You will usually get the best rate by booking your hotel or attraction directly on their website. We’ve provided direct links whenever possible throughout the content on our website.
Your Weekend Getaway Reservations
Browse our website and use our search function to come up with ideas.
Once you reach the desired hotel’s website, look for their Deals or Packages tab to discover seasonal, last minute, romantic, family and other types of offers.
Many attractions that we write about offer tours that you can book directly on their website.
If you prefer to rent a house so that you can have the whole place to yourself, it will take some digging but with so many options out there, you are bound to find the perfect place.
Airline Reservations
Using online tools such as Google Flights can save you time when booking flights.
Be sure to play around with dates—sometimes a day or two can make a significant difference in price.
Check your rewards miles and points to see if you have enough for a free airline ticket. If you are fortunate to have a generous relative who travels a lot for work, they can gift you the miles as well.
Once you find your preferred flights, load the website of the airline in question and consider booking directly with the airline. It's often easier to change your reservation, choose seats and pay for upgrades if you book on the airline's website rather than going through an intermediary.
Be sure to sign up for frequent flier miles and add them to your reservation.
Vacation Budgeting Tips
Before you start booking your trip, be sure to add up the cost of:
- transportation (airline tickets and car rental)
- accommodations (hotel room or home rental)
- meals
- tours and activities
- hotel occupancy taxes
- resort fees
- parking fees
- baggage fees
- miscellaneous costs
- and insurance.
If it turns out that you are over your budget, don't give up on your dream trip just yet. Instead, look for alternate dates, cheaper destinations that will provide a similar set of activities, or more affordable accommodations nearby.
Some ways to save include off-season travel, last minute deals and discounted package options. Preparing some of your own meals on vacation can provide considerable savings as well.
Honeymoon Planning and Booking Tips
Planning a once in a lifetime trip to a far away destination can be fun but also tiring because there is so much to consider. Couples overwhelmed by wedding preparations can hire an experienced Travel Agent, also known as a Travel Advisor, to take care of the details. This is a good place to start.
Consider setting up a honeymoon registry to pay for your honeymoon.
Should You Use an Online Travel Agency (OTA)
It depends. We've often used an OTA when booking more complex itineraries with multiple flights, hotels, car rentals and activities. OTAs let you shorten research time, keep all the reservations in one place, and get an alert about flight changes. You also earn points to use toward future travel.
Using an OTA is not necessarily cheaper but it does help you stay organized.
There are some downsides, however. Certain independent hotels and travel providers aren't on OTA platforms.
If you need to modify a reservation such as your departure time, you will usually have to call the OTA who then calls the airline which can make the process more time consuming than if you had booked with the airline directly.
If you book your hotel through an OTA and later decide to add a romantic amenity or bring a pet, you usually won't be able to call the hotel directly. You will be told to call your OTA and wait on hold while they talk to the hotel. If you spend a lot of money with one OTA in a year, you can receive premium support with more expert agents and lower wait times.
Travel Insurance - Is it Worth It
Travel insurance can save the day if something unexpected happens. It's easy to get a quick quote online.
However, be sure to read the fine print to see exactly what is covered and what isn't. That way you can avoid paying a premium for something that you might not need.
Can You Use AI Tools to Book Your Trip
While you can't book your travel that way yet, AI tools like ChatGPT and Google's Gemini can be a valuable research and travel planning tool.
It can be fun to brainstorm ideas with an AI tool which may lead to unexpected itinerary options.
Often AI answers include links to hotels, restaurants and attractions where you can book directly.
Ready to go?
Step 1: Visit the website and book directly and/or call ahead to confirm their hours.
Step 2: If you are spending the night, search for Hotel Deals nearby. Read the reviews, then call the hotel directly to book and ask for a romantic, kid-friendly or pet-friendly amenity if you need it.
Step 3: If you are flying, compare Flights. Book directly with the airline, add your frequent flier number and reserve your seat.
Step 4: Estimate your driving time using Google Maps (click the blue 'Directions' arrow in the search box).
Need some more help?
Read our Reservations & Travel Planning Tips guide.