Here’s how to shop online and get the best prices with the fewest clicks.
1. Become an expert well in advance. Sign up for e-mail alerts and online newsletters, recommends George Hobica of airfarewatchdog.com. It’s the best way to familiarize yourself with destinations and prices. In other words, for now, keep your mind open and your wallet closed. And don’t forget to ask friends on Twitter and Facebook for their tips.
2. Decide on a few destinations. Now that you have a better sense of what’s out there, you want to work backward. Barbara Messing of travel-ticker.com explains, “Don’t fixate on one place. Let the deal be your inspiration.”
3. Reassure yourself. Before committing, play detective. For videos of hotels, restaurants, activities, and attractions, go to tripfilms.com and insiderperks.com. Tripfilms depends on travelers for their observations, while the videos on InsiderPerks are created by the site’s staff. Watch both to get a good overview of your destination. Browse through other families’ vacation photos on flickr.com (it’s OK—really), and read candid reviews by travelers on tripadvisor.com.
4. Search for the lowest airfare. Experts consider kayak.com the best first step in searching for low-cost airline deals (it doesn’t include Southwest, so you’ll have to check that airline separately). You’ll almost always get a better deal if you’re flexible—you can fly out on one carrier and return on another, for example, or fly to an offbeat airport like Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, California (15 miles outside L.A.), or Midway in Chicago. Lock in your rate, but don’t pull the trigger yet. (Depending on the airline, you may have 10 minutes to 24 hours to commit, so do the next steps—fees and hotels—quickly.)
5. Find the hidden fees. If you want to know the real price of the ticket, check “Airline Fees: The Ultimate Guide” at smartertravel.com. Will you have to pay for that blanket, the soda, and the pretzels? Some airlines charge up to $100 extra for a seat with more legroom. To find out what your airline charges, go to its website or check the Guide. Then compare bag fees with FedEx, UPS, and U.S. Postal Service rates. “Depending on the route and method,” says Hobica, “the cost savings from shipping versus schlepping can range from little or nothing to dramatic.”
6. Get a room, then book your flight. Hotels.com features more than 70,000 properties—from small bed-and-breakfasts to all-inclusive luxury resorts—and flags special deals. For unbiased shots of lobbies, rooms, and neighborhoods, go to tvtrip.com. At oyster.com, you get photos, plus the pros and cons. Once you’ve booked your room, book your flight.
7. Rent a car before you leave. If you don’t care which carrental company you use, head to hotwire.com for deep discounts on rentals, says Anne Banas of smartertravel.com. Check rates for both airport and off-site pickup. (But if there’s no free shuttle service, factor in the cost of a cab. Off-site hours may be limited.)
8. Once you’ve landed, “check in” with Foursquare, a free app for iPhones, BlackBerrys, Palms, and Android phones. Tell your friends where you are, and get their recommendations on the hot spots in town. If they’re in the area, they just might join you.