Editor's Choice: Our Quintessential Online Resource List
We've collected our favorite sites from across the 'Internets' that we use when planning our trips (or for when we just want a good read). We're sure you'll recognize a few, but we think you'll be just as surprised by others.
By The Frommer's Staff August 8, 2006
We've collected our favorite sites from across the "Internets" that we use when planning our trips (or for when we just want a good read). We're sure you'll recognize a few, but we think you'll be just as surprised by others. And, of course, with the constant mutability of the Web, we'll continue to add sites as they become known to us. (If you have a suggestion, shoot us an e-mail at editor@frommers.com with "Quint List" in the subject line.)
General Info
World Festivals (www.festivals.com): Search the globe for everything from lobster festivals in China to California's avocado festival.
Concierge.com (www.concierge.com): CondeNast Traveler's comprehensive website with new destination guides, great slide shows, and addictive lists.
National Park Service (www.nps.gov): A comprehensive website with information on all National Parks in the United States.
Tourism Offices Worldwide Directory (www.towd.com): Directory of worldwide tourism offices -- a great place to start planning for any travel experience.
Michelin (www.viamichelin.com): Lets you plug in addresses to get directions throughout the U.S. and Europe.
Google Earth(www.googleearth.com): Use satellite imagery to swoop in on your destination and get a bird's eye view before you go.
TravelLady magazine (www.travellady.com): Articles and travel information.
Where to Go Next (www.wheretogonext.com): A subscription site offering searchable archives of deals, steals, and general travel news and info meant to inspire your next trip. The daily email service brings the goods on worldwide events and goings-on right to your virtual doorstep.
Smarter Living (www.smarterliving.com):
An up-to-the-minute comprehensive round-up of travel deals, news, destination info, blogs, links, and more. Sign up for a weekly email newsletter and never miss a deal to/from your city(ies) of choice.
Outside magazine online (http://outside.away.com/index.html): Very well done, searchable, in-depth articles to short Gear Guy and other advice and forums.
Backpacker's Ultimate Guide (www.bugeurope.com): Forums, journals, and guidebooks for the hostel crowd.
LA Times (www.latimes.com): Good articles with focus areas that include "specials and deals" and "Travel 101."
Volunteer Abroad (www.volunteerabroad.com): A clearinghouse with info on volunteer positions, jobs, and schools abroad.
Responsible Travel (www.responsible-travel.org): Info on minimum impact travel, with topics on culture, community, the environment, and photography.
Cross Cultural Solutions (www.crossculturalsolutions.org): Volunteer your time overseas for a bit of reward with your vaycay.
Farm Sanctuary (www.farmsanctuary.org): Stay with rescued animals (and possibly even volunteer) and get your feel-good on.
Global Volunteers (www.globalvolunteers.org): Volunteer abroad on international or U.S. service programs.
The Flying Doctors (www.flyingdocs.org): Interesting volunteer program: projects run over short weekend trips to set up clinics/provide medical care in Northern Mexico and Baja.
XE currency converter (www.xe.com):
The best world currency converter.
World Climate (www.worldclimate.com): Average temps and rainfalls around the world.
World Wildlife Fund (www.worldwildlife.org/travel): Environmental learning tours -- for the animal and nature lover in all of us.
Adventure Network International (www.adventure-network.com): Love the cold white stuff? This crew specializes in tours of Antarctica.
In the Air
Which Budget (www.whichbudget.com): Curious about those low-cost carriers you've heard so much about. Head here to find practically any route anywhere in the world.
Sleeping in Airports (www.sleepinginairports.com): Direct reports from the brave and forsaken on the coziest & safest locations to rest your head between flights.
Search Airfares (www.kayak.com): A travel search engine site that combs through other websites and presents you with the best deals on airfare, hotel stays and car rental rates.
Itravel.net (www.itravelnet.com): U.K.-based travel site -- the LOW COST AIRLINES link is great for a list of cheap European airlines (comparable to the U.S.'s Jetblue or Southwest).
Opodo (www.opodo.co.uk) U.K.-based flight search engine; also offers hotels, car rentals, etc.
Seat Guru (www.seatguru.com): Find the best (and worst) seats on almost any aircraft.
Fare Cast (www.farecast.com): An airfare prediction site that helps people decide when and with what airlines to buy to save them the most money.
Airfare Watchdog (www.airfarewatchdog.com): Up-to-date site (and customizable emailed newsletter) that summarizes the cheapest airfares. Revolutionary.
Travel Zoo (www.travelzoo.com):
Advertising based airfare deals, plus hotel and vacation packages.
Johnny Jet (www.johnnyjet.com): Travel tips and deals, plus a weekly newsletter (with lots of pictures) that lets you travel vicariously around the world with Johnny.
Web Flyer (www.webflyer.com): The frequent flyer's guru, includes a helpful mileage marker, info on the airlines latest promotions, and full rundowns of all the airline's programs.
