The Smart Business Traveler

There are an endless number of travel sites online but if you know what your particular travel style is you can narrow down your search for useful travel information, discounts, money saving tips and current travel news. So if you travel for business this is the site for you, The Smart BusinessTraveler focuses exclusively on business travel, you won't find Disneyland deals here but you will get professional information about a number factors that concern your business travel needs.

On The Smart Business Traveler you'll find flights, hotels, car rentals and other issues uncounted when planning a trip. The site owner has been in the travel industry for the last 15 years specifically handling corporate travel and here he shares his expertise and insights with you.

Smart business travel means not only finding the cheapest deals but also the most convenient ones which fit into your schedule and makes the best use of your time.  You'll also find travel site reviews that point you in the right direction to book the ultimate business trip. The site covers that never ending issue of how to pack for a business trip and the ins and outs of carry-on luggage. There is also an article about how to make business travel less painful and another which examine the various loyalty programs. The Smart Business traveler examines how to choose a good business hotel and gives tips on the must-haves when planning a business event in a hotel and how to handle extended stays.

On The Smart Business Traveler you can buy a selection of books focusing on subjects that interest business travelers, like "The Unofficial Business Traveler's Guide" and "The Wall Street Journal Guide to Power Travel."

The Smart Business Traveler is also a site that gives back, on their site you can read about the charitable donations the site makes towards Food Security Projects and other international relief programs.
You can become a member of Smart Business Traveler and get access to travel eBooks, travel reports on specific subjects, travel videos and special offers. Membership costs $7.97 monthly. Alternatively sign up for free to receive their newsletter full of travel tips and tips on how to save on business travel.http://thesmartbusinesstraveler.com/

Lifestyle Thailand - cool travel planner app!

Lifestyle Thailand is a travel application to help you plan your trip to Thailand, the name lifestyle is appropriate for this app as it helps to suit your kind of lifestyle and travel style to the attraction, restaurants, activities and hotels that it suggests. In other words before getting given a list of attractions, restaurants and hotels you first name your travel style. You can choose from romantic, family, mellow and green, single, Thainess (all things traditionally Thai), chic, beach, culture, wellness or adventure.

By choosing your travel style first you will then get suggestions which really appeal to you and are relevant. Apart from letting you select items and then plan out your entire trip the app also gives you some exclusive offers to save you money. The app gives you a 360   ̊ simulated perspective of the places you will be visiting.

The Thailand Lifestyle app is designed with cool illustrations like a comic book or sketch pad and gives the feel of browsing through a travel brochure.

You can learn more about the Thailand Lifestyle here and it can be downloaded from the iTunes app. Store or from the Android Market. The app is suitable for iPhones and iPads and requires iOS 3.2 or later. The great thing about this app is that it originates from the Tourism Authority of Thailand so you know it will be of good quality.

Canary Islands - Maps and Info for Planning Your Trip

Tribune Maps is a useful site for planning you vacation, so far the site covers the Canary Islands of Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote but the list of travel destinations is growing and they will soon be including Majorca among the travel destinations covered.

What you get on Tribune Maps

As the name suggests – maps – here you can get detailed maps specifically aimed at travelers who need to know stuff like how far the hotel is from the airport or which airport is the closest to their hotel. Apart from providing very useful Google generated maps with all the towns and villages, big or small, included you can also get some other useful information about these travel destinations. The site explains about the distinctive character of the two sides of the island of Tenerife for example, and which town will suit travelers looking for nightlife, beaches, family vacations etc.

There is also a News and Information section with up to the minute news about new attractions, travel warnings and links to interesting articles. This is useful as you often find online travel sites which are out of date and give information that is no longer accurate.

Although this is a young site it has great potential as it focuses on specific travel destinations so if you are heading to the Canary Islands then give it a look. The site's blog is also interesting, with up to the minute articles about various travel topics.
To visit Tribune Maps: http://www.tribunemap.com/

VisiTour Pass Israel - Israel's Discount Tourist "Card"

Like most popular tourist destinations Israel also has a pass which covers several attractions and gives you discounts using a pass which requires a onetime payment. The VisiTour Pass in Israel is not really a Pass Card it is instead a booklet of discount coupons. It includes hotels, attractions, activities, tours and trips it doesn't include public transport discounts. As far as I know this is the only discount package available in Israel and if you are planning a visit to the Holy Land you should take a look at their site to decide if it is worth purchasing. If you are planning to stay at one of the Israeli hotels covered then the VisiTour Pass Israel is worth it as many of the discounts are "stay 2 nights get 3^rd night free" type deals. If you are going to one of the attractions or taking part in the activities listed then the pass is worth every shekel.

Consider the fact that it doesn't cover all attractions in Israel so go through the list and just check it covers the things you are interested in. Also the VisiTour Pass Israel is a fantastic deal if you are traveling as a group or couple as many of the discounts are "buy-one-get-one-free" type discounts which would not be useful to single travelers.

A VisiTour Pass Israel costs $75 and if you have checked the list of discounted places and are sure you will be visiting them then it is more than worthwhile. For those on a budget the pass also covers hostels and budget accommodation and for those staying in boutique hotels there is the Little House in the Colony and the Little House in Bakah, Jerusalem. For nature lovers many of the discounts are for nature reserves and national parks. The Tower of David Museum, Jerusalem which is a must-see for most visitors to the city is also included in the discount booklet but like many of the discounts it is a "buy-one-get-one-free" deal so only useful if you are not traveling alone.
Check out VisiTour PassIsrael for some big savings on your next visit to Israel.

Inter-City Bus Companies in the USA compared

Here you can see a comparison between Megabus, Chinatown Bus Line, Boltbus and Greyhound buses. In short Megabus has the lowest prices and Greyhound has the most comprehensive service.

Megabus vs. top three competitors.