Travel Booking Websites Made Easy: WP Travel Engine Review

Want to create a travel booking website but don’t know exactly where to start?

From managing bookings and payments to creating detailed itineraries, there’s definitely a lot to handle.

And to make things harder, most tools are either too complicated or don’t have the features travel businesses really need.

But, don’t worry – that’s exactly where WP Travel Engine comes in. 

To be exact, it’s a powerful travel booking plugin built to help travel businesses like yours create stunning, user-friendly travel booking websites. 

On top of that, you can organize trips, handle bookings, integrate payments, allow your customers to book right from your website, and more. That too all in one place.

But is it the best option for your business?

In this WP Travel Engine review, we’ll show you what features it offers, how WP Travel Engine works, and why it’s a favorite for travel businesses. 

By the end, you’ll know if it’s the solution you’ve been searching for.

Let’s go, shall we?

WP Travel Engine is one of the highest-rated travel booking plugins for WordPress. 

It has an impressive 4.9 out of 5 stars on WordPress.org, backed by over 354 five-star reviews and more than 10,000 active users. 

People love how easy it is to use and how it simplifies trip management, bookings, payment, and a whole lot more. 

After trying and testing the plugin by ourselves, we’re also confident in giving WP Travel Engine a 4.85/5 rating. 

So, if you’re looking for an easy, reliable way to create a travel booking website, then this plugin is worth checking out!

A. What is WP Travel Engine? An Overview

WP Travel Engine, launched in 2017, claims to be the #1 WordPress plugin for creating travel booking websites. 

Indeed, it gives you every tool that you might need to build and manage your travel business online.

With WP Travel Engine, it helps you put your customers on top. That’s to say, it provides a smooth and progressive booking process for your customers, right from the start. 

On top, you can create stunning trip packages that include everything your customers want to know. For example, you can create detailed itineraries, images, videos, maps, prices, fixed departure dates, etc.

What’s more, you can start with the basics and grow as your business grows. 

To be exact, you can offer group discounts, add customer reviews, adjust prices for different seasons, and so much more. WP Travel Engine offers plenty of add-ons to make all of that happen.

Ultimately, this helps you get more bookings, bring in more inquiries, and even increase your Average Order Value i.e. how much your customers spend. 

Needless to say, you can now make your travel website look professional as well as make it work like a charm with WP Travel Engine.

So, if you’re in the travel game, then this plugin is a must-have!

B. Key Features & Highlights of WP Travel Engine

Now that we have a core understanding of WP Travel Engine, let’s explore its major features and highlights in detail. 

1. Manage Bookings Efficiently

It’s understandable that keeping track of who booked what, their payments, and special requests, can quickly turn into a mess. Especially, when it’s done manually. 

WP Travel Engine well recognizes this issue and thereby provides you with a user-friendly dashboard. Where all your bookings are organized in one place. 

To access it, all you’ve to do is go to the ‘WP Travel Engine > Bookings’. 

With that, you can easily check who booked, update their status, manage cancellations, and even send reminders. All without juggling multiple tools.

And not to forget, you also get the Analytics panel right on your dashboard. From there, you can have an overview of your bookings along with booking value, payment received, new customers, average order value, and so much more. 

On the other hand, your customers can easily book their trips right from your website. All they’ve to do is choose your available trips, specify the quantity, then add the required services, and proceed to checkout. 

The amazing part is you can allow the ‘Book Now Pay Later’ option. So, they don’t have to pay initially, rather they can pay during the trip. 

2. Create & Manage Unlimited Trip Packages

Do you have several amazing trips to offer but are scared about limitations on how much you can showcase? Well, with WP Travel Engine you really don’t have to worry!

As it allows you to list as many trips as you want. In fact, you can include high-quality images, detailed descriptions, engaging videos, interactive maps, FAQs, file downloads, extra services, and a whole lot more. 

You can easily add the trips by going to ‘Trips > Trips > Add New Trip’ and fill in the details of your trip one by one. The trip-creating panel is super simple and easy to use. 

What’s more, you can highlight every trip uniquely and smartly. As a result, this gives your customers all the information they need to book with confidence. 

You can check its detailed documentation or video tutorial on how to add a new trip for comprehensive guidance. The process can get a bit lengthy as to how detailed trip you want to make but it’s super simple. 

