Essential bookmarksTell us about yourfavourite travel sites [email protected] 18 Sept - 1 Oct 2019^17Wikivoyage
en.wikivoyage.org
Wikipedia’s lesser-known sister site is a lot better travelled andfar easier on theeye,
with splashes ofcolour and plenty of photos. As a similarly non-commercialventure,
Wikivoyage is areliable, helpful and up-to-date resource for researching destinations
across theworld without havingto wade through sponsoredcontent and ads from
‘partners’. Its advice and information are provided and editedby fellow travellers, with
articlescovering topics such asattractions, activities, transport, language andstaying
safe, with helpful maps and climate-data charts.You can also browse phrasebooksfor
hundreds of languages, get answers to specific questions aboutyour destination in
Wikivoyage’s ‘Tourist office’ section and view itinerariesfor manycountries.
Rome2rio
http://www.rome2rio.comThe Directionsfeature in Google Maps is
impressive but slow, and it doesn’ttell
you thecost of different methods of
transport. Ontop of all that,you ha ve to
be willingto share the details ofyour trip
with Google.For morereliable and less
invasive route planning,we prefer
Rome2rio, which provides door-to-door
directions and distancefor anystart
point and destinationyou enter.What’s
more, you cancompare the price and
duration ofvariouscombinations of
transport types including car, bus, train,
plane,ferry and taxi, and book ticketsfor
certain options directly through the site.
Rome2rio also offers travel guidesfor
popular trips and free mobile apps.Foreign Travel Advice
bit.ly/foreign
The official governmentwebsitefor
getting advice beforeyou venture
abroad is as basic as theycome, but it
remains one of the most useful online
travel resources. Click one of the 225
countries andterritories listed
alphabetically on the main page – from
Afghanistanto Zimbabwe – to viewa
summary of the latest travel advice,
including the date of the mostrecent
update. You can thenexplore sections
for ‘Safety and security’, ‘Entry
requirements’, ‘Local laws and customs’
and more, whichcontain impressively
comprehensive information, presented
in a large-text, no-nonsense manner.
Usefully, the site also letsyou subscribe
to email alerts and an RSSfeed for your
intended destination.101 Singles Holidays
bit.ly/singles
As many as a third of holidaymakers
go awayon theirown, and this spin-off
from independent travel site 101 Holidays
provides inspiration and advicefor those
travelling solo.There are travel guides
organisedby age group – from under-
40s to over-70s – and the titular 10 1
different holiday ideas, presented in
an attractive photo-grid layout. These
can be filteredby experience, price,
destination and month, and include trips
as disparate as ‘Hikingfor foodies’,
‘Whalewatching’, ‘Christmas breaks’ and
‘River cruises’.The sitetells you whether
you’ll needto pay a single supplement
and ifyou getyour own doubleroom,
and provides linksto travel operators
personallyrecommendedby the
website’s editors.
ESSENTIAL BOOKMARKS THIS ISSUE: Tremendoustravel sitesEuan’s Guide
http://www.euansguide.comEuan MacDonald, who suffers from
Motor Neurone Disease, set up this
excellent site sixyears agoto
provide information about disabled
access in the UK, Europe and
beyond. Searchfor a venue (or type
of venue) orattraction in a location
to read honest and in-depthreviews
of hotels,restaurants, theatres and
more, writtenby disabled people
and theircompanions. Each entry
includes photos,contact information
and details of accessible toilets,
hoists, changingrooms and other
facilities, and the pages themselves
are suitably accessible. There’s also
a frequently updated ne ws section
covering disabled issues.DON’TMISS!