by Sangeeta Deogawanka

Created on: December 01, 2009   Last Updated: December 15, 2009

You are stressed out, ready for a break and looking for some R & R.

If you are single and flush with funds, you can just hop onto the next flight to Paris or a Caribbean island destination. Yet, if like most folks, you are feeling the pinch of the economic downturn or have a family, then planning is what you have to do.

To plan a vacation, you have to be informed, organised and know what you want. The best way to plan your vacation is to look up for information on the internet and tailor your plans to suit your dates and budgets.

Move over Wikis and travel sites. For here is Bing Travel, the single web platform for all your travel decisions.

The Bing Travel is a travel planning tool in the guise of a search engine. It helps travellers make smart travel decisions using the many features and tools.

To use Bing for your travel plans, you have to know how Bing Travel works. To begin with, decide where you would like to go. The kind of travel destination you have on mind. Are you looking for a cool getaway in the South Pacific? Do you want the sight-seeing and entertainment of the East Coast beaches? Or you would like to visit the far-away exotic land of India?

Explore the "Travel destinations". Check out the 'Destinations Directory' for a region and country-wise listing. You have all the hottest destinations and hotels featured. Research and see where you would like to go.

Once you have a fair idea, you would obviously check out what travel ideas could suit your budget. Here is where Bing Travel steps in, with a focused flight and hotel search, pricing comparisons, travel news, deals, lookouts and much more. More like your partner in your travel decision making process.

On the right side of the 'Destinations' page or at bottom of the home page, you have the tools to check out flight pricing for preferred dates and destinations. All you have to do is type in bold, the cities and dates of travel. The results give you options to compare Expedia, Priceline and Hotwire rates.

Bing Travel goes steps ahead with its "Price Predictors" tool. With this you can find the lowest fare for a trip and the likely trends over the next 7 days. Its indicators are much like traffic lights, with the green arrows indicating price rise and direction, changing yellow through orange, and then red to indicate a possible fall.

Does the fare seem too high? Then access the trip planning tool to compare fares over a 30-day spread. For low fares across departures, click the tabs with

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