Editor’s Note: The airfares, hotel rates, and vacation package prices in this story are sample prices only, and may vary depending on your specific travel dates.

The Best Destinations for All-Inclusive Vacations Under $500

All-inclusive resorts and packages allow guests to take care of all food and lodging expenses upfront, meaning they can relax on vacation without fear of unexpected costs cropping up during their trip. These four destinations offer travelers a chance to book an all-inclusive vacation and roundtrip airfare for under $500.

The Dominican Republic

The beaches of the Dominican Republic are as beautiful as any in the Caribbean, and round-trip flights to the island can cost as little as $180 from Chicago or Miami. Choice Hotels’ Ascend collection includes two all-inclusive resorts in the Dominican Republic with incredibly low nightly rates: Travel during the off seasons—spring and fall—and you can nab a stay at Emotions by Hodelpa Juan Dolio for as little as $100 per night, or at Emotions by Hodelpa Puerto Plata from $97 per night.

Both are beachfront properties with a variety of restaurants, as well as outdoor pools, in-room fridges, microwaves, an on-site fitness center, and a location that’s within easy distance from the airport and major attractions. Members of the Choice Privileges Rewards Program also earn points by staying at either resort.

Pick the right dates, book a few nights, and do the math, and you’ll have gotten yourself a Caribbean vacation that includes airfare, hotel, food, and beverages (yes, even the alcoholic kind) for under $500.

Jamaica

For travelers willing to travel in the off-season—between mid-April and mid-December—a four night stay at the beachfront Royal Decameron, an all-inclusive property on Montego Bay’s lively strip, and roundtrip airfare can cost as little $474 when booked as a package through CheapCaribbean.com.

The Royal Decameron is within easy walking distance of the city’s best hot spots, shops, and restaurants, though all your food is already taken care of on-site. To stick to your budget, you can also stick to admission-free attractions in Jamaica—including Negril Cliffs and Castleton Gardens—and use local buses and taxis instead of renting a car.

The Bahamas

While not a classic all-inclusive resort vacation, you’ll certainly find everything you need on board a cruise ship to the Bahamas. And if you’re setting sail from Florida, you can, without too much effort, find a four-night cruise for about the cost of a single hotel night in any major American city.

A quick Expedia search brings up plenty of three- and four-night sailings from Florida that start under $300 per person, while Cruises.com offers a similar list. Cruise prices typically include all the food you can eat, live entertainment, and calls at ports such as Nassau, Freeport, and, often, private islands belonging to that cruise line. We even found a 4-night cruise departing from Miami going to the Bahamas for $169 per person! 

Cancún

Roundtrip flights to Cancún from southeastern airports like Fort Lauderdale, Atlanta, and Miami can be found for as little as $183. You’ll find the best deals during off-season, mid-summer through autumn, and fares tend to be cheaper for travel on weekdays than weekends.

Riu Hotels & Resorts operates a series of all-inclusive resorts in Cancún, including the HOTEL RIU DUNAMAR 5* which has rooms available for as little as $137 per night. For those who would rather bundle their airfare and hotel, CheapCaribbean.com offers deals on several all-inclusive vacation packages with airfare that will get you to Cancún for under $500. This vacation package to Riviera Maya  includes three nights at the Bahia Principe Grand Coba, a 5-star hotel right by popular Playa Del Carmen complete with spa, casino, and beach access. 

Other Top Spots for a Budget Vacation

If all-inclusive resorts aren’t your style, there are still plenty of other cheap tropical vacation spots to explore.  While additional expenses like food and excursions won’t be covered, you can still find round-trip airfare and lodging for under $500 at these destinations.

Puerto Rico

You can often find round-trip flights from Miami to San Juan for around $100—with some weekday options as low as $75—and flights from other parts of the east coast are usually under $200 thanks to budget airlines like Spirit. 

Vacation rentals are the most affordable option for accommodations and you can find several cheap options that are right by the beach – like this two-bedroom condo that costs just $89 per night or this spacious studio with spa tub and patio for just $99 per night.

Stretch your budget even further by spending your days lounging on the gorgeous beaches around the island, all of which are free and open to the public, or seeking out fun free experiences in the capital city of San Juan, like the University of Puerto Rico’s Botanical Garden.

Oahu, Hawaii

Budget airlines like Southwest and Alaskan have made trips to Hawaii affordable. Several times a year, these airlines have sales that bring flights to Hawaii down to less than $300.  (Airfare sites such as Airfarewatchdog, SmarterTravel’s sister site, will alert you when fares drop.)

If you’re lucky enough to snag one of these low fares to Honolulu—or if you’re the lucky owner of a Southwest Companion Pass, which is actually fairly easy to get if you keep an eye out for associated credit card offers—Oahu has worthwhile low-budget lodgings that could help keep your tropical vacation total under $500. Vacation rentals will once again give you the best bang for your buck, with many highly rated options on Vrbo listed at less than $100 per night.

Once you’re there, Honolulu doesn’t have to be expensive since the city has plenty of cheap street food and affordable restaurants—Moose McGillycuddy’s is a favorite for low-cost breakfasts—and bus transportation is easy and much less expensive than renting a car. Plus, many of Oahu’s most worthwhile attractions are free or open for a nominal fee, including hiking up Diamond Head ($5 for entry, $10 to park a vehicle in the lot), paying tribute at Pearl Harbor’s USS Arizona (free), and sunbathing on Waikiki Beach (free).

Florida

Americans looking to keep their tropical vacations under $500 don’t actually have to leave the contiguous part of their continent to laze on the beach while shaded by palm trees. Orbitz’s list of vacation package deals under $499 usually offers some worthwhile all-inclusive deals to Orlando. Likewise, Travelocity has a dedicated Flight + Hotel Deals Under $400 page that includes various packages to Miami and Orlando, with stays at properties like the Westgate Vacation Villa Resort and the Boulan South Beach.

If you’d rather book airfare and lodging separately, check out Expedia’s round-trip fares to Orlando for less than $100. Couple that with affordable lodgings, like the family-friendly Coco Key Hotel and Waterpark Resort—just $132 for a room that sleeps four and only $19 more for a King Suite—and you’ve got yourself a memorable tropical trip with the kids that won’t break the bank.

Tips for Finding All-Inclusive Vacations with Airfare Under $500

Wherever you choose to book your affordable tropical vacation, one key strategy to keeping it under $500 is to understand what average prices look like for where you want to go—and to be ready to buy the minute you see fares that are listed well below that.

“If you’ve been watching for a good fare and you find one, don’t hesitate,” says Jeff Klee, the CEO of CheapAir. “When you go away for a few days or hours to consult with friends, or just continue to shop around, you may be surprised to find that the fare has disappeared while you mulled it over.”

One other tip for keeping vacations under $500, from Klee: “Flexibility is your friend. Unless your trip is for an event tied to a specific set of dates, often just shifting your search dates by a few days can offer big savings. Remember that mid-week flights—Tuesdays and Wednesdays—are usually a much better value than those on the weekend.”

All of the products featured in this story were hand-selected by our travel editors. Some of the links featured in this story are affiliate links, and SmarterTravel may collect a commission (at no cost to you) if you shop through them. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

The post The Best All-Inclusive Vacations Under $500, Including Airfare appeared first on SmarterTravel.

I tested more than a dozen vacation package sites to see which ones had the lowest prices and best user experience. I discovered that many of the best vacation package websites allow you to book any combination of flight, hotel, and rental car, while others are more limited (flight + hotel is often the default). Fortunately, some sites will let you add a car onto a hotel+flight package, even if a car isn’t listed on the initial booking page.

It’s also important to compare the price of a vacation booked as a bundle to that same trip booked a la carte as separate components. Booking a package isn’t always cheaper, and sometimes you’ll get  better flight options to choose from if you search for your airfare separately. In some searches, I discovered that the flight options included by default with my vacation package had ridiculously long layovers or undesirable departure times (4:30 a.m., anyone?).

Keep a sharp eye out for resort fees; many of the best vacation booking sites don’t count them in their initial per-person price estimate because they’re collected separately by the hotel, but they can drive up the final cost of your trip. Similarly, optional airline baggage fees can also increase your total bill, especially if you book a flight in basic economy, and some vacation package sites don’t disclose these fees as clearly as others.

Finally, it’s important to know that many of the best sites for vacation packages are owned by the same parent company, so you’ll often find similar inventory and prices from one to the next. Knowing which sites are mostly interchangeable can save you some research time.

The Best Travel Package Sites

We put them to the test to compare prices, inclusions, and more. The following are the best websites to book vacations, listed in no particular order. Scroll down for more in-depth analysis of each one.

• Expedia
• Expedia’s sister sites: Travelocity, Orbitz, and CheapTickets
• Priceline
• CheapCaribbean.com
• Kayak
• Funjet Vacations

Expedia

This well-known site is one of the best travel package sites for a reason. Expedia offers a full complement of bundle options (flight/hotel, flight/car, hotel/car, and flight/hotel/car) as well as trips to just about every corner of the globe. It’s reliable when it comes to pricing, too: Expedia offered the lowest price in two of my five tests, and was cheaper than average in all but one test booking.

That said, the amount the site said I was saving on a given package didn’t always match up to the actual price difference when I added up the cost of the trip’s individual elements. In one of my test cases, it was actually cheaper to book my flight, hotel, and car separately. So take those supposed savings with a grain of salt (or even better, price out the components separately on your own to be sure you’re getting the best deal).

