top travel services

Best Online Travel Agencies

Booking.com is our top choice for making your trip arrangements

Ligaya Malones is an editor, blogger, and freelance writer specializing in food and travel. Ligaya's work has appeared in publications including Lonely Planet and BRIDES.

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Planning a trip can be easier through an online travel agency than if you handle each aspect of the planning separately. You can book hotels, air travel, rental cars, and more through a single site, and booking everything together sometimes results in discounts. By inputting a destination, a range of dates, and other preferences, you will see a list of options for each aspect of travel.

The best online travel agencies offer options from the largest number of airlines, hotels, car rental agencies, and more. Look for sites that offer discounts for combining reservations for different aspects of your trip. For example, the best sites will have lower rates if you book both plane tickets and a hotel through their services. The best sites also provide reviews from customers who actually have booked through the service. These are our top picks.

• Best Overall: Booking.com
• Best Budget: Skyscanner
• Best Price Predictor: Hopper
• Most Innovative: Kiwi.com
• Best for Eco-Conscious: Kind Traveler
• Best for Social Impact: I Like Local
• Best for Design-Forward Homestays: Plum Guide
• Our Top Picks
• Booking.com

Kind Traveler

I Like Local

• See More (4)

Final Verdict

Frequently asked questions, methodology, best overall : booking.com.

 Booking.com

This industry leader offers one of the most comprehensive trip planning platforms on the Internet.

Lots of options to choose from

Interface is easy to use

Numerous filters to customize your search

Tricky to tell whether changes/cancellations can be made with Booking.com or the vendor directly

Booking.com was founded in 1996 and has grown into an industry leader that stands out for being one of the most comprehensive trip planning platforms out there. From one website, you can compare and book accommodations, flights (including one-way and multi-city flights), sightseeing activities, and even airport taxis. The website lists more than 28 million accommodation options, from hotels, hostels, and B&Bs to vacation homes and luxury resorts—you can browse more choices per destination on Booking.com than other online travel agencies. The website also performs well on cost and typically returns lower-than-average prices for flights and hotels. 

Booking.com's interface is also easy to use. On the home page, search for a hotel by entering your chosen destination and dates. Then, use the extensive list of filters—such as price range and distance from the city center—to narrow the results down and find the best fit. You can also search for a specific hotel, or seek inspiration by clicking through options grouped by destination or property type or by topic such as the country’s best Michelin-starred hotel restaurants or the top cities for vegan travelers. The flights, car rental, and other tabs are just as intuitive. 

Best Budget : Skyscanner

 Skyscanner

You can compare prices across airlines, hotels, and car rentals.

Simple interface

Option to toggle searches between specific dates or by monthly calendars

Search Everywhere button is great for spontaneous planners

Extra clicks are required to make a final purchase

Must read fine print for changes/cancellations—may need to deal directly with the vendor

Ads on the sidebar can be distracting

Find deals on airfare, hotels, and car rentals with an aggregator site like Skyscanner , which uses a metasearch engine to compare prices from all online travel agencies and the airline, hotel, or car rental company in question. Run searches with fixed dates, opt to compare airfare prices month to month, or click “Cheapest Month.” Searches also include options for nearby airports or non-stop flights only. With hotel searches, you can choose to select only from properties with free cancellation, a cleanliness rating of 4.5/5 or higher, or 3- or 4-starred hotels only. Car rental searches include an option to select “return car to different location.”

Once you’ve found the best rate, click on the link to be redirected to the third-party site to make your booking. Feeling spontaneous? The Search Everywhere button on the homepage offers a list of the cheapest flight deals for destinations both locally and across the world—just plug in your departure airport first.

Best Price Predictor : Hopper

The company claims a 95 percent accuracy rate at predicting when flights and hotel rates will be cheapest.

Color-coded system makes it easy to determine cheapest days to buy

App is easy to use

Option to track flights and receive alerts when the best time to buy arises

Some have mentioned the app functions better as a research tool than a booking tool

Unclear whether Hopper will price match if you find a cheaper flight elsewhere

Hopper is a travel app available on iOS and Android that aims to help travelers save on airfare by usng historical data and their own algorithm to predict when flights will be cheapest. Just type in where and when you’d like to fly and Hopper will present you with a color-coded pricing calendar indicating how much tickets are likely to cost. (Green is the least expensive, then yellow, orange, and red for most expensive.) Hopper will also recommend you either buy now or wait, or you can choose to watch a trip and receive notifications on the best time to buy. In addition, the app has expanded to offer hotel and car rental price predictions, too.

Some newer features since the app’s inception in 2009 include an option to freeze a price for a limited time—for an extra fee—as well as exclusive app-only discounts. Hopper is free to download, and you can choose to book directly through the app, though some users mentioned they use Hopper as more of a research tool before booking directly with the airline or hotel. The company claims a 95 percent accuracy rate at predicting flight rates up to a year ahead.

Most Innovative : Kiwi.com

This metasearch engine scours the web to piece together the ideal itinerary using planes, trains, buses, and more.

Creative itineraries get you where you need to go, especially if you’ve got a multi-stop trip

Kiwi Guarantee offers rebooking or cancellation protections

Nomad option appeals to travelers with a lot of flexibility

Creative itineraries mean you may not fly out of the same airport you flew into

Kiwi Guarantee has an additional fee

Charges all-in-one fee for booking flights, trains, buses (though you can always purchase a la carte)

Travelers planning multi-city destinations and seeking a bargain, as well as those looking to take planes, trains, and automobiles to get there, might consider Kiwi . Kiwi is a metasearch engine that scours and pieces together itineraries from various airlines (even if they don’t have a codeshare agreement), considers multiple airports (even if your arrival airport is different from departure), and offers booking options, whether you’re looking at very specific dates or more general ones (up to 60 nights).

Some will find the ability to make multiple bookings for a particular trip more convenient than going at it manually several different times, though note that you must opt into the Kiwi Guarantee program to access rebooking and refund protections should your reservation change or be canceled. Kiwi’s Nomad option allows you to plug in a bunch of destinations you’d like to visit and the length of your intended stay, and the website will churn out the most affordable itineraries for review.

Best for Eco-Conscious : Kind Traveler

A give-and-get business model means booking accommodations with exclusive perks, a donation to environmental organizations, and more.

All participating hotels include a local give-back component

Exclusive savings and perks

Participating hotels are located in some of the most beautiful places in the world

Inventory is much smaller compared to other booking platforms

Some of the amenities mentioned are based on availability only

In 2022, Kind Traveler (an online trave agency focused on hotel bookings) announced an increase in environmentally and socially conscious hotels, charity donations, voluntourism opportunities, and additional perks like waived resort fees or a welcome amenity.

Unlock exclusive hotel rates and perks from participating Kind Traveler hotels with a minimum $10/night minimum donation to a local charity. For example, stay at the Six Senses Laamu in the Maldives and receive up to $33 off the nightly rate and perks such as a food and beverage credit and an Earth Lab or Alchemy Bar workshop when you make a donation to Manta Trust. The organization funds coastal research to protect the island nation’s large yet fragile population of reef mantas.

Select from more than 140 participating hotels from the Hawaiian Islands to Bozeman, Montana, and the Maldives. Charities include wildlife, human rights, arts, education, and environmental preservation organizations.

Best for Social Impact : I Like Local

Choose from a host of travel experiences with the peace of mind that 100 percent of the cost goes directly to local partners.

Social impact mission woven into organization’s business model

Immersive experiences led by local guides

Range of experiences offered

May not be best fit for those seeking upscale, luxury experiences and stays

Can’t sort experiences by a list of countries (though an interactive map is available)

No experiences outside of Africa and Asia

For an online travel agency with a booking platform designed to route dollars spent directly to the communities travelers intend to visit, consider I Like Local . Visit the website to browse a host of travel experiences in countries including Indonesia, Kenya, and Cambodia. Experiences include homestays and farmstays as well as wellness and culturally oriented experiences—from cooking and cycling tours to weaving classes.

To search for an experience, select from drop-down items like travel dates and experience categories, or view a global map and click on a country to view experiences that way.

The platform got its start in 2014 and has grown to 4,000 local hosts across nearly 20 countries. As a social impact organization, 100 percent of each booking fee goes to local hosts. To date, 16,000 travelers have booked with I Like Local.

Best for Design-Forward Homestays : Plum Guide

Browse and book seriously vetted, design-forward vacation homes.

Highly curated inventory of vacation rentals across the world

Design-forward

Thorough vetting process

Does not publish guest reviews

Other platforms have homes available across more destinations

When it comes to booking a vacation home, serviced apartment, or condo, travelers are spoiled for choice. Plum Guide is an online travel agency that specializes in accommodations—though not just any home makes its directory. The company claims that each potential home listed on its site must jump through 150 hoops to be included, from internet speed and mattress and pillow quality to the showers’ water pressure and the home’s proximity to dining, shopping, and attractions.

Search by a featured collection on the website such as “ pet-friendly homes ” or “one-of-a-kind homes in Palm Springs.” Scroll to the bottom of its homepage to view its top destinations, as well as a list of all destinations where Plum Guide homes are available, including Barbados, Mexico, Portugal, Switzerland, the U.S., and Turkey. Note: From the top right-hand corner of the site, use the dropdown menu to select currency of choice.

As long as you know what you value most out of your travel experience—such as affordability, social impact, or luxe accommodations—there’s an online travel agency to help plan your next trip. Be sure to read the fine print, as some agencies are third-party websites and not direct vendors. If you're not sure where to start, Booking.com is your best bet for a smooth user experience and hard-to-beat offers on flights, hotels, and other travel arrangements.

What Is the Biggest Travel Agency?

Our choice for best overall, Booking.com, is known as an industry leader with listings for all major hotels, airlines, car rental companies, and more. It boasts more choices for accommodations per destination than any other site, and we found its interface to be user-friendly.

Are Online Travel Agencies Worth It?

This depends on your needs and priorities. The best online travel agencies certainly can save time by booking everything all at once. However, if you're someone who is good at haggling and enjoys the details of planning a trip, you might be able to find better deals by reaching out to hotels or other destinations and speaking to someone personally.

Is It Cheaper to Book Online Than With a Travel Agent?

Not always. A travel agent you know and trust should have the experience and connections to find deals that can match or surpass what you'll find online. Additionally, if something goes wrong, travel agents provide you with an actual person you can use as an advocate to correct the problem . But if you don't have access to a good travel agent, online sites still provide plenty of ways to streamline planning and save money .

We considered dozens of online travel agencies and narrowed down the options based on user experience, volume and quality of inventory, unique offerings and specials, and customer reviews. We also assessed travel companies’ environmentally and socially conscious policies.

Catherine Falls Commercial / Getty Images

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The 10 best online travel agencies in 2024

The top 10 online travel agencies.

• Booking.com
• Lastminute.com

Best online travel agencies for business travel

1. travelperk.

Main offerings and features:

• Industry-leading travel inventory
• Flexible booking with FlexiPerk
• Safety alerts with TravelCare
• Integrated travel policy & approval flows
• Centralized invoicing
• Easy & real-time expense reports
• Carbon offsetting with GreenPerk
• 24/7 fast customer support in target 15s
• VAT reclaim
• Integration with 3rd party tools , such as expense management or HR software like Expensify and BambooHR

Save time and money on your business travel with TravelPerk

2. sap concur.

• Works with some of the biggest brands
• Easy tracking and reporting of expenses for expense reports
• Many connected apps, such as Uber and Airbnb for cars and hotels
• One solution for a variety of business travel spending

Click below to compare both platforms’ features and benefits

• Ample integrations
• Award-winning mobile app
• Employee-centric travel management

Click below for a more detailed comparison between both platforms:

Best online travel agencies for leisure travel, 1. booking.com.

• Intuitive booking tool and website
• Flight + Hotel booking for easily planning trips with no cross-referencing travel websites
• Simple car rental options and taxi hire
• Available in over 40 different languages and offers over half a million properties across 207 countries
• You can book experiences in your destination city to entertain you on your travels
• Genius rewards program

• Simple interface and booking tool
• Deals when making more than one booking
• 38 different languages and offers a 24-hour, multilingual customer support service
• Free cancellation within 24 hours of booking
• Millions of reviews to help make your decision

3. Lastminute.com

• Filter hotels according to budgets, star ratings, guest ratings, board types, and more
• ATOL protection on flight + hotel bundles
• Flash sales for last-minute deals
• Payment plans to spread out the cost of travel
• Extra entertainment booking for your trips, like theatrical productions and day trips
• Gift cards for gifting travel

• Expedia rewards for hotels, cars, and more
• Experienced support
• Compare cruise lines
• Big savings when booking flights, hotels, and car rentals
• Operates in nearly 70 countries and in over 35 different languages
• Luxury travel options

• Book hotels, flights, cars, and bundles
• 24/7 support
• Lower prices on the app
• Great last-minute deals for spontaneous travel

6. Bookmundi

Best online travel agencies for flights

1. skyscanner.

• Super flexible booking filters
• Cheaper flights and hotels than other OTAs
• Price alerts for travel routes of interest
• Easy-to-use booking tool and UI
• Hundreds of location and currency options
• One-way, return, and multi-city travel options

2. Kiwi.com

• Simple flight booking tool
• Partnerships with Booking.com and Rentalcars.com
• Discover deals anywhere with the option to open up your search
• Easy-to-use app

How do online travel agencies work?

What are the advantages of booking through an online travel agency.

• Access to comparison tools
• Peer reviews to help you with your decisions
• Flexible cancellation policies
• All your travel in one place
• Local flights and deals

Rewards programs

Comparison tools, peer reviews, flexible cancellation.

