Tools to help you Plan your Holiday
By Darren Cronian on Wednesday, November 29th, 2006

Just like when you have DIY jobs to complete around your home, us travellers require the equipment (‘the internet’) and tools (‘the websites’) to help us plan and book our non hassle holiday. Whilst writing on the Travel Rants Blog, I have come across many excellent websites that help travellers.

My Tools to help you Plan your Holiday

Here are my Top 10 travellers ‘tools’ for 2006

10. Travel Rants

Sorry, I couldn’t help it – there’s nothing more fun than self promotion. Travel Rants has grown rapidly in the last 12 months with over 330 blog articles, and over 2,500 comments from travellers, travel professionals, and anyone interested in travel.

9. Travelistic
8. SkyScanner.net
7. Lonely Planet
6. SideStep

SideStep is relatively new in the UK and Ireland Travel market, but what I love about SideStep is the very well designed filter search system, where you can search for all hotels in London who provide Internet access – searching is simple, and allows you to filter right down to the hotels which exactly match your needs.

5. WikiTravel
4. Travel Supermarket
3. YouTube

YouTube has changed the internet - reports this week suggest that people are moving away from watching mainsteam TV, to spend more time watching videos via the internet and YouTube. If your looking for information on a specific destination then its worth checking out this video networking site, first to see if anyone has taken a video, for you to watch.

2. Google Maps
1. Trip Advisor

Google Maps was a close second, but it was beaten to the finish line by Trip Advisor, simply because as a traveller, it’s imperative that when you are searching for a hotel, you can read real hotel reviews from other travellers who have stayed there.

Yes, you have to have an open mind, and whilst the Trip Advisor hotel review concept has been put under some strain from the media lately (as reported on the Travolution Blog) you shouldn’t book a hotel without checking out this website first.

Would you add any websites to list, and if so, why?


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5 responses to “Tools to help you Plan your Holiday”

mikeyboy | 30 November, 2006 at 8:31 am

TripAdvisor’s great - you can also read reviews of hotels by hotels posing as holidaym akers. No Kayak in the list? Shame on you ;-)

Darren Cronian | 30 November, 2006 at 12:35 pm

Hah Welcome back Mikey ;)

Yep, Kayak, yet to use that yet, but I will on my next trip.

Lee Harrison | 30 November, 2006 at 2:24 pm

And not even a mention of http://www.selectworld.travel and the Superb service from speaking to a real person when booking your holiday.
By the way Darren for next year as mentioned before why not think about Turkey.
( No pun intended as it’s getting close to Christmas)
We have put a short Video of the Asfiya on the blog site, to whet your appetite.

Darren Cronian | 30 November, 2006 at 7:08 pm

Well, you must of read my brain Lee (now that’s a scary thought!)

I need to know more about the type of videos you have Lee, because I have an idea that I think you would like.

Also, keep your eyes open for the top 5 travel agencies/companies and top 10 travel blogs I have used/read article coming to a travel blog near you soon! ;)

Rohan | 1 December, 2006 at 4:43 am

Great blog article Darren!! I love your blog, as never am I disappointed in the information that you provide to us travellers.

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