Expedia has plenty of useful filters to help you find what you need. You can sort hotels by price, distance from a city’s downtown, guest rating, package discount, and property class, while flight options can be filtered by general departure and arrival times (for example, morning vs. evening), airline, whether carry-on bags are included, and more. You can also sort flight options by duration (longest or shortest), price (highest or lowest), departure time (earliest or latest), and arrival time (earliest or latest). There’s also a map view so you can check out the location of each hotel.

Best Feature: The breadth of choice and consistency of pricing make Expedia perhaps the best site for vacation packages. You may not always get the absolute lowest price here, but chances are you’ll pay a fair rate and have plenty of options to choose from.

Check out Expedia

Expedia’s Sister Sites: Travelocity, Orbitz, and CheapTickets

Many travelers don’t realize that Travelocity, Orbitz, and CheapTickets are all owned by Expedia Group, and typically have very similar inventory and pricing to Expedia. Each of these sites has similar layouts and filter options, too. Like Expedia, these three sites offer every possible vacation package combination involving a flight, hotel, and/or rental car.

It was rare for any of these sites to beat out Expedia’s prices in my tests; in general, the rates were identical (especially on Travelocity, where I didn’t find any deviations from Expedia) or a little bit higher. However, Orbitz and CheapTickets did offer slightly cheaper packages on one flight/car itinerary.

Because the pricing is so similar, it’s probably not worth searching all three of these sites in addition to Expedia unless a difference of a few dollars will make or break your travel budget.

Best Feature: Travelocity, Orbitz, and CheapTickets offer a checkbox on their main booking page to specify “I only need accommodations for part of my trip”—a feature that allows user to select a subset of their trip dates and search for travel packages only within that period. This feature is also reflected on Expedia’s search page.

Note: Expedia Group also owns Hotwire, which I didn’t find quite as reliable as the other three in my tests. For one itinerary, a nonstop flight that the other sites offered was not available when booking a Hotwire package (though it was available when booking a separate flight on Hotwire), and the pricing on some searches was a little higher than on the other sites.

Check out Expedia’s sister sites below:

Priceline

Like Expedia and its partners, Priceline also offers every possible combination of flight, hotel, and rental car. Its search results pages are easy to navigate, with plenty of filter and sort options, plus a map view for hotels. Priceline offers numerous hotel options in popular vacation destinations at every price point.

One quirk to prepare for: Priceline’s flight result page lists departure and return flights together as a pair rather than letting you choose each one separately. This cuts down on the number of screens you have to click through but could mean extra scrolling while you try to find the exact two flights you want. Not all flights that are available when booking airfare separately on Priceline seem to be accessible to those booking a package—so it’s worth checking both.

Priceline was in the middle of the pack as far as pricing was concerned. It won one of my tests but was the most expensive option in two others; overall, it offered cheaper-than-average prices 60 percent of the time. To help you save money, the site offers “Express Deals” for rental cars, an opaque option in which you don’t know which rental car brand you’ll get until after you’ve booked. If you’d rather choose which company you’re renting from, standard car rentals are also available.

Best feature: Once you’ve selected your flight and rental car preferences, the site will keep them the same as you click through alternate hotel possibilities—saving you the hassle of having to select them over and over again.

Check out Priceline

CheapCaribbean.com

As its name suggests, CheapCaribbean.com has a more limited scope than other sites on this list, but it’s worth checking if you’re planning a trip to the Caribbean, where package trips such as honeymoons are particularly popular. The site turned up cheaper-than-average prices for both of my Caribbean tests.

CheapCaribbean.com is one of the best vacation websites for all-inclusive packages. Once you’ve entered your trip information, you can also filter your results by “adults only,” “children’s amenities,” and “luxury.” Each hotel-specific page includes a list of active promotions, on-site activities, and the property’s Tripadvisor Traveler Rating.

In some ways CheapCaribbean.com isn’t quite as sophisticated as other travel package sites. There’s no map available to compare locations of the listed hotel options. Also annoying: not being able to group Houston’s two airports into a single search, though you can select “all airports” for New York City and Washington, D.C. But the affordable deals are worth a few snags, as long as you’re only looking for a flight/hotel package—there’s no option to add a car or create any other package combinations, though you can add travel insurance and transfers, at least for the destinations I checked.

Best Feature: The “Deals of Fortune,” or bookings where you know the destination but not the exact resort until about a week before the trip. This is a fun feature for value-conscious travelers who aren’t set on a particular island or property.

Check out Cheapcaribbean.com

Kayak

A popular meta-search site, Kayak saves travelers time by searching many of the best travel package sites with a single click. Unfortunately, you can’t specify which elements of your trip you’d like to bundle; it searches flight + hotel by default. You can add a car later on some of its partner sites, but if you’re looking for a flight/car package, you’ll have to go elsewhere.

Results list the cheapest available packages from sites such as Priceline (Kayak’s sister company), Expedia, and CheapCaribbean.com. There’s a map view available, and the results page shows both air- and hotel-related filters to make it easy to find nonstop flights, free breakfast, or a specific hotel.

I found that the prices listed on Kayak didn’t always match the price on the source site when I clicked over to find the deal—a fairly common problem with meta-search sites. But I also occasionally discovered that I got a different price after clicking from Kayak than I did when searching the same itinerary from the booking site’s home page. For example, a Las Vegas package was $819 per person on Priceline when I clicked over from Kayak, but just $783 when I booked the same package from the Priceline home page. Another test offered the opposite result, with the price being cheaper after clicking from Kayak than it was when booking directly on Priceline. The lesson: Test both options when using a meta-search site.

Best Feature: Being able to search some of the best vacation booking sites in a single place is a major time saver. Though Kayak doesn’t always find you the lowest possible price, it’s a good place to start your search and get an idea of what’s out there.

Check out Kayak

Funjet Vacations

The Funjet home page gives you a single package option: flight/hotel. However, you can work around this by adding a rental car on at the end of a flight/hotel or individual flight booking. There are plenty of sort options for your results, including price, hotel name, rating, points of interest, and location.

One annoyance: Similarly to CheapCarribbean.com, there is no option to select “all airports” for certain cities like Houston or Chicago. And Funjet’s prices aren’t the most consistent, ranking as the cheapest in one test and the most expensive in another. Still, the site is worth comparing to others when booking your vacation.

Best Feature: Rather than making you scour the web for coupons, Funjet automatically applies any relevant promo codes to your search.

Note: If you’re headed to the Caribbean, Central or South America, Hawaii, or Mexico, try your search on Funjet’s sister site, Apple Vacations. The destinations it covers are more limited than Funjet’s, but I found that the prices were often a little better. CheapCaribbean.com is also owned by the same parent company, Apple Leisure Group.

Check out Funjet

Book Your Stay With SmarterTravel Hotels

If you’re ready to book your next adventure but don’t want to commit to a prepackaged bundle, you can still save big by booking your hotel stay with SmarterTravel Hotels.

Book Now

All of the products featured in this story were hand-selected by our travel editors. Some of the links featured in this story are affiliate links, and SmarterTravel may collect a commission (at no cost to you) if you shop through them. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Follow Sarah Schlichter on Twitter @TravelEditor for more travel tips and inspiration.

The post The 8 Best Travel Package Sites for Booking a Cheap Vacation appeared first on SmarterTravel.

In addition to the option of booking directly with your airline, there are dozens of flight booking websites, also known as online travel agencies (OTAs), to choose from. The uncomfortable truth is that no one flight search engine can guarantee the best price 100 percent of the time, but using a mix of the right resources can help ensure you’re not overpaying.

The Best Flight Booking Sites

One important thing to remember about booking sites/OTAs is that Southwest fares are not sold on them. Some other airlines have also pulled their fares from some booking sites, but most airlines do make their fares available.

Here’s why these 14 are the best flight booking sites and metasearch options out there, and the best defining feature of each. Since it’s impossible to know which site will provide the best price for your particular trip, you should always compare fares from a few sources before you book.

Best Flight Search Site for Comparing Flight Types: Travelocity

It should be noted that Expedia owns Travelocity, so this flight booking site basically gives you Expedia price results with a different color scheme and organizational preferences. Travelocity’s homepage is streamlined but doesn’t offer a flexible-dates search. On the results page, bag fees are revealed by a pop-up screen that activates when clicking each fare, which makes it a little difficult to compare fees (you will likely have to scroll a bit). Travelocity charges booking fees for some but not all flights.

Best Feature: Travelocity displays all fares for a selected flight in a convenient pop-out window, allowing you to compare fares on a given itinerary while still scrolling through options from the search results on the same screen.

Best Flight Search Site for Comparison Shopping: BookingBuddy

Editor’s note: BookingBuddy is owned by SmarterTravel Media, SmarterTravel.com’s parent company.

Compare multiple airfare sites with one click to find the best flight deals on BookingBuddy. This metasearch site lets you easily compare prices from other sites (like Priceline) without having to do a bunch of different searches. You can choose which flight search sites you want to compare, and BookingBuddy opens up a new tab with your selected flight dates and destinations already filled in.

Looking for a flight and hotel? BookingBuddy offers a combination flight and hotel search that can save you some decent money by bundling.

Best Feature: Sign up for a price drop alert, and BookingBuddy will email you when costs drop on your route.

