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! LINKS TO THOUSANDS OF WEBSITES FOR TRAVELLERS !
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General Travel Sites: Countries: Travel Topics: On-line booking
Health & Security
Maps
Official/Govt sites
World Guides
World Travel sites
Britain
Europe/European cities
France
Ireland -
Israel
Italy
Spain -
North Africa
USA  
Disability/Accessibility
Family Travel
Jewish Travel
Vegetarian Travel
Commercial sites: Travel and lodgings on-line + Last Minute
Travel industry sites:
Airlines, Hotels, Car Rentals, Ferries, Trains, etc
Travel insurance

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TRAVEL - GENERAL & WORLDWIDE
Click or scroll for these kinds of world travel sites ...

* Commercial sites with on-line bookings of flights / accommodation
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Official/Government sites -
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Health & Security -
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Travel Insurance on line
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World guides / travel publishers' sites

 
World guides / Travel publishers' sites / Destinations
www.berlitz.com (Berlitz) Fairly simple. Mostly about their language courses but with GlobeTrotter travel area and fun Cafe Berlitz forum.
www.wtgonline.com (Columbus World Travel Guides Online) Masses of facts and data like a beautiful geography lesson. Good whole-country summaries, but no good for local detail.
www.travel.epicurious.com (Conde Nast's Epicurious Travel) Travel planner, useful sitewide search and destination finder, and features. Trouble is, our test showed up shoddy, incomplete and out-of-date info. Some of the features are pretty ancient too.
www.fodors.com (Fodor's Travel Online) Our comment: Good, useful. Create custom-made guide, etc.
www.freetodo.net/ (Free To Do) This fascinating, unique site tells you about what's free to see and do - events, castles and historic sites, walks, festivals, museums and art galleries and more unusual attractions - throughout Europe (and some in America).
www.frommers.com (Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel Guides) Surprisingly simple, but useful and accessible site offering "expert advice and travel discounts" and information from Frommer's Guides.
www.lonelyplanet.com (Lonely Planet) Our comment: Great. Not surprising that it gets over 1.3 million hits a day. A whole travel encyclopaedia in its own right, with news and information on 250 destinations, and free downloadable updates ("Upgrades") of 14 of their guidebooks. Text-heavy, and no destination search within a country. Want an LP guidebook? Buy it from us, not them: we're cheaper.
Real Holiday Reports - Fascinating and useful speak-your-mind reports on holiday accommodation worldwide, written by people who have stayed there.
www.roughguides.com/ (Rough Guides) Our comment: Great. Easy access to destination coverage from all their guidebooks. Now also with online travel bookings and reservations. Check out their guides and destinations online - but if you want to buy Rough Guides' books, come to Focus Guides, we're cheaper!
www.utravel.co.uk (uTravel) Flights, packages etc to popular destinations with some pretty basic, but readable destination tips and information.
www.salon1999.com/wlust (Wanderlust travel magazine) Our comment: Brilliant, beautiful travel mag with interesting features. Not much good if you want specific info about a specific place. OK if you prefer reading to travelling.
www.whatsonwhen.com (What's On When) Useful selection of events in cities worldwide with search to help find the type of events you're looking for, plus online booking of tickets, accommodation and travel.
www.which.net/holiday (Which? Magazine online) Our comment: Great, mainly for subscribers only.
 
Official/Govt sites etc
www.antor.com (ANTOR - Association of National Tour Operators) Change of URL. Our comment: ANTOR's mainly trade oriented site is an exceptionally useful resource of web links to local travel information sites around the world.
www.visiteurope.com (European Travel Commission) Site of 28-nation ETC to facilitate travel to Europe. Good, quick summaries of main attractions in each country. Plenty of practical information too, and calendar of major European events.
www.gn.apc.org/tourismconcern (Tourism Concern) Pressure group concerned with impact of travel and tourism.
www.ukpa.gov.uk (UK Passport Agency) To renew or change a British passport.
www.vso.org (Voluntary Service Overseas) Aiming to use tourism to aid poor nations.
 
