Labor Day travel: Barbados

by Meg Nesterov on


If you’re still thinking about how to spend Labor Day, how about saying goodbye to summer with one last beach trip? You know not much happens in the office during the last week of summer, so why not make Labor Day a little longer? The island of Barbados offers a good-value promotion starting September 1st, a perfect excuse to recharge on a Caribbean beach before fall sets in. Previously called Best of Barbados, the Fall for Barbados deal includes airfare and hotel for a week with free breakfast daily, one free car rental day when you book three days or more, and up to $300 airfare credit per booking. They also throw in a 25% discount card on restaurants and some deals on activities. Prices around Labor Day start at $1,100 per person for 5 nights in an all-inclusive or $650 per person for 7 nights at a standard hotel (I calculated from New York, other cities might be higher or lower).

I took my first trip to the Caribbean with this deal in 2008, and not being an all-inclusive resort-type of traveler, I booked the independent boutique Silver Point Hotel. The hotel is nicely located in a residential area with plenty of rum shops and small restaurants within walking distance, served well-priced and actually decent food (contrasted with the expensive and mediocre food served at certain American chain hotels), and the staff was friendly and helpful. In 2008, I paid around $750 per person for the week of Labor Day with airfare and found it available for $777 in 2010. The previous deal had also included a $200 debit card to be used anywhere on the island, but the current promotion still represents a good savings. I calculated the hotel and airfare separately for the same dates and it worked out to over $400 more per person without the package.

The package is government-subsidized in an effort to increase tourism during hurricane season, though Barbados is one of the few Caribbean islands outside the hurricane belt and hasn’t suffered a major storm in over 50 years. You may encounter a few rainy days in September, a good time to explore the travel nerdy Concorde Experience, check out a historical house, or just hunker down in a rum shop. Barbados is a former British colony and remains a high-brow but laid-back destination with a nice balance of beach, nature, and culture.

Full details: Book by August 31st for travel September 1 – December 18, 2010. You have to stay a minimum of either 5 nights at an all-inclusive or 7 nights at other hotels. You can book through a travel agent or online through Orbitz and the like, full partner list here.

The cheapest way from London to Paris: Bus service for £15

by Grant Martin on

Backpackers rejoice. Eurolines, a part of UK bus carrier National Express has reduced the fare of their bus service from London to Paris, a hotly competitive route currently served by dozens of air and rail carriers. To date, Eurostar and budget air carriers have fought hard over the route, with fares on either sinking as low as $100 round trip.

Currently, one of the most common inexpensive routes taken is via low cost carrier such as Easyjet, where non-peak flights can often be found for a bargain. Eurostar, conversely, delivers passengers from city-center to city-center without security hassles and sometimes in just as much travel time.

With Eurolines, passengers can pay as little as £15 ($24 as of August 2010) for one way fare between the two cities. Travel time? Seven hours, and there’s even an over night bus that leaves at 11PM. For those without a tight schedule though, that’s a lot of money saved.

Make sure you book your tickets far in advance though, like with most carriers the £15 fares are probably in short supply.

[Via AERBT]

Sanibel Marriott wants your pocket change for extra night

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Pretty pissed about the proposed 2-cent increase in stamp prices? If you’re among the Luddites still using dead-tree communication, I imagine it’s pretty annoying. To get some relief from this postal madness, head on down to the Sanibel Harbour Marriott Resort & Spa in Fort Myers, Florida.

Through the end of the month, for a three-night stay between August 22, 2010 and the end of September, you can book your third merely by putting your 2 cents in. Yep, a pair of pennies extends your stay. Since room rates start at a mere $159, the entire experience won’t drain your bank account. Remember to use discount code PK3 when booking online.

Daily Pampering: Guided walks around the world

by Melanie Nayer on

Usually when we discuss the luxe life, we talk about things being brought to us, not about things we have to go out and get ourselves. After all, the very foundation of ‘pampering’ comes from people being waited on, so why would anything in Daily Pampering ever require us to move from our comfy spot anywhere around the world? Well, because some of life’s luxuries are simply worth seeing for yourself.

Country Walkers, the guided walking travel company, has just introduced new Guided Duo Adventures, which combines two tours into one. These tours are perfect for travelers who want to linger a little longer at the chilled limoncello-making stand in Sorrento or sip a few more varietals in France’s Bordeaux region. You can choose to explore the world from Morocco, Croatia, Peru, Switzerland, Italy, and more.

The trips range from easy walking levels (2 – 6 miles) to challenging walking levels (6 – 14 miles) and are all conducted by local guides. A few of our favorites for this fall include:

Laos & Vietnam trip from $5,898/person
Umbria/Amalfi from $8,648/person
Sicily & the Aeolian Islands from $3398/person

Now what’s stopping you from seeing the world?

Want more? Get your dose of Daily Pampering right here.

A Dozen Ways to Save in New England

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Looking to make your travel bucks go a bit further this summer? Well, there are a dozen ways you can do it in New England. Twelve properties in the New England Inns & Resorts Association are kicking in extra nights, meal vouchers upgrades and comp’ed rounds of golf to get you under their roofs for a while. Here are three to whet your appetite

1. Free Golf at Crowne Plaza Cromwell
Head up to Cromwell, Connecticut and a two-night stay at the Crowne Plaza will get you a free 18-hole round of golf at Lyman Orchards Golf Course. Rates start at $131 a night, and you have to book at least seven days in advance.

2. Free night mid-week at The Wildflower Inn
From September 6, 2010 through October 29, 2010, you get a free fourth night when you book three at The Wildflower Inn in Lyndonville, Vermont. Take in the foliage, and breathe in air that’s just starting to become crisp – while sipping hot cider and nibbling on Vermont Cabot cheese. Rates start at $390 per couple for four nights (mid-week only).

3. Free for kids at Lake Morey Resort
Visit Lake Morey in Fairley, Vermont, and children under 12 can stay free (in a room with an adult), eat free and take full advantage of the supervised children’s program. It’s only available mid-week, now through August 22, 2010.