Staycations are so popular of late, and it seems to have caught the fancy of all kinds of people, ranging from those who love the countryside, to those who love the country.

One of the better ways to plan a staycation is to look up people who have ‘been there, done that’ and go through their reviews of places to see, things to do, gadgets to buy, food to taste, even irritants to avoid.

Here are some of the more prominent sites for you to refer in case you wish to travel within the country by air or by road, or simply go on a virtual tour in the comfort of your armchair.

UK Tourist & Leisure Attractions

101 Holidays

VisitBritain

Discover East of England

Did you know that VisitEngland, the country’s national tourist board has planned English Tourism Week 2012 (ETW12) from 10 to 18 March? The week-long event intends to celebrate the benefits enjoyed by everyone directly or indirectly due to the UK travel industry.

This could well become your favourite source of travel tips. The resources are aplenty, with a byline that reads – “Plan with the experts. Book with confidence”. You are bound to find  The Telegraph’s travel site extremely useful. The site includes the latest travel news, advice, hotel reviews, holiday guides and picture galleries.

Also look up Telegraph Travel Shop.

Simply stated, a responsible traveller is one who looks for travel options that benefit conservation, communities and sustainable travel. Here is “Travel Green Guide 2010-2011″, a free resource for tourists who believe that right travel choices make a difference.

This is what the TIES Director of Membership and Operations says of the guide -

“From wildlife safari in Africa to diving in the tropical waters of the South Pacific, from the highest peaks of the Himalayas to the deepest corners of the Amazon, TIES members around the world represent a wide range of experiences and stories.

Every day, these members – travel professionals, responsible companies, industry associations, sustainability advocates and travel enthusiasts – are making important contributions to a greener future of travel and tourism.

As you browse trough this year’s Travel Green Guide, the latest “who’s who” in ecotourism and sustainable travel, I hope you will find many inspirations for your next responsible vacation, as well as opportunities to make a positive difference – one trip at a time.”

Go ahead and download or share the Travel Green Guide 2010-2011.

Here is yet another resource for green travellers. Green Travel Choice is a GPS-based App for responsible travellers, that empowers the user to make the right travel choice to reduce the user’s carbon footprint.

When you visit London, remember to look up these attractions – listed here. They invariably figure in visitors’ assessments of the top tourist attractions in the capital city of the UK.

• British Museum
• Tate Modern
• National Gallery
• Natural History Museum
• The London Eye
• Science Museum
• Victoria & Albert Museum
• Madame Tussauds
• National Maritime Museum
• The Tower of London with its colourful ‘Beefeaters’

You will certainly not like to miss these unique events and places that are so British!

• The Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace and on Horse Guards Parade, where you can see displays of colourful Royal pageantry
• Buckingham Palace, open to visitors in August and September
• The Houses of Parliament
• The clock tower that houses Big Ben
• The London Bridge
• Princess Diana’s memorial
• Hamstead Health and Kew Garden for some peace amidst chaos.

Blessed with a vibrant and rich history, the UK has always been among the top tourist destinations in the world. Whether you are planning a vacation in the UK or you are stuck for ideas while residing within the country, look up a few of the best UK attractions that are must-see places in the country.

• Stonehenge – magical place that could have been a Sun worship temple, or a healing centre, or a huge calendar
• York Minster – where you can see human imagination inspired by faith
• The Tower of London – fortress, palace and prison
• Stratford-upon-Avon – the legendary bard’s birthplace
• The Roman Baths – walk where the Romans walked
• EDF London Eye – the millennium wheel
• Hampton Court Palace –  Tudor and baroque palaces
• Portmeirion – a rather unique and aesthetic village
• Edinburgh Castle – fortress in Edinburgh
• Warwick Castle – one of the greatest vestiges of Medieval England

Here’s a listing of a few as yet unexploited beaches elsewhere in Europe and abroad. Plan a visit soon – before the ‘secret’ reaches the whole world!

• Akamas Bay in Cyprus
• Punta Molentis in Sardenia
• Trabg in Thailand
• Almeria in Spain
• Porto Santo in Madeira
• Tobago Cays in St Vincent and the Grenadines
• Roccapina in Corsica
• Murrays’ Beach in Australia
• Ramla Bay in Malta
• Pasikuda Bay in Sri Lanka

Some more exclusive beaches -

• Palombaggia Beach in Corsica
• Island of Sal in Cape Verde
• Oludeniz in Turkey

If you are eager to know more about these beaches, look up “Shh! Don’t tell anyone! …“

If you wish to get exclusive offers on travel destinations to make your holiday that much more special, look up Voyage Privé. This is an online travel club for members only, with membership being free.

As a member, you become eligible to get a weekly email newsletter containing updated selections of special offers. These include hotels, holidays, city breaks, cruises, short breaks, long stays and more.

The website puts up offers that let members avail exclusive discounts. They also offer ‘flash sales’, that is, offers with a limited duration of about 5 days. However you need to be quick to choose and grab offers, though the site does let you plan ahead and save.

Browse the exclusive membership privileges at Voyage Privé.

Note : This is only a review, not a recommendation.

Get weekly updates of where your favourite or preferred travel website or travel agency stands in overall comparative ratings of UK’s most active travel websites.

Besides the ratings of the best performing travel-related sites, you can also have a glimpse of the top destinations, top airlines and interestingly, even the top travel search terms.

How will this help, you may ask. The summer holidays are not far away, and these rankings will help you get the best deals and bargains when you make your travel plans.

Look up all these ratings at UK Site Data

Agencies (as listed in the same source), as of week ending 14 May 2011

Get to know all about London from some informative official sites. Whether you want updates on the weather and the traffic, or events in your beloved city, keep a tab on all the happenings around.

Keep in touch with those who run London in Greater London Authority, Mayor Of London and London Assembly as well as from Mayor and Commonalty and Citizens of the City of London

For weather and traffic updates, one of the sources is of course the BBC – see BBC’s travel pages on London

This BBC-commended car hire site has made it convenient for you to search and choose the right car by listing all the cars from all major suppliers – as many as 50 car hire companies. They have included a feature by which the search service will show you the cheapest price and help you compare each car easily, without having to look at and apply to each car company. The service has bagged them the “Best car hire website” award from among the Travolution Awards 2008.
In the search box here, make sure you choose a convenient pickup point. Then relax while your desired results come up.

While you sit back and scout for the right car at the right price, you might want to check out the mini-guides to destinations – information that is useful, concise and crisp. Read many more guides like the mini-guide to Leeds