Planning a vacation can be exciting, but booking flights, hotels, and car rentals separately can quickly become overwhelming and potentially more expensive. Travel packages offer a convenient and often cost-effective solution by bundling these essential components together. But with so many websites vying for your attention, finding the Best Travel Websites For Packages can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack.
To simplify your vacation planning, we’ve rigorously tested and evaluated numerous vacation package sites to identify the top platforms that deliver the best prices, user experience, and overall value. We’ve delved into their features, pricing structures, and ease of use to help you confidently choose the ideal website for booking your next getaway.
Top Websites for Booking Travel Packages
Here’s a curated list of the best websites for vacation packages, each offering unique strengths and catering to different travel preferences. These are presented in no particular order, as the “best” option truly depends on your individual needs and priorities.
1. Expedia: Your All-in-One Travel Package Powerhouse
Illustration of a laptop computer screen showing the vacation packages search page for Expedia
Expedia stands out as a leading name in online travel for good reason, consistently ranking as one of the best travel websites for packages. This platform excels by offering a comprehensive range of package options, including flight + hotel, flight + car, hotel + car, and the all-encompassing flight + hotel + car combination. Whether you’re dreaming of a tropical beach escape or a European city adventure, Expedia provides access to destinations across the globe.
During our testing, Expedia demonstrated strong price competitiveness, securing the lowest price in two out of five test bookings and remaining consistently cheaper than average in most scenarios. While the advertised package savings might not always precisely reflect the actual price difference compared to booking components separately, Expedia generally provides fair pricing and a vast selection of options. It’s always wise to double-check the individual component costs to ensure you’re truly getting the best possible deal.
Expedia’s user-friendly interface is enhanced by robust filtering and sorting capabilities. You can refine hotel searches by price, proximity to city centers, guest ratings, package discounts, and hotel class. Flight options can be filtered by preferred departure and arrival times (morning, evening, etc.), airlines, baggage inclusion, and more. Furthermore, flight results can be sorted by duration, price, departure time, and arrival time, allowing for meticulous customization. The integrated map view for hotels is a valuable tool for visualizing locations and choosing accommodations in your desired area.
Key Feature: Expedia’s extensive selection and dependable pricing solidify its position as a top contender for finding the best vacation packages online. While absolute lowest prices aren’t always guaranteed, you’ll likely find competitive rates and an impressive array of choices to tailor your perfect trip.
2. Expedia Group Sister Sites: Travelocity, Orbitz, and CheapTickets
Travelocity Packages Search Page
Many travelers are unaware that Travelocity, Orbitz, and CheapTickets are all part of the Expedia Group family. These sister sites share a similar inventory and often mirror Expedia’s pricing structure, making them viable alternatives when searching for top travel package websites. You’ll find familiar layouts and filtering options across these platforms, and like Expedia, they offer every conceivable vacation package combination involving flights, hotels, and car rentals.
In our price comparisons, these sites rarely outperformed Expedia directly. Prices were typically identical, especially on Travelocity, or marginally higher. However, Orbitz and CheapTickets did occasionally present slightly more affordable packages for specific flight and car rental combinations.
Given the pricing similarities, dedicating time to searching all three sister sites in addition to Expedia might only be worthwhile if minor price differences are critical to your budget. For most users, checking Expedia and perhaps one of its sisters as a secondary check is sufficient.
Standout Feature: Travelocity, Orbitz, and CheapTickets offer a convenient checkbox on their main search page labeled “I only need accommodations for part of my trip.” This unique feature allows travelers to specify a subset of their travel dates and focus their package search within that timeframe. Expedia has also incorporated this useful feature into its search interface.
Note: Hotwire, also owned by Expedia Group, was found to be less consistent in our tests compared to its sister sites. In one instance, a nonstop flight option available on other Expedia Group sites was missing when booking a Hotwire package (though it was available when booking a flight separately on Hotwire). Pricing on Hotwire was also sometimes slightly higher.
Explore Expedia’s Sister Sites:
3. Priceline: Packages and “Express Deals” for Savvy Travelers
Priceline Packages Search Page
Priceline, a well-established online travel agency, is another strong contender in the realm of best websites to book vacation packages. Similar to Expedia and its affiliates, Priceline provides a comprehensive range of package options, encompassing all combinations of flights, hotels, and rental cars. Its search results pages are user-friendly, featuring ample filtering and sorting options, along with a map view for hotels, facilitating location-based decisions. Priceline boasts a wide array of hotel choices across various price points in popular vacation destinations.
A distinctive aspect of Priceline’s flight search is that it presents departure and return flights as pre-selected pairs, rather than allowing individual selection. While this streamlines the process by reducing clicks, it may require more scrolling to pinpoint your preferred flight combination. It’s also worth noting that some flights available when booking airfare separately on Priceline might not appear as package options. Therefore, cross-referencing standalone flight searches can be beneficial.
In terms of pricing, Priceline generally performed in the mid-range during our evaluations. It secured the lowest price in one test but emerged as the most expensive in two others. Overall, Priceline offered better-than-average prices in 60% of our test bookings. For budget-conscious travelers, Priceline features “Express Deals” for rental cars – an opaque booking option where the rental car brand is revealed only after booking. Standard car rentals with brand selection are also available.
