TripKick provide detailed info on rooms.

For hotels in the United States, Hotels.com usually has extremely competitive rates. In fact, it often has the same room for less than other sites. A series of toolbars let you sort results by a variety of criteria, including price and rating. And traveler reviews are also included. If you make reservations through them, they don’t levy any extra cancellation or change fees, although the property may charge them.

HotelsCombined.com aggregates information from dozens of sites, including Booking.com and Expedia so you can see who is offering the best deal for your dates. Overviews, traveler reviews, maps, and photos are provided to help you choose. This is a very useful site when you know where you want to stay and just want to find the best price.

The best site for luxury hotels is LuxuryLink. Top-drawer properties are listed here at rates as much as 75% off rack. Packages often include meals, spa services, and an activity or two. You can bid on an auction or purchase specific dates for a little more than the likely winning bid.

Packages available on LuxuryLink are either for the off season or for the near future, so you won’t always find what you’re looking for. But if you are flexible about your dates and don’t mind traveling off season, you can get some terrific deals. We’ve won several auctions with them and always been very happy with our purchase.

Raveable -- one of the new generation hotel websites

If you travel and stay in luxury hotels often, AndrewHarper.com can be worth the $195 membership fee. Savings here are often around 50%, and many of the hotels and resorts are small, intimate places with impeccable service.

For European hotels, Hotels.com is strong on price. And their “view on map” capability makes it easy to see exactly where the property is located. Venere.com has an extensive selection. They represent many smaller properties and inns that aren’t listed anywhere else and don’t have their own web sites.

Venere has user reviews, good descriptions, ratings, and lots of photos. And many of the mom-and-pop type inns, farmhouses, and pensions it lists are much more affordable than the big chains. Venere is great choice for finding inexpensive hotels.

Booking.com is another good choice for European hotels. The site has lots of information and photos, and we like that, in most cases, you give your credit card number to secure the reservation, but you pay at the hotel when you check out.

Riomaggiore hotels on Venere

Once you’ve chosen a property, TripKick.com can help you figure out which is the best room for the price. You’ll learn which rooms to avoid, which ones have the best views, which are in the corner, and which ones have features like balconies, window seats, pool or garden access, etc.

Raveable.com has added a new spin to user reviews. It aggregates content from travel sites like Tripadvisor and Yahoo!Travel, summarizes it, and then cuts to the chase by telling readers in one handy screen what’s good and bad about a property. You’ll learn how much bang you get for your buck, whether or not bedbugs have been reported at the property, and what past guests especially liked – or didn’t – about the hotel.

Add these hotel websites to your trip planning tools and you’ll save money and make more informed choices too. Find other travel sites.

Nose-to-nose French TGVs

France has one of the most sophisticated high-speed train networks in the world. It’s possible to reach most of France from Paris in just a few hours. And because the network extends to Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, and Luxembourg, most of the European continent is within easy reach too. If you count the time spent getting to and from the airport and checking in, travel by train is usually faster than air travel.

Train a Grande Vitesse (TGV) trains are the crème de la creme of French trains. The fastest trains in the world, they’ve been clocked at 357 mph, and regularly travel at speeds in excess of 200 miles per hour.

The TGV was developed in the 1970s by GEC-Althom and is part of the SNCF, or French National Railroad system. The first TGV traveled between Paris and Lyon in 1981

TGV France service links more than 200 French cities. Travelers leaving from Paris can reach Dijon in 1 hour and 40 minutes, Lyon in 2 hours and 10 minutes, or Avignon in 2 hours and 36 minutes. TGV International service goes from Paris to Frankfurt in 4 hours or Luxembourg in 2 hours and 12 minutes.

Once onboard the non-smoking trains, you’ll find airline-style seating, designated cell phone space, computer and Internet access, and food and beverage available for purchase. All TGVs offer both first- and second-class service. First or Premier class has a bar/buffet car and bigger, reclining seats. Premier class also includes access to executive lounges at TGV train stations.

Rail Europe specials and promotions

There’s space for your luggage at the end of the car – unless it’s packed. And you can stow your brief case, coat, or purse overhead. Many rows of seats face each other and the tables in between are handy for working on a laptop, writing, or eating.

Don’t expect to do much sightseeing once you’re underway, even on one of the duplex or double decker trains. Everything outside your window will be a complete blur.

Special Deals from Rail Europe

Avignon TGV station

Reservations can usually be made three months before departure.

Although many of the train stations are new and purpose-built for TGV service, the boarding process can be confusing. At Avignon TGV station, we had a hard time getting information about our train and its whereabouts. Our train was on schedule, but another train was not, and we couldn’t tell whether ours was delayed as a result.

None of the French passengers knew any more than we did, and there were no SNCF employees anywhere near the platform. Monitors showed the platform our train was scheduled to leave from. But there was no information at the platform to confirm it.

Our train pulled into the station on time, took off in minutes, and arrived in Paris as scheduled. But there was more confusion than necessary. Arrive at the station early, confirm the track with the information desk, and be on the correct quai well before the train arrives.

Read more about French trains here.

Nose-to-nose French TGVs Image Flickr: Terrazzo
Avignon TGV station Image Flickr: LoopZilla

The George V– one of the best hotels in Paris.

Regardless of where you stay, hotels in Paris tend to be expensive, so it pays to do a little trip planning in advance to make sure you’re getting the most for your money. Whether you’re paying top dollar or traveling on a budget, your room will likely be smaller than you thought it would be – especially the bathroom. And unless you reserved one of the best rooms, your view may be a disappointment too.

Although you certainly want your room to comfortable, clean, and attractive, chances are that you won’t spend much time there.

Location will affect the price as much as anything. Most Paris luxury hotels are located in the 1st arrondissement, near the Louvre or the Champs Elysees. Inexpensive hotels are located further from the heart of the city, although there are some bargains in the Latin Quarter, St.-Germain-des-Pres, the Ile St.-Louis, and the Marais. As a rule, the longer the Metro ride to get to Paris attractions, the cheaper the hotel.

The Right Bank is where you’ll find haute couture shops and five-star restaurants. The Left Bank is more Bohemian with atmospheric wine bars and bistros.

When to go to Paris, if you want to save money.

Traveling off season will also get you a better deal. Although most French people travel in July and August, it’s peak season for American tourists. And Christmas and New Year’s are always popular. June and September will be a little less expensive. March, April, October, and November offer the best deals.

If you’re coming in summer, make sure your hotel has air conditioning – many don’t. And if you’re coming in winter, be prepared for colder temperatures than you’d expect.

The best hotels in Paris are usually full all year long, so if you want to stay in a smaller hotel that’s a good value, make your reservations several months in advance. Otherwise, you may be disappointed.

Don’t put too much stock in the hotel’s star rating. Given by the government, these are awarded based on service and amenities, not overall quality. A two-star hotel without an elevator can be a lot nicer than a three-star one with an elevator and a restaurant.

View from a Paris hotel room.

Paris hotels don’t have the same amenities as American ones. Alarm clocks, for example, are fairly uncommon. So if there’s something specific that you want in your room – such as Internet access – better confirm it in advance.

