Planning a Trip Online

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Back to San FranciscoSan Francisco: Planning a Trip Online

Veteran travelers usually carry some essential items to make their trips easier. Following is a selection of online tools to bookmark and use.

Visa ATM Locator (www.visa.com), for locations of PLUS ATMs worldwide; or MasterCard ATM Locator (www.mastercard.com), for locations of Cirrus ATMs worldwide.

Intellicast (www.intellicast.com) and Weather.com (www.weather.com). Both give weather forecasts for all 50 states and for cities around the world.

Mapquest (www.mapquest.com). This best of the mapping sites lets you choose a specific address or destination and, in seconds, it will return a map and detailed directions.

Airplane Seating and Food. Find out which seats to reserve and which to avoid (and more) on all major domestic airlines at www.seatguru.com. And check out the type of meal (with photos) you'll likely be served on airlines around the world at www.airlinemeals.com.

Universal Currency Converter (www.xe.com/ucc). See what your dollar or pound is worth in more than 100 other countries.

Subway Navigator (www.subwaynavigator.com). Download subway maps and get savvy advice on using subway systems in dozens of major cities around the world.

Trip Advisor (www.tripadvisor.com). Read honest reviews on San Francisco and Bay Area hotels.

OpenTable.com (www.opentable.com). Book San Francisco restaurant reservations without being put on hold!

SF Gate (www.sfgate.com). The San Francisco Chronicle posts all the latest news and happenings, along with a food section that includes The Inside Scoop, a weekly column that includes in-depth restaurant reviews.

City Search (www.citysearch.com). Get the dirt on everything city-specific from hotel and restaurant reviews to movie showings, spas, bars, and nightclubs.

San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau (www.sfvisitor.org). Cruise the pages for a calendar of events, dining and attractions discounts, and basic travel information on San Francisco.

Chowhound (www.chowhound.com). Food fiends peruse this site for insider info on the latest restaurants. Its message board makes for tasty restaurant-related chats.