Whether you want to know where to go, how to get there, the finest places to stay or what to avoid at all costs, this list is a treasure trove of information for the trip of a lifetime
The experts:
Mark Hodson founded 101holidays.co.uk, and 101honeymoons.co.uk
Abigail King is a travel writer and blogger, insidethetravellab.com
Srin Madipalli is CEO of Accomable
Julia Buckley is acting head of travel at The Independent
Mathura Premaruban is PR director at Hills Balfour's HB Luxe
Cynthia Drescher is a freelance travel journalist and digital editor
John Walton is an aviation journalist and deputy editor of Runway Girl Network
OpenTable
“If, like me, the idea of queuing for a restaurant while on holiday turns your stomach, this is your website,” says Srin. “With more than 40,000 restaurants to choose from, it’s still the biggest and best – and lets you search for places to eat by district, cuisine and review score, before booking your table for free. It’s particularly handy if you’re travelling through busy cities like London, New York or Sydney, where bagging a table at a peak time in a popular spot can be impossible without a reservation. For European cities including Paris and Madrid, French website, the Fork, is a little fiddlier to use, but does the same job.”
Sky Park Secure
“While no one’s going to get excited about airport parking, the fact remains that the costs – and inconveniences involved – can quickly mount up,” says Abigail. “This site compares more than 300 airport car parks at over 28 airports to help find you the best deal, but the algorithm goes beyond budget alone. Car parks are monitored for quality and the deals include official airport parking and meet & greet options as well as the more economical park and ride end of the scale.”
Viator helps travellers navigate holiday activities
Viator
“So you’ve landed at your destination and you’re overwhelmed with options of what to see, eat, and do, but there are some challenges to accomplishing it all,” says Cynthia Drescher. “Viator offers activities that help travellers get to the heart of the local experience while removing some of the roadblocks. For example, I was in Tallinn and wanted to a see more of Estonia without having to rent a car on my own. Through a Viator experience, I joined a small group daytrip to nearby beaches and hiked through a quarry known for its otherworldly scenery. On my first night in Hoi An, Vietnam, I left all my dinner decisions to a translator and a Viator tasting tour of the best banh mi sandwiches. Greatest idea ever.”
Google Maps
“It might sound obvious, but with its local information, handy satnav directions and downloadable map options, Google Maps is a godsend for the modern traveller,” says John Walton. “There are so many options – walking, driving, transport and more – that you should make sure you have a handle on all of them before travelling.”
FancyHands
“The last few years have seen a growth in the number of websites and apps that promise to act as a personal travel assistant, but in my experience, this non-travel focused site wins hands down,” says Abigail. “For a monthly or yearly fee, you can submit 20-minute requests by email, phone, text or direct to a 24-hour cyber-team who will spring straight to work. Savour your travel time by allowing someone else to zip through your to-do list: confirm the hotel booking has a cot, find three suggestions for dinner, call to explain flight is delayed, find quickest way to the art museum, and so on. These days, I wonder how I got things done without it.”
Find out about legroom, power sockets and more plane stats on Routehappy
Routehappy
“Want to figure out how to travel in comfort as well as style? Routehappy (where I used to be Director of Data back in 2014) will help you pick a flight based on whether there’s good legroom, wider seats, new planes, faster wifi, fewer neighbours and a lot more,” says John Walton.
Adioso
“This is a flight search engine for people who are flexible on when they fly,” says Mark. “So you can type in a request such as, ‘London to Los Angeles leaving next week under £800’ and see what comes up. If the fares are too high, you can set an email alert that will let you know when the price reaches your budget. It’s intuitive, fun to use and nicely designed.”
Tripit
“Can't remember the name of your hotel? Simply forward all your email booking confirmations to this nifty planning tool and it will pop them into in one sleek, shareable itinerary, covering everything from flights to restaurants,” says Srin. “It's particularly useful if, like me, you're a bit of a planning nut, or if you have a complex itinerary and plan to venture from place to place.”
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