Pick a Guide... any Guide.

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Whether you have no idea where you want to go or just want further information, there are tons of great travel guides on line for any thing you may need and for any way you want to do your research.
 

Most of the travel guides though are completely different. One that will be good for basic information, may not be good for finding things to do. Which guide is the best depends on what stage of the planning you are in. What I have done below is broken them out by category to give you an idea of which guides I look at depending on what I am looking for.
 

Exploring: if you're just browsing for your next vacation, or wanting to explore where you will be going, find a site with a lot of pictures and videos. The more interactive, the better. There is nothing like seeing it to get you excited. My favorite is The Travel Channel. You can watch all of their shows on line.

One of my newest favorites is Expoza Travel Channel on YouTube. If you are just trying to explore your options, there is no better way to do it than watching it.

Basic Information: Getting all that basic, good to know information is easy if you are on the right guide. My obvious favorites are Frommers and Fodor's. Both are very well organized and will give you almost all the information you will need.
 

Planning: Getting down to the details takes a little more personalized information. My hands down favorites are Trip Advisor and Virtual Tourist because they give me other travelers reviews. Take them with a grain of salt and compare over all comments not just one person, (they may have just had a bad day). Look for consistent themes or comments that keep appearing over and over. Those are the ones you want to take as true.
 

Learning: After you have decided where, check one of the journals that provides articles on the destinations. Find the one that suits your personality or your style and use it to learn more of the personal side of your destination. Knowing the culture at times can make your vacation much more enjoyable. Road Junky is my favorite just for their brutal honesty and off the wall topics. We can't list them all here, so you might want to do a search for "travel journal" + a few words that describe your personal style. 
 

That should get you started. Have fun exploring.  As I have said countless times, planning your vacation should be almost as fun as taking it.  Here is where that begins.