a hike. Return to the campsite for lunch and a nap for younger children. Look up camp games, or teach them something new like how to make a knot or start a fire.”

For your first time camping with kids, opt for a place with lots of room to roam and explore, says Chrys Watson, 69, a grandmother of seven, including six she’s taken camping.

“If you’re just starting out, a KOA would be a good place,” says Watson. “There are a lot of campgrounds that are out in the woods or up in the mountains that have a lot of facilities too.”

One of Watson’s favorite places to take her own kids when they were younger was Fun Valley Family Resort in South Fork, Colorado. Fishing, hiking, tubing, miniature golf and paddleboats are among the many on-site activities to keep little ones busy.

Closer to their home in Leedey, Oklahoma, Watson and her husband have taken their grandkids camping at state parks, including Roman Nose State Park and Foss State Park.

“Look for places that are wide open, with lots of places for them to climb up on rocks and slide down and explore,” Watson says. “It’s the easiest and cheapest entertainment there is for them. They love it.”

Be sure to set ground rules while camping, she recommends, including ensuring that they understand not to wander off and to be aware of wildlife such as snakes.

National parks have great campgrounds, says Cleveland, but it can be difficult to secure a campsite reservation in peak season.

“Most people are familiar with state parks in their home state but fail to consider other states,” she says, so be sure to research state parks beyond your home base for camping options.

To make sure everyone sleeps comfortably, you’ll want to pack warm, insulated sleeping bags and cushioned or blow-up air mattresses to soften any roots, gravel or rocks under you at the campsite.

Make meal time easy

Gathering around the campfire or at a picnic table under the shade of a tall pine tree to enjoy a meal together is a stellar camping moment. It’s best to make meal time as easy as possible, especially when you’re new to cooking alfresco and with limited utensils at your disposal. 

Sara Healy, a Tampa, Florida, mother of three, has enjoyed camping at KOAs as well as Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park Camp-Resorts around the U.S.

“Jellystone campgrounds have some of the most robust programming of any campground we have visited,” Healy says, citing tie-dye, candy bar bingo and water play areas as examples.

When it comes to food, she says one-pot meals simplify things.

Her kids always enjoy “hairy hot dogs,” made by slicing uncooked hot dogs into discs and skewering them with three or four pieces of uncooked spaghetti noodles. Boil on a camp stove or over the fire until the pasta is cooked, then top with your choice of sauce. (“My kids liked cheddar sauce the most,” Healy says.)

Watson suggests bringing along a cast iron skillet and grate to place over a fire, as well as a large griddle to use over the fire or with a propane tank.

“We make sweet potato hash, cut up with onions, peppers, eggs and sausage, and stir it all together and make it over the fire,” she says. The griddle also works well for pancakes and other one-dish recipes.

Cleveland points to a mixture of peanut butter, oatmeal, raisins or dried fruit, M&M’s or chocolate chips, and nuts as a breakfast favorite for campers.

“Mix it up according to how many people. No measuring necessary, just add ingredients and mix until it all sticks together,” she says. “Slap about 1 cup per person in a bowl or on plate and eat away. It is so good.”

If you don’t have running water at your campsite, Watson recommends bringing a small tub and 5-gallon container of water for washing dishes.

Whatever you do, don’t forget the fixings for s’mores, Watson says.

“Kids find their fun in nature. You don’t hear an ‘I don’t have anything to do,’ ” she says. But there is one thing they always request while camping: “They want to roast marshmallows and s’mores at dark, then they just want to go to sleep,” she says.

Terry Ward is a travel journalist who lives in Tampa, Florida, and loves to scuba dive and camp with her kids. She is a contributing writer who covers food, drink and travel, and her work has appeared in  National Geographic Traveler  and The Washington Post  and on cnn.com.

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