The world best websites differs based on categories, from OpenTable for Restaurant and Bar Guides and Sky Park Secure for Travel Planning Whether you want to know where to go, how to get there, the best places to stay, or what to avoid at all costs, this list is a treasure mine of information for the vacation of a lifetime.
1. Restaurant and Bar Guides
- OpenTable
If, like me, the idea of queuing for a restaurant while on holiday turns your stomach, this is your website, Srin adds. With over 40,000 restaurants to select from, it remains the largest and best, and allows you to search for places to dine by region, cuisine, and review score before reserving your table for free.
It’s especially useful if you’re visiting crowded cities like London, New York, or Sydney, where getting a seat at a popular restaurant during peak hours is almost impossible without a reservation. For European cities such as Paris and Madrid, the French website, the Fork, is a bit more difficult to use, but it performs the same thing.
Via opentable.com
- Eater
Perhaps one of the best things about traveling to a new place is trying new food and drink when you’re there, Cynthia adds. Eater is a website that covers everything from the current ingredient trends (and where to sample them) to which chefs are establishing new restaurants and where they are located. Eater’s amazing and extensive airport eating recommendations may even help you decide what to eat while you’re in transit.
Via eater.com
2. Travel Planning and Booking
- Sky Park Secure
While no one’s going to get excited about airport parking, the fact remains that the costs – and inconveniences involved – can quickly mount up, Abigail says. This website evaluates more than 300 airport parking lots at over 28 airports to help you get the cheapest bargain, but the algorithm goes beyond price alone. Car parks are checked for quality, and the packages include formal airport parking and meet-and-greet alternatives, as well as the more affordable park-and-ride option.
- Viator
So you’ve landed at your destination and you’re overwhelmed with options of what to see, eat, and do, but there are some challenges to accomplishing it all, adds Drescher. Viator provides activities that allow travelers to get to the heart of the local experience while removing some of the barriers.
For example, when in Tallinn, I wanted to see more of Estonia without having to hire a vehicle on my own. Through a Viator experience, I joined a small group day trip to local beaches and trekked through a quarry famed for its surreal landscape. On my first night in Hoi An, Vietnam, I delegated my dinner options to a translator and a Viator tasting tour of the greatest banh mi sandwiches. Greatest idea ever.
Via viator.com
- Google Maps
It might sound obvious, but with its local information, handy sat nav directions and downloadable map options, Google Maps is a godsend for the modern traveler, states John Walton. There are so many options – walking, driving, transport and more – that you should make sure you have a handle on all of them before traveling.
Via maps.google.com
- Tripit
I can’t recall the name of your motel. Simply send all of your email booking confirmations to this handy planning tool, and it will combine them into a single elegant, shareable itinerary that includes everything from flights to meals, explains Srin. It’s particularly useful if, like me, you’re a bit of a planning nut, or if you have a complex itinerary and plan to venture from place to place.
Via tripit.com
- Skyscanner
Skyscanner faithfully pulls in airfares into an easy-to-search, easy-to-use flight finder and fare comparison website, adds Abigail. What distinguishes it is the variety of ways you may filter your search results. You may limit it down to a certain airline, flight length, and departure time, or go crazy and search for ‘anywhere in the UK’ to ‘anywhere in France’. It’s a necessary component of my travel arsenal.
Via skyscanner.net
- Owners Direct
There’s a lot to dislike about Owners Direct, starting with the buggy 1990s-style website, Julia adds. But it’s also a fantastic resource for self-catering accommodations that eliminates the middleman, allowing you to communicate directly with the proprietors. Whereas Airbnb is ideal for short city holidays, Owners Direct is unrivaled for longer stays, particularly in the UK, where most cottages in regions like Cornwall rent by the week.
It’s part of the HomeAway giant (which includes VRBO), so you can discover excellent accommodations in Europe and the United States as well – two of my all-time favorite stays in Greece and California were located on this site. Just make sure the person you’re speaking with is the true owner of the property, and instead of clicking the reserve’ button, make a ‘enquiry’ – that way, you don’t have to pay the site’s commission charge (around 10%) for putting you in contact.
Via ownersdirect.co.uk
3. Travel Assistance and Concierge Services
- FancyHands
The last few years have seen a growth in the number of websites and apps that promise to act as a personal travel assistant, but in my experience, this non-travel focused site wins hands down, Abigail adds. For a monthly or annual subscription, you may send 20-minute requests by email, phone, text, or direct to a 24-hour cyber-team, who will go right to work.
Allow someone else to complete your to-do list while you enjoy your travel time: ensure the hotel reservation includes a cot, discover three meal choices, contact to explain the aircraft is delayed, find the shortest route to the art gallery, etc. These days, I wonder how I got anything done without it.
Via fancyhands.com
- Routehappy
Want to figure out how to travel in comfort as well as style? Routehappy (where I was Director of Data in 2014) can assist you choose a trip based on legroom, broader seats, new aircraft, quicker internet, less neighbors, and much more, explains John Walton.
