The Best Websites To Use To Help Cut Travel Costs, According To Budget-Conscious Travelers

Traveling should be accessible to all — unfortunately, this is often not the case. Getting out of town and finding a new place to explore doesn't have to break the bank, though. It's entirely possible to travel on a low, even barebones, budget. Thankfully, there are a slew of websites that aim to help potential explorers save money along all of their journeys.

Between slashed flight prices, deals on high-end accommodations, and ways to stay almost free, some of these sites seem too good to be true. Fear not; there's nothing shady about these trusted travel sites, and they have come up with some creative ways to save people tons of money on trips.

By comparing prices from many different travel sites, sifting through travelers' experiences using various money-saving sites, and applying our own travel experience, we've hand-selected the very best sites to help lessen travel costs. You better start arranging for more time off — your travel budget is about to go a lot farther.

Whether you've waited until the last minute to book a hotel or have embarked on a spur-of-the-moment adventure, HotelTonight can save you some serious cash. As its name suggests, the booking site specializes in same-day bookings, but you can also plan a trip ahead of time with them.

Travelers are able to plug in their destination city and arrival day to get notifications on deals that come up closer to their booking date. If you know where you're going but don't mind flying by the seat of your pants a bit, HotelTonight's app drops custom daily deals. They are available for 15 minutes only and bring up some pretty great discounts. The more you book with the app, the bigger the discounts, so frequent impromptu travelers can stay even cheaper over time.

If you're someone who needs extras when staying in a hotel, booking with this service may not be for you. The low prices are a result of the leftover nature of the rooms, meaning you can't be choosey about the particulars. These rooms are reported as ones located in noisier parts of the hotel and lack great views. For travelers who are often on heart-led adventures that lack an itinerary, though, it's good to have HotelTonight on stand-by.

A large chunk of a travel budget — typically around a third of a trip's total expenses — goes towards accommodations. With this in mind, finding fabulous deals on lodgings is a great way to cut costs. So, how does nearly free sound? Finding a house-sitting gig in your destination city is relatively easy and low-risk with Trusted Housesitters.

The service helps match visitors needing a room with city residents who are leaving their homes behind to travel elsewhere. Sitters may be responsible for simply looking after a home, but more often than not, pets are present and need caring for. In return, house-sitters can use the home as if it were a hotel or Airbnb. The bartering system gives both parties exactly what they need with no money exchanging hands. Hosts and sitters must be full members of the website, with background checks and transparent reviews from other members making the process relatively safe and secure.

Trusted Housesitters has a yearly membership fee, but it is generally less than or equal to just one night's stay at a hotel. If you use it twice in a year, it practically pays for itself. The money you save by staying in someone else's home for just the price of your presence allows for even more adventures to new destinations.

Are you looking to save a ton of money on accommodations but still want some of the structure of the hospitality industry? Staying at a hostel may be perfect for you. There are many fantastic hostels in the U.S., and both Europe and Asia have long-established hostel cultures. HostelWorld is hands down the best place to turn to when you want to stay in one of the budget room shares.

HostelWorld offers bookings and usually includes thoughtful descriptions and insights into potential accommodations, allowing you to compare your options. Staying at a hostel is often a very social experience, which is a highlight of the site and a big plus of the hostel experience. Travelers who book a stay can connect with other guests ahead of time with the service's group chats. This allows for forging relationships before you even set out on your trip, making it possible to plan outings as groups.

The social benefits of HostelWorld have the potential to save you money on outings, like splitting transportation and food costs. What about the bookings themselves, though? The travel site boasts big discounts, but booking directly with hostels could see the best deal. Even so, HostelWorld offers a "Best Price Guarantee," and if you find the exact same accommodations elsewhere for a lower price, they will meet you there.

Planning a trip can be half the fun for some travelers but quite the opposite for others. If you dread the planning part of a vacation, an all-inclusive trip is likely a great option, and All Inclusive Outlet can be a great way to book a trip without much effort on your part.

Whether you want an adult-only getaway or a family-friendly adventure, All Inclusive Outlet has resort packages that take care of everything once you arrive. While you'd have to get to most of the resorts, the travel service also has cruise packages where you will have very little legwork to do. The service is so confident of its ability to get you the best price that it not only has a "Best Price Promise" but tacks on a 10% payout if they get it wrong.

Fans of an all-inclusive resort on Reddit have spoken and had some great experiences with the discount travel site. One user cites a "flawless" trip with no added expenses, and another recommends All Inclusive Outlet as a stream-lined experience with the lowest price for their trip. While it still could benefit you to shop around, the travel service is a solid option for those who want to travel affordably and simply.

Going (formerly Scott's Cheap Flights) allows users to input their preferred destinations and departing airports to receive an ongoing conveyor belt of deals sent directly to them. The rebranded travel service has a long history of saving its clients a boatload of money.

Let's say you're planning a trip to Italy for next spring. Instead of scouring sites for the best deals, you can sit back and let Going send specialized flights arriving in Rome and departing from your local airport. Though there is a free version, the best deals come from the annual subscription-based service. At just a few dollars a month, even if you only book a deal once, it's worth the savings.

Going is best utilized when you don't have any set travel plans. By tracking multiple bucket list destinations and taking advantage of offers that are too good to refuse, you can essentially let your notifications plan a trip for you.

There's a certain high you feel when finding a killer deal, but don't jump the gun on booking. Instead, remember the golden rule of travel booking — take a second to cross-reference your trip. A second, third, or even fourth opinion is just a few clicks away and could easily keep a few bills in your pocket. Your date and destination may perfectly align with another website to bring you an even lower price, elevating that money-saving euphoria to new heights.

What's the most important thing to implement when practicing the golden rule? Always, always, always check the main site for a lower price before booking with a third party. Often, a travel site will claim to offer you the lowest price available, but fees bump your total price over what the mother site offers. This goes double for hotels and hostels; sometimes hostels even have special discounts when booking directly with them.