But how do you get around the map/navigator issue? Nothing worse than being on a street corner with a map that doesn't list all the streets (most guidebook maps aren't complete), hubby not interested, precious minutes ticking by, getting more incendiary by the minute (I'm a redhead)...

Our latest trick is to get to the best English-language speaking bookstore once we hit the ground & buy up maps (some books like Michelin & Paris par Arondissement much cheaper in EU) - what do other people do? Just wander and enjoy the serendipity ?

Have a good weekend = )

This has come up before, and it always surprizes me. I'm the primary trip planner in our family, and it seems to be a guy thing among friends as well. I think it depends on interests as much as personality or gender. On the other hand my wife, who has an MBA and understand money stuff better than I do, takes the lead in financial planning.

Whenever I see a couple of tourists in San Francisco it's usually a male looking hopelessly around and a female with a map or a book guiding him on :)

Over the years it seems to have evolved that I (wife) do the planning. Mostly, I think, it's because I love doing it and actually experience the trip twice, once while planning and then the real thing. I also love maps which helps us figure out where we are headed. My husband does all the driving and has no hestitation in asking for help if we need it (is one of the things I adore about him).

We've also learned that even if I do the planning, it works best if we gently put it aside once we get somewhere. My husband is very spontaneous and we've found that if we stick to everything I've written down we don't have as good a time as when we know what there is to see, but do something totally different if he suggests it. I guess we've learned to trust each other and rely on each other's strengths.

Re: &quot;<i>is it always women who do the travel planning?</i>

No.

Is it always women who make broad assumptions about other people based on their personal experiences? :)

In my relationship we have a deal. I (woman) do most things before the trip and my boyfriend takes care of things once we're in the foriegn country. For example, I do all the research: best flight deal, narrowing down the hotel selection to 5-6 top picks, which sites are open when, etc. My boyfriend and I then make a decision together about the hotel. I type up an itenerary and once we arrive my bf reads the map and speaks to the locals (especially the hotel staff if there is a problem because I don't like confrontation). The only problem is he expects me to know EVERYTHING because I did the research!

I (wife) do all the planning, reservations, etc. To the point that we have been on trips where my husband actually didn't know where we were going till it was time to pack! I usually do ask for his input on where to go and take his preferences into account.
Once at the destination, I do the navigation--if we have a rental car, he drives. I also do all the checking in at hotels, but he gets the rental car while the boys and I get the luggage (unless we have to go through customs). It all works out.
I even make the reservations for his business trips which I do not go on--this after a couple of major mess-ups by his former secretary.

Having lived abroad and traveled extensively since the age of 13, I used to do all the (endless) planning. After two trips, my husband (then boyfriend) decided he didn't like my hotel choices. He started doing some research for a trip some years back, and has done it ever since. I'm not sure what he'd do with all his time if he weren't looking for the perfect hotel in the perfect city, but I love it! His choices are always right on the mark!

Planning is part of the holiday - I (female) spend hours doing the research and enjoy it. My husband has pictures of me in some fantastic locations, Rome, Venice, Florence, Paris with my head in the guide book!!!

I do all the planning and packing except for car rental and downloading the Internet route driving instructions (Mappy, etc.).
On one U.S. cross-country trip, my husband wanted to try his hand at the hotel reservations. He chose all Days Inns based on the Days Inn web site (&quot;But look! It's rated 4 Suns!&quot;). Those of you who have stayed in Days Inns know how much fun they are...after the third horrible DI (each one worse than the one before), we rebooked at hotels I selected and he's left that job to me ever since...

&quot;Mostly, I think, it's because I love doing it and actually experience the trip twice, once while planning and then the real thing. I also love maps which helps us figure out where we are headed. My husband does all the driving and has no hestitation in asking for help if we need it (is one of the things I adore about him).&quot;

I agree!! The planning is almost as much fun as the going. My husband loves to drive, and I would rather not. I'm the navigator, and he never gets upset that I have to really think about ewhich way is left and which is right.

Before we started taking package tours I was the one who planned the trip - transportation and hotels -but we played it by ear once we got to our destination. On some trips lodging was also spontaneous. Some of the places that we stayed were basic.:B

So what other websites do people use for planning - ricksteves, frommers, letsgo?

I'm a mad cut&amp;paster into word, then boil down the text to 6point, print out double-sided and highlight stuff on the plane . . . but maybe i'm just a bit mad!