ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries C&RL News ■ A p ril 2002 / 271 IN T E R N E T RESO UR CES Travel on the Web Sites to help you plan your vacation by Brian C outts The UCLA Internet Re­ port 2001, published in November 2001, found that 72.3 percent of Americans were online in 2001, up 5.4 percent from 2000. O n th e o th e r h a n d , o n lin e purchasing at 48.9 percent was dow n from 50.7 percent the previous year. O ne of the m ost pop u lar things people buy online is travel. The survey found that 11.6 percent of new users (online less than a year) m ade a travel-related purchase in 2001 com pared with 20.7 percent of experienced users (online five or m ore years). With more than 1,000 commercial travel sites and many more personal ones, it is sometimes a difficult task to select the best, reliable travel sources. While the number of visitors to Internet travel sites plummeted after the events of Sep­ tember 11, within three weeks, traffic at the three largest commercial travel sites, Expedia, Trav­ elocity, and Orbitz, had already returned to pre­ attack levels, according to one newspaper source. O n January 29, 2002, the New York Times reported that Expedia Inc.’s gross bookings rose to $704 million in the fourth quarter of 2001, exceeding the $630.2 million of rival Travelocity and making it the top online travel agent. The com pany also reported its first quarterly profit, $5.22 million. For the past four years I have offered a hands-on comm unity Internet w orkshop on travel. This guide has benefitted from the in­ put and experiences of m any w ho have at­ tended these w orkshops. W here to g o • C o n c ie r g e . If y o u ’re trying to decide w here to go, this is an excellent place to b e ­ gin. Sponsored by Conde Nast Traveler, a p o p u lar travel m agazine, the site lets you search by place, view poll results from the m agazine on the best destinations and hotels or find a romantic getaway. For the winter season, the site featured the “Top 50 Ski Re­ sorts in North America.” The w ell-heeled can search the 2002 Gold List for the most elite hotels, resorts, and cruise lines in the world. The rest of us can check out the 2001 Read­ ers’ Choice Awards for cities, islands, hotels, resorts, small hotels, cruise lines, and services. Access: h ttp ://w w w .concierge.com . • T h e T ravel C h a n n e l. In addition to serving as an online guide to the cable chan­ nel of the same name, this is a perfect site for an undecided traveler. Click on “explore by destination” to plan a trip. Click on “explore by idea” for guides to beaches and islands, casinos and resorts, culture and attractions, and them e parks. You can even w atch live cams in Las Vegas, Times Square, and South Beach. Access: http://travel.discovery.com /. About the author Brian Coutts is head o f the department o f library public services a t Western Kentucky University, e-mail: brian.coutts@wku.edu http://www.concierge.com http://travel.discovery.com/ mailto:brian.coutts@wku.edu 272 / C&RL News ■ A p ril 2002 T ra v e l g u id e s • F o d o r s. Launched in 1996 by the w orld’s largest English-language travel publisher, you can use this interactive site to create your ow n m ini-guide to 200 destinations w orldw ide, com plete w ith recom m endations o n hotels and restaurants, not to m ention important sites to visit. U nder “trip ideas” b e sure to check out Fodor’s “10 U nderrated Getaw ays.” A c ­ cess: h ttp://w w w .fodors.com . • F r o m m e r e . Click a region un d er “des­ tinations” or type in the nam e of a country, region, state, or city to find inform ation for your next holiday. T hen you can check out hotels, restaurants, shopping, and nightlife for m any p o p u lar locations. An ad d e d bonus at this site is a daily new sletter and hot tips from Arthur From m er himself. Check the “Block­ buster Bargains” for info abo u t discounted packages, airfares, cruises, lodgings, and car rentals. Access: http://w w w .from m ers.com . • L o n e ly P la n e t. This Australian travel guide publisher was fo u n d ed in the early 1970s by Tony and M aureen W heeler after an overland journey from London through Asia to Australia. Their first guide, Across Asia on the Cheap, becam e a bestseller. This site provides virtual travel guides, com plete w ith gorgeous pictures, for m any tourist destinations. Click “worldguide” and find an interactive w o rld “d e s tin a ­ tions” map. You can search by