3. Advanced Trip Search & Filtering

Today, the attention span time is very much limited for people. That’s to say, they need everything quickly. 

Let’s say, your potential customers landed on your website and they can’t quickly find what they’re looking for. Now, it’s very likely they will leave your website without booking. 

Thankfully, WP Travel Engine includes powerful and advanced trip search and filtering options. As a result, your customers can easily sort trips by destination, price, duration, or other features. 

So, when it feels effortless for them to find the exact trip that matches their preferences, the chances are very high that they book your trips. 

4. Flexible Pricing Options

One of the major factors that many travelers consider is the cost factor of their trip.

Considering this, another good part about WP Travel Engine is that it gives you full control over pricing. 

Using this plugin, you can set child discounts, group rates, seasonal prices, and even special coupons on vacation times. 

Also, you can include what your cost includes and excludes, so your customers get pre-hand information. This helps you avoid any kind of confusion in future and also develops a kind of credibility of your business. 

All of this helps you be a step ahead in the competitive travel market. And at the same time, keeps your customers happy and boosts your revenue. 

5. Itinerary Builder

Customers really want to know what they’ll be doing on each day of their trip. And that’s exactly where WP Travel Engine’s itinerary builders come super handy. 

That’s to say, you can craft detailed, and day-by-day schedules. Basically, you can include activities, locations, notes, accommodation details, meal information, and many other details. 

Consequently, your customers get a clear picture of their adventure, it’s more like pre-selling the feeling of a trip. Further, this makes them more likely to book. 

Oh, and did we say there is also an Advanced Itinerary Builder addon along with Itinerary Downloader Extension? So, you can pre-offer the glimpse of high-quality and well-planned trips to the travelers.

6. Integration with Payment Gateways

Another important feature of the WP Travel Engine is that it integrates with trusted payment gateways like PayPal, Stripe, Authorize.Net, and more. 

Along with payment gateways, you can also allow for direct bank transfers and check payments. 

You can always make changes to your payment gateways easily via ‘WP Travel Engine > Settings > Payments.’

In fact, if you want more payment gateways, then you can opt for its several payment gateways add-on as per your need. 

As a result, your customers can pay directly on your website with their preferred method. This ensures a seamless and secure transaction process. 

If you feel like the customer will hesitate to make the payment earlier, then you can also allow for the ‘Book Now Pay Later’ option. This way, you won’t miss out on any prospects. 

7. Customizable Inquiry Booking Forms

Have you ever wondered about your potential customers who want more information about a trip or have specific questions? So, when those queries are missed, it’s more like missed opportunities. 

Therefore, another best part of WP Travel Engine is that it comes with customizable inquiry booking forms. 

With this, you can allow your customers to ask questions or request more details about a trip. 

In the form, you can include fields for their names, contact details, specific questions, or requests. 

As a result, this ensures you never miss a chance to connect with potential customers and provide them with the required information. So, they can make the right decision at the right time. 

And in case you don’t want it, you can easily do so. Go via ‘WP Travel Engine > Settings > Display > Single Trip’. Then toggle off the ‘Inquiry Info’ option. 

8. Other Additional Features

Other than these, there are several additional features that WP Travel Engine has got to offer to you.

Such as:

• Enables you to add an image gallery along with the video gallery to make your trip more exciting to travelers. 
• Comes with lazy loading and an optimized loading feature to boost the performance of your travel website. 
• You can enable or disable the tax settings as per your preference on whether to apply tax or not to your customers. 
• Offers you a compact layout option to make the booking process display elegantly on mobile devices. 
• Allows you to show your WhatsApp number so your prospects can easily reach out to you. 
• Gives you the option to show emergency contact details in the traveller’s information form. 
• Create different coupons to market your trip packages even during off-seasons.
• Provides you with tons of options to choose the base currency for your trip’s pricing. 
• Tons of premium add-ons whether you want it for user experience, upsell, marketing, lead capture, conversion, automation, and so much more. 

And so much more!

With that, we conclude the list of key features for the WP Travel Engine plugin. 

Now, let’s jump into learning how to create a travel booking website using WP Travel Engine. Are you ready?

C. How to Create a Travel Booking Website Using WP Travel Engine?

Alright, now let’s proceed forward to learn to create a travel booking website using WP Travel Engine.

