Trip Planning & Booking
Planning and booking a trip step by step, from setting a budget and finding cheap flights to booking lodging and knowing your rights when plans change.
Planning a trip
Planning and booking your trip
Good planning saves money and stress. Setting a budget, booking the big things in the right order and knowing your options when plans change make a trip smoother from start to finish.
How to plan a trip, step by step covers setting a budget, choosing dates, booking transportation and lodging, planning activities and getting documents ready.
Flights are often the biggest single cost. How to find cheap flights explains flexible searches, price alerts, when to book, the fees that make cheap fares expensive, and your rights to cancel and get refunds.
Before you book an expensive, nonrefundable trip, read is travel insurance worth it?. For paying abroad, see travel money, and for packing, how to pack light. Not sure where to go yet? Start with how to choose a vacation destination.
Common questions
Book the things that are hardest to change or most likely to sell out first, usually flights and lodging, then rental cars, tours and restaurants. For popular places and dates, book high-demand experiences as soon as they open.
Comparison sites are great for finding prices, but booking directly with the airline or hotel often makes changes, refunds and loyalty benefits easier. Compare the total price, including fees, either way.
Under US Department of Transportation rules, if an airline cancels your flight or makes a significant change and you choose not to travel, you're entitled to a refund to your original form of payment, not just a voucher.