Tingo has the plan to keep buyer’s remorse at bay. Book any of the site’s “money back” rooms and if the price drops Tingo will automatically rebook your reservation at the lower rate — right up until you check in.

Tingo’s prices are comparable to other online bookers like Hotels.com and Expedia, so the downside is nil. You’re starting at the amount you normally would with the possibility of going down from there.

But that isn’t the only thing making Tingo a powerful hotel site. Narrow your search by amenities, read TripAdvisor reviews, and toggle the map view on to see exactly where your digs are located.

It’s the whole kit ‘n’ caboodle.

But the fourth friend lives too far away, so the poor kid’s on his own.

RendezNew allows for a more democratic approach to hanging out: meeting in the middle.

Enter up to four starting addresses and the map-based tool will find the midpoint and plot a cluster of possible meeting places around it. To ensure it’s the right hotel, museum, or taqueria for everyone, reviews from Yelp or Google (your choice) open up in a new window.

There’s a link to share the results with all parties involved, but even more helpful is that every destination option comes with personalized Google Maps directions from each individual starting point.

It’s the easiest way to guarantee everyone shows up — bar none.

At the end of the day, not much.

If you agree, good news: Guestmob can get you into one of those hotels at a deep discount. The only catch? You won’t know which one until the booking is confirmed.

Start by choosing your destination city and date range of stay. Guestmob’s search results will give you a choice of “collections” — groups of hotels in the same neighborhood with the same star rating. Book the collection that suits your needs; you’ll receive an email with the winning hotel on the Thursday before your scheduled arrival. Last-minute reservations will confirm immediately.

Suspicious? We were too. But when we cross-checked rates with other sites for the same time periods, Guestmob was consistently at least 30 percent cheaper.

Consider it an invitation to throw caution to the wind.

The definition of a reversal of fortune: us discovering Superfly, a search engine that factors in users’ rewards points when finding flights.

Lots of sites can find the lowest fares — but seeing if those fares can go even lower by using rewards points is something that we, like lots of people, don’t have the head for.

Simply creating an account is fascinating; like constructing your travel fingerprint. Sync your rewards programs — everything from credit cards to airline-specific programs — and you’ll immediately see a tally of your “potential savings.” (In our case, $477. Just sitting there.)

When searching for flights, results are plotted in three columns: price, available rewards (already converted to dollars), and price minus rewards. Sometimes rewards won’t factor in. But when they do, you’ll feel like a travel genius.

For the person you’re supposed to be meeting for dinner, they just want to know where the heck you are.

Instead of texting updates every two minutes, use Glympse to send anyone you want a real-time map that shows where you are, where you’re going, and how much longer until you get there.

Unlike other services that broadcast your phone’s GPS location to everyone willy nilly, Glimpse only shares your whereabouts with specific individuals – and each session expires after an allotted time for your privacy and protection.

Apps are available for Android, iPhone, Windows Phone or BlackBerry. After you’ve used the service a few times, you can even add recurring trips (say, your commute) for an even more hands-off experience.

So you can continue enjoying the journey while others focus on your destination.

So every forecast predicting hail the size of golf balls just meant another awesome game of mini golf.

Wundermap has cleared up a whole lot of issues — and even some weather conflicts. It’s a highly customizable weather map with constantly up-to-date information from weather stations across the nation.

Though they’re great with normal temperatures, they specialize in extreme weather conditions. From nearby fires to snowfall to hurricane potential, relevant information and alternating sources or display methods is all conveniently to the right of your ever-changing weather chart.

Perhaps best of all is the Road Trip Planner. It bolsters your standard Google Map direction search with weather temperatures along your route as well as warnings about temperature drops below freezing and rain chances.

With these mysteries solved, the only horror left is doppelgänger attacks.

You want: to get as far away from dodge as possible.

Enter Cartoo, a site that will show you how far you can travel from your starting point in a certain amount of time going north, south, east, or west.

