Around this time of year, I start to get real antsy about planning my year and figuring out what trips I could possibly make. I don't get to travel nearly as much as I would like, but BOY do I plan alot of trips. Some happen, some don't. I recently discovered 2 new tools (websites) that have made the planning process even more fun.
First up is OYSTER:
Oyster has a very simple mission: to give a comprehensive preview of the hotels you might choose to stay at, from the beds you'll sleep in to the bathrooms you'll use to the food you'll eat. Unlike TripAdvisor (which by the way is awesome and necessary), Oyster has professional photographers visit the hotels, so you get great pictures and you can in turn clearly see what you're looking at.
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| No Photoshop, no False Advertising allowed. |
Sometimes a non professional won't capture what you want to see in a hotel room, or the pictures can be so poorly lit, you lose interest in what was probably a decent room. In addition to the excellent pictures, you get a list of the pros and cons as well as a very detailed review on all aspects of the space.
As far back as I can remember there's just been one truth about getting a better deal on a flight, don't travel weekends, simply look for midweek flights. Well, SkyScanner tries to take the guesswork out of all that. It's probably best for flexible flights, for those times when you simply want the best deal.
For example, I was looking for a flight to Prague some point in May for a total of 9 days. A blind flight search came up with tickets closer to $1,400. With Skyscanner, I could see the exact dates that were more affordable and the proper combination for departure and return so that the flight cost dropped to less than $800. I would highly recommend the phone app, I think its actually easier to use than the actual website.
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| A return flight on June 4 is $399 as compared to June 10 which jumps significantly higher to $854. |
So, have you made any recent discoveries that have made it easier to plan your trips.
If so, Please SHARE.
