Travel Social Studies 101

Whether Eat Pray Love ignites your lust for soul-searching travel or lounging poolside at a swanky Napa Valley resort is more your speed, traveling smart takes research.

Julia Roberts & Javier BardemHow do you find the next hottest travel spot? Following Spanish actor, Javier Bardem, around might be tempting - but his new bride Penelope Cruz may not appreciate the company.

Why not hit the online social circuit and tap into the been-there-and-done-that-wisdom? Connect with high-voltage tools that make travel easy and relax. Our list will cover you for all your beach and beyond needs this summer.

Canadian travel adventures - Want to know where locals hang out, what they do for fun and where they eat? LocalsKnow.ca has real pictures (citizen journalism, not photo shopped) and real advice. Check them out - and add your own photos after your adventure.

Spa addict - If you're all about getting your glow on,Spa vacation hook yourself up with SpaAddicts.com. Mary Blackmon (my fav spa aficionado) tells you what you need to know so you get the most out of your spa vacation - instead of the other way around.

Give it to me straight - Want the gritty, honest to goodness truth on that resort you've got your heart set on? TripAdvisor.com gives you what you need to make an educated choice. A word to the wise though...Discard comments that love or hate a resort and read the ones that have detailed criticisms. PR folks and competitors have been known to sully the waters here, so take one-off claims with a grain of salt.

Insider trading - Long before tell-all-travelers hit the internet, Frommers, Fodors and Lonely Planet told us stories about faraway places - and the best restaurants to dine at while visiting. If you see a resort or restaurant listed in one of the big three and on TripAdvisor, you can bet your next stop is going to be facebook to see how many others agree, right?

Dining on YelpWhat are you yelping about - If you really want to know what the locals think, there's no better place online than Yelp.com. While Yelp has endured some bad press, you can't argue the value of the information. Owners are allowed to refute argumentative posts and other users can also comment - it's best source of community moderation we know of online. A word of warning, you have to know where you want to go to search the site properly - it's all location based.

You go girl! - Our list wouldn't be complete without a little narcissistic stroking. GoGirlfriend's writers are an exciting group of adventurers who take on spaGoGirlfriend Adventures! treatments as readily as white water rafting excursions. And when it comes right down to it, who you gonna trust more than your girlfriends. That's right, we've got you covered.

Where do you go for online travel advice? Share your travel dreams here or check us out on Twitter or Facebook - and let's yak!