If you manage a Holiday home, a B&B or an apartment on Booking.com, it can be very useful to export your booking calendar to connect it to Airbnb, your website’s calendar, or other management tools.
Booking.com allows you to do this through a iCal link, i.e. an address that allows another compatible calendar to read the busy dates of the structure.
In this guide we see How to export your Booking.com calendar, where to find the iCal link and above all what are the limits of this type of synchronization.
What is the Booking.com iCal link?
The link iCal is a URL associated with the calendar of a facility or a specific unit.
When this link is entered into another compatible system, the latter can read the information about the busy dates and use it to update its availability.
In practice, the flow is this:
Booking.com → iCal link → other calendar
For example:
Booking.com → iCal → Airbnb
or:
Booking.com → iCal → Booking Engine of your site
This system is particularly useful for reducing the risk of the same date remaining available on multiple channels at the same time.
How to export your Booking.com calendar
To find the iCal link you need to enter the Extranet di Booking.com.
The interface may vary slightly depending on the type of structure and account configuration, but the current path normally passes through the calendar and synchronization section.
1. Log in to the Extranet Booking.com
Enter your property’s management panel and select, if necessary, the property you want to configure.
2. Open Calendar & Prices
Look for one of the sections:
Calendar and prices
or
Rates and availability
The wording may change slightly depending on the version of the Extranet.
3. Open “Sync Calendars”
Within the calendar manager, look for:
Sync calendars
or, in the English version:
Sync calendars
From this screen, Booking.com allows you to manage connections with external calendars.
4. Select “Add Calendar Connection”
Click on:
Add calendar connection
Booking.com may initially ask you to link to an external calendar.
If your goal is only get the iCal link of Booking.com, you can use the option to skip this step when available.
5. Export the calendar
Name your connection and choose:
Export calendar
Booking.com will generate the link to the property’s calendar.
6. Copy the iCal link Booking.com
Click on:
Copy link
You got your iCal Booking.com link.
Depending on your configuration, Booking.com can allow you to export only booked dates or also include closed/blocked dates.
Where should I put the iCal link?
It depends on what you want to sync.
The principle is always the same:
Booking.com generate the link → the external service imports the link
You can then use it, for example, to connect Booking.com with:
- Airbnb
- A Booking Engine
- A management system for holiday homes
- a compatible PMS
- some external calendars
- Other portals that support iCal import
If you use multiple portals at the same time, you need to pay special attention to the Synchronization direction.
How to sync Booking.com and Airbnb using iCal
Let’s say you have the same apartment listed on both Booking.com and Airbnb.
Exporting only Booking.com to Airbnb creates this synchronization:
Booking.com → Airbnb
When Booking.com report a busy date, Airbnb can import that information and block the same date.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean that Booking.com also receive Airbnb bookings.
To get a synchronization in both directions you must also create the opposite link:
Airbnb → Booking.com
The result then becomes:
Booking.com ⇄ Airbnb
In practice:
- export the calendar Booking.com;
- import the link on Airbnb;
- export the Airbnb calendar;
- import the Airbnb link on Booking.com.
It is important to configure both connections when you want each platform to take into account the bookings received by the other.
Can I import the Booking.com calendar to my website?
Yes, if the booking system used by the site supports iCal import.
It is a particularly interesting solution for those who want to start receiving Direct bookings, without depending exclusively on OTAs.
The flow can become:
Booking.com → iCal → website
And, if your Booking Engine also supports export:
Booking.com ⇄ site
In this way, a reservation received on Booking.com can make the same dates unavailable on the site and vice versa.
With Host Domination Booking Engine, for example, you can connect your properties’ external calendars and centralize bookings within WordPress.
This allows you to combine bookings from OTAs with those received directly from your website.
Warning: iCal does not synchronize everything
This is probably the most important point of the guide.
An iCal calendar is not equivalent to a Channel Manager.
iCal is primarily used to transmit information related to the calendar and occupation of dates.
You should therefore not expect that through the simple iCal link elements such as:
- prices;
- rates;
- promotions;
- advanced restrictions;
- structured inventory availability;
- content of the ad.
Booking.com has specific connectivity systems for Channel Managers and PMS that can also manage Rates and availability via API.
