Planning Your Vacation Online!
Here are some guidelines to help you plan your next vacation using free Internet resources. How do I find new vacation ideas? Browse online travel guides (such as Fodor’s, Yahoo Travel, Frommer’s, etc) as well as online versions of newspaper travel sections and TV’s Travel Channel Explore travel sites to see what destinations are most popular Sign up for free email newsletters and special offers from travel sites Use a search engine to search for ideas by region/time of year/vacation theme How do I find the best deals? Airfares 1. Determine your departure/arrival cities 2. Choose your travel dates 3. Research prices on mega-search websites such as Travelocity, Expedia, Orbitz, etc 4. Research prices on specific airline websites for comparison Hotels 1. Decide your destination 2. Choose your travel dates 3. Research prices on specific hotel/motel/resort websites 4. Check discount hotel websites (priceline.com or hotels.com) Rental Cars 1. Determine where, when, and for how long you will need a car 2. Research prices on mega-search websites such as Travelocity, Expedia, Orbitz, etc 3. For comparison, go to an online search engine and do a search for “rental cars” 4. Explore prices on the various car rental company websites 5. Use any membership/credit card discounts (such as AAA) How do I find discount travel packages? Use mega-search websites to create and find package deals Sign up for free email offers from travel sites Explore offers for members of special clubs (AAA, Sams Club, etc.) How do I get free travel rewards and special offers? Enroll in travel benefits programs online (Hilton Honors, Guest Ovations, etc.) Join travel related clubs online (such as AAA) Sign up for free email alerts on travel related websites How do I locate attractions at my destination? Visit Convention and Visitors Bureau websites (see handout of state tourist bureaus) Request a visitor information packet online Use a search engine to search for attractions at your destination Consult online travel guides
Vacation Planning Online
Decatur Public Library May, 2005
Helpful Vacation Planning Websites
These links and more are accessible through DPL’s Web Links Travel section at: http://www.decatur.lib.il.us/weblinks/weblinks_travelandmaps.htm Vacation Ideas Concierge.com: http://www.concierge.com Fodor’s: http://www.fodors.com Frommer’s: http://www.frommers.com Lonely Planet: http://www.lonelyplanet.com Yahoo Travel: http://travel.yahoo.com (click on Travel Guides link) Travel Channel: http://travel.discovery.com Chicago Trib. Travel: http://www.chicagotribune.com/travel My Travel Guide: http://mytravelguide.com
Travel Mega-Sites
Expedia: http://www.expedia.com Hotwire: http://www.hotwire.com One Travel: http://www.onetravel.com Orbitz: http://www.orbitz.com Priceline: http://www.priceline.com Travelocity: http://www.travelocity.com Yahoo Travel: http://travel.yahoo.com Sidestep: http://www.sidestep.com (“traveler’s search engine”)
Travel Deals Sidestep: http://traveldeals.sidestep.com Best Fares: http://www.bestfares.com Priceline: http://www.priceline.com TravelZoo: http://www.travelzoo.com (email newsletter) Cheap Tickets: http://www.cheaptickets.com Last Minute Travel: http://www.lastminutetravel.com
Major Airlines
Airlines: http://www.loglink.com/airlines.asp American Airlines: http://www.aa.com America West: http://www.americawest.com Continental Airlines: http://www.continental.com Delta Airlines: http://www.delta.com Northwest Airlines: http://www.nwa.com Southwest Airlines: http://www.southwest.com United Airlines: http://www.united.com Decatur Public Library May, 2005
Vacation Planning Online
US Airways: http://www.usair.com Cruises Travelnow: http://cruises.travelnow.com/ Cruises.com: http://www.cruises.com Cruise One: http://www.cruiseone.com Cruise2.com http://www.cruise2.com (Largest Not For Profit Cruise Portal)
Hotel Mega-Sites & Lodging Websites
Hotels.com: http://www.hotels.com Quickbook: http://www.quikbook.com/ Bed and Breakfast Inns: http://www.bedandbreakfast.com/ Baymont Inn: http://www.baymontinns.com Best Western: http://www.bestwestern.com Hilton Hotels: http://www.hiltonworldwide.com Intercontinental Hotels Group: http://www.ichotelsgroup.com Marriott Hotels: http://marriott.com Wyndham Hotels: http://www.wyndham.com
Car Rental Websites
Alamo: http://www.alamo.com Budget Rent A Car: http://www.budget.com Dollar Rent A Car: http://www.dollar.com Enterprise Rent-A-Car: http://www.enterprise.com Hertz: http://www.hertz.com National Car Rental: http://www.nationalcar.com Thrifty: http://www.thrifty.com Yahoo Rental Cars: http://yahoo.com (search for rental cars) RentalCars.com: http://www.rentalcars.com
Travel Rewards
AAdvantage: http://www.aa.com Guest Ovations: http://www.baymontinns.com/baymont-go/gointro.jsp Hilton Honors Program: http://www.hiltonhhonors.com Priority Club: http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/pc/1/en/home
Travel Reviews
Epinions: http://www.epinions.com/trvl Hotelshark http://www.hotelshark.com Zoom and Go: http://www.zoomandgo.com Theme Park Insider: http://www.themeparkinsider.com Trip Advisor: http://www.tripadvisor.com Decatur Public Library May, 2005
Vacation Planning Online