Booking.com is one of the largest accommodation marketplaces in the world. You find hotels, apartments and guesthouses in almost every price range. It pays off most when you want to compare many properties and keep your booking flexible.
What you can book
The core is accommodation: classic hotels, holiday apartments, hostels and small guesthouses. On the home page you also find flights, flight and hotel packages, car rental, attractions and airport taxis. Booking.com states more than 2 million properties worldwide and customer service around the clock. For comparing the real price, the stay search matters most, because room type, meals and cancellation rules decide the final amount.
What a booking really costs
The price in the results list is not automatically what you pay in the end. Watch for these points:
- Taxes: according to the help pages, whether they are included depends on property and room type, and tax rules differ from country to country. When you compare options you see what is included. The information is also in your confirmation later.
- Fees from Booking.com: according to the help pages, Booking.com itself charges no reservation fee.
- Children: extra costs for children are not included in the booking price. The rules are listed under the property house rules.
- City or tourist tax: in many cities and resorts you pay it on site, so it is not part of the booking price.
- Breakfast: each room has its own breakfast policy. If it is included, it is listed when you compare options.
- Parking and Wi-Fi: the property often charges these separately.
Unless stated otherwise, the price shown is for the room and the whole stay, not per person. So work out the per-guest cost yourself.
Cancellation and payment
Cancellation fees are set by the property, and you pay them there. For free-cancellation bookings no fee applies. For non-refundable rates a fee may apply. You can then request free cancellation through your booking management, and the property decides. Changing dates is not possible on a non-refundable booking. You find your cancellation policy in the booking confirmation. After cancelling you should receive a confirmation email, so check your spam folder too. If nothing arrives within 24 hours, ask the property.
On payment: credit cards are the most widely accepted method, and in many countries PayPal, Apple Pay or Google Pay are offered as well. Some properties require a prepayment for the full amount or part of it, and you pay the rest on site. Often the card is only requested as a guarantee and briefly charged a test amount that is returned. Only the property can issue an invoice, so ask for it before you leave.
How to save
Three things help most. First, shift your dates. One day earlier or later can change the total a lot, especially around weekends and trade fairs. Second, pick the free-cancellation rate while the surcharge is small, and check again later whether the price has dropped. On its home page Booking.com also advertises offers for set periods and a Genius loyalty programme. Third, collect cashback without paying more yourself. Discount coupons from magazines or shops cannot be redeemed on Booking.com, according to its help pages. Current vouchers and deals are listed on our provider page. You can see the current cashback rate on our provider page.
Booking with cashback
Cashback runs through daily cashback. Here is how:
- Open the daily cashback shop page for Booking.com.
- Go from there to Booking.com and search for your stay.
- Book as usual in one session, without opening other comparison sites in between.
- The cashback is credited once the trip is confirmed, which means after your stay.
Some regions have their own daily cashback pages, for example North America, Latin America or Australia. If you book in one of those regions, you can find them through our provider page.
What to watch when comparing
Two rooms at the same price can be very different. One includes breakfast, is free to cancel and sits in the centre, the other does not. A crossed-out price is only a reference value: according to the help pages, Booking.com shows the third-highest price of the hotel within 30 days around your check-in date. So bring both offers to the same footing: breakfast or not, cancellation rule, location and time of payment. If you travel with children, check that the room occupancy is right and whether cots cost extra. For longer stays, look at apartments with a kitchen, because you save on meals.
When you travel abroad, currency comes into play. If the charge is made in another currency, your bank or card issuer may add fees for the exchange. That is part of the real final price as well.
Tips
- Set currency and number of guests correctly before you compare, otherwise the prices will not match.
- Check the location on the map. A cheap room far out costs you a taxi or train ride.
- Read recent reviews and look for comments on noise, cleanliness and breakfast.
- Check the cancellation terms once more before you book.
You can find all details on the current cashback on the TripPrice page for Booking.com.