Flexiperk: Cancel anytime, anywhere. Get a minimum of 80% of your money back.

One account for all of your travel needs, a local approach to global travel, wrapping up.

Make business travel simpler. Forever.

• See our platform in action . Trusted by thousands of companies worldwide, TravelPerk makes business travel simpler to manage with more flexibility, full control of spending with easy reporting, and options to offset your carbon footprint.
• Find hundreds of resources on all things business travel, from tips on traveling more sustainably, to advice on setting up a business travel policy, and managing your expenses. Our latest e-books and blog posts have you covered.
• Never miss another update. Stay in touch with us on social for the latest product releases, upcoming events, and articles fresh off the press.

Speak to a travel expert

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Compare flights from 100s of sites.

Big names, great deals, filter for what you want, track prices, more than flights, start your travel planning here, search flights , hotels & rental cars.

• Hi New York City Hostel $58+
• West Side Ymca $105+
• Pod 51 $160+
• Radio Hotel $161+
• Pod Times Square $169+
• The Gallivant Times Square $175+
• OYO Times Square $179+
• Pod 39 $180+
• The Washington $183+
• Paramount Times Square $192+
• DoubleTree by Hilton New York Downtown $200+
• Westgate New York Grand Central $201+
• DoubleTree by Hilton New York Times Square West $204+
• The Manhattan at Times Square Hotel $208+
• The New Yorker A Wyndham Hotel $211+
• Flight Atlanta - New York (ATL - LGA) $39+
• Flight Atlanta - Newark (ATL - EWR) $39+
• Flight Fort Lauderdale - Newark (FLL - EWR) $40+
• Flight Chicago - New York (ORD - LGA) $50+
• Flight Dallas - Newark (DFW - EWR) $55+
• Flight Miami - Newark (MIA - EWR) $55+
• Flight Dallas - New York (DFW - LGA) $60+
• Flight Fort Lauderdale - New York (FLL - LGA) $61+
• Flight Orlando - Newark (MCO - EWR) $71+
• Flight Miami - New York (MIA - LGA) $76+
• Flight Orlando - New York (MCO - LGA) $78+
• Flight Chicago - Newark (ORD - EWR) $87+
• Flight Fort Lauderdale - New York (FLL - JFK) $117+
• Flight Miami - New York (MIA - JFK) $117+
• Flight Los Angeles - Newark (LAX - EWR) $155+
• Monumental Movieland Hotel $50+
• Grand Hotel Kissimmee At Celebration $53+
• Ramada Plaza by Wyndham Orlando Resort & Suites Intl Drive $68+
• Flight Atlanta - Orlando (ATL - MCO) $40+
• Flight Philadelphia - Orlando (PHL - MCO) $40+
• Flight Baltimore - Orlando (BWI - MCO) $48+
• Book A Bed Hostels $24+
• Generator London $34+
• Palmers Lodge Swiss Cottage $36+
• Nx London Hostel $38+
• Flight Boston - London (BOS - LHR) $323+
• Flight Los Angeles - London (LAX - LHR) $330+
• Flight New Windsor - London (SWF - STN) $384+
• Flight New York - London (JFK - LHR) $385+

Fort Lauderdale

• Red Carpet Inn Airport Fort Lauderdale $66+
• Fort Lauderdale Grand Hotel $67+
• HomeTowne Studios by Red Roof Fort Lauderdale $69+
• Flight Baltimore - Fort Lauderdale (BWI - FLL) $33+
• Flight Philadelphia - Fort Lauderdale (PHL - FLL) $39+
• Flight Atlanta - Fort Lauderdale (ATL - FLL) $40+
• Green Tortoise Hostel Seattle $64+
• Coast Gateway Hotel $176+
• Travelodge by Wyndham Seattle By The Space Needle $176+
• Flight Los Angeles - Seattle (LAX - SEA) $61+
• Flight Ontario - Seattle (ONT - SEA) $64+
• Flight Phoenix - Seattle (PHX - SEA) $76+
• Fabhotel Royal Residency Ii $21+
• Taj Mahal Hotel Abids $29+
• Katriya Hotel & Towers $32+
• Flight Newark - Mumbai (EWR - BOM) $478+
• Flight Washington, D.C. - Hyderabad (IAD - HYD) $586+
• Flight New York - Mumbai (JFK - BOM) $596+
• Smile Hotel Premium Sapporo Susukino $41+
• Sapporo Tokyu Rei Hotel $46+
• Best Western Sapporo Odori Koen $46+
• Flight Los Angeles - Tokyo (LAX - NRT) $569+
• Flight San Francisco - Tokyo (SFO - NRT) $629+
• Flight Seattle - Tokyo (SEA - NRT) $744+
• Kuhio Banyan Club $107+
• Royal Grove Waikiki $117+
• Ohia Waikiki Studio Suites $131+
• Flight Los Angeles - Honolulu (LAX - HNL) $186+
• Flight San Francisco - Honolulu (SFO - HNL) $201+
• Flight San Jose - Honolulu (SJC - HNL) $209+
• Super 8 by Wyndham Dallas Love Field Airport $51+
• Dallas Love Field Inn $52+
• Wyndham Garden Dallas North $60+
• Flight Fort Lauderdale - Dallas (FLL - DFW) $40+
• Flight Miami - Dallas (MIA - DFW) $40+
• Flight Atlanta - Dallas (ATL - DFW) $54+
• The STRAT Hotel, Casino & Tower $16+
• Harrah's Las Vegas Hotel & Casino $23+
• OYO Hotel And Casino Las Vegas $24+
• Silver Sevens Hotel & Casino $37+
• Flight Burbank - Las Vegas (BUR - LAS) $33+
• Flight Los Angeles - Las Vegas (LAX - LAS) $36+
• Flight Oakland - Las Vegas (OAK - LAS) $45+
• Flight Seattle - Las Vegas (SEA - LAS) $51+
• Freehand Chicago $43+
• Chicago Getaway Hostel $56+
• Travelodge by Wyndham Downtown Chicago $128+
• Flight Atlanta - Chicago (ATL - MDW) $38+
• Flight Boston - Chicago (BOS - ORD) $40+
• Flight Denver - Chicago (DEN - ORD) $48+

San Francisco

• Hi San Francisco Downtown Hostel $49+
• The Mosser $68+
• Axiom Hotel $125+
• Flight Ontario - San Francisco (ONT - SFO) $43+
• Flight Phoenix - San Francisco (PHX - SFO) $53+
• Flight Los Angeles - San Francisco (LAX - SFO) $60+

Washington, D.C.

• Generator Hotel Washington DC $45+
• Days Inn by Wyndham Washington DC/Connecticut Avenue $101+
• Citizenm Washington DC Noma $132+
• Motto by Hilton Washington DC City Center $136+
• Citizenm Washington Dc Capitol $136+
• Henley Park Hotel $139+
• Omni Shoreham Hotel $143+
• Washington Plaza Hotel $144+
• Beacon Hotel & Corporate Quarters $148+
• Hyatt Place Washington DC/US Capitol $149+
• Morrison Clark Historic Inn $154+
• Hamilton Hotel - Washington DC $156+
• Flight Atlanta - Baltimore (ATL - BWI) $47+
• Flight Orlando - Baltimore (MCO - BWI) $53+
• Flight Fort Lauderdale - Baltimore (FLL - BWI) $56+
• Flight Boston - Baltimore (BOS - BWI) $61+
• Flight Dallas - Baltimore (DFW - BWI) $89+
• Flight Chicago - Baltimore (ORD - BWI) $94+
• Flight Houston - Baltimore (HOU - BWI) $109+
• Flight Houston - Baltimore (IAH - BWI) $109+
• Flight Los Angeles - Baltimore (LAX - BWI) $112+
• Flight Miami - Washington, D.C. (MIA - DCA) $127+
• Flight Boston - Washington, D.C. (BOS - DCA) $133+
• Flight Boston - Washington, D.C. (BOS - IAD) $139+
• Hotel Casa Mallorca $56+
• Wyndham Garden Cancun Downtown $68+
• Suites Malecon Cancun $80+
• Flight Fort Lauderdale - Cancún (FLL - CUN) $178+
• Flight Dallas - Cancún (DFW - CUN) $182+
• Flight Houston - Cancún (HOU - CUN) $192+

United States

• Flight Fort Lauderdale - Newark (FLL - EWR) $39+
• Flight Newark - Fort Lauderdale (EWR - FLL) $40+
• Flight Newark - Miami (EWR - MIA) $40+
• Tip Top Motel Cafe & Bakery $153+
• Kauai Palms Hotel $189+
• Kauai Inn $241+
• Flight Los Angeles - Hawaii (LAX - USHI) $186+
• Flight San Francisco - Hawaii (SFO - USHI) $196+
• Flight San Jose - Hawaii (SJC - USHI) $209+
• Stay Classy $56+
• California Suites Hotel $98+
• Super 8 by Wyndham San Diego Hotel Circle $99+
• Flight San Jose - San Diego (SJC - SAN) $48+
• Flight Denver - San Diego (DEN - SAN) $58+
• Flight Phoenix - San Diego (PHX - SAN) $59+
• Shared Living Not A Hotel $32+
• Super 8 by Wyndham Phoenix West $49+
• HomeTowne Studios by Red Roof Phoenix - Black Canyon Highway $54+
• Flight Ontario - Phoenix (ONT - PHX) $43+
• Flight Dallas - Phoenix (DFW - PHX) $49+
• Flight Salt Lake City - Phoenix (SLC - PHX) $53+

Los Angeles

• Boutique Hostel $34+
• Freehand Los Angeles $49+
• City Center Hotel $100+
• Rotex Western Inn $108+
• Four Points by Sheraton Los Angeles International Airport $109+
• The Dixie Hollywood $123+
• USC Hotel $127+
• Flight Oakland - Los Angeles (OAK - LAX) $40+
• Flight San Jose - Los Angeles (SJC - LAX) $52+
• Flight San Francisco - Los Angeles (SFO - LAX) $53+
• Flight Seattle - Los Angeles (SEA - LAX) $55+
• Flight Portland - Los Angeles (PDX - LAX) $69+
• Flight Dallas - Los Angeles (DFW - LAX) $77+
• Flight Newark - Los Angeles (EWR - LAX) $87+
• Selina Gold Dust $50+
• La Quinta Inn by Wyndham Miami Airport North $69+
• Motel 6 Miami. Fl $78+
• Miami Gardens Inn & Suites $79+
• La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Miami Airport East $83+
• Days Inn by Wyndham Miami International Airport $86+
• Holiday Inn Miami West - Airport Area $96+
• Holiday Inn Miami-Doral Area, An IHG Hotel $102+
• Life House, Little Havana $103+
• Staybridge Suites Miami International Airport $107+
• The Palms Inn & Suites $108+
• Flight Baltimore - Miami (BWI - MIA) $39+
• Flight Philadelphia - Miami (PHL - MIA) $39+
• Flight Dallas - Miami (DFW - MIA) $40+
• Flight Detroit - Miami (DTW - MIA) $40+
• Flight Raleigh - Miami (RDU - MIA) $46+
• Flight Chicago - Miami (MDW - MIA) $48+
• Flight Chicago - Miami (ORD - MIA) $50+
• Flight Atlanta - Miami (ATL - MIA) $51+
• Flight Charlotte - Miami (CLT - MIA) $55+
• Flight Houston - Miami (HOU - MIA) $58+
• Hometowne Studios by Red Roof Denver - Glendale/Cherry Creek $68+
• Super 8 by Wyndham Denver Stapleton $80+
• Baymont by Wyndham Denver International Airport $87+
• La Quinta Inn & Suites By Wyndham Denver Airport Dia $106+
• Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham Denver Airport $107+
• Renu On Wazee $120+
• Renaissance Denver Central Park Hotel $126+
• Flight Houston - Denver (HOU - DEN) $53+
• Flight Houston - Denver (IAH - DEN) $53+
• Flight Ontario - Denver (ONT - DEN) $55+
• Flight Chicago - Denver (ORD - DEN) $57+
• Flight Washington, D.C. - Denver (DCA - DEN) $57+
• Flight Los Angeles - Denver (LAX - DEN) $59+
• Flight Baltimore - Denver (BWI - DEN) $68+
• Hi Boston Hostel $65+
• Ramada by Wyndham Boston $149+
• The Revolution Hotel $170+
• Flight Chicago - Boston (ORD - BOS) $50+
• Flight Charlotte - Boston (CLT - BOS) $54+
• Flight Baltimore - Boston (BWI - BOS) $59+
• Ramada Plaza by Wyndham Atlanta Airport $63+
• La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Atlanta Airport North $97+
• Sonesta Atlanta Airport North $98+
• Flight Chicago - Atlanta (MDW - ATL) $37+
• Flight Fort Lauderdale - Atlanta (FLL - ATL) $39+
• Flight New York - Atlanta (LGA - ATL) $40+
• Generator Madrid $25+
• Toc Hostel Madrid $33+
• C&h Aravaca Garden $39+
• Flight Miami - Madrid (MIA - MAD) $253+
• Flight New York - London (JFK - LHR) $276+
• Flight Newark - London (EWR - LHR) $276+
• Rodeway Inn Fairgrounds-Casino $66+
• Econo Lodge Airport at RJ Stadium $69+
• Tampa Inn Near Busch Gardens $70+
• Flight Dallas - Florida (DFW - USFL) $40+
• Flight Newark - Florida (EWR - USFL) $40+
• Flight Philadelphia - Florida (PHL - USFL) $40+
• Flight Atlanta - Tampa (ATL - TPA) $38+
• Flight Raleigh - Tampa (RDU - TPA) $43+
• Flight Baltimore - Tampa (BWI - TPA) $56+

New Orleans

• Super 8 by Wyndham New Orleans $51+
• Maison Saint Charles by Hotel RL $85+
• Hampton Inn and Suites New Orleans Convention Center $91+
• Flight Dallas - New Orleans (DFW - MSY) $38+
• Flight Fort Lauderdale - New Orleans (FLL - MSY) $44+
• Flight Houston - New Orleans (HOU - MSY) $44+

Frequently asked questions about KAYAK

How do i find travel deals on kayak.

