MY FAVORITE TRAVEL WEBSITES

Except for the following item, THIS WEBSITE HAS BEEN MOVED TO:

http://hubpages.com/hub/My_Travel_Websites

Forbes Magazine's 13 top travel websites (April 2006)

  1. Vijaydandapani.com - former chairman of the Hotel Association of New York, pens this eponymous blog, which documents the idiosyncrasies of the hospitality industry in New York and beyond. This is a site for industry professionals--or those with an avid interest in the hospitality industry.
  2. Breezenet.com - best domestic car-rental discounts on the Internet. Because it works with airport locations, Breezenet.com is most useful if you’re traveling via plane and want a car waiting for you when you land.
  3. Concierge.com - The online offshoot of Condé Nast Traveler, Concierge.com has all of the magazine’s content available on the Web, as well as unique travel articles and tips.
  4. FlyerTalk.com - allows users to exchange information on how to get the most out of their frequent flier miles, credit card points and hotel points.
  5. Gridskipper.com - a self-proclaimed "urban travel guide," pointing out the raunchier aspects of life in big cities across the globe.
  6. HotelChatter.com - an uncensored compendium of hotel reviews from all over the world: "Hotel Hell" for horror stories; "Hotel Heaven"; Tips, news and deals are available as well. The one hitch is that it’s difficult to find information on a specific hotel.
  7. IgoUgo.com - guides write detailed journals about recent trips; anyone can sign up to write a travel journal, and writing earns you points that are redeemable for gift cards and frequent flier miles.
  8. Kayak.com - includes flight listings from budget air carriers like Jet Blue and Spirit Airlines - IN ONE RECENT REVIEW OF ABOUT EITH AIRLINE SEARCH SITES, KAYAK.COM CONSISTENTLY HAD THE CHEAPEST PRICES (THOUGH NOT ALWAYS).
  9. MyTripJournal.com - We like MyTripJournal.com for its colorful and easy-to-use features like "Find a Friend’s Web Site" and the customizable world map. Even if you aren’t currently traveling, browsing the site allows you to experience someone else’s vacation vicariously.
  10. Priceline.com - most online travel veterans use Priceline.com for one thing: hotels. Try bidding $99 for a four-star hotel in pretty much any American city - PERSONALLY, I HAVE NEVER BOOKED THROUGH PRICELINE BECAUSE I CAN EITHER FIND A BETTER PRICE ONLINE OR I NEED MORE SPECIFIC LOCATIONS THAN THEY CAN PROVIDE.
  11. SeatGuru.com - provides seating maps and a helpful color-coded quality key (green is a good seat, yellow means be aware, and you don’t want red). Once you select your airline and aircraft, you’ll be able to see just where each seat falls on the floor plan, as well as which in-flight amenities (including video, AC power and Internet access) are available. The site is most useful when booking a ticket on an air carrier’s site.
  12. Site59.com - last-minute weekend getaway: Bookings can be made up to three hours before departure.
  13. TravelZoo.com - more effective at offering cheap fares than any other Web site - be prepared to be spontaneous!