How Does Travelzoo Work?
Updated: Apr 23
Travelzoo is an Internet company that publishes deals from more than 2,000 travel, entertainment and local businesses such as restaurants and spas. It has 28 million members in North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific and 25 offices worldwide. How does Travelzoo work? Well, I am excited to share it below!
I love finding all different ways to save on traveling. From flights to vacation packages, I never want to over pay and always want to get the most for my money. With this in mind, I wanted to share more about one of the sites I reference in my YouTube video all about how I save on flights – Travelzoo. A lot of people as, how does Travelzoo work? These questions and more are answered for you below.
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Is Travelzoo a Legitimate Website?
What happens if I want to book a deal?
But first, please note – this is not a sponsored post. I have used Travelzoo five times now to purchase different trips and it’s honestly one of the best ways to save on travel. I absolutely love it and wrote this because I just want to share more ways to save with you. Subscribe to access all my favorite sites through a sheet I created just for subscribers!
Is Travelzoo a Legitimate Website?
Okay if you follow me over on Instagram, you’ve seen me post some amazing deals thanks to websites that I love. You’ve probably seen this one too – Travelzoo and thought to yourself, “Is Travelzoo a Legit Website?”
Short answer? yes, Travelzoo is a legit website. I’ve gone to Paris for 4 nights for $500, Cartagena for 4 nights for $350, and am headed to Rio for 5 nights for $650 in April. The deals are real, Travelzoo is a legit website. I’ll outline some questions and my experience below to help explain.
How does it work?
Travelzoo searches the internet for the best deals out there for their subscribers. They have a website with travel deals all over the world ranging from budget to luxury getaways that are all-inclusive on a beach. They have everything from hotels to activities to full vacation packages. Each week, they send out a Top 20 with the best deals they’ve found that week.
All the deals I’ve purchased have been through their weekly emails.
You cannot see the deals on their website unless you subscribe.
What happens if I want to book a deal?
The way it works is you are not actually booking through Travelzoo. They have searched the internet for you to find the deals. It’s then on you to go to the website and book on your own. This can be a little complicated at times (if it were that easy everyone would do it) but most of the time you just click over to the other website.
What does it cost?
Travelzoo is free! You just sign up with your email.
How do you know if it’s a good deal?
What I usually do is look at the average price for a flight is to that destination. If I can fly for the same cost as the deal (which usually includes flight, hotel, some meals, one tour) then I know it’s a good one.
The Fine Print
I think this is where people get a little tripped up honestly. It can be tricky but you have to read the fine print a bit on these deals. Look up the hotel, double-check the flight, call the travel agency if you want before booking. I’ve been close to booking before when I realized there’s an overnight flight somewhere without a hotel included or bags aren’t included.
Double-check everything before you book, it’s not a scam, but it can be really annoying after you book to realize these things.
The other thing you have to pay attention to is the dates. Most of these deals are for particular days of the week (like every Tuesday in July or something). Check that you have dates that are compatible, sometimes deals are really far in advance so it’s important to double-check and mark your calendar if you purchase.
What it’s like purchasing
As I stated, the purchasing process depends on the website. Travelzoo doesn’t create the deals themselves, instead, they find them on the internet or partner with sites to bring you a special promotion. This means you’re actually purchasing through a different travel company, not Travelzoo.
I’ve officially been on two and purchased three packages through Travelzoo. Each one is different but honestly, I’ve been really happy with them. In Paris, we stayed at a really nice Marriott hotel just outside the city and flew with American Airlines. I was even able to claim the American Airlines Advantage points when we purchased. It felt like a normal vacation that you’d book through a travel agent. We easily took the train to everything from our hotel and had a great time.
In Colombia, we had an incredible deal for $350 for 4 days (yes, it’s safe to visit here). It included the hotel as well as a tour of the city of Cartagena. We flew with JetBlue and again I was able to redeem points for the flight. We realized quickly that everyone who was on our flight was also a Travelzoo member and we all were going to the same hotel. We saw the same people throughout our trip but didn’t have to socialize if we didn’t want to. Our hotel was in a great part of town right on the beach with a rooftop pool. Could not have asked for a better stay.
I tell you these personal experiences to let you know it truly is effortless and easy to save a ton using Travelzoo. I have loved being able to purchase a vacation through them and slowly pay it off in increments. It makes the vacation so much easier when you don’t have to do these things yourself but also, you don’t have a huge price tag as you do with other travel agencies!
How Travelzoo helps you save
Here are some different ways I use Travelzoo to save.
Weekly Top 20: They research the internet to find the best deals for you. It has saved me hundreds of dollars.
Hotels: They have tons of hotels listed on their website that are amazing deals. Especially all-inclusives and resorts.
Events: Travelzoo posts local events with great deals.
Restaurants: They post different deals for restaurants such as unlimited brunch for $30 or dinner for two at a nice place with wine for $100.
I highly recommend Travelzoo if you want to save some money on your vacation with some amazing destinations. Now you know the answer – Is Travelzoo a scam? No! Now go book your vacation.
Looking for more money-saving travel websites? Subscribe to access all my favorite sites through a sheet I created just for subscribers!