Simply use one of our travel search engines to scan for prices gathered from hundreds of travel sites. KAYAK’s search results pages have loads of filter options to help you find deals, discover exactly what you’re looking for and make booking seamless. Plus, there’s no extra fee from KAYAK.

What makes KAYAK a great travel app?

On the KAYAK app for iOS and Android you’ll find all the great travel offers found on the website and much more. There are special mobile rates and app only deals that allow you to save even more money. Plus, you can get notifications straight to your phone letting you know when prices for your next trip have dropped. But the KAYAK app is much more than just a travel app. Use the Trips function to manage your travel itinerary and get up to date status alerts on flights, check-in changes and to store your boarding pass. Even if you’re in the middle of nowhere on your travels, you can still access your travel notes via Trips, as no internet connection is required.

How can I use KAYAK to manage my travel bookings?

KAYAK Trips creates a travel itinerary for you that will give you flight status alerts, can be shared with friends and more. Simply forward your booking confirmations to [email protected] or use the KAYAK app and sync your email account to keep all your travel plans organized in one app, even if you didn’t book with KAYAK. You can share your holiday plans with friends and family and also check out your travel stats for past vacations, like how far you’ve traveled, your most popular cities and how many times you’ve traveled around the world. Even if you don’t have signal, don’t worry, as you can access Trips to check out your itineraries whilst on the road. Your data is safe and secure with us and you won’t have to re-enter credit card info when booking future trips. If you want to make changes or cancel bookings, then you should contact the travel provider, which is provided on the booking confirmation.

What are KAYAK Price Alerts?

Instead of manually checking back in on the price of your next flight or stay, let KAYAK do the hard work for you with KAYAK Price Alerts. Once you’ve saved your search, our data will determine how the price will rise or fluctuate over the coming days. You’ll then get a push notification letting you know when’s the perfect time to book.

Search flights , hotels , rental cars , travel guides and more with KAYAK. KAYAK searches hundreds of other travel sites at once to get you the information you need to make the right decisions.

Best online travel sites 2022

Use the best online travel sites to plan your trip ahead of time so you can enjoy your time away.

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The best online travel sites are wonderful not only plan your next trip for peace of mind, they're also a fun way to get excited ahead of your next adventure. You can simply go to one site and plan most of your trip's main parts from flights and hotels to rental cars and excursions. If what you're after is just hotel bookings, check out our list of the best hotel booking sites .

While what many of these sites offer is similar, it's the way in which they do it which is important. The last thing you need is a stress-inducing website when planning to go away to relax and unwind. So we've reviewed the best sites based on their price, of course, but also on the way they work, with the ease of use and clarity as important features. We also checked to make sure you won't suffer any extra charges added on top at the last minute. Plus, we took rewards schemes into account, which could help you save money upfront or in the longer term if you use some sites more than once.

With all that in mind, these are the very best online travel sites out there right now.

The best online travel sites

1. expedia.com: best online travel site overall .

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Expedia is a big name in online travel sites and hotel booking services and owns many popular sites like Hotels.com and Hotwire.com. We're fans of the original, though, thanks to its clean and straightforward to use interface. Hit the packages section of the site, and you can add up to five connecting flights, choose to add accommodation for all of or only part of your trip, and tag on car rentals too. 

It's all suitably well laid out, and it only takes a few seconds to start putting together your itinerary. However, we do wish there were a few more options for filtering out accessibility issues. Still, for most people, Expedia.com has everything they'll need, and there's even the option of a cruise too if you fancy it. It's as aspirational to look at as it is useful to, well, use and there are extra discounts for booking multiple parts of your vacation with the site. A Things To Do section rounds off the site's bid to help you plan your entire trip in one place.

2. Booking.com: Best for ease of use

Booking.com

Booking.com is a giant in the world of holiday bookings and not only offers over half a million properties in more than 207 countries but also offers flights and car rental services too. As such you can do it all from this one spot which makes it a very easy-to-use option. That said, there is a lot going on, and the user interface can be a little overwhelming at times. 

But with a superb rewards program, it is a great option that encourages you to keep coming back, making it easier to use as you become accustomed. You can even sort your taxi hire from this site meaning there is very little to think about when you get traveling as it's all been planned ahead of time. You also don't have to pay a booking fee on lots of hotels, allowing you to remain flexible – ideal if you're traveling about a lot on your journey.

3. CheapTickets.com: Best for finding things to do 

CheapTickets.com

CheapTickets is another site acquired by Expedia, but it does things a little differently. You can easily add on flight, hotel, and car or any combination of the three for package deals, although multiple flights are under a different option. So far, so Expedia (if less intuitive), but you can also clearly purchase event tickets from the site, which is far more useful if you want a one-stop-shop place to buy your trip. It's something other sites provide, but CheapTickets is that bit keener to entice you into the process, even if the site itself is a little cheesier looking than others. 

There's also the site's Vacation Value Finder, which lets you tweak how much you're willing to spend and what you're looking for from a vacation before making some fun suggestions. It's perfect for finding a last-minute deal if you don't have your heart set on one place. Students will also appreciate a section dedicated to them with extra discounts once you verify you're a student. All in all, it's a great varied site for numerous different needs. 

4. Priceline.com: Best for user reviews 

Priceline.com

Priceline is a big deal in the online travel site world for a good reason. It's effortless to use with options available for flights, cars, hotels, or any combination of the three. It's mildly annoying that Priceline's super cheap Pricebreaker deals don't extend to bundles, so you won't get an incredible bargain like you would if you booked separately. However, combining the set is still a worthwhile deal with discounts offered for the more you bundle together. 

One thing we really appreciated is that every hotel we looked at had dozens of reviews, and they're all from verified customers. It takes seconds to gain a reasonably accurate picture of what to expect from wherever you're considering booking. That's the perfect peace of mind when you're booking online, and you can't be sure of what you're getting without user reviews backing hotel statements up. Clearly laid out, you can focus on enjoying rather than worrying. Finally, Priceline is keen to make its VIP scheme easily accessible with straightforward discounts offered to you over time -- something that not all sites so clearly highlight. 

5. Kayak.com: Best for aggregated results 

If you're short on time, Kayak is pretty useful. That's because you simply enter where you want to go, and it aggregates results from multiple different sources. While it means you never book directly with Kayak, it does mean you get results quickly and without having to search around yourself, even if you will feel a bit overwhelmed with adverts while you search. 

The site itself looks a little basic, but under the hood is a surprising number of different filters (although no accessibility ones to speak of) and all the critical information you could require, although obviously you'll be sent to another site for the full details. The site also has a deals section, which has some great bargains for things you can do once you reach your destination, along with cheap car rental deals. It might not be pretty, but if you simply don't want to do the groundwork yourself, Kayak has you covered. It can be a real time-saver, and we reckon it's particularly useful if you're mostly researching possible trips in the future and want rough price estimates. Just watch out for the fact you can’t bundle in car rental deals. 

6. Hotwire.com: Best for renting properties 

Hotwire keeps things straightforward. All you need to do is enter what you're looking for, and a somewhat dated interface tells you what's available. It's not as pretty as some sites, but we really liked the extensive property type filters available. Want to stay on a houseboat or in a chalet at your destination? Hit the relevant filter, and you can find out if that's an option in the locale. That might not matter if your heart is set on a hotel, but it's a nice bonus even amongst the awkward site layout. 

Elsewhere, it's mostly business as usual, but that's no bad thing. Well laid out discounts are available to compare reasonably quickly, and most locations have plenty of reviews. If you feel like tracking down specific deals, you can do that too, with the site keen to offer up discounts to central locations if you're not quite sure where you'd like to visit next. It feels like the site needs updating when you compare it to its rivals, but it works well and speedily enough.

7. Agoda: Best for private home rental in Asia 

Agoda is a great option if you want to look for accommodation that isn't a hotel as this specializes in offering apartments and private rentals. In fact, there are dedicated market managers that work on finding properties, especially in Asia. As such you can find unique destination rentals at decent rates and should you change your mind there is a helpful 24-hour free cancellation policy in place. 

Everything is very easy to use and if you want to make more than one booking you can make great savings. Customer support is also a plus, as there is a 24-hour multilingual customer support service available when booking. With millions of reviews, Agoda makes finding a property very easy with a feeling of trust that can offer great peace of mind.

What to look for in an online travel site

Booking Travel Packages Travel packages can let you combine flights, hotel reservations and car rentals together for a better deal than booking separately. Some companies, like Priceline, pick hotels and flights for you, to get you to your destination for the lowest price. Other companies let you mix and match flights, hotels and car rentals to fit your schedule.

Booking Airfare One of the biggest reasons for searching on a travel site is to find cheap airfare. While there are dozens of airfare-specific websites, travel sites also give you the option to add hotel stays and car rentals. The best travel sites combine flight information from over nine different airlines and let you sort flights by price, number of stops, duration and flight class.

Booking International Travel Finding airfare for international travel is the easiest part of booking an overseas trip. AirGorilla helps you find accommodations and rent GPS units with your rental car, so you can find your way around. Often, sites will recommend hotels that are far from your actual destination or event. Searching for reservations on a site that gives accommodation recommendations will help you schedule an international trip with less stress.

How we tested the best online travel sites

We looked at how easy each site is to use during our testing, such as how quickly the site loaded and how easy it was to find what we were looking for. We considered whether the site felt cluttered with adverts or seemed like a dated interface. We also looked at how easy it was to find Contact Us pages, price guarantee information, and any kind of special deals section. 

We also considered how easily bundle deals could be arranged and how extensive they were and any potential discounts tied to them. We checked filter options to see how flexible and easy it was to look up different needs along the way.

We looked at trips between Los Angeles and Miami, Paris to Lisbon, and New York City to Los Angeles during testing. We also looked at lesser-known routes to see if they were also catered for appropriately.

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Jennifer has been freelancing for over 10 years. In the past, she's written about all things tech and gaming wise for outlets as varied as The Independent, Playboy, Eurogamer, and TechRadar. In her spare time, she spends far too much time watching films, attempting to train her pet guinea pigs, and mastering making the perfect burrito.  She's a full time freelancer, but a regular tech news contributor to Top Ten Reviews.

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The Complete Guide to Booking Travel Online

What is an online travel agency, and what are the best sites and apps to use to search for hotels and flights we break it all down for you..

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There’s a lot to navigate when researching and booking travel online.

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My first travel adventure was to Venezuela. I booked the ticket with a travel agent over a pay phone. The agent searched a dozen flight itineraries over a few days, all so I could save $15.

Times have changed. Today, flight searches start online , often on your mobile device. Passengers book either directly with the airline or hotel or with online travel agencies. Rarely do we get on the phone. In fact, American Airlines and United Airlines charge $25 to make a domestic flight booking by phone. And pay phones hardly exist anymore.

So, what is the best way to book online? Here is our complete guide to online travel agencies, search tools, and the variety of booking options available on both mobile devices and desktops.

What is an OTA?

An online travel agency, or OTA, is a website or mobile app that allows users to search for and book travel services such as flights, hotels, car rentals, cruises, and activities. The booking is made directly with the online travel agency but confirmed by the service provider, such as an airline or a hotel. As a customer, your relationship is with the OTA.

What are the main OTAs?

Many online travel agencies nowadays are owned by two main companies: Expedia and Priceline. The Expedia Group is the largest online travel agency in the United States with 70 percent market share, according to travel data firm Phocuswright. Expedia Group operates Expedia.com , Orbitz, Hotels.com , Trivago, CheapTickets , Hotwire , Vrbo , and Travelocity .

Priceline is a major competitor to Expedia, with global revenues larger than the Expedia Group. The company owns Priceline.com, Booking.com, Cheapflights, Momondo, and Kayak—the latter two being metasearch engines (more on that below).

There are also independent newcomers such as Hopper (a mobile-only booking tool) and Kiwi.com (which allows you to book flights on air carriers that don’t normally have a commercial relationship).

Are OTA fares lower than booking directly?

Generally, no. The fares that are displayed by an OTA will be similar if not slightly more expensive when compared to an airline’s website. They’re usually only a few dollars higher or lower. The OTAs charge a booking fee to the airlines, and often that fee is passed directly to consumers. For example, Lufthansa tacks on an additional $18 to any booking made through an OTA for Lufthansa flights. The same flights are exactly $18 cheaper on the airline’s website.

Where you can score a good travel deal through an OTA is when booking a last-minute hotel and flight package. Many OTAs have cut agreements with airlines allowing last-minute travelers to access lower rates than are typically available when passengers book a flight alone.

Are all airlines available to be booked through OTAs?

No. Many OTAs do not display flights from some of the low-fare leaders. For example, Southwest and Allegiant flights are not available through OTAs; the same goes for Ryanair in Europe. And, earlier this year United Airlines threatened to pull out of Expedia altogether, only recently signing a multi-year agreement to stay in. The airlines would rather not lose any margin to online travel agencies in an already low-margin industry and would rather maintain a direct relationship with the customer.