For the old-fashioned city dweller, the site works for walking and biking, too. Add a second starting point to plot the perfect rendezvous point for you and a friend.

And because the whole thing is overlaid on a Google Map it’s easy to find familiar coffee shops, restaurants, and other pitstops along the route.

You get: some peace and quiet while making it home in time for dinner.

Until you get lost. And hungry. And someone needs a bathroom.

Using a combination of Google Maps and Foursquare check-ins, OnTheWay not only plots the shortest route between destinations but also shows you popular stopping points along the way.

Find restaurants with local flavor (instead of local McDonald’s with no flavor) and take minor detours for gawk-worthy attractions like the world’s largest twine ball or a house made of beer cans.

In no rush? Add some tangents to your itinerary and soak up the scenery before reaching your final stop.

Just be sure to pack light and say hello to cousin Eddie for us.

To provide a little insight on the wonderful nerdy things the world has to offer and to encourage a little vitamin D consumption, there’s a beautiful site called NerdyDayTrips. It’s a user-generated site using Google Maps to keep the debate about the level of each trip’s nerdery levels going in perpetuity.

But whether you’re looking for a trip to the Maredsous Abbey, on a Moose Safari or the Titan Missile Museum, there’s always something interesting nearby. If you can’t find anything, though, you can easily add your favorite nerdy day trips in your area.

The commenting system’s also a great place to leave your favorite math problems and activity recommendations for each location. But as with any online commenting, don’t feed the trolls, or as they’re more commonly known, the dorks.

Hipmunk‘s filters for finding a hotel will perk you right up, as their streamlined search and clean map interface make travel planning way easier. It’s the same system that has proven so incredibly popular for finding flights, now with a comprehensive hotel search to complete the package.

Hotel results are easily sorted by price range or Tripadvisor reviews. And Hipmunk improves on the traditional search results with “heatmaps” that display concentrations of food, bars, shopping and more to help you decide which neighborhood is right for you.

They’ve thought of all the amenities you could need, right down to childcare, currency exchanges or the presence of in-room coffee makers.

We assume coffee filters are included.

Fortunately, no matter how far you go off the beaten path, GPS Tuner will help keep you on the right trail. It’s a fantastic smartphone app that ensures your hiking party won’t also require a search party.

Even the biggest of city slickers will find it easy to track and plan trips, whether on foot or in the car. With maps easily downloaded onto your phone for offline use, a compass and a bubble level to stay on course, you relax and enjoy what nature has to offer.

Its social capabilities allow you share your current location and track details on Facebook and Twitter so you’ll never be too far out of touch to brag about your beautiful location to those of us stuck at the office. Prefer to play like the professionals? With GPS Tuner you can chart daylight, direction and altitude, making you the Grizzly Adams of the smartphone generation.

It’s designed for the outdoor aficionado and the brand-new converts alike, but assembling the tent is still up to you. Finally your worst woodland fears won’t be living out the plot of Deliverance, just whether or not you’ll make it back in time to catch it on TNT.

If your phone doesn’t answer to “Starscream,” there’s Mapnificent to explain how far you can travel on public transport in a given amount of time.  It’s perfect for planning a local getaway or exploring a vacation destination.

By simply adjusting a slider for the amount of time you have, it adds an overlay illustrating exactly how far you can travel from where you are. Then you can search within that area to find things like bookstores, coffee shops, dentists or whatever flights of fancy you can concoct.

In fact, in Firefox or Opera, when you drop another dot down on the map to represent a friend, you can search for meeting spots right in the intersection.  Whether or not your friend shows, you can adjust travel considerations for things like how you’re only riding bicycles during your stay and time of the day or week.

Honestly, we sometimes use it to just plan our commute.  It makes way more sense than yelling, “Smart phone! Transform and rise up!” every time we have to head uptown.

Before every Artisanal Coffee Hike or Brooklyn Bridge Walk, we consult EveryTrail. The ultimate guide for walking tours and sightseeing, it’s even appropriate for normal hikes with things like trees and dirt if extreme espressos aren’t for you.

