Group deals are always popping into my life. My mom gives me printouts of Groupon deals for Christmas each year without fail (she puts the coupons in boxes and wraps them). And when I’m not opening Groupons from “Santa,” I see group deals shared aplenty in my Facebook feed, or forwarded to my inbox from friends, family and, well, people I barely know.

I’m heading to Paris for vacation this week. So I caved to social pressure and checked out the Groupon Paris page to see if any boulangerie bargains or cut-rate city tours could be found. I stumbled a deal for a half-price cruise on the Canal Saint-Martin.

This Groupon offered a scenic canal cruise, which normally would have cost 18 euros, for just 9 euros per person. But there was one problem: The Groupon was published in French. I desperately combed this page for a mini American or British flag and found nothing. The solution, I found, was to copy and paste all text into Google Translate. Or learn to speak fluent French.

Now, this was where things got tricky. The booking process was in French as well. And the bit where I had to enter my address didn’t give the option to specify a country.

I tried to type in my U.S. address along with my credit card information, but my order was rejected; I assume this happened because the system, by default, deemed that I live in France. I took a second stab at the purchase, but paid with PayPal instead of a credit card. It worked, probably because PayPal already has my home address in its system. I paid $25.29 for two cruise tickets; this was the final price according to PayPal’s exchange rate, which was a slightly more expensive conversion rate than the current interbank rate as seen on XE.com ($24.55).

It’s clear that Groupon’s international pages are designed for local customers. Still, with a PayPal account and a little translation, it’s possible to grab some good discounts in faraway destinations. The same goes for Living Social, which, like Groupon, has a wide selection of international deals that are published in local languages. Given that these sites often run promotions for restaurants, excursions, transportation and other goodies that would be useful during a trip, it’s worth signing up to receive local deals e-mails for the destination you’re visiting next. (Other group deals sites, including BuyWithMe, dealfind and DealOn, offer lots of bargains across the U.S. but have a limited international reach.)

More on IndependentTraveler.com

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• See our latest vacation deals
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Article source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44691415/ns/travel-travel_tips/

This month you’re probably thinking foliage and Halloween, not cruises. But the cruise lines are hoping to change that, declaring this month National Cruise Vacation Month.

Yes, that’s a marketing effort, so why do we care?

Because during National Cruise Vacation Week, Oct. 17 to 23, a whole bunch of fare deals will be offered through travel agents in what’s being billed as “The World’s Largest Cruise Sale.”

If this sounds familiar, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the industry’s main marketing group, used to promote February as the month for cruises, with a 24-hour sale. Last February agents sold $46 million in cruises, according to Bob Sharak, executive vice president of CLIA.

This year the sale may be tougher with cruise passengers, like other travelers, tightening their belts due to economic uncertainty.

But there will be temptations during the sale week including discounted fares, two-for-one deals, onboard spending credits (that you can use for things like drinks), spa credits (that you can use for a massage) and more.

The offers apply to both ocean and river cruises in 2012, and in some cases beyond.

So what kind of savings are we talking about?

As a sampling, those booking a Celebrity cruise will receive a $50 to $150 onboard credit, the offering applying to nearly every sailing between Jan. 1, 2012 and Apr. 30, 2013. Italian line Costa is promoting fares from $749 for select 10-day sailings and from $399 for weeklong cruises. And Avalon Waterways is discounting select European river cruises by up to $1,000 per person on some dates.

More than 4,900 agencies have signed on to do physical events during the sale week such as cruise nights — your agent invites you to a party to hear about cruises — and virtual events online, according to CLIA.

A special CLIA web page has been set up to help those who don’t have an agent find one.

More from Budget Travel:

News for Solo Cruisers

Is Cruising All-Inclusive?

Would You Prefer an Unlimited Drinks Package on a Cruise?

Article source: http://overheadbin.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/10/03/8126521-national-cruise-vacation-week-brings-fare-deals

DALLAS — In a break for travelers, airlines have cut the number of days this holiday season on which they add a surcharge for flying during peak travel periods.

