Separating from the pack is increasingly important for travel sites now, as more and more travelers rely on them. And travelers are looking for something reliable, for useful information, for savings, and to be inspired by others.

One way travelers are doing that now is to check in with the opinions of their social-media connections. A total of 71% of leisure trip shoppers say they are apt to consider posts on sites like Facebook and Twitter when planning vacations, according to the 2012 PhoCusWright Consumer Travel Report Fourth Edition. In addition, notes the Funsherpa data, 52% of travelers have changed their original plans based on social-media suggestions, and 70% update their Facebook status while on vacation.
Trippy.com, one of the favorite sites on our list, lets globetrotting friends essentially plan your vacation for you by syncing with social sites like Facebook, thereby using your online pals to provide recommendations for your itinerary. It launched in fall of 2011 and, just this summer, added brand pages and rolled out a new iPad app.
Hipmunk.com, meanwhile, is a hot young travel-booking site. Launched two years ago as a competitor to Orbitz, Kayak, Expedia and the like, this rising star (and 2012 Webby nominee in the travel category) is a smart, slick way to book flights and hotels; flight results are shown in a visual timeline format, while hotel options are presented on local maps. Read More