Best Flight Search Site for Transparency: Expedia

As previously mentioned, Expedia is nearly identical to Travelocity, but fares did vary between the two sites on some of my searches. As with Travelocity (and to be fair, a number of other OTAs), Expedia will try to up-sell you on adding a hotel to your itinerary. This can save you money, but be sure to compare prices before you book. Expedia charges variable booking fees (and they are not always the same fees that Travelocity charges). When you select your fare from the list of options, there’s an interstitial step that displays what is and isn’t covered in the fare, including seat selection, cancellations, changes, and baggage rules.

Best Feature: Like its subsidiary Travelocity, Expedia basically double-checks that you understand what sort of fare you’re choosing before you click “select” again. It’s a helpful bit of transparency in today’s cluttered airfare landscape.

Best Flight Search Site for Nonstop Flights: CheapOair

Much like Travelocity and Expedia, flight search sites CheapOair and OneTravel (discussed later in this article) are versions of the same product, owned by Fareportal Inc. Though the sites are owned by the same company, the fare results are not always identical, so it’s worth checking both. CheapOair shows some “Super Saver Fares” for which you don’t find out the airline you’ll be flying until after you book—which means you also don’t find out what baggage fees apply until after you book. However, the savings might be worth it. CheapOair charges a service fee on air travel transactions, from $0 to $35 per ticket.

Best Feature: CheapOair prioritizes nonstop prices over itineraries with stops, organized in an easy-to-read chart that’s organized by airline.

Best Flight Search Site with Flight Reviews: Tripadvisor Flights

Tripadvisor is known for its hotel reviews, and now travelers can apply their ratings to airlines, plus search for airfare on Tripadvisor Flights. On testing this flight booking site it’s clear that Tripadvisor doesn’t always serve up the cheapest fares, but sometimes it did. It always, however, gives you the option to surface Expedia, Travelocity, and other flight booking sites’ results, so you can compare right away with one click. Tripadvisor Flights also has some helpful search options up front, like a checkbox for prioritizing nonstop flights.

Best Feature: Tripadvisor’s flight search tool is unique from others in that it offers review-based FlyScores of airlines alongside their fares, so you’re less likely to book with an obscure, poorly rated airline without realizing it.

Best Flight Booking Site for Environmentally-Conscious Flyers: Skyscanner

Skyscanner is a popular metasearch site that works with hundreds of other travel providers to find the best fares. You can specify nonstop-flights-only right from the homepage, and there’s also a handy “everywhere” option if you don’t have a particular destination in mind and want to see what’s available. Search results show the “best” option (based on a combination of price and speed) as well as the fastest and cheapest, and you can filter by airline, alliance, number of stops, and flight times. When you select a result, you’ll see a variety of places to book that particular flight. Skyscanner casts a wide net, so you’ll often see very cheap fares from booking sites you’ve never heard of; to help you figure out how trustworthy they are, Skyscanner shows user star ratings for each.

Best Feature: For flyers concerned about the environmental impact of their travel, Skyscanner has a unique “Greener flights” filter, which shows only itineraries with lower-than-average CO2 emissions based on your search. The site also highlights certain itineraries in your results as a “greener choice.”

Best Flight Booking Site for Flexible Travel: OneTravel

OneTravel has a similar interface to CheapOAir, with a convenient chart prioritizing the best nonstop flight options at the top of the results page. The search results automatically populate similar but cheaper flights on alternate dates close to the user’s original search date, which is great if there is flexibility in your plans. If you are committed to your arrival and departure dates, however, you can toggle off alternate dates in the filters section. One major drawback: OneTravel charges a steep service fee of up to $50 per ticket.

Best Feature: The search results page is subdivided into Recommended, Cheapest, Shortest, and Alternate Date tabs, making it easy to find exactly what you’re looking for at a high-level and continue to filter down from there.

Best Flight Booking Site for People on a Budget: Travelzoo

Travelzoo is quite different from the other sites listed here. Instead of booking specific itineraries, you can search broad timelines (this week, next month, this summer, etc.) for deals in your desired destination by either month or season. This makes Travelzoo a good fit for people with a budget and time frame, but no firm idea of when or even where they want to go. The downside is that if you do have specific plans in mind—for example, you need a flight to Omaha in March—Travelzoo is not likely to be helpful.

Best Feature: Travelzoo’s flexibility requirement can afford some great deals you won’t find elsewhere, like cheap business-class flights and multi-city itineraries that will make a dream trip a lot more affordable than you’d think.

Best For Where You Don’t Care Where You Go, You Just Want a Good Price: Google Flights

Google Flights is a powerful, simple metasearch site that comes free of ads and distractions. After you enter your departure and arrival airports, the calendar pre-populates with prices so you can target dates with lower fares. Once you have your results, you can track fares on your selected dates and receive updates by email. You can also view fares over various dates using the “Price Graph,” which shows you a bar graph that makes it easy to see when the lowest fares are available.

Best Feature: Instead of putting in a certain city as a destination, you can put in a larger region such as Europe or South Africa. You’ll then see fares to various cities within that region displayed all at once on a map. This can be helpful if you want to go to Europe in April, for example, but don’t have a particular destination in mind.

Best Flight Booking Site for Filtering: Kayak

Often imitated and frequently duplicated, Kayak was a game-changer when it launched back in the mid-2000s. And it’s still one of the most powerful metasearch tools available. You can also set up fares alerts to track prices over time. The interface is noisier than Google Flights thanks to a preponderance of ads, but still easy to use. Like Google, it has a flexible search feature that lets you search for good deals to a region like Europe or even simply put in “anywhere.” Another handy feature available on many itineraries: an “Our Advice” box that lets you know whether you should buy now or wait, depending on whether Kayak thinks fares will go up or down over the next seven days.

Best Feature: Its Hacker Fares claim to piece together separate one-way tickets, potentially saving you money compared to similar itineraries, and its wide range of filters, sorting options, and predictive technologies put a lot of tools at travelers’ disposal.

Best Flight Booking Site That Included Southwest: Momondo

Like Kayak, Momondo is a metasearch site that takes you to other sites to make your purchase. One plus: Momondo surfaces results from Southwest, including flight times and other details from the carrier … but no prices. Only by clicking through to Southwest could I see the fare. Still, it’s nice to have a reminder that Southwest is an unlisted option. Another plus: Momondo searches for fares from a ton of smaller OTAs, which could lead to a deal that other metasearch tools miss.

Best Feature: The mention of Southwest is unique to Momondo.

Best Flight Booking Site for Multi-Stop Itineraries: Nomad from Kiwi.com

Kiwi.com is an OTA like many others; you book directly on the site (as you would on Expedia) rather than being linked off to a different site (as you would on Kayak or Momondo). But what sets it apart is its Nomad search engine, which lets you find cheap itineraries for multi-destination trips. You enter the starting and ending places of your journey as well as the cities where you want to stop along the way, including how many nights you want to spend in each place. Hit “find routes,” and the site will put together an itinerary that mixes and matches airlines and routes for the lowest possible price. (For example, I was quoted a route involving four flights—New York City to Rome to Moscow to Tokyo and back to New York—for a measly $1,031 round-trip.) You can filter your results to weed out routes with multiple layovers or flights that don’t include checked baggage.

Best Feature: This is by far the easiest tool I’ve used to research around-the-world and multi-stop itineraries.

Best Flight Booking Site for Fare Alerts: Airfarewatchdog

Full disclosure, airfarewatchdog is a sister site to SmarterTravel, so we are slightly biased with this one, but promise it is worth your while. Airfarewatchdog is the best for flexible travelers who are just looking for a great deal on airfare. Search fares from a city, to a city, or you can “choose an adventure,” which will show you fares from your city to various hotspots depending on what you are looking for – castles, caves, coffee, you name it, airfarewatchdog will point you in the right direction. Their blog features great travel tips, and one of the best features is the fare alerts you can sign up for. If you know you want to travel somewhere, but all you want is a cheap price, sign up for an alert, and you’ll find out as soon as the price dips so you can book it right away.

Best Feature: The fare alert—it allows you to stop searching daily for that perfect price! Let airfarewatchdog do the work for you.

Best Mobile-Friendly Flight Booking Site: Hopper

Hopper is primarily an app for your phone (although it can be used as a website) but it is worth putting on here just the same. Have you ever been scared to book a flight because it might go down, or afraid to not book it in case it goes up? One of the features of Hopper that makes it shine is its price predictor, which means you never have to worry about making the wrong booking decision. Another bonus is it shows you the price with all of the fees and taxes included, so there is no sticker shock when you finally go to book. After you search, if you aren’t ready to book, you can set up an alert to watch that trip, dates and all. 

Best Feature: Hands down the price predictor. 

Which Flight Booking Site is Best for Me?

In determining which of these sites are the best ones for you to compare prices with, it’s helpful to determine which sites meet your trip-booking needs. Do you want to clearly see bag fees up front? Do you want an easy “flexible dates” function, or are your dates firm? If your travel plans are loose, do you want to see prices for multiple destinations? Different flight booking sites have different capabilities.

Once you determine which site is worth your time depending on the trip, compare prices with a few to make sure you’re getting the best deal. And always check the airline’s own site: OTAs are good at displaying fees associated with an individual flight, but it’s trickier to compare fare options (classes like basic economy vs. economy) on that flight.

