Offbeat Web sites for travelers

For virtual travelers, here's a trio of offbeat Web sites that could be useful in real life:

• Rooms With a Great View: This site is dedicated to those travelers who hardly left their hotel rooms because they couldn't bear to part with that sublime panorama. The photos show enviable views from such properties as Hotel Paramount Palace in India and Paradise Inle Resort in Myanmar.

www.roomswithgreatviews.com • I Hate Taxis: OK, we don't hate all cabs, just the ones that overcharge us or scare us so much that we consider jumping out mid-ride. The site gives travelers the tools to smartly navigate various modes of transportation from major tourist points, such as airports. www.ihatetaxis.com

There is helpful travel info as well, such as currency rates and city humidity levels.

• GuideGecko Travel Bookstore: Put guidebooks you don't need any more for sale at the online store (sellers get 85 percent of the sale price), then pick up some other used ones. www.guidegecko.com

Washington Post