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As the cost of living rises, finding affordable vacations becomes harder, but there are always cheap travel deals to be found. Bookmark these websites to find the best travel deals, to almost anywhere in the world.
Skyscanner
Skyscanner is a simple search website that most associate with finding cheap flights, although it’s now also possible to search for deals on accommodation and even car hire as well. You can put in the airports you want to fly to and from (check the box that says ‘add nearby airports’ for potentially cheaper alternatives in the same region).
Want a vaycay but don’t care where? Just search ‘everywhere’ for the cheapest deals to any destination on any given day. Want a last minute weekend trip to somewhere fun? Download the Skyscanner app and open Drops to see any flights leaving today from your chosen airport with a price drop of 20% or more.
LastMinute.com
LastMinute.com allows you to select ‘flights’, ‘hotels’, or ‘flights and hotels’, and search for discounted travel deals available in the near future. Far from being truly last minute, deals include options for the next few weeks, although you may just find an amazing bargain if you can leave in the next couple of days.
Subscribe to the newsletter to get deals sent straight to your inbox, and get a small travel credit to be used on the site.
Expedia
Expedia is a simple, user-friendly platform that compares deals across the internet, and then allows you to make a booking directly through the site. It covers hotels and other accommodation like condos and villas, flights, cruises, vacation packages, and car hire.
The site features OneKey — a free travel rewards program that works alongside any other air miles or other travel rewards cards you may already have — and offers awesome last minute deals. Become a OneKey member to collect rewards and access reduced prices and special deals. You can also sign up for alerts if prices drop.
Kayak
Kayak.com is similar to Expedia but is a true comparison site rather than a booking portal. That is, it will compare prices across the web, but then send you to the featured airlines, hotels and other companies to make your booking direct.
The Kayak app is highly popular, allowing you to track prices, set a budget and easily build your itinerary for your trip. The site also has some fun tools like the ‘Best Time to Travel’ calculator that finds when the cheapest deals are available to your destination.
Holiday Pirates
Holiday Pirates is a site that allows you to search for travel deals in various categories including city breaks, all-inclusive, last minute, and solo travel. Search by category or destination, or scroll right to the bottom of the home page to see the different markets available, including USA, UK, and various European countries.
You can follow Holiday Pirates on their social media channels, where they post all the last minute deals that are going at reduced prices, or subscribe to the newsletter to get them straight to your inbox. There’s also an award winning app, though I’ve found the site works better than the app.
Worldpackers and Workaway
Want a free vacation, rather than a cheap one? That’s possible. Organizations like Worldpackers and Workaway offer a range of options whereby you volunteer your time in return for free vacations. The work required is usually a few hours a day, and can be anything from helping out at a farm, animal rescue centre or community library, to teaching in a school (or building one).
You’ll usually get accommodation, food and other perks, but not travel to and from the destination. Always do your own research and read reviews before embarking on a project like this. There’s plenty that can go wrong, but lots of amazing experiences potentially awaiting you too.
If your budget is standing between you and your travel dreams, consider using a combination of the above to find the perfect travel opportunity, at an affordable price.
Karen Banes is a freelance writer specializing in entrepreneurship, parenting and lifestyle. She writes articles, website content, ebooks and the occasional award winning short story. Her work has appeared in a range of publications both online and off, including The Washington Post, Life Info Magazine, Transitions Abroad, Brave New Traveler, Natural Parenting Group, and Copia Magazine. Learn More About Karen
