SAN ANTONIO -- Before you pack your bags for you next vacation, you might want to first take a trip online.

Margo Ratafia, a traveler, did just that, and it paid off for her.

Ratafia logged on to TripAdvisor.com, a Web site where vacationers can read travel feedback from recent guests. The Web site will tell you if a hotel is clean and comfortable and offers tips on what to bring with you.

"This past Christmas we were down in Aruba and from going on Trip Advisor they had recommended we bring floats down for the lazy river at the pool," Ratafia said. "And if we didn't bring them down, we probably would have had to pay double or triple for each float for all the kids."

A Web site that is helpful for last minute trips is Travelzoo.com. It digs up discount prices on airfares, cruises and vacation packages and posts a weekly top-20 list of the hottest deals.

"You have to move fast though because with 12 million subscribers, there's stiff competition for the best deals," said Lisa Lee Freeman of Consumer Reports ShopSmart.

The Web site, farecast.com, gives historical highs and lows on airfares from 75 cities so you can determine if a price for a flight is a good deal. It even tells travelers if they should buy now or wait for prices to drop.