Breakfast in Paris can be expensive. So if you’re watching your Euros, choose a hotel that includes it in the room rate. Most places have a buffet with pastries, cheese, ham, fruit, hard-boiled eggs, yogurt, orange juice, and coffee.

For luxury hotels, travel websites like Luxury Link and Vactionist are the best places to look for bargains, especially if your dates are flexible. If you don’t want to spend a fortune, Priceline and late-booking sites like Last Minute Travel can save you quite a bit.

The George V– one of the best hotels in Paris Image Flickr:  Alan Light
View from a Paris hotel room Image Flickr: Jeff Keen

Get off the freeway.

Over the years, we’ve gotten on a tour bus once or twice. We took a coach from Queenstown to Milford Sound, hoping to take a helicopter back. But the weather didn’t cooperate. And we did a shore excursion — our first and last — to Ephesus years ago.

Not a lot of time on organized tours, but enough to convince us that we’d be miserable on a coach tour for any length of time. So we almost always travel independently. To get where we’re going, we’ll either take a train, rent a car, or hop on a boat. We make virtually all the arrangements ourselves. And we spend tons of time at travel sites doing research before we go.

But no matter how much you plan or how many arrangements you make in advance, independent travel is harder than just getting on a bus. You usually end up carrying your bag yourself – which isn’t that fun when you’re running for a train. Driving abroad can be pretty stressful. And you have no advocate when things don’t go exactly as planned.

We’ve learned from our experiences. So we don’t make the same mistakes we once did. And the biggest one – the absolute worst thing you can do when planning a trip for yourself – is to bite off more than you can chew.

Our first trip to Europe was a long time ago. And like everyone else back then, we bought “Europe through the Backdoor” by Rick Steves and started making plans. And what plans they were – eight cities in 18 days. We flew into Amsterdam, caught a train the next morning for Heidelberg, went to Paris, then took an overnight train to Rome.

By the time we got there, six days later, we were absolutely exhausted. Our immune systems said “enough,” and we caught colds. Our three days in Rome were spent in bed. And there was still Florence, Venice, Lucerne, Brussels, and Amsterdam to go.

Allow plenty of time to poke around.

We spent most of our time packing and unpacking, getting to train stations, and riding trains. Fortunately, we ignored Rick’s travel advice and reserved our hotels in advance. Otherwise, we’d have spent our remaining time in Europe looking for places to stay.

We’ve taken dozens of trips since then, and each one has gotten more leisurely. Where two-night stays used to be the norm, we now try to stay at least three nights wherever we go. And very rarely do we schedule a one-night stand.

The other thing we’ve done is shorten the distance between destinations. On our recent trip to the South of France, we stayed in Arles, Avignon, and Aix – cities which are less than a couple of hours from each other, but all distinctly different. We really enjoyed not having to get up at the crack of dawn on travel days, having a long, leisurely lunch in one of the towns en route, and still arriving in the next city in time for a glass of wine on the plaza.

There’s plenty of travel advice and trip planning tips on this site. But if you only take away one thing, make it this – the more places you try to see, the less you’ll enjoy your vacation.

Pick a compact area that interests you. Spend several nights in each place. And let yourself sleep in, putter in antique shops, and linger over meals.

Get off the freeway Image Flickr: hans s
Allow plenty of time to poke around Image Flickr: Bob Doran

Being sick is always a drag. But being sick when you’re away from home is doubly so. Toughing it out in a strange hotel room with none of the items that might make your feel better is miserable. In fact, the only thing that’s worse is being on a crowded plane or train, unable to sleep or get any rest.

We’ve been stricken in Africa, South America, Alaska, and Europe, and an ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure. And though you can’t prevent everything, you can stack the odds in your favor.

Most of the time, we get sick because our immune system is compromised in some way. And when you’re traveling, interrupted sleep patterns, changes in diet, and other interruptions in routine can make you especially vulnerable.

Over the years, we’ve found that the best defense is a good offense. So here are a few things you can do to keep yourself strong and healthy:

1) Be careful about what you eat and where you eat. If anything seems even slightly off, don’t put it in your mouth. Wash your hands or treat them with an antibacterial before you touch your food. And don’t eat anywhere with poor sanitation. Pack a couple granola bars or bags of nuts for times when you’re hungry but there’s nothing good to eat.

2) Drink wine with your meals – it actually helps prevent salmonella. And in many areas, the local wine is one the highlights.

3) Don’t eat fruits and veggies that are mostly water in areas where the water is bad. And speaking of fruit, if you don’t eat a lot of it at home, don’t go crazy at the breakfast buffet. Go easy and give your digestive system time to adjust.

4) Do pack a few Immodium AD pills with your toiletries, in case of emergency. And by emergency, I mean that you can’t stay out of the bathroom but you have to spend the next 12 hours on a plane.

5) Take any over-the-counter medications that you use at home with you on your trip. If you get indigestion or hives or a cold once a year, you’ll get it on your vacation. That’s how it works. So having whichever remedy works for you will save you a lot of grief. Often, if you can nip something in the bud, it won’t fully develop.

6) Don’t drink too much – especially not on the plane where dehydration is a real problem. Yes, you’re on vacation. And yes, those mai tais are the best ever. But being moderate will keep you feeling fine. And trust me, you do not want to visit the Parthenon with a hangover anyway.

7) Drink as much water as you can. Bottled water is for sale everywhere, and in Europe, most restaurants will bring you a carafe of water to drink with your meal. Try to finish it off before you leave the restaurant.

8) Eat a well-balanced diet. Trying new foods is one of the great pleasures of travel. But make sure you get plenty of veggies and whole grains too.

9) Try to get enough sleep. Although it’s hard when you have jet lag, make an effort. If you wake up at 3AM and you’re “done” for the night, just lay there quietly and try to rest your mind and body anyway.

10) Get some exercise. Getting up your heart rate and working up a sweat are great ways to stay healthy and keep extra pounds at bay. If your hotel doesn’t have a fitness center, take a brisk, uphill walk. Even thirty-minutes a day will help.

Taking these simple precautions will help ensure that you feel great during your travels.

Find more travel advice here. And more trip planning tips here.

Screen grab of Arles map that we created in Google Maps

That’s why we always take detailed maps and travel directions wherever we go. Plus a GPS. For us, knowing how to get where we’re going is a trip planning essential that makes travel a lot easier.

Websites like Google Maps and Via Michelin let you get detailed point-to-point driving directions and generate your own travel maps quickly and easily.

But for a three-week trip, that’s a lot of paper to carry, especially when you add email confirmations, and other documents.

For our upcoming trip to France, we wanted to figure out a way to take our maps and travel directions without hauling around a lot of hardcopy. And since cell service and Internet access aren’t always givens, we wanted something that would always be available – even when those weren’t.

Our solution: a netbook and screen captures.

Screen grab of map showing travel directions from Avignon TGV station.

The netbook gives us most of the benefits of a laptop computer – Internet access and a nearly full-size keyboard and monitor for easy reading. And it does it all in a lightweight, pintsized package.

We used Google Maps and Via Michelin to get travel directions to the places we planned to visit, and to create local maps for the attractions near our hotels. Then we did screen grabs of the maps, so that we would always have a digital image on hand.

