Deal Finding 

 

1. Kayak: This simple and 
   easy-to-use online search tool works through several major sites to find you the 
   best prices on flights, hotels and more. You can easily refine your search 
   criteria to find the trip that meets your needs and your price range the 
   best.


2. SideStep: Find great 
   bargains through SideStep, a search tool that browses through over 150 sites 
   across the Web for guaranteed best deals on everything. You can easily integrate 
   your whole trip as the site suggests hotels and activities through your 
   destination that you might need.


3. Farecast: Get 
   predictions on whether the prices for your flight or hotel will go up or down in 
   the next few days or weeks with this online tool, designed to help you get the 
   best deals. While the future prices aren’t guaranteed, it can give you a good 
   idea of the usual trends.


4. InsideTrip: This site 
   will give you tips on finding the best airline fares, but with an added bonus: 
   the site provides trip quality scores, letting you know how often luggage has 
   been lost, how often the flights are late, the amount of legroom and other 
   important details.


5. FareChase: Get 
   powerful results on flights and hotels with this deal finder through Yahoo!. It 
   trolls through major airlines and online ticket retailers to find the lowest 
   prices and allows you to easily compare rates and flights.


6. Travelocity: 
   You’ll find results from some of the biggest players in online flight deals on 
   this site. Travelocity works with sites like Expedia and Priceline to find the 
   lowest rates on travel and hotels.

Carpooling and Parking  

Make your trip to the airport or to a nearby city cheaper and less stressful 
with these tools.

1. SpotScout: Find a 
   place to park in many big cities in the United States. The program works in 
   conjunction with those who would like to rent out parking spaces to travelers. 
   You just find a spot near where you need to go, work out a price with the owner 
   of the spot, and you’ll have access to worry free parking on your trip.


2. ParkatMyHouse: 
   For parking spot assistance outside of the United States there is 
   ParkatMyHouse, the UK equivalent of SpotScout. You’ll be able to search for 
   spots in all major metropolitan areas and compare prices to ensure that you get 
   the best deal while you’re visiting.


3. Ridester: This 
   simple and easy-to-use tool is a great way to find someone to share trip 
   expenses with. You can start by listing the times and destination of your trip 
   and waiting for travelers to contact you or search through existing trips to see 
   if someone else is going your way.


4. eRideShare: Search 
   through tens of thousands of ride listings in the United States and Canada with 
   this site. You’ll be able to find someone to take every type of trip with, from 
   running simple errands to making cross-country journeys.

Traveler Reviews 

Get a little insight to the places you’ll be visiting on your travels with 
these great travel review sites.

1. Trip 
   Advisor: TripAdvisor has millions of reviews for 
   places all over the world. Simply enter what you’re looking for, whether it’s 
   "sushi places in Boston" or "English language bookstores in Paris" and get 
   suggestions and reviews.


2. Virtual Tourist: 
   If you’re looking for a little inspiration on where to go for your next 
   vacation, or advice on the best places to visit in a new city, you’ll find both 
   at Virtual Tourist. The site is full of pictures, mapped destinations and tips 
   which you can rate the effectiveness of.


3. RealTravel: Want 
   to know what the locals think? Check out this site. It pairs up your destination 
   search with blogs 
   from those living in the local area. Take advantage of the recommendation tool 
   which asks you a few questions and generates places you might be interested in 
   visiting.


4. IgoUgo: Get reviews of 
   local hotels, restaurants, and other attractions for destinations all over the 
   world. This site is now part of Travelocity, and can be a great way to test the 
   waters before heading off to a far-flung destination.


5. World66: Similar to 
   WikiTravel, this site allows users to create their own digital travel guides. 
   Visitors to the site can write and update information about destinations 
   anywhere in the world, providing travel insight or recommendations to 
   readers.


6. Yelp: Whether you’re looking 
   for reviews of the restaurant down the street or a hotel halfway around the 
   world you’ll find them on Yelp. The site provides comprehensive ratings, reviews 
   and information on millions of destinations all over the globe.


7. EpicTrip: This site 
   provides loads of user reviews for travelers as well as some great unique tools. 
   Take a virtual tour of your destination and popular hotspots on the site or get 
   advice specially geared towards students who are taking trips.


