Groupon Travel: Review

Groupon works with travel agencies, hotels, and tour providers to offer unique travel deals. These include "flash deals" - short-term 15-70% discounts off three-to-five-star hotels.

Beyond hotels, tours and packaged vacations, you can score deals for your entire vacation with Groupon, including tourist attractions, restaurants, airport transfers, airport parking, boat cruises, hop-on-hop-off bus tours, bike rentals, and more. Also, check out their travel accessories: luggage, packing cubes, cameras, travel pillows, toiletry pouches, travel adapters, world maps and more.

Shop mega discounts at Groupon. Grab up to an extra 25% off on select deals with code: PROMO! (valid 15-18 February 2024).

Hands On Experience

With Groupon, it's easy to find the type of vacation you're looking for - an air-inclusive beach break or perhaps an adventure holiday. Just choose which type of vacation suits you best (left navigation menu). And the price can also be filtered to suit your budget, helping you find the Groupon Travel deal that fits you best.

Finding travel discounts on Groupon is easy:

1. Go to the Groupon website
2. Select the Getaways tab
3. Type in your destination in the search bar, and optionally apply pricing filters
4. Select a hotel from the top deals
5. Select the room type
6. Select your check-in and check-out dates (for hotels), or a date window (package vacations)
7. At the checkout, confirm the traveler's name and enter payment details
8. Click Pay

Simple!

For instant hotel bookings, you'll receive an immediate confirmation, whereas with package vacations, you'll need to get in touch with the travel agent to confirm your dates and additional details (their contact details will be provided).

But how does the pricing compare? Here's an example of the same hotel for the same dates (3 nights, with breakfast) on Groupon Travel versus Booking.com… and Groupon comes out substantially cheaper.

• Booking.com: US$487 (with my Level 3 Genius discount!)
• Groupon: US$334
• Saving: $153 (31.4% cheaper)

Benefits of using Groupon Travel

• Booking is super simple - just 2 pages. There are less confusing up-sells and cross-sells than you'll find on other major Online Travel Agent websites.
• Groupon supports major debit and credit cards for easy payment, as well as Google Pay and Paypal. Klarna is also available for buy now, pay later.
• Receive daily email alerts for deals for your preferred destination (in your email alert, click the "add another city" link).
• Earn Groupon Bucks with each purchase - credits that can be used towards future purchases and trips.
• Groupon Guarantee: Groupon offers a money-back guarantee for peace of mind if you're unable to book your trip due to issues with the deal or the travel provider.

Be aware

• If you travel solo or add optional extras to your trip, the cost can increase substantially.
• Hotel and flight availability can be limited, especially around peak travel periods. If your preferred dates are not available, you are likely eligible for a refund (but read the fine print before purchasing).
• Check the expiry date of the Groupon voucher.
• Some hotels have hidden fees (such as taxes and resort fees), however these should be itemised on the Groupon listing, so read the fine print (again).
• Some super cheap hotel deals on Groupon involve a timeshare sales pitch, but these are never obligatory, and if you decline, you won't lose your voucher or have to pay additional fees.
• Flight deals may only be valid from specific cities. So, check the cost of flying from your nearest regional airport to the departure point of the deal (eg. Austin to New York).
• Read reviews on Groupon from other customers who have made the same trip and look for any potential red flags.

International

Beyond the United States, you can buy travel deals for any of the countries Groupon operates in as long as you have an accepted method of payment there. Just create an account on that country's Groupon site first. Countries include: Australia, Belgium, Canada (Quebec), France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Quebec, Spain, UAE, and United Kingdom.

Sidenote

Refer your friends and earn $10 in Groupon Bucks for each signup (if they purchase a Groupon for $10 or more within 72 hours). Read details on the Refer-A-Friend program.

Backstory

Based in Chicago, Groupon was launched by Andrew Mason in November 2008 and gradually expanded to more cities reaching 150 cities in North America within 2 years. Groupon went public in June 2011, and today operates in 13 countries.

Is Groupon Travel Right For You?

Groupon Travel works well for first-time international travellers who want someone else to do most of the hard work organising the trip. Or if you're a deal hunter with limited time on your hands, Groupon Travel can get you from zero to confirmed booking in a matter of minutes.

Experienced travelers will appreciate the inspiration that Groupon provides. If you're seeing a destination like Puerto Rico with cheap package deals, it may mean travel to Puerto Rico is cheaper during the dates the Groupon deal is valid. Chances are you can find great deals with a little more flexibility if you research direct options. But if the dates and inclusions look good to you, why not just book via Groupon and save the headache?

Pro Tips For Groupon Travel

Here are some tips for using Groupon for travel discounts:

• Download the free Groupon mobile app to search for travel deals anywhere, anytime.
• Read the terms and conditions carefully before booking a Groupon Travel deal.
• Carefully examine what's included (and not included) in the deal.
• Compare the hotel location to your destination's airport and check if airport transfers are included. If they're not, research how much that will cost so you're not caught out.
• Be aware of single supplements, such as how much extra you'll have to pay if you're traveling alone.
• Most hotels on Groupon Travel are of decent quality, but some subpar ones can slip through. So search Google and TripAdvisor for reviews and feedback.
• If your international package deal includes car rental, bring a map or GPS and understand the driving conditions of that country.
• Promo codes are case-sensitive, so make a note if your code is upper-case.
  • Some promos are specific to a type of deal, such as restaurants, beauty/spa, or travel.
  • On the checkout page, select Promo or Gift Code.
  • Enter the promo code and select "Apply".
  • Check that your discount is reflected in your order total.
  • Note that promo codes do not apply to taxes, shipping, or other fees.

Scoreboard

Where To Buy Groupon Travel