Gone are the days when traveling to a foreign land left the tourist with no resources in the middle of a different culture. Today’s technology helps you prepare for your trip, find the places to stay, and even learn a few useful expressions for when you arrive – or even translate on the fly once you are there. Still, you can’t rely on your smartphone alone when going to a foreign country, since the service quality can differ – or you might have no service at all. Preparing for leaving in a foreign land, no matter if it’s for exploring or entertainment, is a must today. These online destinations will help you be better prepared for your new experiences abroad.

Before you go to Vegas

Your first time in Vegas? Better be prepared to gamble. Gambling is at its home in the Sin City, so you’d better be prepared to play a few games – you won’t be able to resist trying your luck anyway. Knowing the rules from the start is a must, though, so you’d better do some research online beforehand.

One of the places that can introduce you to how Vegas’ games are played is https://www.royalvegascasino.com/. The Royal Vegas, although it’s a real money online gaming destination, gives you the chance to try all its games free of charge, too. And what a collection of games! The Royal Vegas has a collection of over 700 titles in its library, more than any single land-based gaming facility. It also offers you the description of its games, so when you leave the Royal Vegas and head for the real one, you’ll have not only theoretical knowledge of its games, but also some experience in actually playing them.

Before you go overseas

When traveling abroad, it’s important to know not only the best restaurants and hotels, but also the best places to visit – you won’t be sitting in a hotel room or a restaurant all the time, after all. There are always some “must-see” landmarks to visit, but there are many others, usually not listed in travel guides, that can shed more light on the culture and reality of the country you are planning to see. Before you travel abroad, check out if you can find a guided tour of the less-traveled paths in the city you plan to visit. The experience will most likely be much more memorable than any guided tour you can think of.

Before you leave for a different culture

Traveling to Europe is easy for most, since the habits and customs are similar across the Western world. But if you leave your “comfort zone”, you’ll most likely end up in a culture with different roots. And you can offend the locals without even knowing – so you’d better be prepared. Before you go to Asia or Africa, make sure to research the local dress code, and the religious restrictions that apply (so you won’t end up asking for a beer during Ramadan). There is no single web destination to rely on, but there are many specialized travel blogs and websites that can help you with such information.

Before you go to the mountains

A hiking trip sounds great for most of us, but can turn into a nightmare if you’re not prepared. Luckily, the internet is filled with resources that help you be prepared for your trip. The American Hiking Society offers beginners a series of well-written documents on how to be prepared for a trip, covering everything from planning to safety and first-aid.

Before you go to the beach

Before you leave on your trip to the seaside, be sure to check out ilovetheseaside.com. Out of all the guides I’ve seen, this is the most comprehensive, and well-written. While its focus is clearly on surfing, it covers many other seaside activities – basically anything from lodging to recreation. It even offers its knowledge in a printed form that you can order on the website – so you can have it at hand even if you don’t have an internet connection.