Surfing the Globe

By now, Webmeisters know which sites will cough up the lowest air fares, best hotel deals and savviest last-minute travel packages. Often, though, it’s those lesser-known Web addresses that can make a trip easier. Here are some favorites from the staff of the Sunday Times’ Travel section. These won’t get you the cheapest ticket to France, but they can tell you how far it is from L.A. to London, what time it is there and how your greenbacks stack up in pounds.

Time and date: When it’s 11 a.m. here, what time is it there? Check out www.times.clari.net.au.

Distances: If you need to know how far, from one ZIP Code to the next: www.link-usa.com/zipcode. Internationally, try www.indo.com/distance.

Metric: For the metrically challenged, www.sciencemadesimple.net/EASYlength.html.

Money matters: www.oanda.com for making sense of foreign currency.

Language: How to say hello, goodbye and almost anything else: babelfish.altavista.com/translate.dyn.

Airports: Do you need to know the city code to book an air fare? Try www.flyaow.com/citycodet.htm.

Dialing codes: Calling all countries? A list of country and some city codes, kropla.com/dialcode.htm.

Parks: Find your own park place with help from the National Park Services: www.nps.gov. Domestic tidbits: For the scoop on the states, www.50states.com.

Tourist offices: www.towd.com, Tourism Offices Worldwide Directory, a site to help you find government tourism offices in the U.S. and around the world.

Finding yourself: If you’re planning a trip in the wilderness, you can get a look at the terrain you’ll cover: topozone.com.

Great outdoors: Your guide to recreational activities: www.gorp.com.

Be prepared: Check www.weather.com.