Today, I'd like to focus on resources you can use to plan vacations.  Once upon a time, you would justgo to a travel agent who would identify options and prices, make recommendations, make reservations, and provide you with everything you needed in one tidy package.  Travel agents made their money from commissions paid by the travel providers, so you didn't pay any extra.  Those days are gone.  For complex trips, it may be worth going through a travel agent.  But you should expect to pay for the service.

For simpler trips, the Internet has made it easy to plan your own trip.  You can research options, make reservations, and even check in online.  But now there's almost too much information.  How do you decide what's reliable?

For airfares, my favorite site is Kayak.  This site trolls the airline sites and the major travel sites and lists the deals on the basis of schedule and price.  You can narrow your search effectively.  If I'm thinking about going somewhere, I'll often use Kayak to get a ballpark sense of reasonable price.  If you find a flight you want to buy, the site will link you directly to the purchase point.

To get an idea of travel destinations, I suggest looking at the Travel sections of major newspapers.  They are often arranged by region to help you hone in on your preferred destination quickly.  The articles listed hone in on not-to-miss sites, events, and restaurants.  Most of these sections will also have a section on special bargains that may spark ideas.

Don't discount the sites of airlines or resort locations.  They often have special package deals that are great values. 

When traveling, it's always good to have a little help from your friends.  Don't be afraid to ask friends for recommendations of hotels, attractions, restaurants, etc.  If you are on Facebook, post a status asking for recommendations.  I've gotten amazing hotel referrals that way!

I do have to say that I'm not a huge fan of the various travel review sites.  The vast majority of people who post there are going to be negative.  It's just the nature of the beast.  If you see lots of negative reviews and one glowing one, you don't know if the good one is a plant or the more common situation.  But if I am going someplace new, I will often check out a few hotels on a site like Trip Advisor.  A lot of specific recent negative reviews can make me think twice about  booking in.  I'm not looking for little annoyances like "I needed more hangers."  I'm looking for big stuff like the place is dirty or unsafe.  Several recent comments like that will take a hotel off my list.

There's a lot of information out there.  Taking some time to sort through it in advance can lead to a better vacation.