Facebook has really taken off, given it’s unique platform and the benefits over other social networking sites like MySpace it’s not really a surprise nor is it that it is quickly becoming a favorite of travelers. Almost everyone wants to keep in touch with the people they meet while traveling and while there are a number of travel specific social networking sites Facebook has a lot to offer.

Although many have complained about it, it is the applications you can add to your Facebook profile that make it so fun and useful beyond just adding your friends.

Facebook is yet another designed to connect friends although unlike the MySpace popularity contest Facebook prefers that you actually know your friends. When you add a friend it will ask you how you know the person, are they related, a schoolmate, co worker, teammate, partner? Or for travelers, did you travel together and if so where to?

And like the others you enter the standard stuff to be shown in your profile like, age, relationship status, religion, favorites, etc.

The Applications browser says there are 61 travel related applications, how many are good is another story.

The most used application is the obligatory map of countries visited imaginatively called “Where I’ve Been“. But it’s not just where you’ve been but also your home country and where you want to go.There are heaps of other apps that do exactly the same thing but this one is the best and the most used and it’s always more fun to use apps that your friends also use.

You can also do pretty much the same thing with a Cities I’ve Visited map of which there are also a number available.

Trips is the next most useful, it allows you to enter your itinerary for an upcoming, a trip you are on or even past trips. You can add any friends who might me going with you and it creates a map of your route in Google Maps for you. While your gone or when you get back you can also upload photos to your trip data.

There are also apps for planning to help you find flights, calculate currency conversions, keep a travel diary, announce your favorite destinations. And lets not forget you can also upload videos of your travels and more.

For up and coming travelers there are countdown tools to tell you exactly how many seconds are left until you embark on your big adventure. With a bit of imagination I’m sure there are many others apps that could be used for travel purposes too.

And for wannabes or veterans alike there is one of my personal favorites, The Traveler IQ Challenge, how well do you really know the world and how do you compare to your fellow friends, travelers and Facebook members?

One things is for sure Facebook definitely has the goods for travelers whether it be for personal use, friends or keeping worried parents in the know.

[tags]Facebook, MySpace, Social, Networking, Travel, Fun, Friends[/tags]