Best Websites for Travel Deals for Your Next Business Travel

Almost every individual has dreams of travel grandeur. May it be exotic Africa or romantic Paris, exploring beyond your normal place of residence is a desire wanting to be satisfied. And thanks to the internet and the rise of social media, no longer are we confined to the brick and mortar travel agencies.

We can now have the ability to make our own itineraries to fit our budget. Yet the process may be daunting with so many websites claiming they got the best deals for you. So to help you navigate and cut down the hours you would be spending surfing through sites, here are the best travel sites to assist you in finally landing on that dream destination.

Airfare

You will agree that often finding the cheapest airfare may not be exactly your cup of tea. I know some people who prefer the shortest duration or would want to fly on their choice airline.  Either way it is best to check out directly the website of the Airline you fancy or who has the right flight or route for you.

Check out their Twitter pages and Fan pages or better yet be a follower to get alerts on the latest deals that they may offer exclusively to social media savvy customers. Or let aggregator sites do the comparison for you. Among the most popular are CheapestAirfare AirFareWatchdog, FareCompare and Fly.com. Checking out these sites will save you lots of time and energy over browsing every airline’s websites.

Hotels

Unless you are after staying on a specific hotel, then similar to finding the best deals in fares, check out sites that can give you what’s the best deals at a glance. Try Kayak, GetARoom and TravelZoo that not only features current hotel deals but tickets to popular tourist attractions as well.

Follow popular group hotel chains in Twitter or Facebook to grab the latest hotel offers. There are also many online companies that you can sign up on to get exclusive notifications of special deals from major hotels. Jetsetter.com is one of them and so is Off & Away which features an auction format for the best rooms. You may also opt to check out newly opened hotels on your destination city with the help of Google, as these new businesses are likely to offer huge discounts to attract  its initial customers.

Other types of Lodging

If staying at hotels does not suit your budget then consider short-term vacation houses where you can stay comfortably, cook your own meals and save heaps. AirBnB, VRBO and HomeAway can give you options. If you are a frequent traveler then why not consider time sharing or swapping places with other jet setters? HomeExchange or HomeLink are excellent sites for this kind of venture.

Land Costs

This is a hidden cost that many planners fail to take into account so make sure you have a budget for this item. As you will surely need to go places and explore as would any tourist.  And again, being informed of your options is a good weapon to have on travels.  Plan your itinerary well using Google Maps to determine distances and transportation options. If a car is needed then use the web or download apps like Bing’s Gas Prices app to find where can you gas up for less.

Want to share a ride with other people to split the transportation cost? Then check out  ZimRide, Live Silver Prices and RideShare and find other travellers who are keen on saving too. It is also wise to sign up way ahead on the latest trend in grabbing huge discounts on almost anything, from admission tickets, tours and adventure packages on your city of destination. Groupon, Gilt Groupe or LivingSocial regularly offer such deals which may make your vacation extra special without costing you an arm.