Thanks to the Internet, today we can do practically everything: all the information we can imagine (and even more) is available on the web and being able to use it efficaciously can help us in almost any aspect of life. This is true also with reference to travels: using the Internet to plan a trip is one of the best options that you have, since it allows you to save a lot of time and money.
If you are considering to plan a trip online, you has to be well organized otherwise you can get lost among the infinity of information available on websites. For this reason, here you will find some guidelines to orient yourself when organizing your trip online.
1. Choose the best destination
Strangely enough, many times the most difficult part of arranging a trip is to choose the right destination. It may happen that you are not clear where you want to go or which is your priority as for the type of trip. In this sense, it can be very useful to search inspiration among the experiences of other travellers shared on the Internet: read travel blogs, watch videos on YouTube, consult forums and travellers communities. All this information can help to find the best destination for you or even let you choose one that it would never have come to your mind.
2. Check prices comparators and special offers
Having a clear budget is useful when it comes to choose a destination but it also allows you to adapt your plans to the travel offers that you may find on the net. There are many online travel agencies promoting special offers to certain destinations, including travel and accommodation: don’t discard them but compare. There are also websites dedicated to compare hotel and flight prices; using them to search and compare prices may require a lot of time, but it can help you to find very good deals. Always try to use reliable pages that have good reviews by users and read carefully all the information before contracting any service (including of course the fine print).
3. Browse through travel forums
One of the most used means on the Internet to share travel experiences are forums. Travellers use forums or specific groups on social networks to tell their own experiences or to search for advise. You can consult them to browse the experiences of other travelling people, to clarify your own doubts or to obtain first-hand recommendations. You shouldn’t forget that experiences are always subjective and individual; however, if for example, a hotel always has bad reviews, logically you won’t choose it.
4. Make online reservations
Using the Internet when planning a trip goes much further than searching for information and prices: it allows you to make reservations directly from home. Almost any mean of transport or accommodation that you may need in your trip can be reserved online. By booking hotels, buying fights tickets in advance or scheduling excursions you can save money and time and to have everything ready for once you are in your destination.
5. Use collaborative tourism tools
The Internet (and often the economic crisis) has also opened the door to a new type of tourism called “collaborative”. Phenomena like Airbnb, the worldwide known web portal that allows you to find cheap accommodation everywhere, would not have arisen without the net. There are also websites for renting cars between individuals and others where you can find people to share routes by car (which is not only cheaper but also more ecological!). Another increasingly widespread possibility, for the bravest, is to exchange the home with other travellers: doing so, you won’t need to pay for accommodation. Have you never tried some of these collaborative tools?