Best Travel Agents & Booking Services

Based on 104,704 reviews
Location
Brand
Rating
Service Types

Luxury Escapes

Luxury Escapes 🏆 2026

4.7 Summary
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Dominique2 posts
  Verified

Absolutely fantastic service by Cole, was very patient with me made the whole booking process less stressful. Show details

Mann Travel

Mann Travel

4.9 Summary
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Sonam Chahal
 

Got our tickets booked through Nanda. She is very helpful and professional. Show details

Ticket Merchant

Ticket Merchant 🏆 2026

4.8 Summary
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AndreaQLD
 

Booked my tickets easily...tickets came through promptly and no issue with accessing the tickets on the night of the event. Show details

Odynovo

Odynovo

5.0 Summary
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תומר ר.
  Verified

An unforgettable 17 days trip to China – thanks to Jasmine! From the very beginning, Jasmine understood exactly what we were looking for and created… Read more

an itinerary that was truly perfect for us. Every detail was carefully planned according to our interests and requests, from the amazing hotels to the excellent guides and professional drivers. What impressed us most was how much Jasmine cared about every little detail. Throughout the entire trip, she kept in touch with us and made sure that everything was going exactly as planned. She was always available, almost 24/7, and whenever we had a question or needed something, she responded quickly and took care of it. All of our guides and drivers were professional, friendly, reliable, and spoke very good English. Everything worked smoothly, which allowed us to simply relax and enjoy China without having to worry about anything. Jasmine is not just a travel consultant – she genuinely cares about her clients and wants them to have the best possible experience. We felt that we were in very good hands throughout the entire journey. We sincerely recommend Jasmine and Odynovo to anyone planning a trip to China. If you want a personalized, well-organized, high-quality trip with someone who pays attention to every detail and truly cares about you, Jasmine is the person to contact. Thank you so much, Jasmine, for an incredible journey and for making our trip to China so special!

My Holiday AU

My Holiday AU 🏆 2026

4.8 Summary
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SteveACT
  Fair Incentive

Great service, prompt replies and simple, concise information. Dakota, the sales consultant, ensured the process was seamless Show details

flybuys travel

flybuys travel

4.6 Summary
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YvetteQLD2 posts
 

If I could do zero I would. I found the agent pushy ringing multiple times a day. I ended up having to block the number. It has turned me off using flybuys travel

Imagine Cruising

Imagine Cruising 🏆 2026

4.6 Summary
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Richard Hilson
 

Phone call with Katelyn this morning very helpful and new her product very well said she would phone me back after speaking with her colleagues… Read more

tomorrow. Katelyn rang me back within three hours with my query resolved. Very unusual to get service these days so quick so thank you Katelyn

China Highlights

China Highlights 🏆 2026

5.0 Summary
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Kathleen W.2 posts
 

Fantastic memorable stay in Chengdu. Our guide Joe was absolutely brilliant, organised, knowledgeable and enthusiastic. Very experienced and even… Read more

taught us how to play Sichuan mahjong. We had the best experience seeing the pandas, visiting early to catch them eating and active.We visited the Dujiangyan irrigation system- there is also a beautiful garden there. We climbed Mt QingCheng to see the birth place of Daoism and saw lovely scenery. A boat trip to the LeShan Giant Buddha was amazing and after climbing up to Buddhas head we then visited the temple and pagoda. Finally we visited one of the Peoples Parks, so beautiful and full of active happy people and the tea shop. The food in Chengdu was delicious and Joe was really helpful about choosing representative SiChuan cuisine for us , without any pain, just great flavour. Our driver Mr Qing was excellent and smooth in negotiating the Chengdu traffic , kind and so polite. We weren’t sure what to expect of Chengdu, but it greatly exceeded our expectations and we did not want to leave. All our logistics were seamless . China Highlights keeps on delivering an awesome experience. On to Chongqing!

