Fighting info overload on the road

I’m often asked where I find all the information that goes into my columns. The assumption behind the question is that every reporter can access a secret database containing every byte of data on the planet.

I wish it were so. In researching the answer for this week, I’ve discovered that the kind of information travelers look for and travel writers look for aren’t that dissimilar.

We both want timely, relevant data about a destination delivered painlessly to our laptops. How hard can that be? Very hard, if you’re online.

Just click on one of the major search engines and try to make sense of the responses you get to a simple query. For example, I asked one site for a good place to dine here in Annapolis. The first result was for a trade show producer.

The most interesting link, which ranked ninth, was for a dog kennel. In fact, none of the first results were restaurant Web sites or remotely resembled recommendations.

I’m partial to a site called OnTheRoad.com for that kind of information. Since search engines are really nothing more than popularity contests decided by the skill of the programmer rather than the actual content of the page, I’m convinced that dinner recommendations are best left to human reviewers.

For business travelers, On The Road’s tips are the best. They’re focused, carefully researched and at times even witty. For instance, the recommendation for the Lobby Lounge of the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Los Angeles comes with the following pointers: “Spend hours poring over paperwork on the ample tables while the attentive staff will bring you whatever you need – or leave you alone. Here you can enjoy an afternoon cocktail or a full meal, and when you reach an impasse, you can get the deal back on track by taking a walk down Wilshire or Rodeo Drive. And if the negotiations drag on, it’s good to know the lounge stays open until 1 am.”

You won’t find that kind of targeted data in any guide book. OnTheRoad sells annual subscriptions for $99.95. They include information about everything from business events to entertainment in any of 11 cities. A free version is also available on its Web site.

Another question that often comes up for travelers is: How safe is my destination? Until now, getting a straight answer was something you couldn’t count on. A convention and visitors bureau is paid to gloss over crime statistics, if not lie about them.

Then along came Safety Maps, which are color-coded county maps based on FBI and police crime statistics. Each map ranks individual cities with a color code as well as a crime trend indicator, police station locations and phone numbers. Safety Maps of Los Angeles County are currently available, with Orange County, San Diego and San Francisco Bay Area soon to be on sale.

Much of the same data is also available online through a terrific Web site called APBNews.com. Its Neighborhood Crime Check takes the guesswork out of traveling.

Just out of curiosity, I ran a check on my neighborhood ZIP code in Annapolis. It ranked 4 out of a possible 10 – a “moderate risk” area – while Trip.com’s ZIP (80111) returned a “1″ for “low risk.” Perhaps I should move to Colorado.

When it comes to directions, my preference is MapQuest. I’ve interviewed its engineers and programmers, and yes, I know, its turn-by-turn directions aren’t perfect. As a matter of fact, the last time I had a MapQuest spokesman on the other end of the line, he told me – point blank – not to use his site’s maps alone for directions.

I should have listened to him, because I’ve gotten lost using its online directions several times since then. There’s no substitute for a real honest-to-goodness paper map. However, if you’re trying to calculate mileage or plan a road trip, I would click no further than the site.

Where do you go for the rest of the information?

If you must use a guidebook online, check out Lonely Planet, which generously publishes most of its popular guide books online, in sharp contrast to other resources that offer only bits and pieces of their published data. Its editorial voice is also among the most irreverent in the business. Frequent travelers being what they are, I imagine they can do without the fluff that they get in the other glossy guide books.

There is really only one other source of information that I use religiously, and that is the Dow Jones Web site. Before I continue, though, a disclaimer: I used to be employed by Dow Jones, and all in all, it was a wonderful company to work for. I also was given the opportunity to test its database over a two-year period and found myself hopelessly addicted to it.

Now that my test account has run out, I can only reminisce about how helpful and comprehensive its database was. As a side note, I also tested the competitors to Dow Jones and found them lacking in several important areas. Their databases were slow, incomplete and less useful than Dow Jones.

The clincher, of course, is that you have to pay a hefty annual subscription fee or $2.95 per article if you want to get to the data – something you can easily afford on a corporate expense account, but which I, alas, will never be able to swing.

Christopher Elliott is the author of Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. Critics have called it “eye-opening” and “inspiring” — it’ll “grab your attention and won’t let go.” Order your copy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.

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