It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it. Tristan is a lucky man. He gets to read the world’s best travel blogs and call it research so we can get a better understanding of what our travelling customers want and need from our policies. Over to you Tristan.

“As World First’s social media specialist I get to spend some of my working day checking out different Travel Websites and blogs from around the globe. It’s important for us as a business to keep up with travel trends and what’s happening in the travel world so we can continue to be one of the UK’s leading providers of travel insurance. To be honest it’s not so bad keeping up with the world’s best travel bloggers and travel sites. I fact it’s a part of my job that I absolutely adore.

So I thought I should share my top 50 with you. Actually, it’s a Top 49. That’s because I’m hoping you’ll share your best sites with me too. If you have a favourite travel site then please leave a comment or tweet your favourite to @wfinsurance and we will complete it.

I didn’t want to list them in any order because it’s not a list, it’s a collection. They are all equal. Besides, everybody does lists.”

Hg2 Magazine – Intelligent, irreverent, inspired
Over Yonderlust – Shaun and Erica Kuschel’s site
The Grumpy Traveller – Moaning about travel’s negatives
TravelDudes – For travellers by travellers
Get in the Hot Spot – Naked travel stories and travel tips
Twenty Something Travel – Why wait to see the world
Travels of Adam – The coolest cultural things to do around the world
Tnooz – Talking travel tech
Gadling – The world’s top travel blog
Smith Travel Blog – Travel tales and hotel reviews from Mr and Mrs Smith
Matador Network – Travel culture worldwide
Grrrl Traveler – The imperfect adventures of a solo traveller
Beer & Beans – In search of the unusual, the mundane, the beautiful and the forgotten
Jaunted – The Conde Nast Traveler Network
Perceptive Travel Blog – Award winning site with a monthly narrative webzine
Brendan’s Adventures – “If travel really is what you want to be do doing then go out and do it.”
Adventurous Kate – Solo female travel blog
Europe a La Carte – Food travel blog
Kirsten Alana – Aviators and a camera
A Luxury Travel Blog – For those who enjoy the finer things in life.
Reclaiming My Future – Great travel blog from Devon
Bald Hiker – The Ramblings of Paul Steele and friends
The Quirky Traveller – One of Britain’s best travel bloggers
Gap Daemon – Need help planning a gap year?
TravMonkey – Great travel site that answers many questions
EuroControl – Essential information for people flying in Europe
The Adventurists – Crazy rickshaw driving people
Velvet Escape – Go explore, experience and be inspired
Backpacker Becki – A solo female travellers rants on the road
Nomadic Samuel – Miles away from ordinary
Budget Traveller – See the world on a shoestring
Leaving Cairo – A travel blog about finding happiness (and a steady job)
Johnny Vagabond – Around the world – slow and low
Mrs O around the World – Love travel – love people – love shoes
My Destination – Handmade by destination – advice that won’t fade
Inside the Travel Lab – Exploring unusual journeys
Pommie Travels – When I’m not travelling, I’m thinking about it.
40 before 30 – Award winning travel blogger
Off Track Planet – Travel for the young, gifted and broke.
Crazy Sexy Fun Traveler – Live to travel, travel to live
Travelocafe – A cultural and luxury travel blog
The Planet D – Canada’s adventure couple
Travel Blissful – Destination ideas and travel advice for blissful trips
Uncornered Market – Measuring the Earth with our feet
Maiden Voyage – Travel for 20somethings
Leave your Daily Hell – How I went from feeling broke, depressed and powerless to travelling
Stop having a boring life – Just like the title says
Got Saga – A community with a passion for travel.

This post was written by Tristan Rothwell who you can follow on Twitter @wftristan. He’s the face of the World First travel blog and keeps travel-lovers up to date on Twitter with breaking news and travel tips.

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Which camp do you fall into? (more…)

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Let’s make sure that doesn’t happen…

(more…)

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Each year the institution produces a list of “Words to be Banished from the Queen’s English for Misuse, Overuse and General Uselessness”. Catchy title, hey? ‘Bucket list’ was one of twelve lexically vexing terms to make the nominations.

So has ‘bucket list’ breathed its last? Or would you rather pour water on such contentious calls?   (more…)

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The psychological benefits of a happy holiday have long been touted. But there’s never been any truly illuminating research into the physical health benefits of a holiday. Until now. A recent study by Kuoni and Nuffield Health sought to find once and for all if that holiday feel-good factor is reflected by improvements to physical health. The results are good news for travel-lovers. (more…)

Smartphone app takes the stress out of air travel.

Seeing a new country is always exciting. The same cannot always be said for the process of actually getting there.

It’s no secret that air travel can be stressful. Here to ease the anxiety is GateGuru, an app for iPhones, Android and Windows phones that automatically turns your travel itinerary into a stream of useful day-of-travel information. (more…)

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With the Christmas comedown from festive indulgences finally wearing off, we look ahead to a fresh new year of travel. Here are some of our staff’s holiday ambitions for 2013. Leave a comment and share yours too. They say going public is the best way to stick to your resolutions! (more…)