The Independent Traveller's Club... this sounds like rather an exclusive website.
Indeed. The organisation behind Traveller Online is Wexas, the World Expeditionary Association, which counts David Bellamy, Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Michael Palin among its honorary presidents. It is a rare Heart of Darkness among the tawdry package escapism of the bigger travel sites.
No package holidays?
Absolutely none. The site holds a collection of useful travel tools and information, most of which are scattered elsewhere on the web. You can save important personal details in Passepartout, read the Columbus Travel Guides, hire a mobile phone or set up an e-mail address for holidays.
Can I book a flight, though?
That's rather complicated. Registering allows you to search the OAG database of flight information, but it doesn't give any prices, and the interface is distinctly old-fashioned. Most of the special deals on flights are for business class only. Traveller Online links to a few other services such as thetrainline. com, but there's no great advantage to booking here.
Oddity of the week
Every day, Away.com presents a different postcard from somewhere in the world. You can make it into screen wallpaper, find out more about the place, or count down the days, weeks or months until your next holiday.
Nominate a travel oddity on the web by e-mailing: ros.taylor@theguardian.com
