Wikivoyage: A Detailed Review 2017
Wikivoyage – a Wikipedia for travel plans
Wikivoyage is a site that we refer to regularly when planning our trips. It has been going since 2003. In the Wikipedia mould of websites, readers contribute articles to its database. What we like about it is that the site has no adverts whatsoever. Therefore, all of the information you receive is relevant to your search. The sections are organised under a consistent set of headings. It is worth noting that Wikivoyage came about as a response to the sale of the precursor Wikitravel, and was an effort to keep the site to its original aims. We weren’t aware of this until writing this review. In fact, we were using Wikitravel, which in many ways is identical.
Consistent chapter headings help Wikivoyage stay easy to follow
Sections include ‘Understand’ which explains a bit about the history of the destination, and then you have ‘Get in’, which helps you plan how to travel to it. ‘Get around’ describes the transportation options, whilst ‘See’ gives the pick of the area’s top attractions. ‘Do’ gives some tips for activities that can be done there, whilst ‘Buy’ shows you which products are typical souvenirs. Of course, the ‘Eat’ and ‘Drink’ sections are fairly self explanatory. ‘Sleep’ gives some accommodation recommendations, whilst ‘Stay Safe’ warns of potential dangers to watch out for. The final section, ‘Get Out’, gives some destinations that would be the ideal next step on a longer tour of the area.
The downsides of the site are that there are very few photographs. Sometimes when researching a travel destination, it is nice to see some pictures to inspire. Wikivoyage falls well short when it comes to visual help. It also seems to be rather brief in terms of information. For this reason, we often only use Wikivoyage as a starting point for a general overview when researching a destination. Other sites, such as TripAdvisor and travel blogs, provide far more detail to help you plan your trip in more detail.
Overall, Wikivoyage is a great site, that is very helpful in planning a trip. We particularly like the ‘get out’ section, that can help you to find new places that are nearby your original destination that might be worth checking out. Get your basic plans together with the help of Wikivoyage, then move on to TripAdvisor and travel blogs for more detailed information.
Do you use Wikivoyage? What are your favourite features?
