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Be Your Own Travel Agent
Using the Internet to Plan Your Next TripSkokie Public Library
June 17, 2010Terry Ratoff
How Web Resources Can Help You Plan Your Next Trip
• Choosing a Destination• Planning Your Itinerary • Comparing Costs• Reviewing Transportation Options• Selecting Accommodations• I’m Hungry – Where should we eat?
Choosing a Destination
Travel Guides and BlogsInformation comparable to printed guides
andAdvice from other travelers
andOnline communities to ask questions and
discuss your plans
Travel Blogs and Websites
Many travel blogs & guides online, useful for:
– choosing destinations– creating itineraries – making plans
Travel blogs present one person’s or groups point of view about travel. A few favorites:
– Peter Greenberg’s Blog– The New York Times Travel Page– The Wall Street Journal Travel Page
Peter Greenberg
• Peter is the Travel Editor for CBS News, and appears on The Early Show and across many CBS broadcast platforms.
• Offers tips and the latest travel news.
New York Times Travel
• Has searchable destination guides that include maps, reviews and reader comments for activities, restaurants and accommodations.
• Has links to The New York Times Travel Blogs:– In Transit A Guide to Intelligent Travel
Choose a Featured Interest Guide from the NYT
New York Times Travel Blogs
• In Transit – Guide to Intelligent Travel• Globetrotter
– City Guides and Posts
• Frugal Traveler – Budget Travel
• Blogroll– List of Blogs from other sources
Wall Street Journal Travel
• Compilation of recent articles about travel that have appeared in the Wall Street Journal
• Includes a link to “The Middle Seat Terminal” – one of my favorite blogs- written by the travel editor of the Wall Street Journal.
Trip Advisor
• A travel site where you can gather information about destinations and accommodations and see other travelers’ reviews.
• Links to other sites to where you can make reservations.
• Trip Advisor is owned by Expedia. Has links to other useful sites.
Fodors.com
• An online version of the familiar print guide.• Like Trip Advisor, has a “forum” section for user
comments, questions and answers, planning ideas and a Blog.
Frommers.com
• An online version of the familiar print guides.
• Easily printed guides and itineraries.
Rick Steves
• Good for European travel itineraries. • Travel tips, questions and message
boards. • A little heavy on selling books, backpacks,
and other products.
Lonely Planet
• If you like to go a little bit off the beaten track.
• ThornTreeTravel Forum.
Moonguides
• More off the beaten track advice.• Trip ideas and itineraries by activities like
surfing or backpacking. • Printable maps
IgoUgo
• Very similar to Trip Advisor.• Destination Guides are attractive.• Owned by Travelocity.
How much will this trip cost?
• Metasearching- Websites that allow you to compare airfares, accommodation and rental cars options from multiple sites.
• Where can I stay and how will I get there?• Southwest Airlines is not included in these
searches.
The Big 3 Metasearching Sites
Newer Entries in the Travel Metasearching Business
• An international, youthful slant.• Colorful graphics and city
guides with reviews.• Not a booking site.
• Retrieves prices in real time directly from other sites.
• Claims it searches over 157 sites.
• Not a booking site.
Searching for Flights
• Sites for comparing airfares and other costs. Will be directed to another site for booking.
More Tools for Flying
• SeatGuru.com - Find the best airplane seats.
Has airplane seating charts.• FlightStats - Track flight arrival, departure, and
airport delay information. Can track flight progress on a map.
• FlightArrivals.com - Similar information to FlightStats.
Additional Booking Sites
• Priceline
• Hotwire
– Name your own price. – Bid on unknown hotels in rating categories and
locations you specify. – Can save money if you can live with a little
uncertainty.
• Bidontravel.com– Learn about bidding strategies for Priceline and
Hotwire.– “bidding tips to make an informed bid that has the
greatest chance of being accepted.”
I’m Hungry, Where Can We Eat?
• Restaurant Review and Reservation Sites
Special Interests
• Cruise Critic – Reviews from cruisers who have sailed on the ship you are
considering.
• The National Park Service – Links to the National Parks to plan a visit.
• Google Maps – For planning walking routes, bicycling routes and public
transportation options.
• TripIt – for managing travel plans and creating itineraries.
Government Sites
• Department of State– Get passport and Visa Information.– Travel warnings and advice.– Useful links to :
• Students Abroad website• The TSA • CDC’s Traveler’s Health
• TSA – Find out what you can bring on a plane or if you are on a travel
watch list.
• Traveler’s Health – Find health information for your destination.