It’s almost impossible these days to travel without using the web. Whether it’s booking your flights or train tickets, most of it has to be done online. As Gen-Y wanderers, though, we’re usually pretty tech savvy and get those tickets booked before older generations can even blink an eye.
Here are some websites I’ve found helpful when on the road:
Call this the kick-starter of travel. You can post your own crowd-funded trips and see if you can get sponsors and people interested in donating to your cause. It’s a great site if you are looking for a way to finance that honeymoon or you have a location you want to go to for a specific reason. Whether you are thinking about bicycling in Ireland or traveling throughout Italy solely by Vespa, this is the way to get the cash (and a group of people cheering you on).
Check out this crowd-funded trip where the travelers are planning on making it from Spain to New Zealand in time for the new Hobbit movie premiere.
Let’s face it, sometimes Google Maps just doesn’t cut it. Rome 2 Rio is great because it will help you find a way to get from any one point in the world to the next, plus a rough estimate of how much it will cost. It may seem too good to be true, but I’ve done my best to confound it, and it manages to come up with bus schedules, ticket prices, and working, reliable services every time. You can even come up with a route if you have more places to stop than just point A or point B. If you are thinking about making a backpacking trek or you need some alternative ways to get around rather than just flying, this site is invaluable.
Visiting a new city can be an overwhelming experience, and when you aren’t sure which areas and sights are the best to check out, you might want to consider checking out Hotels We Love. It’s perfect as a modern-day, Generation-Y guide. It gives you the scoop on each place without offering too much, and the writing on the site is downright hipster (in a good way). It also offers some great hotel, museum, and eating options so you can visit each city like a local. If you like diverting a bit off the tourist path, this is the perfect website to direct you in the right way.
Also check out: Even more travel blogs and websites geared toward 20-something travelers.
Have any websites that you would recommend? How has using the web been good or bad for you when you travel?
Photo courtesy of Anthony DiLaura.