Where to start? A brief guide to travel planning resources

Travel and Leisure

So you’ve got a travel destination or region in mind, and it’s time to plan. If you're like us, we like to be independent travellers, so we rule out packaged tours, for the most part. But with so many tools and tips out there, where do you even begin? Here’s my comparison of the best resources to help you plan your next adventure, from Google and guidebooks to Facebook groups and YouTube travel vlogs.

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First trip to Europe was London and Portugal

When I first started overseas travelling, I was a rank amateur. Sure, I had travel experience from my various business trips over the first ten years of my career, but I hadn't yet become a good tourist, mostly because I hadn't been a tourist. I didn't feel that I had enough disposable income to make the trip across the pond, and didn't start travelling to Europe until later in the 90s when one of my mates was getting married in London. But when you're young, you think you know everything, and the thought of buying a book to have someone else tell you what to do was a pretty foreign concept. Besides, I was heading to London, where I had mates who lived in the city, and could give me tips and advice.

Travel like a local - if you can

Visiting Amsterdam with local friends

This leads me to probably the best way to experience a different country - as a local. Obviously, if you don't have friends or family who live in the destination of your choice, then this isn't going to be an option. But if and when it does happen, this is by far the way to go. I don't mean inconveniencing them with an impromptu accommodation request, but at a minimum, finding out how they would recommend spending what little time you have there. Taking the guesswork out of what to do for the afternoon, or trying to find a decent restaurant are things that the locals know, and will save you time and effort.

Brussels Grand Place

Next best, is to get advice from your friends and family that have visited the places you are going to go; why is this important you might ask? It's because they know you, and can suggest things that you will want to see/not visit during your stay. Like the time we were going to Holland, and I asked a Belgian friend if he felt Brussels was worth visiting; he said definitely yes!
But what if you don't know anybody who lives in the city(ies) that you are planning on visiting? The first couple of times that I went to new, unknown places, I simply followed the rest of the tourist crowds and did end up seeing interesting stuff, but knowing what I know now, I definitely missed out on things. So that's where planning resources come in.  

Google, Tripadvisor, Yelp: The Big 3

Google

Walk or take the Metro? Ask Google!

This is by far the easiest, fastest starting point, and probably the #1 reason why you need an eSIM for your smartphone. Whether you’re searching for “cool things to do in Prague” or as I often do, "how long does it take to get from Berlin to Hamburg on the train?", Google serves it up. Use the map feature to visualize spots, but beware — it often favours what’s popular, not always what’s worth it.

Bear in mind that you're not getting custom-tailored advice, but rather "wisdom of the crowd" for ratings of restaurants, hotels and attractions; however, with thousands of people contributing their reviews, the collective opinion is likely to yield the best judgement. One of the issues using Google is that results are often skewed to "Search Engine Optimised" sites, or ones that get paid for ads - i.e. the top hits might not be the best ones. Additionally, the "aggregation engine" for ideas and opinions is you; e.g. after pulling up a half-dozen sites on travelling in Japan, you need to sift through and determine that say, Osaka is really only going to require two nights.

Tripadvisor

Great for hotels, restaurants, and attractions. It’s packed with reviews and often has forums with detailed traveler Q&A. But keep in mind, the “#1 restaurant” might just be the most tourist-friendly, not the most authentic. My recommendation there, is to not eat at the popular-looking spot right on the main drag, and walk a block or two away from the pedestrian strip. So you find a hotel that looks like it's in a decent area, but the average TA rating from 800+ guests is only 3-stars. That's probably a good indicator that things may not meet your expectations at that property. But you see another one with 4.5-stars, but only a couple of dozen reviews. There's two issues here; first, with only a small sampling, there isn't enough "crowd" to give an empirical result, and secondly, with only and handful of ratings, there may be fake reviews skewing the score. I like to look for businesses that have lots of reviews, then zoom into the most recent ones, to make sure that new management or post-COVID service is still living up to their reputation.

