Finding an exotic vacation that’s reasonably priced but that doesn’t feel like one of the Hostel movies can take hours of web searches and frustrating meetings with travel agents.
Then, once you finally book a cheap vacation that you found on a last-minute sale, you can be hit with fees that end up making the trip not as good of a deal.
So, please, avoid the weird newspaper ads and travel agencies, and just try these six great websites with unbelievable travel deals.
1. CruiseCompete.com
CruiseCompete allows you to use a travel agency’s services without ever having to step foot into an office, which saves you time and the agent’s heckling.
Cruise Compete gathers more than 300 travel agencies, who then compete to give you the lowest prices for whatever dates, ports or ships that you specify, according to Kiplinger.
Cruises are always a gamble, so be sure to do research on just what kind of cruise would be right for you (long or short in duration, or a big or small ship) before considering Cruise Compete.
A super helpful feature about this website is that it has live agents available to guide you through the process or the strange terminology either by phone or on a live internet chat.
2. LivingSocial Escapes
LivingSocial Escapes is great for finding the perfect weekend getaway, according to the Travel Channel. Most deals are centered around your lodging, like a B&B in Napa Valley or a mountain resort, but you can also occasionally find deals for bigger trips like hiking in Nepal.
If you plan on going on a trip with friends, then be sure to share the link from your purchase with them via Facebook, a tweet or email.
If three friends buy the deal using your link, then your package is free! You could either then split the remaining packages your friends bought to make everything super cheap, or just promise to treat your friends to all their drinks for the weekend.
3. TripAlertz
Ethical travel is the best! You can find crazy deals on discounted flights here if you book a hotel stay for two, and, unlike some other coupon travel sites, there aren’t as many restrictions on when you can travel.
TripAlertz believes that travel should be more than just a simple transaction, so it donates one percent of its direct revenue to sustainability efforts.
4. Groupon Getaways
If you’re looking to go abroad but you don’t have $6,000 handy to make the trip happen, then Groupon Getaways will be your new best friend.
There are all-inclusive, seven-day trips to places like Ireland, Thailand and Paris. For a good number of these trips, airfare is included, making the deal truly unbelievable.
The seven-day Ireland vacation, for example, is $699 per person, based on double occupancy.
The catch of these trips, though, is that you can only travel within certain dates or months. Regardless, if you plan well enough in advance, you could snag a trip worth thousands of dollars for well under or around $1,000.
5. Best Travel Deals
Best Travel Deals is kind of like Groupon, but the date ranges for all-inclusive packages are a bit more flexible.
The website also features hotel deals grouped by region, a specific hotel and price. You can also find cruise deals and airline deals.
6. JetSetter
JetSetter searches for the best of the best hotels that have “personality, style, great service and a sense of place,” according to Travel Channel.
The website features last-minute travel deals as well as vacations that take a bit more planning, all alongside beautiful photos of the featured hotel or destination. The website says it’s anything but Hostel-like.
Photo by Traveloscopy