In these times of uncertainty, planning a holiday is secondary on your mind, but with a bit of careful planning and searching around for a bargain, a family holiday is not out of the question. The only thing left for you to do is to figure out where in the world you want to go. The first place I start looking is (www.wikitravel.org) particularly the “Destination of the Month” and “Off the beaten Track” sections.

The next site on my search of the internet is the Lonely Planet site (www.lonelyplanet.com ) which has loads of facts such as Currency, Population, Tax and Fast Facts, a gold mine of up-to-date information for anyone planning a trip anywhere in the world. If you want some information from seasoned travellers then a quick look at WAYN, (Where Are You Now) (www.wayn.com), a valued site with lots of information from members that is up-to-date and you can even ask the members to give you first-hand accounts of their experience in a resort that you may be thinking of visiting. Also for first-hand accounts of places you might consider for a visit is the (www.ivebeenthere.co.uk) provided by The Guardian newspaper (www.guardian.co.uk).

Get Free Travel Guides

There are plenty of fantastic travel guides to be downloaded if you know where to look, after a few hours’ reading I discovered Schmap (www.schmap.com) the site has over 200 guides and maps to go with the guide with information covering local sights, Accommodation, Bars and Restaurants, which you can download, you can also download audio guides for your MP3 player from the site. Also try DK Travel (www.traveldk.com/about/podcasts).

Find a good Hotel

Finding a good hotel is a must for your trip, so you can check out the top ten lists at Hotels.com (www.uk.hotels.com) - although this has a UK prefix you can search for hotels all over the globe. If you’re set on travel abroad you might like to take a look at some 15,000 cottages in Laterooms (www.laterooms.com) they can offer some really good discounted hotel rooms. If you’re looking for more in-depth information about hotel then a glance at (www.infotel.co.uk) this site offers hotels near tourist attractions and search facility to named hotels, honest reviews, and opinions from thousands of travellers. Another honest site would be (www.tripadvisor.com) With a tag line of “Get the Truth, then go” it’s well worth a visit, search by popularity, class, price, or alphabetically and locate hotels using the interactive map.

Finding an Apartment or Villa

If you would like to travel in a large group or with a family then it might be an idea to look at renting an apartment or villa, it could prove cheaper than booking a hotel. Try looking at the special offer link, at the top right of the holiday rentals (www.holiday-rentals.com) also try holiday ideas such as golfing holidays, ski trips, and Disney themed holidays. Another site worth looking at is (www.holidaylettings.co.uk) there are some bargains to be had on this site, take a look at the late deals section, you can book late deals around Europe and the rest of the world from this site. One that sticks out in my mind is (www.spanglefish.com/thehughsfamilyonline/availability.asp) as it is proving popular with bargain hunters who want a cheap holiday away in Spain.

Compare Flight Prices

Getting to and from your destination is another area to consider and is a lot cheaper than booking through an agent, try some of the “Compare the Price” sites,(www.skyscanner.net) this site displays the prices and dates in a well-designed bar chart and at-a-glance interactive map. Give a look to (www.cheapflights.co.uk) this site covers flights to worldwide destinations and is simple to use. One of the best sites for checking very cheap flights is (http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-flights) this is a comprehensive site also looking at changing sterling into foreign currency and is one of the best advice sites on the internet today. You can sign up to Yapta’s price tracking newsletter (www.yapta.com), this will let you know when a flight’s price changes.

Train or Ferry?

Another travel alternative is to drive to your holiday destination using the Train or Ferry, it may be slower but it could work out cheaper and more memorable for you. Check out (www.ferrycheap.com) the site has all the ferry companies that cross the channel and compares the prices for all of them, single or return. It also has a section on the channel tunnel that it compares prices with. Some other deals can be had with (www.thetrainline.com) you can book your tickets up to three months in advance and the coverage is the UK, Eurostar International, and Interrail. The Man in Seat 61 (www.seat61.com) is a very good source of global travel information, and offers all the advice and information you’ll need for travelling by train or boat.

Renting a Car

When you arrive at your destination you will need to rent a car, some of the larger rental companies are willing to give you a good deal. Try (www.hertz.co.uk) their site is easy to navigate and you must look at their Special Offers section. There are a lot of car hire services vying for your custom, try searching (www.europcar.co.uk) and (www.avis.co.uk) or check out their Blog, (http://wetryharder.co.uk) with a lot of news and reviews about road trips from all over the globe. If you want to see other car hire rates go to (www.carrentals.co.uk) but don’t be put off by the .co.uk address as the rental company searches all over Europe and the Americas.

Holiday/Travel Insurance

Failing to buy adequate insurance could end up being very costly - if you fall ill or are robbed of your belongings, passports, cash or credit cards it can be a very traumatic experience, so you have to search for an insurance broker. Try (www.cheap4travelcover.com), the site searches over 800 insurance deals and outstanding quotes. Another good site to search is (www.moneysupermarket.com/travelinsurance) and another really good site for searching for insurance is http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/insurance/).

Bag a Late Bargain

If you like to live life on the edge and leave your bookings until the last moment then take a visit to (www.lastminute.com) the site has been revamped recently and now offers an exchange rate savers section. Also try out (www.expedia.co.uk), their home page gives you a lot of choice of not only prices, but destinations.

Weather on Holiday

Weather 2 Travel (www.weather2travel.com) is an excellent way to see if the weather is going to spoil or make your holiday. Also (www.holiday-weather.com), they both offer up-to-date information on the conditions at your destination. (www.bbc.co.uk/weather) and (www.metcheck.com) are other good sites to check out the conditions at your destination.

WI-FI Hotspots

When you get to your destination you will want to keep in contact with loved ones back home, so checking out these WI-FI hotspots before you go away makes sense (www.jiwire.com) or (www.free-hotspot.com). Some hotels have internet connections or wireless connections, but not all, so these are worth a look before you leave.

Travel Advice

When you’re off travelling to a lesser-known destination of somewhere that has been mentioned on the news for all the wrong reasons it is best for you to check out just how safe it is to get there and return home without incident. Visit (www.fco.gov.uk/en/travelling-and-living-overseas/travel-advice-by-country/). Then find the country that you want to visit, the site contains travel advice for every country in the world and has guidelines for your safety.

Check Currency Rates

During this Credit Crunch it is important to check out the rate of exchange of the pound in your pocket, and to try to get the best deals that you can find. Once you have decided how much money you will need to take with you take a look at XE (www.xe.com). You can then use Travel Money Maximiser (http://travelmoney.moneysavingexpert.com/) and find out which service “Bureau-de-change” has the most value for your pound, also check out the commission rates they charge.

But most of all plan your holiday, and then have some fun as you will be well prepared for your hassle trip abroad.

Good Luck!