Lastly, it’s important to remember that this list can be separated into two main types: booking sites (also called OTAs) that you book directly with as a third party, and aggregators otherwise known as metasearch sites that’ll send you to a booking site to make your transaction. The latter are better if you want to use any frequent flyer programs you might belong to and acquire points.

Editor’s note: This story was originally published in 2019. It has been updated to reflect the most current information. Sarah Schlichter and Megan Johnson  contributed to this story. Some of the links featured in this story are affiliate links, and SmarterTravel may collect a commission (at no cost to you) if you shop through them. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

The post The 14 Best Flight Search Sites for Booking Cheap Airfare appeared first on SmarterTravel.

Best Websites for Last Minute Flights

Finding flights can be a hassle, but it doesn’t have to be! There are loads of ways to find cheap flights from your favorite airline, even if you are going away in the near future.

1. Google Flights

One fun way to find last minute flights is to plug your departure city and travel dates into Google Flights, leaving your destination blank. The resulting map shows you the lowest available prices to cities all over the world, letting you find deals in places you might not have ever thought to go.

2. Kayak

Kayak’s Explore feature is a similar tool. You can enter exact travel dates or a certain month, then see which fares are available from your home gateway. 

3. Secret Flying

You can get alerts when fares go down when you sign up at Secret Flying, or, use their search tool to find great last minute deals on flights. Simply input your departure city, keep the arrival as “anywhere” and put the current month as the time you are looking to fly. Perfect for when you just want to get away, but you don’t care where to. Secret Flying also finds “mistake” fares, so be sure to sign up to get notifications so you can book them before they are gone! 

Where to Find Last Minute Hotel Deals

You’d think that every hotel would have cheap rooms last minute, but that isn’t always the case. These sites will help you find a room that won’t break the bank with a spur of the moment trip! 

1. Hotel Tonight

A perennial favorite app among SmarterTravel editors, HotelTonight has been finding travelers’ deep hotel discounts since 2010. The app allows travelers to book same-day accommodations across the globe at discounts of up to 50 percent. If you don’t want to leave things until the literal last minute, though, the app also lets you book dates a little further out. The well-designed booking engine serves up clever recommendations and insider info—plus those remarkable markdowns. Keep an eye out for the Daily Drop, the biggest discount of the day (which you only have 15 minutes to book).

2. Groupon

The site is known for discounted restaurant meals, fitness classes, and beauty services also has a last minute deals section that typically includes discounted hotel and resort stays. On the day I checked, options ranged from a $69 hotel near Niagara Falls to a four-star Times Square hotel for $77 a night.

3. Trip.com

Trip.com is your basic hotel booking site, and is great for finding a last minute deal. While they feature hotels all around the world, it’s particularly great for deals on hotels in Asia, so when you grab an amazing last minute flight to somewhere in Asia, head to trip.com to book your hotel! 

4. Last Minute Travel

As its name suggests, Last Minute Travel is dedicated solely to last minute travel deals. This wide-ranging site offers bargains on hotels, car rentals, cruises, transfers, and activities. Their hotel deals are amazing.  In a sample search, I found top-rated hotels in Paris from just $54 per night for a trip about two weeks out. The site has a Last Minute Travel Club for deeper discounts and rewards points to use toward free hotel stays. Membership is $50 per year.

Amazing Last Minute Vacation Packages

Sometimes, booking a vacation package is the cheapest way to go for last minute travel. These sites are the best for one-stop shopping.

1. Airfarewatchdog

SmarterTravel’s sister site Airfarewatchdog has a nifty Weekender tool that lets you find a flight/hotel vacation package for upcoming weekends, just click the link and let the site do the rest of the work. 

2. CheapCaribbean.com

If you have a specific destination in mind, your best bet is often to focus on a website that deals with one region specifically. CheapCaribbean.com has last minute deals, many of them short-lived flash sales. Though you can’t hem and haw about whether or not to go, you’ll often have plenty of time to plan. For example, a four-night air/hotel package to the Dominican Republic might start at $509 per person for travel four to six months from now—but it must be booked in the next four days.

3. FunJet Vacations 

Book your flight and hotel together at FunJet Vacations. If you have a place in mind, enter the dates you want to go and the destination, and it will give you the best flight and hotel deals available. Their sales are great if you are open to where you want to go, and often have dates for travel within the month. 

Affordable Last Minute All-Inclusive Deals

A vacation where everything is paid for in advance may seem a luxury to some people, but it is actually quite affordable. These sites will help you find the best all-inclusive deals, so all you have to do is sit back and enjoy the sun! 

1. Sandals Resorts

Sandals resorts has great deals for last minute travel. You often can get one night free, and when you start the booking process, have the option of booking your flight as well. You may even find availability for travel within the week. 

2. Club Med

When it comes to all-inclusive, Club Med usually comes to mind. Like Sandals, they often have fantastic last minute deals for when you are looking to book without much time to plan. Club Med has locations all over the world, including Mexico, Canada and all over the Caribbean – perfect for a cheap getaway.

3. Travelzoo

This venerable travel site offers last minute deals on just about everything, but their all-inclusive search is one of the best as far as the bigger sites go. When I searched, I found a package for an all-inclusive stay in Cabo, including airfare, for $739, for travel next week. 

How to Find Great Deals on Last Minute Tours

If you prefer having an itinerary made for you, and, let’s face it, if you are taking a last minute trip, it might be nice to not have to plan the entire trip, there are some great sites to book a last minute tour on. 

1. TourRadar

Book a tour of your destination as well as accommodations through TourRadar. There are several ways to search, including destination, adventure styles (food & culinary, active adventure, health & wellness, etc.), and date. Search for tours for travel in the next two weeks, or multiple months in advance. 

2. G Adventures

From Iceland to Turkey, G Adventures has tours to inspire and excite. They have available dates for travel throughout the year, but most are available to book for tours within a week or two. They have themed tours like the Northern Lights in Iceland, and Hiking the Azores—whatever, wherever you want to go. I found a four-day hiking tour of the Inca Trail in Peru for $881 departing within the week.

3. Contiki 

Contiki has a wide variety of tours to choose from, and the site has a handy last minute trips option to find a tour when you need one. When I searched, there was an Egypt and the Nile tour for $1,772, starting in just four days from when I searched! Most tours include accommodation, meals, transportation, admission to sites, and tour guides. 

Popular Getaway Deal Destinations

You may think it is hard to find deals to some of the top destinations, but as we have been mentioning, there are several options out there, no matter where you are going. Here are some sites that will help you plan your next getaway to some of the top spots.

Europe Deals

Lastminute.com 

Netherlands-based LastMinute.com also covers a range of last minute trip options, including flights, hotels, Eurostar train tickets, vacation packages, car rentals, theater tickets, and experiences. A Paris search turned up several highly-rated hotel options at $75-$85 per night at press time. This site also allows you to filter by hotels that offer free cancellation, a great perk if your travel plans change last minute. LastMinute.com also has “top-secret hotels” available for opaque booking, though in my Paris search they were actually a bit more expensive than the named hotels in my results.

Caribbean Vacations

Beaches

While we love Sandals, we also love their sister company, Beaches. Beaches features two resorts in Jamaica and one in Turks and Caicos. Their last minute travel deals are similar to Sandals, where you can get one free night, and are able to book with just a couple of days in advance. 

Trips to New York

TKTS

Chances are, if you are heading to NYC, you are going to want to see a Broadway show. Your best option for great last minute seats is TKTS. Download the app for your phone to see that days discounted tickets, and you can decide whether it is worth making the trek to the booth. Beats running out early in the morning to wait in line, and you are sure to get some deeply discounted tickets. 

Best Last Minute Travel Apps for Your Phone

Most people tend to do everything on their phones, from booking restaurants, reading the news, and of course, booking travel. These apps are our favorites for booking last minute travel.

Elude

Elude is more than an app, it is an experience for the well-seasoned traveler. Not only does it let you search trips from your departure city to anywhere in the world, it gets to know you so you’ll find out about the best deals catered to your interests. Keep tabs on your trips, where you’ve been and what you’ve done. Their search feature allows you to put what your budget is, and what dates you want to travel, then showing you details for trips that fall under your criteria. When I searched, I found a trip to Prague leaving from New York City in two weeks for $1374 including airfare and hotel. 

Snaptravel

With Snaptravel, you can search for hotels conveniently on your phone. Once you sign up, you will receive exclusive deals over your message service of choice (SMS, Facebook Messenger, iMessage etc..). You can also do a simple search with the days you want to go, and where you want to go. You can filter by price, hotel stars, amenities and more. The perfect app for booking that last minute hotel anywhere in the world. 

VRBO

These days, vacation rentals are all the rage, and finding a last minute travel deal for accommodations can be tricky if you don’t want to break the bank. That’s where apps like VRBO come in. You can search rooms, apartments and houses available to rent wherever you are going. Often, owners who have had a cancellation or just want the place booked will discount the price last minute as to not totally lose out on making any money. You might just find a unique stay, like a treehouse or secluded cabin. 

Travelocity

Everything is better with time, and Travelocity is not excluded. Founded in 1996, they have adapted to the ever-changing tech world, and their app shows they are good at what they do. Search for hotels, vacation packages, flights—you name it—and all of your bookings will stay on the app for easy access. Looking for the perfect trip to Las Vegas last minute? Travelocity has your back.  When I searched for a trip to Vegas in two weeks, I found hotel and airfare for under $1,000 for a five night stay. 