country or re­ gion to find info about attractions, off the b eaten track, history, environm ent, a n d get­ ting around. You can even sign up for one of their several newsletters. They donate a por­ tion of their profits to organizations benefit- ting the p eople they cover. Access: h ttp :// ww w. lonelyplanet. com . T ra v e l b o o ksto re s/m a p s • A d v e n t u r o u s T r a v e le r B o o k s t o r e . Stocking m ore than 10,000 books, magazines, a n d gadgets, this online store boasts one of the largest collections for outd o o r adventure anyw here. Use the drop-dow n m enu on the left to search for b o oks or m aps that are sh ip p ed from Burlington, Vermont. You can also check out their bargain basem ent sales. Access: h ttp ://w w w .a d v e n tu r o u s tr a v e le r . com. • M a p s .c o m . Founded in 1991, this site offers a combination of content and commerce a n d attracts a reported 1.7 million users per m onth. This is a one-stop site for m aps of all sorts from wall to digital. You can also use the site for driving directions or to find an address. Access: h ttp ://w w w .m ap s.c o m . T ra v e l in fo rm a tio n • T o u r is m O ffic e s W o r ld w id e D ir e c ­ to r y . True to its title, this site lists 1,445 offi­ cial governm ent tourist offices, convention a n d visitors bureaus, cham bers o f commerce, and similar agencies worldwide. Use the drop­ do w n boxes at the top to search by country or state. Access: h ttp ://w w w .to w d .c o m . A ir tra v e l • AOW: A ir lin e s o f t h e W eb. D eveloped by Marc-David Seidel, a University of Texas business professor specializing in Internet marketing, this site allows consum ers to shop on m ore than 500 airlines w orldw ide. Click on “cyberfares” to get the latest “hot deals,” or check out “air tips” to get the m ost out of your travel. Access: http://flyaow .com . • M ic r o s o ft E x p e d ia . O ne of the oldest, m ost valuable travel sites on the Web. New features include online m aps and vacation packages. Try their “express search” fare finder for a quick estimate on your next trip. You can also check their “traveler tools” for sp e ­ cial information. Access: h ttp ://e x p ed ia .co m . • O rb itz. This is the new est of the “big th re e ” travel Web sites founded less than a year ago by five airlines: American, Conti­ nental, Delta, Northwest, and United. You can use the O rbot Q uick Flight to b o o k a trip, check out flight deals, and locate a w eekend W ebfare. T hey even give w arnings about p o s s ib l e tra v e l d e la y s . A ccess: h t t p : / / w w w . orbitz.com . • T r a v e lo c ity . Now six years old, having m erged with Preview Travel, Travelocity pro­ vides access to 47,000 hotels, 50 car rental agencies, and 6,500 tour and cruise packages. A u nique feature is their “fare w atcher p ro ­ gram ,” w hich allows you to m onitor changes in prices for selected destinations. Access: h ttp :// w w w . travelocity. com . T ra in tra v e l • A m trak. Listing more than 500 destina­ tions available on Amtrak, this site allows http://www.fodors.com http://www.frommers.com http://www.adventuroustraveler Maps.com http://www.maps.com http://www.towd.com http://flyaow.com http://expedia.com C&RL News ■ A p ril 2002 / 273 you to m ake reservations a n d purchase tick­ ets online. Check “advertised specials,” “sav­ ings a n d pro m o tio n s,” or “rail sale” for bar­ gain travel opportunities. This is a great place to brow se if seeing th e U nited States by rail is your goal. A free passw ord is needed to com plete reservations. Access: h ttp://w w w . amtrak.com. • R ail E u r o p e . Provides inform ation on the 17-country Eurailpass, 5-countiy Europass, and Brit Rail passes, as well as single-coun­ try passes for France, Switzerland, a n d Italy. From here you can b ook all types of Euro­ p e a n rail passes and tickets online. For point to point tickets, check out “fares a n d sched­ ules.” Access: http://w w w .raileurope.com /us. • R o c k y M o u n ta in e e r . Billing itself as “T he M ost S p e c ta c u la r Train Trip in th e W orld,” this private railroad offers sp ectacu ­ lar trips from Vancouver through the Rockies to Alberta a n d back. The n u m b er of d e p a r­ tures has grown from 40 to 148 in just 12 years. Access: http://w w w .rockym ountaineer.com . • VIA R a il C a n a d a . W ith a m otto of “D isco v er C anada w ith VIA,” this is th e W eb site for C a n a d a ’s n a tio