Some are as useful as a GPS device, others aren't that useful but give you something to do when you had nothing planned for the day. Put them all together and they become TIME.com's 2008 picks for the best the Web has to offer
The best travel guides have one thing in common: they're up to date. That's whyWikiTravel has become the most invaluable travel resource on the Web. While message boards like LonelyPlanet'sThorn Tree Travel Forum are great for specific questions — such as "Should I spend more than a day at Angkor Wat?" — and community sites likeTripAdvisor are useful for seeing other folks' photos and reviews, only WikiTravel keeps a concise, current directory of nearly 20,000 destinations. It's so complete, you'll be tempted to skip the guidebook altogether.
—Anita Hamilton
