At AirTreks, we know how agonizing travel planning can be. Making good choices about places you’ve never been can be an exercise in  exhaustion, even when you’re making your plans with an expert travel consultant. Fortunately, there are tons of resources online.

Here are some of our favorite useful travel websites:

Planning Assistance

Plan Your Round the World Trip in 30 Days – A free, 30-day e-course from BootsnAll walks travelers through all the intricacies of planning a long-term trip. They also have versions geared towards families, career breakers, students, and parents.

WAYN – “Where Are You Now” boasts over 20 million members. Essentially a crowdsourcing platform that allows you to share and browse other people’s trips or work with an expert to get suggestions for your own.

Planetware – a comprehensive collection of things to do the world round, with very little pressure to spend money.

Globetrooper – a useful tool that helps you connect with like-minded individuals and groups for international travel.

Around the World With Kids – a website designed to help you plan your big family RTW trip.

Travel Blogs

AirTreks Travel Blog – the official blog for AirTreks – articles, news, videos, and information about  round-the-world and international travel as seen through the AirTreks lens. A great place to start.

Gadling – travel blog powerhouse with articles covering a universe of travel-related subjects.

Rick Steves – where Europe is concerned you don’t get much more knowledgeable than Rick Steves. He’s spent the last 30 years documenting the European continent and his experience is vast.

Matador Network – travel writing, commentary and reviews covering nearly all subjects travel-related. Articles submitted by a huge network of both readers and established writers.

Reviews and Info

Around the World Airfare Report – BootsnAll (via Round the World Ticket) has researched and produced 4 different reports secret shopping, comparing, and analyzing airline alliances, travel agencies, and specialty companies who sell round the world and multi-stop tickets.

Multi-stop ticket provider reviews – BootsnAll (via Round the World Ticket) created these customer review pages for each company and airline alliance they researched for the above Around the World Airfare Report.

Lonely Planet and Thorn Tree Forums – permanently world-renowned, Lonely Planet is consistently one of travel’s best, with guidebooks crushed into backpacks and suitcases everywhere. The Thorn Tree Forum is relief from unanswerable question fatigue. Pretty much every destination you can think of is covered, written by travelers who have been there and know what they’re talking about.

Traveldudes – informative destination info with quick and easily-digestible reviews covering hundreds of destinations worldwide.

World Reviewer – a comprehensive site that provides a list of activities over a huge number of destinations – ballooning, surfing, arts and crafts, culture and adventure activities.

Resources

Go Abroad – consulate and embassy information for pretty much every country in the world. Comprehensive search feature.

Go Abroad – search for programs all over the world – study, teach, volunteer, intern, work, TEFL.

Go Overseas! – similar to Go Abroad but easier to navigate. Four categories: Study, Teach, Volunteer, Intern, overseas. Great opportunities.

One Bag – definitive site on the art of packing light. Instructions, tutorials and detailed packing lists.

Eardex – a budget planning tool that shows the relative cost-of-living in countries, regions and cities around the world. Provides reliable daily budget dollar amounts.

Sleeping In Airports – the premier website for places to catch some quiet in airports around the world. Plenty of traveler reviews. The best out there.

Travel Community

There are plenty of sites on the web to join great communities of like-minded travelers. Here are some we really like, along with what they do in their own words:

BootsnAll focuses on helping folks get out on the road and has been doing it since 1998. Join their community to meet like-minded individuals, unlock a variety of planning resources, and get personalized help on planning your big trip.

Gogobot – A one-stop shop to collect your travel experiences, favorite places, and tips.

Got Saga -A worldwide community of people with a passion for traveling and cultural diversity.