Best Travel Web Picks 2001

Just Click and Pick to Find Best Rates

By Kent St. John

There was a time not so long ago when traveling meant time, travel agents, telexes, expensive telephone calls, and “Sorry we have no record of your reservation.” Much has improved for both the traveler and the industry, and the biggest reason is the Internet. To find low fares, I no longer have to buy five newspapers with their Sunday travel sections. I just click and pick, with the speed of Zorro.

Best Portals

PlanetRider Travel Directory www.planetrider.com. Both National Geo-graphic Traveler and Expedia Travel magazine give PlanetRider Travel raves. I must agree, the “10-minute vacation” section is fast and informative.

Travel-Finder www.travel-finder.com. A great portal because of the geographically savvy Spider Finder. Features 8,000 sites and 4,000 hosts.

Airlines of the Web www.flyaow.com. Good tips on air travel and the ground transportation links can help you find the best way to and from the irport.

Air Hitch www.4cheapair.com. If you want super cheap and can be flexible,  this airfare site can get you overseas for as little as $169 each way.

Trip.com www.trip.com. A travel portal for those with a high tech lifestyle. It can be accessed via Wireless Internet ready phone.

Airwise www.airwise.com. The place to get the news that affects airline travelers: good airport guide and discussion forum concerning passengers rights and airline alliances.

Sights, Sounds of Asia www.gettinghere.com. For travelers to Southeast Asia the site provides great promotional specials. The sights and sounds of the area’s best-loved spots are exceptionally well done.

Last Minute Travel www.lastminutetravel.com Got some sudden free time and not sure where to go? Click on a destination and see what airlines, hotels, and other providers are offering. Perfect for those who suffer from an irresistable travel bug.

Orbitz www.orbitz.com. This granddaddy of airfare search sites has just become better. You can’t buy the tickets but you can select from dozens of ranked options on traveling anywhere.

Best Airfares Outside the U.S.

www.tiss.com. Discount tickets for flights from cities outside the U.S.

Lowestfares, www.lowestfare.com. Not always the lowest but check them before buying a ticket. Several times they have come out on top for me. Easy and fast.

Sunday Travel Sections and More www.johnnyjet.com. This site offers a lengthy features section for many Sunday newspapers’ travel sections.

Travelocity, www.travelocity.com. Another giant (owned by Sabre) that should be checked, especially if you’re looking at Canada, the U.K., or Germany.

Hotwire, www.hotwire.com. A Price-line-like site for fares but not specific routing.

Latin Tickets, www.latintickets.com. Need to flee South of the Border and quick? You pick your price and they will find the airline for you; if you don’t like the price keeping trying.

Best Sleeps

International Youth Hostel Federation, www.iyhf.org. The site for the granddaddy for budget travelers worldwide is well designed, well run, and very useful. The news section keeps you well updated on new and renovated hostels.

Denmark & Copenhagen Guide to Travel, www.visitdenmark.com. Everything imaginable about Denmark (including Greenland): Travel, accommodations, and museums.

Backpack Europe.com, www.backpackeurope.com. A site that Arthur Frommer recommends as the best for backpacking in Europe. Thousands of useful links.

Best Reading and Information

Travel Library, www.travel-library.com. Comprehensive information invaluable to dedicated long-term travelers. Covers routes, weather, budgeting, duration, and more. Advice from experienced travelers makes this great site even better. Includes a page full of links to various round-the- world travelers’ personal web sites. 

Transitions Abroad. Near and dear to my heart! The magazine site took me from being a tourist to a traveler with information that just does not exist anywhere else. Their mantra of combining work, study, and living with traveling abroad was a full 20 years ahead of anyone else’s. There simply is no better resource for alternative travel anywhere, a gift to those of us truly determined to “find your own thing.”

GoNomad, www.gonomad.com. The Travel & Leisure of alternative travel, with a caring and global outlook and opportunities to connect with others who think traveling can be a constructive force. “Loaded with creative, uncrowded destinations, from treetops in Thailand to cooking classes in Europe” (American Airlines magazine).

Planeta, www.planeta.com. I have never seen such a dedicated and informed devotee to helping both visitors and locals work together to understand Latin America. Ron Mader really cares!

Lonely Planet, www.lonelyplanet.com. Not only information in their multitude of books on cheap travel; also email newsletters and contacts for live travel events.

dir.yahoo.com/Recreation/Travel/News_and_Media/Magazines/ to reach a collection of nearly every travel magazine in existence.

KENT ST. JOHN is senior travel editor for www.GoNomad.com.