Yelp Fork (France) or regional alternative

Unfortunately, Yelp is only really strong in the U.S., and let's face it, who's going there right now? Some countries have their own specific app/site for food; e.g. The Fork is specific to France, but we didn't really try it out on our last trip. So while Yelp shines for food and service-related reviews if you happen to be going to the states, you’ll need to revert to one of the above for recommendations in Europe and other parts of the world. In our experience, we end up defaulting to Google and Tripadvisor for restaurants.

💡 Pro Tip: Use side by side to spot patterns. If a cafe gets love on Google and Tripadvisor, it’s probably a good bet.

Adding pins to Google Maps helps you plan sights and attractions together

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📚 The Classics: Lonely Planet & Rick Steves

Lonely Planet

The OG for indie travellers. Whether you buy the book or use the app, LP offers in-depth, practical info — from hostels to hidden temples. It’s written by pros who actually go to the places. I've never used Lonely Planet books before, but now that we're going to Japan, I borrowed a copy for our upcoming trip. It would seem that they are very useful books with colour and lots of ideas for exploration and tips for each location, but have limited recommendations for hotels and restaurants. I personally find the type a little too small for my reading preference too. Compared to Rick Steves below, I feel that the LP books are a not as strong on history or 2nd/3rd level of depth on a particular area or attraction.

Rick Steves

Rick is THE king when it comes to European travel, and we find that his style matches with our travel vibe (and his political stance). His books, site, and TV show offer deep cultural insight, organised itineraries, and practical advice. We love using his free Audio Europe app to listen while we walk around towns or in museums where he has a recorded tour. He also has walking tours written in his books, but we've found them problematic to use; one person has to read the passage aloud, while the other looks around. I've actually taken to recording the written text into audiobook files to solve that problem. If you want to take the guesswork out of travel planning, Rick is the go-to resource.

✍️ “Rick Steves is like that friendly uncle who makes sure you don’t miss the good stuff — but also won’t make you feel bad for skipping the Louvre.”

Using Rick Steves guidebooks for planning is now mandatory for our European trips

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📺 YouTube & TV Travel Shows: Inspiration in Motion

YouTube

The real MVP of modern travel planning; once I've zeroed in on something, I'll often search to see if there is a video that someone has created. Unlike photos that can easily misrepresent something, a video really tells the story. As an example, I watched a number of ocean cruising clips before our Caribbean cruise with Virgin, and found them to be extremely valuable. You can watch full trip walkthroughs, food tours, and “what I wish I knew before visiting…” videos. I even like the ones that show you how to do simple things, like the how to buy a Metro ticket in Paris one below. Sounds silly? Not until you're that couple of noobs who can't figure out the ticket machine while impatient Parisians queue up behind you.

Travel TV Shows

Old-school but still inspiring. Think Anthony Bourdain, Somebody Feed Phil, or Rick Steves Europe. They’re less about exact itineraries, more about falling in love with a place’s culture and rhythm. We like to watch them to get a feel for where we're planning on going, and making sure there isn't that one place that we should have stopped at. There often isn't enough depth or time during the show to give you real travel advice, but it's just entertaining to get into the travel frame of mind.

🎥 “YouTube shows you how to travel. Travel TV reminds you why you want to.”

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💬 Facebook Groups & Online Communities

Travel-focused Facebook groups are booming, but they can be problematic. Whereas Google and Tripadvisor use the "wisdom of the crowd" to reach a reasonable consensus on an attraction, hotel or restaurant, there can be that one vocal person in the FB group that is preaching their one and only favourite. It's a great concept, taking people with like interests, and having them on a dedicated page for your destination. While this can be great for tips that are unique to the area (e.g. do you really need the Paris Museum Pass?), Recommendations for hotels and restaurants may be misrepresented by members of the group. i.e. maybe they have never been there, and are just being paid to say that the food there is divine. Don't forget that these people don't know you, so they can't offer guidance that is relevant to you. As an example, I belong to a FB river cruising group, as we've been on more than the average person, and I feel like I can offer decent, objective opinions. Some newbie will always join the group and ask, "Who should I choose for a river cruise?". Often, people will have only cruised with one operator, and will say things like "Go Uniworld!" but offer no insight or commentary as to why they feel they are the best choice. Without answers to things like budget, interests and activity level, no one can really make an informed suggestion. 