Fellow users who know and love the trail you’re considering prepare every guide so you won’t miss a single beautiful sight.  Guideposts are laid out in Google Maps and paired with instructions, hints and tips.

If you’ve already got your foot out the door, you can download the guide for your smartphone and take it with you on the go. Or you can just download their app and view your guide from there, browse trails nearby or track your trek to easily create a new trail.

It’s safe to say our urban hiking habit has become pretty serious. Be warned, though: urban camping can get you in serious trouble — unless you’re waiting for the new iPhone.

Roadside America makes road trips into road adventures, with listings of thousands of roadside attractions and oddities across the US and Canada. Available both on their site and iPhone app, it’s easy to find points of interest by location (states) or theme (pet cemetaries!).

For those that never leave home without the soothing voice of a GPS unit, there are also downloads available for TomTom and Garmin.

Many amazing attractions have been added by experts, but the site also accepts submissions, so any local pro-tips about muffler men, dentistry museums or Abraham Lincoln resting places are welcome.

The site may not be the most cutting edge implementation we’ve ever seen, but when it comes to comprehensive listings of roadside oddities, Roadside America can’t be beat. Besides, giant novelty fruit is all about the offline experience, anyway.

Luckily, Roomorama makes visiting a new city about living like a local instead of just visiting touristy landmarks. They replace hotel rooms with apartment rentals, making your travel experience more genuine and memorable than a stay at a generic hotel chain.

And we’re offering $15 off your first stay so you can try it! Just use code “TOS” when you check out.

Their impressive inventory includes properties in 430 locations ranging from Denver to Dubrovnik. Plus each apartment listed also comes with ratings from past renters so you know exactly what you’re getting before you book.

It’s all the charm of the personalized experience, without any of the worry. Roomorama keeps your payment secure, and won’t release it till you confirm that everything’s A-OK. Plus the new Roomorama Perks program will help you live like a local too, with discount offers on the best services, restaurants and attractions.

After all, a homemade omelet beats a sad continental breakfast any day of the week.

After downloading TripLingo and spending some time on Memrise, our language skills are finally travel-worthy. TripLingo apps specialize in teaching 7 languages on iOS devices, while Memrise boasts an ever-expanding learning database with languages like Swedish, Mandarin and Words Lewis Carroll Made Up.


Every TripLingo language pack available uses flash cards and audio pronunciation to help you remember important phrases, words, slang and numbers on the go. You can even choose to learn formal or friendly dialect with a simple sliding scale. Planning a trip to the Caribbean? We suggest downloading and studying how to speak Pirate before you go (it’s free).

Memrise uses a quiz-based method paired with videos, explanations and animated pictures to help you remember definitions. It keeps track of the words you’ve mastered and adds on more as you progress. And did we mention they offer an incredible array of languages and topics?

We think these learning tools are, as the French say, “really, really awesome.” (We still have some studying to do)

But great travel also requires friends, which is why we love gtrot. It lets you share travel plans in seconds, find friends in your destination, and collect travel advice from people you trust.

Gtrot links with your Facebook to find friends who live in your destination, will be there at the same time, or who have been there before. You could end up with a friend to guide you around during your trip, or at the very least get advice on where to score the best taco in town.

Our travel plans and social lives haven’t overlapped this seamlessly since we went to the national Friendster meetup back in 2004. The best part? If you’re traveling to a major US city, they’ll even hook you up with the best daily deals from sites like Groupon before you go.

Of course, you could always just travel with your parents but that would mean…traveling with your parents.

Netted has you covered with online tools to help you get the most out of your summer trips while making sure your time and money are well spent. So grab your sunscreen, prep your flight-booking fingers and get ready to hit the road–it’s vacation time.

That’s why we’re pleased to announce our amazing contest to win a trip for two to the Webby Awards, taking place on June 13^th in New York City. Just one click could score you an evening basking in the glow of the Internet’s awesomeness.

