How much you pay for your next trip can vary significantly. Still being tested at press time, Kayak will search 35 sites and allow you to sort airfare results by departure or arrival time. Agoda began as a hotel booking site with a focus on Asia, and that focus remains apparent on the home page, where properties in Malaysia, Thailand, and other Eastern destinations get prominent real estate.

You can find solid deals with these sites, although you might be able to pay less if you booked at multiple discount sites. KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a given destination and date is likely to change within 7 days, so travelers know whether to wait or book now.

Ultimately, online travel sites provide a great resource; just don’t mistake them for the be-all-end-all of vacation planning. Click on its “Last Minute Flights” tab to find the absolute cheapest rates (if you’re interested, book it as soon as possible before it goes up!).

Like many flight search engines, Skyscanner sometimes misses the lowest price because it doesn’t search every OTA. BookingBuddy allows you to search various partner sites at once so you can compare the prices and options offered. Kayak - particularly useful if you’re travelling in the USA and I love the ‘explore’ map featuring prices – hours of fun can be had.

Books & Maps: Longitude Books has great reading lists for travelers, which we send to you upon booking as a travel benefit. It also shows other hotel booking sites’ rates so you can compare them all in one place. Best Feature: The Budget Beach Finder is a fun feature for value-conscious travelers who aren’t set on a particular island or property.