If you have a Mac, it’s really simple. Just hold down the Apple key, the shift key, and the number four. Your pointer will turn into a crosshair icon that you drag to form a border around the area you want to capture.

Screen grab of an email

Screen captures aren’t just for web pages either. You can grab a picture of an email, a photograph, or anything else on your desktop.

Read how to do screen grabs on a PC at http://graphicssoft.about.com/cs/general/ht/winscreenshot.htm

Find more trip planning tips here.

TGV 2N at Gare de Lyon

France has one of the most extensive rail networks in the world, and as rule, French trains are convenient, comfortable, and punctual. Traveling by train is a great way to see France because you don’t have to do anything but lean back and enjoy the scenery. And it’s quicker and easier than flying.

You can usually get where you’re going in a matter of hours. And you can make most of your arrangements before you leave home.

If you do a little trip planning in advance, the experience should be painless. Learn a little basic French and familiarize yourself with the signs that you’ll see at the station.

For short trips, reservations aren’t necessary, but you’ll need to make them for long-distance French trains in advance. Most trains can be reserved online or by phone, and you’ll pay a small surcharge for the convenience. You can book through Rail Europe, which has an easy-to-use, English-language site.

Fares bought on the day of travel are more expensive, so if you buy tickets in advance you’ll save money too. You can usually make reservations 90 days before departure.

If you can’t reserve specific seats on your train, get to the station early, so you can get a good one. Validate your ticket in one of the yellow machines on the platform, or quai, as it’s called in France. If you don’t do it, you could be fined by the conductor.

Free shipping on rail orders of $349 or more!

Even if you’re only taking a few train trips, you should still look into a France Rail Pass. Sometimes a pass will be less expensive than several point-to-point fares, especially if there are two of you traveling together. A variety of passes are available including fares for those under 26 and over 60, and some include a couple of days of car rental.

Bear in mind that reservations are required for TGV and other trains and there’s a charge to make them. So factor that into your calculation when you compare the cost of a Rail Pass.

You’ve probably heard about France’s high-speed train, the Train a Grande Vitesse or TGV. In the past several years, SNCF has expanded their TGV service and today, you can reach most parts of France quickly via TGV. For instance, the journey from Paris to the South of France takes just three hours.

Two types of service are usually available — Premiere or first class and Deuxieme or second class. First class is more comfortable, offers more amenities, and is usually about twice as much as second. On TGVs, first class seats have a fold-down desk big enough for a laptop and a power source. But you’ll need an adaptor to use it because it is the French two-prong kind.

Special Deals from Rail Europe

There are several seating configurations. For couples, Club Duo will put you facing each other over a table. Duo will put you side by side. Many of the new TGVs are duplex, or double decker. You’ll get the best views if you sit on the upper deck.

You can stow your luggage above your seat or at the front or back of the car. On some trains, you can rent DVD players, and there’s usually a café car for drinks and light meals. You may want to find out what’s available on your train before you board, so you can take along something to eat if there’s no buffet. In some stations, you can buy madeleines in vending machines on the platform.

Although they’re not as fast as the TGV, Teoz trains travel at 125 miles an hour and serve many places in France. If you prefer a night train, the Lunea trains offer Couchettes for sleeping.

If you want to go to London, the Eurostar goes from Gare du Nord in Paris to St. Pancras Station in London in 2 hours and 15 minutes. Ticket prices vary widely, starting around $115 and topping out around $900.

Read more France travel tips here.

TGV 2N at Gare de Lyon Image Flickr: Matthew Black

Back in the old days, when you were going somewhere, you went to a travel agency, and they arranged everything for you.

They reserved your flights, hotels, and rental car with a Computerized Reservations System (CRS) like Sabre or Apollo. And when they were done, out popped a written itinerary showing every detail of your travels – in triplicate.

They folded it in thirds, tucked it into your ticket jacket along with your ticket – this is the old days we’re talking about – and you were all set. All your confirmation numbers, hotel addresses and phone numbers, etc. in one place.

But those days are long gone, and if you’re like most of us, you make your reservations yourself, online. Consequently, you have emails from all over confirming your arrangements. And while you really should carry all those hardcopies with you, shuffling through them to find what you’re looking for is a bad idea.

It’s much smarter to create an itinerary that shows all your travel arrangements at a glance. There are several travel websites that will help you do this, such as Tripit or NileGuide. But for years, I’ve used an Excel spread sheet to create an itinerary that lists everything I need to know on a couple of pages.

It ain’t pretty. But it’s fast and easy to do, free, and over the years it’s saved us countless hassles.

We always pack a copy in each of our bags, especially if we’re checking them. If our bag does get misplaced, the itinerary shows where we’ll be, when. It also provides contact information so we can be reached anywhere.

Twice, this has helped us recover our bags quickly. In Buenos Aires, our bag was returned to us in hours because the itinerary made us easy to locate.

Here’s the template I use. It describes in detail a week’s worth of travel arrangements – flights, hotels, transfers, tours, dinner reservations, ferries, and more – on a single 8-1/2” x 11” piece of paper.

You can do it any way you like, but here’s why I like this layout:

1) Numbering the days makes it easy to figure out things like how much the pet sitter will cost or how many days to stop newspaper delivery. And once I get a total trip cost, it’s easy to calculate the per diem.

2) Showing the days of the week alerts me to possible closures that may impact what we can do. In many places, most things are closed on Sundays, so that’s a good day to visit the museums. Many museums are closed on Mondays, so I’ll check to see when they’re open and make sure we have time for a visit on Sunday or Tuesday. It’s also helpful to know when you’re going to be somewhere on a weekend. As a rule, you’re more likely to need reservations for restaurants, clubs, sightseeing cruises, etc. on Saturday night. If you’re in town on a Tuesday, you might be able to get by without them.

3) The rest is pretty self-explanatory. There’s room for detailed contact information and confirmation numbers, as well as any additional notes.

We email the itinerary to friends and family so they’ll know where we’ll be and leave a copy for the pet sitter in case she needs to reach us. I use a yellow marker to highlight the hotel names and telephone numbers.

Find more trip planning ideas here.

St. Peter's Square

It was harder than I thought it would be, because she only has ten days. And there are so many great places to see in Italy that narrowing it down is a real challenge.

My first tip was not to bite off more than she could chew. On your first trip, you want to see as much as possible. It’s only natural. But the less time you spend traveling, the more you’ll enjoy your trip. So we decided that with ten days, she should only stay in three places. That way, she’d only have two travel days.

Traveling in Italy is pretty easy. But the trains don’t always run on time, and repacking your bags and moving from one hotel to another is always more time-consuming than you think it will be. So when planning a trip to Italy, bear that in mind.

The most convenient and affordable air service is into Rome, so I suggested that she spend the first four nights there. She’ll be pretty jet laggy, and staying put for a few days will help her keep from getting exhausted. Besides, no one ever has enough time in Rome.

Gondola Ride

Here’s the itinerary we roughed out:

Day 1. Arrive Rome. Check into Teatropace 33, near Piazza Navona. Afternoon stroll to Piazza Navona, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, and Spanish Steps. Dinner near Piazza Navona.

