Over the past few months I have learnt a lot about where to find information for travel. Certainly visit travel centres to read brochures and compare rates, but also read up online and check out flight costs there as well. With regards to insurance, I used cover more, but as my travel agency arranged this I really did not read up that much on it.
I found excellent destination information in lonely planet guides (one of which I purchased), though these can also be borrowed in the world sections of local libraries. I found my library to be an invaluable resource here. Also never underestimate individual advice. Experiences from friends and families can be of great use though always make sure that you check how updated that information is. On top of this, websites like wikitravel and online travel blogs can be a wonderful source of free information.