Picture this: winners will be whisked away to New York and receive two tickets to the ceremony. After an evening of special performances and five-word speeches, you’ll hob knob with the best of the Internet at the super exclusive Webby after party.

Totally exciting, right? All you have to do to enter is “like” us on Facebook by clicking here (if you haven’t already). Preparing a five-word victory tweet is optional.

For those of you who don’t win, you’ll still be able to watch the entire ceremony streaming live on our Facebook page, complete with commentary from the Netted team. You may even score a prize from one of our previous Netted features.

We suggest preparing for your big Webby viewing party by stocking up with Snack&Munch. They’ll ship 24 of your favorite snacks and candy to your door for just $24.

We haven’t been this excited since Tom Selleck tweeted at us. Good luck, and we’ll see you in New York on June 13th!

In search of the perfect getaway that fits the Prince’s tight budget, we turned to the fabulous vacation packages offered on TripAlertz. It takes already low vacation prices and rewards users by dropping the price even lower whenever more people book. The result is a reverse auction where everyone who bids wins.

TripAlertz asks you to vote on which premium vacations interest you the most. The most popular packages go on sale starting each Tuesday. And even though the price drops every time someone else books a trip, the “early bird advantage” could score the first bidders special amenities (like free room upgrades).

Besides, they’re giving away a trip to space. The member price is currently listed at $85,000, so it might be worth a shot.

We were going to throw our hat in the ring, but we already commute in the Netted spaceship. Also, Team Netted doesn’t wear hats.

This mysterious civilization lives on in Webby Honoree Travelstormer, which takes all the pain out of organizing group vacations.

The site streamlines group decision-making by keeping your conversation and itinerary in one place. It’s far more organized than our usual assortment of random Facebook threads, convoluted email chains and emergency phone trees.

Members can vote on your plans, ensuring that at least the majority of travelers will be happy with the outcome. Plus, you can track and split expenses fairly, meaning that travelers stay happy.

After all, it’s one thing to take a trip with friends or family. It’s another thing to still be on speaking terms once it’s all over.

iStopOver has quickly become a top resource for those seeking refuge from The Donald’s ubiquity. They offer affordable accommodations for travelers looking for a unique place to stay.

The site offers an escape from the overpriced and generic experience of renting hotel rooms by listing apartments available for short term rentals. It also guarantees access to reviews, local recommendations, and prices that won’t break the bank.

iStopOver also specializes in planning around big international events like the Super Bowl or World Cup, helping you avoid extortionary hotel rate hikes.

Now you can travel around the world without Trump crowning you Miss USA. We’ve noticed that their contestants seem to have trouble with maps and geography, anyway.

While parasites and lost luggage may still be terrible, GoGoBot crowd-sources the power of the traveling hordes to your advantage to help you plan the perfect vacation. They boast an internal network of real life travelers and integrate with your Facebook and Twitter accounts to get reviews and recommendations from people you know.

Besides providing insights about fine dining, things to see and places to stay, the site also boasts award-winning design. Simplicity and neatness are paired with photos piped in from places like Flickr to properly prepare you for your journey.

And there’s good news: Gogobot announced yesterday that they are partnering with Expedia, Kayak and others to provide integrated travel booking. This makes them a veritable one-stop travel site unlike any other.

Pack up your insect repellent and put down the cattle prod…you won’t be needing it to control the Disney World crowds this time around. Hopefully.

SniqueAway is part of the colossal TripAdvisor family and an invite-only network specializing in four- and five-star rated accommodations. We’re providing you with special early access to their outstanding travel deals.

All the details you’ll need for a fabulous vacation are at your fingertips thanks to a weekly email. Everything from high-end weekends in Charleston to bunking up in a Moroccan oasis is offered.

As always, with TripAdvisor’s expertise, you’ll know exactly what you’re getting when you book thanks to reviews and exhaustive research.

And no matter what your friends may tell you, Paris, Texas bears little to no resemblance to the French city that shares its name.

