Getting There
The first step in many adventures usually involves the purchase of a plane ticket, and the Web is infamous for putting travel agents out of work. There is no shortage of Web sites offering airline reservations and travel services, but the one that seems to be on top is Expedia. Expedia has a number of handy features including airline price comparisons at a glance; car rental and hotel reservation services; city, state and airport maps; and real time flight tracking. It's a "must have" bookmark for the Internet wanderer. Expedia also has updated worldwide travel advisories, a currency converter, a distance calculator and e-cards for those who think regular old print postcards are a relic of the 20th century.

Of course, the great thing about the Web is that it gives travelers access to a number of businesses offering tickets at a significant discount off the "best commercial rate."

CheapTickets is the Web surfer's first stop for finding a discount ticket that matches their ideal itinerary. CheapTickets does require a brief signup/login process but, considering it's free and relatively painless, it's worth it.

Another good electronic outlet for discount tickets is AirSaver. This airline seat consolidator allows you to search their database for specific fares and can provide huge savings for the diligent surfer.

Most of the major airlines also host a page of Internet-only discount fares on their individual sites. These are useful if your looking to hop a plane at the last second, or if you prefer traveling on a specific airline. The online community, Evolution Group, maintains a listing of the various airline's discount pages at: www.evo.org/airfare.

Tips for Travelers
Dan Davenport, founder of San Jose, Calif.-based Internet Travel Network, explains that the secret to finding a good airline rate online is a combination of patience and persistence. "Don't think you are going to find the cheapest fare on your first try," he says. "Potential travelers should take some time to sort through all the options. There are a lot of good sites and it pays to check them all out and see what various ones have to offer."

"To get the best rates, travelers should purchase their tickets at least 21 days in advance," says Davenport (14 days is generally the minimum needed for anything remotely resembling a discount). Other strategies for finding cheap tickets include staying over a Saturday night and trying to depart and return on a Tuesday or Wednesday. "Late evening and early-bird flights usually have lower-priced seats. Most importantly, if you find what is clearly the best fare, get it while you can. There are a limited number of discount seats on any flight and they sell out fast."

Plugged In Alternatives
Though the major airlines would have us believe otherwise, flying is not always the best way to get from point A to B.

For many travelers, trains are the preferred mode of travel. Amtrak makes it easy to purchase tickets and review schedules on its Web site, and Europe By Train has an extensive amount of EuroRail resources.

Bohemian, casual and adventurous wayfarers working their way around North or Central America should definitely check out the Green Tortoise. Passengers on the Tortoise enjoy a mellow pace and peaceful environment while traveling aboard custom sleeper coaches packed with the most interesting people you may ever meet. It's sort of like a rolling youth hostel.

Families On the Go
If you're traveling with children, you may find yourself in need of more information. Traveling Today is a great place to start! This site has an entire section devoted to family-friendly destinations, as well as discussion boards and experts to answer your questions. You can even keep a diary about your vacation!

If you're planning a car trip with the family, MomsMinivan.com is a good place to find helpful information to make your trip a little easier. This site contains more than 101 ideas for fun things to do with your kids in the car, plus travel games and safety information. The tips are organized by age group, which makes navigating much easier.

Single parents can find information for solo travel with the children at Single Parent Travel. Here you'll find destination information, packing guides and travel tips.

Really, there are far more travel tools in the digital domain than can possibly be cited here. Just remember that they call it the World Wide Web for a reason. Next time you get the travel bug, log on and check it out. You'll be out the door and deep into the "real world" faster than you can say, "Yahoo!"