n a l rail service, w h ic h o p e ra te s 460 tra in s w e e k ly s e rv ­ ing 450 C anadian localities. U n d er “w ays to s a v e ” c h e c k o u t th e v e ry a ffo rd a b le “CANRAILPASS.” A c c e s s : h t t p : / / w w w . v ia r a il.c a /e n jn d e x .h tm l. B uses • G rey h o u n d Lines Inc. This easy-to-navi- gate site makes it a breeze to book your next bus trip. If you already know your destination, click on “purchase tickets” for fares and schedules. Check out the “2 for 1 Companion Fares” or tire “Discovery Pass” for continental travel. Access- http://www.greyhound.com. T ra v e l b y ca r • MAPBLAST. After a free registration, this p o p u lar site provides users with interactive m aps and driving instructions, as w ell as in­ form ation on services and products near a u se r’s address or travel route. Be sure to tiy out their b ran d n e w “Line Drive D irections,” w hich get you to your destination turn by turn. Access: http://w w w .m apblast.com . • M a p Q u est. Originally fo u n d ed by R. R. Donnelly & Sons in 1966 as a cartographic services division, this is one of the busiest sites on the Web. From here you can plot driving directions, locate addresses, and d e ­ v e lo p p e rs o n a liz e d m aps. Access: h ttp : // w w w .m apquest.com . • M o to E u r o p a . Provides a o n e -sto p guide to car travel in Europe w ith informa­ tion on highways, fuel costs, and road signs. U nder logistics check “docum ents and $$” for driving particulars for each country. They also prom ote short-term leases with Renault. A c­ cess: http://ww w.ideam erge.com /m otoeuropa. • R e n t a l C ars. B re e ze .N et’s g u id e to m ore than 90 m ajor airport auto rental com ­ panies a n d franchises at m ore th an 170 air­ ports. Look for the 11th H our Specials if y o u ’re hunting for a bargain. Access: h ttp :// w w w .b n m .co m . • R o a d s id e A m e r ic a . From the w orld’s largest sycam ore tree to a tour o f the Crayola factory, you can find it here. Use the “electric m ap ” to find the strange and unusual attrac­ tions along the road for your next trip. A c­ cess: http://w w w .roadsideam erica.com . H o te ls a n d m o te ls • a ll-h o te ls . While the title of this site overstates its com prehensiveness, it does pro­ vide links to m ore than 60,000 hotels in 9,600 locations. Beautifully designed, this is one of the oldest online guides to hotels. Type in your location at the top a n d click “go.” Ac­ com m odations are organized by price range fro m d is c o u n t to luxury. Access: h t t p : / / w w w . a 11-hotels. c o m /h o m e . htm . • A siaT ravel. Featured on the Singapore Stock Exchange, this is one of Asia’s largest Internet-based hotel reservations a n d travel service providers. More than 5,000 hotels and resorts can b e preview ed and b o o k e d from this site. Discounts of u p to 75 p ercent are offered for online reservations. They are now booking hotels in the Middle East and m any o th e r p arts o f th e w orld. Access: h t tp : // asiatravel.com . • H o te ls T r a v e l.c o m . Provides m ore than 75,000 links to lodgings and travel resources worldw ide. Click on “hotels” at the top. From here you can click on “hotel chains” for one of the m ost com plete lists anyw here. Access: http://w w w .hotelstravel.com . • L o d g in g .c o m . This site was founded in 1995 by two high school friends w ho were avid skiers in Boca Raton, Florida. Since then the com pany has expanded to offer online info for 5,000 U.S. cities. With m ore than 10,000 amtrak.com http://www.raileurope.com/us http://www.rockymountaineer.com http://www.greyhound.com http://www.greyhound.com http://www.mapblast.com http://www.mapquest.com http://www.ideamerge.com/motoeuropa http://www.bnm.com http://www.roadsideamerica.com asiatravel.com HotelsTravel.com http://www.hotelstravel.com Lodging.com 274 / C&RL News ■ A p ril 2002 bookings p e r month, tire com pany continues to expand. Access: http://w w w .lodging.com . • P l a c e s t o S t a y . c o m . A d iv is io n o f WorldRes.com founded in 1995, this Internet co m p an y lists m ore th an 28,000 b e d a n d breakfasts, ski resorts, inns, and hotels, includ­ ing m any independents. Access: http://w w w . placestostay.com . • R o o m s a v e r . If y o u ’ve ever picked up those green traveler discount guide hotel cou­ po n s at state w elcom e stations, then y o u ’re familiar w ith Roomsaver. Now you can print your very ow n online