AmazingCo

AmazingCo

4.7 Summary
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Carrie R.
 

So disappointed. Feel bad my friend spent $160 for us to go to 2 shops to collect $50 worth of food. Not even presented nicely, no choices. We couldnt even find last place in Freo Markets and no other stall holders could help. Never again. Show details

Cheers Travel

Cheers Travel 🏆 2026

4.9 Summary
Arjan
  Fair Incentive Verified

Had a really good experience booking my flight with them. The process was easy and didn’t take long, and the staff were really friendly and helpful.… Read more

They answered all my questions and made everything simple. Definitely happy with the service and would book with them again.

Clean Cruising

Clean Cruising

4.9 Summary
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Miss O.3 posts
 

THIS WAS A MISTAKE don't book through them. Dodgy charges of "club cruising" not seen anywhere on the booking page, you'd have to navigate to their… Read more

"club" page to see the information which - why would you who would be interested in that crap "chance to win a cruise every month" lies. Was tricked into joining this club and paying even more and an extortionate quote provided for travel insurance found far cheaper elsewhere. Not impressed. Honest company would put in the cost at the check out page rather than bill you for it after you've paid for the cruise and too late to cancel.

"Under the Australian Consumer Law a business must state a single total price including any component a customer cannot avoid paying to obtain the advertised offer. A fare that is unobtainable at the price displayed, because it requires a separate purchase disclosed only afterwards, does not meet that standard."

Pretty disgusting behaviour.

TravelOnline

TravelOnline

4.5 Summary
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TanyaNSW
 

I would book through them next time, was very easy Show details

TripADeal

TripADeal

4.1 Summary
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Gai HicksonNSW
  Fair Incentive

Excellent experience with professional staff. Great to speak to an agent with knowledge and the ability to express themselves clearly and succinctly. Show details

Getawayz NSW

Getawayz NSW

5.0 Summary
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Jan S.
 

Great stay! The house was clean, comfortable and well presented. Getaway Z was professional and easy to communicate with. We really enjoyed our stay and would definitely recommend them! Show details

Experience Oz

Experience Oz

4.7 Summary
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Jamie
  Fair Incentive

The site was easy to use and promotions were clear. Show details

Cruise Guru

Cruise Guru

4.4 Summary
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Michael Mead5 posts
 

Supplied dates and prices very quickly of river trips/cruises down Mississippi River Fantastic knowledge of cruise ship operator and the services… Read more

they offer and the ports. Comparisons between possible cabin options were very clear Can help with flights and stays pre & post.

Global Work & Travel

Global Work & Travel

4.5 Summary
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karlbar7993 posts
  Verified

Be very cautious dealing with Global Work & Travel. What stood out wasn’t just one issue, but how GWT's process is structured - all the risk sits… Read more

with the customer.

Things can move very quickly from an initial enquiry to paying a deposit, even while important points are still not fully clear, such as eligibility, conditions that need to be met, and exactly what you’re committing to. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement and momentum, but at that point you’re being asked to pay before you really know if the service can go ahead.

The reality is that once you’ve paid a deposit, you don’t know how your circumstances might change. Visa outcomes, health issues, or life events can all affect whether you can proceed.

When that happens, this is where GWT’s approach causes the most stress. You can find yourself stuck with credits that aren’t actually usable in your situation, and no realistic way to get your money back. In practice, you end up out of pocket and carrying the financial risk.

Trying to resolve things afterwards is also difficult. It often turns into long back-and-forth communication with no clear outcome. Where there’s disagreement about what was said or agreed, there isn’t clear access to the underlying information needed to properly verify it, which makes it very hard to challenge their position.

Looking at other reviews, this doesn’t appear to be a one-off. A similar pattern comes up repeatedly. Once payment has been made, the incentive shifts and the risk sits with the customer, not the company. That naturally affects things like how suitable or well-aligned placements are.

The key takeaway is this:

- Don’t pay anything until you are completely clear on what exactly you’re getting and whether you can actually proceed. - Confirm eligibility and any conditions upfront - Get key details in writing, don’t rely on verbal conversations - Understand exactly how refunds, cancellations and credits work in practice - Question anything that isn’t clear - Most importantly, slow the process down

These programs are designed to feel exciting and time-sensitive, which makes it easy to commit quickly.

Take a step back and make sure everything is clear before any money changes hand, because once you’ve paid, you are the one carrying the risk.

