Finding reliable travel advice is easy

– you just need to know where to look!

There are some great travel deals to be found in today's depressed travel industry. Even the major airlines are slashing ticket prices to high season destinations. Hotels, restaurants, local shops and travel dependent businesses are all jumping on the bandwagon. If you don't have a lot of experience traveling, but have some cash on hand and a destination in mind, now is a great time to take advantage of these deals. If your dream destination is out of country, you need to also find reliable travel advice to avoid problems that may arise simply due to inexperience. Finding travel advice you can count on is just a click away – knowing where to look is the key to a smoothly running and carefree vacation.

Establishing your budget is the first step to planning. Know exactly how much you can spend and don't exceed that amount. Once you've got this dollar amount, it's time to get online.

If you'd like to travel on an independent basis, planning your own trip and how long you'd like to stay in one place before moving on, be prepared to spend more time in the planning stage. There are a great many details involved when traveling to a foreign country, so here's one good piece of travel advice for the inexperienced traveler. You are probably best off working with a travel agent. You don't need to go for a package tour if you prefer the independent itinerary. Let the travel agent know just how you'd like to organize your trip, your budget and length of your vacation. Let her take it from there. Good travel agents are worth their weight in gold – and travel advice. She can offer dependable travel advice on travel insurance and any current State Department travel warnings as well.

For example, let's say you'd like to visit France. You can spend a week. You want to spend three days in Paris and then go on to Marseilles to visit a family member. Your travel agent can book your incoming flight to Paris, while booking your flight home out of Marseilles. There will be a price differential, so this plan may or may not suit your budget. The trade off comes in both time and money. You'll save money in not returning to Paris and gain time visiting your family – a whole day, in fact. She can figure out just what the difference is in dollars and give her best travel advice for this situation.

With the now stringent and costly baggage rules, you'll want to pack light. For a one week trip, you can easily fit what you need in a carry-on. The only travel advice you need on packing is what not to pack. For example, toiletries such as shampoo must be in containers that do not exceed a certain number of ounces and must be bagged in ziplocs containing no more than three items. Your travel agent may be able to give you a current cheat sheet for guidance.

Such travel advice is also provided by the airlines and on travel sites, such as ricksteves.com. He's also got tons of practical travel advice on his site, as well as a forum where travelers exchange insider tips on a variety of destinations. He also sells a series of travel guides with lots of practical travel information, including famous and not-so-famous sights and attractions, traveler's etiquette, transportation options. These books are updated each year and include a list and descriptions of his best picks for hotels in the 2-3 star range. You'll save money by calling and booking your room direct.

A final piece of advice: apply for your passport well in advance of leaving. Obtain any necessary visas as well.

Now, all you need to do is relax and enjoy your trip!

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