http://www.aph.com/information/airport_parking.htm

Airport Parking and Hotels (APH) is a commercial site but gets the nod this month for a nice compilation of free information about excess baggage charges. From the link above, scroll down for the PDF table that has detailed information on charges for 22 major airlines.

A timely piece of research in the wake of Ryanair starting to charge for checked-in luggage and changing the wight allowance, it shows how big the void is between the most and least generous carriers.

Particularly useful is the specific information about sporting equipment, such as golfing, skiing and surfing accessories, so you take it into account when deciding who to book with.

The information has just been released, check the inividual companies' terms before you book in case they change and APH is not updated.

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www.oag.com

An exhaustive database of travel information, this has a free trial service prior to subscription. Very frequent travellers would no doubt benefit from the interactive CD information and real-time flight information, but there's plenty on offer on the site without having to login.

From the homepage you can get a list of every destination from any airport in the world. There's travel news, e-polls, country and city guides with essential information about getting around, currency and so forth.

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www.hostels.com

Need a cheap hotel that's bookable online and don't mind slumming it? This site has a database of over 10,000 hostels that are bookable online.

Working like a hotel website, with searches by date and hostel, you can secure bargains, many of which are not far short of hotel standards. We're not talking youth hostel dorms here, most have private rooms.

User ratings add to the peace of mind when planning a trip based on stays in accommodation usually the reserve of backpackers who roll up in a destinations without anywhere to stay.