Are smaller OTAs safe to use?

Expedia and Priceline are the two largest players in the online booking space, but there are dozens of independent OTAs, such as CheapOAir, OneTravel, JustFly, and SmartFares. Confusingly, you might actually stumble on ads for these OTAs while using Expedia or Priceline sites. That’s because the larger OTAs earn revenue through advertising, sending passengers to smaller OTAs and charging those OTAs for the favor.

Buyer beware: some of these lesser-known OTAs are masters at hidden fees. For example, a flight search on JetBlue allows for free seat selection in many instances. If you perform the same search on FlightNetwork, an independent OTA, and select a seat, you will be charged an additional $25—despite the fact that JetBlue doesn’t charge a seat selection fee if you book directly.

What if you need to change your itinerary?

Itinerary changes are often a pain. If your plans change, it won’t matter whether you’ve booked directly with an airline or with an OTA—you’re going to pay fees for the privilege, if you can even change your ticket at all.

For example, CheapTickets.com, which is part of the Expedia Group, charges $25 to change or cancel a ticket if that change is requested after 24 hours of making the booking—it is free if you do so within 24 hours of booking. However, the fees go up from there. JustFly, an independent OTA, charges a $75 fee for changes to domestic flights in addition to airline change fees, plus the difference in fare, for tickets that can be changed. For an international trip, the fee rises to $200. That means to change an international flight with Delta (which charges a $100 change fee) booked through JustFly, you’ll be assessed $300 in fees, plus the difference in fare. At that rate, you may as well book a new flight. FlightNetwork indicates in its terms of service that changes may incur a change fee but doesn’t specify what those fees are. That hardly makes the few dollars you saved by booking with the OTA in the first place worth it.

What is an OTA price match policy?

To assure travelers that they are getting the lowest fare possible, many OTAs have a price match policy. The rules vary and so do the benefits.

For example, if you book with Orbitz and find a less expensive flight, car rental, or activity on any U.S.-based website within 24 hours of your booking, Orbitz will refund you the difference you paid. And it works: I have personally found a flight in the same class, on the same airline, for the same origin and destination cities, and requested Orbitz to refund the difference of around $35. Within a few weeks, I received a check in the mail. A similar program applies for CheapOAir, but there’s a catch—the price difference must be found on a major OTA such as Expedia or Travelocity.

Expedia has a particularly good price match policy, but you have to pay extra for it at the time of booking. Expedia offers the price match option as an add-on that costs between $5 and $30 when you book. With the price match applied, if the airfare on Expedia drops between 120 days of the flight and up to six hours before the flight, Expedia will automatically refund you the difference in fare. Unfortunately, fares generally do not drop substantially as the travel date approaches, so while this might give you peace of mind, it’s probably not worth the expense.

How do Google Flights and other travel metasearch engines work?

Frequent fliers are likely familiar with websites such as Google Flights, Kayak, Momondo, or Skyscanner. On these websites, passengers search on the site but are redirected to the service provider to complete the booking, such as an airline, rental car company, or hotel.

Metasearch started with a product called ITA Matrix, which is a tool for searching airfares online but not for actually booking online. ITA Matrix allows for multi-city searching, such as setting two different departure or arrival airports, and for offering a calendar view of fares for easier comparison. That company was acquired by Google in 2011, and savvy travelers swear by it to help find the least expensive fares online. Most consumers are more familiar with Google Flights, which has gained traction more recently not least because it has the benefit of being displayed first in search results on Google.

Metasearch engines receive distribution fees from the airlines for sending traffic to the supplier websites. There are no additional hidden fees for using a metasearch engine because you’re booking directly with the airline or hotel.

A major benefit of the metasearch engines is their price tracking tool, which lets users know whether the displayed fares are low, average, or high for the flight, allowing travelers to make a more informed decision on whether to book a flight or not . Google Flights and Kayak, for instance, both have price tracking tools.

Why not just book directly?

The airlines would definitely much rather you book directly with them. Over the past five years, they have gotten much better at marketing and selling their product directly to consumers online and through mobile sites and apps. But in the past, they weren’t so good at it. In fact, Delta, Northwest, United, American, and Continental got together to invest $145 million to launch Orbitz in 1999 to counter the threat from Expedia. Now Orbitz is owned by Expedia.

The airlines also try to encourage customers to book directly so that they can maintain a closer relationship with them. It allows carriers to connect bookings with loyalty programs and create special offers and discounts catered to individual passengers.

There is another benefit to booking directly. The U.S. Department of Transportation requires carriers to hold a reservation at the quoted fare for 24 hours without payment or allow a reservation to be cancelled within 24 hours without penalty, so long as the booking is made at least seven days before travel. The law applies, however, only to U.S. and foreign air carriers that have websites marketed to U.S. consumers. This means that, in theory, an online travel agency does not have to offer such a policy, although most OTAs do.

What are the options for booking on your mobile device?

Airlines and the major OTAs all have apps to help you book and manage your trip on your mobile device, but their functionality is lacking compared to these websites’ desktop editions. For example, Expedia’s app doesn’t allow you to view flights on a month-view calendar. Kayak has an app with more bells and whistles and a better user interface, including a month-view calendar with color-coded pricing. It also has a handy “augmented reality” function to help you see if your carry-on bag will fit in the overhead bin (a feature originally developed by KLM). Point your phone’s camera at the luggage, and it’ll give you the dimensions.

While apps are improving and gaining in popularity, you still might find it easier to locate the best deals on flights and hotels by using your desktop, where you can have multiple tabs open and have all the available search tools at your disposal. Apps are fine for booking directly with an airline once you know which flights you want to book.

If you’re determined to use your mobile device, you may want to look into Hopper. Hopper is a mobile-first flight booking tool that has a solid price prediction tool. You can research travel options and book directly on the app. Another benefit of Hopper: Of its team of 300 employees, nearly half are dedicated to customer support and are based in Canada versus some OTAs and airlines that outsource much of their customer service further afield.

The bottom line?

Like many travelers, I enjoy a flight deal as much as the next person, but I also don’t like any added hassle. I typically start my travel searches using the ITA Matrix or Google Flights to get a general sense of the fares. It helps to know what is a good deal and what is expensive for a particular route. I do my research, typically on a desktop computer. When I’m ready to book, I’ll book directly with the airline. I’ve found that customer service is better when booking directly with the service provider. But I’ve also saved money by using OTAs and have booked with them, too. Whichever way you choose to book, you can be safe in the knowledge that finding and purchasing travel online is a lot easier today than searching for a deal with a travel agent on a pay phone.

>> Next: How to Get the Best Last-Minute Travel Deals

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The 10 Best Group Travel Tour Companies for 2024

Caroline Morse Teel

Caroline Morse Teel is the Executive Editor for SmarterTravel Media. Caroline has a passion for adventure travel and has hiked to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro and the bottom of the Grand Canyon in pursuit of a good story. Follow her around the world on Instagram @TravelWithCaroline .

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For those truly epic, once-in-a-lifetime destinations, you want to leave your itinerary to the experts. Whether your dream is to see the Big Five on an African Safari, trek tall mountains, explore European cities, or something even wilder, a group tour is the easiest way to do it.

However, picking the wrong group tour company is the quickest way to ruin your trip. Make sure you choose a tour company that aligns with your goals and travel styles. Do you want an intimate group tour or do you prefer to make lots of new friends in a big group? Does the price line up with what you like (luxury vs. budget)? Is the itinerary going to all the places you want to see? 

We’ve done the research and found the very best group travel tour companies for 2024 for every type of traveler.

Best Overall Group Travel: Exodus Travels

With trips on every continent, Exodus Travels covers anywhere on this planet that you could possibly want to go, from popular destinations like the Amalfi Coast to well off-the-beaten path adventures like Tajikistan. This award-winning group travel company boasts thousands of repeat customers who sign up for trips year after year (97% of past participants would recommend Exodus Travels to a friend). 

These small group tours operate with only around 8-16 people, and always feature experienced local leaders who can give you a unique insight into your destination. Exodus Travels caters to any type of travel style, including trips broken down by type of activity (think walking, cycling, multi-adventure, winter, or cultural) as well as type of traveler (family, age group, etc.). There are curated collections (coastal, “away from it all”, European wilderness, and trips of a lifetime) to inspire you, as well as self-guided options for when you want all the benefits of a group tour planner without the actual group. Looking for that special safari? Exodus Travels just partners with the African Wildlife Foundation to create carefully curated luxury adventures that go above and beyond the standard safari. 

Exodus Travels tours work for almost any budget, with options that range from affordable to premium. 

Top Trip: Explore under-the-radar Europe by foot on Exodus Travels’ Lakes & Mountains of Slovenia walking tour .

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Best Adventure Group Travel: World Expeditions

World Expeditions has been taking adventurous travelers to remote locations all over the world ever since its first group trek through Nepal in 1975. Today, World Expeditions offers active itineraries on every continent. Intrepid travelers can opt for trips themed around mountaineering, rafting, cycling, hiking, and more. 

World Expeditions aims to leave communities and places where they operate tours better than they found them. Trips are created using the company’s Thoughtful Travel Charter as a guideline, which emphasizes respect for the environment, sustainability, having a positive impact on local communities, protecting wildlife, and more. 

World Expeditions’ trips are capped at just 16 people to provide a good experience for participants, and there are no single supplements for solo travelers willing to share a room with someone of the same gender. 

Top Trip: Summit Africa’s tallest mountain on a fully-supported trek up Kilimanjaro on World Expeditions’ eight day trip up the beautiful Lemosho Route . 

Best Budget Group Travel: G Adventures 

For travelers on a budget, G Adventures offers cheap group tours that make dream destinations accessible to nearly anyone. (Think: sailing the Galapagos for just $1,014 , criss-crossing India’s Golden Triangle for $799 , or spending 8 days in Bali for less than $749.)

G Adventures is one of the best tour companies for solo travelers as well, as most trips don’t have a single-supplement. You can choose to share a room with another G Adventures solo traveler, or pay extra to have your own space.

G Adventures keeps costs down by opting for cheaper hotels and local meals, and making certain activities optional (for an additional cost). Pick your travel style—options range from “basic” to more luxe tours run in partnership with National Geographic. Family tours, local living tours (featuring homestays), and wellness-focused tours are also available. 

Top Trip: G Adventures’ China Express trip is a great way to see the highlights of China if you’re short on both time and budget. 

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Best Educational Group Tours: EF Go Ahead Tours

When you really want to learn about a destination, consider a group trip with EF Go Ahead Tours . EF is the world’s largest private education company, and the Go Ahead Tours arm capitalizes on the company’s relationships with local educators, historians, and tour guides to create group trips that take you deep into a destination. 

These small group tours generally cap at 38 travelers, and feature unique educational experiences. For a bucket list trip, EF Go Ahead Tour’s special event tours are particularly enticing, as they offer behind-the-scenes access to tough-to-plan trips like Oktoberfest in Munich or Cherry Blossom season in Japan. 

Intimidated by solo travel? EF Go Ahead Tours is a great option for solo travelers, since it offers designated trips for solo travelers , where everyone is traveling alone, making it less intimidating.  

Top Trip: Bring the tastes of Italy home with you on EF Go Ahead Tours’ Food & Wine: Piedmont & Tuscany tour (operated in partnership with America’s Test Kitchen), where you’ll learn how to make local dishes. 

Best Responsible Group Travel: Intrepid Travel

Looking for a responsible group travel operator that focuses on bettering the communities and destinations they visit? Intrepid Travel is the world’s largest travel B Corporation, a certification for companies doing good. 

Intrepid Travel’s tours focus on sustainability, diversity, inclusion, and sustaining communities. The company has its own charity, The Intrepid Foundation , which has donated over 10 million dollars to over 160 community organizations. 

Intrepid Travel’s small group tours attract a wide range of travelers, but they are especially great for younger travelers, as they have a large number of trips designed for people aged 18-35 . (Other trips, including family-focused trips, are geared toward any age.)

Top Trip: Experience foodie trip of a lifetime Intrepid Travel’s South Korea Real Food Adventure , which includes time in three cities and an overnight temple stay.

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Best Private Group Travel: Kensington Tours

Whether your group consists of just two people or involves taking the entire extended family, Kensington Tours will take all the hassle of planning out of the equation. This private group operator creates personalized trips and itineraries tailored to your preferences, while their experts handle all the logistics and bookings. 

Plans are entirely flexible, and can even be changed while on the trip on a whim. Need some inspiration? Browse Kensington Tours’ travel ideas , to get some ideas for your next adventure. 

Top Trip: Sail around the stunning shores of Croatia and the Dalmation Islands on a private luxury catamaran on Kensington Tours’ fully customizable tour . 

Best Polar Group Travel: Chimu Adventures

Whether you’re headed north to the Artic or south to Antarctica, Chimu Adventures has the perfect polar group trip for you. Chimu Adventures has some of the most variety for polar trips, with options to fly, cruise, or a combination of both to get to your destination. For an ultra-unique Antarctica trip, Chimu Adventures offers cruises departing from Australia or New Zealand (most Antarctica trips depart from Argentina).

Chimu Adventures is one of the cheapest group trips to Antarctica, with rates starting under $6,000.

Top Trip: If you’re pressed for time (or simply don’t have the stomach for the Drake Passage), Chimu Adventures’ Antarctica Fly Cruise will get you to the ends of the earth quickly and smoothly.

