Top three websites for your travel planning

Planning your travel can be a stressful and expensive process but there are several websites that make it much easier in a variety of ways.

A United Express airplane takes off at Milwaukee Mitchell Airport in Milwaukee on Wednesday, Jan.
A United Express airplane takes off at Milwaukee Mitchell Airport in Milwaukee on Wednesday, Jan. | Mike De Sisti / Milwaukee Journal

As enjoyable an experience as traveling can become, it can also become a situation that builds stress as costs rise and planning frustrates. There are several tools available on the Internet meant to help the process go much more smoothly, including websites that are meant to streamline booking across several items. Platforms like KAYAK, Hotels.com, Expedia, and more give you the opportunity to book flights, stays, car rentals, and more from one location. There are so many available, and this list looks at the top three for travelers to take advantage of during their time away.

Booking.com

Booking.com should be your first stop when you are looking to secure a hotel. This website has listings in 227 countries and certainly has something available wherever your heart has in mind. Not only will you get access to hotels, but there are also hostels, guesthouses, apartments, and resorts available for booking.

What is best about Booking.com is that the price you see is the final price. Other websites usually tack on some types of fees on the backend, Booking.com does not do that. This is a great benefit when traveling on a budget where every dollar counts.

Google Flights

Airline fares can be one of the most expensive aspects of travel. This is one location that allows you to scan all the airlines at once to find the best flight options. The website looks at both major and minor airlines to find the best available prices for your trip. The calendar also makes it easy to see which days are best to travel, showing the lowest rates available based on the destination you have in mind.

There’s also the Price Graph that predicts how the flight prices will change over time. This is a great tool to use if your travel time is flexible. Google Flights is the best option to use when looking to save money on your airline fees.

Kayak

Kayak is a booking website that does a lot of searching through other travel websites with the goal of finding the best prices available. Think of Kayak as a giant search filter that carves through all the noise on other sites. This will help you save time and still get the best deals available. When planning your trip, Kayak is a great tool to use as your kickoff point to begin budgeting.