destination sites
Official destination site
Most cities have reached the Internet age. Accordingly, most cities have online tourist information centers where you can book hotels, find museums and get accurate information on popular attractions. Best of all, many such sites have links to popular pages that give even more specific tips about the locale.Why you should visit: A city site is the best source for updated information regarding things like holidays, hours of operation and admission fees to various attractions. All of these factors will impact budgeting and planning for your trip, so the more current the information you get, the better.
Craigslist.org
Craigslist isn't technically a travel site. Rather, it serves as a local bulletin board for cities throughout the world. But it's worth a look before you go because it'll help give insight into the flavor of a destination. It's also a great resource for buying tickets to local events. For example, a trip to London might become spectacular if you can get your hands on Arsenal tickets. Craigslist will allow you to do what the locals do and line up a seller online.Why you should visit: If you're single, Craigslist can get you more than just travel advice. How about a local guide (and date)? Answer an ad or two before you go; who knows, you might get lucky.
peer-to-peer info sites
VirtualTourist.com
Peer-to-peer travel sites can be great because, unlike guide book authors, real tourists aren't likely to be taken in by a red carpet treatment at the hands of a local hotel. In other words, their experiences are real. VirtualTourist.com offers tons of reviews on all the attractions and hotels around the world. Of course, the reviews range from good to poor -- although you're more likely to get negative comments because most people who take the time to write don't do so because they have something nice to say (frustration being a better motivator than satisfaction).Why you should visit: Reviews on VirtualTourist.com aren't posted anonymously. True, each writer uses a handle, but you can read their profile, which often provides a good indication of when you should take certain comments with a grain of salt.
TripAdvisor.com
TripAdvisor.com works the same way as VirtualTourist.com: It provides peer reviews of hotels and attractions. It's also easy to scan the site by virtue of the handy ratings attached to each hotel or attraction.Why you should visit: TripAdvisor.com also gives quotes of average hotel prices in both dollars and the local currency, which can save you a ton of time.
government sites
CIA World Factbook
While it's not exactly an intuitive place to begin one's vacation search, the CIA World Factbook is a concise and thorough resource for all the vitals (from climate and population to economy and religion) on a given country.Why you should visit: Aside from the fact that it gives you something cool to say ("I read on the CIA Factbook that..."), this site can tell you anything you need to know about a country in an instant -- instead of having to read through pages of guidebook prose or, worse still, of government legalese.
State.gov
The State Department continually updates this site as it performs detailed political analyses of each country in the world. While the information is aimed at an American audience, it is relevant to all travelers -- especially when it comes to security.Why you should visit: As a free service, the State Department will e-mail updates to you on any country you wish. So if the situation changes while you're on the road, you'll be informed.
travel guide sites
LonelyPlanet.com
In a nutshell, LonelyPlanet.com can tell you what a foreign locale is all about. A quick glance will provide the highlights for each city; use the guide to comparison shop to pick the destination that matches your idea of a dream vacation.Why you should visit: Although Lonely Planet's print series primarily consists of backpacker's guides, the website provides nice breakdowns of estimated daily expenses for accommodation and food at the tight-budget, mid-range and high-end levels.
Fodors.com
In going online, Fodor's has managed to retain and transfer many of the qualities that made its print guides classics. Fodors.com gives breakdowns of a plethora of locations with information on everything from eating, drinking, sightseeing, and sleeping.Why you should visit: Fodors.com offers features that organize a given city by theme or activity, rather than by geographical section. For example, the site makes the urban sprawl of Los Angeles seem less daunting by focusing on specific locales, such as where one is most likely to spot celebrities.
peer to peer info sites
Frommers.com
Frommers.com is another widely-celebrated guide brand, and its official site meets the standards set by its print companions. Whether or not you use it will likely boil down to a simple matter of taste.Why you should visit: Although they'd obviously prefer that you buy the books, Frommers.com affords its visitors great detail. For each locale, the site lists at length the available attractions, with links to reviews of each.
LetsGo.com
LetsGo.com is the website of the famous budget guide of the same name. The focus here is largely youth-oriented, but LetsGo.com also offers great travel tips that anyone can use.Why you should visit: One really cool thing about LetsGo.com is that it features blogs from different locations. They are usually written by foreigners living abroad, so they're a good way to discover local tips and insights.
TimeOut.com
Hands down, there's no better publication in the world for covering the international social scene. TimeOut.com profiles over 140 different cities and the events they host worldwide, from parties to film to theater to nightlife and beyond.Why you should visit: Even though TimeOut.com offers subscription content, there are still a lot of free articles to give you more than a good idea of what's available in any given city.
Travel.Discovery.com
As a travel guide, Discovery.com isn't your typical entry. In fact, they've partnered with Fodor's for a good portion of their information. But in providing original content and information on so-called "learning vacation destinations," Discovery.com brings something else to the table.Why you should visit: Discovery.com also puts its users into contact with a strong community of like-minded travelers, who can offer their reviews and insights on everything from diving the Great Barrier Reef to climbing the Great Wall.
health sites
CDC.gov
The Center for Disease Control website is the place to find out everything you need to know to stay healthy while traveling, from vaccinations and local risks to food and water safety. In addition to offering the basics on each region, CDC.gov also provides great tips on staying healthy while on the road. This site updates frequently.Why you should visit: The CDC not only covers you while you're away, it also tells you what to look for upon your return. Oftentimes, diseases contracted abroad can reveal themselves months and years later. The CDC can tell you what your risks are by region, and what you need to do to stay safe.
prepare for your trip
Thorough research before any vacation should always be part of your planning. But too much research can be a bad thing. Remember; part of the pleasure of getting away is the experience of something new. So don't go overboard and turn your vacation into one big homework assignment.Resources:
http://www.craigslist.org/
http://www.virtualtourist.com/
http://www.tripadvisor.com/
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/
http://www.state.gov/travel/
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/
http://www.fodors.com/
http://www.frommers.com/
http://www.letsgo.com/
http://www.timeout.com/
http://travel.discovery.com/destinations/main.html
http://www.cdc.gov/travel/
AOL Travel
0 comments:
Publicar un comentario