Travel planning resources

Before I get into the details of how exactly I start to turn my list into an itinerary, I thought I'd share a few travel resources that I used along the way.  What is amazing to me is the breadth and depth of free information.  Only a few short years ago, getting some of this would have been difficult at best.

http://www.exploregeorgia.org

This is the state tourism website for Georgia.  Among other things, you can look at their state travel guide.  I also like that you can scan their virtual brochures for additional things to do and see - better than stopping in your hotel lobby.  Their state travel guide has a large section on Savannah, as well as some ideas for the outlying areas.

http://www.visitsavannah.com

This is the local Savannah tourism site.  At first glance, it was promising, and it did lead to a few things that I wouldn't have found otherwise, but the excitingly designed navigational tools turned out to be clunkier than they look.  I was also disappointed by the lack of information on the places they listed in their trip ideas.  In some instances, the recommendation to go to a certain place was accompanied by only a link to another website.  Nonetheless, checking out the local tourism board, if the location has one, is a good practice.  Sometimes you'll find the hidden treasure you've been looking for in these locations.

http://www.frommers.com

Now I start to be amazed.  Go to Frommer's, type in your destination, and guess what you get?  Almost the same exact material that they publish in their travel guides, complete with ratings, pricing guides, and commentary.  Maps are available (and printable), and you can find their location reviews, restaurant recommendations, and hotel directory.  You can filter by location, sort by rating and price, and it doesn't cost you a dime.

http://www.fodors.com

Everything I just said about Frommer's?  Pretty much true for Fodor's as well.  I find Frommer's to be a little easier to navigate, and Fodor's lacks the filtering and sorting abilities of the Frommer's site, but you can still get their ratings and commentary with a few clicks.

http://www.cntraveler.com

http://www.travelandleisure.com

I pay for a subscription to both of these magazines.  Amazingly, they put much of their content online.  A search for Savannah yields a handful of articles, restaurant recommendations, and hotel options on both sites.  No subscription is required to read the online articles, so even if you don't subscribe, the sites are worth a search.  They do target a certain audience, but that is a post for another time.

Next time, the actual list and itinerary planning.