Top Feature: Priceline’s user interface intelligently retains your flight and rental car preferences as you explore different hotel options. This time-saving feature eliminates the repetitive task of re-selecting these preferences for each hotel consideration.
4. CheapCaribbean.com: Your Gateway to Affordable Caribbean Packages
CheapCaribbean.com HomepageAs the name suggests, CheapCaribbean.com specializes in Caribbean travel packages. While its scope is narrower than broader platforms, it’s an invaluable resource if you’re planning a trip to this popular region, particularly for all-inclusive vacations or honeymoons. CheapCaribbean.com consistently delivered cheaper-than-average prices in our Caribbean-focused tests, making it a best travel website for packages to this specific destination.
CheapCaribbean.com excels in offering all-inclusive vacation packages. Search filters allow you to refine results by categories like “adults only,” “children’s amenities,” and “luxury.” Each hotel listing provides details on active promotions, on-site activities, and the property’s Tripadvisor Traveler Rating, empowering informed decisions.
While highly effective for Caribbean packages, CheapCaribbean.com has some limitations. It lacks a map view for comparing hotel locations, and its airport selection for certain cities (like Houston) can be less flexible than other sites. However, the attractive deals often outweigh these minor drawbacks, especially if you are primarily interested in flight and hotel packages. Car rental options and other package combinations are limited on this platform, though travel insurance and airport transfers can typically be added.
Unique Feature: CheapCaribbean.com’s “Deals of Fortune” offer exceptional value. These bookings reveal the destination but keep the exact resort a secret until approximately a week before travel. This adventurous option is perfect for flexible, budget-minded travelers who are open to exploring different Caribbean islands and resorts.
5. Kayak: A Meta-Search Engine for Package Deal Discovery
Kayak Packages Search PageKayak operates as a meta-search engine, saving you time by simultaneously searching numerous best travel package sites with a single query. By default, Kayak focuses on flight + hotel packages. While you can sometimes add a car rental on partner sites later in the booking process, Kayak isn’t ideal if your primary focus is flight + car packages.
Kayak aggregates results from various platforms, including Priceline (its parent company), Expedia, and CheapCaribbean.com. A map view is available, and the results page incorporates both airfare and hotel filters, simplifying the process of finding nonstop flights, complimentary breakfast, or specific hotel amenities.
It’s important to note that prices displayed on Kayak may not always precisely match the final price on the source website when you click through to book. This slight price discrepancy is a common characteristic of meta-search engines. Interestingly, we occasionally observed price variations between clicking from Kayak and searching directly on the booking site’s homepage. For example, a Las Vegas package might appear cheaper via a Kayak link to Priceline than when accessed directly through Priceline’s website, and vice versa. The takeaway is to always double-check prices both through Kayak and directly on the booking site to ensure accuracy and secure the best possible deal.
Valuable Feature: Kayak’s ability to aggregate search results from many leading vacation booking sites in one place is a significant time-saver. While it may not consistently pinpoint the absolute lowest price, Kayak is an excellent starting point to survey available options and gain a broad overview of the package landscape.
6. Funjet Vacations: Package Deals with Promo Code Perks
Funjet Vacations HomepageFunjet Vacations’ homepage primarily presents flight + hotel packages. However, you can add rental cars to flight + hotel or individual flight bookings later in the process, offering some flexibility. The platform provides numerous sorting options for results, including price, hotel name, rating, points of interest, and location.
Similar to CheapCaribbean.com, Funjet Vacations lacks the “all airports” selection for certain cities like Houston or Chicago, which can be slightly inconvenient. Funjet’s pricing can also be somewhat inconsistent, sometimes offering the lowest price in tests and occasionally ranking as the most expensive. Nonetheless, Funjet remains a worthwhile site to compare when researching your vacation package options.
Key Advantage: Funjet Vacations automatically applies relevant promotional codes to your search results, eliminating the need to manually search for and enter coupons. This feature ensures you automatically benefit from available discounts.
Note: If your travel plans include the Caribbean, Central or South America, Hawaii, or Mexico, consider exploring Funjet’s sister site, Apple Vacations. Apple Vacations focuses on a more limited destination range compared to Funjet, but our research indicates that prices are often slightly more competitive. CheapCaribbean.com is also part of the same parent company, Apple Leisure Group.
Book Your Stay with SmarterTravel Hotels
If you prefer to book components of your trip separately but still want to secure great deals on accommodations, SmarterTravel Hotels is an excellent resource.
In Conclusion:
Finding the best travel websites for packages depends on your specific needs and travel style. Expedia and its sister sites offer broad selections and reliable pricing. Priceline provides a good balance of price and features, with unique “Express Deals” for adventurous travelers. CheapCaribbean.com is a standout for Caribbean getaways, and Kayak simplifies comparison shopping across multiple sites. Funjet Vacations offers convenience with automatic promo code application. By exploring these top travel package websites, you’ll be well-equipped to plan and book your next unforgettable vacation with ease and confidence.
