FCUS GUIDES


HOME
**********
CITIES
**********

WebSight travel index

 

WEBSIGHT
FULL INDEX

**********
SEARCH with

**********
Copyright
**********


Topics
· brochure ordering
· flights, hotels etc
- discount booking
· health & security
· home exchange
· maps, route planners
· money, time, weather
· official & govt. sites
· transportation
· travel insurance
· travellers' forums
· world guides & publishers

· what's on

Places
· All Europe
  -----------
· Great Britain
· Ireland
· Israel
· Italy
· Spain



 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^

 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 ^
 

WebSight
Money, Time, Weather

THE TIME & DATE
Everywhere in the world


MONEY
· Today's exchange rates worldwide
· Immediate conversion calculator


THE WEATHER
Worldwide forecasts updated every 30 mins



WebSight
Brochure ordering

BROCHUREBANK - See and order brochures from 100 travel companies

 


WebSight
Health, Security and Travel Advice

www.access-able.com - Travel info for the disabled.
www.etravel.org (eTravel) Useful travellers site, includes warnings of current dangers worldwide.
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.istm.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.fco.gov.uk (UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office - Travel Advice Unit) Interesting British Government site detailing where they feel it is currently unsafe to travel. Comprehensive if over-cautious advice for travellers.
wwwn.cdc.gov/travel (US Govt health advice to travellers) - disease situation worldwide, outbreaks etc.
www.who.int/ith (World Health Organisation) International health risks for travellers, what inoculations you need, malaria page, etc.

 


WebSight
Maps and Route Planners

Google Maps - Isn't this the best? For maps, yes. Itineraries are sometimes off the mark.
www.mappy.com (Mappy) Brilliant multilingual Europe-wide route planner with local information links, maps, search for local attractions, etc
www.multimap.com (Multimap) Worldwide street maps, some destinations better than others.
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.

 


WebSight
World guides & travel publishers

www.wtgonline.com (Columbus World Travel Guides Online) I'm reluctant to include this as the authors are not credited (I'm one of them), but the guides are more substantial than most and can be useful.
www.concierge.com/ (Conde Naste Traveler) Formerly Epicurious, now Concierge, with travel features and guides. Trend-conscious, not very useful.
www.fodors.com (Fodor's Travel Online).
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 - mainly W.Europe.
www.frommers.com (Frommer's Guides). Excellent, useful site with tips, ideas and information.
www.lonelyplanet.com (Lonely Planet).
travel.roughguides.com/ (
Rough Guides).
www.wanderlust.co.uk/ (Wanderlust travel magazine).
www.whatsonwhen.com (
What's On When) Major site for brief city guides plus main events in cities worldwide; search facility finds the type of events you're looking for, plus online booking of tickets, accommodation and travel.
www.which.net/holiday (Which? Magazine online) Mainly for subscribers only.


WebSight
Travellers' reports and forums

www.realholidayreports.com   Real Holiday Reports - Fascinating and useful speak-your-mind reports on holiday accommodation worldwide, written by people who have stayed there.
http://thorntree.lonelyplanet.com/ Lonely Planet's famous Thorn Tree where travellers' questions, answers and comments are posted - but often by ignoramuses.
www.tripadvisor.com   Trip Advisor - The leading name in travel forums, with over 20 million reviews & opinions of destinations, vacations and accommodation worldwide, written by people who have stayed there.


WebSight
Organisations and official and Government sites

www.abta.com (ABTA = 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 (AITO = Association of Independent Tour Operators) Trade association of mainly small, low-key specialist operators.
www.antor.com (ANTOR - Association of National Tour Operators) Mainly trade oriented site, useful for links to the members' sites around the world.
www.visiteurope.com (European Travel Commission) Site of 39-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.tourismconcern.org.uk/ (Tourism Concern) Pressure group concerned with impact of travel and tourism.
www.ips.gov.uk/ (Identity & Passport Services) The UK Passport Agency has given itself this ridiculous new name as it expands its business of charging people huge sums of money for documents that they are obliged to have.
www.vso.org.uk/(Voluntary Service Overseas) Volunteers see the world while aiding poor nations.


WebSight
Home Exchange / House Swap
 
www.homexchange.com (International Home Exchange Network) Home swapping site.
www.homebase-hols.com (Home Base Holidays) Home swapping site.
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.vacationhouses.com (Vacation Houses) Holiday rentals in Europe - 40,000 searchable houses and apartments on an easy-to-use site!


WebSight
Commercial travel sites:
discount flights, lodgings, car hire, etc
(see also: Travel and Transportation etc )

 
www.airnet.co.uk (Air Net) Search for discounted flights.
www.all-hotels.com (All Hotels) Online discount accommodation directory.
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) Find low-cost last minute flights.
www.ebookers.com (E-bookers) Leading online travel store with millions of discounted flights, hotels, holidays and car hire.
www.expedia.com (Expedia in US) and www.expedia.co.uk (Expedia in UK) Microsoft's huge travel site with everything, but destination features are slight.
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.lastminute.com (Lastminute.com) Not just travel - everything last minute at lowest prices. Useful, spontaneous, worth checking.
www.networkrail.co.uk/ (Network Rail) British railways website: Easier to use than actually going anywhere by train in Britain.
www.opodo.co.uk / www.opodo.com (Opodo) Online travel service run by consortium of 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 insane 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.shawguides.com (Shaw Guides) Educational vacations, eg. cookery courses worldwide.
www.thomascook.co.uk (Thomas Cook) Online booking of flights and complete packages from Thomas Cook.
www.travelocity.co.uk (Travelocity) Hotel, car and flight reservations. Register and get access to SABRE, the travel agents' online booking facility.
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.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.


WebSight
Travel insurance online

 
Travel insurance sites deleted - we are looking for a replacement.


WebSight
Travel industry and transportation
(see also: Commercial sites with discount booking)

Travel Trade - Airlines & Airports - Car Rentals - Ferries - Railways


 
Travel Trade
www.abta.com (ABTA = 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 (AITO = 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)
 
Ferries
www.sailanddrive.com/ (Sail and Drive - 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.irishferries.ie (Irish Ferries) On-line car ferry bookings for Irish Ferries routes to Dublin and Rosslare
www.norfolkline.com (Norfolk Line) Operating ferries Dover to Dunkerque and Liverpool to Ireland.
www.poferries.co.uk (P&O) The major shipping company, with links to the sites of its various operations.
www.seafrance.com (SeaFrance) Cross-Channel short crossing.
 
Airlines and Airports
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.virgin-atlantic.com (Virgin Atlantic Airlines)
 
Railways
FrenchRailways.com - for rail travel to, through and within France, links to Eurostar, Rail Europe, SNCF and TER.
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.networkrail.co.uk/ (Network Rail) British railways website: Easier to use than actually going anywhere by train in Britain.
www.Qjump.co.uk (Q Jump) Rail planning, information and online booking.
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.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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WebSight full index - Search - Contact - About     


 


Text © Focus Guides and Andrew Sanger.
Updated Jan 2009
.
Pictures © as shown.
All rights reserved worldwide.
**********
BUY  LICENCE
**********
^