Travel search tools - TripAdvisor

One of the first websites to visit when planning a holiday is TripAdvisor.

The TripAdvisor website is designed to help you plan your holiday, locate information about places you might like to visit, explore hotel and travel options and then be referred to other websites where bookings can be made. A major feature of the website is that travellers can post reviews and photos of places visited which may help you decide where you want to go and what you want to do.

To start a search, type the name of a country or city or hotel in the Search box at the top of the screen.

Make your selection from the Drop Down list.

In this example we can locate information about Edinburgh by exploring the travel guides, we can explore the variety of accommodation options in the city, find information about available flights, and find out about places to visit and festivals and other events.

The Before You Go tab in the Edinburgh Guide provides general information about the city including Neighbourhoods, Architecture and Culture, public transport in the city and general information for tourists including banks and money, tipping, making phone calls and the weather. So when planning a holiday it would be useful to explore the information in TripAdvisor about your selected destination.

Trip Advisor is also very useful for selecting accommodation. Choose the city, town or village where you want to stay and then check the accommodation options which have been categorised.

You can search all accommodation options, family hotels, B&Bs, luxury hotels etc.

When you locate accommodation in which you might be interested you will find a rating bar for the hotel created from visitor reviews.

You will also find reviews made by visitors which may assist you in making your choice.

On a previous visit to the UK we used TripAdvisor to successfully locate a variety of accommodation, often in villages off the main tourist routes as well as in major cities.

TripAdvisor also has a section where you can select flights to and from your destination. After choosing the required search option you will be referred to another website such as Expedia to book the flight.

Investigate your selected location

When planning to travel overseas, check a government advisory website to ensure the safety of the destination and investigate any requirements needed for visiting the region.

Australians should check Smartraveller the website set up by the Australian Department of  Foreign Affairs and Trade to provide up to date travel advice and consular assistance to Australians travelling abroad.

Smartraveller provides latest travel updates for countries where there may be political unrest or a natural disaster, for example.

You can also use the Travel Advice tab for detailed information about safety issues in individual countries.

The Travel Information tab provides travel tips, information about staying healthy when travelling, what to do if something goes wrong when overseas as well as advice for those travelling with families, going overseas for business and seniors travelling abroad.

If you are travelling overseas with prescription medicines you should check the section of the website dealing with that topic.

There is also a section of the website where you can register your travel plans so you can be contacted if there is an emergency in the area you are visiting.

Visiting the Smartraveller website should be a essential part when planning of a holiday online.