Health & Security
www.access-able.com -- travel info for the disabled.
www.cdc.gov/travel (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) This morbid Disease Outbreaks page details health problems worldwide.
www.etravel.org (eTravel) Scary warnings of danger and disaster in worldwide destinations.
www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk (Travel Medicine Division, Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health) Health risks and advice for travellers to all parts of the world, from people who study the subject seriously.
www.istem.org (International Society of Travel Medicine) The people who worry most about travel and your health. Daily reports on health risks worldwide.
www.travelhealthline.com (International Travel Healthline) Assesses the health risks of your trip, for a fee.
www.medisearch.co.uk/travel (Mirago Health - Travel page) All immunisation and other health advice for all destinations worldwide.
www.realworldrescue (Real World Rescue) Grim, no-nonsense site on travel in risky regions of the world.
www.fco.gov.uk/travel/ (UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office - Travel Advice Unit) Interesting British Government site concerned with where they feel it is currently unsafe to travel. Comprehensive if over-cautious advice for travellers.
www.cdc.gov/travel (US Govt health advice to travellers).
www.who.int/ith (World Health Organisation) International health risks for travellers, what inoculations you need, malaria page, etc.
 
Commercial sites with on-line booking of flights / travel / accommmodation
(see also: Airlines, Car Hire, Travel Trade etc )
   