Special Deal for Netted Subscribers:

Even though SniqueAway is invite only, you can become a member by clicking here.

With the help of FlightCaster you’ll be able to shake off the airlines’ influence and get an unbiased answer on whether or not your plane will be arriving on time.

The site uses a combination of 10 years of flight data and forecasting from the airline, the FAA and current local weather conditions to gauge the likelihood of your flight being delayed or canceled as far as six hours in advance.

It isn’t accurate 100% of the time, but it certainly does not disappoint with an average 95% accuracy rate. The advance warning is also available as a mobile app, allowing much needed spare time for backpack repacking or new flight scheduling.

Even if you do return home to find that a large, bearded, sword-wielding man named Sven has claimed your house, FlightCaster could quickly become your saving grace in a world of delayed flights.

FareCompare searches flights and dates for the lowest prices as well as offering recommendations about the best destinations, departure times and when to commit to your dream cheap vacation.

The free When-To-Fly iPhone app can be set up, just like the available email alerts, to keep you constantly in the know about price changes being made on all of your potential vacations.

With thousands of prices and guides to making the right decision, never again will Sir Isaac Newton’s rumors obstruct access to an affordable airplane ticket.

While this may seem like an unlikely scenario, it has happened to at least three people we know. And if you’re thinking like they are, you’re using this as the perfect excuse for a last minute trip.

If you’re one of the fortunate ones, consider Tablet Hotels, a go-to source for great last minute hotel deals around the world.

Whether you want to visit friends in Chicago or live like a high roller in the French Riviera, chances are you’ll find a destination that interests you, except (surprise!) you can book lodging at discounts up to 60%.

The site even has you covered on recommended travel music to match your hotel and quick links to last minute items you may need for spending the week living life like a Sofia Coppola movie.

Also surprising: how amazing vacations are.

Special Deal for Netted Readers:
Right now, Tablet is limited to invitees, but Netted readers can be part of the chosen few by using the code Netted at signup (this link will enter the code for you).

To add a little spark to your traveling life, we recommend Wanderfly, a new service that helps you plan the trips you never knew you wanted to take.

All you need to use Wanderfly is a price range, the dates that you’re able to travel and what like to experience on your vacation (beach, romance, outdoors or spa, for example).

You can specify the city or area you’d like to travel, or you just put in your budget and travel dates.

From there, Wanderfly will offer up different destinations based on the criteria you entered. Recommendations for attractions and restaurants are included and can be saved in a “to do” list.

And if you find a trip you like, you can book it (they partner with Expedia).

Your apartment is going to be so lonely without you.

For such moments there’s Adioso, a budget-friendly search engine for spontaneous and adventurous travelers.

When you visit the site it shows you the cheapest domestic and international flights available from your city by auto-searching low-cost airlines for the best possible fares.  If your schedule permits you can book the trip.

Of course, you can also search a specific destination and time frame with the site’s natural language interface (e.g. “Chicago to anywhere under $200 next week” or “NYC to Seattle early March”).

Search results are presented in a graph that shows fluctuations in price over time, so you can rest assured that you’re flying on the cheapest date.

It’s the best thing to happen to jetsetting since the invention of the jet.

Enter AHAlife, a sale-a-day website that features items from unique designers around the world, curated by some of the brightest minds in the industry.

After you create an account, you’ll begin receiving emails alerting you to each day’s sale item.

They offer one inspiring item for 24 hours, and their product list runs the gamut from fashion and food to home décor and gadgets. (If you miss a sale you can buy past items, as availability allows).

AHAlife also tells the story behind the making of the product, along with a designer profile and sometimes a video or audio slideshow that takes you inside the creative process.

It’s like having Tim Gunn as your personal shopper.

Travel guidebooks have always been a curious tool for globetrotters. Though well intentioned, they can be confusing and often contain extraneous info.

Thankfully, there’s Stay.com, a site that allows you to create your own custom travel guides for the cities you’re visiting.

