Travel on the world wide web

Travel Guides
Travel Bookstores/Maps
Major Travel Packagers
Airlines
Trains
Buses
Cars

Eating and Lodging
Hotels and Motels
Bed and Breakfasts
Home Exchanges
Restaurants

Miscellany
Traveler Aids
Languages
Festivals
Newsletter
Senior Travel
Student Travel
Time Zones
Travel Photos
Travel Warnings

Concierge
http://www.concierge.com
If you're trying to decide where to go, this is an excellent place to begin. Sponsored by Conde Nast Traveler, a popular travel magazine, you can search by place, view poll results from the magazine on the best destinations, hotels, etc. or find a romantic getaway. Also, find the top ski and golf resorts.

The Travel Channel
http://travel.discovery.com/
Launched in February 1987, the Travel Channel is the only television network devoted exclusively to travel entertainment. The Travel Channel, is viewed in 88 million U.S. homes. You can view online video's updated reguarly about new places to travel.

Fodors
http://www.fodors.com
Both online and in print, Fodor's readers can count on engagingly written, intelligently and accurately reported, and absolutely indispensable travel guidance.Covering over 300 destinations worldwide, Fodor's guidebooks are written for a variety of travelers who have one thing in common--they are seeking the best travel options available within their budget, including the best places to stay, eat, shop, and see.

Frommers
http://www.frommers.com
Click a region under "destinations" or type in the name of a country, region, state or city to find information for your next holiday. Then you can check out hotels, restaurants, shopping, and nightlife for many popular locations. An added bonus at this site is a daily newsletter and hot tips from Arthur Frommer himself. Check the "Deals" for info about discounted packages, airfares, cruises, lodgings, and car rentals.

Lonely Planet
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/
This Australian travel guide publisher was founded in the early 1970s by Tony and Maureen Wheeler after an overland journey from London through Asia to Australia. Their first guide Across Asia on the Cheap became a bestseller. This site provides virtual travel guides, complete with gorgeous pictures, for many tourist destinations. Click in the middle on the world map to pick a destination, then from there you can learn more about where to sleep, eat, shop, etc...

TripAdvisor
http://www.tripadvisor.com
TripAdvisor.com features real advice from real travelers, with more than 5 million unbiased reviews and opinions, covering 250,000+ hotels and attractions and operates sites in the U.S. and in the U.K. (http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk).

Adventurous Traveler Bookstore
http://www.adventuroustraveler.com/
AdventurousTraveler.com, is your one-stop shop for books and maps focused on travel and outdoor recreation. All orders are handled through Amazon.com.

Maps.com
http://www.maps.com
Maps.com is a leading provider of mapping products and solutions for business, education and consumer markets. Founded in 1991 as Magellan Geographix, Maps.com has earned the status of The largest Online US map store with 10,000 products available, including wall maps, globes, atlases, online ,mapping tools and much more. Maps.com's mapping services provide three types of services: custom map creation, digital content licensing, and publishing.

Tourism Offices Worldwide Directory
http://www.towd.com/
The Tourism Offices Worldwide Directory is your guide to official tourist information sources: government tourism offices, convention and visitors bureaus, chambers of commerce, and similar organizations that provide free, accurate, and unbiased travel information to the public. Businesses such as travel agents, tour operators, and hotels are not included.

Expedia
http://www.expedia.com/
The company provides direct access to one of the broadest selections of travel products and services through its North American Web site, localized versions throughout Europe, and extensive partnerships in Asia. Expedia-branded Web sites feature airline tickets, hotel reservations, car rental, cruises, and many other in-destination services from a broad selection of partners.

FareCompare
http://www.farecompare.com/
This travel site allows you to compare the cheapest flights from one location to another. Prices are arranged first by month and then by day. For example, a trip from Nashville to New York might cost $118 in March and $138 in July. Lots of money saving tips.

Kayak
http://www.kayak.com/
Kayak was started by founders of Orbitz, Travelocity and Expedia who believed in a better online travel experience. It's a travel search engine, which means you can search hundreds of travel sites from all over the world. It provides information in an easy-to-use display and takes you directly to the source for purchase. In short, you control your travel choices.