 
www.1ski.com (1 Ski) EMAP's online skiing and snowboarding travel services.
www.airnet.co.uk (Air Net) Discounted flights.
www.all-hotels.com (All Hotels) Online accommodation directory.
www.bargainholidays.com (Bargain Holidays) Lots of last-minute flights and packages from top UK travel operators.
www.bedandbreakfast.com (Bed and Breakfast) For places to stay with character in the U.S.
www.cheap-hotels-airline-tickets.com/ (Cheap-Hotels-Airlines-Tickets) Searches all the major travel sites for the best deal for your preferred travel arrangements. "Explore our travel forums and directory of travel resources."
www.cheapflights.co.uk (Cheapflights) Low-cost last minute flights. http://www.cheap-hotels-airline-tickets.com/
www.city2000.com/travel (City 2000) Linked to the trade's online reservation Galileo system, the site offers flights, car hire, hotels, and complete packages. Good, straightforward approach.
www.deckchair.com (Deckchair.com) Enter where and when you want to go and the site checks availability of low cost flights. Online booking.
www.ebookers.com (E-bookers) Europe's leading online travel store with millions of discounted flights, hotels, holidays and car hire.
www.expedia.msn.com (Expedia) Microsoft's brilliant, huge, useful travel site with everything, including on-line bookings, travel features, city guides, web links, etc, but too arty, complicated, slow to download and destinations/features are patchy and incomplete.
www.faraway.com (Far Away) US-based travel and tour operator selling online to the public, private business and the trade. Owned and operated by Affinity International Travel Systems, Inc. Little or no destination information.
www.farebase.net (Farebase) Online booking.
www.flightbookers.co.uk (Flightbookers) Discount flights, car hire, accommodation.
www.globaltrip.com (Global Trip) Good budget travel site covering the world, offers help on cheap flights, hostels, destinations, etc.
www.holidayhome.co.uk (Holiday Home Directory) Holiday homes for rent ... the site features properties worldwide, ranging from simple cottages to luxurious villas and ski chalets. By putting you directly in touch with property owners, the site saves on booking fees and commissions.
www.hotelstravel.com (Hotels & Travel on the Net) Truly wonderful! Primary resource is a worldwide hotel booking facility, but you hardly need anything else to plan, research and book a trip anywhere in the world. Links to other travel sites, and a vast directory of hotels.
www.interhome.co.uk (Interhome) On-line browsing or booking with this major provider of holiday apartments and villas throughout Europe.
www.homexchange.com (International Home Exchange Network) Home swapping site.
www.homebase-hols.com (Home Base Holidays) Home swapping site.
www.lastminute.com (Lastminute.com) Not just travel - everything last minute at lowest prices. Useful, spontaneous, worth checking.
www.leisurehunt.com (Leisurehunt) Worldwide travel packages, some bookable online.
www.onerail.com (One Rail) An intriguing site for online booking of rail travel anywhere, works just like the airline sites.
www.opodo.co.uk / www.opodo.com (Opodo) Online travel service run by consortium of 9 major airlines. Useful local information combined with low fares to over 1300 destinations.
www.rail.co.uk (rail.co - Rail Travel) This site tries to put together the jigsaw that is rail travel in Britain. Also looks at other rail travel, onward connections, etc.
www.rail.co.uk/ (rail.co - Rail Travel) This is rail.co's eclectic links page with connections to an interesting selection of UK, European and other travel companies.
www.railtrack.co.uk (Railtrack) British rail site: Easier than actually going anywhere by train in Britain.
www.shawguides.com (Shaw Guides) Our comment: Good for educational vacations, including cookery courses worldwide.
www.singleshomeexchange.com (Home Exchange Holiday) Home swap worldwide - International home exchange holiday and vacation rental service. "I stay in your home while you stay in mine."
www.spanishvillas-rentals.com (Holiday Villa rentals in Spain) Privately owned high quality holiday villas, fincas or apartments for rent in Spain.
www.thomascook.co.uk (Thomas Cook) Online booking of flights and complete packages from Thomas Cook.
www.tiss.com (Travel Information Software Systems Internet Booking Service) Big discounts on airfares.
www.travelocity.co.uk (Travelocity) Linked to Bargain Holidays, above. Hotel, car and flight reservations. Register and get access to SABRE, the travel agents' online booking facility.
www.travelscape.com (Travelscape) Book flights, packages, hotels, etc at good prices on this easy-to-use site. U.S.-oriented but with major foreign cities too.
www.travelselect.com (TravelSelect/Globepost) Worldwide flight booking service with info on accommodation, excursions and city tours. No comment yet.
www.utravel.co.uk (uTravel) Flights, packages etc to popular destinations with some pretty basic, but readable destination tips and information.
www.thevancouverguide.com (The Vancouver Guide) Vancouver travel information, plus furnished apartments in the city.
www.vacation-homes.com (Vacation Homes Unlimited) Established in 1986, Vacation Homes' user-friendly site provide beautiful home-from-home house exchange vacations anywhere in the world. Join online (or directory membership also available).
www.vacationhouses.com (Vacation Houses) Holiday rentals in Europe - 40,000 searchable houses and apartments on an easy-to-use site!
www.venere.it (Venere) European hotel reservations by Venere.Com, including apartments, bed and breakfast, travel and lodgings.
www.virtualcities.com (Virtual Cities) Good source for unusual, interesting, smaller hotels.
 
Travel insurance on line
www.egg.com/ (Egg) Online travel insurance is new on the clear, usable Egg site.
www.travelinsurers.com/ (Travel Insurance Agency - TIA) Travel insurance specialists, clear, usable site with plenty of insurance options too.
www.wwtis.co.uk/ (Worldwide Travel Insurance Services) Tailor-made travel insurance quotes.
www.westwind.co.uk/westwind/d-direct.html (Travel Insurance Direct) More basic offer, uses postal service, UK users only.

Maps and route planners on the web
www.alpineskimaps.com Ski runs of the main resorts in the French, Austrian, Swiss and Italian Alps.
www.iti.fr (iTi) Has changed its name and redirects to Mappy - see below.
www.mappy.com (Mappy) Brilliant multilingual Europe-wide route planner with local information links, maps, search for local attractions, etc.
www.multimap.com (Multimap) European street maps, especially good for UK.
www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk (Ordnance Survey) The online resource of the definitive UK mapping agency online.
www.streetmap.co.uk (Streetmap) Complete street mapping of mainland Britain.
 