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Delta, American, United and Continental confirmed Friday that they’re adding the surcharge to six days during the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s holidays. That’s down from about two dozen last year, according to the price-tracking website FareCompare.com

Surcharges range from $20 to $40 each way and apply to many flights on Nov. 27 and 28, Dec. 22, 23 and 26 and Jan. 2, according to the airlines.

US Airways, however, has surcharges on 18 days in November and December, according to FareCompare CEO Rick Seaney. The airline did not immediately return messages for comment.

Tom Parsons, CEO of travel website BestFares.com, who first spotted the changes, said the cutback in surcharges will help travelers find affordable trips if they’re flexible on travel days.

Deals listed Friday for around Thanksgiving — but avoiding the surcharge days — include Dallas-Los Angeles round trips starting at $219, and Washington-Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Denver-San Diego for under $190. Some trips would involve a seven-day stay, one-stop flights rather than non-stops, and outgoing and return flights on different airlines that have code-sharing agreements.

“I can’t remember seeing stuff this low, and we don’t even have an airfare war going on,” Parsons said.

The airlines declined to comment on why they reduced the frequency of surcharges, but analysts say signs indicate that leisure travelers may be cutting back because they’re worried about the economy.

Most major U.S. airlines recently raised some fares by up to $10 per round trip, but they were mostly on last-minute tickets usually sold to corporate travelers, not vacationers.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Article source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44554318/ns/travel-news/

DALLAS — In a break for travelers, airlines have cut the number of days this holiday season on which they add a surcharge for flying during peak travel periods.

1. 1. 
      

      
      At long last, a historic carousel rides again
      
      

      
      After $15 million and 27 years of restoration, an elaborate, historic carousel that once entertained amusement park visitors in Ohio will begin welcoming riders at its new home in Brooklyn on Friday.
      

   2. 
      QA: TSA’s new kid-friendly checkpoints
      
      

   3. 
      Facebook ‘like’: the button we love to hate
      
      

   4. 
      Walk above the treetops on Kinzua Sky Walk
      
      

   5. 
      Google Flights lumbers down the runway
      
      

Delta, American, United and Continental confirmed Friday that they’re adding the surcharge to six days during the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s holidays. That’s down from about two dozen last year, according to the price-tracking website FareCompare.com

Surcharges range from $20 to $40 each way and apply to many flights on Nov. 27 and 28, Dec. 22, 23 and 26 and Jan. 2, according to the airlines.

Tom Parsons, CEO of travel website BestFares.com, who first spotted the changes, said the cutback in surcharges will help travelers find affordable trips if they’re flexible on travel days.

Deals listed Friday for around Thanksgiving — but avoiding the surcharge days and — include Dallas-Los Angeles round trips starting at $219, and Washington-Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Denver-San Diego for under $190. Some trips would involve a 7-day stay, one-stop flights rather than non-stops, and outgoing and return flights on different airlines that have code-sharing agreements.

“I can’t remember seeing stuff this low and we don’t even have an air fare war going on,” Parsons said.

The airlines declined to comment on why they reduced the frequency of surcharges, but analysts say signs indicate that leisure travelers may be cutting back because they’re worried about the economy.

Most major U.S. airlines recently raised some fares by up to $10 per round trip, but they were mostly on last-minute tickets usually sold to corporate travelers, not vacationers.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Article source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44554318/ns/travel-news/

A freshly renovated Cape Cod hotel with a creative bent is giving thrifty new meaning to the term “room temperature.”

Through Nov. 6, the Harbor Hotel Provincetown in Massachusetts will use meteorological means to determine the price of 119 standard rooms, usually $89.99 per night.

“The rate will be based on the 2 p.m. temperature on the day of arrival,” says hotel general manager Nicholas Mitchell.

With the Saturday high in the region expected to be 67 degrees, that means guests can already expect a daily savings of about $23.

But as those who thrill at games of chance understand, Mitchell’s seemingly straightforward declaration is fraught with apparent loopholes.