Editor’s Note: All of the products featured in this story were hand-selected by our travel editors. Some of the links featured in this story are affiliate links, and SmarterTravel may collect a commission (at no cost to you) if you shop through them. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. This story was originally published in 2017. It has been updated with the latest information. Genevieve S. Brown and Dara Continenza contributed to this story.

The post Best Websites to Book a Last Minute Vacation appeared first on SmarterTravel.

Mexico is a vast country, with heaps of beautiful and interesting places to see, and some 28 million Americans safely travel there each year. To help you plan your own trip, I’ve gathered some of the safest places to visit in Mexico, complete with information on why you should go and where to stay.

The Safest Places in Mexico

Keep in mind that incidents can happen even in the safest places in Mexico, and destinations that don’t appear on this list could still be great spots for a vacation. No matter where you go while traveling abroad, you’ll want to follow common-sense rules such as drinking only in moderation, getting a cab instead of wandering around after dark, and leaving your valuables at home.

Mexico City

Despite a longstanding reputation as a dangerous city to visit, Mexico City only has an advisory to exercise increased caution, and for good reason; the downtown core in particular is considered quite safe, and the city has numerous attractions for visitors—including street art, colorful markets, and more than 150 museums.

Where to Stay: The small, beautifully decorated Nima Local House Hotel is one of the best luxury hotel options in the city. For a more affordable option, consider the Chillout Flat Bed & Breakfast, which earns plaudits for friendly service and homemade granola.

Nima Local House

Chillout Flat B&B

Tulum

As Playa del Carmen has been the site of some troubling violence in the past, the coastal town of Tulum to the south may be a safer alternative. It is also less touristy than other resort towns on the Yucatan Peninsula, offering well-preserved ruins of the former Mayan city walls and other historic structures right in town. The State Department has explicitly stated there are no restrictions on travel to Tulum or to Chichen Itza, the magnificent archaeological site just an hour up the road.

Where to Stay: Guests appreciate the clean, comfortable rooms and fast Wi-Fi at the centrally located Posada Luna del Sur.

Book Now

Huatulco

A beach town located in Oaxaca to the southwest of Puerto Escondido, Huatulco offers tons of water activities such as snorkeling and scuba diving, some nearby surf spots, and tours of coffee farms to boot. Huatulco is considered one of the safest places in Mexico.

Where to Stay: For an indulgent resort experience you can’t do much better than Secrets Huatulco Resort & Spa, where amenities include multiple swimming pools and tennis courts, yoga classes, watersports, and nine restaurants.

Book Now

Merida and Valladolid

Gerardo Tanaka Pacheco, Senior Account Executive for MSL Group, the public relations firm for VisitMexico.com, recommends these two towns as great alternatives to other nearby tourist hot spots. “A lot of people go to Playa del Carmen and Tulum, but on the Yucatan Peninsula there are these two beautiful colonial cities that are so welcoming, colorful, and full of traditions that travelers won’t regret visiting them,” he says.

Merida is a walking-friendly town that is connected to Chichen Itza by a toll road, which is considered the safest way to travel in Mexico if you are driving. The Mayan influence remains strong here, and the area has its own style of cuisine that diverges considerably from what you will find in other parts of Mexico.

Midway between Merida and Cancun is Valladolid, a colorful and friendly city that’s within easy driving distance of several beautiful cenotes.

Where to Stay: In Merida, consider snagging a poolside room at the Luz En Yucatan. In Valladolid, you can’t go wrong at the centrally located Hotel Posada San Juan.

Luz En Yucatan

Hotel Posada San Juan

Bacalar

Pacheco says that Bacalar, also on the Yucatan Peninsula, is “an amazing place, kind of unknown and definitely uncrowded. This is one of my favorite secrets spots in Mexico; the lagoon there is unbelievable.”

Called the Lake of Seven Colors, the lagoon stretches for 42 kilometers and is fed by underground rivers. Like Todos Santos mentioned below, Bacalar holds the official designation as a “Pueblo Magico,” or Magical Town, due in large part to the lagoon. In addition to being one of the safest places in Mexico, Bacalar is also very affordable.

Where to Stay: At the Bacalar Lagoon Resort, you can get a view of the lake right from your cabana.

Book Now

Campeche

Another UNESCO World Heritage Site located on the western coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, Campeche is a walled Spanish colonial city that has been superbly restored. The walled center is somewhat of a museum piece, but the life of the town surrounding it might even be the main attraction. There are also significant Mayan ruins in the state of Campeche, of which the city is the capital; these aren’t as well known as the famous ruins to the east, and as such they’re less crowded.

Where to Stay: Try for a balcony room or suite at the modestly priced Hotel Socaire.

Book Now

Queretaro

Queretaro’s streets are a wondrous mix of old and very old, as grid-like Spanish streets connect to the pre-Hispanic winding lanes from the time of the Otomi. From rock climbing and art galleries to architecture sightseeing, there is a ton to do in this central Mexican city.

Where to Stay: La Casa del Atrio, across from the Museo de Arte, is both popular and affordable.

Book Now

Todos Santos

This surf town in Baja California Sur features world-class waves and lots of natural beauty—and it’s just far enough north of touristy Cabo San Lucas to offer respite from the crowds. Todos Santos is slowly becoming more popular, but its stone streets and uncrowded beaches have earned it the official Pueblo Magico designation.

Where to Stay: La Poza Boutique Hotel & Spa has a fantastic oceanfront location at very reasonable rates.

Book Now

The post The 8 Safest Places in Mexico for Travelers appeared first on SmarterTravel.

Below, we review 10 hotel alternatives and evaluate the pros and cons of each. Read on to see if these affordable alternatives to hotels are something you’ll dig or want to dump.

Short-Term Room Rentals

This is a popular and ever-growing trend in the travel world—a cross between vacation rentals and homestays. Using websites like Airbnb, Homestay, and 9flats, you can rent a room in someone’s house, a cottage, or a private studio apartment for low nightly rates—it’s not uncommon to see prices under $50 per night. It’s a way for hosts to open up their homes and make a little extra money while giving travelers a great deal and a local’s-eye view of a destination.

Dig It
Do you love the chance to meet people, see how they live, maybe play a midnight game of Scrabble or Call of Duty? Although you may score a cottage all by yourself, the cheaper options are usually a small bedroom with a shared bath. If that’s cool with you, a short-term room rental could be your thing.

Dump It
If uncertainty keeps you awake at night, you may sleep better at a chain hotel.

Religious Housing

Depending on where you’re traveling, there may be affordable lodging offered by religious organizations, such as convents and monasteries in Italy (check out Monastery Stays). An internet search or a visit to the local tourist board’s website can help you find these options.

Dig It
If you’re looking for a calm, quiet environment—perhaps even with a private bathroom, as Monastery Stays promises—religious housing may be for you. Many even welcome children with open arms and often have larger rooms set aside for families.

Dump It
Your room will be clean and functional, but if you want luxury, look elsewhere. The same goes if your kids are hellions, accustomed to running up and down halls screaming at the top of their lungs. Also, if you’re a night owl who likes to party into the wee hours, chances are you’ll miss curfew and be locked out. Finally, not all religious accommodations will accept unmarried couples.

Hostels

Though they’re commonly known as “youth” hostels, these can be an excellent hotel alternative for budget travelers of any age. Even if you’re not up for the cheapest option—a bed in a shared dorm—you can often get a basic private room at a hostel for significantly less than the cost of a low-end hotel.

Dig It
Hostels are perfect for the unscheduled traveler or backpacker, and for those who are up for an adventure—read: those who don’t mind plenty of company. They often have communal kitchens for those interested in making their own meals.

Dump It
Some hostels can be sketchy—lacking not only privacy but also safety. Consider checking sites such as TripAdvisor or Hostelworld for reviews and recommendations. Also, check whether the property is a member of Hostelling International, a U.K.-based nonprofit organization with thousands of properties worldwide that meet a minimum standard of cleanliness and safety.

Homestays

Sleeping in someone’s spare bedroom, or on a living room couch, is by far one of the cheapest ways to travel. In many cases, it’s free, and it’s also a great way to meet locals. You can organize a homestay through long-established hospitality networks like Servas International, or check out sites like Couchsurfing.

Dig It
If “life is an adventure” is your motto, then this mode of traveling is for you. You stand the chance of meeting interesting people and getting a close-up look at local life. Servas International is social and socially conscious, encouraging members to get involved in their hosts’ communities. Just super-social? Go with a Couchsurfing-type option.

Dump It
You must be trusting and trustworthy, flexible and friendly, for homestays to be an appropriate choice for you. You also have to be patient—the Servas interview process takes about three weeks. CouchSurfing is looser and much more in touch with social media, providing plenty of opportunities to connect with locals and other travelers.

Vacation Rentals

A Paris apartment, a villa in the Caribbean, a log cabin in Vermont … vacation rentals offer unique and affordable lodging around the globe. Because they tend to be more spacious than hotel rooms, they’re a particularly good bargain for families and groups who can divvy up the cost. And having your own kitchen can save you big bucks on restaurants. Sites to try to include TripAdvisor and Vrbo. And make sure to read up about whether vacation rentals are right for you.

Dig It
The many options in the vacation rental world mean that this choice is great for a variety of trips. If you appreciate the convenience and savings of having a kitchen and a laundry room during your trip, then a vacation rental could be for you. And if you’re traveling with a group of friends or family, having everyone gathered in one home can be priceless.