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Best Group Tours for Solo Travelers: For the Love of Travel

Group tours can be a great way to meet new people, but they can sometimes skew on the older age range. If you’re between 25-39 and a solo traveler looking to meet new people, you’ll love For the Love of Travel . All participants on the trips are between 25-39, and according to the company, 80 percent are solo travelers—so you’ll make friends fast. Hoping to meet someone who will be more than just a friend on your next trip? Trips include a balanced number of “gal and guy spots” to ensure an even balance of genders within groups (and of course, non-binary genders are always welcome). 

For the Love of Travel offers weeklong (or longer) international trips as well as shorter weekender trips to closer destinations like Mexico or Costa Rica—perfect for people without a lot of vacation time.

Top Trip: Sleep in a glass igloo under the Northern Lights, go sledding with huskies, and warm up in traditional saunas on For the Love of Travel’s Lapland tour , already booking dates for 2024.

Best Biking Tours Group Travel: DuVine Cycling

Biking through the rolling hills of Italy or across the mountain roads of Chile sounds like a dream, but the logistics seem daunting (especially if you don’t want to haul all your own stuff from point-to-point). Enter: DuVine Cycling , a luxury small group tour company that specializes in bike trips. 

With trips across Europe, Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the United States, DuVine Cycling is a cyclist’s dream. Choose from all-biking trips or mix things up with a cycle and sail bike tour or a multi-sport adventure —no matter what, everything is included, from luxury boutique accommodations to top-quality name brand bikes. 

Top Trip: DuVine’s Holland Bike Tour promises “tulips, windmills, beer, and cheese”—what more could you need?

Best Luxury Group Travel: Abercrombie & Kent

Abercrombie & Kent has been delighting discerning travelers since 1962. Today, they take travelers on unforgettable adventures across over 100 different countries and all seven continents. Although Abercrombie & Kent’s trips are pricey, they encompass once-in-a-lifetime experiences like private jet tours around the world or luxury chartered cruises .

There are trips designed for solo travelers and families , and the small group journeys max out at around 14-18 guests.

Top Trip: Swim with whale sharks in the Philippines, feed proboscis monkeys in Malaysia, and photograph wild tigers in India on Abercrombie & Kent’s Wildlife & Nature: Around the World by Private Jet trip , already booking dates into 2024.

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The Best Travel Visa Services

The 9 best travel visa services.

• Passport Visas Express
• Travel Visa Pro
• Rush My Travel Visa
• Handy Visas

What's the Easiest Way to Get a Travel Visa?

Online travel visa providers have revolutionized the way individuals apply for visas when planning their international trips. These services offer a wide range of benefits that simplify and expedite the travel visa application process, making it more convenient and accessible than ever before.

One of the most significant advantages of using online travel visa providers is the convenience they offer. Traditionally, getting a travel visa required multiple visits to embassies or consulates, which could be time-consuming and inconvenient. With online travel visa providers, you can complete the entire application process from the comfort of your own homes or office. This eliminates the need for in-person visits and long waiting times, saving you valuable time and effort.

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2024 Travel Visa Service Reviews

• Can apply for multiple visa types (tourist, business, student)
• Works directly with embassies of 150+ countries
• Three tiers of service (Regular, Preparation, Concierge)
• Thousands of five-star reviews
• Customer service is easy to reach

Passport Visas Express has been providing expedited passports and express visa services for nearly two decades. They have received recognition from reputable sources like CNN, BudgetTravel, and The Washington Post as a reliable and affordable solution for obtaining travel visas online.

Works with embassies of most nations

Get started by selecting your travel destination: when you click on the button, it'll show you some of the most popular countries (China, Thailand, India) or you can select "view all countries" if where you're going isn't on that short list. Passport Visas Express works directly with the embassies of more than 150 countries, so you shouldn't have a hard time finding your location here.

You'll know if you need a visa

We were glad to see that this service makes it abundantly clear when travelers don't need a visa for travel to a particular destination. For example, at the time of this evaluation, Brazil had paused its requirements for tourist entry visas, and PVE stated that upfront at the top of the country-specific page. Helpfully, they also listed out other expedited visa types that were on offer, such as work, diplomatic, and non-US citizens.

You won't pay for something you don't need

Similarly, we were really impressed when we went to look up the Australian tourist visa , which is known as being both lengthy and expensive. What seemed like a downside - seeing that Passport Visas Express had it as "service currently unavailable" - turned out to be a huge mark in this company's favor. Why? When we reached out to their live chat agent (who responded promptly, by the way), they explained that at the moment, Australia was requiring all tourist visas to go through their embassy directly, with no third-party assistance allowed. Other companies were not so clear about that - and were perfectly willing to take our money for something we might not have needed (a different type of visa for those who didn't qualify for what the Australian government was offering to direct applicants).

Very transparent visa process

So, let's take a look at a country with a long list of visa requirements: China . How does Passport Visas Express do? In a word, excellent. From the very first moment you land on the China visa page, you'll be able to see exactly what to expect: pricing, process, and more. For example, on a basic tourist visa, you'll pay service fees starting at $449 (on top of the required consular fees, of course). You'll also need to enter your zip code to get the application requirements for the consulate nearest you. We love how PVE spells out each step needed, from the tourist visa application review to the flight confirmation and beyond.

DIY or concierge, you choose

Generally speaking, there are three levels of service available from Passport Visas Express. Regular lets you complete your travel visa application at your own pace, with their team on standby to answer any questions you might have, and then you send your application to them for processing. You can also opt for the Preparation service as an upgrade during checkout; this tier connects you with one of their experts over the phone, who will complete the application for you during the call and then send it to you to print, sign, and return for processing. Finally, if you prefer to skip online checkout completely, you can call for Personal Concierge service: the agent will create your order, ensure all needed services are included, fill out your application, and send it to you for your signature.

Thousands of 5-star ratings

PVE holds up really well when you consider its reputation too. Across nearly 6,000 reviews on Trustpilot, more than 95% of clients gave this travel visa service a 4- or 5-star rating, averaging an impressive 4.9 out of 5 stars. People describe their experience as being quick and easy, and many mention how pleased they were with the availability of the customer support team. While we wish that Passport Visas Express would put something on their site about how they handle rejected visa applications - is there a refund? Does it only apply in certain circumstances? - the overwhelmingly positive feedback from clients, especially those who have used this travel visa service on multiple occasions, leaves us feeling like that's a pretty minor concern overall.

#1 pick for travel visas

When it comes to applying for a travel visa, it doesn't get much better than Passport Visas Express. They deliver on their promises, returning your passport with a completed visa right on time and giving you all the help and reassurance you might need along the way. You should feel very comfortable entrusting this service with your documents. We're pleased to name Passport Visas Express as our new #1 pick for getting help with travel visas.

• Mostly offers tourist and business visas
• VIP and Executive Choice concierge service available
• Help available via phone, text, live chat, online form, or in person at one of 50+ USA office locations
• "A+" rated and accredited by the BBB

If you want all of the features of a large agency with the one-on-one service of a boutique travel visa company, Travel Visa Pro is the right place for you. In business for over a decade, this service specializes in making travelers' lives easier with full-service in-person locations and simple online applications, support even on weekends and at night, and the kind of attention you'd expect from a world-class travel visa provider. You can also get passport services here, whether you need one for the first time or you're replacing a passport that's expired or stolen

Won't make you apply for something you don't need

Let's take a look at how Travel Visa Pro did with three countries we used for comparison across providers.

• With respect to Australia , who was requiring applicants to get tourist visas directly through a government website at the time of this evaluation, Travel Visa Pro didn't spell that out. But, in contrast with some rival visa platforms who let us go ahead and apply for... something... TVP said that we would need to reach out to them so that they could research our request, because the requirements weren't updated in their system. We would have liked to see a clear explanation of what was going on with Australian tourist visas, but this approach was good enough for us.
• Brazil was also a special case at the time of this evaluation: it wasn't requiring tourist visas for US passport holders, but those fees were scheduled to be reinstated in a few months. While Travel Visa Pro didn't have anything about the reinstatement date, it correctly indicated that we wouldn't need a visa for tourism of 90 days or less.

Excellent choice for Chinese travel visas

China was the third destination in our comparison, and we were pleased to see that TVP offered several travel visa types (employment, family visit, business, crew, tourist) - because the visa types for other countries here were more limited than some rival services. The information provided for travel to China was the most comprehensive we saw on any visa site, explaining everything from different visa types to document and photo requirements. Travel Visa Pro also gave us lots of options for processing time on our China visa: 16-30 days for a service fee of $499, 11-15 days for $999, and 5-10 days for $1,499. That's a big advantage over many rival services who were only offering 15-30 day processing at the time of this evaluation. We could also opt for concierge service for $199 (VIP) or $499 (Executive Choice): extras with those packages include overnight inbound and outbound delivery, photo printing, and so on. Those services are available as a la carte purchases if you prefer not to pay for a package, but the bundled services will always be a better deal.

Round-the-clock support

We appreciate that Travel Visa Pro makes it easy to get help, too. You can reach out via phone, email, text, or online form 24/7 - or you can even visit one of their in-person locations nationwide. That makes this an excellent choice for anyone who might want a little face-to-face reassurance that their travel visa application will be in good hands.

Travelers love this company

And yes, Travel Visa Pro really does live up to its promises. Everywhere you look, you'll find almost nothing but five-star reviews for this travel visa and passport service. Some of the phrases that jumped out at us include "TVP saved my trip and my sanity" , "reliable and extremely responsive" , and "I wish more companies were this good" . The Better Business Bureau agrees, giving Travel Visa Pro its accreditation and an "A+" rating.

Best for travelers who need extra support or quick processing

Travel Visa Pro comes in as a very close second to our #1 pick in the industry. TVP wasn't quite as clear on why certain countries weren't available for visa applications, and travelers who need visa types beyond tourism or business might not be able to apply here, depending on the destination. But, this company goes above and beyond most rival services with respect to customer service, especially with the ability to reach out to a rep 24/7. If you think you might need a little extra reassurance during your travel visa application process, or if you're in a tight situation time-wise, we strongly recommend that you get in touch with Travel Visa Pro.

• Many different travel visa types available (artist, athlete, courtesy, missionary, research, tourist)
• Website is very easy to use and informative
• Pricing is typically competitive
• Help available via phone and email

Since its establishment in 2003, VisaHQ has been a leading provider of online visa services and U.S. passport solutions. They offer a convenient and efficient way for travelers to apply for visas to nearly any country worldwide. With their advanced online platform, customers can easily complete a single electronic form for some destinations, eliminating the need for paper documentation. VisaHQ also assists US citizens with passport services, including obtaining, renewing, and replacing passports.

Could be a little clearer when requirements change

How did VisaHQ do when we looked at three countries for comparison (namely Australia, Brazil, and China)? At the date of this evaluation, Australia was requiring tourists needing their most basic tourist visa (subclass 601) to apply directly through their government website, and VisaHQ disappointed us by not explaining that. Instead, their site defaulted to the tourist e-visa (class 600) "if you cannot get subclass 601" . Confused? We would have been too, if we didn't already have the heads-up about what was going on at the time.

Lots of visa types available

On the other hand, we were very pleased with VisaHQ's results for a Brazilian tourist visa : they correctly identified it as not necessary (which was true at the time of our visit), as well as informing travelers of the exact date when that visa requirement for US citizens was scheduled to be required again. We also appreciated that many different visa types were available for this destination country, all visible with a handy scroll bar on VisaHQ's main Brazil visa page: artist/athlete, courtesy, missionary, official, scientific, and so on.

Visa requirements clearly explained

And China? VisaHQ did well there too, offering help with visa types ranging from tourist to journalist and many others. As you may know, the Chinese visa process is not simple, and this site does a great job of explaining absolutely everything a traveler will need to do and provide. You complete the application form online and print it off, then send it in along with your other documents (passport, proof of residency, the Where You Stay form).

Transparent pricing

For any country where you need a travel visa, VisaHQ clearly spells out what your total cost will be right on that country's page. For example, a Chinese tourist visa would incur a fee of $784: $185 for the embassy fee and $599 for VisaHQ's service fees. Is that a reasonable cost? That depends: on the China main page, it said those fees would cover a turnaround time of 7-9 business days, which is a steal compared with rival travel visa services. However, when we got into the application, the processing time was shown as 15-20 business days: honestly, that's the timeframe we were expecting in current conditions, and that puts VisaHQ as a little more costly than other services charging in the neighborhood of $499 for that processing speed.

Good reputation

Overall traveler feedback for VisaHQ is definitely positive. Out of 3300+ reviews, the company earned an average of 4.4 out of 5 stars. One of the most frequent compliments is on the processing speed for travel visas: many customers say that their applications were approved and passports returned well in advance of the promised timeframe. Other clients praise the customer service team, with one person saying that VisaHQ gave them "the most rapid response [they] have ever had in dealing with customer service by email" .

Not a favorite of the BBB

But, should you go out looking for VisaHQ reviews yourself, be prepared to find an "F" rating from the Better Business Bureau ( we were surprised too ). That's for failing to respond to two complaints out of the five filed with the BBB over the last three years: not what we would call an egregious pattern of misbehavior, anyway. And, most of the complaints we spotted as we sifted through reviews elsewhere were responded to appropriately and quickly by VisaHQ representatives.

Excellent option for travel visas

VisaHQ is one of our preferred providers of travel visas. The site is one of the easiest to use that we've ever seen, making it fast and simple to choose the right visa for your trip and to understand what the requirements for approval will be. Less experienced travelers will benefit from having access to customer support reps via email and phone, and everyone can appreciate getting their visa paperwork processed and completed faster than promised. Give VisaHQ a look the next time you're planning on traveling internationally.

