Exciting hotel packages for springtime travelers

by Jessica Festa on

Wondering where you should travel this spring? Take advantage of one of these season-inspired packages and enjoy fun activities in great locations for a discounted price.

De L’Europe
Amsterdam, Netherlands

The city of Amsterdam is well-known for its flower markets, lush gardens, and picturesque parks. To help visitors experience the natural beauty of the city, De L’Europe is featuring an Enchanted Gardens package from March 22-May 20, 2012. The package includes accommodations in the spacious Deluxe Room, breakfast for two each morning, and two tickets along with an all-inclusive guide to the Keukenhof, where myriad flora and fauna displays will be featured as well as over 7 million flowers including hundreds of tulip varieties.

Packages start at $595 per night based on double occupancy. Call +31 20 531 17 77 or click here to book. Troia Design Hotel
Troia, Portugal

The Troia Design Hotel is located on a picturesque peninsula on a nature reserve about an hour away from Lisbon. This spring, guests of the hotel can custom create their own packages to experience the great outdoors. Simply give your dates of travel and choose from a variety of activities, like kite surfing, diving, wine tasting, horseback riding, dolphin watching, rock climbing, visiting ancient ruins, bird watching, relaxing on the beach, indulging in the spa, scuba diving, and exploring surrounding castles.

Package rates vary depending on length of stay and activities chosen. Click here to custom create your spring package.

La Tavola Marche
Le Marche, Italy

La Tavola Marche is an organic farm, inn, and cooking school all in one. From March 29-April 2, 2012, the property is hosting a Cooking with Spring’s Wild Edibles package where guests can experience cooking and savoring the flavors of the season. The package includes four nights of accommodation, daily breakfasts, a guided wild edible walk, two half-day cooking classes as well as an apron and cookbook to keep, two wine-enhanced meals, and a five course dinner.

Packages are $641 per person based on double occupancy. Click here to book.

Alisal Guest Ranch and Resort
Solvang, California

The Alisal Guest Ranch and Resort is a romantic, “old-west” accommodation located in the picturesque Santa Barbara Wine Country. The property is also home to a 100-acre lake that makes for a popular fly-fishing retreat, especially with all of the Northern Strain Large Mouth Bass. This spring, the ranch is helping guests experience this relaxing past time by offering a Alisal Anglers’ Package for Two. The promotion includes a two night stay in one of the property’s deluxe accommodations, a welcome basket with fruit, cheese, wine, crackers, and fishing lures, three meals per day, an Alisal Lake hat, a $100 credit for a guided fishing trip for two, and all taxes and fees.

Packages start at $1,295 for two nights for two people. Call 1-888-4-ALISAL or e-mail reservations@alisal.com.

The Liaison Capitol Hill, an Affinia Hotel
Washington, D.C.

In 1912, Japan gave Washington, D.C., 3,000 cherry trees which grew into a beautiful icon for the nation’s capital. From March 20 to April 27, 2012, the National Cherry Blossom Festival will take place, marking the 100 year anniversary of the gift. To help celebrate, The Liaison Capitol Hill, an Affinia Hotel is featuring a Cherry Blossom Getaway from March 22-April 22. The package includes self-customized accommodations via My Affinia, a commemorative cherry tree branch, picnic treats from Art and Soul, chocolates inspired by cherry blossoms from Artisan Confections, and two metro passes.

Packages start at $199 per night. Call 1-866-246-2203 and mention promotional code CHER12 or click here to book.

Wolcott Hotel
New York, NY

The Wolcott Hotel is a comfortable and cozy 100-year old accommodation located near Murray Hill. It’s also in close proximity to the Empire State Building and the beloved Macy’s in Herald Square. To help guests enjoy the beauty of spring in New York, the property is lowering its rates for the season as well as inviting guests to enjoy the annual Macy’s Flower Show with free entry and a guided tour of the flower towers and floral decor.

Rates start at $150 per night. Call 212-268-2900 or click here to book.

Sunset Beach Resorts Spa & Waterpark
Montego Bay, Jamaica

Sunset Beach Resorts Spa & Waterpark is an all-inclusive beachfront property with lush gardens, a relaxing spa, and a thrill-filled waterpark. To help celebrate the coming of the warm weather, the resort is offering a Spring Madness promotion which includes beach games, pool parties, a bonfire experience, free transfers to Margaritaville, and 15% off all spa services.

Promotion rates start at $152.75 per person per night based on double occupancy. The promotion is valid for travel through April 13, 2012. Call 877-734-3486 to book.

CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa
Anguilla, British West Indies

CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa is a 5-star resort that features something for everyone, including a luxurious spa, expansive golf course, hydroponic farm, and fusion-style restaurants. In order to help their guests say goodbye to winter and welcome the changing of the seasons, the property is featuring a Tee Up & Revive package, which includes five nights of accommodation in a beachfront suite, two 50-minute spa treatments or a couples’ massage, three rounds of golf, use of tennis courts and fitness center, daily breakfast, lunch for two at Cafe Mediterraneo, dinner for two at Le Bistro at Santorini, airport/ferry pickup, and the use of non-motorized water sports.

Packages start at $5,255 based on double occupancy from now until April 13, 2012. Call 264-498-5602 to book.

For best airfare deals, shop six weeks before your trip

by Jessica Marati on

A recent study of U.S. airline ticket transactions revealed that passengers get the best airfare deals if they make their purchase six weeks before their scheduled departure.

On average, prices at the six-week mark are nearly 6% below the overall average fare, reported the study, run by Airlines Reporting Corp., a technology company that handles transactions between airlines and air travel agents. Airfares begin to rise dramatically one week before the flight, peaking on the departure date.

The study factored in four years of data from almost 144 million flight ticketing transactions with origins and destinations in the United States, making its findings pretty reputable. For more budget travel tricks, this vintage Gadling post shares five things you can do right now to score cheaper plane tickets. The video below share some helpful tips too.

[via Los Angeles Times, Flickr image via Tim Snell]

Budget travel: Megabus is giving away 200,000 free tickets

by Jessica Festa on

Because transportation is often one of the most expensive parts about traveling, it’s always nice to get a free ride. And for people traveling around the United States and Toronto from January 4 through March 1, 2012, Megabus is giving away 200,000 free seats.

Megabus, which launched in April of 2006, is already known for it’s budget-friendly prices and offering rides that start at $1 when booked on the internet. The company services nearly 50 cities through the United States and Canada from five major hubs which include New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., and Toronto. For those who value comfort, Megabus’ single and double decker buses offer panoramic windows, free wi-fi, and at-seat plug ins.

To reserve a free ride, use the promo code GOFREE when booking. The offer is based on availability and if you can travel midweek and/or on some of the more popular routes you shouldn’t have a problem taking advantage of the offer.

Gilt City lets you name your own Virgin America plane and take your friends on a trip – for just $60,000

by McLean Robbins on

In search of a luxe holiday gift for someone special? You don’t have to shell out for the G5.

For just $60,000 this Cyber Monday, Gilt City has partnered with Virgin America to offer a lucky person the chance to name a Virgin plane (permanently!) and enjoy a round-trip flight for the purchaser and 145 of their closest friends. You can take any roundtrip nonstop domestic flight (Las Vegas, Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago, New York and DC are on the list) on your own schedule, plus enjoy WiFi, a complimentary checked bag each and extra Gilt City amenities during the flight.

It’s a pretty sweet deal, coming out to just $411 per person, which is about the price of a roundtrip flight anyway. Even better? You can depart and leave whenever you wish, so long as you abide by the “four months in advance” reservation requirement.

Just one catch – you need to sign up for a free Gilt City membership to buy. But don’t worry, we’ve got an invite code for you.

Deep discounts on luxury travel from Abercrombie & Kent

by Melanie Renzulli on




Have you always wanted to go on safari in Kenya, tour the colorful markets and Mughal palaces of India‘s Golden Triangle, or explore the mysterious Incan settlements of Peru and do so in style? Beginning on Cyber Monday, Abercrombie & Kent will begin its Six Days of Holiday Savings sale, during which 10 luxury trips of a lifetime will be on sale.

Starting at 9am CST on November 28 and running through 1pm CST on December 3, Abercrombie & Kent is offering substantial mark-downs on trips from Amsterdam to Tanzania. Some A&K luxury travel packages will be on sale at a 50 percent discount. The best deals are an 11-day tour of India priced from $2,455 per person (originally $5,595); a six-day journey to Peru and Machu Picchu from $2,395 (usually $5,095); and an eight-day Thailand temple trip priced from $1,660 (was $4,295). You can also choose from Paris in the spring (from $2,495 for six days), a five-day jaunt to Florence and Chianti (from $1,395), and five other “guided independent journeys” starting from $1,795.

All of the packages included in A&K’s six-day sale must be booked by December 3 and take place in spring 2012. So, your chance to become a luxury traveler – or to surprise a loved one with a truly one-of-a-kind gift – is just a click away this Cyber Monday. Visit abercrombiekent.com for details.