Booking Tools: The Right Link for Each Step of Your Trip
Every trip needs a plan, but that doesn’t mean every step has to be booked in the same place. This page is designed to point you toward the right kind of tool for what you’re trying to do—whether that’s locking in flights, finding a bed for the night, sorting out transport, protecting your bookings, or handing everything to a human travel specialist.
Start with the button that matches your next move. Each section highlights a primary tool with a live search widget, and then reveals a curated list of alternatives with notes on who they’re best for.
Lock In Your Flights First
Flights usually set the tone for the rest of your trip—dates, routes, and budget. This section focuses on flexible search tools that help you compare routes, prices, and options before you commit. Start with our main widget below, then open the additional tools if you need a second opinion.
▼ Show more flight tools (Kiwi, Aviasales, and others)
Kiwi.com
Powerful multi-city and “everywhere” search for when you’re flexible on where or when you fly.
Best for: open itineraries, creative routes, and long-term travel planning.
Aviasales
A flight meta-search engine that’s strong for deal hunting and spotting cheaper alternatives on similar routes.
Best for: fare comparison and budget-conscious flyers.
CheapOAir
An additional marketplace for flight deals, especially useful if you’re comparing a few different platforms.
Best for: deal stacking and last-minute fare checks.
TravelUp
Flight and hotel combinations that make sense if you’re looking to build a bundled itinerary in one place.
Best for: flight + hotel bundles on mainstream routes.
Find a Place That Fits How You Travel
Once flights are roughly sorted, it’s time to think about where you’ll actually sleep. Hotels, apartments, homestays, and hostels all have different strengths. Start with the main search widget, then open the extended list if you’re looking for something more specific.
▼ Show more stay tools (VRBO, hostels, homestays, and more)
VRBO
Whole-home and apartment rentals that work well for families, small groups, or longer stays.
Best for: families, groups, and “live like a local” trips.
HostelWorld
A dedicated platform for hostels and social stays where meeting other travelers is part of the plan.
Best for: solo travelers and budget-friendly, social stays.
Homestay.com
Hosted stays where you live in someone’s home and get a more local, personal experience.
Best for: cultural immersion, language practice, and longer slow-travel stays.
Trivago
A hotel metasearch tool that lets you compare offers from multiple booking sites in one place.
Best for: cross-checking hotel prices before you commit.
Expedia
A full-service platform for hotels and packages, useful if you like to keep flights and stays together.
Best for: travelers who want packages in a single account.
Orbitz
Another solid option for hotel and package deals, with loyalty and reward angles.
Best for: repeat travelers who like platform-specific rewards.
Travelocity
Another entry in the same ecosystem as Expedia/Orbitz, with similar hotel and package offerings.
Best for: comparing a familiar brand against other package sites.
Sort Out Cars, Scooters, Bikes, and Transfers
Once you know where you’re going and where you’re staying, the last big question is how you’ll move around when you land. This section covers rental cars, scooters, bikes, and pre-booked transfers so you’re not scrambling at the last minute.
▼ Show more transport tools (cars, scooters, bikes, and transfers)
Rentalcars.com
A global car-rental comparison tool that lets you compare major providers side-by-side.
Best for: travelers who want a familiar car-rental experience with options.
EconomyBookings
Car-rental deals with a focus on budget-friendly options and wide international coverage.
Best for: budget-conscious rental car shoppers.
Localrent
A platform that connects you with local car rental companies instead of only big global brands.
Best for: travelers who like supporting local operators and finding niche vehicles.
BikesBooking
Scooter, motorbike, and bicycle rentals for when a car is too much and walking isn’t enough.
Best for: city exploring, coastal towns, and flexible day-by-day movement.
Welcome Pickups
Pre-booked airport and city transfers with clear pricing and meet-and-greet service.
Best for: stress-free arrivals and late-night landings.
GetTransfer
Transfer and private driver quotes where you can compare offers and choose what suits your route.
Best for: families or groups that prefer private transport over taxis.
Qeeq
Car rental platform with frequent promotions and coverage in many international destinations.
Best for: deal-seekers comparing car rentals in popular regions.
SeaRadar
Boat, yacht, and sailing charters for when your transport and your experience are the same thing.
Best for: sailing-focused trips and coastal getaways.
Intui.travel
Pre-booked transfers between airports, hotels, and resorts in many global destinations.
Best for: resort transfers and scheduled point-to-point transport.
Cover Disruptions, Delays, and Flight Issues
Travel doesn’t always go to plan. Airlines can delay, reroute, or cancel flights—and sometimes that means you’re owed compensation or support. This section highlights tools that help you understand and claim what you’re entitled to when things go sideways.
▼ Show more protection tools
Compensair
A secondary option for checking and claiming EU and region-based passenger compensation when your flight is delayed, cancelled, or overbooked.
Best for: double-checking eligibility or comparing claim outcomes with AirHelp.
LegalShield
Affordable access to licensed provider lawyers who can support disputes, denied refunds, correspondence, and legal clarity around airline-related consumer rights.
Best for: escalations or legal guidance when support or compensation options become unclear.
SafetyWing
Travel and digital-nomad-friendly medical coverage that can be purchased monthly or per trip, offering flexible international medical protection while abroad.
Best for: long-term travelers, remote workers, gap-year explorers, and flexible travel lifestyles.
Note: These tools are not replacements for travel insurance, but they can help you recover money you may be owed after disruptions.
Let a Fareconnect Agent Connect All the Pieces
Not everyone wants to juggle flights, hotels, transfers, and tours across a dozen tabs. If you’d rather have a professional travel specialist connect everything into a single, cohesive itinerary, you can work directly with our trusted Fareconnect partner.
This is especially helpful for bigger trips—multi-city routes, family travel, cruises, or all-inclusive packages—where having one point of contact and one set of confirmations is worth it.
Visit Brenda Lepine’s Fareconnect PageTip: If you know you’ll work with Brenda, try to let her handle most of the core bookings. Mixing too many self-booked pieces with a curated itinerary can make support and changes more complicated than they need to be.
Affiliate Disclosure: Many of the tools linked on this page are affiliate partners. If you make a booking or purchase through these links, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. This helps us keep Earthbound Tours running and allows us to keep testing and recommending tools that genuinely help travelers plan better trips.