Day 2. Rome. AM visit to Campo de Fiori, then explore ancient Rome — Imperial Forum, Colosseum, and Roman Forum. Afternoon shopping. Dinner near Campo de Fiori.

Day 3. Rome. AM visit to Vatican Museums, St. Peter’s, and Castel Sant’Angelo. Afternoon at Acqua Madre Spa or shopping for antiques on Via dei Coronari. Dinner in Trastevere.

Day 4: Rome. Gallerie Borghese, or cooking class, or side trip to Tivoli, or side trip to Ostia Antica.

Bridge of Sighs

Day 6: Florence. Early AM visit to Accademia. Visit to Duomo and Baptistery. Afternoon shopping.

Day 7: Florence. Day trip to Siena or Lucca.

Day 8: Two-hour train from Florence to Venice. Check into Locanda Orseolo. Afternoon tours of St. Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace.

Day 9: Venice. AM visit to Lido or Murano. Then art museums, churches, or shopping. Evening gondola ride.

Day 10: Home

By keeping the number of cities to a minimum, she’ll spend the least amount of time hauling bags and waiting for trains. And she’ll have plenty of time to sample the gelato, go into all the irresistible shops, and linger over a glass of wine in the piazza.

Read more about travel to Italy here.

Carnival Cruise Ship

Last year, more than 14 million people took a cruise. Most of them were happy, well-fed, and had the time of their lives.

But some were disappointed, disgruntled, and even down-right miserable. So when you’re finally ready to take the plunge and try cruising yourself, how can you sort through all the cruises ships that are out there to find one that’s right for you?

As is so often the case, our advice is to do plenty of trip planning in advance. The more you figure out ahead of time, the happier you’ll be.

A good travel agency that specializes in cruising can help you make an informed choice. But don’t leave the choice of a cruise line up to them. It’s your money – and precious vacation time.

Here are ten questions that can help you narrow down the field:

1) When you go out to eat, where do you go? Do you like Olive Garden, the little corner bistro where they know your name and your wine order, or the buzzy place with the celebrity chef that’s nearly impossible to get into?

2) When you go to a hotel, where do you stay? At a Comfort Inn, a Hilton, or a Four Seasons? Are you okay with a standard room, or do you need an ocean-view suite? Which amenities are most important to you?

3) What kind of car do you drive? A domestic sedan, a minivan, or a European import? Which kind of rental car do you get?

4) How social are you? When you’re in line, do you often talk to whoever is next to you or do you usually keep to yourself? How do you feel about dining with strangers?

5) What kind of clothes do you wear? Is comfort more important than style, or is your appearance your top priority? Do you hate to dress up or do you get all decked out every chance you get?

6) How do you feel about crowds? Are you a more-the-merrier person or someone who likes their personal space? Do you like being around other people or do they usually bug you?

7) Are you adventurous, cautious, or fun-loving? Easy going, or tightly wound? Do third-world countries intrigue you or make you nervous?

8) When you travel do you want to have lots of exciting new experiences, or just relax and unwind?

9) Do you love kids or do you like them only from a distance?

10) When you travel, do you worry about every dollar or figure you’re on vacation, so who cares? Which is more important to you – price or value?

Once you’ve answered these questions, finding the right cruise ship shouldn’t be too hard.

If you travel with kids, enjoy other people, and want a wide range of fun activities and a party atmosphere, you’ll probably enjoy the “fun ships” of Carnival. Carnival cruises ships are big and boisterous and the passengers are there to have a good time. Think conga lines and umbrella dinks.

For something a little more refined, but still casual and fun with an emphasis on activities, try Royal Caribbean or Norwegian. From the fitness facilities to the swimming-with-the-rays shore excursions, these cruises are for active travelers who’d rather participate than watch. In fact, you may find it a challenge to do nothing but relax in a deck chair on these ships.

Baby Boomers who want a near-luxury experience without the luxury price tag should look at Celebrity. The food on board is more up-scale – more Roy’s than Red Lobster – the ambience more sophisticated, and the décor more elegant. Most of the passengers enjoy wearing designer clothes to dinner. If you like a martini made with flavored vodka, Celebrity is a good choice.

Travelers who want a relatively calm experience, like to dress for dinner, and want to see the sights and then return to the ship for a relaxing afternoon will enjoy Princess or Holland America. There are certainly plenty of activities to choose from – but many, such as wine tasting and art auctions, are pretty low key. Food, service, and entertainment are all good. With older passengers, smaller ships, and more formal ambience, Holland America is less likely to satisfy active travelers.

Those who want luxury, and are willing to pay for it, have several great options.

Crystal has lots going for it – incredible suites, world-class cuisine, and impeccable service. But their 900+ passenger ships are large in a category where smaller is generally thought to mean better. What you gain in amenities, you’ll trade for flexibility. Fixed dining times, rare on luxury cruises, are the norm. Given all that, Crystal’s passengers are extremely pleased with the experience and return again and again.

If you want to visit exotic destinations, eat as well at sea as ashore, and spend your time at sea in the spa or a beautiful stateroom, you’ll likely love Seabourn or Silversea. These two lines have some of the smallest cruise ships at sea in terms of passenger capacity. So if it’s personal attention you crave, these set the standard. Passengers are always well dressed, and tuxedos are the rule after sun down. A nice benefit of these cruises is that they include many of the things less expensive cruises charge for.

We hope these tips will help you find the cruise ship of your dreams.

If you’re interested in repositioning cruises, you can learn more about them here.

Get more tips for finding the right cruise ship here.

Carnival Cruise Ship Image Flickr: motleypix

In 2006, we flew in business class to Buenos Aires. It took forever to clear customs and immigration. And by the time we got to baggage claim, our travel bag was long gone.

Although we recovered it quickly – someone had picked it up by mistake – spending our first two hours in Buenos Aires at the lost bag desk wasn’t an ideal start.

In 2008, we flew from Los Angeles to Rome via JFK. Although we made the connection, one of our bags didn’t. And it took over a week for it to catch up to us.

Since then we’ve limited ourselves to carry-on bags. And it’s made our trips easier, more enjoyable, and even less expensive. The benefits of traveling with a carry-on bag are compelling – but you’ll need some advance trip planning to pull it off.

Here are our steps for getting everything you need for two weeks in one small travel bag:

1) Buy a travel bag that you can actually carry on. Domestic carriers let you carry on bags that total 45” – usually 22” x 14” x 9”. International airlines sometimes are more restrictive. So check their website for details.

2) Create a packing list based on where you’re going, what you’ll actually be doing, and the weather. You can use one from a travel website or guidebook as a starting point, but tailor it to your specific trip.

Duffels Sale- Starting at $24.99!

3) Figure out the shoe situation. This is far and away the hardest part. If you can, wear your biggest shoes on the plane. If you can’t, stuff them with socks, underwear, and other small items wrapped in a plastic bag. Try to limit yourself to three pairs – one for walking around, one for nice dinners, and a pair of flip flops or sneakers. Waterproof them before you leave, and make sure they’re broken in. Pack some moleskin anyway.

4) Wear your coat, jacket, or sweater on the plane. Cabin temperature being what it is, you’ll probably want it anyway.

