The Top Last-Minute Travel-Planning Apps and Sites
Ideally, we all dream of having ample time to meticulously plan our trips well in advance. This approach not only lets you snag the best deals on flights, accommodations, meals, and activities but also ensures a stress-free experience. However, life is unpredictable—what if you’re faced with a last-minute work obligation or a family emergency? Does that truly mean you’re destined to pay significantly more for your travel expenses simply because you didn’t book ahead? Let’s explore your options.
You can’t let that happen when there are still amazing, last-minute deals to be had. You just have to know where to find them. This list of the best deal-finding sites can help you book your last-minute trip to anywhere via the perfect combination of deals and perks.
Vayama.com
If you’re booking a trip for international adventure, Vayama is a fantastic place to find those last-minute flights right on the homepage. You don’t have to click through to a hundred different subpages and links to find the current and upcoming deals.
You can also check out their “Trending Deals” section for the most up-to-the-minute offerings on the site. If you’re in a hurry, just plug in what you’re looking for — hotels, flights, etc. — to find the best prices for many different brands and companies.
CheapOair.com
Looking for discounted flights? Then CheapOair is your ticket to the best airline deals. Click on the “Last Minute Flights” tab to find the cheapest rates on the site, which usually are way cheaper than the other guy, especially when it comes to last-minute flights.
Definitely book the flight the second you find it, however, as the deals vanish quickly. Plus, if you have some patience, you can call their toll-free number to talk with an agent about cheap, unpublished fares that you can’t find anywhere else. This site is highly recommended for anyone on a super-tight budget.
Google Flights
If you’re looking for price estimates for flights, then your best bet is doing a quick Google search to check out the Google Flights finds. According to many users and media outlets, including CNET, Google Flights has the best, cheapest, up-to-date flights compared to many of the more popular and well-known sites and competitors.
All you have to do to use it is go to the Google search page and type in “cheap flights from [departure location] to [destination].” Google Flights will pop up with the best rates around the web, based on the dates you enter.
Rome2Rio.com
Rome2Rio is kind of the perfect airfare and transit app for finding all the cheapest, best ways to get from Point A to Point B. You plug in the locations you’re traveling to and from, and within a minute or two, the site pulls up all the different ways to get there.
You can use the app to compare, side-by-side, the busses, trains, ferries and flights from A to B with ease. If you happen to be flexible on dates and/or times, you will have even more access to cheap deals for transportation locally as well as domestically and internationally.
TravelZoo.com
TravelZoo is an amazing website and app combo that gives you incredible deals for last-minute travel on tons of things, not just the standard travel fares. You can find great packages, hotel rooms, cruises, flights, tours, restaurants, spas and other amazing activities at the destination of your choice.
Thanks to the map-based tech the app offers, this site is great for exploring a new place. You can find travel-related deals based on where you are in the map setting before you book for flights and more. The website is best for pre-travel, while the app is best for finding your location once you’re onsite.
Airfare Watchdog
Airfare Watchdog is fantastic for finding savings on last-minute travel in more ways than the usual sites offer. First, the website lists all the last-minute deals from your local airport — or whichever airport you set as the default. That means you can find all the cheap deals related to your location and keep an eye on them more easily.
Plus, you can set up alerts to get push notifications or emails about the flights you’re watching. It also offers fantastic tips for finding amazing airfare deals through social media on their daily list of finds.
