Questions and answers on Tripadvisor

Due to the advice of locals on TripAdvisor, we were able to enjoy a wonderful day in London (14 hours layover)

I already mentioned the forums on TripAdvisor in a previous post. This is one of the most helpful tools when planning a trip. You can check if your question was already addressed and check the answers or you can start a new line of questioning. and you will receive answers from other travelers or locals within a few minutes to a few hours. I often receive notifications of questions regarding places that I visited and some times I am amazed at how quick others respond to these questions.   

We once had a layover (less than 24 hours) in London and wanted to go to the Eye from the airport and back but since this was our first time in London, we had no idea what type of transport to use (bus or train) and where to get on or off. Our questions were promptly answered with full detail and even links to maps and prices included. One person even told us to 'turn right and look up as you exit the building'. You can ask just about anything on these forums and because the answers are often supplied by locals, you normally get very valuable and extra information included in the answers. 

Everybody knows one or two horror stories related to vanishing accommodation agents or paid transport that never showed up. Therefore I also often book our tours on TripAdvisor which means that I now trust a few service providers which I normally try to book before looking for other options (some times, in more remote places, these 'trusted' options are not available). 

Lastly,  just a piece of interesting information about the TripAdvisor logo which you often see displayed at hotels and restaurants: This owl has one red eye and one green eye. They represent the choice you make (yes or no) based on the reviews you read.