The seven top websites for holiday bargains!

by Rachel Wait on 23 May 2010  |  10 comments
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Rachel Robson gives you the lowdown on the best websites to use when booking your holiday!

If you’re hoping to get away for a much-needed holiday over the coming months, you might be wondering how you can take a break without breaking the bank. So in this article, I am going to highlight seven top websites you can use to grab yourself a bargain!

Yahoo Travel

Yahoo Travel is a nifty site if you want to compare prices of hotels, flights, and car hire. Simply type in when and where you want to go and hit the button! This is a great way to ensure you’re shopping around for the best deal, and because it does all the searching for you, it will save you a lot of time and effort.

Alternatively, if you're not sure where to go on holiday, you can always check out the website's selection of top holiday deals and city breaks to help you decide.

Expedia

Expedia is another top website for searching for flights, hotels, or car hire. Again, all you need to do is type in your requirements, and wait for the relevant information to come up.

It's also well worth investigating the package holiday options, as Expedia negotiates cheaper deals with airlines and hotel chains - so this may work out to be better value for money. Again, you will be able to type in your requirements. So if you fancy a week in Corfu, for example, you’ll find you can get a deal from £170 per person (self-catering).

Voyage Prive

Invitation-only websites look set to be the next big thing when it comes to bagging a bargain holiday. These websites offer exclusive discounts on holidays to its members only.

Voyage Prive is one example of this. It offers exclusive travel deals at discounted prices to all of its members, but in order to register you usually must have been invited to join by another member. However, until the end of July, you can join via a reader offer from The Sunday Times. When it asks for the email address of the friend who nominated you, type in sundaytimes@voyageprive.com and you can join for free.

The website works through flash-sales, so it only offers deals for a limited time. Each week, members receive an email newsletter which contains the latest range of offers on four and five star hotels and holidays – from city breaks to cruises.

Related how-to guide

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Right now, for example, you can enjoy 70% off at the five star Hilton Las Vegas, or 47% off a stay at a five star hotel in Turkey.

Skoosh

Skoosh sources its hotels through wholesalers so the prices it offers are among the cheapest you’ll find online. Simply type in where and when you want to go, and the website will hunt out some of the best deals around. Alternatively, take a look at the best sellers list.

Although you don’t have to become a member to enjoy discounted prices, you will find that some hotels are simply described as 'Members Only Hotels'. This means the name of the hotel will be hidden unless you decide to register as a member. You can register on the website for free, and this time you don’t have to receive an invitation to join.

This website also allows you to review hotels, so if you’re planning to stay somewhere, you’ll be able to see which hotels get the thumbs up!

Lastminute.com

Most people know that Lastminute.com is a good place to look if you’re after a last minute bargain. But have you ever checked out its Top Secret Hotel scheme, which offers up to 45% off nightly rates at various upmarket hotels? All you have to do is choose which dates you want to go, and you’ll be given a description of the hotel, as well as its location and rating. The only thing you won’t be given is the name of the hotel. So it's a little similar to Skoosh, only this time you won't find out exactly where you are staying until you’ve booked.

If you're worried this sounds a little risky, a quick search through Google should help you to discover which hotel it is – after all, you will have the location and description to give you a clue.

Geenee

If you’re really hoping to save money on your holiday, you could consider house swapping as your accommodation option.This literally means that you will swap your home for someone else's for the duration of the holiday.

Of course, if you're going to choose this option, you will need to be happy with the idea of someone else staying in your home while you're not there. But if you do decide to go for it, you're likely to save a fair bit of cash on your accommodation.

There are several home swapping websites out there, but many of them require you to pay a membership fee. Geenee, on the other hand, is currently free to sign up to and once you have, you can advertise your own home.

All you then have to do is browse the site, choose where you want to go, and investigate whether there’s a suitable home on offer. If there is, you can then contact the homeowner and start arranging the swap. You can find out more in Property swap shop.

Holiday Autos

Finally, if, once you’re on holiday, you’re hoping to hire a car, you should still ensure you shop around for the best deal. It’s a good idea to do this before you leave home as once you’re abroad it can be difficult to ensure you’re really getting the best deal for your money.

Holiday Autos is a great website to check out as it allows you to compare the best deals from a range of car hire companies, so you’ll be able to see which one works out cheapest. All you have to do is type in where you’re going and when, click the ‘search button’ and off you go. Good luck!

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