{"id":2015,"date":"2012-06-29T07:52:16","date_gmt":"2012-06-29T06:52:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.alchealth.com\/news\/?p=2015"},"modified":"2013-02-16T16:37:49","modified_gmt":"2013-02-16T16:37:49","slug":"social-travel-craze-%e2%80%93-15-social-travel-websites","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alchealth.com\/news\/social-travel-craze-%e2%80%93-15-social-travel-websites\/","title":{"rendered":"Social Travel Craze \u2013 15 Social Travel Websites"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Whether or not you want to invest in social networks, I\u2019m almost certain that you\u2019re spending at least some time on them. And you\u2019re probably even doing some travel planning on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and the rest reports the<a href=\"http:\/\/www.healthytravelblog.com\/\"> Healthy Travel Blog<\/a><\/p>\n<p>We even gave you some helpful hints on\u00a0<a title=\"http:\/\/www.healthytravelblog.com\/2012\/02\/28\/planning-your-trip-with-pinterest\/\" href=\"http:\/\/www.healthytravelblog.com\/2012\/02\/28\/planning-your-trip-with-pinterest\/\" target=\"_blank\">how to use Pinterest to plan a trip<\/a>\u00a0a couple months ago. But that\u2019s just dipping your toe into the Social Travel craze \u2013\u00a0 there are many other tools out there specifically built to make travel a more social experience \u2026 even if some of them seem to be forcing the issue like a bad dinner party.<!--more--><\/p>\n<p>There are really three pieces to the social travel puzzle:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Research and planning engines fueled by social recommendations,<\/li>\n<li>Social networks focused on accommodations, and<\/li>\n<li>Social networks and apps focused on connecting you to people.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>All three have the power to make your trip a lot more interesting (and, yes, that\u2019s a double-edged sword). Here\u2019s a roundup of the websites that can help you fully leverage your social travel network:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Planning<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a title=\"http:\/\/www.gogobot.com\/\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gogobot.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">GoGoBot<\/a>\u00a0surpassed\u00a0<a title=\"http:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2012\/05\/16\/social-travel-service-gogobot-passes-1-million-registered-users\/\" href=\"http:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2012\/05\/16\/social-travel-service-gogobot-passes-1-million-registered-users\/\" target=\"_blank\">1 million registered users last month<\/a>, is a travel-focused social network where you can interact with other members. So, for example, if you\u2019re struggling finding reasonably priced accommodations, you can pose a question to the community and get an answer from someone who\u2019s boots are already on the ground.<\/li>\n<li><a title=\"http:\/\/tripbirds.com\/\" href=\"http:\/\/tripbirds.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Tripbirds<\/a>, which seems to be struggling and is going dark next week for at least a bit, leverages your geo-check-ins on networks such as Foursquare to make recommendations in cities you\u2019re traveling to.<\/li>\n<li><a title=\"http:\/\/www.trippy.com\/\" href=\"http:\/\/www.trippy.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Trippy<\/a>\u00a0is one of the granddaddies of this category, launching way back last September. It allows your social network connections to help you collect ideas for your upcoming trip and then automatically converts your friends\u2019 recommendations into an itinerary and plots the trip on the user\u2019s travel map.<\/li>\n<li><a title=\"http:\/\/www.uptake.com\/about.html\" href=\"http:\/\/www.uptake.com\/about.html\" target=\"_blank\">Uptake<\/a>\u00a0 provides recommendations based upon what your friends around the globe(and their friends) tell you, along with an aggregation of existing travel guides. Uptake was just purchased by Groupon for a reported $20 million.<strong><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><a title=\"http:\/\/www.wanderfly.com\/\" href=\"http:\/\/www.wanderfly.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Wanderfly<\/a>\u00a0works a lot like Pinterest \u2013 you make boards for cities you\u2019ve visited or are considering visiting. The search function allows you to set parameters such as interests, travel dates and budget so that what you\u2019re looking at really is a good fit for you.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Accommodations and Getting There<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a title=\"http:\/\/www.airbnb.com\/\" href=\"http:\/\/www.airbnb.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Airbnb<\/a>\u00a0matches travelers looking for unique and\/or cheap places to stay with hosts. So, if you want to spend just a couple Euros and are cool with sleeping in someone\u2019s guestroom in Paris, Airbnb will match you with someone in Paris looking to make a couple extra Euros who doesn\u2019t mind having a stranger sleeping in her guest room.<\/li>\n<li><a title=\"http:\/\/www.casahop.com\/\" href=\"http:\/\/www.casahop.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Casahop<\/a>\u00a0allows you to swap homes with someone in your social network for a weekend or perhaps longer. I like to think of this as kind of a \u201csocial timeshare.\u201d<\/li>\n<li><a title=\"http:\/\/www.couchsurfing.com\/\" href=\"http:\/\/www.couchsurfing.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Couchsurfing<\/a>\u00a0is like Airbnb, but it\u2019s a non-profit and you\u2019re not paying for your accommodations. Consequently, the intention is not to just to find a place to lay your head at night; it\u2019s to create a social experience with your host and\/or guest.<\/li>\n<li><a title=\"https:\/\/www.socialflights.com\/\" href=\"https:\/\/www.socialflights.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Social Flights<\/a>\u00a0is a like Groupon for travelers \u2013 you team together with people you don\u2019t necessarily know to fly on a private plane to your destination.