Global Work & Travel
Global Work & Travel    

Hi, Thank you for taking the time to share… Read more (+1 reply)

HolidayMax

HolidayMax

4.7 Summary
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Vicky2 posts
 

Positives: OK value but this is negated by having to pay in full over a year before. Enjoyed learning about the Vietnamese and Cambodian culture.… Read more

(My review is NO reflection on this great cultural experience or the beautiful locals we met. It is purely about Holiday Max as a company). Food plentiful. Most guides (but not all) great and all staff on cruise lovely.

Negatives:

Safety of passengers an issue. Berthing at times in very unsafe slippery muddy hilly areas with no boardwalk where we witnessed elderly and unstable mobility compromised people struggling to get down steep slippery rocky hills to board our boat on the Mekong river. I struggled myself and I am a fit 60-odd yr old. Staff tried to help as best they could but still lots of slipping and sliding. I have video footage to prove it. Many of these people refrained from other excursions due to this and one lady sustained an injury. Our guide at site said we "missed out" on the good berthing spot and "this is what happens in Cambodia". First come, first served and later boats run the gauntlet of safety v's danger. I tried to raise this with Holiday Max both on the tour and on phone when I returned home. On the boat, no help whatsoever from our guide who made a speech to us all about where we were, and how we should "Rememember that we are in Cambodia and things are different to Australia...." Head Office Holiday Max customer service response when I rang was that no-one was available to talk to me or call me back unless I was making a booking but I could email??? I sent an email and got no reply!

We requested a double bed throughout our trip. The confirmation paperwork had single beds. We contacted head office and were advised this was rectified. Didn't happen. Slept in single beds the entire trip...It was all just too hard.

Don't expect to do itinerary tours as advertised. If others on the tour don't want to do it you may not visit the site. It was a show of hands situation on the bus. I have never experienced this before...it was confronting and scary to be honest. I was bullied because my husband and I wanted to do the scheduled Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum itinerary item visit as a few others on the bus/tour had done it before (they disclosed this days later to us) and didn't want to do again and didn't want to wait in a queue. We had travelled to the site and were right outside! Not good enough HM!

Ha Long Bay was filthy and overowded with tourist boats. Our lovely guide said he was embarrassed. Again I have many photos. Also, not at all like ads on tv. Dull, dirty and bleak. The ads are very misleading which is simply false advertising. Not just Ha Long Bay but other places too, including visiting the floating markets. Nothing like the ad. The elephant tour/walk in the forest as advertised was never even mentioned!

Be prepared to tip generously...and often. We are generous tippers at the best of times but the pressure was definitely on from all guides and was very awkward at times.

I would NOT recommend Holiday Max, mainly due to a lack of duty of care to keep passengers safe and lack of communication and undersranding when I tried to talk to them re issues. Lowerish price trip definitely equals below average customer service and can result in a below average holiday experience overall. Do yourself a favour and read the 1 and 2 star reviews on all review sites for a clearer understanding of the company's performance overall. It's not good. Note: As per Product Review protocol we delayed posting this review for a 14 days to give HM another opportunity to contact us which they chose not to do and review got published automatically

Classic Holidays

Classic Holidays

4.1 Summary
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Brian Q.NSW3 posts
 

Hi we have stopped here since it was open when the manager was June Harrison so that is a lot of year the children were young have never had the a problem in staying here thanks to all the staff. Show details

My Fiji

My Fiji

4.4 Summary
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Fallon CQLD2 posts
 

I’ve had such a great experience dealing with Emily Lewis. She was so lovely, helpful and prompt with putting together my quote and answering any… Read more

questions. After dealing with a few other places, the difference in service was huge. Emily made the whole process so easy and stress-free. Highly recommend!

Australian Escapes

Australian Escapes

4.8 Summary
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PaulQLD
  Verified

Alvin was great to deal with he followed through with all aspects of our trip. he handled cancelled excursions and refunds without any problems. he… Read more

was helpful with information such as car rental excess etc. I would like to deal with Alvin on our next trip with Australian Escapes Regards Paul Bowe.