Orbitz
http://www.orbitz.com/
Five airlines - American, Continental, Delta, Northwest and United came together to fulfill a mission: Develop a travel website that would serve people better. Orbitz is a leading online travel company offering leisure and business travelers a wide selection of low airfares, as well as deals on lodging, car rentals, cruises, vacation packages and other travel. The site was created to address consumers' need for an unbiased, comprehensive display of fares and rates in a single location.

Mobissimo
http://www.mobissimo.com/
Mobissimo is the product of three young global entrepreneurs frustrated with the quality of travel information. This newcomer empowers customers to quickly find and book travel deals that suit their needs. In a very short time, Mobissimo returns some of the most comprehensive travel search results available on the Web today.

Sidestep
http://www.sidestep.com/
When SideStep was founded in 1999, its six original team members envisioned creating a search engine that was fundamentally different than “general purpose” engines like Yahoo. Now SideStep searches more than 200 sites to find the Web's best travel bargains. You can check online agencies, consolidators, and the sites of the airlines, hotels, vacation package providers and rental car companies to make sure you find the deal that's right for you.

Travelocity
http://www.travelocity.com/
Travelocity is an online travel company. Widely known for its frequent tv commercials. It's Web sites feature airline tickets, hotel reservations, car rentals, cruises, and many other in-destination services from a broad selection of partners. A good place to get good rates at a single location. One of the "big three" with Expedia & Orbitz.

AirTran Airways
www.airtran.com/
Operates over 700 flights a day to over 56 destinations. The airline's hub is at Hartsfield - Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world's busiest airport.

Alaska Air
http://www.alaskaair.com/
Alaska Airlines and its sister carrier, Horizon Air, together provide passenger and cargo service to more than 90 cities in Alaska, the Lower 48, Canada, and Mexico.

AOW: Airlines of the Web
http://flyaow.com/
The first index of airline sites on the web, it has been online since 1994. Was created by University of British Columbia associate professor Marc-David Seidel while conducting research on the strategic development of the airline industry. It now includes full travel booking functionality through its relationships with well established travel companies.

AirCanada
http://www.aircanada.com/
Air Canada is Canada's largest full-service airline. Air Canada serves over 32 million customers annually and provides direct passenger service to over 170 destinations on five continents.

American Airlines
http://www.aa.com/
As the largest airline in the world, they have a lot to offer customers in the U.S. and around the globe.

British Airways
http://www.britishairways.com/
British Airways is the UK's largest international scheduled airline, flying to over 550 destinations.

China Southern Airlines
http://www.cs-air.com/en/
China Southern Airlines is proud to be the largest airline in The People's Republic of China.

Continental Airlines
http://www.continental.com/
Offical Airline Guide named Continental Airlines best airline based in North America four of the last six years.

Delta Airlines
http://www.delta.com/
America's fastest growing international carrier with more than 60 new international routes added in the last year. They offer flights to 479 destinations in 105 countries on Delta.

EasyJet
http://www.easyjet.com/
Discount airline headquartered in England and offers a consistent and reliable product and fares appealing to leisure and business markets on a range of European routes.

Frontier Airlines
http://www.frontierairlines.com/
Frontier is Denver's hometown carrier with service to cities coast to coast, down to Mexico, and even up to Canada.

Seatguru
http://www.seatguru.com/
SeatGuru has over 275 airplane seatmaps from over 40 different airlines. Very useful website to let you know where your seat is on almost all airlines.

JapanAir
http://www.ar.jal.com/en/
Airline is based in Tokoyo, Japan and is the largest airline carrier in Asia. Click on the Japan Guide link to find out more about travel in Japan.

Jetblue Airways
http://www.jetblue.com/
Discount North American airline which serves 50 plus destinations.

Northwest Airlines
http://www.nwa.com/
Northwest Airlines is one of the world's largest airlines. Northwest and its travel partners serve more than 900 cities in more than 160 countries on six continents.

RyanAir
http://www.ryanair.com/
Ryanair was Europe's original low fares airline and is still Europe's largest low fares carrier. In the current year Ryanair will carry 52m passengers on 492 low fare routes across 25 European countries.

