A lot can happen in a year, especially in the dynamic travel industry. So, when we posted the best travel resources last summer, we weren’t in on all the awesome tools that have helped tourists plan their trips over the past year. Here’s what the savviest of travelers are doing to ensure the best possible 2013:
DK Eyewitness Travel Guides
Everyone’s favorite travel resource is always adding new destinations to their celebrated collections, most recently the countries of Slovenia and Corsica. Complete with custom drawn pull-out maps, restaurant recommendations, reviews, listings, and more, DK is also continuing to publish ever-expanding lines of Top 10 pocket guides, phrase books, atlases, and extensive city and country guides, all available at your favorite bookstores. www.us.dk.com
Hangnest
While still in “private beta” stage (for non-nerds, that means the software is still being tested and services are available to invitees only), Hangnest is an app that promises to connect travelers in real time who are looking to meet up and head out on the town—hard. Unlike other sites meant for one-on-one meet-ups with solo travelers, Hangnest’s goal is to bring large groups of tourists to the “hottest bars in town.” But even if that isn’t your typical after dark activity, they do advertise great drink discounts! www.hangnest.com
Hipmunk
Think of it as your one-stop travel booking site: Hipmunk gets rave reviews for its super-low deals on flights and hotels. And unlike the plethora of other sites that advertise the same services, Hipmunk’s hotel results are presented on a map, so travelers can see exactly how far their temporary abodes are from the landmarks. Their live help chat feature also makes it easy for the less web-savvy to find the best deals possible. www.hipmunk.com
Seat Guru
Here’s a tool for truly Type A travelers: the latest feature from TripAdvisor lets buyers shop for airline seats based on advice, user comments, photos and ratings. Besides those infamously awful seats (looking at you, back of the plane), SeatGuru shows maps of planes and categorized with comparison charts of carrier to carrier so you can see just how much leg room you’re actually getting in that first row. You’ll even be able to find seats with outlets for your laptop or cell phone as well as whether the plane is equipped with personal video screens. www.seatguru.com
Twitter Chats
In the past year, travelers have organized tons of awesome Twitter chats that connect bloggers, experts and tourists from around the world who tweet about their favorite destinations and experiences along with offering advice. Travel Squire’s own #TRAVEX reaches hundreds of thousands of Tweeps (join us every Wednesday at 5pm EST!), but we also love participating in others. Check out #TNI (Traveler’s Night In) on Thursdays from 3:30 – 5pm EST, #TTOT (Travel Talk on Twitter), twice every Tuesday at 9:30 AM and 9:30 PM GMT, #NUTS (Not-so Usual Therapy Session), on Tuesdays at 3:30 EST, #RTWchat on Wednesdays at 3:30 EST, #JSETT on Thursdays at 1:30 EST, and #GirlsTravel (for females only!), on Mondays at 6pm GMT. www.travelsquire.com/travex