'Many people come looking, looking, taking picture... No good. Some people come, see... Good!'

Dawa Norbu Sherpa

Internet Travel Resources

An annual review of 100 useful internet sites for travellers & travel journalists, including a few from our own members, compiled by the Guild's webmaster, Alastair McKenzie.

Search Engines

www.yahoo.co.uk
At least as good as Google, if not better.

www.ixquick.com
Searches multiple search engines simultaneously.

Travel News

www.newsnow.co.uk
Up to the minute news aggregator.

www.bloglines.com
Create your own news aggregator of newfeeds & blogs

www.travelmole.com
Useful source of up-to-date travel industry news and views.

Useful Organisations

www.abta.com
Site of the Association of British Travel Agents with search facility.

www.aito.co.uk
Site of the Association of Independent Tour Operators.

www.antor.com
Site of the Association of National Tourist Offices in the UK.

www.astw.org.au
Official website of the Australian Society of Travel Writers

www.atol.org.uk
Air Travel Organisers' Licence, the consumer financial protection scheme operated by the Civil Aviation Authority.

www.atta.co.uk
African Travel and Tourism Association

www.holidayfrance.org.uk
Site of the Association of British Tour Operators to France.

www.owg.org.uk
Outdoor Writers' Guild

www.tia.org
The Travel Industry of America represents tourism throughout the United States.

www.satw.org
Official website of the Society of American Travel Writers

www.natja.org
Official website of the North American Travel Journalists Association

Reference

www.wikipedia.com
Online free encyclopedia.

www.timeanddate.com
Find the time anywhere in the world.

www.freetranslation.com
Paste your copy in, click, and watch it translated into another language.

www.worldclimate.com
Climate records and information.

www.whatsonwhen.com
Worldwide listings of events including arts, sport and festivities.

www.artrepublic.com/WOW
Guide to major art exhibitions around the world.

www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags
Flags of the World database - a 'must' for vexillologists!

http://earth.google.com
View 3d images of buildings, locations and geographic features worldwide.

www.unesco.org/whc/heritage.htm
Guide to UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

www.urbanrail.net
Anything you ever wanted to know about every underground or metro rail system in the world.

www.seat61.com
Almost everything you're likely to want to know about travelling on Europe's rail network.

http://airlinemeals.net
Photographic guide to the world of in-flight meals

www.towd.com
Tourism Offices Worldwide Directory.

Before You Go

www.ukpa.gov.uk
Site of the UK Passport Agency.

www.travcour.com
Visa & passport agents with all the latest info on visa requirements.

http://weather.yahoo.com
Get a five-day weather forecast for your next trip.

www.metoffice.com
The UK Met Office.

www.hurricanetrack.com
Up-to-the-minute news, maps & photos of current hurricane/typhoon activity.

www.earthcam.com
Directory of worldwide webcams. Take a peek at the weather/traffic/snow before you go.

www.kropla.com
Tells you what electric plug you need for where, and whether your mobile or modem will work when you get there.

www.mdsbattery.co.uk
Will quickly despatch that really obscure battery you need for your vital electronic gadget.

www.oanda.com
Online currency converter to print out & take with you.

www.safariquip.co.uk
Order travel goods from sleeping bags to insect repellent.

www.goplaces.co.uk
Buy luggage, backpacks, carry-ons, laptop cases, wallets.

www.yellowtag.com
Tag your luggage with a code so it can be traced by email.

Staying Healthy, Safe & Solvent

www.masta.org
Commercial medical assistance site with huge database, offering customised travel health advice.

www.cdc.gov/travel
Travel health advice from the US Centre for Disease Control, Atlanta.

www.fco.gov.uk/travel
Travel advice from the UK Foreign Office.

www.comebackalive.com
Read about the world’s trouble spots.

www.holidaytravelwatch.com
What to do if it all goes wrong.

www.gapyear.com
Student travel resource & info site.

www.westernunion.com
Worldwide money transfer.

www.dogsaway.co.uk
Advice on taking your dog to Europe and North America.

