So you’re about ready to pull your hair out at work. The kids are driving you insane. And to top it off, you just found out your car needs a new transmission. It’s definitely time for a vacation. But before you think to yourself, “Get real. I don’t have money for that,” stop and take a breath. There are several websites targeted specifically for people like you, who don’t necessarily have the money for a vacation, but desperately need one (and deserve one!). Read on to discover that you can not only take the vacation of your dreams, but you can save a bundle too! Plus, that twitch starting in your left eye is getting kind of creepy.
- Expedia: Possibly one of the largest online travel booking websites, Expedia offers the ability to painlessly search for travel deals. Simply choose the type of travel you’re looking for (cruise, flight, travel packages, car rental, hotel, etc.), hit the search button, and browse through hundreds of discounted vacations. You can save even more by booking early and also making use of special coupons and promotions offered.
- Travelocity: You’ve seen the commercials- the ones with the little gnome accidentally lighting himself on fire, jetting off on rockets, and cruising around in dune buggies. Travelocity acts like the middle man between you and other travel sites by scoping out the best deals. Just plug in what you’re looking for and the “Roaming Gnome” will work his hardest to find you the greatest deal. They also have specials like “Last-Minute Summer Getaways” and 48 hour hotel-stay savings.
- Orbitz: Orbitz, along with Expedia and Travelocity, are the top three most trafficked sites in the US. Why? Because people get the results they want while saving some green, and what could be better than sitting back and having Orbitz do it all? Plus, the clean and simple layout and shopping cart software platform is definitely a bonus when searching on this travel website. Searching for packages, like a flight and a hotel together, are encouraged because you can save more than if you had booked them separately.
- Priceline: Priceline encourages you to “name your own price,” where you can bid on flights, hotels, and cars and save up to 60%. You may also search for vacations normally similar to the previous websites mentioned. Plus, you could set up email alerts to be notified when there are awesome deals on what you’re looking for. They also offer last minute deals express deals. Come on, you’re bound to find something with William Shatner on your side.
- Kayak: With a slogan like, “Search One and Done,” you know it has to be easy; Kayak basically does all the work for you while searching hundreds of deals online. Choose what you’re looking for and Kayak will search through hundreds of travel sites at once, presenting each one to you in a different window. Think of it as a combination of the previous websites into one. It’s super simple to browse through the deals while picking off the ones that don’t fit the bill.
Kristy Kravitsky is a 2011 college graduate with a degree in English. She enjoys writing, photography, and traveling the country.