Dump It
If there’s going to be a fight over who gets the master suite, avoid holiday havoc by checking the floor plan of your rental and deciding ahead of time who gets which room. A rental agreement is a binding contract, so if there’s a chance your vacation plans may change, stick with a cancellable hotel reservation.

Academic Housing

When students go home for the summer, many colleges and universities open their dorms to visitors. Expect very affordable but very basic accommodations (bathrooms may be down the hall, for example). There are few central databases of these type of lodgings—UniversityRooms is one to try—but it’s worth calling a few local campuses directly to see if anything might be available during your trip. Your destination’s tourist board may also be able to help.

Dig It
Restaurants, bars, and entertainment venues often surround college campuses, so there should be plenty of action nearby.

Dump It
Most college kids are hard on their dormitories, so you shouldn’t expect shiny new carpets, furniture, or finishings. Elevators and air conditioning are uncommon in older buildings, too.

Farmstays

From rural B&Bs to working ranches and cattle farms, this type of stay can cover a wide range of accommodations—and you don’t necessarily have to be willing to milk a cow to take advantage of it. Farmstays are particularly popular in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.

Dig It
If you think you might enjoy waking with the sun to feed a bottle to a lamb or cornmeal to chickens, a farmstay may be right for you. You could enjoy a hearty breakfast, learn to make cheese or spin wool. The quiet, bucolic setting is perfect for relaxation, catching up on reading, or finishing handicraft projects.

Dump It
It can get very quiet, especially in the evening—so if you’re a night owl, your only companions may be the mice. These types of lodging can vary widely, though if you’re traveling in Europe or Down Under, you’ll have more choice than in the United States. If you need to know exactly what you’re getting, then farmstays may not be for you.

B&Bs with Shared Bathrooms

Bed-and-breakfasts can often save you money over hotel rooms, especially if you’re willing to use a bathroom down the hall. And it may be less inconvenient than you think: Sometimes the room you’re supposed to share a bathroom with might not even be booked—giving you the facilities all to yourself.

Dig It
The coziness and camaraderie of a B&B appeal to many travelers—enough to overlook the possibility of having to share a bathroom. You’ll save not only on accommodations but also on meals since breakfast is covered.

Dump It
B&Bs, especially those with shared bathrooms, may lack modern amenities such as flat-screen televisions or multiple outlets for charging electronics. And for travelers who aren’t particularly social, having to show up at a group breakfast with strangers can feel like a chore.

Camping

Sleeping under the stars can be a magical experience, and it’s one of the cheapest options on this list, especially if you cook your own meals over a campfire instead of eating in restaurants every night. And don’t worry, you can opt for cabins or luxury tent camps (i.e., glamping) if you’d rather not be slapping mosquitoes away all night.

Dig It
Camping is a great choice for anyone seeking a digital detox. A campfire beneath the night sky can be relaxing and mesmerizing; you won’t miss your TV or tablet. And you can’t beat a perfectly toasted marshmallow as a bedtime snack.

Dump It
Cooking a meal over a camp stove or fire, washing dishes in a bucket, waking up to rain-soaked sleeping bags—those who choose camping should be open to doing without a few comforts and conveniences.

Home Exchange

Swapping houses with another traveler is an ideal way to enjoy the comforts of home while traveling, and it’s practically free. To become a member of a home exchange network, you’ll typically pay an annual fee that costs about as much as a night in a hotel room, so after the first couple of nights of your vacation, your membership has paid for itself and then some. Learn more in SmarterTravel’s how-to guide to home exchanges.

Dig It
All the conveniences of home—kitchen with all the gadgets, laundry with detergent, Wi-Fi—and usually, a location away from tourist traps and traffic. What’s not to love?

Dump It
There’s always a chance something might happen (power outage, burst pipe, the homeowner’s angry ex banging on the door at 3 a.m.) and there’s no one around to take responsibility except you. Home exchange isn’t for the worried traveler: Will I break something? Will they trash my house? Am I safe in their home? Is my grandmother’s china safe in my home? If these concerns keep you up at night, do yourself a favor and sleep in a hotel.

Jodi Thompson contributed to this article.

Editor’s note: This story was originally published in 2017. It has been updated to reflect the most current information. All of the products featured in this story were hand-selected by our travel editors. Some of the links featured in this story are affiliate links, and SmarterTravel may collect a commission (at no cost to you) if you shop through them. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Ditch the Hotel: 10 Cheaper Ways to Stay appeared first on SmarterTravel.

Bookmark this page—we’ll be updating it frequently with can’t-miss Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2023 sales as they’re announced.

Travel Gear Deals

Amazon: Amazon’s mega-sale will run November 17 through November 27, with great deals on travel gear including luggage, clothing, and electronics. 

Carl Friedrik: Luxury brand Carl Friedrik is offering 30 percent off sitewide from 11/22 – 11/27.

Korres: Get 40 percent off sitewide and 50 percent off select items during this skincare sale (which includes travel-size).

Nordstrom: Nordstrom is heavily discounting traveler-favorite brands both in-store and online Black Friday through Cyber Monday.

Target: You don’t have to wait for Black Friday to save on travel gear from Target! The retailer is offering a “holiday price match guarantee” and will offer a refund for the difference in price if something you purchased sells for a lower price. The match is valid on items purchased between October 22 and December 24.

Unbound Merino: Save up to 40 percent off sitewide during Unbound Merino’s only sale of the year, which runs until November 28.

Travel Deals

Alto: Luxury rideshare company Alto is offering 50 percent off an annual membership during its Black Friday Sale. Use promo code BLACKFRIDAY between November 24 – November 27. On Cyber Monday, Alto is running a gift card promotion. Give an Alto gift card and receive Alto credit for yourself. Purchase November 27 through December 1.

Booking.com: Save up to 25 percent off selected attractions on Booking.com from November 16 through November 29th, for attractions taking place within three months of booking.

Priority Pass: Save up to 30 percent on an annual Priority Pass, giving you access to hundreds of airport lounges throughout the world.

Scandinavian Airlines (SAS): Budget airline SAS is discounting flights between the US and Europe, with fares starting as low as $375 round-trip. Book between November 21 and November 28 for travel between January 15, 2024 and April 30, 2024 to score the cheap rates.

Vacation Deals

Brendan Vacations:  Get up to $250 off per person for Private Chauffeur and Lux Self Drive trips or $200 off per person on Self-Drive and Locally Hosted Rail experiences in Ireland and Scotland.

Contiki: Get up to 25 percent off more than 60 trips across six continents. The sale runs from November 17 through November 30.

Costsaver: Save up to 15 percent off trips worldwide from November 16-December 5.

EF Go Ahead Tours: EF Go Ahead Tours’ Black Friday and Cyber Monday sale runs for more than a month, from October 24 through November 30. Various destinations will be discounted each week. On November 11, in honor of Singles’ Day, there will be free private rooms on limited departure dates and all solo tours will be on sale. EF will offer $100 off all tours on Black Friday, plus surprise lightning deals and extras including free excursions.

Exodus Adventure Travels: Save up to 20 percent off all of Exodus’ guided trips through Nov. 30, 2023, with the code BF2024. The offer applies to departures between Dec. 1, 2023, and Sept. 30, 2024.

FTLO Travel: Save up to $200 off all 2024 itineraries with FTLO Travel. This discount is valid through November 30.

Insight Vacations: Get up to 15 percent off select 2024 itineraries when booked between November 16 and December 5.

Trafalgar: Save up to 15 percent on select 2024 departures during the sale that will run November 16 through December 5.

Great Wolf Lodge: Rooms starting at $24/person (minimum of 4 people) for bookings made on November 24 for stays November 24, 2023 through February 29, 2024 when you use promo code FRIDAY. Save up to 50 percent with rates starting at $99.99/night for bookings made on November 27 for stays November 27, 2023 through February 29, 2024 when you use promo code CYBER.

Cruise Deals

Celebrity Cruises: Celebrity Cruises will offer 75 percent off a second guest plus up to $300 in onboard credits for nearly all itineraries through April 30, 2026. This sale will run November 10 – December 5.

Uniworld Boutique River Cruises: During Uniworld’s 12 Days of Christmas Event, a new deal will be offered every day starting on Black Friday.

Royal Caribbean: Royal Caribbean is offering 30 percent off, and kids sail free on all cruises booked through December 4.

Hotel Deals

Expedia: Expedia is offering 30 percent off member prices for bookings made through November 29. You must sign up for One Key, Expedia’s free membership program.

Booking.com: Booking.com has deals on hotels starting at 30 percent off for hotels booked November 16 through November 29.

Flight Deals

French bee: Affordable transatlantic carrier French bee has launched their first ever Black Friday fares, with discounts on routes from Miami, New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles to Paris and San Francisco to Tahiti. Offers are available for bookings made between November 20th and November 27th for a travel window of November 20, 2023 through March 31, 2024.

Southwest: Southwest is offering 30 percent off when you use code CYBER30 on bookings made November 27th through November 30th for select continental U.S. flights for travel between January 9, 2024, and March 6, 2024, and select flights to Hawaii and Puerto Rico for travel January 9, 2024 through May 22, 2024.

JetBlue: JetBlue is having a Cyber Monday sale on bookings made through November 29 for travel from January 9, 2024, through March 27, 2024, for Tuesday and Wednesday travel.

