smArtie's Blog

Summer vacation (morgueFile)

This is the time of year when many of us are finalizing our summer travel plans.  While there are many online travel sites available it is difficult to select a few that stand out above the others. A recent article featured this list that does not include any of the big-name sites and simply features those that have a particular niche. As you know, most travel sites are packed with advertisements, but still contain valuable information.

• http://www.eurotrip.com/ – Eurotrip.com is an independently owned travel website and community based in Boston, Massachusetts. For over ten years, we have been the definitive site for those passionate about budget travel in Europe.
• http://gogreentravelgreen.com/ – From green hotels and public transportation to local food and eco-tours, Go Green Travel Green is your source for eco travel tips, reviews, and news.
• http://www.luxurylink.com/ – is where sophisticated travelers go for inspiration, to indulge their passion for discovering the world’s best places to stay, and to find world-class values.
• http://www.momsminivan.com/ – MomsMinivan.com has over 101 ideas for fun things for kids to do in the car, kids travel games, printable car games and activities, and road-trip tips. They are organized by age group, so have a look around – there’s something for everyone!
• http://www.travel.nytimes.com/ – informative articles, professional photographs, videos and destination guides for cities all around the world.
• http://www.roadfood.com/ – Roadfood means great regional meals along highways, in small towns and in city neighborhoods. It is non-franchised, sleeves-up food made by cooks, bakers, pitmasters, and sandwich-makers who are America’s culinary folk artists.
• http://www.roadsideamerica.com/ – RoadsideAmerica.com is a caramel-coated-nutbag-full of odd and hilarious travel destinations — over 9,000 places — ready for exploration.
• http://www.schmap.com/ – digital travel guides for 200 destinations throughout the United States, Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
• http://www.seatguru.com/ – More than 700 airplane seatmaps from nearly 100 different airlines. Thousands of reviews have been added to the SeatGuru database by flyers who know a great seat when they sit in one.
• http://www.tripadvisor.com/ – A great travel portal with access to hotels, airfare, vacation packages, and restaurants. More than 30 million ratings, ranging from excellent to terrible, with written reviews from travelers.
• http://www.tripology.com/ – An interactive travel referral service focused on connecting travelers with qualified and customer-rated travel specialists. Available free to consumers, Tripology utilizes proprietary technology to match traveler requests with travel professionals.
• http://www.yelp.com - A social networking site to share information about one’s city whether it be restaurants, shopping, Internet hotspots, festivals, spas, or other places or events.

~RG