Start by creating an account and picking which city you’ll be visiting. From there you can add the restaurants, attractions and sites that you’d like to visit (the site also allows you to book hotel rooms).

If you’re looking for guidance on a place you’re visiting, browse guides that have been created by other users. Many of them have themes (e.g. “things to do with your kids” or “New York’s Most Beautiful Parks”) and can help you get off the beaten path.

When you’re finished, download your guidebook as a PDF to print or share with others. All items included are pinpointed on a map, making navigating a snap, and the layout makes them easy to fold and carry.

The planet doesn’t feel so lonely anymore.

Travel sites all suffer from one similar fatal flaw: too many search results, and not enough clarity.

Simplifying the process is Hipmunk, a new service that makes it easy to find the right flight, thanks to its drop dead simple visual interface.

To start just enter your locale, your destination and your departure/return date.  Then prepare to be dazzled.

The results show up in a colorful grid-like chart (with prices on the vertical axis and times on the horizontal axis).  You see all of your options right there in one place, free of clutter, text chunks and ads.

You can sort by price, flight duration, and the number of layover (hint: use “agony” button for a one-click version of all three).    When you find a flight you like you can click on it for more information.

The site doesn’t sell tickets, but they do direct you to services that do sell the flights they list.

Thankfully there’s LateRooms, an international service that helps you find the cheapest possible deals on hotel room (and other travel arrangements).

If you have a specific place in mind, start by searching for a hotel by location or name. If you’re just looking for extra incentive to get away, you can search for specific deals, including free nights, extra amenities, combo deals or free upgrades.

LateRooms also gives you the option to book “secret rooms,” which will give you the general vicinity of the hotel and its star rating but won’t disclose the name until you book (this is done so fancy hotels can save face by filling rooms without having to advertise a discount).

If you’re looking for something a little homier than a hotel room, you can also book cottages, apartments or villas throughout Europe. Car rentals are also available, and they offer free city guides many European hubs.

As for convincing your boss to give you the time off, you’re on your own.

Thankfully, there’s Getset, a one-stop service that offers instant price comparison across multiple forms of travel, allowing you to find the cheapest way.

Simply enter the city where you’re coming from and where you need to go. (For now, only the US is covered, but major cities are being added every day.)

Getset will provide you with instant travel price information on driving, flight, and bus costs (they’re working adding train prices) so you can compare prices in an easy to read side-by-side chart.

From there, you can book your tickets or rent a car and get the heck out of town.

Unfortunately, it can’t guarantee that you won’t be sitting next to a “talker.”

Enter Zozi, a new national service that offers deeply discounted deals on activities and events taking place in your locality.

Start by selecting your city–as of today’s national launch they serve New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, and 11 other major U.S. metros–to find out what deal is currently available.

They offer everything from sailing excursions to fire eating lessons to racecar driving.  And, in celebration of their national launch, they’re giving away $500,000 in free excursions
in the next 48 hours.
Zozi is able to offer discounts of up to 90% off by ensuring that a specified minimum number of people sign up to get the deal.

Once you sign up for a deal you can share it with your friends to make sure the minimum is met. (If not enough people sign up, you are not charged and a new deal is offered).

If you’re planning a trip be sure to check out their equally exciting vacation packages (like a 7-day kayaking trip in Baja).

Now go climb a mountain (or something like that).

Helping to make this a safe and easy possibility is Roomorama, an online service that allows you to find short-term apartment and home rentals in major cities across the globe.

Start by signing up for a free account, which will give you access to all of the current listings, including photos and descriptions. Their inventory is impressive, covering everywhere from Amsterdam to Yokohama.

Once you find a listing that suits your needs, Roomorama will contact the owner to let them know you’re interested.

All payments are handled online, meaning you won’t have to worry about transfering cash. And Roomorama doesn’t release your payment to the host until they enter the six-digit payment code you give them upon arrival.