Singapore Airlines
http://www.singaporeair.com/
Singapore Airlines has evolved into one of the most respected travel brands around the world. They have one of the world's youngest fleets in the air and a network spanning five continents.

SAS Scandinavian Airlines
http://www.flysas.com/
From the very beginning SAS was one of the most innovative airlines in Europe. For example, it introduced tourist class onin 1957 on its polar route to Tokyo.

Southwest Airlines
http://www.southwest.com/
What began as a small Texas airline has grown to become one of the largest airlines in America. Today, Southwest Airlines flies more than 83 million passengers a year to 63 great cities all across the country, and do it more than 3,300 times a day.

US Air
http://www.usairways.com/
US Airways and America West’s recent merger creates the fifth largest domestic airline employing nearly 35,000 aviation professionals. US Airways, US Airways Shuttle and US Airways Express operate approximately 3,800 flights per day and serve more than 230 communities in the U.S., Canada, Europe,the Caribbean and Latin America.

United Airlines
http://www.united.com/
United is one of the largest international carriers based in the United States. United Airlines operates more than 3,600 flights a day on United®, United Express® and TedSM to more than 210 U.S. domestic and international destinations.

Amtrak
http://www.amtrak.com/
Train service with over 500 destinations that serves 48 states in the US and 3 locations in Canada. This site allows you to make reservations and purchase tickets online. Click on Hot Deals to find advertised specials and bargains. Check out vacation travel packages at Amtrak's additional site. http://www.amtrakvacations.com/

Rail Europe
http://www.raileurope.com/us/
Rail Europe is the leading authority of European rail and related travel products in North America representing more than 35 European railroads. Having begun operations in North America in the 1930's they have been in operation for more than 75 years and serve one million clients annually. View this site for the many different rail passes Rail Europe offers throughout Europe.

Rocky Mountaineer
http://www.rockymountaineer.com/
Private Railroad that offers year-round vacation packages to the most unique regions of Canada including the acclaimed two-day, all-daylight Rocky Mountaineer rail journey. In both 2005 and 2006, Rocky Mountaineer has won the prestigious World Travel Award as "World's Leading Travel Experience by Train".

VIA Rail Canada
http://www.viarail.ca/en.index.html
VIA Rail Canada is an independent Crown corporation established in 1978. VIA operates trains in all regions of Canada over a network spanning the country from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and from the Great Lakes to Hudson Bay. 480 trains travel per week, including 300 in southern Quebec and southern Ontario.

Greyhound Lines Inc.
http://www.greyhound.com/
The largest bus company in the US. This easy to navigate site makes it a breeze to book you next bus trip. If you already know your destination click on "purchase tickets" for fares and schedules.

Eurolines
http://www.eurolines.com/
The brand name Eurolines groups 32 independent coach companies operating together Europe's largest regular coach network. Provides coach services to 500 destinations in Europe.

Google Maps
http://maps.google.com/
Similar to mapquest you can plot driving directions, locate adresses, and develop personalized maps. You can also get a street view of certain cities in the US.

MapQuest
http://www.mapquest.com
Originally founded 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 develop personalized maps. Also features cell phone mapping services.

Take a Free Trip on AutoPilot
http://www.freetrip.com/
Develops highway routing technology and services for the the Travel and Transportation Industries, focusing on highway travel planning, truck fleet operations, and on-the-road information website services.

Rental Cars
http://www.bnm.com/
Breeze.Net's guide to more than 90 major airport auto rental companies and franchises at over 170 airports. Look under company deals on the left if you're hunting for a bargain or try out their rate compare guide for the best prices.

Roadside America
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/
From the world's largest sycamore tree to a tour of the Crayola factory, you can find it here. Use the "Map-A-City" to find the strange and unusual attractions along the road for your next trip.

all-hotels
http://www.all-hotels.com/home.htm
All-Hotels currently provides Internet-based solutions for the online travel customer through its all-hotels.com website. The site is linked to approximately 120,000 hotels worldwide and currently receives over 700,000 visitors per month. On the right view a listing of all hotel chains.

