Using the Internet to plan your next trip can help you save both time and money by connecting you with the best deals and minimizing the time you have to spend calling vendors and visiting travel agents. However, if you haven't researched a trip online before, the process can seem overwhelming. For example, suppose you want to spend a week in Madrid. A Google search of the word "Madrid" will turn up more than 200 million web pages, with everything from a Wikipedia Madrid entry to a webcam of the city's skyline and that's just on the first page!
This article covers some of the common types of travel websites and how they can be used to help you find the best deals without wasting time digging through information you don't need or want.
INFORMATIONAL WEBSITES
Often connected to a particular destination, these websites help you decide where to go, how to get there, and what to do when you arrive. Many informational websites are run by local tourist boards. While this kind of government-run site will generally not try to steer you to particular vendors, it's important to remember that these sites are set up to bring in tourism dollars, so any negative aspects of the area, like high crime, are likely to be downplayed. For that reason, while tourist board sites are a great starting point, they shouldn't be your only source of information.
Other privately-run websites may be organized by a cooperative group of hotels, restaurants and companies offering activities for tourists. Often these sites provide much more detailed information than official tourism board sites. For example, this website for England's Peaks District has excellent maps and suggested hiking and cycling routes: http://www.cressbrook.co.uk/. It's important to remember, though, that you'll only see links for companies that have paid to be part of the group.
A third kind of informational website is the travel guide site. This is the online portal of a print travel guide, and it generally provides enough information about a particular location to whet your appetite for the printed book. Since different guides have different focuses, these websites can be a great way to shop around before spending money on a printed guidebook. For example, I enjoy Lonely Planet (www.lonelyplanet.com) travel guides because they offer a lot of budget options and offbeat itineraries. However, my parents prefer Fodor's guides (www.fodors.com), which are a little more upscale and give fewer, but well chosen, options for hotels and restaurants. By skimming through some of the articles on the travel guide websites, you'll get a good idea of which guide suits you best.
The final kind of informational website you should be aware of is the hobby site. Hobby sites are often run by just one or two people, and they are generally very specifically focused on a topic of personal interest. One hobby site I used to plan a cross-country drive is www.roadtripusa.com. This site lists the main routes across the US (both east-west and north-south) and gives descriptions of each route. As with this site, travel hobbies often grow into travel books, which will usually be promoted on the website. But there is generally plenty of information on a true hobby site to help you in your research.
COMMERCIAL WEBSITES
There are two kinds of commercial websites that you need to be aware of when researching your trip: vendor sites and all-in-one sites. Most sizeable travel vendors will allow you to research prices and make reservations online. In fact, online payment has become so easy that even smaller hotels and guest houses sometimes have an online reservation system. There are pluses and minuses to using a vendor site. On the positive side, you'll be able to find out exactly what you are getting for your money, since the site will likely provide service information and possibly even photographs. The main drawback to using a vendor site is that you won't be able to easily compare your options side by side. If you plan to use a vendor site, you may want to jot down pricing and service information for several vendors before making your final choice.
All-in-one sites, like Travelocity.com and Expedia.com, make it easy to compare hotel and airline prices. You can also often limit your search so that you don't have to wade through options that are outside your budget. Plus, since the vendors are competing for your business, there are often good deals to be found, particularly if you looking for a package deal and are flexible about the exact dates of your trip. The major drawback to using an all-in-one site is that you will only get a brief summary of the vendor, so you may not have a clear idea of what you are getting for your money. For example, you might not know from the site that the recommended airline charges extra for luggage or airport check-in. Many all-in-one sites provide customer reviews, and you should definitely check to see if the reviews are positive. One bad review isn't anything to worry about, but several bad reviews suggest that you may want to choose another vendor.
SOCIAL MEDIA WEBSITES
Once you've made some preliminary choices about your travel and accommodation, social media websites are a great way to find out what other travellers think about the vendors you've chosen. If you don't spend a lot of time online, social media websites are set up to allow people to share information in a reasonably unrestricted way (there are generally moderators who will delete offensive or inflammatory posts). Some social media websites, like MySpace and Facebook, are well organized and regulated. You can search these sites for groups related to your topic and connect with others who have travelled where you intend to go. You can also post a note to your friends asking for travel suggestions.
Other sites are small, user-operated, online bulletin boards. Don't discount these smaller sites, since it's often easier to find information about a specific hotel, for example, on sites like these. Recently, I found a budget hotel in London that looked really interesting, so I did two Google searches: one with the hotel's name followed by the word "review" and the other with the hotel's name followed by the word "complaint." Both searches helped me locate social media websites where the hotel had been discussed and reviewed. The reviews were overwhelmingly positive, so I made reservations and had a great time. Doing this kind of search will help you connect with smaller social media sites that have information you can use.
Now that you know the sorts of websites that are out there, here are some last-minute tips to help you make the most of the Internet and your precious time. 1) When searching a phrase like "Bates Motel complaints," be sure to put quotation marks around the phrase. If you don't get any hits, remove the quotes and try again, but most of the time this will help guide you to the best sources. 2) Take some time to read any "About Us" messages or general comments from users to get an idea of the type of customer the site is geared toward. For example, 21-year-old backpackers may give a particular hotel four stars, but you'll still hate it if you are a 50-year-old art teacher who wants a nice quiet retreat at the end of your vacation day. 3) If a deal seems too good to be true, look deeper before committing your money. With the growth of budget airlines, it's not uncommon to see extremely cheap airfares, but these airfares are only a deal if you know what you're paying for. Many charge separately for luggage, in-person check-in, meals and other "extras." They can still be an excellent way to travel somewhere you wouldn't be able to reach otherwise, but you could end up paying the equivalent of a full fare if you don't research the company's policies before buying the ticket.
Okay, now you're ready to get out there any find your dream vacation online. Bon voyage!