Alaska Air: West Coast giant Alaska Air‘s Cyber Monday sale has fares for as low as $39 one-way when you book by November 29, 2023.

Allegiant Air: Get up to 40 percent off of flights on Allegiant Air for one day only, November 27, 2023.

Breeze: Budget airline Breeze is offering up to 60 percent off when you use code CYBER for travel from December 1, 2023 through September 1, 2024. The sale ends on November 27, 2023.

All of the products featured in this story were hand-selected by our travel editors. Some of the links featured in this story are affiliate links, and SmarterTravel may collect a commission (at no cost to you) if you shop through them. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

The post The Best Black Friday and Cyber Monday Travel Deals appeared first on SmarterTravel.

Editor’s Note: Airfare and nightly rate estimates are accurate as of time of publication.

San José, Costa Rica

The rainy season in Costa Rica lasts from May to December with peak months in September and October. Traveling during this time can be a gamble, but the rewards are worth the risk. The extra precipitation allows for lush jungle scenery you’ll miss in the dry season, and these months are a prime time to see wildlife.

Getting There: Most fares for the season are in the low to mid-$300 range, but if you book strategically you can find fares as low as $250. 

Where to Stay: Put a pop of color in your vacation at Hotel Fleur De Lys, a colorful and warmly welcoming hotel in the cultural district of San José. The property brings the natural beauty of Costa Rica into its design, with each room named after a local flower and several atriums for guests to explore. Standard rooms are available for less than $75/night and suites are available for less than $150.

Things to Do: There are plenty of activities in Costa Rica that are actually improved by the rainy season. Book a white water rafting tour or explore local waterfalls while the water is flowing. If you’re an animal lover, plan your trip further west of San José to visit the Ostional National Wildlife Refuge and see the arribadas, or large-scale arrivals, of nesting sea turtles in September and October.

Porto, Portugal

Travelers willing to contend with higher chances of rain during the fall months in Porto will be rewarded with mild temperatures, fewer crowds, and city parks and gardens bathed in unforgettable autumn colors.

Getting There: According to Going, round trip flights to Porto for the fall season can be found in the $400-$500 range. 

Where to Stay: Gallery Hostel is closer to a boutique hotel than what the word “hostel” traditionally calls to mind. This combination hostel-art gallery space is built in a restored 19th century building, earning a “superb” rating on HostelWorld for its ideal location and great service. Private rooms start at just $140 per night and dorms are available for a low as $50. For a more traditional hotel experience, Moov Hotel Porto Centro and Porto Norte offer a comfortable, highly-rated stay at an affordable price.

Things to Do: There’s no shortage of things to do in Porto in any season, from catching a can’t-miss fado show to visiting the Jardins do Palacio de Cristal for incredible scenery to sampling a delicious francesinha, a savory sandwich invented in the city.

Las Vegas, Nevada

Not all fall travelers are chasing pumpkin spice and cooler weather. To extend the summer vibes, book a trip to Las Vegas in September and October, where daytime temperatures hover in the low to mid-80s and cool off significantly at night.

Getting There: According to Going, travelers can book flights to Las Vegas in the $80 to $200 range, depending on the departure city.

Where to Stay: Travelers will find better deals by venturing a little further away from the action. The Tropicana Las Vegas, a Doubletree property, is a 7 minute drive or half-hour walk to the main Vegas Strip. With a swimming pool lined with palm trees, four bars, gaming rooms, and a swim-up blackjack table, you won’t be missing out on the fun.

Things to Do: All the traditional Las Vegas activities are available in the autumn, from catching a show to taking in the atmosphere at one of the city’s many casinos. For a seasonal event, check out the upcoming harvest show at the Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens, a free-to-enter display of floral sculptures and dazzling gardens. For families, there are several trunk-or-treat events throughout October with either free entry or a small registration fee.

Cancún, Mexico

If you’re a risk-taker (that is, you don’t mind the possibility of rain or even hurricanes), Cancún in the rainy season of August to October could lead to some good deals on this classic, white sand Mexican beach destination on the Yucatán Peninsula. 

Getting There: You can find roundtrip fares to Cancún this fall in the $200-$300’s, according to data from Going.

Where to Stay: Where you stay in Cancún depends on how you want to spend your days, from all-inclusive resorts to simple haciendas. To bring a spring break vibe to your autumn getaway, check out Krystal Cancun, with October rates starting in the $135 range.

Things to Do: Swimming, sunbathing, snorkeling, and scuba diving all top the list of activities in Cancún. Beyond the sea, book a package to visit historic sites like the Chichén Itzá Ruins or take a street food tour to try tacos and mezcal.

New Orleans

New Orleans is bustling with activity this upcoming fall season, from the delicious Beignet Fest to the citywide NOLAxNOLA concert series. Explore the city at the tail end of its off season with nice (less humid) fall weather, including temperate days and cooler evenings.

Getting There: You can find roundtrip airfare to New Orleans from several major hubs for under $100 this coming fall, with Google Flights showing most fares hovering in the $100-$250 range.

Where to Stay: The Aloft New Orleans Downtown places you in the heart of the city, within walking distance of iconic areas like the French Quarter and Bourbon Street. It’s pet-friendly, features an on-site convenience store for all the toiletries you forgot to pack, and Marriott Bonvoy members can use their points for further discounts on their stay.

Things to Do: Listening to jazz and live music is a must while in the Big Easy, as is feasting at Cajun and Creole restaurants like Commander’s Palace. To experience a bit of nature beyond New Orleans’ beautiful architecture, tour a bayou via boat and try to spot gators.

Rome, Italy

Off-season in Rome begins in mid-November, but tourist traffic starts lightening up in October, making the later fall months a great time to visit the city before tourism picks back up for the holidays. Hotels are cheaper this time of year and temperatures stay in the low-60s to mid-70s.

Getting There: Travelers can find flights in the $400 to $600 range from major US cities, significantly more affordable than the summer months, when similar flight itineraries can cost up to and above $1,000 roundtrip.

Where to Stay: Hotel Trastevere is located in the heart of the neighborhood of Trastevere, a historic region of the city bursting with cafes, wine bars, pizzarias, open-air markets, and historic architecture. The hotel itself is just a 20-minute tram ride to attractions like the Pantheon, Colosseum, and Trevi Fountain.

Things to Do: Many of the city’s ancient sites are free to explore, with an admission fee only required if you want to enter certain areas or take a guided tour. Dozens of stunning parks and piazzas are also free to wander, including the stunning Piazzale Garibaldi, where you can get 360 degree views of the city.

Washington DC

While many travelers aim to see the stunning display of cherry blossoms in the spring, Washington DC in autumn shouldn’t be overlooked. With dozens of free attractions around the city, savvy travelers can create a jam-packed itinerary while still saving money.

Getting There: Depending on your city of departure, flights to Washington D.C. range from $90 up to the $500 range.

Where to Stay: citizenM’s promise of “modern luxury” comes at a surprisingly affordable price. Travelers can book a room at the centrally-located citizenM Washington DC Capitol, just a ten minute walk to the National Mall, starting at $180 per night. Guests can download the hotel’s app to take care of everything from check-in and check-out to adjusting the temperature in their room through one convenient portal.

Things to Do: Explore the museums of the National Mall, all free to the public, along with the city’s many monuments and memorials. Catch the fall colors, at their peak in the region in mid-October, at the U.S. National Arboretum or see a discounted show at this year’s Theatre Week (September 21st through October 8th).

Chicago, Illinois

Visiting Chicago in the fall will have you seeing the Windy City in a whole new light. Admire the famous Cloud Gate amid the gorgeous foliage in Millennium Park or take an architecture cruise to see famous buildings surrounded with autumn colors. 

Getting There: According to Skyscanner, fall is the cheapest time to fly to Chicago. Google Flights shows roundtrip airfare in the $100 to $200 range from several major airports, with many offering fares cheaper than $100.

Where to Stay: Opened in September of 2021, The Selina Chicago is new on the scene. However, the building itself had a nearly 200 year history as the Tremont Hotel before The Selina opened its doors, lending the property a distinctive historic charm. Rooms are available from $182/night.

Things to Do: Plan your trip for the last weekend in September to attend Chicago’s Oktoberfest and get a little taste of adventuring abroad in your domestic travels. Closer to Halloween, check out Arts in the Dark, an evening of visual and performing arts in Washington Park with a spooky seasonal twist.

Some of the links featured in this story are affiliate links, and SmarterTravel may collect a commission (at no cost to you) if you shop through them.

The post 8 Incredibly Affordable Fall Vacations appeared first on SmarterTravel.

How to Avoid Caribbean Hurricane Season

Here are tips from meteorologists, a travel insurance agent, and other experts who offered advice on where to go, where to avoid, and how to hedge your bets once you’ve booked your trip during Caribbean hurricane season.

When Is Hurricane Season?

Each year, an average of 13 tropical storms whirl through the Caribbean, Atlantic, and Gulf of Mexico during hurricane season, which officially runs from June 1 through November 30. Six of those storms will become hurricanes, according to data from the National Weather Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Hurricane season peaks from mid-August to late October. During this intense period bands of thunderstorms near the Equator drift over the region’s warm waters, giving hurricanes the ability to develop.

If you’re willing to take the risk, the rewards are numerous. Sylma Brown, director of the Caribbean Tourism Organization USA Inc., says hotel savings are up to 50 percent, airfare is typically lower, beaches are less crowded, and temperatures stay in the mid to upper 80s.

