We all love to enjoy our vacations. However, we would like to enjoy our vacations at low-cost prices. In this article, we will discuss about my 3 favorite travel comparators. Price comparator for vacations: Expendia, Kayak and Airbnb
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Different ways to save money on vacation
As I explained in my article, “Save money on vacation: 10 tips to reduce your expenses". There are many ways to have a vacation."low cost”.
Indeed, it is possible to save money on vacation with simple tips. For example:
- Have a bank card without payment fees abroad
- Avoid tourist places
- Do not buy useless souvenir gifts.
On the other hand, there is a frugal tip that I have not yet developed in this blog. Note that this tip is very important in order to save money before the holidays. It is the price comparison for the holidays: Expendia, Kayak and Airbnb 😉
Airbnb vs Kayak vs Expendia?
Airbnb is less comprehensive than Kayak or Expendia.
Indeed, Airbnb only compares accommodation rentals, mainly private rooms, while Kayak and Expedia are general price comparison sites. That is to say, more complete and more varied.
What is the purpose of a price comparison site?
A price comparison site has three main objectives for the customer:
- Save time when searching
- Filter the customer's desires as best as possible
- Select the cheapest product for customer expectations
For example, for your next trip, if you plan to go on holiday to Porto, Majorca, Bangkok, the West Indies or elsewhere, a price comparison site can help you find a cheap flight!
Kayak and Expendia are my favorite travel sites for searching and booking trips. 😊
What does a travel booking platform compare?
If a customer goes through a travel booking platform. There are mainly 4 aspects that he wants to compare:
- Flight tickets
- Train or public transport tickets
- Short-term rental of accommodation (hotel for example)
- Car rental or scooter rental
It should be noted that my first reflexes in order to book my trip always start with the Kayak and Expendia sites. 😊
Why choose Kayak and Expendia?
When we choose a price comparison site, we want it to compare as many products as possible in order to have a good overview!
In my opinion and according to my research carried out. Kayak and Expendia are the 2 most serious competitors to compare accommodation rentals, plane tickets for a trip or car rental.
These are not the only price comparison sites! There are several travel booking sites, but in my opinion, Kayak and Expendia are the most comprehensive.
An example with plane tickets?
Let's start this example with an imaginary person (Alain) who wants to find plane tickets as cheap as possible!
Let's say Alain wants to find a plane ticket departing from Geneva airport. This year, he wants to go to a specific destination for his vacation.
- New York in Spring (10 days)
He goes on kayak, he puts the instructions. For example:
- One-way or round-trip flight
- Number of passengers
- Age of passengers
- Travel date
- Checked baggage or hand luggage
And he notes that there are different colors depending on the day of departure and the day of return for his plane:
- Red = Expensive
- Young = A little expensive
- Green = Cheap for the period
As a result, Alain has a first overview of the dates for when to go to New York for cheap!
Next, Alain must select the departure day and the return day. Once this step is done, Alain will see several filters. Here is an example:
Now this is the interesting part 😊
Alain needs to filter his requests based on his availability and financial preferences. For example:
- Choosing the airport in New York to land at
- The arrival times and departure times of your plane
- The airline (e.g. Ryanair or Edreams)
- The travel category (e.g. low cost or first class)
- The number of desired stops
- The price he is willing to pay
- Number of bags
Once the filters are selected, Alain just has to find the best offers with the best prices from his flight comparator.
He goes to the airline's official website and books the plane tickets to check that Kayak's offer is correct.
An example of a hotel reservation with kayak?
Let's analyze together how to save money when booking a hotel or short-term accommodation.
Once again, we go to kayak. And we click on the “accommodation” tab.
Alain starts by studying a date to stay in Rimini in Italy, between April and May. With a room for 2 adults.
In fact, he concludes that sleeping from May 20 to May 27 is a good option in terms of price. Therefore, he chooses these dates.
Now he chooses the filters he wants. For this example:
- Overall customer rating – 8 or 9 stars
- Refuse accommodation without a photo
- Distance from city center = maximum 5 kilometers
If we only analyze the price, the cheapest room comes from the booking site or the agoda site. For 217 Swiss francs per week (at the time of writing).