• Good for tourist visas
• In business for 10+ years
• Almost 35,000 five-star reviews

Decent refund policy

The company iVisa, founded in 2012 by two friends pursuing their MBAs at Harvard Business School, was born out of their own frustrations with the cumbersome visa application process. As avid travelers, they understood the hassle of dealing with government offices and extensive paperwork while trying to balance their growing families. They aimed to create a streamlined solution that would enable hassle-free travel without the need for time-consuming forms or visits to foreign embassies. Since its inception, iVisa has served over one million satisfied customers who appreciate the simplicity of their processes.

Helpful FAQ for newbies

If you're a first-time applicant for a travel visa, you may have questions regarding the necessity of a visa, the application process, and the expected timeframe for obtaining one. iVisa offers a helpful FAQ page to address such concerns and provide clarity. This page covers topics like eVisas, visa validity duration, application status tracking, typical visa processing times, and other essential information.

Isn't always clear with countries' requirements

Using the iVisa site is pretty straightforward. Select the country you're from and your intended destination, and you'll see what's required for that location, including details on government fees. But, here's what we didn't love. We checked out a country that, at the time of this review, wasn't requiring tourist visas for US citizens ( Brazil ). iVisa told us that - but at the same time, we were pushed to use the service to take care of our health declaration. When we tried to start that process, we were then told no, it wouldn't be necessary until a date in the future when the country was reinstating required tourist visas. It felt very confusing, and if we hadn't already been familiar with the travel visa requirements for that destination, iVisa certainly wouldn't have set our mind at ease.

Visa types limited to tourism

Another drawback we found when using iVisa was not being able to choose among different travel visa types. Not everyone needs a simple tourist visa: some travelers need options for business, missionary work, scientific research, and so on, and we didn't find that kind of help here (despite easily getting it through some of iVisa's rivals in the industry).

What will you pay for iVisa's help in getting your travel visa application processed? That depends on the location and the speed you prefer. For example, if you're traveling to Brazil, you'd pay $35 for standard processing, $65 for rush processing, and $100 for super rush processing - on top of any governmental fees the country requires at the time of your application.

iVisa's refund policy is good but a little convoluted. If you decide to cancel your visa application, you can get all of your money back if your status is "received" or "in progress" . Once it switches to "information needed" , your refund amount drops to "up to 90%" , and then down to zero if your visa application reaches "waiting on government" or "complete" status. What if your travel visa application is rejected? Your ability to get a refund from iVisa will depend on what type of service you purchased. Guided visa services - US B1/B2, Australia Visitor, UK Visitor, Canada Visitor, China, and Schengen visas - are all non-refundable if your application is denied, unfortunately. But, other travel visas here are covered by a full refund policy.

Mixed but generally positive client feedback

How about reputation? iVisa has nearly 35,000 five-star reviews on Trustpilot, and most clients wind up happy with the service they receive. People usually describe it as fast and affordable, and they feel that the process of getting their travel visa was made much easier to understand with iVisa's help. But, if you scroll through some of the most recent reviews, not everyone is thrilled with the experience here. Although only 10% of iVisa clients would rate the service as three stars or lower, those less-than-glowing reviews often relate to some of the downsides we mentioned: taking travelers' money for services they might not really need, not offering refunds when clients expected them, or taking weeks (or months) to process visa applications that could be accomplished by applying directly with the destination government's embassy in a matter of days.

Good but not our favorite anymore

iVisa is still a reputable place to get your travel visa - at least, as long as you're traveling as a tourist and not needing a more specialized kind of permission to enter the country. We're encouraged by the fact that 90% of iVisa's clients still give the service a 4- or 5-star rating too. But, with respect to overall clarity on countries' requirements, iVisa has fallen behind some of its competitors and is no longer our highest-ranked option for travel visas. You may want to see what rival services have to offer before deciding on iVisa for your trip.

• Multiple visa types available (tourist, student, and more)
• Service mostly consists of filing your completed application: you do the work to get it filled out, and they take it to the embassy or consulate
• In business for over 30 years

For over 30 years, Travel Document Systems (TDS) has worked with corporate and individual international travelers, cruise lines, NGOs, travel agents, and tour operators to provide expedited visa and passport processing. With locations in DC, San Francisco, New York City, Chicago, Houston, Atlanta, Seattle, and LA, this company is just a short walk from most embassies, consulates, and the US Passport Agency itself.

Might give you a visa you don't actually need

How did TDS perform when we looked at three popular visa destinations (Australia, Brazil, China)? We had mixed feelings with the Australia results: at the time of this evaluation, Australia was requiring tourists staying less than 90 days (which, honestly, is most people) to apply for an ETA visa through their channels only and not with third-party help. TDS correctly identified that - but their Australia page defaulted to the Long Stay (90+ days) visa, something that many inexperienced travelers might not realize isn't the documentation they need.

Some countries have available visas beyond tourism

Brazil came up roughly the same way: TDS showed the tourist visa as not required for US passport holders (which was correct at the time of this review) but defaulted to a 10-year validity visa that might not be what the average tourist wants. Other visa types were also available for Brazil, such as student, technical, and work.

Okay for multiple visa types in China

Finally, China. It was noteworthy that there was a disclaimer about Chinese visas on every country page we saw, not just China's itself - explaining that processing times were much longer than what was posted on the site because of the volume of applications being processed at the Chinese embassies and consulates, even for clients paying for Express (2-3 business day) processing. But, TDS also encouraged prospective clients to email them if they have a tight departure, to verify whether or not they can help within the needed timeframe. We appreciate that! TDS offers help with many different types of visas in China, including business, tourist, student, and visiting family/friends. You'll pay $269 for Regular travel visa assistance here and $319 for Express, but again, TDS explained very clearly that the 5-7 business days or 2-3 business days given as timeframes weren't applicable at that time.

Be aware of what services are included in your initial fee

We would recommend going through the Document Requirements listed for each country's visa process. You'll find helpful information, both in general and specific to TDS' processes. For example, as we browsed the list for a Nepali tourist visa, that's where we spotted the fact that we'd have to pay an extra $50 for someone at TDS to review our documents for completeness and correctness ( we would have thought that was part of the service fee, but apparently not ). We also saw that travelers can pay an extra $12 to have TDS format a selfie and return it digitally for printing. In other words, when you pay the generic fee for a travel visa here, you're still doing most of the work yourself. That's fine if you know that all you're getting is someone to file your visa paperwork for you, unless you choose to pay more for additional services.

Watch that grade

And reputation? Interestingly, the TDS website proudly displays a badge from the Better Business Bureau to prove their accreditation there - but when you click on the link, the BBB listing for this company not only showed no accreditation but also a "D-" grade. Oops . Fortunately, though, that rating was for failing to respond to two complaints out of a total of three filed over the last three years - and there were no complaints filed with the BBB in the most recent 12-month period (so not exactly an avalanche of poor customer experiences).

Where's the recent feedback?

Feedback elsewhere was a little... mystifying. There were nearly 5,000 reviews on Trustpilot, averaging about 4.4 out of 5 stars... but none of them were newer than 2018. Similarly, on Shopper Approved, TDS stopped participating in their rating collection back in 2021 - and even the TDS website copyright ended in 2022. And, when we called the local number for the Washington DC headquarters during normal business hours, we got a recorded message saying all agents were busy and inviting us to send an inquiry via email. Curiouser and curiouser, as Alice in Wonderland would say...

Below average for travel visa services

TDS might be a solid place to get a travel visa - but it's hard to feel overly confident about that, with customer feedback dropping off to almost nil over the last few years. We appreciate the accurate information on each country's visa requirements pages, but at the same time we were discouraged by not being able to reach someone during regular business hours. Our recommendation is to keep TDS in mind as an option, but only after you've checked out our higher-ranking providers of travel visa services first.

• Mostly tourist visas, though other types (work, student) available for some destinations
• Expedited service available for some destinations
• Refunds available within first 72 hours

Rush My Travel Visa tells you what you need to know right in the company name: they specialize in getting your visa application done quickly. This is a service of Expedited Travel, who also offers passport services, and the company is registered with many foreign consulates.

Might charge you for something you don't need

As a way to gauge the accuracy of various travel visa services, we usually looked at three countries: Australia, Brazil, and China. At the time of this evaluation, Australia was not allowing third-party help for travel visas, requiring visitors to go directly through the government website/app. And yet, Rush My Travel Visa was still offering its service at a price of $45 for their service plus $20 in embassy fees. That didn't leave us feeling super confident.

Not always clear on whether or not you'll need a visa

The travel visa page for Brazil wasn't any better. While it stated very clearly that " Brazilian travel visas are required for all US Citizens" , Rush My Travel Visa only offered work and student visas - probably because, at the time of our visit to the site, Brazil had temporarily suspended the tourist visa requirement. But, there was no mention of that on the country page here.

Cheaper - but slower - than most for Chinese travel visas

China travel visas were a little more robust, though. We were able to choose visas for tourists, business, work, students, or crew, and the pricing was spelled out clearly. For a standard multiple-entry tourist visa to China, Rush My Travel Visa charges a service fee of $334, in addition to an embassy fee of $140 and an extra $10 service fee for having RMTV pay those fees on your behalf. However, the only processing speed was 25-40 business days, with no options for expediting paperwork. That's ironic for a service that literally has the word "rush" in its name.

Very limited refund policy

How about refunds? If you cancel your travel visa order within 72 hours, you can get a full refund. Beyond that, though, Rush My Travel Visa will not return your money - even if your application is incomplete or inaccurate, or your visa application is rejected. We wish they would take responsibility for errors on their part - or at least spell it out if they already do that, instead of leaving it unstated.

You'll either love it...

Looking at reviews in places like Trustpilot, they were almost all positive. Customer gave praise for specific customer reps and their hands-on help during the application process, quick turnaround times, and being able to get visas done right when clients had made a mess of it on their own.

...or hate it

However, the company (under parent brand Expedited Travel) has only earned a "B" rating from the Better Business Bureau, with nearly 150 complaints filed there over the last three years. People complained about a lack of customer service, unclear requirements for submitting visa and passport applications, and documents that were so delayed that trips had to be canceled. Not exactly encouraging, despite the increase from a "C+" rating the last time we looked.

Do you feel lucky?

Obviously, Rush My Travel Visa is getting mixed client feedback. It's hard to reconcile such different experiences. We're left wondering if it's the luck of the draw when choosing Rush My Travel Visa.

Try a different service for travel visas

Despite the positive feedback, we can't give Rush My Travel Visa a high rating. With constantly-changing visa requirements, a service like this one needs to be 100%^ up to date at all times, and there's no excuse for taking money from nervous travelers who should go directly to the destination government to complete their paperwork instead. Beyond that, this service doesn't offer as much as its rivals do - for visa types or processing speed. We strongly recommend that you look at a higher-ranked travel visa provider instead of RMTV.

• Offers primarily tourist visas to about 100 countries
• Can add another traveler to initial application
• In business since 2019
• 100% refund if your visa application is denied

Handy Visas started in Spain in 2019, aiming to turn the travel visa application process into a more carefree, streamlined process for travelers on all five continents. Since inception, the company has sold more than a million services with a 99% approval rate on travel visas.

Not necessarily clear

To make a fair comparison across travel visa providers, we often went by the A-B-Cs of Australia, Brazil, and China: all countries that had at some point required US citizens to have a visa for entry. During this evaluation process, Australia was requiring applications to be made directly through their own website or app and not using a service like Handy Visas. On the Australia page, Handy Visas correctly identified that we would need a visa as a US passport-holder, but it wasn't until we went further into the "apply now" process that we were told that Handy Visas would be unable to process our request. Also, the site didn't explain that it was because of the Australian government's policy change: because we were directed to contact our nearest embassy or consulate, we would have been left thinking there was a problem on our side if we didn't already know about the direct-apply requirement.

Could be more specific

Handy Visas got it mostly right when it came to Brazil , telling prospective US travelers that a tourist visa wasn't required at the time and not even directing people to any kind of application. Well done! But, unlike some rival sites, Handy Visa failed to mention that the requirement was scheduled to be reinstated in the near future, which would have been helpful to know.

No help for US citizens needing a Chinese travel visa

And China ? Total fail for US passport holders trying to use Handy Visas. All we got was this: "Citizens of United States need to apply for a Visa for China. We recommend contacting the nearest embassy or consulate of China for more information." Or how about we go to a competitor travel visa service who will gladly help us apply for a Chinese travel visa?

More "no" than "yes" here

So, if you're keeping score, at this point Handy Visas had yet to come up with a destination country they could help us with. Let's try a few more. Nepal? Yes, we would need a visa - and Handy Visa's link took us to the Nepali government website to apply directly ( guess you don't want to help us with that one? ) Russian Federation? We were redirected to a .ru website that gave us a 502 Bad Gateway error.

Higher fees than rivals

Finally, we found one: India. We had to go deep into the application to find out that there were multiple travel visa types available here (like tourism, business, medical treatment). It was also a nice perk that we could add another traveler to our application once we finished entering our own details. However, it was only when we got to the payment page that we finally got to see how much we'd be paying for the service: $89 for standard 1-business-day processing time. That's quite a bit more than many competitor services, and much more than if you apply for it directly with the Indian Embassy online.

