---
source_url: "https://thesanetravel.com/travel-tips/helpful-websites"
title: Helpful websites for planning your travel
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host: thesanetravel.com
cited_in_42a: true
mirror_canonical: "https://index.42a.ai/thesanetravel.com/travel-tips/helpful-websites"
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> **Original source:** https://thesanetravel.com/travel-tips/helpful-websites

### Accommodation

For the accommodation booking, I mostly use [Hotels Combined](http://www.hotelscombined.com/) One thing I recognised lately that in many cases the price of the hotel shown on their website is not the final one. Taxes were not added. Check carefully. I check the review and pictures of the accommodation on the [Tripadvisor](http://www.tripadvisor.com/) I pay a special attention to the noise level, location and tiredness issues of the property. For Asia, it is worth additionally look at [Agoda](http://www.agoda.com/) This website like the [Booking](http://www.booking.com/) has the insider deals for registered customers. Those you can’t find using Hotels Combined only.

### Flights

For searching the flights I use [Matrix Airfare Search](https://matrix.itasoftware.com/) You can’t purchase the flights there, but have the overview of the possible options. [Upgraded Points](https://upgradedpoints.com/ita-matrix-the-ultimate-cheap-airline-tickets-search-tool/) have a detailed instruction of best use of Matrix. In some cases, I also use [Google Flight Search](https://www.google.com/flights). I find [Azair](http://www.azair.com/) very useful for finding budget flights around Europe, Mediterranean, and Asia. If you are looking for cheap flight deals and last minute flight offers from Europe the [Travel Free](https://travelfree.info/) is a great resource. You can get their flight offers directly to your phone. For the actual booking of the long haul flights I mostly use [Expedia](https://www.expedia.com/) which is actually a multi-purpose website for booking flights, hotels, car rental among others. 

### Travel agencies

I use travel agencies very rare. Still, I would like to recommend the travel agency of Turkey [Backpackers Travel](http://www.backpackerstravel.net/) I used their services for my Cappadocia trip from Istanbul.

### Multi-purpose

When planning your trip to China [Ctrip](http://english.ctrip.com/) is the most helpful I think. You can book internal flights, train tickets, and hotels there. 

-   **_Published and updated by Anita on February 18, 2018_**

Author: [Anita Sāne](https://thesanetravel.com/plus.google.com/+AnitaS%C4%81ne?rel=author)

![Anita 03 18](https://thesanetravel.com/images/headers/6-anita-tthesanetravel.com-Anita%20Sane_012_webSize.jpg)

**_About the author  
Anita is a part-time traveller, passionate photographer and a retired career woman from Latvia,_** **_travelling mostly solo for more than 15 years._** **_She is a skilled travel planner who plans and executes her travels by herself. Anita wants to show you how to travel the world and open your mind to new_** **_experiences. Follow her on [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/pg/thesanetravel/posts/), [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/thesanetravel/), [Pinterest](https://www.pinterest.com/thesanetravel/), [Twitter](https://twitter.com/thesanetravel) and [Bloglovin](https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/sane-travel-19387803).  
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