About.com is an encyclopaedic resource on topics from DIY to dancing, with an extensive travel section.

Like other sections, Travel is clean and largely ad-free, with content organised by destination subsections, although there are also holiday types listed, including spas, walking and budget travel.

There is a US-bias owing to the site’s audience and authors, but content is still useful, like articles such as “Ten expensive cities you think you can’t afford”, or the “Nude beaches guide”. From the homepage of travel the site looks bare, but start branching off and the degree of specialisation seems infinite, with wide-ranging content and links. It’s a site that can absorb hours of browsing time.

The content is selected by around 200 "guides", employed by About.com to find the best advice on their specialist topics, which range from headaches to table tennis. These guides are paid a minimum salary with commission based on page views. They create articles, FAQs and reviews on their chosen subject as well as offering links to their favourite sites, writing a blog, and chairing a forum. The Travel section has a number of guides who oversee different sections, such as budget travel, or business travel.

About.com is over 11 years old and was bought by The New York Times two years ago. It claims to be visited by 29 million people a month.

We love: The clean ad-free design; the huge amount of content covering every travel niche imaginable; the buyer’s guides to various travel gadgets and tips on booking trips.

We hate: some of the content is a little saccharine and directed more at the first time visitor, picking obvious sites and experiences, but dig deep and there are some gems

Verdict

Design: 4/10
Navigation: 8/10
Content: 8/10
Fulfilment: 8/10

Overall score: 28/40

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