Spots Most Likely to Be Hit

There’s a science to dodging the Caribbean hurricane season. The areas most likely to get hit are those where the ocean happens to be warming the quickest from late spring to fall.

Meteorologist Evan Duffey breaks it down below.

He offers an overview of the annual pattern: Early in the season the waters in the Gulf of Mexico warm more quickly than other parts of the Atlantic. By August and September the eastern Caribbean sees an uptick in storm activity. Later in the season the focus shifts west and north.

June and July: Gulf of Mexico

August and September: Northern Windward Islands (Martinique, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, etc.), Leeward Islands (U.S./British Virgin Islands, Anguilla, St. Maarten/St. Martin, Guadeloupe Islands, etc.), Greater Antilles (Cayman Islands, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Jamaica, etc.)

October and November: Western Caribbean and Southeast U.S. coastline

It’s worth noting that with the warmer-than-usual waters in the Atlantic Ocean this year, the NOAA warns of a higher likelihood of an “above normal” hurricane season moving forward into the autumn months.

Spots Least Likely to Be Hit

If you’re planning a trip during Caribbean hurricane season, head for the southern Caribbean where there’s a lower chance of being disrupted by tropical systems.

The far southern Windward Islands (Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada) and the ABC Islands (Aruba, Curacao, Bonaire) are relatively free of tropical system impacts. The same goes for southern Central America (Panama, Costa Rica), says Duffey.

“These are too close to the Equator and generally south of a large percentage of historical hurricane tracks,” he says.

Considering cruising during Caribbean hurricane season? It’s a great option for a couple of reasons. Cruise ships have sophisticated onboard weather-monitoring technology that allows captains to track storms and, if necessary, reroute their ships to a different port with better weather.

Cruise ships can also typically “outrun” a hurricane. According to Cruise Critic, storms tend to move at about eight to 10 knots, while ships can attain speeds of up to 22 knots and beyond.

Your Chance of a Hurricane Hitting

When weighing the odds, NOAA and National Hurricane Center meteorologist Dennis Feltgen would be the first to tell you there are no storm-free guarantees during Caribbean hurricane season.

“Every island and coastline across the Caribbean region is vulnerable to a hurricane impact every year,” he says. “Whether one occurs at a specific location this season is impossible to predict.”

But the geographic span of the Caribbean is so vast that even when a hurricane is affecting one area, much of the rest of the region is likely enjoying beautiful weather, says Frank Comito, former director general and CEO of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association.

Travel Insurance

Is a hurricane season trip worth the risk? Meteorologist Evan Duffey says if given the opportunity, he’d go. So would Dennis Feltgen.

“You just need to be smart about it,” says Feltgen. “Traveling into any part of the Caribbean during hurricane season carries some risk. Those who do so should always have travel insurance and check in advance with the hotel or resort at which they are staying to learn its hurricane plan.”

According to InsureMyTrip.com, an online travel insurance comparison site, 75 percent of customers will choose a comprehensive travel insurance policy for hurricane season travel.

A comprehensive policy comes with extensive benefits: medical coverage, emergency travel services, baggage protection, and trip-cancellation and trip-interruption coverage. If you opt for trip-cancellation insurance, you’ll receive benefits in a number of different scenarios. Policies vary, but these are some typical cancellations that are covered:

• Weather: When your airline or cruise line ceases service due to weather
• Hurricane alert: When your destination is under a NOAA-issued hurricane warning or alert
• Storm damage: When your destination hotel, resort, or vacation rental is made uninhabitable by a storm
• “Cancel for Any Reason”: When you want coverage for canceling a trip for any reason (a time-sensitive option)

Before You Buy

Be sure to read the fine print on travel insurance, especially regarding unforeseen events and coverage for inclement weather. You’ll need to have your insurance purchased before meteorologists are talking about a storm in your destination.

“Travelers concerned about hurricanes should purchase travel insurance early,” says Julie Loffredi, InsureMyTrip’s news editor. “Once a storm starts forming, it’s considered a foreseeable event and insurance coverage will no longer be available to cover losses related to that storm.”

When comparing travel insurance policies, Loffredi suggests asking these questions:

• What will happen if my destination is made uninhabitable by a storm?
• What about delays and cancellations on both ends of my itinerary?
• Is there any insurance plan available to me that will allow me to cancel my trip because of a hurricane warning?
• Can I get “Cancel for Any Reason” coverage? Would it be wise for me to do so?
• If I have to interrupt my trip because of bad weather, what kind of insurance will cover the cost of my missed travels?

Hotel and Airline Cancellation Policy Basics

Take the time to clearly understand your airline, cruise line, or resort’s hurricane cancellation policy. Most airlines will allow you to rebook on a future flight. Most hotels in hurricane-prone destinations offer rebooking and refund options.

“Hotel cancellation policies typically don’t kick in unless there is an official storm watch or alert issued,” says Comito at CHTA. “Hotels generally will offer to rebook without penalty. Some hotels go as far as offering a full refund, while chains often offer a stay at one of their hotels in another destination. For guests whose stay may be interrupted, there is no cancellation fee.”

Hotel Hurricane Plans

Most Caribbean hotels are prepared for the worst: This isn’t their first rodeo. Hotel staff members are accustomed to weathering storms, attending hurricane response workshops, and serving on emergency response committees.

Before you travel, ask what your hotel’s hurricane plan entails. Generators, flashlights, backup supplies of food, water, first aid kits, blankets, and cots are all the norm, according to the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA).

Even if a storm hits during your vacation, it might not be all doom and gloom.

“Some hotels have reported that guest satisfaction levels actually increase during a storm because staff go above and beyond to ensure their comfort,” says Comito. “And if a storm does strike, typically, the next day the weather is brilliant and guests are enjoying the beaches and facilities across their respective destinations.”

Jamie Moore is a regular contributor to SmarterTravel. Her articles have appeared on USA Today, Yahoo Travel, Huffington Post, and WestJet.

Editor’s note: This story was originally published in 2017. It has been updated to reflect the most current information.

The post How to Avoid Caribbean Hurricane Season appeared first on SmarterTravel.

Coz Castel, France

You can’t find a luxury hotel in Paris for less than $262, but you can rent your very own private island in France for that amount—and it sleeps up to 10 people if you want to split the cost and make it even cheaper. Located on the Cotes-d’Armor, the island is just over 650 feet for the mainland and is accessible by car at low tide, so you can get out and explore Brittany as much as you like (as long as you make it back before high tide when the island is surrounded by water).

North Twin Lake, Maine

Nearby Baxter State Park in Maine can get packed during the summer, but you can escape the crowds by booking this private island that has views of the Appalachian-trail ending Mount Katahdin, and no neighbors within a half-mile. The half-acre island is all yours for as little as $225 a night. Unlike Baxter State Park, the island even has excellent cell phone coverage, so you won’t be completely off-grid.

L’ilot, Mauritius

No boat is required for the private island L’ilot, which is accessible via a rock-and-wood bridged causeway. Spend days lounging on the sand and swimming in the turquoise lagoon, or pop back over to the mainland whenever you feel the need. There’s freshwater on tap, electricity, and all the modern conveniences you’d find at a hotel. The comfortable house has four bedrooms and can sleep up to 8 people (6 adults and 2 children). Rates start at $920 a night—a bargain if split four ways.

Saint George, Maine

This rental off the coast of Port Clyde, Maine, includes both McGee and Barter islands. McGee Island offers 110 acres of solitude and has three houses on it that have a combined 11 bedrooms. Barter Island is undeveloped, and you can take a boat there or walk across a natural land bridge at low tide to explore. This option is intended for large groups, and at $1,800 per night, its the priciest option on the list. However, splitting the cost among guests can save you big—the max occupancy of the island is 24 guests, which breaks down to just $75 per guest per night.

La Isla Zacatolsa, Nicaragua

Gather six of your closest friends and you can have a private island together for just $30 per person. For $180 a night, this retreat on the Lake of Granada in Nicaragua is a bargain. La Isla Zacatalosa is a private villa that has its own tennis court, pool, garden, and walking path. You’ll share the island with howler monkeys and birds, as well as a caretaker who will help you with anything you need during your stay. The island is a 10-minute boat ride from the mainland at an $8-$10 fare each way.

Damariscotta, Maine

For guests in search of a luxury experience that still keeps the rustic charm of a family camping trip, look no further than this Maine rental. The island features an outdoor shower and outhouse with running water, but no electricity (never fear—there is a generator on-site to charge up any necessary devices). Take the chance to enjoy the serenity of the surrounding nature, relax on the private beach, and maybe catch a glimpse of the nearby active eagles’ nest—all for just $600 per night.

British Columbia, Canada

You could share an all-inclusive resort with hundreds of other people, or you could have your own private island eco-retreat for $659 per night—your choice. Out There, an off-grid retreat on the Sunshine Coast in British Columbia, includes a stocked kitchen for you to make your own breakfast and lunches, and a home-cooked dinner each night. Up to six people can sleep in the island’s tent cabin and yurt; and the island’s fire pits, hammocks, and private beaches are all available for you to enjoy.

Caroline Morse Teel would like to book all of these private island stays immediately. Follow her on Instagram @travelwithcaroline.

The post 7 Private Islands You Can Actually Afford to Rent appeared first on SmarterTravel.