Pros

• Real-time info ("Is the river level low right now on the Rhine?")
• Honest traveller tips
• Good for niche questions ("What’s the cheapest eSIM for Japan?”)

Cons

• Can be overwhelming
• Quality of advice varies
• Watch out for sponsored posts and spam

🧠 Best for travelers who like chatting, swapping tips, and hearing unfiltered experiences.
📸 Suggested Image: Screenshot of a Facebook travel group discussion or poll.

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🌀 ChatGPT and other AI engines

(This response was generated entirely using ChatGPT) 

Using ChatGPT as a travel planning tool can be surprisingly effective, especially when you’re looking for fast, personalized advice without digging through dozens of websites. Here’s a breakdown of its pros and cons to help you decide if it’s a good fit for your travel style:

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✅ Pros

1. Personalized Recommendations

ChatGPT can tailor suggestions based on your interests (like architecture, food, history, or adventure), travel dates, pace, and budget. Unlike general travel blogs or guides, it can adapt its advice just for you.

2. All-in-One Convenience

Instead of jumping between Google, Tripadvisor, and forums, you can ask questions and get summaries, itineraries, safety tips, and more — all in one place.

3. Time Saver

Need a quick 5-day itinerary in Bavaria or a list of must-try dishes in Vietnam? ChatGPT can generate it in seconds, helping you avoid hours of research.

4. Flexible & Iterative

You can refine your questions (“What if I have 3 more days?” or “Add more cultural stops”) and get updated results immediately — something static blogs or guidebooks can’t do.

5. 24/7 Availability

No need to wait for travel agents or post on forums — it’s ready whenever you are, whether it’s 2 PM or 2 AM.

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❌ Cons

1. No Real-Time Data

ChatGPT can’t check flight prices, hotel availability, local weather, or traffic in real time unless paired with live tools or plugins (which might not be available in your version).

2. May Lack Hyper-Local Insights

While it knows a lot, it may miss hyper-specific or newly opened places, especially small local gems not well-documented online.

3. Not a Replacement for First-Hand Reviews

It can summarize general sentiment about places, but it’s not pulling the latest user reviews like Tripadvisor or Google Maps can. It’s best paired with those tools, not used instead of them.

4. No Visuals

Unless specifically asked to generate or find images, ChatGPT responses are mostly text-based. If you’re a visual planner, this might be limiting.

5. Accuracy Depends on Input

The quality of its advice depends on how clearly you explain your preferences. Vague prompts get vague answers.

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🧭 Best Use Case

Think of ChatGPT as a smart travel assistant that helps you brainstorm, organize, and refine plans — especially useful in the early stages of trip planning or when you want to adjust an itinerary on the fly. If you’re open to trying it, ChatGPT works especially well alongside tools like Google Maps, Booking.com, YouTube, and local Facebook groups.

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🧳 What Works Best for YOU?

Traveler Type	Best Resources
First-time international trip	Google, Tripadvisor, Rick Steves
Food lovers	Tripadvisor, YouTube, Google
Budget/backpacker	Lonely Planet, Reddit, hostel review blogs
Adventure-seeker	Facebook groups, niche YouTube explorers
History & culture fan	Rick Steves, TV travel docs, museums’ official sites

 🎒 Final Thoughts
Don’t get stuck in analysis paralysis. The best trips are usually a mix of planning and serendipity. Use these tools as your compass, not your cage. And if something looks cool on paper but doesn’t excite you in person — skip it. Your journey, your rules.