# How to Build a Travel Booking Platform in Bubble - Tool: Bubble - Difficulty: Beginner - Time required: 30-35 min - Compatibility: All Bubble plans - Last updated: March 2026 ## TL;DR A travel booking platform in Bubble uses Data Types for destinations, accommodations, and bookings. Travelers search by destination and dates, browse available accommodations, book with payment processing, receive confirmation emails, and view their trip itinerary. This tutorial covers the search, listing, booking, and itinerary features needed for a functional travel platform. ## Overview: Travel Booking Platform in Bubble This tutorial guides you through building a travel booking platform where users search destinations, browse accommodations, make bookings with payment, and view trip itineraries. ## Before you start - A Bubble app with user authentication - Stripe plugin for payment processing - Understanding of date ranges, searches, and workflows ## Step-by-step guide ### 1. Create the travel data model Create 'Destination' with: name, country, description, images (list), featured (yes/no). Create 'Accommodation' with: name, destination, description, images, price_per_night (number), capacity (number), amenities (list of text), host (User), rating (number). Create 'Booking' with: accommodation, guest (User), check_in (date), check_out (date), guests (number), total_price (number), status (pending/confirmed/cancelled), payment_id (text). Create 'Review' with: booking, accommodation, reviewer (User), rating (number), comment (text). **Expected result:** Data Types for destinations, accommodations, bookings, and reviews are created. ### 2. Build the search and discovery page Create a landing page with a prominent search form: destination Search Box, check-in date picker, check-out date picker, and number of guests dropdown. Below, show featured destinations in a grid. When the user searches, navigate to a results page. The results page shows a Repeating Group of Accommodations filtered by destination, capacity >= guests, and no existing confirmed bookings overlapping the selected dates. **Expected result:** Users can search for accommodations by destination, dates, and guest count with availability filtering. ### 3. Create the accommodation detail and booking page Build a detail page showing: image gallery, name, description, price per night, amenities list, host info, reviews, and a booking widget. The booking widget shows selected dates (from URL parameters), number of nights (calculated), price per night, and total price. Add a 'Book Now' button. The workflow: check availability one more time, create a Booking (status=pending), process Stripe payment, update status to confirmed, send confirmation email. > Pro tip: Always re-check availability immediately before payment to prevent double-bookings from simultaneous users. **Expected result:** Users can view accommodation details and complete bookings with payment. ### 4. Implement availability checking Availability means no confirmed booking overlaps the requested dates. For an accommodation, search Bookings where: accommodation = this one AND status = confirmed AND check_in is before the requested check_out AND check_out is after the requested check_in. If count > 0, the accommodation is not available. Run this check both in the search results filter and again at booking time. **Expected result:** Accommodations with conflicting bookings are hidden from search results and blocked from new bookings. ### 5. Build the trip itinerary page Create a 'my-trips' page showing the user's bookings grouped by trip. Display upcoming trips (check_in > today) and past trips separately. Each booking card shows: accommodation image, name, destination, check-in/check-out dates, total price, and status. For upcoming trips, show a countdown to the trip. Add a 'Cancel Booking' button with cancellation policy logic (free cancellation 48+ hours before, partial refund 24-48 hours, no refund within 24 hours). **Expected result:** Users see their upcoming and past trips with booking details and cancellation options. ### 6. Add reviews after trip completion After a booking's check-out date passes, show a 'Leave a Review' prompt on the my-trips page. The review form collects a star rating and written comment. Create the Review record and update the accommodation's average rating. Display reviews on the accommodation detail page in a Repeating Group sorted by date. Only allow one review per booking. **Expected result:** Guests can review accommodations after their stay, helping future travelers make decisions. ## Complete code example File: `Workflow summary` ```text TRAVEL BOOKING — WORKFLOW SUMMARY ==================================== DATA TYPES: Destination: name, country, description, images Accommodation: name, destination, price_per_night, capacity, amenities, host, rating Booking: accommodation, guest, check_in, check_out, guests, total_price, status, payment_id Review: booking, accommodation, rating, comment SEARCH FLOW: Inputs: destination, dates, guests Filter: destination match, capacity >= guests Availability: no overlapping confirmed bookings BOOKING FLOW: Step 1: Re-check availability Step 2: Create Booking (pending) Step 3: Stripe payment Step 4: Status → confirmed Step 5: Confirmation email AVAILABILITY CHECK: Overlap = check_in < requested_out AND check_out > requested_in Available when overlap count = 0 CANCELLATION POLICY: 48+ hours before: full refund 24-48 hours: 50% refund <24 hours: no refund ``` ## Common mistakes - **Not checking availability at booking time, only at search time** — Another user can book the same dates between when search results load and when this user clicks Book, causing double-bookings Fix: Always re-verify availability immediately before processing payment in the booking workflow - **Using simple date equals constraints instead of range overlap logic** — A booking from March 1-5 would not be caught by checking check_in = March 3, because the check_in is March 1 Fix: Use overlap logic: existing check_in < requested check_out AND existing check_out > requested check_in - **Calculating total price on the client side only** — Users can manipulate client-side calculations to pay less than the actual price Fix: Calculate the total price in a backend workflow or verify it server-side before processing payment ## Best practices - Re-check availability immediately before processing payment to prevent double-bookings - Use date range overlap logic for accurate availability filtering - Calculate and verify pricing server-side, not just client-side - Implement a clear cancellation policy with time-based refund tiers - Send confirmation emails with all booking details and a calendar attachment - Prompt reviews after trip completion to build trust and content - Add wishlist/save functionality so users can compare accommodations ## Frequently asked questions ### Can I integrate with booking APIs like Booking.com or Expedia? Yes, via the API Connector. These APIs require affiliate or partner accounts. You can pull listings and availability data and create bookings through their APIs. ### How do I handle different currencies for international accommodations? Store prices in the accommodation's local currency. Use a currency conversion API to display prices in the user's preferred currency. Process payments in the accommodation's currency. ### Can I add a host dashboard for property managers? Yes. Create a host dashboard showing their listings, incoming bookings, calendar availability, earnings summary, and guest reviews. ### How do I handle booking modifications (date changes)? Create a modification workflow that cancels the old booking, checks availability for new dates, creates a new booking, and processes any price difference. ### Can RapidDev build a complete travel marketplace in Bubble? Yes. RapidDev can build travel platforms with search, booking, payment, host management, reviews, and analytics in Bubble. --- Source: https://www.rapidevelopers.com/bubble-tutorial/build-a-travel-booking-platform-in-bubble © RapidDev — https://www.rapidevelopers.com/bubble-tutorial/build-a-travel-booking-platform-in-bubble