5) The only way to get everything you need for two weeks into one small travel bag is to wear each article of clothing several times. Instead of taking 14 days’ worth of outfits, take three or four. This necessitates doing laundry, which is easy if you stay for two or three days at a hotel with laundry service.

6) If not, you’ll need to do two things: 1) take clothes made of synthetic fibers that will dry quickly, and 2) take laundry supplies. We like the little individual packets of Woolite. They’re phosphate-free and biodegradable, and they rinse clean. You’ll need a stopper for the sink and a clothes line, although these days, many hotels – even nice ones – have them above the tub. Don’t wring your wet clothes. Blot them with a dry towel, and then hang them. That way, you won’t need to iron them. And if the bathroom window opens, so much the better.

7) Take clothes that all go with each other. If you take one pair of brown pants, then you need brown shoes, a brown belt, etc. But if all your clothes are black and navy, you can mix and match to create more outfits. Plus, they’ll stay cleaner longer than white or khaki.

8) Choose clothes that are versatile and can do double duty. A scarf or wrap can provide warmth and also dress up a plain outfit. Choose a nightshirt that makes an acceptable pool cover up. You can wear a nice quilted jacket almost anywhere.

9) Don’t take anything inexpensive and unwieldy that you could just as easily buy there. You can probably pick up a snorkel, mask, and fins at your destination for less than it would cost at home anyway.

10) Books and magazines weigh a lot and take up a tremendous amount of space. Leave the guidebooks at home and bring along photocopies or digital versions of the information instead.

Read more luggage and packing tips here.

Restaurant on the ile Saint-Louis

With a better understanding of French culture and more realistic expectations, these problems can usually be avoided. So be sure to do a little trip planning in advance. It will help you feel more relaxed and more confident when you dine in French restaurants – which also aids in digestion.

Before you arrive at the restaurant.

Americans love to eat and run. If we’re not having lunch in the car, we’re eating dinner on the couch in front of the TV. To Americans, dinner and a movie is a single thought.

To the French, dinner is what you do in the evening. It lasts for hours, and it’s not something you hurry through in order to get to something else. So don’t go out to dinner if you don’t have enough time for dinner.

Arriving at a restaurant at 7:30PM when you have to be somewhere at 9:00PM or even 9:30PM, is just asking for trouble. Don’t think that you can just tell the waiter in your fractured French that you’re in a hurry. It won’t make any difference, and you’ll end up very unhappy.

You’ll receive better treatment if you make reservations in advance. If you’re intimidated by speaking French over the phone, have your concierge make the reservations for you. Or stop by if they’re open for lunch and do it in person.

A Boulangerie in the Marais

Unless you want to be the only ones in the restaurant, or surrounded by other Americans, make your dinner reservations for 8:30 or later.

Do dress appropriately. Yes, after wandering the streets of Paris all day, your feet will be tired. But suck it up and wear real shoes to dinner. And change out of your jeans. The better dressed you are, the better you’ll be treated.

And learn at least a few phrases in French.

At the restaurant.

When you come in, wait politely for someone to come to you. Say “bonsoir,” and address that person as “madame,” “monsieur,” or “mademoiselle.” If you have a reservation, tell them your name. And thank them for showing you to your table. Be as polite as you know how to be. And turn off your cell phone.

If you like water with your meal, order a carafe of tap water (un carafe d’eau). It’s free and perfectly acceptable. If you prefer bottled water, order it. But don’t do it to impress anyone. It’ wont.

Don’t order a soft drink unless you enjoy abuse. And don’t order coffee with your meal. Coffee is taken after dinner, and that means after, not with, dessert. House wine (vin de maison) is usually pretty good. If you want something better, ask your waiter to recommend something. As a rule, it’s not necessary to spend a lot to get very good wine. So don’t choose your wine from the right side of the menu.

Do NOT use your hand sanitizer at the table. And try not to leave the table during the meal. It’s considered rude. If the people at the next table can hear your conversation, you’re talking too loudly. And don’t ask to split dishes, or even worse, take something home. The chef has served you his creation at its absolute best. He doesn’t want you eating it tomorrow cold from a carton.

Do expect to be ignored. This is a sign of respect. Think of it this way – the servants at Buckingham Palace don’t stare at the Queen while she eats. They pretend to be invisible. Your server will do this too. If you need to get his attention, try to do so discretely. And whatever you do, don’t say “garcon.”

To the French, rushing you through your meal would be the height of rudeness. The longer it takes them to clear your first course, the more time they’re giving you to enjoy it.

After dinner.

Floating restaurant on the Seine

Once you’re ready for the check — chances are very good that you will not receive it without asking for it — tell your waiter “l’addition, s’il vous plait.” If he’s across the room, make the international “I’m writing in mid-air gesture.”

In France, tax and tip are automatically included in the bill. But it’s customary to leave a 10 to 15% tip in cash. Euros, not dollars. Thank your waiter and anyone else you encountered, and bid them “Bonne nuit.”

Hopefully, these trip planning tips will help you understand the French point of view and feel more comfortable dining in France.

Read more articles about travel in France here.

Trevi Fountain Rome

But Rome is very much a city of the present. So your trip planning should include some insider experiences that let you enjoy la dolce vita away from the crowds.

Here are some of our tips for having the best possible time in Rome:

* Not that long ago, a visit to Rome involved spending your time waiting in line, often for hours. But Rome’s attractions have entered the 21st century, and now it’s possible to make reservations and purchase tickets for many of them in advance. A service called 060608 lets you reserve museums, exhibitions, concerts, and more with a single telephone call. From the U.S., dial 011-39-060608 between 9AM and 10:30PM Roman time. English-speaking operators can help you make reservations for the Coliseum, the Capitoline Museum, or the Borghese Gallery with just a credit card. Or visit their web site at www.060608.it/en

Borghese Gardens

* Traveling in Rome can be tiring. The incessant buzzing of Vespas — the word means wasp in Italian — the crowds, and the heat can really take it out of you. So why not reenergize yourself the way the ancient Romans did — with a nice hot soak. Rome’s first Turkish bath, or hamman, opened a couple of years ago near Piazza Mattei. At Acqua Madre, you’ll move progressively from cooler to warmer pools, being massaged, steamed, and kneaded along the way. By the time you’re through, you’ll be completely mellow and ready for anything.

* Fans of Art Nouveau, known in Italy as the Liberty style, should allow time to visit the Quartiere Coppede. It’s not far from the Villa Borghese, near the Piazza Buenos Aires. Built between 1919 and 1926 by Florentine architect Gino Coppede, it’s a little architectural wonderland. The entrance, off Via Dora, is through a giant, medieval-looking arch that is covered with reliefs of bees, lions, and mythological creatures. The dozen buildings here feature elaborate ironwork, turrets, mosaic tiles, winding staircase, and elaborate brickwork. Look for the Fountain of the Frogs, the Palazzo of the Spider, and the charming Fairy Cottages.

* Traffic in Rome can be brutal, and the distances between sights can really take a toll on your feet. But there’s another way to see the glory that was Rome — on two wheels. On Sundays, the Via Appia Antica and the Via Fori dei Imperiali are closed to cars and bikes rule the day. There are several bike rental places in town — ask your hotel concierge which is most convenient for you. You can take a guided-tour with a group or just head out on your own. Pedaling past the Coliseum and the olive groves and cypress trees of the old military road is a travel memory you won’t soon forget.