Support only offered via email/DM

One very important aspect of using Handy Visas is this: they offer 24/7 customer support... but only via email/online message, and they tell clients to expect a 72-hour turnaround time. That's okay if you're not on a tight deadline, but not ideal if you've got an extremely time-sensitive situation or if you're a less-experienced international traveler who wants an answer now and not three days from now.

Unexpectedly good acceptance guarantee

On the other hand, this company offers a guarantee that beats almost every other travel visa service out there: if your application is denied by your destination country, you'll get a full refund of the fees you've paid. That alone is reason to see if Handy Visas can help you with your needed travel documents.

Mostly positive ratings from travelers

Plus, client ratings of Handy Visas are surprisingly good, though most of them are coming from travelers outside of the US. On Trustpilot, 90% of users across 900+ ratings give this travel visa service a 4- or 5-star score, citing ease of use and prompt emails when issues need to be corrected in the paperwork. But, as you'd expect, for people in a pinch who need a rapid response, Handy Visa's 72-hour-via-email situation can be a source of complaints.

Not awful, but not the best for US travelers

We're so conflicted when it comes to ranking Handy Visas. On the one hand, we love the refund policy and we're encouraged to see hundreds of recent reviews from customers who had no problems getting their travel visas here. However, on the other hand, Handy Visas couldn't take care of our Chinese tourist visa at all, and we have huge reservations about working with a Spain-based company that only takes questions and concerns via email with a three-day turnaround. All of that combined puts Handy Visas as just below average in our rankings, particularly for anyone traveling on a US passport.

• Multiple visa types available (tourism, missionary/religious, artist/athlete, and more)
• In business for 30+ years
• Worked with more than 5 million travelers

Travisa has been providing immigration and visa services for over 30 years, catering to both corporations and individuals. With a team of over 1,600 skilled professionals, including immigration experts, lawyers, and migration consultants, spread across 60 offices in 27 countries, Travisa is the primary visa service provider for 75% of Fortune 500 companies. They offer a comprehensive range of services through their two primary brands: Newland Chase, a subsidiary specializing in global immigration strategy and advisory services for corporations, and Travisa, offering business and other travel visa services for corporate and individual clients.

Performs well with up-to-date visa requirement info

To see how Travisa measures up, we looked at visas for three different countries: Australia (who, at the time of this review, was requiring visa applications to go directly through the government and not through any third-party service), Brazil (who had paused requiring tourist visas), and China (who's known for having a lengthy, somewhat difficult travel visa process). We were glad to see that Travisa got it all right. Unlike some of its competitors, this service didn't start us down a path of some unrelated paperwork or anything we didn't absolutely need. We also appreciate that Travisa offers many different types of travel visas, including professional artists, missionaries, and business travelers, not just your standard tourist paperwork.

Detailed information if you dig for it

When you select your destination country and visa type, you'll get a long list of things to know before you go, including entry restrictions, processing times, and service fees. Looking at China as an example, Travisa says to expect to pay $140 in consular fees and $185 for their standard processing of 8 business days "or longer" . But, when you click on "see more details" , you'll also learn that there's also a 6.9% processing fee when Travisa pays your government agency fees.

BBB rating drop

That should clue you in to the fact that Travisa still ranks low here because of ongoing less-than-positive client feedback. For example, the Better Business Bureau gives this travel visa service a not-impressive "B-" rating for failing to respond to a couple of customer complaints there, a drop from its previous "A-" rating the last time we evaluated the service. That in itself wouldn't be a huge issue, but the complaints continue elsewhere.

Travelers complain about surprise fees

The most frequently mentioned problem? Lack of transparency in pricing. Time and again, clients say they paid one amount when they submitted their application, only to get further charges down the road - ones that they say were never spelled out in an invoice, during checkout, or anywhere easily discovered during the Travisa paperwork process. You'll see roughly the same results when you look up the reputation of Travisa's parent company, CIBT. While CIBT does better with the BBB ("A+" rating and accreditation), client feedback is equally bad: you'll see words like "scam" , "rip off" , and "never again" in many different reviews.

Not a good choice for individual consumers

It's no wonder that Travisa remains low in our rankings of travel visa companies. Although we were glad to see that their country-specific pages were up to date - after all, some of their rivals' sites weren't - that's not nearly enough to compensate for Travisa's lack of transparency in pricing and overall poor track record. You'll save yourself a lot of stress and money by going with a higher-ranked travel visa provider and avoiding Travisa.

• Based in Spain
• Limited refund policy
• Limited destination countries

Headquartered in Madrid, Visagov is on a mission to make it as easy as possible to travel abroad. However, because Visagov is based in Spain, it might not be the visa service of choice for US travelers. The only way to contact the company is via email: not the most reassuring situation if you have an urgent issue or your application is particularly time-sensitive. We're not sure how that lines up with the "24/7 visa and travel assistance" they so proudly advertise.

Very limited list of destinations

We also had a hard time finding all of our target destinations in Visagov's list of countries: neither Brazil nor China were included. Australia was there, but at the time of this review the country was requiring travelers to apply for a visa directly with their government and not through a third-party service like this one - but Visagov was still accepting applications. We had similar issues looking at other countries in Visagov's list. Mexico or Montserrat? "Application temporarily unavailable." ETIAS (to enter the Schengen area in Europe)? Nowhere to click to apply.

Website is difficult to use

When we finally found a country whose travel visa we were eligible to apply for - New Zealand - the process was mostly uncomplicated, winding up with a total charge of $64 USD. The only irritating part was trying to find "United States" in the various country dropdown lists (country of passport issuance, residency): it's not alphabetical, so you have to scroll through until you happen to spot it.

You may or may not qualify for a refund

Visagov has a refund policy, but it's not the most straightforward. If your visa application is denied by the destination government, you'll get a refund of those fees. But, the policy also says "you will never receive a payment corresponding to [their] handling and processing fees, any other refund request will be excluded" .

Some travelers actually like this service

With all of that, it was surprising to find quite a few 4- and 5-star reviews on Trustpilot. Some clients actually had a good experience using Visagov . On the other hand, complaints were as you'd expect: hard to reach customer service when they needed help, incorrect info on documents that couldn't be fixed in time to process the visa paperwork, and so on.

Worst travel visa service in our evaluation

That still doesn't change our mind: Visagov is our lowest-rated travel visa provider, particularly for US citizens. You might not find the country you're visiting in their list, and even if you do, the application might not be available. And who wants to work with a provider that can't even be reached on the phone or at least via live chat? We don't. Avoid wasting time (and money) by going directly to one of Visagov's higher-ranked competitors instead.

Continued from above...

Expert guidance is another valuable benefit provided by online travel visa providers. These services often employ professionals who are well-versed in travel visa regulations and requirements. They can review documents, provide advice, and ensure that applications are accurate and complete. By having experts oversee the process, you can have peace of mind, knowing that your application is being handled by knowledgeable individuals that also help reduce the chances of errors or omissions that could lead to visa rejection.

Another hidden benefit of online visa providers is that they can increase the chances of visa approval. Due to their extensive knowledge and experience with visa regulations, these services understand the specific requirements of destination countries. They can provide valuable insights and advice on gathering the correct supporting documents and preparing applications that comply with the embassy's guidelines. This attention to detail significantly enhances the likelihood of obtaining a travel visa successfully.

Of course, you need to understand what a visa is and why you might need it for an upcoming trip. A travel visa is an official paper that a country's government gives you to let you enter and stay in their country. Common visa types include tourist visas, business visas, student visas, and work visas. Countries have different visa rules, depending on factors like the purpose of your visit, how long you plan to stay, and where you're from.

There are additional services that some online travel visa providers offer, that can enhance your overall travel experience. For instance, some platforms provide visa tracking services, which allow you to monitor the progress of your application. Additionally, some providers offer visa expediting services for urgent travel needs, ensuring that you receive your travel visa within a shorter timeframe.

So, which service should you choose to make it fast and easy to get your next travel visa? There are lots to choose from, and many of them seem pretty similar at first glance. But, if you're trying to narrow down the possibilities a little, here are some factors that might tip the scale towards one or the other:

• Ease of navigation. Getting a travel visa (especially on short notice) can be nerve-wracking. The best services are simple to use from the get-go, showing you exactly which countries require visas and what you can expect from the application process.
• Timeframe. How long does the visa service say it will take to get your application approved and your passport back into your hands? Can you get it expedited if you're supposed to travel in the near future?
• Fees. Governmental fees will be the same no matter where you apply for your visa, but check out how much the service charges to take care of the application for you. Pay close attention to shipping/delivery fees.
• Reputation. What do other travelers say about the travel visa service? Did they get their paperwork done on time? Would these clients use this service again?

If you're traveling to a country that requires a travel visa for entry, you can simplify your life by using one of the top-rated services in our rankings here at Top Consumer Reviews. We've done the work to show you the best of the best - and the worst of the worst - so that you can rest assured that your travel visa paperwork is in good hands. Enjoy your trip!

Travel Visa Service FAQ

What is a travel visa, which countries require me to have a visa, how much do travel visas cost, what do i need to apply for a travel visa, do i have to go in person to apply for a travel visa, why should i use a travel visa service, how much do travel visa services cost, how long will it take to get my travel visa approved and my passport back in hand, compare travel visa services.

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Where Journeys to Russia Begin

Award-winning Private & Small Group Tours to Russia

Award-winning Private & Small Group Tours to Russia.

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Due to the current geopolitical situation, we temporarily stopped accepting new bookings for travel to Russia.

Russian Journey of Your Lifetime

St. petersburg, volga river, golden ring, the world-leading company for tours to russia..

To this day, we have organized more than 200,000 trips to Russia, private and small group, Trans-Siberian and Volga river cruises . Our tours have become the golden standard for the industry of inbound travel to Russia. Each year, we take thousands to Russia and show them the very best of this enigmatic country.

Learn more about our history and values

Our Approach

Plan with us because we care about your journey..

We cared from the very start of our company when we helped around-the-world travelers to cross Siberia, and we continue to work with simple, yet powerful principles. We work with the very best suppliers, with the best hotels, with best guides, with the best transportation companies. We negotiate the very best rates, and we pass many of the savings to our customers offering a remarkable overall quality of service and travel experience.

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We are rated 4.9 based on 422 reviews

WOW. From the choice of hotels, amazingly planned itineraries, to the amazing guides and drivers, and, of course, the stunning cities of Moscow and St Petersburg. No long queues for museums, churches, and palaces entries. I would gladly recommend using Travel All Russia to anyone.

- Chris Wimpenny from Australia traveled to Russia in 2020

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Our goal is to provide the highest quality services to make your clients fall in love with Russia.

Whether you are looking to get the most out of a tight budget or prefer premium luxury when discovering Russia, Olta Travel will be your perfect partner.

Let us make your tour to Russia a memorable experience, so you can enjoy a worry-free journey!

• FROM BIG GROUPS TO INDIVIDUALS: we craft a tailored offer for almost any budget, thanks to our distributed network of trusted partners, direct connections with service providers and our own profound knowledge of destinations in Russia. 
• TOP SERVICE GUARANTEE:  We take care of everything to secure travelers’ satisfaction and are prepared to deal with unexpected issues should they arise.
• COMFORTABLE PRICING:  Olta Travel keeps the cost of discovering Russia at a fair, reasonable level because we love our country and seek to share this love with you.
• NATION-SPECIFIC PROGRAMS : based on our experience working with tourists from all parts of the world, we know how to surprise and amaze your compatriots with Russia.

PRIVACY POLICY ON THE PROCESSING OF PERSONAL DATA

This Policy of personal data processing (hereinafter - the Policy) applies to all data that "OLTA Travel" Co. Ltd (hereinafter – Olta Travel) receives from the visitors of website http://www.oltatravel.com (hereinafter "the Website") and explains how it is processing, stored and how the confidentiality is ensured.

1. Processing and use of personal data.

1.1. In this Policy, personal information means any information left by users on the Website of Olta Travel, including Name, Surname, company, email address and other contact information, left in the message.

1.2. The person who left personal data on the Website of Olta Travel, consents to their use, namely:

1.2.1. The inclusion of the email address, name, surname, company name or any other contact information left in the message in the contact database of Olta Travel. The database is hosted in a secure cloud-based customer relationship management service Bitrix 24, as well as on a secure service for newsletters – Unisender.

1.2.2. Receiving email newsletters with news, promotions, special offers and other useful materials, but no more than twice a week. The visitor of the Website at any time has the right to unsubscribe from the mailing list of Olta Travel, by clicking on the unsubscribe link located at the bottom of each letter.

1.2.3. Direct communication with the manager of Olta travel on the treatment of the user.

1.2.4. The use of contact information to show relevant advertisements to users in social networks and the Internet.

1.2.5. For other purposes performed with the individual consent of the user.

2. The collection, storage and protection of personal data.

2.1. All personal data collected on the Website is processed, stored and secured in strict accordance with the provisions of the legislation of the Russian Federation (Federal law of the Russian Federation of 27 July 2006 № 152-FL "On personal data") and the European Union (The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (EU) 2016/679).

2.2. Olta Travel is taking the necessary legal, organizational and technical measures to protect personal information from unlawful or accidental access, copying, distribution of personal information, as well as other unlawful actions in relation to personal data of users, which include:

•     secure transfer and storage of personal data on secure servers;

•     automated processing of personal data;

•     identification of possible threats to the security of personal data;

•     limiting the number of persons having access to personal data;

•     application of measures of internal regulation of the procedure of working with personal data (internal regulations for employees of Olta Travel);

•     improving methods of collection, storage and processing of data.

