About
Travel booking sites compared, so you can stop opening 20 tabs
SideBySide Vacations compares the major booking sites for flights, hotels and vacation rentals in one place. It's for travelers who want the best deal in seconds rather than after an evening of tab-hopping.
Three comparisons, one page each
Booking a trip usually means three separate searches, so the site is organised the same way, with a comparison page for each and a fourth for travel packages.
Each comparison sets the platforms beside each other on the things that shape a booking: how much inventory each one has, what its loyalty program gives back, and what kind of stay it's built for. The site is a comparison layer: you compare here and book on the platform you choose.
- Flight booking sites: Google Flights, Kayak, Expedia and more
- Hotel booking sites: Booking.com, Hotels.com, Expedia and more
- Vacation rentals: Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com rentals
Top platforms for 2025
Rather than declare one winner, the home page says what each platform is best at. Airbnb, with 6M+ listings worldwide, is the pick for unique stays. Booking.com is the pick for hotels, helped by its Genius loyalty rewards. Expedia is best for packages, and its One Key rewards program is part of why. Vrbo, which lists whole-home rentals only, is the pick for families who need the whole place.
None of those is the answer for every trip, which is the reason for a comparison in the first place. A solo weekend and a three-generation beach week point at different platforms.
Who it's for
Anyone planning a trip: a weekend away, a family holiday that needs a house rather than two hotel rooms, or a long-haul flight where the fare difference between sites is real money. You don't need to know which site is usually cheapest; that's the question the comparisons are here to answer, and the answer changes by route, season and type of stay.
Resources and the fine print
The blog collects travel tips, booking guides and explainers on loyalty programs, the parts of travel that reward a little reading before you pay. Prices and availability are subject to change, so always verify current details with the booking platform before you commit; the platform's checkout page shows the price you'll actually pay.
Compare. Book. Save. is the whole idea in three words, and the contact page is there if something on the site is out of date or you have a question about a comparison.