[July 08, 2011] The web's greatest travel sites Tweet Jul 08, 2011 (Khaleej Times - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- The Internet is a vast, wild, ever-changing place, particularly for those planning travel -- but a little guidance will set you straight, says Charlie R Neyra The jury is firmly out as to whether the web has changed the face of travel forever. Undoubtedly the playing field has changed, but many say that travel agencies are able to beat the web at every turn, finding lower prices, better deals, offering personal service. Yet die-hard Internet converts will not be swayed. They'll trawl the web for hours searching for bargains, tips, advice, routes, hotels and more -- often proving the anti-web group correct, as they burn precious time, sometimes saving just a few hundred dirhams. Whatever your stance, it is indisputable that the Internet brings immeasurable layers of information to your laptop, giving the inquisitive traveller more knowledge about flight times, routes, transfers, hotel extras, excursions and much, much more. The only trouble is navigating this infinite resource -- hundreds of travel websites have closed, with new contenders popping up daily. To help you on your way, Travel suggests some of the web's top sites that will save, amaze, interest and surprise. THE ESSENTIAL These websites are the staples of the Internet travel industry. They are useful for researching prices on flights, hotels, car hire and more... -- Expedia.com (and .co.uk) -- Expedia.com will give you the best prices on flights around the world, along with options for hotels and car hire. The big attraction here is how easy the site is to use and how efficient it is for after sales service. -- Close contender: Recent upstart Momondo.com is a crowd-pleasing alternative with its beautiful design and easy-to-navigate solutions, but it pushes you to other sites to finish your purchase. -- Carhire3000.com -- It is what it says it is. Here you'll be able to find cheap and cheerful car rental options at destinations all over the planet. -- Drawbacks are the terms and conditions -- read carefully. -- Hotels.com -- Another simple site that provides a simple service and many, many options, even hundreds/thousands of them. You'll be able to find the best hotel by price, distance from a city landmark and ratings by people who have already stayed there. -- Close contender: Agoda.com is a very well-designed site that is easy-to-use, pleasing to the eye, but not endowed with as many final options as hotels.com. -- Xe.com -- Want to know what Bahraini dinars equal in Indian rupees? Xe.com is the simplest, fastest currency conversion website out there. It's seemingly built for professional currency traders, but is just as handy for the rest of us. THE USEFUL Everyone needs the staples of travel that 'The Essential' sites offer, but the fun part of the web isn't bargain hunting or planning flight times, it's researching minute details -- and the web offers info on everything... -- Pocketvillage.com -- This relatively new website is ideal for someone not sure of where to go. On a fun graphic you select what you think you might want in a holiday, suggest a price range, it adds it all up and suggests trips. No more indecisiveness! -- Tripadvisor.com -- This is a fairly well-known website, so unless you're a novice to the web you should have heard of it. It allows people to give feedback on places they've stayed at, gathering ratings that are collected into a simple rankings system. The only trouble is that some people can be narrow-minded, complaining, pathetic, precious fools -- so be wary. -- Viamichelin.com -- This is a road trip fan's heaven. You put in a start point and destination and it gives you the route. It works the world over, although Europe is best, with the cost of tolls and places to stop listed in each journey. And you can research Michelin recommended restaurants to visit -- what's not to like? -- Worldtravelguide.net -- This website is a one-stop shop for information on every country you've ever thought of visiting. Need info on currency, average weather, festivals, best time of year to visit, different regions, how to get around, visas, dangers, jabs and more? Look no further. -- Worldnomads.com -- This handy site lets you buy travel insurance wherever you go, regardless of where you live, regardless of whether you've started your trip. Great for the less organised. THE UNUSUAL So you've done your research and know where to book all your tickets, rooms and more, but you still want extra information. You want to know the finer details of everything out there. Once again, the Internet can provide... -- Seatguru.com -- How much of a control freak are you? At seatguru.com you'll be able to find out every detail, of every seat, of every airline company out there -- and choose your seat accordingly. -- Airlinemeals.net -- So finding out whether your seat is near a toilet isn't enough? How about pictures of airline meals with comments given by travellers -- now surely that's enough information to choose your next flight to London or Hong Kong? -- Thezouk.com -- Another upstart that aims to take a piece of the travel pie. This site asks you to send in details of where and when you plan to stay, which it then forwards to local hotel operators who vie for your business. Our request for a London room for three nights in July returned just one response in 24hrs... [email protected] To see more of the Khaleej Times, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.khaleejtimes.com. Copyright (c) 2011, Khaleej Times, Dubai, United Arab Emirates Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]