Bookme.com.au

Bookme.com.au

4.7 Summary
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Garth5 posts
  Verified

I booked an expensive tour but realised it was for the wrong date and had to cancel. I emailed straight away but their terms and conditions state… Read more

there is a 10% cancellation fee. Greg in the customer support team helped me with this promptly so I have gone from a disgruntled customer to a returning customer.

Aunt Betty

Aunt Betty

3.4 Summary
Joe D.
 

Aunt Betty first sent a schedule change that made my itinerary impossible to complete (15min connections, flights that leave before inbound flight… Read more

arrivals etc.). On my third try of connecting to support, their best suggestion was to change it so that my arrival was over 12hrs later than what was originally scheduled. When I proposed an itinerary that left and arrived at a similar time but on a different airline, they said it was not possible. Mau was nice but did take a little while to catch on to what I was trying to propose. We will see how we go after confirmation of fixing this stuff up.

Ecruising Travel

Ecruising Travel

4.5 Summary
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David O.TAS
  Verified

Please don't fall into the same trap as us. Our July 2025 booking and deposit (cruise, flights, accommodation for an October 2026 trip) led to an… Read more

invoice that clearly, boldly stated that payment of balance not required until June 2026. In January, the story changed. We were now required to pay a further deposit of $12000 immediately to secure our trip and, by the way, our flight costs had increased by a total of $4800 despite initial assurances that the quote definitely covered our requested flights. We cancelled in January (9 months ahead of planned trip) and were informed that a $1000 penalty would apply, and that the balance of our deposit would take up to 12 weeks to refund. This despite assurances from the actual cruise line, the airlines and the accommodation venue that any cancellation that far ahead would not, from them at least, require a penalty. We regard ecruising's approach to be classic bait-and-switch misleading advertising and have lodged a submission with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission accordingly.

Ecruising Travel
Ecruising Travel    

Hi David Thank you for taking the time to share… Read more

Wendy Wu Tours

Wendy Wu Tours

4.2 Summary
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Eileen7 posts
 

Exceptional!! We did Majestic Yangtze Tour of China, this tour was beyond our expectations. Our tour guide David was extremely knowledgeable, caring… Read more

and attentive to all the tour group. The walking pace was manageable as our group was in their 60s with a mixed level of fitness and coped well, the pace was easy to keep up with - comfortable shoes is a must. The days are long but remember to experience everything it needs to be. All the local guides were also knowledgeable and happy to share stories about their towns history. (I will give a shout out to Max a local guide with such a fun personality and loads of funny jokes that you will be shared once home). All accommodations/hotel were in great locations, modern and comfortable. Food - be prepared to enjoy local restaurants as you will never go hungry. The best thing we found with going through Wendy Wu was everything is covered in the fee except personal spending and drinks. Like Australia music legend Molly Meldrum says " do your self a favour" book Wendy Wu!!

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Jason
 

Booked Rainbow Beach and Kgari through Peterpans, epic trip highly recommend Show details

Alwin
 

Amy was very excellent guide. Very knowledgeable and professional. Very well spoken in English. Local knowledge and pride in the city. Overall excellent experience! Show details

ALDI Holidays

ALDI Holidays

4.8 Summary
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Liz GWA
 

Just got back from a 10 days trip to China. Very happy! Managed to see a lot. Our group had 33 people. The 3 tour guides were absolutely brilliant.… Read more

The accommodated all sorts of requests by the various people in the group and quickly resolved the various issues people had. They were able to retrieve bank cards that were swallowed by the ATM In the hotel, they shipped bags that people forgot in one hotel to the hotel in the next city etc.

The hotels were very good, although not in the city centre.

The tour was very fast paced, but we got to see a lot. We were never going to be able to see all this in such a short period of time if we were on our own.

The transportation was very well organised. The busses were new, clean and the drivers were extremely professional.

People in the group were on their 3rd, 4th or 5th Aldi tour and said they were all this well organised.

Highly recommend!

HotelsCombined

HotelsCombined

4.3 Summary
Lisa C.WA2 posts
 

Only inexperienced or naive travelers use these or Trivago. Both have been find millions for price fixing and dodgy practices. Booking.com is the only site I use because they are cheapest and most trustworthy.

