Tip of the week: How to travel better with Twitter

Choose your destination. Twitter, the free micro-blogging service, has become a “handy tool” for global travelers. Before leaving for a trip, uncover “insider information” by finding experts or groups. Either search for a place by typing it into the “Find People” tab or attach a hash (#) symbol to a location (for example, #Egypt) to find local experts and official tourism bureaus.

Watch for deals. Many travel companies, airlines, and hotels now use Twitter to broadcast deals, “especially late-breaking ones.” Marriott (@MarriottIntl) has been known to offer “Twitter-specific” contests.

Tweet as you go. “Instead of making an expensive phone call to Mom,” load free applications such as TwitterBerry for Blackberry and TwitterFon for iPhone, and update her—along with the rest of your “followers”—via text message. You can also post photos from your travels using the application TwitPic.

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Source: National Geographic Traveler