Travelling caught by the web

IN TRANSIT:IT IS HARD to believe it now but just 10 years ago we were at the mercy of travel agents when it came to booking holidays. We'd call into offices with a vague idea of where we wanted to go and they'd tap away on their keyboards for what seemed like forever before suggesting resorts to us.

Not any more. The web has made detailed research simple and up-to-date. The daddy of all the websites is tripadvisor.com which carries (mostly) independent reviews and ratings on thousands of hotels worldwide – reviews written by hotel owners are usually easy to spot. In recent years the site has expanded to include user videos and pics.

While it may be the best known, it’s not the only place to find out more about a holiday destination. “Experience cities like a local” says the tagline on spottedbylocals.com. It is a wonderful collection of city blogs covering 23 European cities, including Barcelona, Berlin, London, Paris and Lisbon (not Dublin). It has the low-down on the best shops, restaurants and bars in each city as selected by a hand-picked team of people who live in each city.

A site which has taken trainspotting to a new level is seat61.com – it really came into its own during the first ash crisis when thousands were stranded all over Europe. There is virtually nothing about Europe’s train network that the man in seat 61 (Mark Smith) can’t tell you. The site has comprehensive booking and timetabling information for train networks all over the world.

If you’re concerned about flying, groundedtravel.com shows you how to travel the world using only trains, coaches and ferries.

Had a bad experience on holidays or want to read about other people’s hard times? Visit travel-rants.com. It doesn’t limit itself to ranting and has tips on everything from dealing with jet lag to handling foreign exchange transactions.

There is little complaining on aluxurytravelblog.com which offers a glimpse into the world of the rich. The blog “focuses on the finer aspects of travel” providing information on the most luxurious hotels, resorts and the world’s finest restaurants. It may leave you drooling.

Speaking of drooling, there’s chowhound.chow.com which has a “voracious devotion to hyperdeliciousness”. Food-lovers come to this site to exchange tips about the best restaurants, foods, shops and bars they have come across on their travels.

If you’re looking to put together a bespoke holiday but don’t know where to start try travel-lists.co.uk. It is a UK-based “independent expert directory” and serves as a useful tool for holidaymakers looking for a list of some of the best and most relevant travel providers. Companies can’t pay to be listed.

When wayn.com launched it claimed it would become the “Facebook for travel”. It didn’t but still has over 13 million members which means there’s a lot of travel related content and busy discussion forums.

While travelintelligence.com thinks very highly of itself – “the ultimate one-stop shop for finding and booking your perfect hotel” – it’s a useful resource and has an interesting collection of chic, boutique and luxury hotels, including reviews, articles and insider knowledge from its stable of travel writers.

If you have questions about a destination then travellr.com is a remarkable resource. Post a question about a place on the site and it gets routed in real-time to a local or visitor from the online community. You can also browse other people’s questions by topic and destination.

THERE AREhundreds of sites offering villa rentals but none covers so many locations as vrbo.com. Vacation Rentals by Owner has over 140,000 properties in more than 100 countries.

Finally, the site we’d love if only we were 23 again. Sign up to couchsurfing.com and find people who will let you crash on their couch – or more usually in their spare room. Frequently members of the couchsurfing community will also feed you and show you the best places to eat and drink in the city you’re visiting.

You will have to return the favour and host random strangers in your own home but isn’t that part of the fun?