Is that Fahrenheit or Celsius? Is that 2 p.m. there on Cape Cod or on the slopes in the Himalayas?

Nice try, Mitchell says. Like the casinos, the house sets the rules: The temperature will be determined by the local branch of the venerable National Weather Service.

It’s one of the more unusual ways resorts and hotels are trying to lure guests to rooms now that Labor Day has come and gone. The stakes are higher in Provincetown and throughout the Northeast, where Hurricane Irene emptied resorts as guests canceled peak season reservations by the millions.

That’s one reason Mitchell was eager to continue the fanciful promotion dreamed up last year by his predecessor.

It’s about the only thing that may be familiar to guests at the hotel that for the past 17 years was the landmark Cape Inn. Mitchell says new owners lavished a multimillion-dollar renovation to the interior before a gala re-opening last spring.

“The heart of the promotion is to remind people that the Cape doesn’t close after Labor Day,” he said. “In fact, we still have shops, whale watching and great restaurants the whole rest of the year. The only thing missing is the crowds.

And he’s not worried that freak temperature swings.

“If we have a cold snap and sell out the hotel with rooms going for $42, we figure we’ll recoup the loss with people sitting around the fireplace enjoying an afternoon of hot toddies,” he said.

The hotel gets kudos for creativity, but it doesn’t place in the wacky deal Hall of Fame for most outlandish promotions ever. For instance:

• A London Holiday Inn last winter offered guests a free human bedwarmer to take the chill off the sheets. An employee in a long-sleeved onesie was sent to each room to roll around under the sheets — solo! — so guests wouldn’t freak at the chill.
• In 2009, the Hotel Erwin in Venice, Calif., offered a $100 voucher for guests interested in getting a tattoo at the nearby Sea of Ink tattoo parlor. The package included a tube of Lubriderm lotion, an ice pack and a bottle of tequila. Guests earned a $500 bonus if the tattoo read, “I heart Erwin.”

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Chris Rodell is a Latrobe, Pa., contributor who blogs at www.EightDaysToAmish.com. 

Article source: http://overheadbin.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/09/02/7574362-cape-cod-hotel-ties-room-rate-to-temperature

NEW YORK — Spirit Airlines Inc. started offering vacation packages on its website Wednesday, a move aimed at bringing the discount airline more revenue from sources other than airfare.

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Spirit, based in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., already makes about a third of its revenue from fees. Spirit charges extra for checked baggage, luggage placed in the overhead bin, assigned seats and even water on its flights.

The decision to sell travel packages including hotel rooms and car rentals as part of online bookings was announced by Barry Biffle, Spirit’s chief marketing officer, at an investors’ conference in New York.

The move mirrors the business strategy adopted by another discount airline, Allegiant Travel Co., which derives about 30 percent of its revenue from selling hotel packages in destinations such as its home city Las Vegas.

To promote the hotel offerings, Spirit is including some lower-end hotels for free with tickets purchased through Thursday for some travel dates in October.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Article source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44426789/ns/travel-deals/

From a getaway in London to fun in the Florida sun, Budget Travel’s Nina Willdorf shares five tips you can snag if you’re looking to sneak away for Labor Day weekend.

We can all sense it. That tiny little pit in our stomach as Labor Day weekend approaches, that bittersweet feeling of the symbolic last hurrah of summer before fall — and its dear friend, reality — set it.

Live Poll

Do you prefer summer travel or fall travel?

Although summer is the traditional high season for travel, there are plenty of benefits to traveling in the fall. Prices are generally softer, crowds are generally fewer, and weather is generally milder, to name a few.

Of course, for those with families, the benefit of summer is that the kids are out of school. So, if you’re traveling with school-aged kids, fall travel may not be an option (unless you pull the youngsters out of school like my parents used to do. Is that even kosher anymore? Was it ever?). But for those with a little bit more flexibility, Labor Day weekend doesn’t have to signal a goodbye to lazy days on the beach, or the end to impromptu road trips and far-flung getaways.

