You may find that you can use online resources for free or more cheaply at archives, but is it worth the time and expense of travelling there?
There is a wealth of material available on the web, and it is being added to every day. Databases and search engines make information accessible in a way in which it wasn't before: searches that used to take weeks or months now take only a few minutes. And sometimes it's cheaper and easier to do what you can online and in your own time than travelling to archives and bowing to time pressure there. You may find that you can use online resources for free or more cheaply at archives, but is it worth the time and expense of travelling there? And you will still have to pay for the photocopying!