Vacation: Great Online Resoruces

As stated many times before I love to travel. I love researching for my trips, finding the best deals, the best food, the coolest places, and the nicest beaches. I do a lot of homework before packing my bag and hopping on a plane. Researching where you are going pays off in experience as well as making it cheaper.

When planning here is what I research before hand:

  • Airports: How much does the fare cost? Is their another cheaper place to fly into or layover on the way? What transport is available to my hotel and how much does it cost?
  • Weather: When is the best time to go? Will I need rain gear? Jacket? Is it rainy or dry season?
  • Best time to go: Is their a festival going on to jack up prices? Is it going to be crowded or is it the low tourist season? Google searching "best time to go to _______" works well!
  • Currency: What is the exchange rate? Are ATM's plentiful or do I need to change money? What are the costs associated with exchange?
  • Budget: How much is the average hotel? meal? taxi ride? tours? airport transfers? subway fare? All this adds up!
  • Where to go/What to do: What sites do I want to see? What activities are a must-do for me? How will I fill my time without over extending my self?
Above are all the questions you should answer when planning a vacation. It takes a while. Now I will share my resources that I use to get those answers:
  • Airfare Matrix: I search this site as they search most major airlines for flights worldwide.
  • Kayak: Another good airfare search site
  • Lonely Planet Thorn Tree Forum: Great for asking specific questions on all topics for your destination. Reponses are usually fast!
  • FlyerTalk Forum: Good for specific ins and outs of airports and which airlines fly which routes. These flying geeks know their stuff!
  • Travelzoo: Good for getting weekly deals via email to catch a cheap vacation or flight deal that you otherwise may not find.
  • Google: Good for everything!
Plenty of other resources are out there as well. Google and the above are great places to start looking and planning. Doing your homework first ensures a smooth and restful vacation. I have done my work and will have a nice time with my month in Southeast Asia!

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