Comparing Travel Journals: Driftr, GoAbroad, MyLifeofTravel, and MyTripBook

This week we took a look at online travel journals, a type of application that can be useful for anyone who travels. When comparing travel journal applications it is important to think of what the purpose of the application is; in this case the purpose is to share a virtual itinerary, complete with maps, photos, and experiences.

All of the applications reviewed this week - Driftr, GoAbroad, MyLifeofTravel and myTripBook -  performed this function, but not equally. There’s a chart below to show how these applications stacked up, and for an introduction to this category please see Travel Journals and Web 2.0.

In navigation and appearance Driftr and GoAbroad were the easiest to work with, not only laying out their pages in colors conducive to viewing, but allowing easy linking to the various functions. MyLifeofTravel and myTripBook were not as visually pleasing, and in myTripBook’s case, navigation was hindered by unnecessary steps and unforgiving location fields (unless you had the city just right…).

In terms of information, Driftr did the best job of parsing trips, which could be of particular use to users looking for advice. Breaking up trips into helpful sub-tabs (such as Where To Stay and How To Get Around), Driftr is easily searchable for users looking to discover new locations or tips. MyLifeofTravel, on the other hand took an entirely different approach to information, linking trip detail screens to profiles rather than trips, and placing the emphasis on blog entries. The blog entries are central to its function, and are placed in the center of the screen. GoAbroad also has a Facebook sync for Facebook users to put their upcoming itineraries online.

Pictures, and videos with MyLifeofTravel, are available with all appilcations, though Driftr’s slideshow feature stood out as an easy way to view a trip’s album. Google Maps mashups, showing where the user has traveled were common to all but Driftr, which has constructed their own map for that purpose. MyLifeofTravel has an animated route feature with its Google Maps mashup - one that allows users to experience chronologically the trips a user has made.

All of the applications saw the advantage of incorporating social elements - for what would be the fun of travel without people - and all had the ability to find and add friends, message, and share their trips. Each had profile pages with an avatar, and MyLifeofTravel has a feature to quickly find travel buddies, but only GoAbroad offers special controls for groups. For schools, language exchanges, and social causes this is an opportunity to educate and place their group into the structure of travelers. With GoAbroad’s group controls for promoting and connecting similarly minded people, those groups can appeal to an existing body of travelers that want to organize events with calendars, and make announcements to members.

Naturally there were some limitations to the applications as well. Driftr’s map lacks details, the search functions of myTripBook and MyLifeofTravel could be improved to search the entire site, and GoAbroad could add more location reviews. Even with these flaws, however, each of the applications this week does provide an outlet for travelers to share, discover, and learn. To find this or similar travel applications, there is the Listio search: travel+share.

Previously in this series: Driftr: Recommendations And Travel Journal

Application: myTripBook
Listio Profile: http://www.listio.com/web20/app/myTripBook/
Website: http://www.mytripbook.com

Get travel advice or inspiration from people who have visited, or live, at your destination or who share your interests. Share your experiences from your own travel diary- reviews, blogs, photos and videos- and find future trips to take... Learn more

Application: MyLifeofTravel
Listio Profile: http://www.listio.com/web20/app/MyLifeofTravel/
Website: http://www.mylifeoftravel.com

MyLifeofTravel is catered to travelers and is designed to be a useful research tool. Users can keep track of their trips by posting texts, pictures, videos, and an interactive map courtesy of Google. You can notify contacts when contents of your MyLifeofTravl profile is updated. The service also in... Learn more

Application: GoAbroad Network
Listio Profile: http://www.listio.com/web20/app/GoAbroad-Network/
Website: http://www.goabroad.net

GoAbroad Network is the newest social networking site for travelers. This site is dedicated to travelers worldwide - if you love travel, this is the site for you! GoAbroad Network is the ultimate postcard! Friends and family can follow your every adventure through your journals, travel photo galler... Learn more

Application: Driftr
Listio Profile: http://www.listio.com/web20/app/Driftr/
Website: http://www.driftr.com

Driftr is a user-generated content site for travelers, by travelers. At Driftr, YOU are the travel writer, the photographer, and the reviewer. All of your travel experiences and information you provide become part of the shared Driftr community. The result is a great big worldwide social network fu... Learn more

New to Listio? Our tag cloud search offers an easy way to narrow your hunt for the perfect web application or service. No more second guessing of search terms. Just click on one tag, then as many more as you'd like to narrow your search results. It's easy and ensures you get to the listing you want. Finding web 2.0 was never so easy.

Tags: blogs, discover, find, groups, journals, photos, share, Travel
Posted in: Product Comparisons, Travel Journal | Respond
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