Posted by Lending Club :: October 28, 2008 @ 9:42 am

Continuing with our series on vacation planning on a budget, here are some great resources to help you plan and make the most of your trip.

Planning the Trip

• TravelMuse – Use the “Inspire” feature to generate trips and possible costs for associated trips.
• Lonely Planet – Research any destination you want to visit, including the countries and background information.
• State Department – Make sure that it’s safe to travel to your destination and see what “red tape” is involved for international travel.
• TripCart – Traveling across the US? Or do you wish to stay near your own state? Use TripCart to check out all kinds of different things to do and see that are closer to home.
• TripWiser – Want to see trips other people are taking? TripWiser features real people that traveled to different destinations who have provided reviews, plans and pictures.
• TripCalculator.org – Calculate how many miles you will travel and the cost of those miles. The calculator takes into consideration your average speed and vehicle fuel economy.

Putting the Trip Together

• Orbitz, Travelocity, Expedia – These sites are staples that you should use before any trip. Sometimes one site will have specials that others will not, so it’s worth a quick check.
• TripAdvisor – This site is one of the largest review sites. Read what other people had to say about most hotels and see their ratings. This is a must-see if you’re traveling to a place you haven’t been to before.
• Kayak – This site offers fast searching for flights and hotels and allows for easy comparison with other sites, such as Travelocity and Expedia.
• TripIt – This site easily organizes your trip itinerary. TripIt is great if you’re flying, especially with multiple destinations. Just forward your emails that you receive from sites to TripIt and they put the entire trip together for you.

During the Trip

• FlightStats – Keep track of flights, and be notified if they are late or canceled. Mobile alerts are also available.
• Weather.com Mobile Alerts – Get updated on any changes that might occur while traveling.
• Traffic.com – Get updates on traffic conditions when traveling in major US cities.
• Travel Mate For Blackberry – From the publisher: "One application that helps you to track all your travel needs with a travel plan, expense tracker, check list, country fact sheets and currency converter."

Are there other sites that you use to help budget for and plan trips? Please share your favorites!