Where to find the best online travel guides
We’ve all heard of TripAdvisor – but where else can you go to find impartial reviews and expert travel advice?
Today we’re lifting the lid on some of the best travel guides on the web and where to find insider travel information online and from your smartphone.
Yelp – Like trip advisor, Yelp is powered by reader reviews. It’s a great service if you want to live like a local – unlike Trip Advisor, which is dominated by travellers reviewing places they find and visit, Yelp’s reviews tend to be left by people living in the community. It’s great for gleaning inside information about small cafes and restaurants the big travel guides don’t know about and you can find information on everything from the best tailor to a great hairdresser just about anywhere you go.
LonelyPlanet – Lonely Planet was once the travel advisor to student backpackers around the world, but as its influence has grown, now travellers from all backgrounds, ages and price points rely on the service for up-to-date, impartial travel advice. Before you go you can get a feel for the city; travel writers constantly review and update locations to give you the information you need at your fingertips.
Zomato – Food is a big part of any holiday adventure, so it’s no surprise more and more smartphone apps are springing up to help you find and book the best restaurants in any city you visit. One such app is Zomato – you can use it to browse restaurants based on metrics like price, cuisine, location and popularity, see menus, read reviews and find contact information all in one place.
Open Table – Open Table is an online restaurant reservation service that you can use to book tables for places you want to eat at with the click of a button. It’s widely used in Canada and the United States as well as international cities like London, and is expanding its reach everyday: you can use it to book tables in Germany, Japan, Ireland, Portugal, Singapore, Switzerland and Dubai, just to name a few.
Fodor’s – Fodor’s is the largest publisher of English-language travel guides in the world and one of the longest-standing, too. These travel guides are famed not just for hotel and restaurant recommendations but for practical advice about how to travel and get around a city. You can find guidance on everything from cultural norms to tipping and hailing a cab.
Silver Travel Advisor – Silver Travel Advisor is an award-winning travel guide specifically aimed at the mature traveller. Their forums are a great tool for connecting with other mature travellers and sharing advice, while their magazine is filled with travel advice and ideas you can use. While nowhere near as comprehensive as Lonely Planet or Fodor’s, Silver Travel Advisor would be a good tool to use when you’re planning a holiday or browsing for ideas.
What travel guides do you rely on when you go exploring? Let us know in the comments below!
Rachel - Silversurfers Assistant Editor
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