* Antique lovers should head for Via dei Coronari, where more than 40 antique dealers sell everything from furniture to jewelry. The narrow, pedestrian-only street leads all the way to Piazza Navona, and it’s lined with buildings dating from the 15th and 16th centuries. The best time to shop is during the Fiera dell’Antiquariato, which takes place in mid-May and mid-October.

Coliseum Rome

* Mozzarella is on virtually every menu in Rome. But no place has as many varieties as Obika, which features “flights” of hand-made mozzarella, including Paestum, Pontina, Smoked, Stracciatella di Burrata and Ricotta di Bufala. In addition to the mozzarella bar, Obika also has traditional antipasti items, salads, crostini from the wood oven, pastas, and desserts. The location in Piazza di Firenze proved so popular that there’s now a second Obika at Piazza Campo dei Fiori.

Read our trip planning tips for Paris here. And find more Italy travel info here.

The right hotel can really make or break a vacation. So before we go on a trip, we do lots of research, both on and offline, to try to find the perfect places to stay. But sometimes, it seems like no matter how much trip planning we do, we’re still disappointed. The hotel’s not awful. The location is good. And it has all the requisite services. But it’s just lacking something — that indefinable quality that separates good hotels from great hotels.

Our first step used to be consulting sites like Frommers, Fodors, and Tripadvisor. But these days, we’ve reversed the process, and we use those sites to validate our short list. Our new strategy has produced better results for us. So we’re happy to share it with you.

Here are our tips for finding hotels that you’ll love:

* The first step is to figure out what you really want do while you’re there. Is your goal to just relax and unwind, to see every square inch of the city, or to eat in all the best restaurants and shop till you drop? When we went to Kauai, we realized that one thing that we really wanted to do was to swim and surf. It’s hard to believe, but there aren’t many good swimming beaches in Kauai if you visit in winter. Once we narrowed down the choices, it was a pretty simple decision. We ended up renting a vacation rental at Kiahuna Plantation and it was the perfect place for us. If we’d ended up down the road at the Grand Hyatt Kauai — which gets high marks from Fodors, Frommers, and Tripadvisor users — we’d have been unhappy with the rocky beach there.

* Once you have your days figured out, think about your evenings. If you’ll be going full tilt, hiking, biking, or kayaking from dawn until dusk, chances are you won’t want to expend a lot of energy getting dinner. That country inn that’s away from it all may seem a lot less appealing when you’re beat and the nearest restaurant is a 20-minute drive away. Especially if you were thinking a couple of cocktails sounded appealing. Having to eat virtually every meal at an overpriced resort can also take the fun out of things pretty fast. What works for us is staying in a hotel that has a few restaurants within walking distance or a few minutes drive.

* With your daytime and nighttime activities figured out, you should concentrate on which neighborhood puts the things you want to do in easy reach. If you want to dine in Michelin-starred restaurants and shop for haute couture in Paris, you’ll find the 1st or 8th arrondissements convenient. If you prefer bistros and boutiques, choose the 6th — St-Germain-des-Pres. What’s true for real estate is equally true for travel. The most important thing is location, location, location.

* When you know which neighborhood appeals the most to you, figure out how much you want to spend. There are usually accommodations available in a range of prices. When you compare prices, use the superior room price. Standard rooms are actually sub-standard rooms that are the least desirable for one reason or another. Chances are, you won’t be happy in one. When you look at price, also bear in mind that if you stay at a more centrally located hotel, you’ll save on transportation costs. Once you have a short list, use a travel site like hotelscombined.com to check prices. Although most travel sites are owned by the same two or three travel conglomerates, there are some bargains out there. Just be sure that you’re comparing apples to apples and read all the fine print. To us, paying a non-refundable rate in advance isn’t worth saving 10 or 15%. And be sure to contact the hotel directly for a rate. Because there’s no middle man to compensate, the hotel will sometimes give you a better deal.

* Not all hotels have the same amenities. This is especially true in Europe, where many rooms don’t have an alarm clock. So if there’s something you need to feel at home — a pre-dinner cocktail, laundry service, or a wake-up call — confirm in advance that’s it’s available. It only takes a few minutes and it could save you some disappointment.

* Read user reviews on sites like tripadvisor.com, but remember that no matter how great a hotel is, someone will always be disgruntled. Reviews can tip you off to a potential deficiency that might be a deal-breaker for you. But we’ve stayed in hotels that every trip advisor user gave five stars that we really didn’t like. So take the reviews with a grain of salt.

Finding the right hotel isn’t that hard, but the more trip planning you do in advance, the happier you’re likely to be.

Read more travel advice here.

Eiffel Tower

Over the years, we’ve discovered many trip planning ideas to make your next Paris vacation more rewarding – whether it’s your first visit, or your fortieth.

Here are our top ten tips for enjoying Paris like a local:

1) If you want to use the Velib free bicycle system, bring an American Express card. Most European countries have switched to chip-and-PIN credit cards, also known as Smart Cards. Your U.S.-issued Visa or Mastercard probably won’t work in the Velib kiosks, which is really irritating if you planned on getting around the city by bicycle. Your magnetic stripe card will still work with most card readers, though the person waiting on you in a store or restaurant may not know it. Ask them politely to swipe your card and follow the instructions on the terminal. Your card probably won’t work at kiosks for train tickets, etc. and you’ll have to wait in line for service.

2) Wouldn’t it be great if you had cool, foodie friends who lived in Paris and were having you for dinner at their place. Hidden Kitchen is the next best thing. If you’re lucky enough to score reservations, you can enjoy a 10-course tasting menu with wine pairings at the home of food consultants Laura and Braden. Dinners are served on Saturday and Sunday nights. The menu is finalized on the day of the dinner, depending on what’s best at the market. But past menus have included roasted sea bass, crispy pork belly, or skillet-fried polenta with braised wild mushrooms. Visit www.hkmenus.com for more info.

Pages Jaunes

3) When you know where you’ll be staying in Paris, it’s helpful to find restaurants, shops, and other services nearby. One of the handiest and most comprehensive sources of information is the Paris Yellow Pages, or Pages Jaunes. Although the site is in French, it’s pretty easy to figure out, and you should be brushing up on your French anyway. Just enter what you’re looking for, such as restaurants, and then enter the address of your hotel. You’ll get a list and an accompanying map. But that’s just the start. Click on “vue aerienne” and you’ll see the establishment from the air. To see it from street level, click “Photo.” You can also get detailed maps and directions in the “Itineraire” section. It’s a great tool for getting your bearings before you leave home. Make http://www.pagesjaunes.fr part of your trip planning strategy.

4) Speaking of places to stay in Paris, why not opt for something completely different and stay aboard a beautifully restored 1916 Dutch barge. Bateau Simpatico is moored on Quai Suffren right beneath the Eiffel Tower. Owner Bob Abrams rents the barge by the week to lucky travelers who enjoy the best of both worlds — being right in the heart of Paris, yet having their own little slice of heaven floating on the Seine. The barge has a fully outfitted kitchen, a washing machine, and everything you need for a perfect week in Paris. Pick up some wine and cheese at the market, the relax up on deck and watch the sightseeing boats go by. When you turn in for the night, you’ll be gently rocked to sleep. Visit http://www.quai48parisvacation.com for more information.