c o u p o n b o o k for your next trip, selecting from som e 6,000 dis­ co u n ted hotel rooms. Access: h ttp ://w w w . roomsaver. c o m /roomsaver. Bed a n d b re a k fa s ts • Educators B ed a n d Breakfast Travel Net­ w o r k . This membership site covers 52 countries where 5,000 educators share their homes with other educators inter­ ested in less expensive room and board. Mem­ bers agree to provide d o u b le a c co m m o d a­ tions for $32 or a $30 single. A current online directory lists hom es available. Their newest feature is “home stays,” where members may housesit for $40 a night. There is a $36 annual membership and a $10 one-time registration fee. Access- http://www.edubabnet.com. • I n t e r n e t G u id e to B e d a n d B r e a k fa st I n n s . Tired of staying in hotels? This site of­ fers unique, comfortable, and often less ex­ pensive lodgings and dining opportunities. O nline since 1995, this site links you to m ore than 6,000 b e d a n d breakfast inns in North America and around the world. Phone n u m ­ bers, addresses, rate and availability are kept r e la tiv e ly c u r r e n t. Access: h t tp : // w w w . traveldata. co m /in n s. H o m e e x c h a n g e s • I n t e r n a t io n a l H o m e E x c h a n g e N e t­ w o r k . N ow in its seventh year, w orldw ide hospitality listings offered at this site provide current opportunities to exchange residences at little or no cost to either participant. You can list your residence online and search for listings in areas you w ould like to visit. A c ­ cess: h ttp ://w ww. h o m eex ch an g e. com. C u ltu ra l e v e n ts • C u ltu reF in d e r. Planning a trip to New York? W ant to c h e ck th e availability of tick­ ets for the latest Broadway show? CultureFinder is the place to do it. You can check out na­ tional tours, classical/opera, dance, theater, and visual arts in 1,500 different cities. Access: http:// www.culturefinder.com. A d v e n t u re tra v e l/o u td o o r re c re a tio n • A w a y .c o m . With m ore than 5,000 trips offered by 200 adventure travel com panies, this is a terrific site for the adventurous trav­ eler! Click o n “trip finder” by region or activ­ ity to find out about su p er trips. You can sign u p for one of their “daily e scap es” to a for­ eign destination or subscribe to o n e of their colorful newsletters about exotic locales. They ev en provide color calendar screensavers. Access: h ttp ://a w a y .c o m . • GORP Great O utdoors R ecreation Page. Founded by Diane and Bill Geer in 1995, with more titan 100,000 pages, GORP is the largest Web site devoted to outdoor recreation and ad­ venture travel. Click on your favorite activity to locate interesting trips from biking to wildlife view­ ing. Access; http://www.gorp.com. C ru is e tra v e l • C r u is e .c o m . O w ned by Omega World Travel founded in 1972, this is one of the larg­ est travel agencies in the United State. Their Web site, established in 1998, tells you just about every thing you w ant to know about cruising from “ship reviews” to “ship stats.” Cruise.com now claims to be the Internet’s largest cruise seller. Access: http://w w w .cm ise.com . S p e c ia l d e a ls A. Airlines Most dom estic and m any international air­ lines provide special w eekend cyberfares. For m ost of these you m ust leave on a Friday or a Saturday and return on a Monday or a Tues­ day. These special offers can b e e-m ailed to you weekly. They usually arrive on Tuesday or W ednesday. • A ir C a n a d a W e b sa v e r s. Click on the “w ebsaver” b ox under “quick links” for w eek­ e n d specials. Access: http ://w w w .aircan ad a. ca/hom e.htm l. • A m e r ic a n N et SAAvers. Click on Net SAAvers a n d special offers. Access: h ttp :// w w w .aa.com . http://www.lodging.com PlacestoStay.com WorldRes.com placestostay.com http://www.edubabnet.com http://w http://www.culturefinder.com Away.com http://away.com http://www.gorp.com Cruise.com Cruise.com http://www.cmise.com http://www.aircanada http://www.aa.com C&RL News ■ A p ril 2002 / 275 • B e s t F a r e s O n lin e . This is the online version of Tom Parson’s Best Fares M agazine. W hile the inside scoop goes to p aid m em ­ bers, you can try out the “city low fare finder.” Access: h ttp ://w w w . bestfares.com . • C a t h a y P a c i f i c . C lic k o n “C yberT ravelerProgram ” for e-m ail offers, auctions, a n d th e “All Asia P ass.” Access: http://w w w .cathay.ca. • C o n tin e n ta l A ir