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Virtually Everywhere

Metro's Guide to the Top Travel Web Pages By Trystan L. Bass The best travel-related sites on the world wide web cover a wide range of topics, from budget travel to cruises to foreign languages. These sites have good, solid information that travelers can actually use, as opposed to me tons of travel web sites that are pure advertisements. A word of warning -- most of these sites are graphics-heavy and will usually require forms-capable web browsers. City.Net: A comprehensive guide to cities around the world, including links to travel, entertainment, business, government, and community services information. This is a meta-list of useful guides from the cities themselves. Conde Nast Traveler Online: Billing itself as "a source of worldly, opinionated travel advice," the Conde Nast online site is a lot like the paper magazine (except no cover price!). Check out the Concierge area where you can find locations and hotels that match your interests. You can also peruse several chat forums and the magazine's annual readers choice awards. Cruise Review Library: Personal reviews of a wide variety of cruise ships, all gathered from the rec.travel.cruises Usenet newsgroup. While they are full of personal bias, these reviews give the kind of detail that travel agents never give and can help you choose just the right cruise for you. Foreign Languages for Travelers: Tutorials on 24 languages, from French and German to Icelandic, Esperanto, and Latin. Concentrates on words and phrases the traveler might commonly encounter, and even has sound files so you can hear how to pronounce the language. The Internet Guide to Hostelling: If you're looking for youthful friends, boisterous fun, and low-cost accommodations, hostels may be for you. This web site has a database of over 3,000 hostels around the world. There's also information on low cost transportation and budget guidebooks, plus a bulletin board where you can find travel companions and ride shares. Lonely Planet Online: Online version of the popular, Gen-X style travel guides. Has plenty of fresh and feisty information about both major tourist areas as well as lots of places far from the beaten path (even Easter Island and Timbuktu). Also, their Thorn Tree bulletin board has reader's input on different destinations. Rec.Travel Library: This is a very comprehensive collection of international travel information based on the archives of the rec.travel Usenet newsgroups. You'll find personal evaluations of almost every possible world destination, travel tips from experts, and frequently asked questions on everything from currency to white-water rafting. Stanford Travel Medicine Service: Patient Information: From diarrhea to insect repellents, this Stanford clinic tells you how to take care of unpleasant illnesses that could ruin your trip. Also has tips on traveling with children and keeping the kids healthy in unfamiliar terrain. Travel Tips From the American Society of Travel Agents: If you like to be prepared, these tips from those in the industry could be invaluable. Those in the know will tell you how to choose a travel agent, rent a car, pack your bags, tip your waiter, and avoid travel problems during the holidays. The Weather Channel Online: Not only can you check the weather outlook for over 1,200 US cities, but you can get the snowfall and resort conditions for hundreds of US ski areas. This is particularly handy if you can't decide whether or not to pack the expedition-weight thermal underwear. MetroActive Goes Trippin' . . . Don't Miss Saigon: Playing the Pacific Rim by bike requires stamina and good wheels. Cruising Oblivion: Life aboard a cruise ship is a lesson in scheduling and snoozing. On the Road: Traveling doesn't have to mean planes and trains. Automobiles and thumbs can get you pretty far. Southern Sunshine: Paradise found on Mexico's tropical beaches. Romancing the Romanesque: Scouring France in search Crusader ruins. An Idiot's Guide to the Universe: How to keep Europeans from thinking you're completely hopeless. Queer Across the World: Transcending homophobia in search of another buck. Packing Heat: Paranoid or not, it's always a good idea to keep an eye out for danger when you travel. Virtual World: Armchair travelers can feed their wanderlust on the web. [ Sonoma Independent | MetroActive Central | Archives ]