Booking a holiday

www.expedia.co.uk
One of the first online travel agents and still impressive.

www.otc-uk.com
Site of the Online Travel Company, always full of good holiday ideas.

www.opodo.co.uk
The site where 9 European airlines cut out the 'middle man' and sell flights, hotels, holidays & extras.

www.traveljungle.co.uk
Comparison site for air fares, hotels, car hire, etc.

www.skyscanner.net
Fare-checker site for low-cost European airfares.

Cheap0.com
Comprehensive guide to low-cost airlines in Europe, updated automatically throughout the day.

www.holidaywizard.co.uk
View and order brochures online.

www.AITOagents.com
AITO Specialist Travel Agents are completely independent. They don't just sell AITO holidays.

www.responsibletravel.com
Specialist agency for 'reponsible' tours.

www.cruiseline.co.uk
Good cruise agency site for Brits.

www.travel-quest.co.uk
1,000's of ideas for active, adventure sport and special interest holidays.

www.thetrainline.com
Book train tickets online.

www.raileurope.co.uk
Rail tickets for European destinations.

Worldwide destination information

www.worldtravelguide.net
Columbus guides online.

www.tripadvisor.com
Reviews, pictures and videos from travellers.

www.bathroomdiaries.com
Database of 8000+ of the worlds best public toilet facilities.

www.cybercafes.com
Database of cyber cafes worldwide.

www.thebackpacker.net
Useful directory of international hostels.

www.couchsurfing.com
Worldwide network of travellers and couches they can sleep on.

UK Sightseeing and Travel

www.visitbritain.com
Official site of the British Tourist Authority. There is also a journalist resource centre.

www.goodbeachguide.co.uk
Guide to UK beaches from the Marine Conservation Society.

www.24hourmuseum.org.uk
Guide to what's on in museums and galleries around the UK.

www.geograph.org.uk
Photographs from every every square kilometre of the UK.

www.traveline.org.uk
UK transport portal for train bus and coach services.

www.rail.co.uk
Helpful site that unravels the complexities of our rail network.

Books and maps

www.bookhead.com
Scans online booksellers for best prices.

www.thetravelbookshop.co.uk
Travel books specialist.

www.stanfords.co.uk
Online branch of Stanfords with comprehensive catalogues.

www.mapsworldwide.co.uk
Order OS maps and books online.

www.roughguides.com
Catalogue of Rough Guides plus plenty of travel info.

www.lonelyplanet.com
Guidebooks and travel info.

Travel writing resources

www.travmedia.com
Sophisticated travel news release distribution service now launched in Europe.

http://media.gn.apc.org/rates/index.html
Freelance pages of the National Union of Journalists including ‘rates for the job’ section.

www.travelwriters.com
Useful US site for travel writers.

www.journalism.co.uk
UK journalist news & resource site.

Members' Sites

www.bradt-travelguides.com
Hilary Bradt's independent book publishers – guides to places no one else goes near.

www.worldrover.net
Independent online travel magazine, edited by Allan Rogers.

www.travelmag.co.uk
Independent travel magazine put together by Jack Barker.

www.copix.co.uk
www.middleeastpictures.com
www.worldreligions.co.uk
Christine Osborne's three travel photo library websites specialising in the Middle East and religious subjects.

www.worldofcruisingmagazine.com
www.askdaisy.net/orlando
Simon Veness's cruise magazine and Orlando guide.

www.travel-lists.co.uk
Travel company listings and holiday research site, edited by Alastair McKenzie.

www.family-travel.co.uk
Kate Calvert's expert guide to taking the children on holiday.

www.questapublishing.co.uk
Terry Marsh's small publishing company, producing walking and pocket guides to the UK.

www.travelwriters.co.uk
www.focusguides.com
Andrew Sanger's UK-based travel writers guide, and guidebooks store.

www.wanderlust.co.uk
Lyn Hughes' magazine for people with a passion for travel.

www.goodcottageguide.com
Bryn Frank's directory of UK holiday cottages.

www.tpoty.com
Chris Coe's Travel Photographer of the Year Competition.

* Based on an original list by Nigel Tisdall.