Women share travel insights on Web site
Journeywoman,com, www.journeywoman.com, is a site discussed here before, but it bears repeating that it is a wonderful source of insider information on destinations. It is especially helpful for heavily touristed areas where insider tips are critical for a savvy and money-saving visit. Its advice is just as good for couples as for single women who like to travel solo.
Recently a friend mentioned she is going to Paris. I referred her to Journeywoman and its Paris pages, www.journeywoman.com/girltalk/paris/paris_lovers_advice.html. Among suggestions for inexpensive restaurants, lodgings and insider activities, there are tips on daily life in Paris, including a suggestion not to go to dinner before 8:30 p.m. if you expect to see Parisians dining, that a tip is not necessary in restaurants, how to ask for an American coffee ("un cafe noir avec le lait e cote,") and advice not to wear white running shoes or shorts if you want to blend in. One last tip: Pack a facecloth, as washcloths are not provided in most Paris hotels or lodgings.
If all your travel is adventure travel, take a look at a site especially for travelers like you: AdventureUs.com, www.adventureus.com. It's a free networking site that invites you to comment on recent trips, give advice, share travel plans and make use of forums. No matter how far out there you plan to travel, someone on this Net community has been there and has tips on what to see and do and how to stay safe.
Adventure trips offered by adventure-travel companies are featured, and you can search by destination or title to find one. The site also includes travel articles from major adventure-travel publications as well as the journals of members. Whether you like eco-lodges, river rafting or bike riding through rough terrain, this is the site for those hooked on both travel and adrenaline.
Professional Travel Guide.com, www.professionaltravelguide.com, is a site with opinions on hotels, travel packages, locations and cruises, all written by professional travel writers. There are 7,000 comprehensive travel guides on destinations all over the globe. Each offers history, geography, what to see and do and other information. Pressed for time? Go to the Snapshot section of a destination and see what you simply should not miss.
In print
"The Smart Traveler's Passport" is a handy little book of travel tips put together by Eric Torkells and the readers of Budget Travel magazine, published by Quirk Books at $14.95. It includes 399 tips "from seasoned travelers." They are organized into chapters on subjects such as planning, packing, safety, lodgings, transportation spending wisely and making friends.
Tips include how to get money-saving travel coupons from the 'Net, how to make use of a concierge, even if you are not staying at that hotel, packing a fabric softener sheet in each bag to absorb dampness and odors, and tucking a small S-hook in your shoulder bag to use in bathroom stalls that have no purse hooks There are also many savvy tips on saving money while booking travel online.