See the Sites, From A to Z

As Travelers Spend Billions Online, Internet Options Keep Growing

By Carol Sottili

Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, February 4, 2007; Page P09

So how popular has the Web become as a source for travelers?

For the first time ever, Internet bookings this year will account for more than half of all U.S. travel bookings, according to a recent report from independent travel research firm PhoCusWright. Last year, U.S. online travel bookings totaled about $85 billion.

By 2011, $128 billion in travel will be sold online in the United States, according to a report by JupiterResearch. Everyone wants a piece of the action, and the onslaught of new travel-related sites is daunting.

We've pored over the newcomers, taken a fresh look at the old-timers and come up with our own, admittedly subjective, list of the best and brightest, from A to Z.

Motorcoaches. At GotoBus.com ( http://www.gotobus.com/), you get buses covered from several angles. Book discounted scheduled service between the District and several cities, including Richmond, Philadelphia and New York. Or find sightseeing bus tours in New York, Hawaii, Los Angeles, etc. Or identify vacation motorcoach tours. The site can be squirrelly; a recent request for bus vacations in South America elicited a response offering orders of soft yellow noodles ($4.95 small portion, $6.95 large).