8. TravBuddy: Visitors 
   to this site can share their travel experiences with others. Simply set up an 
   account, write reviews, create a blog and the information others have 
   shared.

Social Networks 

Share your travel plans and read about the experiences of others on these 
great sites.

1. iloho: This 
   well-established online community of travelers is a great place to post your 
   travel stories and read those of others. The Digg-like front page will show you 
   the most popular stories and allow you to vote on which you like best.


2. Vcarious: Enjoy the 
   benefits of this travel community which allows users to create blogs, post 
   photos and videos and share travel tips and reviews.


3. MyTripz: Share your 
   travel plans with others and document them as you go with this site. You’ll be 
   able to post stories about your travels and show photos of the places you’ve 
   been, as well as read about the experiences of others.


4. Dopplr: Designed for 
   frequent travelers, this site allows you to build friendships with others and 
   get their advice. You can post your travel plans online and get the opinions of 
   people you’ve allowed to see them so you can refine your itinerary.


5. Matador: Lovers of 
   the great outdoors will get the most out of this travel network. Share your 
   experiences hiking through the forest, rafting or whale watching on this site 
   and even get a free blog to share with others.


6. Jauntlet: This site 
   is a great place to research and book travel. Simply create an interactive 
   travel plan and you can use it to book flights or share it with friends via 
   Facebook, MySpace or Blogger.

Whether you’re planning a weekend getaway with your significant other or a 
less-than-exciting business trip, there’s a pretty good chance that you used the Internet to make travel arrangements. These days it’s hard to imagine a time before the Web made booking a cheap flight or mapping out 
a route so easy. Travel tools on the Web have continued to evolve, taking in all 
that Web 2.0 has to offer, and enhancing the ability to share information, work 
creatively and increase collaboration between users and companies. If you 
haven’t tried out these great travel sites on the Web, give them a go next time 
you’re planning a trip around the block or around the world.

Mapping and GPS 

Keep yourself from getting lost with these great online tools.

1. GoogleMaps: 
   GoogleMaps is perhaps the most widely used mapping tool out there and 
   with so many features, integration into webpages and even browser extensions 
   it’s no wonder. You can not only get directions but street views, locations of 
   nearby business and services and even traffic reports.


2. AskCity: Ask.com has 
   released their own mapping tool with an incredibly easy-to-use interface and 
   colorful mapping tools. Perhaps the best feature of the tool, however, is the 
   ability to draw and save doodles on the map, which is essential for hard to 
   follow directions and notes about travel.


3. TeleNav: If you tend 
   to get lost easily, whether driving or walking, you can help keep yourself on 
   track with this mobile GPS tool. If you have internet access on your phone you 
   can get all the features of a standalone GPS device on your phone like voice 
   guidance, turn by turn navigation and more for a low monthly fee.


4. 3D Tracking: 
   Equip your family’s phones with this software and keep track of them 
   while you’re at an amusement park or on vacation. The GPS software gets tracking 
   information from the phone, making it easier to keep track of where everyone is 
   at any time.


5. AccuTracking: Do 
   you have a directionally-challenged friend coming to visit? Ensure you can keep 
   tabs on them with Accutracking. It lets you know the direction of the devices 
   with the software installed, making it easy to tell your friends when they’re 
   headed the wrong way without any confusing conversations about landmarks.


6. Fresh Logic Atlas: 
   Those who love slick looking tools will appreciate the interface of 
   this mapping application. Get directions, find attractions and monitor traffic 
   through this attractive program. One big drawback, however, is that it’s 
   currently limited just to the US and Canada.

Car Travel Tools  

Car travel can be expensive and trying with high gas prices and heavy 
traffic. These tools can help you get the leg up on both.

1. Traffic: 
   Make sure you won’t get stuck in hours of traffic by using this 
   convenient online tool. It gives you reports on congestion based on mile to mile 
   reports so you’ll know the conditions of any road before you ever even leave 
   your home.


2. GasBuddy: You’ll be 
   able to avoid paying more for gas on your trip around the block or across the 
   country with this helpful tool. This site compiles gas prices from stations all 
   over the country to help you to find the one that’s the lowest where you 
   are.


3. Radio-Locator: 
   Don’t waste time scrolling through dozens of radio stations looking for 
   one that suits your interests. This site has done the work for you by putting 
   together a huge listing of radio stations from all over the world. You can 
   browse through by genre, helping ensure you’ll find something that suits 
   you.