lin e s . Click on “vaca­ tions a n d specials” for their w e e k e n d sp e ­ cials. A ccess http://w w w .continental.com . • D e lt a W eb F a r e s. From links o n the left, click o n “special offers.” A ccess h ttp :// w w w .delta.com • N o r th w e s t A ir lin e s . Click on “deal and prom otions" for their w eekly “CyberSavers.” A ccess h ttp ://w w w .n w a.c o m . • S o u t h w e s t I n t e r n e t S p e c ia ls . Unlike the oth er w e e k e n d specials, Southw est’s are good anytime and offer huge discounts, which m ust b e b o o k e d quickly since they go fast! Click on “system wide fare specials!” for their click “click ’n save specials.” A c c ess h ttp :// w w w .iflysw a.com . • U n ite d A ir lin e s. Click on “special deals” for dom estic and international sales. A ccess http://w w w .ual.com . • US A ir w a y s. Click on “prom otions” for this w e e k ’s “E-Savers.” Access. h ttp://w w w . usairw ays.com . B. A uctions • P r ic e lin e .C o m . A n e w innovation in air travel. You nam e the price y o u ’re willing to pay for tickets a n d priceline finds a major airline willing to release seats on flights where they have unsold space. Caution! O nce your bid is accepted you are committed. You can also bid for hotel room s a n d rental cars. A c ­ cess.- h ttp://w w w .priceline.com . • S k yA u ction .com . This exciting com pany lets you bid on airline tickets, hotel stays, pack­ ages, and resort vacations worldwide. Click on “auctions closing soon” to watch closing bids. You can even check out deals by location. Be sure to add in their tax and service charge of $195. Access: http://www.skyauction.com. M is c e lla n y A. Travel A ids • RCM Travel Site. Launched by a small mar­ keting company in Mississippi in 1997, the RCM Travel Site provides links to currency converters, map services, distance finders, and weights and measures. Access.- http://rcm travel site.com /Travel _Aids. B. Languages • TRAVLANG. Provides inform ation on 70 differen t fo reig n lan g u ag es, including guides to basic w ords, help on pronuncia­ tion, etc. A c c ess http://w w w 3.travlang.com . C. Festivals • F e s tiv a l F in d e r. H ere you can find in­ form ation o n m ore th an 2,500 festivals in North America. Click on y our favorite genre or locate festivals by date, location, perform ­ ers, or festival nam e. A c c ess h ttp ://w w w . festivalfinder. c o m . D. Newsletters • T h is W ee k ’s T o p 2 0 . This online new s­ letter lists the top 20 travel bargains of the w eek. A c c ess http://top20.travelzoo.com . • W e lc o m e t o Ig o u g o . A terrific site that allows y ou to read travel journals w ritten by oth er tourists or write one yourself. Be sure to ch e ck o u t their 30,000 photos. Access.- h ttp://w w w .igougo.com . E. Senior Travel • INTERHOSTEL. N ow celeb ratin g its 22nd anniversary, Interhostel sponsors learn­ ing vacations for adults over the age of 50. A n ew er program , FamilyHostel is designed for families w ith school-aged children. Access.- http://www.learn.unh.edu/INTERHOSTEL. F. S tu d en t Travel • AESU O n lin e . Since 1977, AESU has offered special E uropean travel packages for college stu d e n ts 18 to 35. Access.- h ttp :// w w w .aesu.com . G. T im eZ ones • tim e a n d d a te .c o m . This is a great place to check w orld time zones a n d calendars. A c ­ cess h ttp://w w w .tim eanddate.com . H. Travel W arnings • T ra v el W a r n in g s & C o n s u la r I n fo r ­ m a t io n S h e e ts . Travel w arnings are issued by the U.S. State D epartm ent to inform Ameri­ cans that they should avoid travel to a certain country. Consular Inform ation Sheets locate U.S. em bassies or consulates a n d describe conditions in ea ch country. Access.- h ttp :// travel.state.gov/travel_warnings.htm l. ■ See the fu ll article on the Web at http://www.ala.org/acrl/resapr02.html bestfares.com http://www.cathay.ca http://www.continental.com http://www.delta.com http://www.nwa.com http://www.iflyswa.com http://www.ual.com usairways.com Priceline.Com http://www.priceline.com SkyAuction.com http://www.skyauction.com http://rcmtravelsite.com/Travel http://rcmtravelsite.com/Travel http://rcmtravelsite.com/Travel http://www3.travlang.com http://top20.travelzoo.com http://www.igougo.com http://www.igougo.com http://www.learn.unh.edu/INTERHOSTEL http://www.learn.unh.edu/INTERHOSTEL http://www.aesu.com date.com http://www.timeanddate.com http://www.ala.org/acrl/resapr02.html