Top 10 Travel Websites India - 2009
20 January 2009 - 6:30 pm
The annual list of 10 best Flight, Hotel, Train & Bus booking/reservation websites is indicative of some of the top online Indian websites for these categories.
The websites have been listed alphabetically. The list is compiled based on Google organic search results for four keyword based searches, namely : Flight tickets, Hotel Bookings, Train tickets and Bus tickets.
7 websites have been picked from the keyword based search results. 3 websites which we did not find in the search results but add value to this list and the users have been hand picked by us.
1. cleartrip
www.cleartrip.com
Cleartrip claims to keep things simple. If you don't want to get distracted by a screen cluttered with ads then Cleartrip is for you.
It is the most userfriendly and one of the fastest travel websites. It has rich features and gets you all your travel related information with mimimal fuss.
Features:
Search trains, availability, and book tickets on Indian Railways.
In association with Lonely planet, Cleartrip gives a good readup on virtually any destination.
Cleartrip Alerts allows you to get customized email alerts for the best airfare deals.
Get travel insurance for domestic flights.
2. ezeego1
www.ezeego1.co.in
Apart from the search interface ezeego1 has Hot deals, Top travel destinations, Weekend holidays and Knockout offers all on the first page.
Its an all inclusive site where you can even book Cars, Buses, Cruises, & Rail europe tickets too.
Features:
Shopping cart: Book flights, hotels, cars... and just pay for all at one go.
Exclusive tie-up with Rail Europe for european rail ticket bookings.
A good read up on all destinations.
3. irctc
www.irctc.co.in
Undoubtedly the best internet Rail Reservation site in India. Registration is mandatory but a simple process.
You can check for availability, book e-tickets between any stations in India. You can check for your booking status or cancel your e-tickect online as well.
Features:
Railway tickets between any two stations in India.
Mumbai Local train season ticket booking.
Shubh yatra - Scheme for frequent travellers to earn reward points.
You can check out the Tour packages, Book cabs & Hotels.
4. ixigo
www.ixigo.com
ixigo lets you book flight tickets, make hotel reservations and books bus tickets, thats it. No holiday packages, No travel guide, no weekend getaways and the likes.
In a way it keeps things to the point. It lets you modify and filter your search results to a great extent. Its clean and neat interface does not distract the users' attention.
Features:
Flight Tickets: Search, compare and book tickets on any airline.
Hotel Reservations: Indian and International Hotels at discounted tarrifs.
Bus tickets: Search, compare and book tickets from multiple bus operators.
5. makemytrip
www.makemytrip.com
Apart from the flight search interface makemytrip gives users special offers, bus ticket booking options, combined flight+hotel search for added discounts and excellent holiday packages.
The 'Plan your trip' section gives users useful links like Holiday ideas, Destination features and Driving directions.
Features:
Flights and Hotel booking.
Holiday Packages: Good discounts within India or foreign holidays.
Weekend breaks: Many options for your weekend holiday destinations.
6. redbus
www.redbus.in
redbus has a comprehensive list of destinations to book bus tickets from. It has tie-ups with more than 150 bus operators.
Depending on the booking options available users can either book tickets online or you can send a request and the redbus team promptly calls back to assist you with your bookings. A healthy search database and clear navigation links keeps a visit to this site simple and to the point.
Features:
Book bus tickets for more than 4000 routes in India.
The site has five regional language options to choose from.
Home delivery of tickets in major cities for a nominal fee.
7. travelguru
www.travelguru.com
Travelguru is a good site for Indian air ticket booking as the rates are very competitive, however you cannot book international flight tickets on this site.
It has good hotel listings from the most affordable to the most luxurious both India & international. A very basic site, yet its worth a try.
Features:
Affordable Hotel bookings - India & International.
Interesting Holiday packages.
Nice read up on Weekend breaks.
A good travel guide for Indian destinations(worth a peek).
8. travelocity
www.travelocity.co.in
travelocity is a world renowned travel portal. The site's search interface is not as slick as the others but they have deep resources to offer from for domestic and international travel.
Users can book flights, hotels, cars, cruises, holiday packages and weekend getaways. A site where you'll definitely find what you are looking for.
Features:
Flight Tickets: Search, compare and book tickets on any airline.
Hotel Reservations: Indian and International Hotels at discounted tarrifs.
Cruise: A very nice cruise search inerface and an even better itinerary.
9. yatra
www.yatra.com
You might find the cheapest international flight tickets on yatra but not by much. You can plan holidays and activities, book buses and cars on this site.
Yatra has an ineresting map interface search for hotels. It has access to a wide network of hotels and destinations at competitive prices.
Features:
Wide range of offers and deals. Earn reward points.
Plan holidays and activities. Book cars and buses.
Corporate travel management.
Hotel reviews, Travel experts & Travel guides partnered with raahi.com.
10. zoomtra
www.zoomtra.com
zoomtra has a good look and feel. The site gives competitive pricing for air fares.
However it is a little limited as far as information on local destinations or your choice of travel destination goes. Users can check for availabilty of trains, however for reservation zoomtra redirects users to the official irctc.co.in website.
Features:
Flights and Hotel booking.
Holiday and tour packages to major destinations in India.