Did you know, the core plugin of WP Travel Engine is absolutely free of cost? So, it really doesn’t take anything to get you started. 

Step 1: Install & Activate WP Travel Engine

All you’ve to do is log in to your WordPress dashboard, go to the ‘Plugins > Add New Plugin’. 

Then, search for the ‘WP Travel Engine’ plugin, followed by the ‘Install Now’ and ‘Activate’ button. 

Step 2: Complete Initial Setup

With that, you’ll land on the WP Travel Engine Welcome page where you can access the setup panel as shown below. 

Here, click on the ‘Let’s Get Started’ option to proceed forward. 

Next, you’re taken to the ‘Currency Setting’ page, where you can set up the trip’s base currency. By default, you can see it’s in USD ($), you can make changes if you want or leave it as it is. 

Additionally, you can put a comma (,) in the ‘Thousands Separator’ box and click on ‘Continue’.

Then, you’re taken to the ‘Email Setting’ page, where you can disable admin notification if you want or just leave it as default. Most importantly, you can specify the particular email that you want for sales notifications. 

On scrolling a bit down, you also have the option of whether to enable enquiry email or not. And if yes, specify the email where you want to get them. 

Once done, click on the ‘Continue’ option to proceed forward. 

With that, you’re taken to the ‘Page Setting’ tab where you can configure the default pages for several fields.

By default, the pages are already configured, so you can leave it as it is and click on the ‘Continue’ option. 

Next, you’re taken to the ‘Payment Gateway Setting’ tab. From here, you can directly enable the ‘Book Now Pay Later’ option. Or, you can enable ‘PayPal’ and enter your credentials. 

In case, if you don’t find your preferred gateway, then there are several premium addons for it too, which we’ll talk about a bit later. With that being said, for now, click on the ‘Continue’ option. 

With that, you’ve successfully configured the initial setup for the WP Travel Engine plugin. 

You’ll see the page as shown below. Now, you’re given 2 options, they are whether to ‘Create Your Trip’ or ‘Go to Dashboard’. 

You can click on any as per your preference, but for now, we’ll first click on the ‘Go to Dashboard’ option.

Next, you’ll see the popup notification box for notifications of security and feature updates. Simply click on the ‘Allow & Continue’ option.

Once done, you’ll see the home page of the WP Travel Engine plugin. 

Step 3: Install a Suitable Travel Theme

Now, before we proceed forward with the plugin, it’s very necessary that we need to have a proper travel theme set up on our travel website. 

Thankfully, there are several travel themes created by the WP Travel Engine team that perfectly suit the plugin. 

Here, we’re choosing the Travel Monster theme which is available in both free and premium versions. 

In fact, when you purchase the WP Travel Engine plugin Agency plan, you get this theme in the package. If you’ve not purchased, then you can quickly do so via the WP Travel Engine official website. 

You can install the free version of the Travel Monster theme just like any other WordPress theme right from your dashboard. 

For more guidance, check out our article on how to install the WordPress theme. 

So, once you’ve successfully activated the theme, you’ll see that the theme requires a few plugins to be installed. Simply click on the ‘Begin installing plugins’.

Next, you can select ‘Bulk Actions > Install > Apply’ to install all the required plugins at once.

Following the same process, you can ‘Activate’ too. 

Likewise, if you have the premium version, then you can upgrade it too.

For that, go to the ‘WP Travel Engine > Themes’ and click on the ‘Get This Theme’ option right under the ‘Travel Monster Pro’.

Then, you’ll see the page as shown below, where you’ve to click on the ‘Download Now’ option. 

And one important thing here, make sure you’ve logged in to your WP Travel Engine account with the given credentials to access the download button. 

Again coming back to it, on clicking the download option, the pro version of the Travel Monster Pro theme, is downloaded as a zip file. Also, to let you know, the zip file is actually in the form of a plugin. 

So, the next step is to go to the ‘Plugins > Add New Plugin > Upload Plugin’. 

Then, upload the downloaded zip file and click on the ‘Install Now’ button followed by the ‘Activate Plugin’ option. 

With that, you’ll see the following page, click on the ‘Click here to activate’ option. 

Now, when you purchase the premium version WP Travel Engine plugin, you get the Purchase Receipt where there is also a license key. Get the license key from your email. 

Then, paste it just like shown below and click on the ‘Activate License’ option. 