5) When we lay out our travel wardrobe, black features prominently. It goes with virtually everything, doesn’t show stains or wrinkles, and won’t get dirty the first time you wear it – unless you take a stroll through the gardens of Paris. Most of Paris’s garden paths, and the ones that run parallel to the Champs Elysees aren’t paved. And they’re very dusty. A quick stroll down one of these romantic lanes will completely trash the black slacks you planned to wear to dinner. Be advised, and wear khaki instead.

Fouquet’s Jewelry Store in the Musee Carnavalet

7) Berthillon has long been lauded as the best ice cream in Paris. But our pick is just down the rue Saint-Louis-en-l’Ile on the Ile Saint Louis. Amorino specializes in ice creams you might find in Rome — zabaglione, hazelnut, amoretto — and it’s every bit as good. If you’re not going to the Ile Saint Louis, don’t despair. There are twelve Amorinos throughout the city.

8) Paris is a city that deserves a fantastic soundtrack. And Radio France FIP supplies it. On any given night, you’ll hear music from the 1930s to the present, from all over the world. Jazz, R&B, Brazilian, Cuban, blues, chill, and classical — everything but advertising. To get inspired, listen online at http://sites.radiofrance.fr/chaines/fip/endirect/index.php while you’re planning your trip.

9) After a week of fabulous French food, we start to crave something with big, bold flavors. And a sloppy, gloppy falafel from L’as du Fallafel in the Marais is just the ticket. The fried, chickpea patties are folded into a pita and topped with hummus, fried eggplant, pickled cabbage, salted cukes, and some not-too-spicy harissa.

10) Taxidermy has never been high on our list of interests — until we went to Deyrolle. Established in 1831, Deyrolle is located on Rue du Bac in the 7th. In addition to stuffed lions, tigers, zebras — there’s even a trotting elephant — there are shells, insects, ostrich eggs, butterflies, and rare minerals. It’s like an incredible, free museum of natural history that you can do in a fraction of the time. Only in Paris.

Read more trip planning articles here.

Read more articles about travel in France here.

Travel Agency

Back then, there was no reason not to go to a travel agent for all your travel needs.

But by the mid 1990s, online travel agencies like Expedia and Travelocity made it easy for consumers to make their own airline, hotel, and rental car reservations.  And travel review sites like Tripadvisor, Fodors, and Frommers, gave consumers access to trip planning information that they used to get from travel agents.

Before long, cruise lines and tour companies — who used to be terrified of alienating their distribution channel — were jumping on the bandwagon and allowing consumers to bypass travel agencies and book directly.

Many consumers liked being able to make their own arrangements.  Broadband Internet access made it quick and easy.  And comparison sites like Kayak.com laid out all the options.  In fact, the Web 2.0 consumer sites are more robust than the old travel agency res systems.

So if all you want to do is book a flight, arrange a car, or reserve a hotel room — if you’re already familiar with the hotel — do it yourself.  It will definitely save you some money.

But remember that websites make properties and services seem more attractive than they actually are.  And unless you know a city, it’s hard to tell if the location is desirable.

Travel agencies position themselves as being unbiased, but that’s not strictly true.  Most travel agencies belong to consortia which negotiate deals with cruise lines, hotel chains, and other travel suppliers. These relationships result in commission overrides, bonuses, and other incentives that aren’t always disclosed to consumers.

As an example, a travel agency that gets a 2% commission override from Princess Cruises but doesn’t get one from MSC Cruises isn’t really 100% impartial.  And a travel agent who’s one booking away from a free cruise isn’t exactly neutral.

Travel agents also like to talk about how they advocate for their clients if something goes south.  But if your flight is cancelled, there’s not that much they can do for you.  If you have a smart phone, you have access to the same information they do, and you can probably reach your air carrier as quickly.

If you’re a frequent flier with elite status, you probably have more sway with the airline than your travel agent.  And you can sign up with the airline for text alerts in case there are any changes to your flight.

Given all this, there are still times when using a travel agency is worth the added expense.

Here’s when you should hire a travel agent:

1)  If you’re a first-time cruiser.  It’s easy to get a great deal on a cruise online.  In fact, it’s hard not to.  But if you’ve never cruised before, a travel agent that specializes in cruises can really save you a lot of grief.   If you end up on the wrong ship, it won’t matter how much money you saved.  You won’t be happy.

A good cruise agent can get you a good deal on a cruise that suits you.  And it likely won’t cost you any more.

2) Want to spend a month traveling independently in India, or Chile, or Slovenia?  Call a destination specialist.  Sure, you can do it yourself, but the amount of time you’ll spend makes the $200 or $300 you’ll pay a travel agency seem like a terrific bargain.

These agents usually have local contacts with up-to-the-minute information about the places you’ll visit.

Each year, Conde Nast Traveler lists the top travel agents for destinations around the world.  You can find a specialist for your dream trip at http://www.concierge.com/cntraveler/articles/11147

In most case, the expertise of a destination specialist is well worth any  service fee they may charge.

3) If you’re traveling with a group that’s coming from more than one city, hire a travel agent.  Otherwise, you’ll end up being the travel agent for everyone in your group.  And you will not succeed.  Travel agents are great at coordinating schedules.  And they may get better deals for multiple bookings than you can.

4) Travelers with very special requirements shouldn‘t go it along.  If you want an 8 o’clock dinner reservation at Taillevent, an after-hours tour of the Vatican Museums, or a private wine tasting in one of Burgundy’s top cellars, a travel agent is a must.  He or she can arrange everything down to the last detail and then give you a comprehensive itinerary that spells it all out.

5) When’s the best time of year to visit Bali?  What’s the best way to get around Paris?  What should I see when I’m in London?  All this information is freely available on the Internet.  But if you’re not willing to take the time to find the answers, go to a travel agent.  They’ll help make sure that your trip is the best it can be.

Arles image Flickr: jetalonet

A lot of people don’t do any travel planning before they go on vacation.  They just show up and let whatever happens, happen.

But if you’re like most of us, you have a lot invested in your vacation, both financially and emotionally.  A little pre-trip planning can save you money, eliminate hassles, and maximize your precious time.

Before your trip, check out the destination guides at travel sites like fodors.com, frommers.com, or our sister site, tripaddiction.com.  In just a few minutes, you can learn the sights and experiences that no traveler should miss.

Many of the most popular sights, like the Sistine Chapel or the Eiffel Tower, can have really long lines.  So consider purchasing your tickets in advance.  You may pay extra for the convenience.  But how much is three or four hours of your time worth when you’re only in Paris for a few days.

Viator.com sells tours, day-trips, and activities in 450 destinations – everything from camel rides in Dubai to helicopter rides in San Francisco.  But you can often find other options by doing a Google search for “Uffizi tickets” or “Alhambra reservations.”