For instance, several travel companies are offering fall foliage deals. Go Ahead Tours is offering $500 off per couple on any of its 7-day Coastal New England Fall Foliage tours booked by Aug. 31. The tour starts at $1,759 per person with departures on Oct. 1 or Oct. 8. Globus is offering $200 off per couple on its 9-day Classic Summer Fall Foliage and its 9-day Fall Foliage Getaway tours, priced from $1,979 and $2,099, respectively. And Brendan Vacations is also offering a 10% discount on its Autumn Colors package for booking made by Aug. 29.

More from Budget Travel

• 10 Coolest Small Towns in America 
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Article source: http://overheadbin.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/08/29/7512806-summers-almost-over-but-labor-day-and-fall-travel-deals-abound

Die-hard deal finders should ready their bank accounts: The discount service Groupon has partnered with Expedia to offer big bargains to travelers, according to an announcement Wednesday.

The partnership will combine Groupon’s model of offering significant discounts for a limited time with Expedia’s inventory of 135,000 hotels worldwide. Available in the U.S. and Canada at first, the venture will be called Groupon Getaways and will offer vouchers worth 50 percent off hotel retail rates. The redemption period will be flexible, according to Groupon and Expedia. There are also plans to offer specials for package deals, airline tickets, car rentals, cruises and destination activities around the world.

Groupon competitor, LivingSocial, created a similar service last November. LivingSocial Escapes offers discounted travel packages and excursions to nearby destinations that don’t require flying.

Groupon Getaways will launch in late June.

Other stories you might like:

• Nickeled and dimed — for $21 billion
• 5 smartest vacation photos you’ve never taken
• Bargain summer trips free from crowds

Rebecca Ruiz is a senior editor at msnbc.com. You can follow her on Twitter at @rebecca_ruiz.

Article source: http://overheadbin.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/06/01/6764727-groupon-and-expedia-plan-to-offer-travelers-big-bargains

Spirit Airlines

Spirit Airlines has announced “The Weiner Sale,” with airfares as low as $9 each way to selected cities.

Spirit Airlines has unveiled a whopper of a deal, and we have U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner to thank.

The weenie-priced offer, with flights as low as $9 each way, is available through Wednesday.  

The Democratic New York congressman, after days of denials, finally admitted to sending via Twitter a photo of his underwear-clad crotch to a woman who is not his wife. The visual boast may make him toast, but Spirit airlines is garnering plenty of free marketing with its low-cost, pun-rich offer.

“The Weiner sale with fares too HARD to resist,” touts the airline on its website.

Spirit Airlines’ spokeswoman made no denials about the offer. “We can confirm with certitude that the photo is in fact our weiner,” said Misty Pinon. ”The ad is ours, and we sent it.”

Article source: http://overheadbin.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/06/07/6805508-spirit-airlines-pegs-promo-to-weiner-scandal

NEW YORK — The National Park Service is offering free admission Tuesday to more than 100 national parks that usually charge entrance fees.

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The fee-free day marks the first day of summer on June 21.

Other fee-free days remaining this year are Sept. 24, which is called Public Lands Day, and Nov. 11-13, Veterans Day weekend.

Story: Epic snowpack brings stunning scenery, hazards to national parks

A complete list of national parks covered by the free entrance offer can be found here. The list includes many of the system’s best-known parks, such as Grand Canyon in Arizona, Yosemite and Muir Woods in California, Rocky Mountain in Colorado, Everglades in Florida, Yellowstone and Grand Teton in Wyoming, Acadia in Maine, Cape Cod in Massachusetts, Arches, Bryce and Zion in Utah, and Shenandoah in Virginia.

Some park concessions offer deals on fee-free days. For the first day of summer, Swan Mountain Outfitters at Glacier National Park in Montana is offering $5 off standard trail rates for kids riding with a full-paying adult, $5 off per rider on groups of six or more, and $5 off for Montana residents. Details at http://www.parkpartners.org/Special-Offers-for-2011.htmler.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Article source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43441538/ns/travel-deals/