This distinction is fundamental.
iCal
Booking.com → busy dates → other calendar
Channel Manager / API integration
Booking.com ⇄ Availability + Rates + Inventory + Other Information
For a single holiday home or for a few structures, iCal can be a simple and effective solution.
On the other hand, when the number of accommodations and channels grows, it may become more appropriate to use more advanced synchronization systems.
Does the calendar Booking.com update in real time?
You should not think of iCal synchronization as an instant connection.
The connected systems must in fact read the iCal feed periodically to see if there are any changes.
This means that there can be a range between:
rebooking → iCal update → import on the other portal
And this is precisely one of the main limitations of iCal compared to an API integration.
If you receive many bookings at the same time or manage properties with high occupancy, this aspect must be considered in the strategy used to avoid the Overbooking.
I can’t find “Sync calendars” on Booking.com: why?
You may be entering the Extranet and not finding your entry Sync calendars.
First of all, check that:
- having entered the correct structure;
- use the Extranet from a browser;
- have the necessary permissions to change availability and calendar;
- search for the function within Calendar, Calendar and prices or Rates and availability.
The availability of iCal synchronization may also depend on the configuration of the facility and the connections already in the account; some facilities connected through connectivity providers use their own Channel Manager/PMS instead.
Can I get an iCal link for each apartment?
Yes, if you manage several units, it is essential to correctly link the calendar for each accommodation.
For example:
Apartment Rome → iCal Booking.com Rome
Milan Apartment → iCal Booking.com Milan
Naples Apartment → iCal Booking.com Naples
We must not mix the calendars of different structures.
If you’re using a Booking Engine or management system, each feed must be associated with the correct calendar.
iCal link Booking.com: Don’t share it publicly
The calendar link should be treated as a private address for the services that need to synchronize.
It is therefore preferable not to publish it within:
- pages of the site;
- forum;
- articles;
- public screenshots;
- messages accessible to third parties.
Copy it directly from the Extranet and enter it exclusively in the service that needs to import it.
iCal Booking.com or Channel Manager?
The choice depends above all on the complexity of the structure.
iCal may be sufficient if:
You manage a few apartments, you mainly want to synchronize busy dates and are looking for a simple solution.
A more advanced system may be preferable if:
manage many accommodations, work with several OTAs at the same time, or you also need to synchronize Pricing, Fees, and Inventory.
It is therefore not correct to consider iCal and Channel Manager as two perfectly equivalent tools.
Conclusion
Exporting the Booking.com calendar is relatively simple.
The route to search for in the Extranet is generally:
Booking.com → Calendar & Pricing/Rates & Availability → Sync Calendars → Export Calendar → Copy Link
Once you have the iCal link, you can place it in Airbnb, Booking Engine of your site, or any other compatible system.
The most important thing, however, is to understand How information circulates:
Booking.com → iCal → external calendar
If you want Booking.com to receive bookings from the other system as well, you’ll need to set up the link in the opposite direction as well.
For those who own a WordPress site, Host Domination Booking Engine allows you to combine bookings from Booking.com and other portals with direct bookings from your website, centralizing calendar management.
FAQ
Where can I find the Booking.com iCal link?
Log in to the Extranet, open the calendar management and search Sync calendars. From here you can use the export function and copy the relevant iCal link.
Is the iCal link Booking.com free?
The iCal feature is a calendar synchronization tool available within the Booking.com management for compatible facilities. It does not require the separate purchase of a Channel Manager.
Can I connect Booking.com to Airbnb?
Yes. You can export the Booking.com calendar and import it to Airbnb. For a two-way synchronization, you will then also need to export the Airbnb calendar and import it to Booking.com.
Does iCal also sync Booking.com prices?
No. A simple iCal feed should not be considered a tool for synchronizing rates. To manage prices, inventory, and availability in a more advanced way, there are connectivity integrations and Channel Manager. Booking.com also provides providers with specific APIs for rates and availability.
Can I use the Booking.com calendar on my website?
Yes, if the Booking Engine used on the site supports importing iCal calendars.
Does iCal completely eliminate the risk of overbooking?
It greatly reduces risk when calendars are set up correctly, but iCal synchronization should not be considered instantaneous. For this reason, especially with many properties or a high volume of bookings, it is important to carefully evaluate the synchronization system used.
