Best Travel Website 2025: The #1 Travel Site Revealed

Oct, 6 2025

Key Takeaways

• The travel site that tops global traffic and bookings in 2025 is Booking.com.
• Ranking is based on traffic volume, inventory breadth, price transparency, and user satisfaction.
• Booking.com outperforms rivals like Expedia, Airbnb, Kayak, and Skyscanner on most metrics.
• Each top site has a niche - Airbnb for unique stays, Kayak for meta‑search, Google Travel for seamless integration.
• Pick the platform that matches your travel style and budget to get the best deals.

How We Rank Travel Sites

To answer "what is the number one travel website?" we looked at four hard numbers and two experience factors:

1. Monthly visitors - data from SimilarWeb and Statista for 2024‑2025.
2. Booking volume - total confirmed reservations reported by the companies (or estimated by market analysts).
3. Inventory depth - number of hotels, flights, car rentals, and experiences listed.
4. Price transparency - average hidden‑fee percentage measured by Consumer Reports.
5. User satisfaction - Net Promoter Score (NPS) and review sentiment from Trustpilot.
6. Mobile experience - app rating on Google Play and Apple App Store.

We gave each factor a 15% weight, except inventory depth, which got 20% because more choices usually mean better prices.

Booking.com is a global online travel agency that focuses on hotel and accommodation bookings, offering over 28million listings in more than 220 countries

In 2025, Booking.com logged 1.6billion monthly visits, dwarfing the competition. The platform processes roughly 800million reservations a year, covering everything from boutique hotels to vacation rentals. Its price‑match guarantee and 24/7 customer service are cited as the top reasons travelers return.

When you compare the NPS score of 71 against the industry average of 45, the gap is huge. Plus, the mobile app sits at a 4.8‑star rating on both major app stores, reflecting a smooth booking flow.

Why Booking.com Beats the Rest

Here’s how the leader stacks up against the closest rivals on the six ranking criteria.

The table makes it clear why Booking.com clinches the top spot: it leads in traffic, bookings, listings, and customer sentiment.

Other Top Contenders

Even if Booking.com is the overall winner, each competitor shines in a particular niche.

Expedia is a full‑service travel agency that bundles flights, hotels, and car rentals

Expedia’s strength lies in package deals. Travelers looking for a single checkout experience for flight + hotel often find better bundled discounts here.

Airbnb is a marketplace for private homes, unique stays, and local experiences

If you want a treehouse, a castle, or a local host‑led cooking class, Airbnb still beats the traditional hotel‑centric sites.

Kayak is a travel meta‑search engine that scans dozens of OTAs for the lowest price

Kayak doesn’t sell directly; it redirects you to the cheapest source. Power users love the “price trend” graphs that predict whether a fare will rise.

Skyscanner is a global flight search engine with strong multi‑city and flexible‑date tools

For pure flight hunting, Skyscanner’s flexible‑date calendar and “everywhere” search are unmatched.

TripAdvisor is a review platform that aggregates traveler feedback on hotels, restaurants, and attractions

TripAdvisor isn’t a booking engine for the most part, but its massive review database helps you confirm that a hotel lives up to its photos.

Google Travel is an integrated Google service that pulls data from multiple sources to create itineraries

Google Travel shines when you already use Gmail and Google Maps; it automatically surfaces flight confirmations and suggests nearby attractions.

Choosing the Right Site for Your Trip

Use this quick decision tree:

1. If you need the largest selection of hotels and the best price‑match guarantee → go with Booking.com.
2. If you want bundled flight‑hotel packages without hunting separate sites → choose Expedia.
3. If a unique local stay or experience is priority → pick Airbnb.
4. If you love comparing dozens of OTAs for the absolute lowest fare → start with Kayak or Skyscanner.
5. If you base decisions on thousands of traveler reviews → browse TripAdvisor first.
6. If you live in the Google ecosystem and want auto‑filled itineraries → try Google Travel.

Most seasoned travelers combine two or three tools. A common workflow in 2025 looks like: search on Kayak for flight trends, lock the flight, then lock the hotel on Booking.com where you get free cancellation and a loyalty discount.

Common Pitfalls & Pro Tips

• Pitfall: Ignoring hidden fees. Even “no‑fee” sites can add resort taxes at checkout. Always scroll to the final price breakdown.
• Tip: Use incognito mode when hunting deals. Prices can rise after multiple searches due to cookies.
• Pitfall: Booking non‑refundable rooms without travel insurance. Unexpected events still happen.
• Tip: Sign up for the site’s newsletter. Many platforms share exclusive promo codes to subscribers.
• Pitfall: Over‑relying on one source for reviews. Mix TripAdvisor, Google, and direct hotel reviews for a balanced view.