Step 4: Import Starter Sites

Once done, you can simply go to the ‘Travel Monster > Starter Sites’ and click on the ‘Import Starter Sites’ option. This way, you don’t have your travel website entirely from scratch. 

Now, you can see several Available Templates on your screen. All you’ve to do is click on the ‘Import’ option of your chosen template. Here, we go for the first one. 

Next, click on the ‘Import Complete Site’ option to move forward. 

Following that, you’re taken to a few prompts. Whereby you can just read the instructions and continue forward until you see the successfully imported notification as below.

Now, you can ‘View Website’ or ‘Customize’. But, let’s not get into that, so simply click on the ‘Cross’ icon for now. 

Step 5: Install & Activate WP Travel Engine Addons

With that, you’ll see that few premium extensions are required which are actually the WP Travel Engine addons. 

For that, simply go to the ‘WP Travel Engine > Extensions’ and click on the ‘Get the Extension’ of your required extensions. For example, here we’ve clicked on ‘Trip Fixed Starting Dates’. 

Next, you’re taken to the page as shown below, where you’ve to click the ‘Download Now’ option. 

In the same way, you can download all other required addons one by one. On doing so, you’ll get the plugin zip file on your computer.

Afterward, go to the ‘Plugins > Add New Plugin > Upload Plugin’. 

Then, upload the just downloaded zip file and click on the ‘Install Now’ button followed by the ‘Activate Plugin’ button.

Next, you need to switch your tab to the WP Travel Engine account panel and copy the license key. You can see the below image as a reference.

Then, head back to the dashboard and go to the ‘WP Travel Engine > Plugin License’. 

And add the license for the activated extensions and click on the ‘Save Changes’ option. 

Following the process, you can do the same for as many WP Travel Engine add-ons as you want to make a full-fledged travel website.

Step 6: Create and Configure Trips

Oh, but are you thinking if we missed creating trips for our travel website? No, we did not. 

So, when we imported the template, by default, several trips were pre-created. You can easily configure them exactly the way you want them. 

For that, all you’ve to do is go to the ‘Trips > Trips’. Here, you can definitely delete the pre-created trips and click on the ‘Add New Trip’ option to create a brand new trip. 

Alternatively, if you want less work, then you can simply edit the pre-created trips. Simply, hover onto a pre-created trip and click on the ‘Edit’ option. 

Then, edit your trips exactly the way you want and once done don’t forget to click on the ‘Save’ button on the top.

If you want more detailed guidance on how to create a trip, then you can check its detailed documentation or video tutorial for guidance.

And with that, you’ve your travel booking website absolutely ready in no time.

Step 7: Test the Booking Process

But, how does the booking process feel from the customer’s end? Let’s check it out.

First, when they land on their website, they’ll navigate your trips. 

Accordingly, they’ll select the trip they want the most and they’ll see all the trip descriptions and details that you’ve made for them. 

Once done, on scrolling a bit down, they’ll see the ‘Book Now’ option. They’ll click on the respective tab of the respective dates as per their suitability. 

Next, they can specify the Date as well as Time that’s most convenient to them and click on the ‘Continue’ option. 

Now, they can specify the number of travellers. Also, they can see the price per person and then click on the ‘Continue’ option.

Further, they can add extra services as per their requirement and finally will click on the ‘Proceed to Checkout’ option.

Afterward, they’ll land on the ‘Billing Details’ page where they fill in the required information that is asked. 

Last but not least, they’ll click on their preferred payment method, gives consent to terms and condition, and hits the final ‘Book Now’ option. 

Once done, they’ll get the ‘Thank You’ message. 

Quite cool, right?

D. How Much Does WP Travel Engine Cost?

Now, are you thinking about the cost factor for WP Travel Engine? Well, let’s explore that in this portion of the article. 

WP Travel Engine is a freemium plugin. That’s to say, it’s available in both free and paid versions. 

The core plugin is absolutely free and you can either install it right from your dashboard or from their official website. 

Meanwhile, there are several premium addons that add additional features to the plugin. It comes with different pricing plans to fit your needs. You can choose to pay yearly or make a one-time payment to get lifetime access.

