When was the last time you stepped foot into a travel agency? With the dawn of the Internet and the tens of thousands of travel resources available online, travel agents seem to be a dying breed. My aunt retired from the travel industry last year after spending more than 20 years as a travel agent. She was, by all accounts, the only person anyone in my family dealt with when it came to booking a trip. Now she’s spending her days on the golf course and we have all begun turning to the Internet to secure our travel plans.
Now that June is here and summer has officially (at least meteorologically) begun, it’s worth looking at how useful the Internet can be in planning a family vacation.
The following websites are ones I have found helpful over the years, whether it be for finding great travel deals or for obtaining important information regarding my destination.
Health and Travel—If you are traveling abroad this summer (especially if you are going somewhere exotic like Kenya, Nepal, etc.) you may want to visit the Department of Health and Human Services website. It features safety tips for the most isolated destinations.
Related Reading:
Water Woes–A Trip Gone Terribly Wrong
The Ugly Truth About Airplane Water
Holiday Travel: 10 Ways To Stay Healthy On Vacation
Traveling with a Medical Condition
Travel Tips For Allergy Sufferers
Cheap Airfare—When it comes to finding the most affordable airfare timing is everything. Before booking a trip I make the obligatory visits to online travel agencies like Expedia.com and Orbitz.com, but if you don’t have time to fuss with multiple sites considering logging on to fareport.com. It is a useful site that provides airfare averages on over 6,000 routes with data from the Department of Transportation.
Related Reading:
Online Airfares–Finding the Best Deal
A New Tool In The Battle To Find Cheap Airline Seats
Airline Secrets Revealed: Affordable First-Class Fares
Total Vacation Packages—Are They Worth The Money?
Travel Delays—If you are concerned about weather delays check out The Weather Channel’s site. I love the site and use it often as it provides a comprehensive look at any and all weather related factors that may affect your travel plans. Another great site that provides info about delays or cancellations is the Department of Transportation’s own website, which gives detailed statistics on different carriers. It also links to air travel consumer reports.
Related Reading:
Preparing For Travel Delays–Part 2
Airline Delays—Will This Make A Difference?
Avoiding The Bummer Of Getting Bumped