Planning a Vacation? Useful Resources to Plan and Save Money

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This post does contain affiliate links.  See disclosure for more information

I don’t know how my parents did it.  Thirty years ago we did not have the internet to help guide us when planning a vacation.  When I was 9 we went on a road trip to Yellowstone.  My parents must have made many phone calls, read lots guide books and the road map probably got so much use it was falling apart.  Sometimes I think about trying that method.  No planning, and no use of internet.  It would be challanging because I am a planner!  I am so thankful that we have the internet to help give us ideas of places to go, find reviews to know the best restaurants, places to stay, and things to see.  The following is a list of the top sources I use to plan my vacations. I hope that some of them inspire you to find a destination you love, plan a trip, and save some money at the same time.

Roadtrippers.com – I use this if I am planning a family road trip with the camper.  I like it because I can drop a point between cities and it tells me how many miles and how long to get there. But what makes it unique is that it has information along the route such as hotels, campgrounds, restaurants, interesting tourist attractions.  I can alter my route based on what I find interesting to visit.  I used this website/ app to plan our camping road trips to Yellowstone and Nashville/ North Carolina.

Google Flights – I use this website as my first place to search for a flight or if I need a destination idea.  Once I find the best price,  I go directly to the airline’s website to book the ticket.  If I  need some ideas on where to go I can enter in the dates and it will list places all over the world with ticket prices for those dates.  If my trip dates can be flexible, I can see prices for all dates in the month at one time. That way I can move my trip dates around to get the cheapest flight. If you are not yet ready to book, you can set a price alert to let you know when the prices drop or change. Below is an example of the calendar I put in for the dates Minneapolis to Oslo. As you can see the prices vary a lot so if you can be flexible at all it pays to check this out.  Once you choose the dates, the next page will list all the airlines and their prices.

Nextvacay – This is a paid service costing  $25 a year which which sends out an email when there are unusually inexpensive flights from my nearest airport.  I used this service to book an upcoming flight to Iceland and Norway. It uses Googleflights as its source. It is great because it gives me ideas for places to go that I would not normally have thought of going at unusually low prices.

TripAdvisor.com  I use this website to research places to stay and  things to do.  I really like the Forums section where you can ask questions about an area you might be visiting.  There are experts from all over the world that are willing to answer your questions or give you advice about the area you are researching.  I have asked questions like “How steep are the grades when driving from Gatlinburg, TN to Cherokee NC?”, or “Can I have feedback on my trip itinerary to Iceland- will I have time to get it all in?” Locals and people who have travelled there are so helpful and willing to give answers, which helps me make the most of my trip.  They also have a lot of deals and discounts  so I check there to compare prices.

Groupon – Whenever I am planning to visit a big city I check groupon to see if there are any deals for restaurants or things to do.  It also gives me an idea of some of the attractions that are in the area. I have used this for Las Vegas for show tickets and restaurants.  See my trip reports Here and Here.

LivingSocial – This is another resource I use for finding discounts in a city I will be visiting. I buy discounted tickets for attractions or vouchers for food.

VRBO  Homeaway and Airbnb – If it is a vacation that we will not be staying in our camper, I check these resources to find alternates to hotels. If we are going to stay for longer then 2 nights it is nice to have a place with a full kitchen and several bathrooms.  We have stayed at some incredible places in Florida this way.  We can also save money by cooking our meals by staying in a place with a kitchen.

Google Search –  I search the places I will be going with key words and this brings up other people’s blogs, travel websites and other sources that are helpful in finding out more about an area,  so I get a better idea of things not to miss.  If you do book online, be sure to clear your cookies.  If they know you are interested from previous searches the price may be higher.

App Store–  I check the App Store to see what kinds of touring plans are available.  I found a great one called Yellowstone Gypsy Guide Tour that was only $4.99 and helped us drive through the National Park with more information about what we were seeing. That Trip Report can be found Here. I have also found Lonely Planet which will be helpful for Europe, and Shaka Kauai and Oahu for Hawaii.  There are many touring apps out there at a range of prices.

Vacationstogo– This site has some great deals on LAST MINUTE cruises.  My parents have booked here and have been able to combine onboard credit that the cruise line is offering with additional onboard credit offered by them.  They have gotten heavily discounted rooms making it affordable to upgrade to a balcony room.

Booking.com– This site is another great one for general booking and finding deals.  You can book flights, all types of transportation, hotels, apartments, resorts and even Bed and Breakfasts!

I am thankful to have the internet and the time to research when planning a vacation. I hope some of these tips  will help the next time you are planning a trip.  Please follow me to learn more trip ideas and discounts. Please comment below with great resources you have found to help you plan your vacations.

This post does include affiliate links.