• Personal Plan: Costs $9/month (billed yearly) or $399 for lifetime access. It’s great for individuals and freelancers. You get tools like itinerary building, trip weather updates, and support.
• Growth Plan: Costs $19/month (billed yearly) or $699 for lifetime access. It has everything in the Personal Plan plus extras like trip reviews and fixed trip dates.
• Travel Agency Plan: Costs $24/month (billed yearly) or $999 for lifetime access. It includes everything in the Growth Plan plus add-ons and premium travel themes.
• Development Company Plan: Costs $35/month (billed yearly) or $1999 for lifetime access. This plan is for managing up to 10 websites and has everything in the Travel Agency Plan.

On top, you get a 14-day money-back guarantee, so you can try the plugin without any regrets. 

E. Customer Support Options for WP Travel Engine

Talking about customer support options, WP Travel Engine makes sure you get the help you need to keep your travel website running smoothly.

To let you know, we tried their live chat support right on their official website for a minor issue that we encountered while trying this plugin for this article. And we must say, the response was quite quick and commendable. 

Besides, you can have a look at the customer support options for WP Travel Engine below:

• WP Travel Engine offers detailed documentation to help you set up and use the plugin step by step.
• If you’re more into visuals, then you can opt for tons of video tutorials (available in multiple languages like English, Spanish, and Portuguese). 
• For direct help, you can submit a support ticket through their website. The team responds quickly to assist with any technical issues or questions.
• Join the Facebook Community to connect with other WP Travel Engine users. You can ask questions, share ideas, and learn from others’ experiences.
• If you need extra help tailoring your website, then WP Travel Engine offers a customization service to create a site that fits your specific needs.

With these options, WP Travel Engine makes sure you always have help when you need it!

F. Pros & Cons of WP Travel Engine

Let’s now sum up the good sides and not-so-good sides of WP Travel Engine. So, you can figure out whether it’s the best deal for you.

Pros of WP Travel Engine

• Easy to use, even if you’re new to creating websites. Its clean interface and helpful guides make setup simple.
• Offers everything you need for a travel business, booking system, payment gateways, trip management, and more.
• Schema.org integration helps your website rank higher on search engines, bringing more visitors and potential customers.
• Choose from affordable annual plans or lifetime access, making it suitable for businesses of all sizes.
• Easily customize booking forms, trip packages, and pricing to match your needs.
• Add-ons like group discounts, trip reviews, and email notifications help you grow your business.
• Includes detailed documentation, video tutorials, community forums, and even customization services.
• Live chat service that you can fully depend upon for any kind of emergency. 

Cons of WP Travel Engine

• While the plugin is simple, understanding and using all the add-ons might take some time for beginners.

G. Frequently Asked Questions on WP Travel Engine

H. Beyond WP Travel Engine: Popular Alternatives (Table Comparison)

Meanwhile, are you looking for other alternatives beyond WP Travel Engine? Here we’ve brought you a simple comparison of some popular options.

• WP Travel
• Travelpayouts 
• Tour Master

Want more? Then, be sure to check out our article on the best travel booking plugins for WordPress. 

I. Final Thoughts: WP Travel Engine Review – Is It the Best Option for Your Travel Booking Website?

Alright, it’s finally time to get down to your most awaited question. 

Is WP Travel Engine the Best Option for Your Travel Booking Website?

Yes, yes, and absolutely yes!

The fact that WP Travel Engine is trusted by over 10,000 travel businesses worldwide and has a 4.9/5 rating on WordPress.org proves it’s a top choice for travel booking websites.

But not just that! We personally tried and tested the plugin for this review and we found it quite powerful and enjoyable. 

Also, for any kind of issue, you can always reach out to their support team. Speaking from our personal experience, they’re quite helpful and provide you with instant support.

That’s to say, you can fully focus on growing your business while WP Travel Engine takes care of the technical side.

Still, do you have any questions about the plugin? Don’t hesitate to ping us in the comment section below. We’re happy to help you out. 

Are you already using the WP Travel Engine? If yes, then please share your experience, we’d love to hear them out. 

Also, read our other reviews such as the Bricks Builder review and WooCommerce Wholesale Pro Plugin review. 

Last but not least, don’t forget to follow us on social media handles Facebook and X (Formerly Twitter) to stay updated with our content. 

References 

[1] https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-travel-engine/

[2] https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-travel/

[3] https://wordpress.org/plugins/travelpayouts/

[4] https://codecanyon.net/item/tour-master-tour-booking-travel-wordpress-plugin/20539780