Best travel search engine Kayak.com *Est. $0
Best for hotel discounts Hotwire.com *Est. $0
Top site for airline travelers Yapta.com *Est. $0
Best travel bidding site Priceline.com *Est. $0
Best for reviews of hotels and attractions TripAdvisor.com *Est. $0

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TripAdvisor.com

Reviewed May 2009

Best for reviews of hotels and attractions

Millions of reviews available for hotels and attractions
Includes maps, photographs, and recommendations
Allows users to search and compare rates from other travel sites

Navigation can be challenging at times
Quality and usefulness of reviews varies

Our Analysis

Although users can't book flights or reservations through TripAdvisor.com, it's one of the most popular sites for reviews of hotels and attractions. Experts and amateurs alike appreciate the huge archive of reviews on this travel site, and say that the accompanying photographs and ranking system come in handy when choosing which hotels and attractions to book in advance. Most also point out, however, that a critical eye is needed when evaluating certain reviews, and that the quality and authenticity is variable. TripAdvisor also includes a search engine for hotel bookings and flights that while similar to Kayak.com, falls short in terms of features and number of sites searched.

TripAdvisor.com makes the most recent list of the 30 best travel sites at Kiplinger Personal Finance magazine, and The Washington Post. PracticalHacks.com also mentions this site as a standout. User reviewers at Viewpoints.com give TripAdvisor.com one of the highest averages among dozens of travel sites.

Our Sources

1. Kiplinger.com

Kiplinger.com names sites that they personally use and find to be the best of their kind. TripAdvisor.com is recommended as being the "most comprehensive and easy-to-use hotel review site."

Review: 30 Best Travel Sites, Stacy Rapacon, Dec. 2008

2. The Washington Post

This compilation of travel sites focuses mainly on sites that offer special discounts or bargains, although some other types of specialty sites are included. Shapiro appreciates the "sheer volume of reviews" available at TripAdvisor.com, though he also notes that site navigation can be a bit cumbersome.

Review: 54 Online Travel Sites to Bookmark Now, Michael Shapiro, Feb. 3, 2008

3. Viewpoints.com

Viewpoints.com is a user-review site. In the travel category, TripAdvisor.com receives one of the highest averages; users typically cite the number and general quality of reviews available, though a few suggest taking some reviews "with a grain of salt."

Review: Travel Web Site Reviews, Contributors to Viewpoints.com

4. PCMag.com Details/Subscribe

Among well-known and established websites, TripAdvisor.com earns a recommendation as "the best way to scout out a hotel from a thousand miles away before booking your room." The great quantity of reviews, Kyle Monson says, make it easy to glean a good picture of the service and room quality of a property you are considering.

Review: The Top 100 Classic Web Sites: Travel and Maps, Kyle Monson

5. PracticalHacks.com

TripAdvisor.com is noted as a top travel-oriented social networking site in this listing. The reason is the millions of user-written reviews. The ability to compare rates and book rooms via other online sites is mentioned, but discussion is very brief.

Review: The Ultimate List of Top Travel Sites, "Kevin", Oct. 6, 2008