Web-Based Travel Sites & Services

WebBasedTravelSites Web HOR

The internet is full of travel sites, some more helpful than others. Here are a few of our editors’ favorites – great for traditional Web surfing or to use as Blackberry and iPhone apps:

* Unlike most fare-finding sites, Kayak doesn’t sell tickets through this portal. It is simply a search engine fine-tuned to find flights, hotels, cruises and rental cars. Kayak has been lauded by Forbes, Business Week, Travel + Leisure and Time.

* National Geographic, the quintessential guide to travel and global perspective, offers readers time-tested travel advice here. The 49 tips include what essentials to pack, how to make the most of frequent flier miles, and even playlist suggestions for various international destinations.

* At VirtualTourist, social networking meets travel. The site, which offers unbiased tips on 25,000 destinations, from locals as well as recent tourists, helps users plan trips with print-and-go travel guides, share travel deals and search photos.

* Another gem from National Geographic – the magazine’s list of favorite travel Web sites, from GasBuddy to Points.com, where users can trade hotel points for airline miles.

* LuxuryLink is the elite travelers’ eBay. The auction site allows users to get great deals on lush accommodations and travel packages, and filters its destinations by location, tourists’ interests and property type. Consumers can also sometimes find great deals with the site’s Buy-it-Now option.

Disclosure of Material Connection: We have not received any compensation for writing this post. We have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that we have mentioned. We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”