Web Destinations

Friday, April 14th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

'If last yearâ€™s tour of miniature golf courses of the Midwest wasnâ€™t as exciting as it seemed in the planning stages, some advice on this yearâ€™s trip may be in order. The sites weâ€™ve hunted up arenâ€™t as good at picking the perfect destination as they are on offering tips to make the going easier. Advice here comes on things such as packing light and avoiding foreign travel glitches. Thereâ€™s also guidance on a few out-of-the-way side trips. from people whoâ€™ve already made the journey and from some whose job it is to make sure you get back in one piece even if your luggage doesnâ€™t.

The Savvy Traveler
www.savvytraveler.com
An online spin-off of a public radio show, savvy traveler Rudy Maxa posts at least five features that include â€œtravel tips with attitudeâ€ and tales of journeys off the beaten path. Our last visit included highlights from a nostalgic run on the Orient Express, minutes from the last meeting of the world-renowned Explorers Club and a coast-to-coast sampler of American diners. Better yet, take the tour of a stately West Virginia hotel that has a government-financed, bombproof bunker originally built for Congress in the event of nuclear war. Mr. Maxa also throws in reviews of site-specific travel books for incurable wanderers.
The Compleat Carry-On Traveler
www.oratory.com/travel
Donâ€™t look for much advice - or sympathy - from Doug Dyment on schlepping a complete wardrobe through seven European countries in four days. The Guerrilla Guide to Travel Happiness is solely dedicated to living â€œan indefinite period of time out of a single (carry-on-sized) bag.â€ Like his advice, Mr. Dymentâ€™s page is neatly packed with just the right amount of information that can be rummaged through in minutes to make a seasoned traveler out of greenhorn tourist. Hereâ€™s what to take, what to take it in, how to pack it and youâ€™re on the way, lickety-split, with only three pairs of underwear.

Bureau of Consular Affairs
travel.state.gov
The U.S. State Departmentâ€™s site holds volumes of useful information for world travelers in page-after-linking-page plainness. What do you want - a Web fashion show or how to make bail in a Malaysian jail? This site has passport information, consul phone numbers, visa services, warnings about war-torn or hostile destinations - and a search engine. We plugged in â€œlostâ€ and â€œpassport,â€ and got scores of relevancy-rated links to data. Think of it this way: If a traveler is going to get in a jam abroad, this is the place to find out whether the countryâ€™s diplomatic corps will spring to the travelerâ€™s aid.

Travelersâ€™ Health
www.cdc.gov/travel
The Centers for Disease Control doesnâ€™t offer the sunniest travel advice in the world, but what its doctors have to say could save your bacon. We immediately snapped to the Destinations feature, which lets visitors jump directly to what vaccinations are recommended for travel to particular corners of the globe. A trip to the Middle East, for example, might call for protection against typhoid, the current alphabet of hepatitis types or a fresh booster against tetanus-diphtheria. Of course, donâ€™t rule out that handy yellow fever certificate for entry into some spots and be sure to bring protection against insects that might carry dengue fever or plague.

Tips 4 Trips
www.tips4trips.com
Mercifully, the tips here donâ€™t come from diplomats, tropical disease experts or hostage negotiators - just regular people whoâ€™ve been there and done that. Travel advice can be as simple as packing tips or as detailed as finding car rental deals in Britain. The site also includes tips for making trips more enjoyable for disabled travelers or for those with special medical needs. Advice throughout is usually accompanied by a link to other source information, so a trip here can cover almost the Webâ€™s wide world.

@dventuremom
www.adventuremom.com
When people describe their travel experiences with children as adventures, odds are they say it with a wry voice that means â€œit was a vacation from hell.â€ We had high hopes that this page would make traveling with kids easier. Instead, @dventuremom passed out skimpy samples of vacation spot reviews and travel journals that allude to family-friendly hotels and attractions. Then the Kids Corner, which we prayed would offer ideas on how to keep pint-size travel companions from going postal, came up blank - much like the stares from weary parents in crowded airports whoâ€™ve sat through long flights with bored toddlers. Yeah, we got your adventure for you.

Adventure Network
www.adventurenetwork.com
Maybe something wilder is in order for this yearâ€™s big trip, like sea kayaking in the Northwest or mountain climbing in Montana. Getting ideas for those kinds of adventures should have been easy here, but the best we could do was scrounge up some camping and hiking tips and a little advice on how to layer your clothing when hanging out in the great outdoors. The rest of the page focuses on gear that can cost enough to force a yearâ€™s delay for that big hike up Mount Denali. A little more advice, please.