Related:<\/h3>\nThe Airlines Most Likely to Bump You Off a Flight<\/a><\/p><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n\nKeep a sharp eye out for resort fees; many of the best vacation booking sites don\u2019t count them in their initial per-person price estimate because they\u2019re 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\u2019t disclose these fees as clearly as others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Finally, it\u2019s important to know that many of the best sites for vacation packages are owned by the same parent company, so you\u2019ll often find similar inventory and prices from one to the next. Knowing which sites are mostly interchangeable can save you some research time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Best Travel Package Sites<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Expedia<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Expedia\u2019s sister sites: Travelocity<\/a>, Orbitz<\/a>, and CheapTickets<\/a>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Priceline<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- CheapCaribbean.com<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Kayak<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Funjet Vacations<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Expedia<\/h2>\n\n\n\n![\"Laptop](\"https:\/\/www.smartertravel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Expedia-1024x692.jpg\")
<\/a>guteksk7 | Adobe Stock & Expedia<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nThis well-known site is one of the best travel package sites for a reason. Expedia<\/a> 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThat said, the amount the site said I was saving on a given package didn\u2019t always match up to the actual price difference when I added up the cost of the trip\u2019s 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\u2019re getting the best deal). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Expedia has plenty of useful filters to help you find what you need. You can sort hotels by price, distance from a city\u2019s 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\u2019s also a map view so you can check out the location of each hotel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Best Feature: <\/strong>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\u2019ll pay a fair rate and have plenty of options to choose from.<\/p>\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smartertravel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/41573_bcf965153b00b9a561bcb1b6d31c4d4b-300x224.jpg\")
\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\nRelated:<\/h3>\nHow Far in Advance Should You Book a Vacation Home?<\/a><\/p><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n\nExpedia\u2019s Sister Sites: Travelocity, Orbitz, and CheapTickets<\/h2>\n\n\n\n![\"Laptop](\"https:\/\/www.smartertravel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Travelocity-1024x692.jpg\")
<\/a>guteksk7 | Adobe Stock & Travelocity<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nMany travelers don\u2019t realize that Travelocity<\/a>, Orbitz<\/a>, and CheapTickets<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIt was rare for any of these sites to beat out Expedia\u2019s prices in my tests; in general, the rates were identical (especially on Travelocity, where I didn\u2019t find any deviations from Expedia) or a little bit higher. However, Orbitz and CheapTickets did offer slightly cheaper packages on one flight\/car itinerary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because the pricing is so similar, it\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Best Feature: <\/strong>Travelocity and Orbitz offer a checkbox on their main booking page to specify \u201cI only need accommodations for part of my trip\u201d\u2014a 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\u2019s search page.<\/p>\n\n\n\nNote: <\/em>Expedia Group also owns Hotwire<\/a>, which I didn\u2019t 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<\/em> available when booking a separate flight on Hotwire), and the pricing on some searches was a little higher than on the other sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\nCheck out Expedia\u2019s sister sites below:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tTravelocity<\/span>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tOrbitz<\/span>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tCheapTickets<\/span>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nPriceline<\/h2>\n\n\n\n![\"Laptop](\"https:\/\/www.smartertravel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Priceline-1024x692.jpg\")
<\/a>guteksk7 | Adobe Stock & priceline<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nLike Expedia and its partners, Priceline<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\nOne quirk to prepare for: Priceline\u2019s 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\u2014so it\u2019s worth checking both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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 \u201cExpress Deals\u201d for rental cars, an opaque option in which you don\u2019t know which rental car brand you\u2019ll get until after you\u2019ve booked. If you\u2019d rather choose which company you\u2019re renting from, standard car rentals are also available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Best feature: <\/strong>Once you\u2019ve selected your flight and rental car preferences, the site will keep them the same as you click through alternate hotel possibilities\u2014saving you the hassle of having to select them over and over again.<\/p>\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t![\"logo_priceline\"](\"https:\/\/www.smartertravel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Priceline-logo-300x119.png\")
\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\nRelated:<\/h3>\nWhat Happens If You Don\u2019t Turn Your Phone to Airplane Mode?<\/a><\/p><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n\nCheapCaribbean.com<\/h2>\n\n\n\n![\"Laptop](\"https:\/\/www.smartertravel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/CheapCarribbean-1024x692.jpg\")
<\/a>guteksk7 | Adobe Stock & CheapCaribbean.com<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nAs its name suggests, CheapCaribbean.com<\/a> has a more limited scope than other sites on this list, but it\u2019s worth checking if you\u2019re 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\nCheapCaribbean.com is one of the best vacation websites for all-inclusive packages. Once you\u2019ve entered your trip information, you can also filter your results by \u201cadults only,\u201d \u201cchildren\u2019s amenities,\u201d and \u201cluxury.\u201d Each hotel-specific page includes a list of active promotions, on-site activities, and the property\u2019s Tripadvisor Traveler Rating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In some ways CheapCaribbean.com isn\u2019t quite as sophisticated as other travel package sites. There\u2019s no map available to compare locations of the listed hotel options, and having to use a drop-down menu to enter your departure and arrival cities feels a little old-school. (Also annoying: not being able to group Houston\u2019s two airports into a single search, though you can<\/em> select \u201call airports\u201d for New York City and Washington, D.C.) But the affordable deals are worth a few snags, as long as you\u2019re only looking for a flight\/hotel package\u2014there\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\nBest Feature: <\/strong>The \u201cDeals of Fortune<\/a>,\u201d 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\u2019t set on a particular island or property.<\/p>\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smartertravel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/logo_cheapcaribbean.jpg\")
