#1  Look for travel websites that offer you the ability to quickly compare airfare prices and hotel prices and amenities.  There are now many websites that enable you to quickly and easily search up to a dozen travel websites from one location. This makes it easy to find not only the fare that you want but the departure time, departure and arrival city, and the preferred number of stops. 

Additionally, these same websites can offer similar hotel searching criteria.  Be careful of sites that only highlight a few sponsored hotels and instead choose a travel website that has your interests in mind and lists many hotel options, such as Reserve Thai Hotels.com or Agoda.com .

#2  Look for sites that offer excellent customer service.  Customer service and reputation are important.  Often people stick to the travel websites that they’re familiar with because of television advertising; however this can mean the loss of interesting travel opportunities and travel savings.  Big doesn’t necessarily mean better.  Always read the fine print and before you click ‘reserve’ and make that charge to your credit card, do a little research on the travel site itself.  A quick search of the travel site and the word “review” in your favorite search engine will likely result in a few review sites.  Read the reviews with an open mind and make your decision. 

You can also find out about the website’s customer service by reading on site testimonials.  If you’re still not comfortable, simply call the travel site and speak with a representative.  If they are courteous and responsive that demonstrates a lot.  Don’t be afraid to ask for references and call them!

#3  Look for sites that offer valuable information about your destination.  Travel websites can be a valuable and informative resource.  They often offer information and tips about your travel destination, how to get the best travel deals, and even when to go and what to see.  The best travel sites make reviews of hotels and tours available for you to see before you make a reservation.  They make the hotel amenities available to you for comparison, they show you the location of the hotel and often they show you pictures of both the inside and the outside.  While this information isn’t a guarantee that your hotel is going to be perfect, you at least have a basis for comparison and reviews to help guide you in the decision making process.