Avoid Delays(www.avoiddelays.com): Don't let traffic jams put the kibosh on your flight plans. Head here before you go to the airport to view real time air traffic and get useful tips on the best flights with the fewest delays.
Ride the Rails
The Man in Seat Sixty-One (www.seat61.com): A personal site of professional caliber that details how to ride the rails in over 80 countries
--
rates & schedules included.
Die Bahn (www.bahn.de): The official German rail site has the best online timetable for European trains on the Web and includes lots of small towns that other train Websites ignore; click the International Guests link on the main page for the English version.
Amtrak (www.amtrak.com): For information on U.S. Rail routes and special trains, as well as special pass info and train reservations, this is the place to go.
VIA Rail (www.viarail.ca): Canada's comprehensive and official rail information and reservations site.
Rail Europe (www.raileurope.com): Rail Europe's official website has a timetable, reservations info, and details on its many pass options.
Four Wheels and a Road
Autoeurope (www.autoeurope.com): Great rates on short-term rentals and long-term leases in most European countries.
GasBuddy (www.gasbuddy.com): Enter your zip code (for U.S. and Canada only) and this site will tell you where to find the cheapest (and most expensive) gas in the neighborhood.
Gas Price Watch (www.gaspricewatch.com): An able competitor to GasBuddy for monitoring prices throughout the country.
Zipcar (www.zipcar.com): Car sharing in NYC, SF, and Toronto; what could be cooler and more eco-friendly, I ask?
A Room of One's Own
Bed and Breakfast (www.bedandbreakfast.com): A viewable and bookable database of B&Bs across the globe; especially good for the U.S.
Unusual Hotels of the World (www.uhotw.com): Here's where to go to fulfill your dream of spending a night in prison, plus scores of other offbeat properties.
Luxury Explorer (www.luxuryexplorer.com): A luxury travel website that gives first-hand accounts from some of the world's most luxurious hotels and offers members of its site special deals on hotel stays and airfare upgrades.
EuroCheapo (www.eurocheapo.com):
Reviews European budget hotels and hostels. Other destination information such as event calendars, car rental information, and free attractions is also provided.
Stay in Buenos Aires (www.stayinbuenosaires.com): Buenos Aires apartment rentals, airport pickup, cheap cell phone rental, and local info. A great one-stop shop.
Luxury Link (www.luxurylink.com): Discounted luxury travel packages and auctions in which you can bid on luxury travel. Some great deals.
Road Junky (www.roadjunky.com): Connects travelers to free apt stays.
Iglu Villas (www.igluvillas.com): Villa rentals in worldwide destinations from Europe and Lapland to South Africa and Sri Lanka.
Jurys Doyle Dublin (www.jurys-dublin-hotels.com): Easy to navigate site for all 10 Jurys Doyle hotels at several different price ranges; prices are as low as you will find on any major search engine.
WorldWide Opportunities on Organic Farms (www.wwoof.org): Connects members with organic farmers in dozens of countries who are looking for volunteer help in exchange for food and lodging. An excellent way to learn, travel, eat right, commune with nature and meet people from all corners of the globe.
(www.worldby.com): This online site books hotels in a select number of European cities; the rates aren't always the best, but we love the comprehensive photos -- among the best on the Web --
of all the properties it takes reservations for.
Thistle Hotels (www.thistlehotels.com): Hotel info, reservations, and weekend room auctions for Thistle hotels around the United Kingdom.
Bed & Breakfast Inns Online (www.bbonline.com): Info and reservations for scores of B&Bs from around the globe (though the U.S. and Canada selection is best).
Historic Hotels of America (www.historichotels.org): Historical Hotels of America features info and reservations for more than 200
properties in the U.S. that are renowned for their historic architecture and character.
Travelaxe (www.travelaxe.com): The ultimate hotel pricing tool searches numerous online Web discounters for hotel rooms across the globe; even better, in most cases it gives exact prices, including taxes.
Bidding for Travel (www.biddingfortravel.com):
We never bid on Priceline for a hotel room without consulting this comprehensive bulletin board first; the downside: the board's management can get snippy.
Better Bidding (www.betterbidding.com): It's not as active as BiddingforTravel.com, but the management here is nicer, and this one also includes info on Hotwire hotel bidding.
Quirky and Offbeat
Swimming Holes (www.swimmingholes.org): Find a user-reviewed place for a cool summer dip near you
--
or submit your own.
The Literary Guide to the World (www.salon.com/books/literary_guide): Salon.com's new "travel guide...devoted to the literature of a place." Articles detail must-read books for various destinations around the world.
One Bag (www.onebag.com): A site dedicated to the art of traveling light. Here you'll find great tips on efficient, no-nonsense packing.
Wandalust (www.wandalust.com): Smart U.K. blog filled with newsworthy travel tip that will keep you in the globetrotting know.
Infamous New York Real Estate (www.infamousnewyorkrealestate.blogspot.com): Ever wonder about "houses of ill repute or residences shadowed by shame, blame, and pain in NYC?" This is your site for the dark, the macabre, or the just plain weird in NYC history.