\u00a0 Say you want to go to Quebec but don\u2019t feel like flying commercial because, you know, it\u2019s a hassle. But then again you can\u2019t afford to charter a plane, either. But if you join Social Flights\u2019 \u201cQuebec Travel Circle\u201d there\u2019s a good chance you can fly a private jet \u2013 with the perks that implies \u2013 for about same cost as flying commercial. The service is pretty much-confined to North America right now.<\/li>\n<li><a title=\"http:\/\/wehostels.com\/\" href=\"http:\/\/wehostels.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Wehostels<\/a>\u00a0used to be inbed.me and is targeted to a younger demographic that typically stays in hostels.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>People Connections<br \/>\n<\/strong>The concept of these sites is cool \u2013 you\u2019re headed to somewhere you\u2019ve never been and where you don\u2019t know anyone. These sites will connect you to friends of friends and \u201cmust meets\u201d that can help you get the most out of your visit. The goal is to give you a personalized \u201cinsider\u2019s tour\u201d of your destination. This category has exploded over the last 12 months; it\u2019ll be interesting to see if it contracts just as fast. Founders at a couple of these companies say that they\u2019ve had to tweak the model because the majority of folks don\u2019t travel all that often and therefore might only use the site once a year. And as\u00a0<a title=\"http:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2011\/12\/08\/start-up-tripl-helps-you-find-locals-to-harassbefriend\/\" href=\"http:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2011\/12\/08\/start-up-tripl-helps-you-find-locals-to-harassbefriend\/\" target=\"_blank\">John Biggs wrote at TechCrunch<\/a>, \u201cmaybe it\u2019s the grump in me but I want to show someone around the neighborhood like I want a hole in the head.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But here\u2019s a rundown and some of the differences between their services:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a title=\"http:\/\/www.ajungo.com\/\" href=\"http:\/\/www.ajungo.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Ajungo<\/a>\u00a0helps you find travel buddies based upon your travel itinerary by sifting through your social media platforms.<\/li>\n<li><a title=\"http:\/\/globetrooper.com\/\" href=\"http:\/\/globetrooper.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Globetrooper<\/a>\u00a0allows you to create trips and invite others, or join trips being planned by others based upon destination and the type of trip it is \u2013 backpacking, a dining tour \u2013 whatever.<\/li>\n<li><a title=\"http:\/\/www.hooztrippin.com\/\" href=\"http:\/\/www.hooztrippin.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">HoozTrippin<\/a>\u00a0allows users taking trips with common destinations and dates to connect with each other prior to traveling. After the trip, you can reconnect with your new travel companions by sharing pictures. The founders describe it as \u201cMatch.com for travelers.\u201d<\/li>\n<li><a title=\"http:\/\/tripl.com\/\" href=\"http:\/\/tripl.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Tripl<\/a>\u00a0\u201cconnects people through travel.\u201d You plug in to the Tripl network and recommend cool people to hang out with in places you\u2019ve been. So you connect to locals when you visit new places and they potentially connect with you when they come to your hometown.<\/li>\n<li><a title=\"https:\/\/www.triptrotting.com\/\" href=\"https:\/\/www.triptrotting.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Triptrotting<\/a>\u00a0is like Tripl, but more focused on similar interests (and more established). They created it with the assistance of the people at eHarmony and go in-depth on traits such as personality and professional interests, creating a community in which you can connect with like-minded travelers and locals.<\/li>\n<li><a title=\"http:\/\/www.twigmore.com\/\" href=\"http:\/\/www.twigmore.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Twigmore<\/a>\u00a0originated on Facebook as a way to leverage your Facebook network when traveling \u2013 by staying on the Facebook platform it seems to eliminate some of the friction that many of these sites have meaning that people signed up for Twigmore are probably more likely to use it more frequently.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Whether or not you want to invest in social networks, I\u2019m almost certain that you\u2019re spending at least some time on them. And you\u2019re probably even doing some travel planning on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and the rest reports the Healthy Travel Blog We even gave you some helpful hints on\u00a0how to use Pinterest to plan &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.alchealth.com\/news\/social-travel-craze-%e2%80%93-15-social-travel-websites\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Social Travel Craze \u2013 15 Social Travel Websites<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2015","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-alc-health-news","category-alc-travel-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alchealth.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2015","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alchealth.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alchealth.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alchealth.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alchealth.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2015"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.alchealth.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2015\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alchealth.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2015"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alchealth.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2015"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alchealth.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2015"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}