Top Travel Web Sites
The December issue of Travel + Leisure magazine features its annual travel Web sites report. The editors have done the legwork to find the 33 best sites out there to help you travel better and more affordably.
Deputy Editor Laura Begley visited The Early Show to highlight some of these sites.
Begley explained that thousands of sites were reviewed to come up with the incredible list of just 33 sites. They are literally the crème de la crème of the online travel world.
The editors are all huge travelers, and they did rigorous testing on their own, plus the magazine polled other travel experts and intrepid travelers.
Begley noted that when every dollar counts, it is more important than ever to have trusted sources to guide you in the right direction. There are more options than ever for finding deals online. The chosen sites don't just rehash what you'd find everywhere else. These are true finds for consumers.
Some highlights from the list:
1. FLIGHTS
Farecast.com: predicts the ideal moment to buy a ticket.
likely to fluctuate in the next week, even providing you with a rating.
deals - a recent search turned up a flight from Chicago to Honolulu for $385 on
specific dates in January. It was listed as a "record low" fare and recommended
to "act fast."
Yapta.com: get your money back if the ticket price drops.
monitor the fare, alert you if the price drops, and instruct you how to get a
refund from the airline for the difference (yes, it's often possible).
2. DEALS
Kayak.com and Sidestep.com: aggregator sites that are still the ultimate source for deals on airfares, hotels and car rentals.
for deals on airfare, hotels, and car rentals.
short connection times.
Lastminute.com: for package deals, one week out.
date, a list of packages that include reduced rates for flights, hotels, and
car rentals.
(including air) from $301 /person - it was for a departure the next weekend!
3. HOTELS
Tripkick.com: pinpoint the best rooms to stay in (and which to avoid) in 450 hotels across the country.
United States.
size.
America, Mexico, and the Caribbean.
4. CAR TRAVEL
Traffic.com: avoid roadblocks and identify the fastest routes.
delay times in more than 100 U.S. cities.
traffic camera locations.
5. GROUP TRAVEL
Triporama.com: let everyone share in the planning.
Web site that lets you create to-do lists, chat on private message boards, and
build day-by-day itineraries.
such as girlfriend getaways and sporting events
6. VACATION RENTALS
Flipkey.com: check out over 50,000 listings, complete with photos and ratings from previous renters.