If you want learn more about your host’s track record, each of them has a profile where previous visitors can post reviews about their stays.

Yet another reason to buy that private jet…

Special To Netted Readers:
Roomorama is offering $20 of rental credit. Enter the code ROOMORAMA_WEBBYLOVE at checkout to take advantage of this offer. (Offer valid through 10/24/2010).

Enter TripTracker, a service that adds a layer of social networking and mapmaking to your travelogues.

To begin, sign up for a free account. Then add the details of the trip you want to brag about. You can upload photos, write journal entries and create maps that track the journey.

Perhaps the coolest feature on the site is the GPS track, which allows you to remotely upload data from your GPS unit to create a travel map to share with family and friends. TripTracker supports a wide variety of major, name-brand GPS units.

You’ll never have to remember to send a postcard again.

Enter Luxe Home Swap, a service that allows you to exchange your home for another luxury dwelling in some exotic port of call.

To begin, browse through the potential homes you might want to swap for your own (it’s free to look).

Luxe Home Swap is global, offering everything from small apartments in major world capitals to charming estates in the European countryside.

Feel like swapping your apartment in New York for one in Paris? No problem. There’s a perfect two bedroom complete with crown moldings, high ceilings, and free WiFi.

Each homeowner lists nearby restaurants, bars, and attractions with a few key points about what type of people they are (hobbies, occupation, etc.). In addition, each listing displays where its owner would prefer to travel.

Once you’ve found a potential swap, you’ll need to sign up for an account. Membership runs $159 annually, with a guarantee that you’ll find a home exchange within the first year. (If you’re unable to find one, they’ll pay for your second year).

And no, the White House is not on their list (not yet, anyway).

To simplify things, there’s Gliider, a browser add-on that allows you to aggregate all of your travel research into one streamlined place.

Just download and install Gliider in your browser (Firefox and Internet Explorer are supported) and click “New Trip.” After filling out some basic information, start researching your getaway.

When you come across something that interests you, simply click the Gliider arrow in your browser, highlight the text and pictures you want, and drag them to the appropriate folder.  There’s not printing or bookmarking necessary.

Gliider also uses your information and materials to suggest deals on flights and hotels relevant to your search.

Unfortunately, packing for your trip is still your responsibility.

Making plans is fun. Unfortunately, actually meeting often involves back-and-forth text messages explaining where you are along the route.

To remove the mystery, there’s Glympse, a mobile app that allows you to share your exact location with a friend for a set period of time.

Start by downloading the free Glympse app to your Android, iPhone or Windows Mobile device.

When you want to share your location with a friend, add their email address or cell phone number to grant them access to a Google map with your real time location for anywhere from 15 minutes to several hours.

If your friend doesn’t own one of the supported smartphones, they can still view your location from any computer. Glympse even monitors your speed and calculates your ETA.

The service is very handy for groups meeting in large places (like a park or arena) and families waiting on arriving relatives, to say nothing of that annoying friend who is always twenty minutes late.

Now, if only there were a way to Glympse your paycheck.

For the adventurer in you, there’s Globetrooper, a social network site that allows you to create or join a planned itinerary with other like-minded travelers.

Simply create an account and begin perusing the site. You can search by type of trip (backpacking, food and wine discovery or railway adventure, for example) or by region of the world.

Trips come complete with projections on cost and duration, as well rankings for how much culture shock you’ll experience or how risky they are. (The site offers everything from a weekend in Montreal to an attempt to climb Mt. Everest)

Even if you’re not looking to join up with others, the itineraries serve as great inspiration for booking your own trips.

Now you just need to arrange for that month-long work sabbatical.

For those who like cross an ocean when they get out of town, there’s Vayama, a travel site that specializes in finding the best deals on international airfare and accommodations.

Vayama’s relationships with specialty carriers gives them access to discounts that you can’t find anywhere else.

If you already have a destination in mind, simply enter your city of origin, destination and travel dates. Vayama will search to find you the best fares available.

