Okay, so I wanted to share my experience booking a multi-city trip, because it can be a bit of a headache, right? I’ve found that using search engines strategically really makes a difference, so here’s how I tackled it this time around.
Started with the Basics
First, I opened up a couple of my go-to flight search engines. I usually start this way, just to get a feel for the general pricing and to check out the direct routes to a few of the cities I was planning to visit.
Figuring out the Order
The tricky part with multi-city trips is figuring out the best order to visit each place. This can have a huge impact on the overall cost. So, I basically played around with different combinations. I tried different start and end points, and swapped the order of the middle cities a bunch of times.
Using the Multi-City Option
Most search engines have a specific “multi-city” or “multiple destinations” option. It’s usually right there on the main search page, I chose to search for all flights for the whole month, looking for the cheapest option.
Inputting Each Leg
Once I had my rough route figured out, I started plugging in each leg of the journey individually using that multi-city function. So, instead of doing a simple round trip, I was adding separate flights: like, City A to City B, then City B to City C, and finally City C back to City A.
Getting Flexible with Dates
Now, here’s a thing I always do: I try to be as flexible as possible with my dates. Even shifting things by a day or two can sometimes save a ton of money. I often clicked on the “flexible dates” option or looked at the calendar view, that the search engine provided, to see if there were any cheaper days to fly.
Comparing and Refining
After I got some initial results, I started comparing. I opened up the search engine results in separate tabs, played with dates a little more, and kept refining my searches. Sometimes I even went back and changed the order of cities again, just to see if it made a difference.
Checking Different Search Engines
I did this across a few different search engines, because they don’t all show the same prices or the same airlines. I wanted to make sure I was really getting the best deal I could.
Book It!
Finally, after a good amount of tinkering and comparing, I found a combination that worked for my budget and itinerary. I booked each leg separately through the search engine, making sure I double-checked all the details (dates, times, baggage allowances, etc.) before confirming.
It definitely takes a little more effort than booking a simple round-trip, but I’ve found that this method really helps me find the best prices and create a smoother, more cost-effective multi-city itinerary. Happy travels!
