Travel tips: links to travel sites
UPDATE 19dec09: coupons for free WiFi on select airlines
Traversing multiple travel web sites pays off. Deals and bargains, things to do and places to explore. Keep up to date on travel news and trends. Find WiFi hotspots. Manage your frequent flyer miles. All this and more online.
Orbitz Traveler Update :: security wait times, traffic & parking, air-traffic updates, weather
Expedia on MySpace :: yes, MySpace
Travelocity on MySpace :: yes, MySpace
Priceline on MySpace :: yes, MySpaceTrip Advisor :: traveler reviews & opinions of hotels, vacations & more
Virtual Tourist :: travelers & locals share advice and experiences
Flight Aware :: free live flight tracker with aviation information
Ask the locals where they go. Start with the hotel staff and/or restaurant staff. Don't laugh, it seems cliched, but believe me I would have never found that Salvadoran restaurant in the Mission District in SF or the better walk from the hotel to Goose Island Brewing in Chicago if not for the hotel staff.
Surf the local alternative weekly newspaper's web site before you go as well as Google Maps. Look for clusters of art galleries, interesting restaurants, music stores, bookstores, etc. Such clusters represent the neighborhoods you'll want to explore (or not).
How can you leave town without checking out the local museums? They're guaranteed to be different than what you have at home. Often closed on Monday's but low cost other days of the week. Don't forget the small local museums including historical societies.
When in Rome... I find it a kick to listen to local weather forecasts and traffic reports. It assumes a shared geography complete with nicknames that you're not privy to. For instance everyone in Seattle knows where the S curves and the Mercer Mess are.
Search for other sites like this one:
Farecast :: airfare & hotel price predictions
Travel Post :: hotel & resort reviews & ratings
Joe Sent Me :: the home page for business travelers
Yapta :: track trip prices & alert you when they drop
Do I have to mention that traveling to a new place is just the excuse you need to play with Google Maps and Google Earth. Get a bird's eye view of where you'll be staying and the places you plan on going. Zoom around! Print out pretty pictures! Enrich your trip! Waste time creatively!
Travel is good. Travel is better when you plan ahead. I use web sites while I'm traveling to learn more about where I am, what's available, and where to go next. This is when you should check out local, city oriented, neighborhood sites.
