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Online Travel - Booking Made Easy!


Remember the days of travel agents and bright vacation pamphlets? Well, those days are gone! Travel agents are hard to find these days. In fact, they’re almost non-existent due to the many online options for booking travel. So when it comes time for your vacation, use these tips and resources for online travel booking.

Shopping around
Travel agents used to do the shopping around for you. Now there are websites that allow you to see the prices and amenities. These sites can offer great deals and put together different vacation packages for you. Of course, the price depends on your destination. However, these sites often offer lower prices than if you booked directly with the airline or hotel. Here’s a list of the most popular websites for booking airplanes, rental cars, cruises and hotels:

  • Expedia
  • Priceline
  • Orbitz
  • Travelocity

These websites can require membership, which just means you have a login and password. They’ll keep track of your vacation information for you in your travel profile. Some of them can even send you notifications of special deals based on your previous trips booked with them.

The world traveler
If you like to travel overseas, there are several websites out there made just for you. You can easily book cheap international plane tickets. From finding budget hotels to locating hostels all over the world, booking international travel online has never been so easy:

  • AirTreks: a specialized travel site that focuses on overseas air travel. They also offer a trip planner and show you how you can travel around the whole world . . . and not spend a fortune.
  • Hostels: helps you find hostels around the world. Search for hostels and book rooms. They also offer rail passes and track some international flight deals.
  • HostelWorld: provides information on hostels and budget hotels around the world. You can also book tours in some of the world’s most popular cities.
  • Lonely Planet: the website made just for the true world traveler. While you can’t book travel on the site, it has a wealth of information about places around the world and what to do there.

Planning the best family vacations
Not every vacation site is going to offer up good family vacation packages. While a trip to Mexico may be great for singles or couples, it won’t always work well for a family of three or more. The Family Travel Network offers up great deals for family travel. The site features all inclusive family vacations, as well as great articles and information for family vacations. If you don’t end up booking a deal through the Family Travel Network, you will at least find family vacation ideas so you can go on the best family vacation ever.

Booking adventurous vacations
The beach, a resort and a rental car not your style? There are several resources out there to help you book one wild vacation! Whether you want to stay in the States, or go to remote places on the globe, these websites will help you get started. Find travel adventure ideas you never dreamed of:

  • iExplore: offers tips and information on world travel – whether you’re going alone, with your family or with a group. You can also book vacations.
  • Recreation.gov: a site for reserve your National Park camping site online. This is a great resource if you’re going to be visiting parks during the peak season.
  • Lonely Planet: informational site that is world-focused. Lonely Planet can give you some great ideas for vacations. It can also enlighten you to some neat places you might want to see eventually.

Bed and Breakfast vacations
You might like a slower paced vacation. The kind where you can take your time in the morning. Then have a nice, hot breakfast before hitting the road to take the scenic route. If this appeals to you, then you’re a bed and breakfast vacationer! There are bed and breakfasts scattered all over. Some are run-of-the-mill, and some are so unique you’ll have an experience of a lifetime! Here are several sites that can help you find a bed and breakfast anywhere in the world:

  • BedandBreakfast.com
  • Bed and Breakfast Center
  • Pamela Lanier’s Bed and Breakfasts
  • The Bed & Breakfast Directory
  • Bed and Breakfast Planner
  • BnBFinder.com

A word of caution
When you book your own vacations online, be careful who you book with and what information you hand out. Travel agents mostly work with people they know and can trust. So, if you don’t go with one of the big name websites, you might be taking a bit of a risk. Do your research about the website you want to book a vacation with. Make sure that they are credible and reliable. The last thing you want to do is watch your vacation fall apart after all your research!

Whether you’re looking for cheap family vacations or a trip around the world, make sure to shop around and find the best deal for your vacation. Online travel booking is a great way to control every aspect of your vacation. You can make sure it suits your tastes and works with your wallet. And before you know it, you’ll be on your dream vacation!

 

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