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TRAVEL TRADE, CAR HIRE, AIRLINES, FERRIES, RAIL SERVICES
(see also: Commercial sites with on-line booking )
Travel Trade - Airlines & Airports - Car Rentals - Ferries - Hotels - Railways
 
Travel Trade
www.abtanet.com (Association of British Travel Agents) If you want to book a package, this is useful for tracking down who goes where.
www.aito.co.uk (Association of Independent Tour Operators) Trade association of mainly small, low-key specialist operators.
 
Car Hire
www.avis.com (Avis)
www.budgetrentacar.com (Budget)
www.hertz.com (Hertz)
www.carpass.co.uk (CarPass Spain) Great idea - prebooked one-day vouchers for car hire at Spanish resorts.
 
Ferries
www.ferryinformationservice.co.uk/ (Ferry Information Service) Useful, informative site run by the Passenger Shipping Association, which represents a group of ferry companies registered in the UK. All questions answered on their routes - that's most (but not all) routes to and from the UK.
www.corsicaferries.com/ (Corsica Ferries) The up-and-coming Corsican operator whose latest development is a new Newhaven-Dieppe ferry on the English Channel, starting in March 2001.
www.irishferries.ie (Irish Ferries) On-line car ferry bookings for Irish Ferries routes to Dublin and Rosslare
www.norfolkline.com/ (Norfolk Line) Page of the new cross-Channel ferry from Dover to Dunkerque.
www.p-and-o.com/ (P&O) The major shipping company, with links to the sites of its various operations.
 
Airlines and Airports
www.a2bAirports.com (Complete UK and Ireland Airport Guide) EMAP's useful detail on each UK airport, how to get to it and out of it, etc.
www.aerlingus.ie (Aer Lingus)
www.airfrance.fr (Air France)
www.alitalia.it (Alitalia)
www.british-airways.com (British Airways)
www.easyjet.com (Easy Jet) Low cost airline
www.flybmi.com (British Midland)
www.elal.co.il (El Al Israel Airlines)
www.klm.nl (KLM)
www.londoncityairport.com (London City Airport) Website of the least known London airport, with 10 minute check-in time for European flights
www.ryanair.com (Ryan Air) Low-cost airline, flights all over Europe
www.fly.virgin.com (Virgin Airlines)
 
Railways
www.eurostar.com/ (Eurostar) The site of the high-speed London-Paris and London-Brussels rail service.
www.seat61.com ('The Man in Seat Sixty-One') This is a fantastic, fascinating site run by inexhaustible rail traveller Mark Smith (who has named the site after his favourite seat on Eurostar), giving masses of information - much of it not available elsewhere - on how to travel by train from the UK to each country in Europe and beyond.
www.nationalrail.co.uk (National Rail Enquiry Service) The official rail information site - its most useful feature is details of services that are not running normally.
www.onerail.com (One Rail) Online booking of national and international rail travel, works just like airline sites.
www.Qjump.co.uk (Q Jump) Rail planning, information and online booking.
www.raileurope.co.uk/ (Rail Europe - UK) UK based official SNCF agents selling all European rail travel including Motorail, rail passes, Eurostar, and add-ons like car hire, bike hire, accommodation.
www.raileurope.com (Rail Europe - US) US version of Rail Europe.
www.railtrack.co.uk (Railtrack) British rail site: Easier than actually going anywhere by train in Britain. We suggest "customers" use some other form of transport while in the UK.
www.rail.co.uk (rail.co - Rail Travel) This site tries to put together the crazy jigsaw that is rail travel in Britain. Also looks at other rail travel, onward connections, etc.
www.rail.co.uk/ (rail.co - Rail Travel) This is rail.co's eclectic links page with connections to an interesting selection of UK, European and other travel companies.
www.sncf.com/ (SNCF - French Railways) The site of SNCF, the French national rail company, which runs Europe's most modern and comprehensive national rail network.
http://ter.sncf.fr (SNCF - TER) TER are the important regional rail services in France.
www.sncf.fr/ (SNCF route planning page).
www.thetrainline.com (the train line) On-line rail booking agency - the most painless way to plan and book rail travel in the UK and abroad. Books accommodation too.

