Best Travel Portals and Worldwide Web Sites

About.com, in its Travel Section, provides useful articles, links and travel information for a large number of countries.

BootsnAll.com, www.BootsnAll.com. A fun site that offers largely unedited down-to-earth travel stories and country guides, informative articles, and access to more than a dozen travel newsletters.

CNN Travel Guide, www.cnn.com/travel. Provides travel news, destination information, as well as booking information.

Fodors.com, Fodors.com, is the website for the ubiquitous guidebook company and provides great destination-oriented travel resources, and also features a very active message board.

Frommers, www.frommers.com, is a huge companion site for the budget travel magazine and guidebook empire started by Arthur Frommer 45 years ago. The site contains much useful information for the budget and independent traveler— albeit with a very commercial bent.

GoNOMAD, www.gonomad.com, offers destination guides, photo galleries, directories and thousands of listings of tour operators, small hotels, and travel resources.

iAgora.com, www.iagora.com, is a terrific site for expatriates and for foreigners in the U.S. Of most relevance to those from the U.S. going abroad are iAgora’s bulletin boards and its searchable database that provide you with ways to connect with others who live in your destination country.

iTravelnet Travel Directory. A directory for travel related web sites. Features destination guides, travel news and travelogues. Book cheap airfares, discount hotels and car hire.

Johnny Jet Portal: www.johnnyjet.com. This web site offers everything designed to help point travelers to what the web has to offer—from transportation tips and packing lists to travel news.

Lonely Planet: www.lonelyplanet.com . This site remains popular for a reason—it offers practical planning information for all aspects of travel, travel advisories, and it boasts one of the best online forums for travelers, the Thorn Tree.

National Geographic Traveler, www.nationalgeographic.com/traveler, quality travel writing and resources with all the slickness you would expect. And now an excellent world music section.

New York Times Travel section. Travel sections from the Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the Seattle Times, and many other metropolitan and national newspapers have started to include far more comprehensive and practical travel information, along with the excellent writing you would expect. Many articles require registration.

Rough Guides, www.roughguides.com, is a rich a travel portal with its forum and travel journals, as well as excellent information on world music to boot.

University of Michigan Travel Abroad: www.umich.edu/~icenter/swt/travel/. William Nolting, the director of the Overseas Opportunities Office and Transitions Abroad’s work abroad editor, has put together this site, which is chocked full of resources for students and independent travelers of any age. You’ll find currency converters, budget accommodations and tips, as well as general travel information and links on everything from languages to maps to health and safety concerns.

WorldTravelGuide.net, worldtravelguide.net, provides general information for destinations worldwide, with travel guides, visa requirements, flights and hotel information.