The Internet has changed many aspects of our lives. We shop online, gather information, read the news and research online. We use email to maintain important contacts with family and friends. But one of the most exciting and enjoyable uses is the planning of a holiday.

In fact, I find it hard to remember exactly how I planned a trip in the pre-WWW age. Of course I used books, and they were (and still are) great. But the downside is that hard-copy travel guides can quickly become out of date. I read about a hot dance club in Havana only to find upon arrival that it closed two years earlier. Another guide book pointed to a comfortable and inexpensive hotel in Negombo, Sri Lanka, which somewhere along the line had gone up market. When I arrived, there was nowhere else to stay and within days I'd maxed out on my credit card.

Yes, websites can be out of date too -- but not usually by months or years. And most sites for city centre guides, hotels, restaurants, museums and other tourist attractions are updated regularly and often include special offers. At worst, you may find the prices out by a few euros, or whatever currency you're using.

I recently had a mini-break in Amsterdam and used the Internet all the way. We travelled overnight from Newcastle to Amsterdam with DFDS Seaways. Their website, www.dfds.co.uk, allows you to book online. But if you're not comfortable with that, you can use the site to request a brochure, check out prices and, most impressively, conduct your own virtual tour of the ship. The 360 degrees image viewer lets you see inside your cabin, visit the shops, and look inside the restaurant. It's an impressive little feature but not, of course, as impressive as the actual vessel.

The official online guide to Amsterdam, www.visitamsterdam.nl is a good place to begin your holiday tour. The site's home page has key relevant information, such as the benefits of an Amsterdam pass, information on this year's 150th anniversary of Van Gogh's birth. The site's content also includes a what's on listing section, an accommodations and packages booking facility, and an excellent city guide's section.

Two highlights of our trip were the Anne Frank House Museum and the Van Gogh Museum, both of which have their own websites: www.annefrank.nl and www.vangoghmuseum.nl. The Van Gogh site is well-organised and download time doesn't seem to be a problem. The Anne Frank site does have a lot of information and graphics, and so if you have a slow connection, you will have to be patient. You may even find the site times out.

Those who have been to Amsterdam will know that it's relatively easy to lose your way along side streets -- which initially look like great shortcuts until you find yourself in a neighbourhood you weren't really planning to visit. Obviously you can't lug a laptop with Internet connection through the streets -- a paper map is essential. But check out www.hot-maps.de/europe/netherlands/amsterdam/homeen.html in order to get a sense of the layout of the city, and an idea of where your top destinations are located, and where you want to go. (Other maps of destinations around the globe can be searched at this web address).

Looking at these maps can also help you plan your eating adventures, if you're not keen on wandering and just dining anywhere. Sites such as www.specialbite.nl and www.eatdrinketc.com are superb online bar/caf/restaurant guides. We found an excellent vegetarian restaurant, The Golden Temple, which would probably have been missed without some preplanning and an online search.

Most of the sites used were found through online search engines. It doesn't matter where your destination, there are excellent websites which definitely should be visited if you want to make the most of your break this year.

Published: 13/06/2003