4. BizMile Tracker: 
   Those who travel more for business than pleasure will appreciate this 
   tool, which allows users to easily track the miles they travel each day for work 
   so the expenses associated with them can be deducted from taxes.


5. PL8Scan: Ever wanted 
   to tell the person who just cut you off what you really think of them? With this 
   site you just may be able to. Car owners register their vehicles with the site 
   and other users will be able to send them text messages, whether helpful or 
   angry.

Trip Planners 

Plan out every leg of your trip by using these Web tools ahead of time or 
when you arrive.

1. TripHub: Planning a 
   trip for yourself can be hard enough, but what if you have to plan a trip for a 
   diverse group of people? This site allows everyone going on the trip to access 
   the details of the trip and make changes or suggestions, making it much easier 
   to stay organized and conflict free on the trip.


2. FlightStats: 
   Delayed flights can put a serious kink in travel plans. This site can 
   give you an idea of what flights are typically late and what airports have the 
   worst records of delayed flights. You can also enter in your own flight 
   information and get up-to-the-minute information about it.


3. TripTie: Get some ideas 
   of what to do when you’re in a new place with suggestions from TripTie. The site 
   allows other travelers to post their itineraries so you can see what popular or 
   interesting options are out there.


4. TripIt: This is a useful 
   tool for trip planning for those without any idea what they want to do in a 
   given city. Simply enter in the information about your itinerary and the site 
   will create a guide with activities for you. It may not always meet your 
   interests but it’s a great place to start planning.


5. Trip 
   Finder: This Webby nominated site is another tool that will create 
   a trip plan for you. The interface is attractive and easy-to-use, and you’ll be 
   given some great suggestions of things to do on your trip.


6. Schmap: Forget the 
   guidebooks at home and just bring this program on your next trip. It downloads 
   and installs on your computer and you can get guide information on destinations 
   you’re interested in. It’s easy to navigate, gives you maps, and allows you to 
   see virtual tours.

Entertainment 

Find the best places to visit or things to do on your trip using these Web 
tools.

1. HappyMappy: Find 
   tourist attractions in the United States with this Web tool. Enter in your 
   location and you can get the most popular attractions shown on a map that occur 
   in categories like arts, nature, history, parks, sports, theater, concerts, 
   nightlife and more.


2. VeniVidiWiki: 
   Take the features of HappyMappy to a global level with this tool which 
   shows tourist attractions on an attractive map anywhere in the world. Mouse over 
   places you’re interested in and you can get photos and information as well.


3. GeoBirds: Love bird 
   watching? Now you can share your birding experiences and travels on this site. 
   It’s a great place for eco tourists to document their experiences and find out 
   bird identifications. You can also share your rare bird sightings with birders 
   from all over the globe.


4. PodBop: Want to find out 
   what concerts are going on in your area? Visit this site and you’ll get a 
   listing of major 
   concerts and local bands that are playing in your area any night of the week. 
   Currently, it only works in the United States.


5. 43Places: Finding 
   things to do in a particular location couldn’t be easier with this tool. Enter 
   in your city and you’ll get a list of events and places to visit that can keep 
   you entertained and happy for the duration of your trip.

Meet Travelers 

You don’t have to travel alone. Use these sites to make friends on your next 
trip.

1. TravelersforTravelers: 
   Sign up with this site and you’ll be able to chat with and arrange to 
   meet other travelers in your destination city. You’ll also get tips on where to 
   eat, stay and how to get around.


2. AirTroductions: 
   No one likes to get stuck sitting next to someone intolerable on a long 
   distance flight, so why not plan to sit next to someone you might have a little 
   in common with? This site can help you do that whether it’s for business or just 
   to make a new friend.


3. TravelSidekicks: 
   Planning on hitchhiking your way through the US, Canada or Europe? 
   Don’t do it alone! Find a buddy through the help of this site and you’ll be at 
   least a little bit safer in your travels.


4. PairUp: Make meeting 
   up with clients and business associates easier with this Web program. You’ll be 
   able to coordinate the schedules of several people meeting up for a conference 
   or business meeting, or just find others looking for someone to talk with at the 
   conference