\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tKayak<\/h2>\n\n\n\n![\"Laptop](\"https:\/\/www.smartertravel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Kayak-1024x692.jpg\")
<\/a>guteksk7 | Adobe Stock & Kayak<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nA popular meta-search site, Kayak<\/a> saves travelers time by searching many of the best travel package sites with a single click. Unfortunately, you can\u2019t specify which elements of your trip you\u2019d like to bundle; it searches flight + hotel by default. You can add a car later on some of its partner sites, but if you\u2019re looking for a flight\/car package, you\u2019ll have to go elsewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\nResults list the cheapest available packages from sites such as Priceline (Kayak\u2019s parent company), Expedia, and CheapCaribbean.com. There\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I found that the prices listed on Kayak didn\u2019t always match the price on the source site when I clicked over to find the deal\u2014a 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Best Feature: <\/strong>Being able to search some of the best vacation booking sites in a single place is a major time saver. Though Kayak doesn\u2019t always find you the lowest possible price, it\u2019s a good place to start your search and get an idea of what\u2019s out there.<\/p>\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smartertravel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/kayak-logo-300x158.png\")
\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\nRelated:<\/h3>\nThe Essential Caribbean Packing List<\/a><\/p><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n\nFunjet Vacations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n![\"Laptop](\"https:\/\/www.smartertravel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/funjet-1024x692.jpg\")
<\/a>guteksk7 | Adobe Stock & Funjet<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe Funjet<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThere are plenty of sort options for your results, including price, hotel name, rating, distance, and location. While the map view isn\u2019t immediately obvious and is a little low-tech, it is available, and you can filter your results to properties within a certain distance of popular landmarks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One annoyance: Similarly to CheapCarribbean.com, there is no option to select \u201call airports\u201d for certain cities like Houston or Chicago. And Funjet\u2019s prices aren\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Best Feature: <\/strong>Rather than making you scour the web for coupons, Funjet automatically applies any relevant promo codes to your search.<\/p>\n\n\n\nNote: <\/em>If you\u2019re headed to the Caribbean, Central or South America, Hawaii, or Mexico, try your search on Funjet\u2019s sister site, Apple Vacations<\/a>. The destinations it covers are more limited than Funjet\u2019s, but I found that the prices were often a little better. CheapCaribbean.com is also owned by the same parent company, Apple Leisure Group.<\/p>\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smartertravel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/funjet-logo-300x69.png\")
\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tBook Your Stay With SmarterTravel Hotels<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re ready to book your next adventure but don\u2019t want to commit to a prepackaged bundle, you can still save big by booking your hotel stay with SmarterTravel Hotels.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\t
Keep a sharp eye out for resort fees; many of the best vacation booking sites don\u2019t count them in their initial per-person price estimate because they\u2019re 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\u2019t disclose these fees as clearly as others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Finally, it\u2019s important to know that many of the best sites for vacation packages are owned by the same parent company, so you\u2019ll often find similar inventory and prices from one to the next. Knowing which sites are mostly interchangeable can save you some research time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Best Travel Package Sites<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Expedia<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Expedia\u2019s sister sites: Travelocity<\/a>, Orbitz<\/a>, and CheapTickets<\/a>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Priceline<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- CheapCaribbean.com<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Kayak<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Funjet Vacations<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Expedia<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>guteksk7 | Adobe Stock & Expedia<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n This well-known site is one of the best travel package sites for a reason. Expedia<\/a> 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That said, the amount the site said I was saving on a given package didn\u2019t always match up to the actual price difference when I added up the cost of the trip\u2019s 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\u2019re getting the best deal). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Expedia has plenty of useful filters to help you find what you need. You can sort hotels by price, distance from a city\u2019s 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\u2019s also a map view so you can check out the location of each hotel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Best Feature: <\/strong>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\u2019ll pay a fair rate and have plenty of options to choose from.<\/p>\n\n\n\t
\n\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\nRelated:<\/h3>\n
How Far in Advance Should You Book a Vacation Home?<\/a><\/p><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
