It pays to be young in Rome this August

by Katie Hammel on

To combat the travel lull Rome typically experiences in August, the city is offering some fantastic deals to lure travelers. The catch? You must be under 30 years old to get the special prices.

Head to any tourist office in Rome, show proof that you’re between 18 and 29 years old, pick up your free promo card and use it to get discounts all over the city. 32 restaurants are offering special menus that range from 5 to 25 Euros, with the average price being around 10 Euros for 2-3 courses. Common menus may include pizza or pasta and dessert or a drink. You’ll get deals on accommodations as well, with over 50 b&bs and 20 hotels offering significant discounts.

The card will get you a Roma Pass for 21 Euros instead of 23. The pass is good for 3 days and gets you free travel on city buses and the Underground, and covers admission to 2 museums (after that you can use it to get discounts to other attractions). You’ll also get 10% off at all city-owned museums and 5 Euros off the 20 Euro open-topped bus tour.

Check out the full list of participating establishments and deals available here.

[via Budget Travel]

Help save the sea lions when you stay at Portofino Hotel and Yacht Club

by Katie Hammel on

Warm waters caused by El Nino currents may be responsible for the record number of sea lions that have shown up weak and hungry along the California coast this year. In Sausalito, the Marine Mammal Center says it has rescued a record number of exhausted and malnourished sea lions, who can’t find enough food to survive because the squid and anchovies they normally eat have headed out into colder waters. While the center normally helps around 600 sea lions, so far they’ve rescued over 1000 in the last 7 months. In southern California, the Marine Mammal Care Center in San Pedro has taken in 365 sea lions since January.

Want to help? You can book the “Save the Sea Lions” package at the Portofino Hotel and Yacht Club in Redondo Beach. For $299 per night (plus tax), you’ll get an ocean-view room, a sea lion stuffed animal, a disposable camera, and a two-hour paddle-boat rental so you can get up close to the sea lions in the water. 10% of the proceeds from each package sold will go to the Marine Mammal Care Center to help them rescue and care for the sea lions. You can also visit the Center to learn more about their efforts firsthand. They don’t charge admission but do accept donations.

[via Los Angeles Times]

Megabus to sell 50,000 $1 fares

by Katie Hammel on

Megabus, the big blue bus that could, has become synonymous with dirt-cheap fares in the Midwest and on the East Coast. While not always on time, the company has a reputation for offering a better experience than competitors like Greyhound, as there is an assumption that you are more likely to be seated next to a budget traveler or college student than you are, say, a knife-wielding psychopath.

As Megabus’ popularity has grown, it has become harder to snag those elusive $1 fares, which are offered for the first few seats sold on each trip. When I first started taking the bus from Chicago to Detroit back in 2007, I rarely paid more than $10 round-trip, and paying $1 (and once, just 50 cents) each way wasn’t uncommon. But my more recent trips have been as high as $70 round-trip(though still cheaper than flying and faster than taking the train).

But this fall, getting a $1 fare might be easier. Megabus just announced that it will be selling an additional 50,000 fares for the low, low price of $1 each way. Passengers will need to travel between September 14 and November 19 and use the promo code HOTDEAL when booking. The $1 fares do tend to sell out quickly, so book your travel now to get the best price.

Family Package at Naples, FL Ritz makes luxury attainable

by Tom Johansmeyer on

I love the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort. I spent a weekend down there just shy of a year ago, and it’s become my mission in life to get back there. Until that happens, though, you may ant to see it for yourself. Even if you don’t play golf (personally, I hate the game), there is plenty to enjoy.

The Family Summer Package, which starts at $239 a night, is available from the first day of May to the last of October this year, and it comes with enough perks to make that seem like pocket change. In addition to the roof over your head, you’ll get breakfast for four, a free kids’ menu meal with each adult entrée you purchase, a $50 resort credit and a $50 gift card which is good at the resort’s retail shops. A similar packages is available at the golf resort’s sister property (which is on the beach) for $299 a night.

I know … free meal offers make me skeptical, too. What do you get? At the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, you’ll have breakfast at Lemonia, which, I assure you, is outstanding. Also, make sure you get over to the spa at the beach resort. I received the best massage of my life there as part of the Elements treatment. Don’t miss it.

While you hit the links (36 holes in total), your kids can take advantage of the Nature’s Wonders program, which is on the beach resort property. It’s an environmentally-focused program that is conducted by a team of certified Master Naturalists who can give some great insights on Florida wildlife. The Ritz-Carlton does take its environmental seriously, as I found while participating in the “Giveback Getaway” program last summer.

If you need to dash off for a few days this summer, the Family Summer Package gives you an affordable option to have an upscale experience. My only hope is that I get back there before you do (I miss the place).

%Gallery-51126%

2009 the year of the bargain

by Tom Johansmeyer on

We’ve all seen the flurries of deals, either here on Gadling or in our inboxes. There’s no avoiding the fact that airlines and hotels are desperate to get you into seats and rooms this year, and they are ready to make it worth your while. Mid-town Manhattan hotels were offering deals for New Year’s Eve! That shows just how hard up the travel industry is. When you plan your trips this year, be prepared to benefit from the competition for access to your wallet. Understand, however, that deals come in different forms.

The first opportunity is obvious. Look for deep price cuts in an attempt to fill seats or rooms. Last week, for example, several domestic airlines offered fare sales within a few hours of each other, and the others rushed to get in line. JetBlue and AirTrain have one-way tickets to major cities selling at well under $100. Virgin America promoted a $139 transcontinental flight … which can actually be found for $109 on some days. Not to be outdone, the internationals are following. British Airways is now offering business class seats for as little as $2,000, and Open Skies can get you from New York to Amsterdam in premium economy for half that (round trip).

With the hotels, it gets a bit more complicated. Some of the best promotions won’t have big price drops, but they’ll deliver a hell of a lot more value.One of my sources tells me that the super-premium, absurdly luxurious hotels seem to be doing fine. If you don’t have a liquid net worth of above $50 million, this simply does not matter to you. So, don’t even think of living like last year’s hedge fund managers for pennies a night. It isn’t going to happen. Be realistic.

At the other end of the spectrum, bargain hotels are slashing rates and taking advantage of a larger audience, since people who would have spent more in the past are looking down market these days.

In the middle, keep an eye on the merely upscale. They are in a tough spot on room rates. These hotels are generally unwilling to cut their prices significantly, as it would impair their reputations and make it hard to push pricing back up later. But, they realize the conditions in which they have to operate. You can use this to stretch the value of your budget. Look for free nights, perks at the on-site spa (or slopes) or packages that include meals. There are deals to be found, and they can be substantial. You just have to accept that they won’t begin with a huge price cut.

Sometimes, the best deals aren’t the lowest-priced. If you can be flexible with the size of your budget, you may find yourself able to get a lot more for your money than if you spend less. When you think about the total cost of your trip (instead of looking at the room, flight, meals and activities separately), the inclusion of meals and spa treatments, for example, can actually lead to a total savings. Keep an open mind, and you’ll see that some once-in-a-lifetime opportunities could open up for you in this market.

Need more ideas? Check these out.