I was writing an update for a facebook group I am part of called “We Met While Traveling” and decided to post it here as well.
[The Couch Surfing Project]
http://www.couchsurfing.com
I have been a member of Couchsurfing.com for a while now, and will actually be joining the team in Alaska to help rework the site this summer.
I would encourage anyone who likes traveling, believes that there should be trust between people, and likes making new friends to go to and take a look.
If you have an extra bed, couch, or space on the floor, you an make it open to travelers and in return you get to stay in free places around the world. I have never failed to have a good experience when I surf, and know that you will enjoy it too.
[Seatguru]
http://www.seatguru.com
This site has an incredibly detailed view of every plane in the skies right now, and if you fly often, the seating guide here can make or break your trip.
[timezonecheck.com]
http://timezonecheck.com
If you never know what time it is, or when you will actually be able to call back home without waking someone up, this is a helpful site.
[Lonely Planet]
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/index.jspa
The mother load of travel information, right from those of us who are out there.
[WikiTravel]
http://wikitravel.org/en/Main_Page
Plenty of updated information on everything you can think of. If something isn’t there, go to the location, then add your own guide.
[The Universal Packing List]
http://upl.codeq.info/
Tell it how long you are gone, how big your bag is, where you are going, and a few other bits of information, and presto, a packing list. Some is overkill, but it is a good guide.
Hope you like these, I know I have found them useful.
-Ben