How WRLD prices trips and earns money

WRLD shows what a trip will likely cost so a group can decide where to go. Most numbers are estimates to plan with, not quotes. Here is which is which, and how we earn money.

What’s live and what’s estimated

Live: the prices you see after you tap Live stays (Airbnb, Booking.com, Google Hotels), See fares on Google Flights, Viator tours and official ticket pages. Those sites set the price.
Estimated: every total on a WRLD trip card, marked est. Use it to compare places and set a budget, then check the live links before you book.

Flights

When recent fares are available for your month, WRLD uses the lowest ones travelers found (Aviasales data via Travelpayouts). Otherwise it estimates from distance, adjusted for the month: U.S. trips cost more in June, July and over the holidays and less after mid-August; Europe peaks June to August; the Caribbean and Mexico peak in winter and spring.

Hotels and days there

WRLD starts from U.S. government per diem rates for the month you pick: the State Department’s rates for 1,000+ places abroad and GSA’s month-by-month rates for about 300 U.S. destinations. Those are what a business traveler is reimbursed, so WRLD scales them down to leisure travel and re-measures that scale as travelers log what they really spent. Places without a government rate use WRLD’s own estimate for that kind of place and season.

Road trips

Gas: the government’s weekly average price for your region (or the national average), at 25 miles a gallon, one car for every four people.
Drive time: real road routes when available, otherwise distance at highway speed with stops.
Places to stay: hotel rooms for two, or for groups of five or more a whole vacation house when that’s cheaper, including typical cleaning and service fees. Lake towns, ski towns and beaches follow their busy and quiet seasons.

How close are the estimates?

Close enough to choose between places, not close enough to budget to the dollar. Expect real prices to differ by 15% or more, especially for holiday weekends, festivals and last-minute trips. If something looks wrong, tell us at privacy@wrldtrips.com.

How WRLD earns money

Partner commissions. Some links to tours and activities (Viator, GetYourGuide) pay WRLD a commission when you book. You pay the same price. Those links are marked “WRLD may earn a commission.”
Never at your expense. When an attraction sells tickets on its own site, WRLD shows that official price first, and labels resellers as resellers.
Later, paid features. Planning, invites, group chat, voting and splitting costs stay free. Extras such as a Trip Pass for the whole group may cost money; see the refund policy for how that will work.

WRLD does not sell your data. See the privacy policy.