If you’re in the mood to browse, take advantage of Vayama’s unique map layout by plotting a course around the globe. (This gives booking flights a bit of that “throwing darts at a map” feeling of adventure)

Just make sure you don’t run out of room for stamps in your passport too quickly.

Enter Luggage Free, a service that ships luggage to anywhere in the world, saving you the, uh, baggage that often accompanies your baggage.

Simply fill out the online form and arrange for a Luggage Free representative to pick up your items from your home, office, hotel or cruise ship. (You don’t even have to be present when they arrive).

When you arrive at your destination, bypass baggage claim (and, for international travel, customs) and go straight to your hotel or home, where your bags will be waiting for you.

The service is priced based on a per-pound rate instead of a weight range, with priority overnight options available for most major cities. (The cost for standard overnight domestic shipping is $5.35 per pound, plus a $50 service fee).

A handy on-site feature estimates the cost of common items like bikes, skis and golf bags based on origin and destination points.

In terms of logistics, an in-house team tracks your bags along their route, alerting you by e-mail when your belongings arrive. When your trip is over, simply schedule a return pick up (if you haven’t done so already) and the entire process is reversed.

All shipments are insured for up to $1000, with additional coverage available up to any amount.

With service like this, the only stress during your travels will be whether or not the sales guy in the seat next to you will turn the pages of his Grisham novel too loudly.

Enter Map Envelope, a free service that allows you to create an envelope whose inner lining is a custom Google Map featuring a satellite photo of whatever locale you choose.

The service couldn’t be easier to use.  Just enter your location and an optional custom message and hit “preview.”   If you’re happy with your creation, hit print.

A minute or so later you have the makings of a custom envelope (you do have to fold it, but they include convenient hash lines, so even we managed to do it).

The lining is a crisp satellite image of the location you select, with your address and a custom message you write attached to the location pin, just as it would appear on Google Maps.

Snail mail just got cool again.

And even if you can’t actually cycle into the office, you should be aware that Google Maps recently added a Biking Directions feature. (The Beta version covers 150 U.S. cities and includes 15,000 miles of off-street bike trails courtesy of Rails To Trails).

This means you can now use Google to find a convenient and efficient route that makes use of dedicated bike lanes and avoids traffic (you can also find routes that contain the smallest amount of hills).

To find biking directions, select “Bicycling” from the drop-down menu when you do a directions search.

Bike routes show up in various shades of green–dark green indicates a dedicated bike-only trail; light green indicates a dedicated bike lane along a road; and dashed green indicates roads that are designated as “preferred” for bicycling but don’t have dedicated lanes.

Those who feel particularly passionate about this issue can sign a petition at People For Bikes.  Their goal is to gather a million names, and to influence Congress to invest in bicycling lanes, facilities and programs.

To solve your TSA woes, try 3floz, an online boutique dedicated exclusively to selling travel-friendly beauty/grooming products that meet airport security requirements.

Unlike drug stores that stock mainly cheap or generic travel-size products, 3floz carries petite versions of the brand-name products you know and trust.

While the site is heavy on luxury beauty products, it also has an extensive selection of practical, everyday items like deodorants and sunscreens.

They also have some handy pre-sorted kits that contain everything you might need. And the site offers free shipping on orders over $100.

You can either use them or give up on grooming altogether while you travel–which we don’t recommend.

Forget the classifieds and try Domegos, an online marketplace that brings homeowners and potential renters together in a no-fee environment.

The site offers more than 5,000 vacations homes in 70 countries, which makes it perfect for those looking to add some international flavor to their vacation schedule.

You can search by country, region or city and you can also focus your search by dates and occupancy size.

The layout is clean, the photos large and the details on specific rentals are easy to find. There are tabs for just about every question you could have, including a map, availability dates, reviews and rates (broken down by nightly, weekly, monthly and seasonal prices).

The site puts potential renters in contact with owners.  From there the two parties deal directly with each other, which is what keeps it free of commissions and fees.