Expedia\u2019s Sister Sites: Travelocity, Orbitz, and CheapTickets<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>guteksk7 | Adobe Stock & Travelocity<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Many travelers don\u2019t realize that Travelocity<\/a>, Orbitz<\/a>, and CheapTickets<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was rare for any of these sites to beat out Expedia\u2019s prices in my tests; in general, the rates were identical (especially on Travelocity, where I didn\u2019t find any deviations from Expedia) or a little bit higher. However, Orbitz and CheapTickets did offer slightly cheaper packages on one flight\/car itinerary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because the pricing is so similar, it\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Best Feature: <\/strong>Travelocity and Orbitz offer a checkbox on their main booking page to specify \u201cI only need accommodations for part of my trip\u201d\u2014a 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\u2019s search page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Note: <\/em>Expedia Group also owns Hotwire<\/a>, which I didn\u2019t 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<\/em> available when booking a separate flight on Hotwire), and the pricing on some searches was a little higher than on the other sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Check out Expedia\u2019s sister sites below:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\n\t\n\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tTravelocity<\/span>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tOrbitz<\/span>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tCheapTickets<\/span>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nPriceline<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>guteksk7 | Adobe Stock & priceline<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Like Expedia and its partners, Priceline<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One quirk to prepare for: Priceline\u2019s 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\u2014so it\u2019s worth checking both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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 \u201cExpress Deals\u201d for rental cars, an opaque option in which you don\u2019t know which rental car brand you\u2019ll get until after you\u2019ve booked. If you\u2019d rather choose which company you\u2019re renting from, standard car rentals are also available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Best feature: <\/strong>Once you\u2019ve selected your flight and rental car preferences, the site will keep them the same as you click through alternate hotel possibilities\u2014saving you the hassle of having to select them over and over again.<\/p>\n\n\n\t
\n\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\nRelated:<\/h3>\n
What Happens If You Don\u2019t Turn Your Phone to Airplane Mode?<\/a><\/p><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
CheapCaribbean.com<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>guteksk7 | Adobe Stock & CheapCaribbean.com<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n As its name suggests, CheapCaribbean.com<\/a> has a more limited scope than other sites on this list, but it\u2019s worth checking if you\u2019re 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
CheapCaribbean.com is one of the best vacation websites for all-inclusive packages. Once you\u2019ve entered your trip information, you can also filter your results by \u201cadults only,\u201d \u201cchildren\u2019s amenities,\u201d and \u201cluxury.\u201d Each hotel-specific page includes a list of active promotions, on-site activities, and the property\u2019s Tripadvisor Traveler Rating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In some ways CheapCaribbean.com isn\u2019t quite as sophisticated as other travel package sites. There\u2019s no map available to compare locations of the listed hotel options, and having to use a drop-down menu to enter your departure and arrival cities feels a little old-school. (Also annoying: not being able to group Houston\u2019s two airports into a single search, though you can<\/em> select \u201call airports\u201d for New York City and Washington, D.C.) But the affordable deals are worth a few snags, as long as you\u2019re only looking for a flight\/hotel package\u2014there\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Best Feature: <\/strong>The \u201cDeals of Fortune<\/a>,\u201d 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\u2019t set on a particular island or property.<\/p>\n\n\n\t
\n\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tKayak<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>guteksk7 | Adobe Stock & Kayak<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n A popular meta-search site, Kayak<\/a> saves travelers time by searching many of the best travel package sites with a single click. Unfortunately, you can\u2019t specify which elements of your trip you\u2019d like to bundle; it searches flight + hotel by default. You can add a car later on some of its partner sites, but if you\u2019re looking for a flight\/car package, you\u2019ll have to go elsewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Results list the cheapest available packages from sites such as Priceline (Kayak\u2019s parent company), Expedia, and CheapCaribbean.com. There\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I found that the prices listed on Kayak didn\u2019t always match the price on the source site when I clicked over to find the deal\u2014a 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Best Feature: <\/strong>Being able to search some of the best vacation booking sites in a single place is a major time saver. Though Kayak doesn\u2019t always find you the lowest possible price, it\u2019s a good place to start your search and get an idea of what\u2019s out there.<\/p>\n\n\n\t
\n\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\nRelated:<\/h3>\n
The Essential Caribbean Packing List<\/a><\/p><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
Funjet Vacations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>guteksk7 | Adobe Stock & Funjet<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n The Funjet<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are plenty of sort options for your results, including price, hotel name, rating, distance, and location. While the map view isn\u2019t immediately obvious and is a little low-tech, it is available, and you can filter your results to properties within a certain distance of popular landmarks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One annoyance: Similarly to CheapCarribbean.com, there is no option to select \u201call airports\u201d for certain cities like Houston or Chicago. And Funjet\u2019s prices aren\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Best Feature: <\/strong>Rather than making you scour the web for coupons, Funjet automatically applies any relevant promo codes to your search.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Note: <\/em>If you\u2019re headed to the Caribbean, Central or South America, Hawaii, or Mexico, try your search on Funjet\u2019s sister site, Apple Vacations<\/a>. The destinations it covers are more limited than Funjet\u2019s, but I found that the prices were often a little better. CheapCaribbean.com is also owned by the same parent company, Apple Leisure Group.<\/p>\n\n\n\t
\n\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tBook Your Stay With SmarterTravel Hotels<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re ready to book your next adventure but don\u2019t want to commit to a prepackaged bundle, you can still save big by booking your hotel stay with SmarterTravel Hotels.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\t
- Expedia\u2019s sister sites: Travelocity<\/a>, Orbitz<\/a>, and CheapTickets<\/a>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
![\"SmarterTravel](\"https:\/\/www.smartertravel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/smartertravel-logo-300x75.png\"){kind=logo}
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