So Alain goes to the booking or agoda website to confirm the price and the room. If everything matches, he books it.
Note: Sometimes the flight-hotel deals have a great price with Kayak.
An example with hotels with Expendia?
For comparison, I put the same filters and dates with Expendia.
Here are the cheapest accommodations offered by Expendia.
If we analyze the cheapest room, Expendia offers a hotel room for 223 Swiss francs.
In this case, we conclude that the cheapest hotel is Kayak's (217 CHF) compared to the cheapest hotel offered by Expendia (223 CHF).
However, from experience, this is not always the case. In fact, Expedia is sometimes cheaper!
Furthermore, what's interesting is that Expendia and Kayak do not offer the same accommodations.
therefore, It's worth analyzing both sites to get a better overview of the available accommodations 😊
An example of accommodation with Airbnb?
Regarding accommodation, a third interesting site to analyze is Airbnb.
Airbnb only compares accommodations for rent, unlike Kayk or Expendia which also include airline tickets and car rentals.
Note that with Airbnb, it is possible to choose to rent:
- The complete apartment
- Only one room and share the apartment with the owners.
It is important to note that, in my experience, Airbnb prices can compete with accommodations on Kayak and Expedia, depending on the destination.
For the example in this article, I used the same dates in Rimini as Kayak and Expendia, from May 20 to May 27, in order to compare Kayak, Expendia and Airbnb.
Here are the cheapest apartments offered by Airbnb.
We notice that the cheapest proposal on Airbnb is 41 CHF per night. That is, 291 CHF per week.
In this case, for this example in Rimini. Airbnb is more expensive compared to Expedia and Kayak.
But as I wrote before, for each destination it is necessary to compare the prices of the 3 sites. Kayak, Expendia and Airbnb.
An example for a car rental with kayak?
To book a car with Kayak, it's the same principle as with plane tickets.
First, we analyze the dates by color.
In this case, we see that April is a better time to rent a car compared to May.
On the other hand, I imagined that Alain had already booked his accommodation from May 20 to May 27 in Rimini. Therefore, I chose these dates.
Then Kayak selected all the cars available in Rimini for those dates. I pressed the filter ”increasing price” to view the cheapest car rentals first.
Here is the cheapest car offered for the selected dates:
That is, 156 CHF for a week from May 20 to May 27.
When it comes to car rentals, everyone has different requirements. Overall, customers mainly analyze these demands:
- Unlimited kilometers or with a large limit
- Civil Liability Insurance
- Free cancellation within 48 hours
- Car size suitable for number of passengers
- Partial theft protection
- Partial collision protection
On Kayak, the majority of car rentals offer these services and are already included in the rental price! But a check is always necessary 🔍⚠️
For example, imagine if you don't have insurance against vehicle theft and your car gets stolen while you're renting it? What a pain!
An example if we have an accident with a rental car?
If the rental car customer has an accident, without full coverage, he will have to reimburse part of the costs.
In Alain's case for example, in the event of an accident with his rental car, with only the basic car insurance, he will have to pay:
- 1127 CHF in case of damage to the vehicle
- 1127 CHF in case of vehicle theft
On the other hand, if the customer wants better protection, it is necessary to purchase comprehensive insurance.
In Alain's case, here is the difference between basic insurance included in the car rental price, and comprehensive insurance.
Therefore, with comprehensive protection, we conclude that the client benefits from several insurance coverages. In my opinion, the most important ones are:
- Full refund of the excess in the event of a vehicle accident
- Full refund of the excess in the event of vehicle theft
- Roadside assistance (local breakdown service)
However, all these additional protections come at a price. In Alain's case, it's 14.52 CHF per day. Therefore, here is the price of car rental with and without full insurance for a week:
- With full insurance = 257 CHF
- Without full insurance = 156 CHF
Therefore, we conclude that full protections have a price! In this case, it is 101 CHF more in one week.
