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Making travel plans can be difficult on a tight budget. Most travel related websites focus on dates, times and destinations. Wanderfly has added another dimension to travel planning by allowing users to set budget specifications as well. Visitors can use sliding bars to determine where they are departing from, when they want to travel, how long they plan to be gone, where they want to explore, and how much they can spend. Wanderfly will give the user results that not only fit their time, date and destination specifications but their budget requirements as well.

Wanderfly was created by Cezary Pietrzak and Evan Schneyer in August of 2009. Based out of New York City, Wanderfly was intended to inspire people to travel and discover the world. By bringing budget into the equation, Wanderfly could help users find the best way to spend their travel funds so that they get the most out of the trip. Users can book accommodations, flights and activities, share their plans with others, and learn about their options based on where they want to go. Today, the site still serves the same purpose, giving users a fun, easy to use way to plan their next trip within their budget. In January 2011, Wanderfly has raised $1 million in new funding from Charles River Ventures, StartupAngel and other investors.

Wanderfly offers a few very common features along with a less common one. Many travel websites allow users to search for activities, flights, hotels and book online. However Wanderfly stands out because the site brings budget into the equation. Users can reduce the amount of time they must sit and do math to decide whether or not they can afford to see everything they want to. Wanderfly provides options that fall within the user’s travel budget.

The Wanderfly website invites user with stylish, colorful icons and easy to use sliders. The sliders serve the same function as calendars and text fields do on other sites, but they feel more precise and smooth to use. The user can adjust as they like and easily see where the slider is currently sitting just above. The site background features a lush green expanse with the gentle ripple of water in the distance, the perfect compliment to a site that wants to inspire people to travel.

To register for Wanderfly, a new user can click the “Sign In” link at the top right hand corner of the homepage. This introduces the user to the blue Sign In pop up box. The top of the box includes a link that reads “Don’t have an account? Create one now!”. The user is immediately directed to the short registration form, which asks for a first and last name, email address, and password to complete registration.

Wanderfly benefits by having more users on the site, reviewing activities, hotels and flights. Sites like Wanderfly usually take a portion of the booking fee. The user planning their next trip does not have to pay anything for the benefit of this service. Anyone can create an account and begin making travel plans for free.

Anyone who plans to travel in the future can appreciate Wanderfly. This is especially true if the user has a specific budget they must stay within. Wanderfly can help the user find the right activities, accommodations and flights to stay within budget without missing out on key attractions or activities or otherwise limiting their stay.

• Search for travel suggestions using budget as well as date, time and destination
• Read about potential destinations and activities
• Share your travel plans with others through WanderFly
• Book hotels, flights, and activities online
• Choose specific interests from category buttons

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