First things first. This is not a definitive list so sorry if your favourite site is not included. It is not comprehensive, very subjective and not an all-encompassing-list-of-every-travel-website-that-ever-was.
But it isn't a half-bad list for all that, a recognition of sites that have shown real innovation during 2007 and which have launched or improved their offerings to become truly worthy of being added to a favourites list.
Most have cropped in our regular Website of the Week features, and we link through to those reviews which have appeared on the site during 2007. The 50 are not necessarily ranked in any order.
But we still invite your comments and recommendations because there will inevitably be some that even we are not aware of. Shame on us.
And if you want a guide to more websites that can be more prosaic but none the less incredibly helpful, then read the Times Online top 100 travel websites.
Between these, we hope we've got it covered....
NETWORKING
1. Trustedplaces.com - A site that learns your tastes and recommends hotels and restaurants - read the review
2. TripAdvisor Traveller Network - The hotel review site dabbles with social networking. Ginny McGrath is impressed - read the review
3. Iloho.com - A travel community website that's launching airline reviews - read the review
4. Mylifeoftravel.com - Another networking site in travel but one that shows big promise. And it's UK-based too
5. Bringsome.com - Exotic tastes and homesick cravings are catered for with this community 'shop and swap' site - read the review
6. Realtravel.com - If you like to meticulously plan and record your journeys, this is an attractive and free place to do it
7. Wayn.com - The world’s biggest travel community, with more than 8m members, this was its big year to date
MORE MULTIMEDIA
8. Talkshoe.com - If you've got the time to sift through the garbage, there's some gems among these travel podcasts - read the review
9. Travelistic.com - A site dedicated to hosting travel videos is a good place to start your trip planning - read the review
10. Foulerton.com - A minnow in the travel blogosphere, but a good example of how it should be done - read the review
11. Cruisebruise.com - Misadventures on the high seas with this alternative cruising website - read the review
12. Travolution.blogspot.com - the most useful list of travel-related blogs around?
PLANNING TRAVEL
13. Tripit.com - Pedantic travel planners will love this site, which customises a travel itinerary and has some useful tools - read the review
14. Yapta.com - A great tool for travel bargain hunters, although a bit too much of a US bias - read the review
15. Kayak.co.uk - A general travel but natty US site that has launched here - with a new hotel review facility - read the review
16. Door2tour.com - An unglamorous subject, but this is a flashy website selling coach trips - read the review
17. Foundem.com - The latest contender to be the Holy Grail of flight websites is put through its paces - read the review
18. Welove2ski.com - A new kid on the wintersports scene this winter, but we know the Ed and he knows his snow
19. Whydontyou.com - An elite travel agency has launched a holidays website for the non-members - read the review
20. Blacktomato.co.uk - From nowhere to everyone's favourite top-breaks-with-ideas-and-style site
21. Ze-bus.com - A shocking pink website with a good dose of Gallic humour, which will appeal to backpackers and surfers in France - read the review
22. Travelsupermarket.co.uk - The goliath of travel added a new function, a B&B search - read the review
23. STATravelTools - A clock that counts down to your holiday is among the free widgets to add to your blog or desktop with this site - read the review
EXTRAS
24. Multimap.co.uk - Mark Frary praises the new look site, with new functions that are 'a leap forward' - read the review
25. Excess4carhire.com - A site that makes car hire charges more transparent can only be good news - read the review
26. Simplyparking.com - Another comparison site, and this one does what it says on the tin, comparing airport parking prices with reviews
27. Vroomvroomvroom.co.uk - good new site comparing car rental prices
28. TravelTurtle - A new travel health website that covers jabs, bugs and drugs - read the review
29. Tailoredtours.com - If you want to walk New York, this is the site - read the review
SLEEP AND SHOP
30. Itravelishop - An excellent shopping guide and hotel review site we use regularly
31. I-escape.com - One of the original style hotel sites goes from strength to strength, adding an Argentina section this winter
32. First-floor.it - A minnow of a site about Italian B&Bs, but we're won over by its cute design and fun, informative chat - read the review
33. Gridskipper.com - an excellent urban travel site. Probably the best city style guide on the web
34. Gayfriendlyrooms.com - There's a few teething troubles with this young site, but the idea is sound - read the review
35. Haystack.lonelyplanet.com - Ginny McGrath finds some help with that eternal search for the right hotel - read the review
36. Hostelz.com - Views of your fellow travellers of hostels on this handy, simple and effective site. Very useful
37. YHA.org.uk - A new site in 2007 for this hugely growing sector of travel, youth hostels
38. BabyFriendlyBoltholes - There are other family travel advice sites but this was the freshest and most useful to emerge in 2007
39. Walesinstyle.com - A slick and intuitive site which has everything to plan a chic weekend break in Wales - read the review
FUN
40. About.com/travel - Ginny McGrath recommends an encyclopedic site that's highly addictive - read the review
41. Coolhunter.com - Eye candy, great fun, stunning images - recent features have been on a Swiss ski chalet and best outdoor hotel pools
42. Google Maps - A new feature offers street level views of US cities and is causing a stir among bloggers - read the review
43. Planyourinvasion.co.uk - An attractive design, and a site that backs up style with substance - read the review
44. Heritagepubs.org.uk - A passionate listing of the country's finest historic pubs - read the review
45. Passportstamp.com - A bit of fun, but be warned, this site can get very competitive - read the review
AND 5 SITES TO WATCH IN 2008
46. WorldReviewer.com - Another social networking site in travel which claims it will have 100 experts. Promising start
47. CruiseCritic.co.uk - The US-site site has spun off a British version and is looking for an editor. Bright prospects
48. Travelmag.co.uk - There will be a host of travel writing sites launching in 2008. This, from Jack Barker, is one of them
49. Travelintelligence.net - The travel writing, hotel review and booking site has a new editor and is about to get a huge facelift
50. Gowander.com - Just launched: a new social networking site from one of the best independent travel magazines in the UK
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