FOR INSIDER INFORMATION
Skytrax
AirlineQuality.com
This British-based site is the most comprehensive airline resource on the Internet. Thousands of reviewers log on and rate airlines in over a dozen ways, such as seat comfort, in-flight food, and airport lounges. If you're flying on a carrier for the first time—especially with children—go here before you book.
IgoUgo
Igougo.com
This site is owned by Travelocity, so there are questions about some of the deals and sponsored recommendations. But the best content on IgoUgo is generated by users. Returning travelers can write reviews, share advice and tips, and upload photos. The Travel Forums section cross-categorizes entries based on destination or interests (including family travel).
The Family Travel Network
FamilyTravelNetwork.com
There's a ton of information on this site, all content is free, and there's a wide variety of voices offering advice and suggestions on traveling with kids and grandkids.
Guideal
Guideal.com
Sometimes the simplest premise works best. Through Guideal, anyone can become a tour operator, by developing an itinerary in her own hometown and then charging travelers for a guided tour (prices range from free to $57). Currently the site offers 13 tours from coast to coast in the U.S., as well as ones in 26 other countries.
TripAdvisor
TripAdvisor.com
It's still the 800-pound gorilla of travel websites, since it's hard to argue with 15 million travelers and a presence in 190 countries. The nagging problem with TripAdvisor is information overload. To make it more manageable, don't bother reading posts that are more than a year old, and read several reviews—given that many people who take the time to blog either are very happy or very unhappy, the truth often lies in the middle.
FOR ORGANIZING (AND SHARING)
YOUR TRAVEL PLANS
Dopplr
Dopplr.com
Best for: Though Dopplr is marketed toward business travelers, it works well for those traveling with kids as well: You can publish your travel itineraries for friends and family to see, use it as a way to hook up with friends in other places, and share tips and advice.
TravelMuse
TravelMuse.com
As you search the Web for travel info, you drag information into your TravelMuse file (so much easier and more eco-friendly than a fat file of printouts). You can invite people you know to check out your itinerary—handy if you're planning a trip that involves extended family members—and, before you take off, print a neat little guide with all your information.
FOR REAL DEALS
AirfareWatchdog
AirfareWatchdog.com
These days many of the best travel deals can't be found through search engines or on the big third-party travel sites, since in many cases airlines and hotels are posting their lowest prices on their own branded sites. Enter AirfareWatchdog, which does not use sophisticated software programming but rather actual human beings. They gather the very best travel deals you literally won't find anywhere else.
Bing Travel
Bing.com
The best feature on Microsoft's much-hyped new website is its Farecast component—particularly the Price Predictor tool, which tells you to "wait" or "buy" based on whether a given airfare is likely to rise or fall.
FOR BASIC TRAVEL 411
The U.S. Department of States Travel Page
Travel.State.gov
Want info on travel warnings? Updates on vaccinations, passports, and visas? Need to know about heightened tensions along the North Korean border? Benchmarks on per diem costs in every country on earth? It's all here.
Federal Aviation Administration Air Traffic Control System Command Center
Fly.FAA.gov/flyfaa/usmap.jsp
A must-bookmark for all frequent flyers, the ATCSCC provides real-time arrival and departure delay information for all commercial airports nationwide. Another good source of airline-delay information is FlightStats.