2.3. All data received on the Website of Olta Travel are transmitted via a secure https Protocol and stored on servers in secure, cloud-based customer relationship management service Bitrix 24, as well as in safe service for creating email newsletters Unisender.

3. User rights and obligations of Olta Travel.

3.1. Upon the request from the user Olta Travel should:

•        confirm the fact and methods of storage and processing of personal data of users;

•        inform about the method of obtaining personal data of the user;

•        explain the legal bases, objectives and timing of the processing of personal data;

•        in case of personal data leakage, inform the user about it;

•        make changes or delete users ' personal data from the database to stop storing and processing it;

•        warn about the expected cross-border transfer of personal data.

3.2. The user has the right to request the deletion of his personal data by sending an e-mail to [email protected] as well as the exclusion from the email-mailing by clicking on the "Unsubscribe" button located in the body of each letter.

4. Conditions of termination of processing and storage of personal data:

•       company liquidation;

•       a written request for withdrawal of consent or exclusion from the database;

•       at the request of the user, if the data were obtained illegally.

5. Olta Travel is not responsible for information posted by a visitor on the third party websites, links to which can be posted on the Website of Olta Travel.

6. More information about the collection, storage and processing of personal data by Olta Travel, the user may get by sending an email to [email protected] .

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Read our articles and discover Russia’s tourist attractions, ways to learn its traditions and culture, top activities and interesting places, world-famous museums and hidden gems, and much more that’ll inspire you to come and see Russia.

These are some of our hand-picked tours and itineraries that will let you get the most out of your trip to Russia. Choose one of ready programs or customize it and create your own trip!

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Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( Lock Locked padlock icon ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

International travel documents for children

See what documents a child needs to travel to or from the U.S. alone or with a parent or relative.

Children traveling to the U.S.

All children, including infants, must have their own travel documents such as a passport or document from a Trusted Traveler Program to enter the U.S. If you travel or are going to travel with a child, consider taking the following documents:

• If the child is traveling with only one of their custodial parents, they must have a letter of consent, preferably in English and notarized, from the other parent or signed by both parents. The letter should say "I acknowledge that my son/daughter is traveling outside the country with [the name of the adult] with my permission."
• If one parent has sole custody of the child, a copy of the custody document can take the place of the other parent's letter.
• Parents who frequently cross the border by land with a minor must always carry a letter of permission from the other parent.

U.S. citizen children traveling abroad

Ports of entry in many countries have security measures to prevent international child abduction . If you are traveling alone with your child, you may be required to present documentation proving you are the parent or legal guardian. You may also need a letter of permission from the other parent for your child to travel. 

If your child travels alone, depending on the country, they may be required to present a notarized letter from both parents or their legal guardian. If a minor is traveling abroad and is not accompanied by both parents or a legal guardian, contact the embassy or consulate of the country you will be visiting and ask about entry and exit requirements for that country.

LAST UPDATED: December 6, 2023

Have a question?

Ask a real person any government-related question for free. They will get you the answer or let you know where to find it.

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( Lock A locked padlock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Preclearance

Learn About Preclearance

Sites and contact information, preclearance expansion.

Preclearance operates at 15 locations worldwide

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Preclearance is the strategic stationing of CBP personnel at designated foreign airports to inspect travelers prior to boarding U.S.-bound flights. With Preclearance, travelers then bypass CBP and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) inspections upon U.S. arrival and proceed directly to their connecting flight or destination.

Today, CBP has more than 600 officers and agriculture specialists stationed at 15 Preclearance locations in 6 countries: Dublin and Shannon in Ireland; Aruba; Bermuda; Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates; Nassau in the Bahamas; and Calgary, Toronto, Edmonton, Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Vancouver, Victoria, and Winnipeg in Canada.

In 2019, CBP personnel stationed abroad precleared 22 million travelers, representing over 16 percent of all commercial air travelers to the United States.

Preclearance Videos

History of preclearance, media assets.

Transcript: https://www.cbp.gov/video/opa/ preclearance/preclearance-history.srt  

Preclearance Benefits

Transcript: https://www.cbp.gov/video/opa/ preclearance/benefits.srt  

Preclearance Experience

Transcript: https://www.cbp.gov/video/opa/ preclearance/preclearance-curb-to-curb.srt  

The History of Preclearance

The preclearance experience, the benefits of preclearance.

In operation since 1952, Preclearance has proven benefits for all major stakeholders in the air travel industry. Click below to learn about the specific benefits for each group.

Traveler Benefits

• No Security or Waiting Upon U.S. Arrival - Skip CBP and TSA inspection lines upon arrival in the U.S and proceed directly to a connecting flight or final destination.
• Easier Domestic Connections - Accept tighter connection windows at U.S. airports and be less likely to miss a domestic connection.

Airline Benefits

• Cost Savings - Access less expensive U.S. domestic gates and more flexible arrival times at airports in the U.S.
• Increase U.S. Market Access - Establish new routes to desirable U.S. destinations that meet growing traveler demand.

Airport Benefits

• New U.S. Destinations - Enable new direct routes to 160+ U.S. airports regardless of whether they have a CBP port of entry. Gain an advantage over competitors for the U.S.-bound traveler market.
• Terminal of the Future - Bring innovative technologies like facial recognition biometrics that expedite passenger processing, and help meet the demand of rising passenger volume to the U.S.

Government Benefits

• Enhance Security – Bolster the safety and security of all travelers while facilitating efficient trade and travel.
• Greater Collaboration - Increase collaboration and coordination between the U.S. and host governments through daily interaction with local law enforcement partners and other government authorities.

Preclearance Sites and Contact Information

Preclearance field operations.

22001 Loudoun County Parkway Mail Stop 1330 Ashburn, VA 20598-1330

Questions & Customer Service

For general CBP inquiries, please call the CBP INFO Center Monday-Friday, between 9:00 a.m. and 4 p.m. Eastern Time. General Inquiries: 1-877-CBP(227)-5511 International Callers: (202) 325-8000 TDD: https://www.fcc.gov/trs/

Preclearance Site Locations

Click below to find contact information for any of the 15 Preclearance sites worldwide.

Please use your International Direct Dialing Number in place of the '+' for the country you are calling from. For example, if you are calling from the U.S., use 011; France, use 00; Australia, 0011.

United Arab Emirates

Medjet medical evacuation services explained

• Features and benefits
• Medjet vs. Traditional travel insurance
• Choosing Medjet
• Membership enrollment and utilization
• Conclusion and final recommendations

What is Medjet? Exploring Medical Transport and Travel Protection Services

Affiliate links for the products on this page are from partners that compensate us (see our advertiser disclosure with our list of partners for more details). However, our opinions are our own. See how we rate insurance products to write unbiased product reviews.

• Medjet is an annual membership service that coordinates air-medical transport for travelers.
• Medjet is supplemental to travel insurance and international health insurance, not a replacement.
• Medjet memberships are usually annual, but there are short-term plans available for up to 30 days.

You've booked your trip, packed your bags, and purchased travel insurance coverage. It seems like you're ready for your trip, but you might forget important emergency medical coverage.

Travel insurance usually covers medical evacuations to the nearest hospital. But global medical transport companies like Medjet coordinate transfers to the hospital of your choice. It's another way to protect yourself during travel, especially since it's challenging to coordinate care in a foreign country or new state. 

Here's everything you need to know about Medjet, including whether you should become a member before your next trip. 

Medical evacuation coverage

Medjet is an annual membership service that coordinates air-medical transport for travelers. It's different from travel insurance which covers trip cancellations, damage to personal belongings and emergency medical treatment.

Medjet covers medical transport to the hospital of your choice, usually a facility near home. The company arranges the transportation, and your membership fees cover the costs. Members can also add extra protection against security threats like violent crimes and natural disasters. 

Established in 1991, Medjet was the first company to introduce an air-medical transport membership. Other companies like Global Rescue, SkyMed and International SOS offer similar services today. 

Domestic and international coverage

Medjet offers medical transport services domestically and internationally. It transfers you to the hospital of choice if you're hospitalized more than 150 miles from home, whether you're traveling domestically or abroad.

Features and benefits of Medjet membership for travelers

Membership plans and inclusions.

Medjet offers two annual membership levels: Medjet Assist and Medjet Horizon. The memberships have coverage and price differences, but both cover the following situations. 

• Medical transfer between facilities, even if it's not medically required
• Member's choice of medical facility
• No cost for domestic or international transfers
• Translation services, medical referrals and phone consultations with doctors
• Transfer of mortal remains

Medjet plans cost

The cost for Medjet coverage depends on your coverage type, membership term, age, membership level, and if you want coverage for domestic travel only.

For example, a one-year standard Medjet Assist membership that covers all travel within the membership year, with no single trip lasting longer than 90 days out of the country, costs $315. The same membership for Medjet Horizon costs $474. 

Medjet offers discounts for multi-year coverage. Plus, students and academic faculty can qualify for extended time abroad (up to 140 consecutive days per trip) for the same price as a regular membership. Short-term policies are typically cheaper as well. 

Additional services and features

Opting for medjet horizon gives you additional access to the following benefits..

• Ground hospital transfer via ambulance or other vehicles
• Cash advances for in the event of a medical emergency 
• 24/7 security response for threats like violent crimes and natural disasters.
• Crisis response for wrongful detention, blackmail or kidnap
• Access to legal referrals 

Medjet offers Diamond Memberships for travelers aged 75 to 84. The membership includes all of the benefits of MedjetAssist but is limited to one medical transport per year. 

There are also short-term memberships. These memberships include the same benefits as MedjetAssist but are available in 8, 15, 21 and 30-day terms.

Comparing Medjet to traditional travel insurance

Medjet vs. travel insurance coverage.

Medjet provides different coverage from travel insurance. Comprehensive travel insurance usually covers cancellations, trip delays, lost luggage, and emergency medical expenses. 

Medjet solely covers medical transfers and doesn't offer coverage for emergency medical treatments typically provided by travel medical insurance .

It's worth noting that many travel insurance policies offer medical evacuation and repatriation coverage. However, its scope of coverage is limited compared to Medjet and other subscriptions for global medical transport. For example, Medjet doesn't have monetary coverage limits and will transport you to the hospital of your choice rather than the nearest facility. 

Choosing Medjet for your travel protection

Factors to consider when choosing medjet.

These are several important factors to consider before purchasing a Medjet policy.

• Choice of care facility: While traditional travel insurance only pays to get you to the nearest medical facility, Medjet covers transportation to a medical facility of your choice.  It also covers transfers from one facility to another at no additional cost.
• Coverage limits: Unlike travel insurance, Medjet doesn't impose monetary coverage limits, covering the entire cost of medical evacuation. However, it does limit transports to twice per year for individual members under 75.
• Pre-existing conditions: Medjet doesn't have pre-existing conditions exclusions , unlike a travel insurance policy. 
• Your budget: Medjet is an added annual expense, usually in addition to travel insurance. However, unlike travel insurance, you pay a member subscription rather than a premium, so your costs are predictable. 

Ideal users and scenarios

If you identify with one of the following traveler profiles, consider Medjet. 

• Travelers with pre-existing conditions: Since the standard travel insurance policy may have exclusions for pre-existing conditions, Medjet could be a beneficial addition. 
• Frequent travelers: Medjet is ideal for frequent travelers, as the annual membership provides comprehensive coverage for multiple trips.
• Travelers visiting remote destinations: If you're visiting a destination with limited access to quality medical facilities (e.g., remote or less-developed areas), Medjet provides the peace of mind that you'll receive timely and quality health care.

Medjet membership enrollment and utilization

How to enroll in medjet.

You can enroll in Medjet by completing an online application or speaking to a representative at 800-527-7478. The company will ask for membership type, term, type of travel, number of days abroad per trip, and desired plan. In addition, be prepared to provide personal information like your name, contact information, date of birth, and address. After answering those questions, you'll receive a quote on the spot

Accessing assistance during travel

You'll need to call Medjet's emergency hotline for assistance and coverage. They are available 24/7. 

For a medical emergency, contact a Medjet representative at 800-527-7478 (or worldwide collect at 205-595-6626). According to Medjet's website. You'll need to provide the following information: 

• Your name and telephone number
• The policyholder's name
• Location (city, country)
• Brief description of your medical condition
• Your hospital's telephone number
• Attending physician or medical professional name and telephone number.

For a security emergency, call 619-717-8549 (worldwide collect) and have the following information available:

• Your name and telephone number 
• Location (city, country).

Medjet conclusion and final recommendations

Assessing the value of medjet.

Medjet doesn't replace travel insurance or international health insurance. Instead, it fills the coverage gaps and provides a service those policies do not cover. In most instances, medical transport is nice and can drastically reduce stress. But it's not generally medically necessary, except in extreme circumstances.

However, if you're a frequent traveler traveling to a destination with limited medical facilities or have a pre-existing condition, comprehensive medical transport services may be important to you. In that case, Medjet may be a valuable addition to your travel insurance policy.

Medjet FAQs

Medjet primarily focuses on medical transport and evacuation services. However, it doesn't cover medical treatment costs. It complements travel insurance, which typically covers those expenses.

Medjet may offer assistance in non-medical emergencies, such as security and crisis response, depending on the membership plan.

Medical evacuations with Medjet are typically determined based on the member's medical condition and the capabilities of the local healthcare facilities.

Medjet can be a beneficial addition to your travel insurance policy, but it's not a complete replacement. It doesn't cover trip cancellations, lost luggage, or medical treatment costs.

Medjet sets itself apart with its comprehensive global network, range of services beyond basic medical transport, and additional security and crisis response coverage options.

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