Summer is coming! What are some apps you use to plan / book vacations?

Question

I'm trying to get smarter about booking vacations: spending less time and money doing it, not doing too much research on the internet. Just want to do it quickly but still cheaply, and letting tech do the heavy lifting for me!

Lincoln Mondy · Accepted Answer

Because you can ditch the tourist traps and get real, personal recommendations from a local. You can have a more authentic experience and enjoy a cool sousins' favorite spots.

Answer

I am surprised no one mentioned Airbnb. 
Best way to experience your trips like you are a local. 🌆

Nick Abouzeid · Answer

Everything built into one, with a beautiful UI and tons of great trip options. Great for someone who knows they want to travel but isn't quite sure where.

Anton Lavrenov · Answer

Don't want to live in a slum? Check the rating of a place/apartment before travel.

You can check city area before booking on Airbnb or Booking.

ItaiSagi · Answer

Simple. you enter your budget and explore your options :)

Margot Mazur · Answer

These beautiful photos give you a visual idea of the places you want to see. It's like a way more visual Foursquare, like a glance you also want to experience.

Karri Saarinen · Answer

My favorite tool for looking up places. Only app I actually trust the recommendations.

Sam Rye · Answer

Quite like keeping everything together with Google Trips

Mavis Wang · Answer

TripAdvisor is a must-have. Can't hit the road without it.

tomkuhn · Answer

Quickly and simple as to find extra inventory of rooms at rock bottom prices.

Ayush Mittal · Answer

Reveal hidden prices. They claim this - "We're better at finding cheap flights than anyone else— so good, United Airlines actually sued us for it". Skiplagged 2 [New version]

They show hidden city ticketing trips in addition to what sites like Expedia, KAYAK, and Travelocity show. Taking a stop might save hundreds of dollar as @melaniepinola mentioned here - http://lifehacker.com/skiplagged...

You can also track previous searches for changes in price. Available on iOS/Android.

Neelabh Singh · Answer

An all-in-one aggregator including flights, hotel rooms and rental cars powered by smart search and predictive algorithms with cross-platform (pc, mobile, tablet, watch) compatibility

Daria Solovjova · Answer

Though this app won't help you much with planning your trip in advance, it can be of great assistance if you are travelling, and, more specifically flying.

You can track yours and others flight status in real-time, see constantly updated flight info (whether it's late or on time, etc.) get airport weather and schedule info, aircraft type and age, etc.

The information this app provides is pretty accurate, its interface is simple and easy to use. Also, it's  free.

Andreas Stegmann · Answer

Best tool for roadtrips hands down.

Halyna Tarasenko · Answer

That's a great service to find a perfect flight+hotel deal for your budget. You can choose a type of vacation you prefer (sea, exotics, sightseeing), then choose the dates and a budget you can afford. It will show the best deals, including special offers and sales. The best thing is this service is free to use :)

d. nye yarrington · Answer

Great new visual trip planner.

Fatih Özdemir · Answer

Give a chance this app. I hope you like

Sam Rye · Answer

Great for flights

Neelabh Singh · Answer

Amazing deals on hotels and hostels and booking free of cost!