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EUROPEAN TRAVEL SITES AND EUROPEAN CITIES
Europe Guides and City Guides
www.theaa.co.uk (Automobile Association) Our comment: Good city guides on the World Travel Centre page. Visit their bookshop page for a full list with description of all AA travel titles - then come back to us and buy any of 'em at 15% off, UK post free
www.city.net (City Net) Up to date information on over 3000 towns and cities.
www.visiteurope.com (European Travel Commission) Site of 28-nation ETC to facilitate travel to Europe. Good, quick summaries of main attractions in each country. Plenty of practical information too, and calendar of major European events.
www.eurotrip.com (Eurotrip - Budget Travel in Europe) A great travel resource for independent travel in Europe. Advice on trip preparation, euro-railing, back-packing, destinations and accommodation. Includes reviews, articles, message boards.
www.freetodo.net/ (Free To Do) This fascinating, unique site tells you what's free to see and do - events, castles and historic sites, walks, festivals, museums and art galleries and more unusual attractions - at places throughout Europe (and some in America).
www.mappy.com (Mappy / iTi) Excellent free European Route Planner (with emphasis on France), plus clickable access to traffic information, hotel bookings, sights, tourist offices, etc. Choose fastest routes, routes without tolls, routes without traffic, etc.
 
What's On Guides
www.timeout.com (Time Out magazine) City listings and City guides. Our comment: Time Out's site is brilliant, encyclopaedic, updated weekly. Great web links, listings, reviews, even local weather forecast for next 4 days.
www.whatsonwhen.com (What's On When) Useful selection of events in cities worldwide with search to help find the type of events you're looking for, plus online booking of tickets, accommodation and travel.
 
European Route Planning
www.mappy.com (Mappy / iTi) Excellent free European Route Planner (with emphasis on France), plus clickable access to traffic information, hotel bookings, sights, tourist offices, etc. Choose fastest routes, routes without tolls, routes without traffic, etc.
 
 
AMSTERDAM
http://amsterdam.pitas.com/ (Amsterdam Pitas) Eclectic links page reaching all parts of the city.
www.amsterdam.nl/e_index.html (City of Amsterdam) Comprehensive official site.
www.simplyamsterdam.nl/ (Simply Amsterdam) Extensive Amsterdam links site, essential pre-visit info.
www.visitholland.com/ (Welcome to Holland) Netherlands Board of Tourism site.
www.visitamsterdam.nl/index.html (Visit Amsterdam) The city's official tourism site.
 
 
BARCELONA
www.barcelonaturisme.com (Barcelona Turisme) Information on Barcelona for business and leisure travellers. Beautiful, enjoyable, useful site.
 

 

 

 

 

BRUSSELS & BRUGES
SEE OUR FEATURE ON BRUSSELS
BRUSSELS
www.trabel.com/brussels.htm (Belgium Travel Network) Online tour of Brussels.
www.bruxelles.irisnet.be/en/5en_tour/5en_tour.htm (Brussels Capital Region) English pages of the city's official tourism site.
www.brusselsairport.be/ (Brussels Airport) Useful, attractive airport site also has Beligium information and links.


BRUGES
www.trabel.com/brugge/bruges-tourvoorblad.htm (Belgium Travel Network) easy to use online tour of Bruges.
www.brugge.be/toerisme/en/index.htm (Stad Brugge) Official Bruges site, English pages.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
DUBLIN

MORE IRELAND TRAVEL LINKS

 
LONDON
 
PARIS
 
SEVILLE
www.sevillacultural.com (Seville Cultural) Online magazine about the city.
 
See our books on European Cities

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