Twitter for Travelers

When traveling, I often like to speak with people who’ve been to where I’m going – or who currently live there. They give the best advice on the best places to eat, sights to see and, of course, the best places to get deals. With the advent of social media – Twitter, Facebook and blogging specifically – asking for advice has become increasingly easier. My personal favorite is Twitter. Not only is Twitter great for interacting with natives, it’s also a helpful platform from which to glean the best travel deals.

 Have a plan but be flexible. When using social media to plan travel, it’s important that you know where you want to go and when but are flexible on the exact activities. Traveling on a budget can be easy but not if you’re rigid in the sites you want to see. Also, depending on who you’re following, you may hear of some events that are not very well advertised such as street fairs, art exhibits, etc.

1. Follow tweeters who tweet legitimate deals. This may seem like overly simplified advice, but with the mass amount of spammers and wannabe deal pushers. One of the best ways to distinguish (although this is not fool proof) is to look at how many “followers” they have in comparison to how many people they’re “following.” Also, check out their Twitter feed and see if any of the deals they’ve offered have been helpful.
2. Follow major travel resources. These “resources” are major brands such as JetBlue and Southwest Airlines. They all have an online presence and frequently announce deals via Twitter that are not announced anywhere else.
3. Follow independent travelers. There are many people who tweet about their travelers and unlike major travel resources, they have more time to interact with you and give an insider’s view of the best vacation spots and travel deals. Travel tweeters such as @Travelblggr and @rubatravel offer off-beat, interesting travel advice.
4. Interact with Travelers online. There is a solid community of travelers who Tweet on a regular basis. What a better way to learn about where you’re going then by speaking with someone who’s already been there? Ask questions, ask for advice and travel stories. People love to share their experiences