So you’re ready to finally hit the road and cash in those two weeks of vacation you’ve been meticulously hoarding for what seems like an eternity now. Step two, of course, is to round up the family and zero in on that elusive destination that offers something for the clan which never agrees on anything. The reward for those fortunate enough to successfully navigate the perils of step two: the task of researching the vacation to ensure the kids will be entertained while the parents are afforded at least a small measure of solitude and peace.
Enter the power of the Internet, but where to begin? We’ve all been told by friends and neighbors that answers to even our quirkiest travel questions reside somewhere in the vastness of the World Wide Web, but the sheer volume of resources available makes the task a daunting one indeed. The following Web sites offer some nifty resources to bring order to the process and set you on your way.
www.tripadvisor.com
Think of this Web site as a sponge constantly combing the Web, gathering up travel-related tidbits and organizing them by destination. With only one click of the mouse on the homepage, visitors to this site are presented with categorized links to relevant guidebook excerpts, articles from a host of magazines and newspapers, proprietary “user reviews” of hotels in the chosen city, Web comments (sort of like a destination-specific stream of consciousness), as well as links to special deals and other research sources. By way of example, a click on the New Orleans link yielded a virtual cornucopia of planning tools, including such gems as a link to the New Orleans section of RandMcNalley.com, an article titled “New Orleans Beyond Red Beans and Anne Rice” originally published in Travel+Leisure, and a Web comment on the best Big Easy breakfasts.
www.igougo.com
While the domain name certainly doesn’t roll off the tongue, this self-described “community of real people sharing their travel experiences” provides a wonderful repository of vacation journals, travel photos and message boards. Enticed by opportunities to earn free airline miles and other redeemable rewards, online contributors submit journals covering a vast array of travel topics. Reviews and scribes alike are ultimately rated by readers, so stick with the “Editors’ Picks” and “Featured Guides” and you’ll be taking in the best of the best. The Internet abounds with online travel communities–some desolate and others vibrant. However, Igougo separates itself from the pack by offering fresh content in an organized and easily searchable manner.
www.guidebookwriters.com
If you’d rather hear from the “experts” and you have a few extra bucks burning a hole in your pocket, pay (no pun intended) a visit to GuideBookWriters and for a small fee you can e-mail targeted questions to a published travel specialist. Gaining admittance to this exclusive club is no easy task (writers associated with the Web site must be the author of at least one print travel guidebook during the past three years that sold at least 3,000 copies), so you know your inquiry is in good hands. To wit, a visit to the Rio de Janeiro portion of the Web site allows you to chit-chat via e-mail with Andrew Draffen, the co-author of the Lonely Planet Brazil guide, at a cost of $75 an hour.
Travel guide Web sites
Although these online versions of well-known travel guides are typically a bit less robust than their hardcopy brethren (and hence taboo for Old School travelers), many of these Web sites are still worth a visit. For example, at www.frommers.com sun worshippers can immerse themselves in the beach portion of the Web site to select their next sandy excursion (an option not available in the print version). Families on the go can avail themselves of the Family Travel section at www.fodors.com, which includes sage advice under the heading “Food and Whine: How to Dine With Kids” (I’d suggest a babysitter, but go with the expert authors). For no-nonsense research, www.roughguides.com publishes the lion’s share of its off-line content online, which allows those thirsting for travel knowledge an efficient mechanism for focusing and finding answers quickly.
www.epodunk.com
If small-town America is more your cup of tea, check out Epodunk to harness what they like to call the “Power of Place.” This Web site, named in honor of Podunk, N.Y. (yes, it’s a real place), gathers and displays information on some 25,000 communities across the U.S., and takes special pride in giving props to towns and villages oft overlooked by other e-travel resources. For example, a Chicagoan taking a driving trip south through Illinois may not have thought to pull off the road at Cave-in-Rock, where years ago local pirates reputedly looted rafts on their way to New Orleans.
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Contact the writer: Dmgreen11@yahoo.com