Asia Travel
http://asiatravel.com/
All the hotels and resorts on the site provide full information, such as rates and discounts, graphics of rooms, sport, recreation, function, food and cuisine facilities. Location and fact sheets are provided to ensure you a comfortable and memorable stay.

hotels.com
http://www.hotels.com
Offers more than 70,000 properties worldwide - from hotels to B&B's to condos to all-inclusive resorts. hotels.com offers the information travelers need to book the perfect trip all backed by the hotels.com Low Price Guarantee.

HotelsTravel.com
http://www.hotelstravel.com/
Provides over 75,000 links to lodgings and travel resources worldwide. This site gives you a chance to search for hotels all across the world.

PlacesToStay.com
http://www.placestostay.com/
A division of WorldRes.com founded in 1995, this Internet company lists more than 35,000 bed & breakfasts, ski resorts, inns and hotels, including many independents. Has hotels in over 5,000 destinations in 160 countries worldwide.

Roomsaver
http://www.roomsaver.com/
If you've ever picked up those green traveler discount guide hotel coupons at state welcome stations then you're familiar with Roomsaver. Now you can print your very own online coupon book for your next trip. They take you directly to their reservation website where you'll find the best rates on the Web!

Educators Bed & Breakfast Travel Network
http://www.edubabnet.com/
This membership site covers 52 countries where 5,000 educators share their homes with other educators interested in less expensive room and board. Members agree to provide double accommodations. A current online directory lists homes available. Their newest feature is "home stays" where members may house it for $40 a night. There is a $36 annual membership and a $10 one time registration fee.

Couch Surfing
http://www.couchsurfing.com/
A non-profit organization, that has constructed a worldwide network for making connections between travelers and the local communities they visit. Provides current opportunities to visit residences at little or no cost to you.

Home Exchange.com
http://www.homeexchange.com/
Created in 1992, worldwide 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 would like to visit.

Citysearch.com
http://www.citysearch.com/
From New York hotels to Chicago restaurants, Los Angeles shopping to San Francisco night clubs, Citysearch will help you find what you're looking for, wherever you may be. Read dining and entertainment ratings and reviews, and browse the Citysearch Yellow Pages to find recommended shops and services near you.

Zagat Restaurant
http://www.zagat.com/
The company now offers guides to dining for more than 70 major markets, as well as guides for hotels, resorts and spas worldwide, family travel, entertaining, shopping, nightlife, movies, music, theater and golf. Ratings and reviews are based on 100,000 frequent restaurant-goers.

Away.com
http://away.com
Away.com offers extraordinary travel content, they have more than a million active registered members, and collectively provide information to millions of visitors each month. In addition to its inspiring editorial content, the Away Network offers a searchable database of over 1,000 active vacation packages.

GORP Great Outdoors Recreation Pages
http://www.gorp.com/
Founded by Diane and Bill Geer in 1995, with more than 100,000 pages, GORP is the largest web site devoted to outdoor recreation and adventure travel. Click on your favorite activity to locate interesting trips from biking to wildlife viewing.

Cruise.com
http://www.cruise.com
This is one of the largest travel agencies in the US. Their web site was established in 1998, it tells you just about every thing you want to know about cruising from "ship reviews" to "ship stats." Cruise.com now claims to be the Internet's largest cruise seller.

VacationsToGo.com
http://www.VacationsToGo.com/
Practically invented the last-minute discount by convincing major cruise lines to drastically reduce the price of unsold cabins close to departure. Click on the 90 day ticker sign up as a free memeber and look at many great cruise deals.

Best Fares Online
http://www.bestfares.com/home.asp
This is the online version of Tom Parson's Best Fares Magazine. While the inside scoop goes to paid members you can try out the "quick fare finder."

Priceline.Com
http://www.priceline.com
A new innovation in air travel. You name the price you're willing to pay for tickets and priceline finds a major airline willing to release seats on flights where they have unsold space. Caution! Once your bid is accepted you are committed. You can also bid for hotel rooms and rental cars.

Sky Auction.com
http://www.skyauction.com/
This exciting company lets you bid on airline tickets, hotel stays, package and resort vacations worldwide. Click on "auctions closing soon" to watch closing bids. You can even check out deals by location.

Traveling Australia On the Internet
http://www.australia.com
A detailed guide to Australian tourist attractions and travel facilities. You can search by state, region or city/town.