Via routehappy.com
4. Weather and Climate Information
- Accuweather
Like a true Brit, I like to keep a keen eye on the weather, declares Srin. This website is one of the greatest for travelers since it allows you to focus on off-the-beaten-path sites such as lesser-known Greek islands and communities in northern Thailand. You may view an hour-by-hour prediction for day-to-day preparation, as well as a longer forecast for the full month ahead, however the accuracy of this is questionable.
Via accuweather.com
5. Accessibility and Special Needs
- Euan’s Guide
Are you looking for accessible locations to visit? Euan MacDonald, the guy behind this namesake guide and a fellow power chair user, has spent the last four years researching the top accessible attractions and providing dependably honest and informative assessments, adds Srin.
It is especially valuable for the United Kingdom, although it covers more than 30 nations. I also enjoy how it expands beyond the traditional well-known tourist attractions to include more obscure events such as pop-up festivals, farmers’ markets, and small community theaters.
Via euansguide.com
6. Travel Search Engines
- Hipmunk
Yes, Hipmunk is a travel search engine for the likes of airfare, hotel rates, and rental cars, but it’s also an innovator in that space, Cynthia adds. Instead of merely sorting results by price, Hipmunk uses an ‘agony’ filter to reveal which flights, sorted by length of travel time coupled with layovers, would be the greatest value for your money. They are then shown on a grid that better illustrates how much of your day the plans will take up, allowing you to plan around them rather than dedicating an entire day to travel.
Via hipmunk.com
- Google Flights
There’s nothing better than Google Flights for figuring out your flight options, John explains. Top tip: if you know your airport codes, you can search to or from up to five airports at a time, which is ideal if you’re within striking distance of several airports or want to hit a region but don’t care which airport you fly into.
Via google.com/flights
7. Local Guides and Recommendations
- Time Out London
I grew up in London, but still feel like I haven’t scratched the surface when it comes to the capital’s myriad attractions, Srin adds. This often updated directory is here to assist you, with extensive listings ranging from the biggest exhibits and musicals to rooftop pubs, fresh street food hangouts, and small events. I like the regular weekend recommendations, which usually contain free things to do.
Via timeout.com/london
- Vital Vegas
There’s nothing like local blogs for finding out the newest openings and trends in a place, but make sure you’re getting a blog that’s free from PR influence, adds Julia. Vital Vegas is despised by many Sin City PRs because it frequently breaks topics they don’t want you to know about, such as charging for ice in cocktails or reducing the shot size in gamblers’ free drinks. But it also knows what’s going on.
Via vitalvegas.com
8. Language Learning and Translation
- Google Translate
I remember when Google first offered its translation service, just over 10 years ago, the results were either dodgy or indecipherable (generally both), Srin recalls. These days, it’s rather sleek. I use it to translate web pages into English, but it also comes in handy when you’re traveling and need to look up a term or ask a question.
Via translate.google.co.uk
- Duolingo
If you’re heading to a country that speaks one of the languages Duolingo covers (including, most recently, Japanese) you could do a lot worse to learn the language than this fun language learning app, John adds. Some of the phrases are delightfully weird, and its AI gets hung up on grammar points occasionally when you might really be preferring to learn vocab, but it’s free, easy and includes oral and listening options.
Via duolingo.com
9. Eco-Luxury Travel
- Bouteco
This is the perfect site for the eco-luxury traveler, adds Mathura Premaruban. Founded by Juliet Kinsman, she has traveled the globe to bring together the greatest luxury and boutique hotels that actively contribute to and transform their local communities, and eventually the broader world. It is great for individuals who value luxury while being ecologically and socially conscious.
Via bouteco.com
Keeping Safe and Informed
You will be expected to be aware of local conditions and dangers, as well as the safety and health measures of this country you intend to visit when you travel. Here are some websites and other resources which can be useful in preparation to remaining safe and being informed.
– Governmental Travel Advisories: You should get updates from your government’s travel advisory website regarding the latest safety and security information for destinations you are going to visit.
– (WHO) World Health Organization: Check their website for health measures against vaccination requirements, and outbreaks of certain diseases in the country you are visiting.
– Travel Insurance: Buy appropriate insurance to cover unexpected medical or other travel-related expenses.
Keep up-to-date with the local news and activities where you will be visiting; this helps keep you updated on any arising safety alert.
Travel Tips and Hacks
Looking for some tips and hacks like a professional? Here are some major secret keys to help you get the most out of your trip:
Light Packing
Pack light. Bring pieces that are easy to mix and match.
– Budgeting: Budgeting and keeping record of the expenses will prevent you from spending.
– Navigation: Download maps and transport apps which will help you get around unknown places.
– Language: Learn the local language basics like hello, thank you, where is…?
– Flexibility: Be prepared for any kind of last moment changes in your itinerary and be flexible.
These tips and hacks will help you in enjoying your travels to the fullest and make good memories out of the trip. Always remember to give precedence to your safety and well-being.
Final Thoughts
Planning a single trip can be overwhelming with the kinds of travel websites available. By taking advantage of these websites enumerated in this article, it could help simplify their planning, save them time and money, and enjoy the trip to the fullest.
From booking flights and accommodations to the best restaurants or activities, these websites contain a huge amount of information and resources on how one is able to create unforgettable experiences for travelers. Here are some leading travel websites at your sleeve, whether you are a pro or a first-timer.