LondonNet (www.londonnet.co.uk): Net magazine for Londoners and visitors that has a chatty attitude and opinionated recommendations, and has been around for 10 years.
New York Cool (www.newyorkcool.com): Far more than a "what's on" page, also has reviews, interviews, "New York Stories" and advice from "Miss Wendy."
Theatermania (www.theatermania.com): Extremely thorough theater listings and reviews (and you can buy tickets) for many major cities in the U.S. and London.
The Bathroom Diaries (www.thebathroomdiaries.com): Database of public bathrooms around the world, with Golden Plunger Awards for the fanciest loos.
Round the World by Bike (www.roundtheworldbybike.com): Suppressing some pretty hard-core wanderlust fantasies?
Live vicariously through Alastair Humphrey's reports on his around-the-world cycling adventure for charity.
Arrangements Abroad (www.arrangementsabroad.com): For the ultimate educational adventure, check out the itineraries offered by Academic Arrangements Abroad.
With unmatched connections abroad, this company's tours are granted access to people and places that mainstream tourists could only dream of.
All Ears Net (http://allearsnet.com/index.html): The most comprehensive unofficial website to Walt Disney World is put out by Mickey fanatics; includes dining menus, hotel specs, insider tips, and more.
Nolo (www.nolo.com): Have a problem with a travel provider that needs a resolution? Unsure of how to prove guardianship when traveling overseas with a minor? Click over to this vast legal resource to learn more.
Connecting with Fellow Travelers
Tripmates (www.tripmates.com): In the spirit of Friendster, Facebook, and MySpace, this international travel community connects you with locals and fellow travelers in places all over the world.
IgoUgo (www.igougo.com): Enormous collection of personal travel blogs.
Australia's Smart Traveler (www.smartraveller.gov.au/index.html): The Australian government's travel advisories, which tend to be slightly more relaxed than the U.S. Government's warnings.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov/travel): Check here at least 2 months before you depart to another country for necessary vaccinations and other health information.
International SOS (www.internationalsos.com): International health and evacuation insurance, reputedly used by the United Nations. We used it when traveling to Mongolia.
Airline Meals (www.airlinemeals.net): For those of us who've never flown first class and are dying to know what they're eating up there.
British Food Shop (www.britishcornershop.co.uk): If you miss the food from your trip to the U.K., buy your Bendicks bittermints, McVities, and plum chutney here.
Chowhound.com (www.chowhound.com): Favorite site among foodies, with especially good message boards where you can ask for suggestions on where to eat.
Eluna (www.eluna.com): Israel's largest restaurant database also has dining reviews and discount coupons.
Food Reference Website (www.foodreference.com): Reference for all things food, with an especially thorough database of food festivals, listed by state and by country.
Open Table (www.opentable.com): The easiest way to make reservations (online) all across the U.S. and in a handful of international destinations.
Road Food (www.roadfood.com): Whether it's off Route 66 or Rural Route 12, you'll find that greasy spoon reviewed here.
Shamash.org (www.shamash.org/kosher): The world's largest kosher restaurant database features restaurants from all over the globe.
Strong Buzz (www.thestrongbuzz.com): This blog, with up-to-date critiques of where to eat in NYC now, is like a best friend's voice whispering in your ear all the new hot-spot secrets with you. Addictive when you're in charge of making dinner plans.
The Vegetarian Travel Guide (www.vegetarianusa.com): For veggies traveling across the U.S., may they never lack a food source.
Tech Specs and Travel Toys
Flight 001 (www.flight001.com): Forward thinking luggage, gear and accessories for the modern traveler. (Stores in San Francisco, NYC, and Chicago).
Travel Gear Blog (www.travelgearblog.com): Reviews of travel products, from the practical to the quirky (i.e. the "Whiz", which allows women to pee standing).
Luxist (www.luxist.com): Blog with high-end products and travel ideas for jetsetters. Fascinating, even for the budget-minded.
Bookings and Deals
Go-Today (www.go-today.com): The Godfather of the package deal now covers the globe at bargain basement prices without sacrificing quality.
Vacations To Go (www.vacationstogo.com): A roundup of bargains on last-minute cruises (trips within 90 days of booking), plus lots of information and reviews of all the major lines and their fleets.
Site 59 (www.site59.com): Last-minute package deals to most of the U.S. and select destinations in Europe, Canada, Mexico, and South America.
When You're Traveling withÂ…
Over 50
New England Hiking Holidays (www.nehikingholidays.com): Hike by day and relax by night in New England country inns.
Elder Treks (www.eldertreks.com): Exotic travel for the mature wanderer.
Senior Cycling (www.seniorcycling.com): "Old folks on spokes" kinda says it all, don't it?
Walking the World (www.walkingtheworld.com): Adventure travel operator offers guided walks worldwide.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without
notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before
planning your trip.