The Islands of the Bahamas
http://www.geographia.com/bahamas/
The official site for the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism provides a wealth of information about the 700 islands which make up the country.

Caribbeanhotdeals.com
http://www.Caribbeanhotdeals.com
Offers everything you need to research, plan, purchase and share the experience of your Caribbean vacation, from detailed maps, travel forums and island information, to great package deals, cruises, vacation villas, and hotel specials.

Disney.com Vacations
http://disney.go.com/
Here you can check out theme parks, recreation and night life or visit resorts and make reservations at Disney World, Disneyland Paris, or Tokyo Disney or book a cruise on Disney Cruise Line.

Drive-in Theater
http://www.driveintheater.com
A list of operating drive in theaters arranged by state and location.

Hawaii: The Island of Aloha
http://www.gohawaii.com
This is the official site of the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau. You can learn about the six unique islands, check out the activities, and find out about accommodations.

Orlando.com
http://www.orlando.com/
Specializes in information about Orlando and information about local hotels, restaurants, and entertainment.

tu SPAIN
http://tuspain.com/travel/travel.htm
Vast information source about travel to Spain covering adventure, travel, language, schools, hotels, ski resorts, etc.

Universal Studios Vacations
http://www.universalorlando.com
This is Disney's principal competitor in Orlando. Click on "tickets" for complete vacation packages from VIP tours to annual passes.

UK Travel Guide
http://www15.pair.com/cir/
This is the best overall guide to the UK with information on everything you want to know about travel in the UK... hotels, airports, money, timetables, royal family, tax refunds, weather, and a lot more. You can zoom in on special places on UK and London interactive maps.

FX Converter - 164 Currency Converter
http://www.oanda.com/
Find up-to-the-minute foreign exchange news, conversion rates for 164 countries, a table of exchange rates for 26 countries, or create a wallet-size exchange rate table to take on your next trip. Or use FXGame to practice currency trading without spending a dime, a ruble, or a krona.

TRAVLANG
http://www3.travlang.com
Provides information on 70 different foreign languages including guides to basic words, help on pronunciation, etc.

Festival Finder
http://www.festivalfinder.com/
Here you can find information on more than 2,500 festivals in North America. Click on your favorite genre or locate festivals by date, location, performers or festival name.

This Week's Top 20
http://www.travelzoo.com/top20
An online newsletter which lists the top 20 travel bargains of the week. GREAT DEALS!

Welcome to Igougo
http://www.igougo.com
A terrific site which allows you to read travel journals written by other tourists or write one yourself. Be sure to check out their 4,000 destinations, 300,000 reviews, and 200,000 photos.

Elderhostel
http://www.elderhostel.org/
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing extraordinary learning adventures for people 55 and over. Whether you want to stay close to home or venture around the world, you will find programs that meet your interests, activity level, budget, schedule and lifestyle.

AESU Online
http://www.aesu.com/
Since 1977 AESU has offered special European travel packages for college students 18-35. Discounted airfares for students, faculty and groups. They also arrange accommodations, classroom space, site visits, and transportation.

World is Round
http://www.worldisround.com
A photo-sharing community where you can share personal photos with friends & family, and your travel photos and experiences with the world. Already over 650,00 travel photos posted so far.

Consular Services
http://www.voyage.gc.ca/consular_home-en.asp
The Consular Services of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Travel provides assistance to Canadian travelers abroad. Click on their map of the world for weekly bulletins and advisories.

Foreign & Commonwealth Office
http://www.fco.gov.uk/travel
The FCO provides "travel advice" for information about possible threats to your safety in over 200 countries. During the 2003-04 financial year British nationals made over 60 million trips abroad. Their 1,800 Consular staff helped over 87,000 British travellers and issued over 455,000 passports.

Travel Warnings & Consular Information Sheets
http://travel.state.gov/
Travel warnings are issued by the U.S. State Department to inform Americans that they should avoid travel to a certain country. Consular Information Sheets locate U.S. embassies or consulates and describe conditions in each country. Also, has good tips for U.S. Citizens traveling abroad.

An earlier version of Dr. Brian Coutts' "Travel on the Web" was published in ACRL News and on the Web at ACRL News Website.