We’re not big fans of group tours, but sometimes a tour will get you in and out of a popular attraction with no waiting, and you’ll see several others sights while you’re at it.

Even if you’re not traveling abroad, some advance travel planning can still be well worth the effort.  Food is a big vacation expense, and if you only eat at restaurants on the tourist trail, you’ll pay through the nose, and the quality may not be the greatest.

To find a wide array of restaurants, check out the local newspaper website or weekly periodical.   Many have online dining guides with restaurant reviews, top ten lists, and special events.  The information is usually very current, and you’ll find restaurants in all cuisines and price ranges.

If you’re traveling to a major city, another good source of restaurant information is Timeout.com.  Looking for a curry house in Buenos Aires?  This is the place.

Concerts, plays, cultural festivals, art exhibits, and other events can really enhance a vacation.  Even if you’re not an opera, classical, jazz, or bluegrass fan, consider stepping out of your comfort zone and doing something you wouldn’t ordinarily do at home.

Since many of the most popular events sell out well in advance, plan ahead to avoid disappointment.  A Google search for Paris concerts, Honolulu events, or Las Vegas entertainment calendar will usually get you where you want to go.

Just a little bit of travel planning can transform any vacation from good to great.  So next time you plan a trip, take an extra few minutes to make it exceptional.

Get more travel planning info here.

Almost everyone we know loves to travel.  But for the average vacationer, trip planning can be a real hassle.  Just figuring out where to go and what to do can take hours of research.

Is it any wonder that most people just take the easy way out and book a cruise or vacation package?

But doing your own travel planning has lots of advantages.  First of all, you don’t have to be surrounded by tourists if you don’t want to be.  Making your own arrangements gives you more options.  And it’s often less expensive.

It doesn’t have to take a lot of time, and there are plenty of travel sites and online resources to help you plan a trip.  The first step is to answer these simple questions:

1) What kind of travel experience are you looking for?

There are as many kinds of trips as there are travelers.  Do you want to kick back and relax, enjoy an active outdoor vacation, or drink in the splendor of ancient Rome – as well as the wine?  If you’re not sure, think back on the travel experiences you’ve enjoyed the most.

If your fondest travel memories are of hiking in the mountains, a big city like London or New York probably isn’t right for you.  Love Las Vegas nightlife?  Cross Tahiti off your list – everyone there is tucked in by 10PM.  Want to shop till you drop?  Check out the currency exchange rate.  Shopping’s not much fun when everything costs twice as much as it does at home.

Once you’ve figure out what kind of vacation sounds good, figure out:

2) How much time do you have?

These days, jets can take you anywhere in a fraction of the time it used to take cruise liners and trains.  But just because you can travel somewhere in twelve hours doesn’t mean you’ll be bright eyed and bushy-tailed once you get there.

You should figure on one day of jet lag recovery for every time zone you cross.  If your dream destination is more than seven times zones away, don’t go for less than a week.  Otherwise, it will be time to go home just when you’re hitting your stride.

With two weeks vacation – 14 nights away from home – you can go almost anywhere you like.  Don’t plan on much activity for the first couple of days, and remember to schedule days off into your itinerary.  Sometimes you just want to loaf, no matter where you are.

With one week, you’ll probably enjoy your vacation more if your destination is less than a six-hour flight away.  And don’t fly more than three or four hours for a long weekend.   Remember all the time spend getting to and from the airport, and standing in line.

By now, you should have a pretty good idea of how far you can go.   Next, ask yourself:

3) How much money do you want to spend?

Want to practice your French, wander down cobbled streets, and dine on Coq au Vin?  Montreal’s got it all for about half the price of Paris.  Looking for a secluded beach you can call your own?   If you’re willing to hike ten minutes, there’s one on Kauai for a lot less than that private island in Tahiti.

Most travel experiences are available in a wide variety of price ranges.  So figure out what you can afford, and then back out the cost of meals.  Many people underestimate how much they’ll spend on food.  So unless you intend to be very frugal, add another 30% to the cost of your trip.  After all, dining is one of the best parts of traveling.

Once you’ve answered these questions, you’ve already started the trip planning process.  The next step is to start doing some research.  For an introduction to travel sites that can help you with that, read the best travel sites for planning a trip.

Read more trip planning tips here.

Best Travel Sites

Do a Google search for “travel,” and you’ll see that there are nearly 800 million sites on the topic.

So how do you know which travel sites can actually help you with your trip planning, and which ones you should check out first?

If you read Trip planning basics – three key questions to ask yourself before you plan a trip, you probably have some idea where you want to go.   So figuring out how much it will cost to get there is a good first step.

There are several sites that compare airfares, but a couple are head and shoulders above the rest.  For airfare within or originating in the United States, Kayak.com is hard to beat.  Not only do they list fares for virtually all domestic carriers, when you click on the fare you want, you’ll be routed directly to the airline’s website for booking.

A calendar showing fares by date makes it’s easy to see how much you could save by traveling midweek or going a earlier or later than planned.

Sidestep.com is another excellent airfare comparison site.  It pulls information from over 600 airlines.

You may have heard about the ridiculously cheap airfare in Europe — sometimes it costs as little as $2 to fly from London to Italy.  There are plenty of hidden charges, but if you’re flexible and traveling light, they can still be a bargain.

Dohop.com is the best place to find these deals.  It lists fares for EasyJet, Ryanair, and other discount airlines.   Just be sure to read all the fine print before booking.  Last time we looked, Ryanair led the industry in customer complaints.

Recently, the airlines have begun charging for advance seat assignments and exit-row seats.  Before you pay for the privilege, you should probably visit Seatexpert.com or Seatguru.com.   Either one will help you find the most desirable seats on your flight.

Once you have your flights figured out, or at least know how much to budget, you can start researching hotels.

Many people love tripadvisor.com.  In fact, it has over 25 million user-generated hotels reviews.   We use it to get ideas, but the couple of times we’ve reserved hotels based exclusively on tripadvisor, we’ve been disappointed.  Not everyone has the same taste, so even though tripadvisor users think a place is great, you could still hate it.

If you do find a hotel on tripadvisor that interests you, look for a professional recommendation before you book.  Fodors.com and Frommers.com both provide objective, professional reviews.

Venere.com is a great travel site for European hotels.  It represents lots of small inns that you won’t find on bigger sites.

When you’ve chosen a hotel and you’re ready to book, don’t waste a lot of time comparing prices.  Two or three parent companies own most of the hotel booking sites, so prices don’t vary much.  If you find a room for a lot less, make sure you’re comparing apples to apples.  Rates can vary a lot by room type.

Many sites now require payment upfront for the best available rate.  And often, these rates are nonrefundable.  So read the terms and conditions carefully, especially the cancellation policy.

And before you make your reservations, be sure to contact the hotel directly – especially if you’re making your plans at the last minute.  They’re often willing to negotiate.  They usually don’t require prepayment except in high-demand periods.  And their cancellation policy is usually more liberal.

With a place to stay and a way to get there, all the heavy lifting is done.  The next phase of trip planning is figuring out what to do when you get there.  For advice on that, read Travel planning tips to help you save time, reduce hassles, and make the most of your vacation.

Read more travel advice here.

Airplane window image Flickr: contraption