TripAdvisor.com, an operating company of Expedia, Inc. boasts more than 5 Million reviews of accommodations, destinations, attractions and restaurants, written by people who have actually been there. Beyond the basic written reviews you'll see on other sites, TripAdvisor also allows travelers to upload photos and video that provide an extra level of insight into each location.

FEATURES & ADVANTAGES:

-> Actual travelers provide the information on the site, so it tends to be unbiased and genuine.

-> Accommodations, attractions and restaurants are listed for free, so you will find many unique and interesting options that would otherwise not be advertised.

-> The "My Trips" folder allows users to save information relating to specific trips, including; reviews, maps, photos and even personal notes.

-> The "Find Hotels" search automatically displays all hotels in ascending order, based on the TripAdvisor popularity index and only shows hotels that have rooms available during the dates you specify.

-> Provides links to online booking sites such as Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz and Hotels.com to seal the deal once you have made a decision.

-> "GoLists" are short but comprehensive lists created by travelers to highlight the places of interest for a "Perfect Day", "Perfect Weekend" or "Best Of" a specific city.

-> The "Inside" guides use wiki functionality to cull the contributions of millions of travelers into one extensive guidebook of travel tips on each of many destinations worldwide.

-> The "Weekend Getaway Guide" provides suggestions for fun weekend jaunts within driving distance from your zip/postal code.

-> Registration allows you to post your own travel experiences, join the many forums, send private messages, receive the weekly TripWatch newsletter and even enter the weekly contest for the chance to win $500.

-> The forums are well-moderated, and most topics are replied to within 24 hours.

DOWNSIDE:

-> With so many opinions on the site, finding relevant and inclusive information on your destination may require that you read multiple reviews to glean different bits and pieces from each one.

-> The Hotel search cannot be sorted by price, city location, or anything other than the popularity index.

-> The "Flights" search does not provide any flight details, but instead directs users to click on each online booking site individually to obtain departure & arrival times, availability and pricing - which an be somewhat tedious.

-> There is an abundance of paid-per-click advertising on the site, so be careful what you click on... A link to "Best Disney Resorts" may not be a review, but could very well be an advertisement instead.

Overall, I have found the TripAdvisor website to be a feature-rich cornucopia of excellent travel information, sprinkled with some amusing anecdotes. I would not recommend it for booking accommodations or travel, but the reviews do provide some great feedback on many travel destinations around the world. Whether you need advice on a great restaurant to impress a client on an upcoming business trip or want to indulge in planning your dream vacation for "someday", a visit to TripAdvisor is time well spent.

Learn more about this author, Victoria de Martigny.
Click here to send author comments or questions.

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