This resources page is limited only to the websites and print material that I have used  so far. I am always adding to it, so check back for new resources to plan your holiday. If you know of a good resource, please leave a comment below with the link or book you use.

Mapping Resources

• Google Maps: The more Google Maps evolves, the more I rely on it. Initially, I used Street View to help with basic orientation and navigation, such as finding my way to a hotel or museum on foot. However, since they have added Transit, Directions, Photos, and Reviews among many other details, I have relied on it for much of my planning. The only downside is that you see so much in advance, that it often feels like deja vu when you finally arrive.

Online Travel Guides

• TripAdvisor: The most popular and extensive resource available,  especially useful for reviews of hotels and restaurants, but also a great resource for Things To Do.  TA is not as good a source for getting around, or other practical trip planning concerns.
• Frommers
• DK Travel

YouTube Channels

• Wolters World: travel advice for a dizzying number of locales, usually filmed on site. Very useful
• Yellow Productions: user-friendly videos offering travel advice for a wide range of places. Very useful
• Expedia YouTube Channel If you want to get inspired about travel, check out Expedia’s collection of travel videos.
• Rick Steve’s Europe Short videos to inspire your next European vacation

There are lots of YouTube travel guides that offer different levels of useful information. Some are inspirational and some offer very good travel advice. My list includes only those offering content about multiple sites. However, my individual Trip Plan pages include channels and videos specific to the location. Please note that I have avoided listing channels that in my opinion are excessively jokey. Some bloggers can be really funny but waste too much time mugging for the camera. You might find them entertaining, but not especially useful.

Tour Companies

• Intrepid travel service specialising in small group experiences. I used this company for my tour of Spain. Part of the same company that owns  G Adventures and  Urban Adventures.
• G-Adventures travel service specialising in small group experiences. I used this company for my tour of Italy. Previously known as Gap Adventures,, and linked to Intrepid.
• Grayline frequently used source for hop on hop off bus services, but also day trips and walking tours.
• Viator  re-seller for numerous smaller travel companies. A good place to see what day trips and other travel services are available for a specific locale.
• City Sightseeing one of several companies that offers hop on hop off bus services, but also resells walking tours and day trips among other things.
• Big Bus Sightseeing this company specialises in hop on hop off bus tours with locations and select European, American, Asian and Middle Eastern cities.

Please note that I’m aware of travel companies such as Cosmos, Gate One, Insight and Trafalgar among many others, but I’ve not booked anything through them yet, so I can give much firsthand information. At the bottom of this page, I will list some of the other companies that I have looked at in planning trips. Each Trip Plan page will also include its own list of local travel resources.

Travel books

Frommers (Various Titles): These are the first book series I used, and still use as a starting point to plan holidays. I find these guides especially useful in planning the basics, including getting to the destination, and getting around once I have arrived. I especially appreciate their restaurant and hotel recommendations.
Frommer’s Day by Day Guides: If you still pack a print guide, these pocket size versions of the larger travel guides are terrific.
DK Travel books: I use these heavily illustrated books more for inspiration than for practical considerations. DK guides are especially useful for organising your sightseeing. I especially like the 3D neighbourhood At a Glance maps that often highlight details that you otherwise might have overlooked.
Rick Steve’s Travel Guides: Rick Steve’s video guides are great for getting you into the mood, but his print guides are a godsend for the European traveller. I typically use the e-book versions these days, but these guides can walk you through many sites and provide useful, practical detail for just about any kind of tourist.

Occasionally, I have used guides from Lonely Planet, Fodor’s, Time Out and others but for the travel style that I indulge, the sources listed above have proved the most useful so far.