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qstampWA2 posts
 

We are currently on holidays in Cairns, the excursions have been good. However our room is very bad. It's dirty, there are no reading lights next to… Read more

our beds. Only one side bench. Covers are too hot with no alternative and the pillows were uncomfortable. The wardrobe is tiny and there is not one drawer to put our clothes. The view from our window is a mouldy green wall. We are staying here five nights. My wife has to read at night to get a good sleep and she can't because there is no reading light and the room lights are dim. I hope our next hotel is better.

Two women sitting across from each other at a desk and pointing at destinations on a world globe.

What does a travel agent do for you?

Travel agents plan and book trips for their clients, whether for business trips or holidays. They listen to your travel preferences and source anything from flights and accommodation to tours and restaurant bookings for you.

Ultimately, a travel agent’s job is to ensure you have the best possible experience. To do this, they also:

  • Liaise with hotels and hotel agents, airlines, tour operators, and other travel companies to ensure you have a great experience without you needing to put in much effort.
  • Assist you if you get into any sticky situations abroad.

Using an agent is generally thought to save you hours of research, which is why using a travel agent instead of booking online may be a good idea for time-pressed people. Of course, you will be paying extra for these little luxuries, but for many travellers, the trade-off is well worth it.

Pros
Save you time and effort by doing all the research and bookings for you.
Can provide advice on destinations and activities that might interest you.
Provide reassurance to travellers, as agents handle all the details and double check bookings to ensure dates are all correct.
Offer up greater access to special deals only available or known to travel agents.
Cons
Often more pricey than booking your own holiday.
May not get refunded if you have a change of plans and want to tweak your holiday.

What is a booking service?

You can now act as your own travel agent and use airline, car rental, hotel, and other sites, such as Odynovo and Travel Online, to book your own trip. These websites let you compare different travel deals and purchase whichever ones strike your fancy.

Those who still want a little bit of guidance can still consult an online travel agent or travel consultant without enlisting them to plan their whole holiday for you.

Booking your own travel is generally more suited to spontaneous travellers who like to plan as they go, shoestring travellers who aren’t picky about where they’ll stay, and travellers who have an exact idea of what they want to do and aren’t necessarily seeking advice from an agent.

Pros
Usually works out to be cheaper, as you’re not paying for the labour of an agent.
Still relatively simple to make online bookings.
You can easily compare prices of different services with a few clicks.
Cons
Can be more of a hassle and more time consuming to plan your trip yourself.
May not have access to all the deals on the market.

What are comparison-only services?

Comparison-only services, such as HotelsCombined and Skyscanner, only let you compare prices of different travel services, without letting you book these directly on the website. This means that clicking through on a deal will usually take you to a third-party website, such as the website of an airline or a hotel.

Consider what kind of travel you want to do

Those who like to travel with a daily itinerary and have their activities planned out may be more inclined to use travel agents, while those who prefer off-the-cuff, spontaneous travel with just a general idea of what they want to do rather than a specific plan may suffice with making their own bookings.

Many travel agents these days will also specialise in a certain area, such as cruises (like cruise agents at Clean Cruising) or honeymoons. If you’re after a particular type of getaway, then finding an agent who knows all the ins and outs of exactly what you want to do could be a good place to start.

You can think of it as dating of sorts - you’re in better hands with a travel agent who takes a genuine interest in you and your travel ideas. Whether you want to do a rail trip around Europe or backpack through South-East Asia, an agent whose eyes light up at the sound of your plans and adds their own personal touch is a good match.

A man wearing a travel backpack standing in an airport looking at flight times.

What to look for in a travel agent

Accreditation

Travel agents in Australia aren’t required to be licensed, however they can still get voluntary accreditation with the ATAS, or the AFTA Travel Accreditation Scheme. This is run by the Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA), the peak travel agent body in Australia, which vets agents to ensure that they meet industry standards and are adequately trained.

