Updated September 2008 Travel Toolbox 6 Planning Powertools Getting trips off to a good start Courtesy, Flickr Some of us are always planning our next trip, collecting snippets of information and creating a wish list of places to visit someday with the kids. Once you know where you want to go, then the work begins. These web sites are godsends for gathering info, organizing, and just plain daydreaming about your next great trip. del.icio.us Best for: Building your own guidebook Maybe this popular bookmarking site wasn’t designed as a travel tool, but it should be an essential part of any trip-planning process. The concept is indeed yummy: As you surf the web, you can save and group web pages with “tags,” or keywords. Tag multiple pages with the same keyword—“GrandCanyon” or “Virginiaroadtrip”—and you can build yourself a customized guidebook. All the elements of your trip—flight and car rental details, hotel reviews, scenic drive routes, a listing of river-rafting outfitters, national park specs, and so on—is now retrievable from one place. Handy and oh-so-dandy. TripIt Best for: Building an itinerary The concept is so simple, it’s absolutely brilliant. You forward your booking confirmations—flight information, hotel details, dinner reservations, and so on—to this site via e-mail. TripIt creates your very own, private web page with all your details organized into one nifty itinerary. You can think of it as the best personal travel assistant ever, only better—because it’s free! And talk about flexible: You can access your itineraries via paper, e-mail, personal calendar or mobile device. How did we ever live without it? RoadTrip Wizard Best for: Mapping a roadtrip Travelocity’s handy mapping tool lets you customize a road trip to your own family’s wishes. Use the Who, What, When, Where, and How buttons tabs to find hotels, restaurants, gas stations, shops, attractions, and fun happenings along your route. SeeAmerica Best for: Finding local and state tourist info Welcome to the mothership of American tourism. Designed as a comprehensive one-stop-shop for foreign tourists coming to the US, the site contains over 10,000 links to local, regional, and state tourist organizations, events, hotels, restaurants, and more. Always start with the state tourist office—a goldmine of free travel DVDs, hotel and restaurant listings, maps, and money-saving coupons and deals. Frommer’s and Fodor’s Best for: Getting free expert advice The online versions of well-known guidebook series can help you get to know your destination even before you arrive. Their mini destination guides will tell you the best way to get from the airport to the city, give you a heads up on local customs, suggest top sightseeing, and steer you to tried-and-tested hotels and restaurants. And the best part? It’s free. What travel-planning resources do you rely on? Please tell us. More family trip-planning advice: 6 Genius Travel Buys 19 Sites For Savvier Air Travel 9 Sites For Smarter Hotel Shopping 8 Sites For Better Road Trips 21 Sites For Young Travelers