by James Richardson

Created on: November 23, 2008   Last Updated: December 15, 2008

You can shop for most anything online today, and travel is certainly no exception. You've probably seen plenty of ads for websites like Expedia.com and its sing-song jingle, Travelocity.com and its creepy little gnome character, or Priceline.com with its commanding "Negotiator."

The question is, where does the Internet-empowered globe trotter begin his or her search for the best destinations and deals? And for that matter what other useful content, like customer reviews and/or professional advice is available and where can it be located?

Time will be the biggest investment in your Internet travel research. It takes a fair amount of it to comparison shop and dig up the best deals. But if you're willing to invest a Saturday afternoon, I can almost guarantee you'll get some outstanding travel bargains. If it hadn't been for my mouse and keyboard, a couple free afternoons, and maybe a cold soft drink, I would never have been able to take multiple vacations this past year - all while saving substantial bucks on hotel, attractions, and airfare!

You may begin your adventure with sites like Yahoo!, MSN, or AOL. Each of these multi-interest sites feature "Travel" sections with low-fare and package deals. Content like blogs and suggestions from travelers who have visited your destination beforehand is also readily available. Getting ideas and information from these sites regarding where to visit and where the deals are right now can be a great starting point.

As I mentioned before, the Web is loaded with commercialized travel conglomerate sites that offer airfare, hotel, auto rental, cruises, and recreational activities all bundled into one package. I've already named some like Expedia and Travelocity. But there's also the infamous Orbiz.com, Hotels.com, and Hotwire.com. These sites all offer similar packages and often similar prices on airfare and hotels. The reason? Airlines, hoteliers and other travel-industry mainstays release their best rates into a general database that these sites gather their information from. While it never hurts to comparison shop among all of them, you'll generally find prices that are in a similar range. They also offer photos, descriptions, and customer reviews about hotels at your destination of choice.

On a quick side note, user reviews can be extremely helpful if you're visiting a new location and are considering multiple hotels. But be wary: most people go into a hotel expecting to be satisfied. It's only when they're not that they air their

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