According to ATAS, the benefits of booking with an industry-accredited ATAS agent include:

  • Expert guidance. Agents know how to wade through the abundance of travel information online and have access to high quality product suppliers.
  • Extra value. ATAS agents have access to exclusive deals and can find the most well-suited products for you.
  • Professional advice. They offer insightful, timely, and professional guidance to get you where you want to go.
  • Consumer advocacy. If there are any problems while you travel, your agent will act as your advocate, providing support and assistance in the case of events like flight delays or cancellations, rescheduling, natural disasters, and personal accidents.

Know your rights

Even though travel agents don’t need a licence, they still must comply with relevant laws, such as Australian Consumer Law and any relevant state Fair Trading laws. This means that you’re entitled to appropriate remedy from a service if the product or service you’ve purchased doesn’t meet consumer guarantees.

Knowledge

No travel agent is going to have local knowledge of every single city and country on the planet. However, finding an agent who has been to, knows about, or is ready to go the extra mile and do research on your destination is usually a good sign.

Customer service

A high level of customer service is key to ensuring you get the most out of your holiday. Of course, a friendly travel agent will help you enjoy the process of booking your travel, not just the travel itself. On top of this, you should keep an eye out for transparency and timeliness when comparing agents.

Transparency

A good agent is transparent about their fees and charges, the terms and conditions of your trip, and why they think certain deals are better than others - some even show you their computer screen so you know they aren’t hiking up prices. If they wait before revealing hidden or extra costs, then that’s a red flag.

Timeliness

A travel agent who replies promptly is often a keeper. Not only does constant communication make booking your travel a whole lot quicker and easier, you’ll also be able to nab up the latest deals without a hitch. If things go wrong on your trip, an agent who helps you in a timely way when you’re in need can make or break your whole holiday.

Deals

Some travellers, such as students and pensioners, may have access to special travel deals, information, and discounted fares that they normally wouldn’t be able to find with a few queries on a search engine.

Don’t expect every travel agent to know about all these concessions. For example, students may want to look for a youth-oriented travel agency or agents situated in backpacker-heavy locations.

Cost

The price that travel agents charge for their services can vary greatly, and will also depend on the length, complexity, and nature of your trip. For a week-long holiday, you can generally expect to pay somewhere between $100 for more inexpensive solo trips to over $2000 for a luxury stay.

It’s normal for travel agencies and tour operators to charge reschedule and cancellation fees, so make sure you know these costs before you book.

What to look for in a travel booking service

Ease of use

A decent booking service should be clear and easy to navigate. Clicking on a link should get you where it tells you it will, rather than to an advertisement or some other pop-up. Complicated booking sites may be that way to obscure hidden fees or sway you into choosing a flight or hotel of their liking.

A website which lets you save information as you search, such as the dates you want to fly on and any hotels you’ve “favourited”, will make the whole process a lot quicker and easier.

Transparency

A booking site may advertise a certain price, but then show a different price once you click on the deal. This could mean that either the pricing just isn’t up to date, or that the website is intentionally showing you a cheaper price to get you to click through. Either way, these booking services are misleading and you may be better off avoiding them altogether.

Read the fine print

Make sure you’re well-acquainted with any terms and conditions of your booking so that you’re not slapped with a hefty fee once you’ve returned from your holiday. This is particularly important if a deal just sounds way too good to be true.

Rewards

Many travel booking sites will reward you for using them to plan your holidays, incentivising you to use the same service for any future trips.

Expedia, for example, lets you earn Expedia points with every trip you book through them, which you can then use to save on hotels, travel packages, and car rentals. Some services also offer you perks the more you travel, giving you things like discounted spa days and free Wi-Fi on your trip.

Prices

Just because using a booking service is generally cheaper than using a travel agent, that doesn’t necessarily mean that there won’t be fees associated with using them, so ensure you double check details to see whether you’re actually paying a good price.

Some booking services also offer price matching, offering the same or a better price than the lowest price you’ve found.

You can always use both

There are pros and cons to using a travel agent and a booking service, so don’t feel like using one means you can’t use the other.

Some people like to do their own research and compare prices they find to quotes from agents before deciding who to go with. Some also use travel agents for bigger purchases - such as flights and accommodation - but prefer to do car bookings, rail bookings, and organise day trips themselves.

At the end of the day, it’s your trip, and how you plan it is entirely up to you.