There’s something magical about deciding to travel for music. Maybe it’s your favorite band announcing a tour, a festival lineup that’s too good to miss, or just the pull of experiencing live music in a new city. Whatever brings you here, the planning phase can either be exciting or overwhelming. The difference? Knowing exactly which websites and tools will make your life easier.
Let’s walk through the best online resources for booking every aspect of your music getaway, from scoring those tickets to finding the perfect place to crash after the show.
Booking Flights That Won’t Break the Bank
Google Flights: The Starting Point
I start every single trip on Google Flights. The interface is intuitive, the search is comprehensive, and the flexible date feature is a game changer. Here’s how I use it: plug in your departure city and destination, then look at the calendar view. You’ll instantly see which dates are cheapest.
The price tracking feature sends email alerts when fares drop for routes you’re watching. Set up tracking as soon as you know you want to attend an event, even if you haven’t bought tickets yet. I’ve saved hundreds of dollars this way, getting alerts about flash sales or sudden price drops.
Google Flights also shows you nearly airports. Flying into Oakland instead of San Francisco, or Providence instead of Boston, can sometimes save significant money. The map explore feature is honestly fun to play with too. Set your budget and dates, and see where you can fly within that budget. It’s sparked more than a few spontaneous music trips for me.
Skyscanner: Finding Creative Routes
While Google Flights excels at straightforward searches, Skyscanner digs deeper. It searches budget airlines that other platforms sometimes miss and finds creative flight combinations that might save you money. The “everywhere” search feature is wild—you can see the cheapest flights from your city to literally anywhere during your available dates.
Skyscanner is particularly useful for multi city trips. Planning to catch several tour stops or hit multiple festivals? The multi city search helps you piece together the most efficient and affordable routing. It’ll show you options you never would have considered, like flying into one city and out of another to minimize backtracking.
Southwest Airlines Direct
Here’s a pro tip many people miss: Southwest Airlines doesn’t show up on flight comparison sites. You have to check their website directly. This is crucial because Southwest often has competitive prices, plus they offer two free checked bags and no change fees.
For music festival travel, those checked bags are huge. You can bring camping gear, extra clothes, or all the merch you’re definitely going to buy without stressing about baggage fees. The flexible change policy is also clutch when tour dates shift or your plans change. With most airlines charging $200+ for changes, Southwest’s flexibility is legitimately valuable.
Scott’s Cheap Flights and Going
If you’re planning music travel well in advance, sign up for flight deal newsletters. Scott’s Cheap Flights (now called Going) sends alerts about mistake fares and unusually cheap flights from your home airport. While you can’t always plan around these deals, sometimes the stars align. A $300 roundtrip to Europe pops up right when your favorite festival is happening? That’s fate telling you to go.
Finding Your Home Base
Airbnb: More Than Just a Place to Sleep
Location is everything when you travel for music. Airbnb lets you filter by distance from a specific address, so you can find places within walking distance of the venue. This is clutch for festivals where parking is a nightmare or shows that go late into the night.
Entire apartments or houses are perfect for groups. Split a three bedroom place four ways, and you’re often paying less than individual hotel rooms while having way more space. You get a kitchen for breakfast, a living room for pre gaming before the show, and that priceless ability to come back and decompress together after an incredible night.
Read reviews carefully, paying attention to comments about noise, neighborhood safety, and whether the place actually matches the photos. Check the cancellation policy before booking, especially for events far in the future. I usually filter for places with flexible cancellation just in case plans change.
The “experiences” section on Airbnb sometimes offers cool local music related activities too—recording studio tours, vinyl shopping trips with local DJs, that kind of thing. Worth checking out if you’re spending a few extra days in a music city.
Booking.com: Traditional Hotels Made Easy
When I want a traditional hotel, Booking.com is my go to. The selection is massive, the filters are detailed, and the cancellation policies are clearly stated. Most properties offer free cancellation up to a certain date, which gives you flexibility if tour dates change or you find a better deal elsewhere.
The map view is excellent for location scouting. You can see exactly where each hotel sits relative to the venue, nearby restaurants, and public transportation. The guest reviews are generally honest and detailed. Pay attention to recent reviews rather than just the overall score, especially for comments about cleanliness, noise levels, and staff responsiveness.
Booking.com’s loyalty program (Genius) offers discounts after a few stays. If you travel for music regularly, these perks add up. The mobile app is solid too, with a messaging feature that lets you communicate with properties directly.
Hotels.com: The Rewards Program Play
Hotels.com operates on a simple but effective model: book ten nights, get one free. If you’re a frequent music traveler, this adds up quickly. The selection overlaps significantly with Booking.com, so compare prices on both platforms before booking.
The app has a “secret prices” feature for members that sometimes offers genuine discounts. It’s worth downloading and checking, even if you don’t use it for every booking.
Hostelworld: Budget Friendly and Social
Solo travelers and budget conscious music fans, listen up: hostels have come a long way from the sketchy backpacker days. Modern hostels offer clean, safe accommodations at a fraction of hotel costs. Many now have private rooms if you want personal space while keeping costs down.
The real magic of hostels is the social atmosphere. You’re surrounded by other travelers, many of whom are probably at the same event you’re attending. I’ve met some of my favorite concert buddies in hostel common rooms, found ride shares to festivals, and gotten incredible local recommendations from fellow guests.
Hostelworld shows you detailed info about amenities, locations, and vibes. Some hostels are party focused, others are quiet and chill. Read descriptions and reviews to find your match. The platform’s booking system is straightforward, and they clearly show what’s included (breakfast, Wi-Fi, lockers, etc.).
Making It All Come Together
Planning travel for music events requires juggling multiple bookings across different platforms. Here’s my workflow: First, track artists and lock down exact event dates. Second, set up flight price alerts immediately. Third, research neighborhoods and accommodation options while monitoring flight prices. When you see a good flight deal, pull the trigger, then immediately book accommodation. This order gives you flexibility while ensuring you don’t miss out on good deals.
Keep confirmation numbers organized. Screenshot everything. Most importantly, build in buffer time—arriving the day before an event beats the stress of delayed flights potentially making you miss a show.
The planning phase is just the beginning of your music adventure, but getting these fundamentals right sets you up for an incredible experience. With the right websites in your toolkit, you can focus less on logistics and more on the anticipation of live music, new cities, and unforgettable moments ahead.
We are music fans that travel the world for concerts and music festivals.