Conclusion
Holiday Price Comparison: Expendia, Kayak and Airbnb
In case of comparison concerning:
- Flight tickets
- Short term accommodation rentals
- Car rentals
Kayak and Expendia are the most complete in my opinion!
Regarding short-term accommodation rentals, Airbnb is also a site with attractive prices! Definitely worth a look after a visit to Kayak and Expendia.
Note that each site offers different services with different filters. Therefore, an analysis in each site is advantageous.
When it comes to car rental, it is important to be informed about the risks. Because without adequate comprehensive protection, in the event of damage or theft, the bill can be very high.
FAQ: Price comparison for vacations: Expedia, Kayak and Airbnb
What is the best price comparison website for holidays?
There's no single perfect comparison site for every trip. In my experience, Kayak and Expedia are among the most comprehensive platforms for comparing flights, hotels, and car rentals. Airbnb remains an excellent option for finding accommodations in private homes.
Why use a travel comparison website?
A travel comparison website saves time, allowing you to quickly compare hundreds of offers and find the best prices for flights, accommodations, or car rentals. It also helps filter results according to your budget and preferences.
What is the difference between Airbnb, Kayak, and Expedia?
Airbnb specializes in peer-to-peer rentals of homes and accommodations. Conversely, Kayak and Expedia allow users to compare various travel services such as airline tickets, hotels, car rentals, and sometimes package deals.
Kayak or Expedia: which is cheaper?
The cheapest option depends on the destination and the time of year. In some cases, Kayak offers the best prices. In other situations, Expedia provides better deals. It's generally recommended to compare both platforms before booking.
Is Airbnb cheaper than a hotel?
It depends on the destination. In some cities, Airbnb can lead to significant savings, especially for longer stays or families. In other cases, hotels listed on Kayak or Expedia may be cheaper.
How to find a plane ticket at the best price?
To find a cheaper flight, it's advisable to compare several dates, book several months in advance, and opt for midweek departures. Comparison websites like Kayak allow you to quickly see the best deals.
Should I book directly with the airline?
After finding an attractive offer on a comparison website, it can be wise to check the price directly on the airline's official website. This sometimes allows you to get the same fare with better customer service.
Are travel comparison websites free?
Yes. Platforms like Kayak, Expedia, or Airbnb are free for users. They generally earn their money through commissions paid by airlines, hotels, or rental agencies.
How to save money on a car rental?
To reduce the cost of car rental, it is advisable to compare offers, book in advance, check the included insurance and carefully analyze the deductibles in case of accident or theft.
Do you need to take out full insurance for a rental car?
Comprehensive insurance increases the rental cost but significantly reduces the financial risk in the event of an accident or vehicle theft. For long trips or unfamiliar destinations, it can offer added peace of mind.
Can you save several hundred francs using comparison websites?
Yes. By comparing flights, accommodations and car rentals on several platforms, it is common to save several tens or hundreds of francs on a single trip.
What is the best website for booking accommodation?
To maximize your chances of finding the best price, it's advisable to compare Airbnb, Expedia, and Kayak. Each platform offers different accommodations, and prices can vary significantly for the same destination.
Do comparison websites allow you to find last-minute deals?
Yes. Some comparison sites regularly display promotions or last-minute offers. However, to get the best rates, booking several weeks or months in advance is often still the best strategy.
Are travel comparison sites useful for a frugal traveler?
Absolutely. Comparison websites help reduce expenses related to transportation, accommodation, and car rentals. They fit perfectly into a frugal and smart consumption approach.
Can you organize an entire trip with Kayak or Expedia?
Yes. These platforms generally allow you to book flights, hotels, rental cars, and sometimes tourist activities. They are therefore an excellent starting point for organizing a complete trip at a lower cost.
Holiday Price Comparison: Expendia, Kayak and Airbnb
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Are you rather minimalist or frugal Jonny?
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To conclude, I think the most important thing is to feel comfortable in your lifestyle 😊
Holiday Price Comparison: Expendia, Kayak and Airbnb
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