Wicked Good Travel Tips, Unique Vacations, Travel Deals » Money Saving Travel

New Sale Lets You Indulge Like A Celebrity At An Understudy’s Price

Susan — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 21:33:11 +0000

The exclusive One & Only Resorts have been favorite hideouts for celebrities for years. A-listers such as Jennifer Aniston, Scarlett Johanssen, Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher have sought the seductive indulgence of these resorts, and now perhaps it’s your turn!

We’ve just received notice that the OneOnly Ocean Club in the Bahamas and One &Only Palmilla in Los Cabos Mexico, are offering a super Summer Journey’s Sale running right though to the end of October! Here’s their tantalizing offer:

Stay three nights and receive a 4th night absolutely free (that’s a savings of at least $600)
Guests receive daily continental breakfast
$200 in resort credits
Two $50 spa certificates
Two rounds of golf for the price of one
Courtesy airport transfers
and Welcome amenities

While this discounted offer is wonderful, it’s the exceptional settings of the One&Only Resorts that are the true gift. The One & Only Ocean Club in the Bahamas occupies the former Huntington Hartford Estate on Paradise Island where dramatic terraced gardens evoke visions of a seaside Versailles. Fountains and statuary invite you to explore and the 12th century Augustain cloisters present perhaps the most dramatic setting in the Caribbean.

Perched at the southernmost tip of Baja California, the One&Only Palmilla Resort hearkens back to the days when Hemingway and Harlow sought tranquility along the Los Cabos corridor. The dramatic artistry of Mexico is evident at every turn, as is the majesty of the sea. No matter what diversion you seek on vacation; golf, tennis, spa, sunbathing, fine dining, you find it all in spades at One&Only Resorts. Don’t miss this chance to experience these incomparable resorts while they are being offered a terrific promotional price. They will be vacations you will cherish for years to come.

Fly Business Class To Paris This Summer For 1/2 Price!

Susan — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 16:01:10 +0000

Our buddies at Open Skies Airways are offering a RED HOT Summer Sale for flights to Paris from New York or Washington DC starting at just $650 one way in business class – sale ends 7/24, so jump right on it. This means you can fly business class to one of the most exciting cities in the world for less than half the price of legacy airlines like British Air, Delta and American! (ps – Open Skies an all business class airline that is a subsidiary of British Air.)

We did a quick comparative pricing for flights to Paris from New York in August. Open Skies came in at $1886 rt including all taxes and fees, while BA, DL & AA priced flights between $4,500 and $6000 for business class. In fact pricing for coach on the ‘big boys’ was in the $1,200 range – so for just a few hundred dollars more, you enjoy a luxury business class airline. Open Skies is less than 1/3 of the price of American and half the price of British Airways in business class – astounding!

Here’s our trip report of a recent journey on Open Skies from Washington DC to Paris in June. We think you’ll love flying Open Skies! If you can’t squeak out a vacation this summer, you’ll might be interested in their Early Fall Sale with prices staring at $700 each way. The Fall sale must be booked by July 26th. I can’t think of a better reason to jet off to Paris for a few days!

JetBlue Announces Endless Summer Sale To Bermuda

Susan — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 12:30:11 +0000

Just when the final days of summer begin to tick down and dreaded thoughts of back-to-school shopping creep in, do a little budget shopping of your own at JetBlue.com JetBlue has announced an Endless Summer Sale to Bermuda that will extend your beach days right through the end of October. So make plans to settle the kids back in school and then take some ME time with your significant other in nearby Bermuda. Hotels are offering promotions with 3rd, 4th or 5th night free (depending on your property choice), and meals are half price with Buy-One-Get-One Free coupons that are redeemable at popular area restaurants. Reservations need to be booked by August 22nd with travel valid through October 31st.

Kids Fly Free To The Fiji Islands – Go Play On The Coral Coast

Susan — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 13:20:53 +0000

The Fiji Islands are calling with a fabulous family vacation deal – Kids Fly Free to Fiji! South Pacific specialist, Travel2.com, is offering flights on South Pacific Air from LAX to NAN from $679 each way per adult with two kids under the age of 12 flying along for free with two paying adults. So for the cost of two flights, a family of four can fly off to experience the 300 gorgeous islands and dazzling lagoons that make up the island nation of Fiji.

A South Pacific island probably hasn’t been the first destination that comes to mind when thinking about a family vacation – but on second thought – why not??? The Fijian islands are a wonderland for every water based activity imaginable, and the Fijian people are some of the friendliest folks on earth. And as the Aussies know, (Fiji is a popular vacation destination for Australians) many of the resorts have extensive kids programs and offer amenities that will make your family feel right at home. Couple all this with an incredibly great exchange rate (1 USD =2 FJD), and you have the makings of a great vacation opportunity. We traveled with our kids to Fiji, staying at the Fijian Shangri La Hotel, and had a fabulous time snorkeling on the Coral Coast, playing Golf on their 9 hole course, lawn bowling, windsurfing – you name it!

You can save even more money by booking one of Travel2′s family vacation packages – here’s a sampling:

Sonaisali Island Family Vacation, 8 Days from $419 per person, which includes 7 nights lodging, a jungle cruise, breakfast daily, airport transfers, and a village tour…. PLUS, Kids under 12 eat free!
Sofitel Family Vacation for 8 Days from $449 per person, including 7 nights at the Sofitel Resort and Spa, breakfast daily, and kids under 12 eat dinner and breakfast free.
7 Day Fiji Island Cruise Vacation from $649 per person, including 2 nights at the Sofitel Resort and Spa with breakfast daily and a 4 night Northern Yasawa Islands cruise with all meals included.

BULA, go learn to hula!!!

Luxury Caribbean Island Adopts Restaurant Week Concept All Summer Long

Susan — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 12:30:08 +0000

We all look forward to Restaurant Weeks to temp us to experience new places at great prices. Now the alluring Caribbean island of Anguilla is hoping you’ll be tempted to visit them and take advantage of their Prix Fixe Summer promotion. Not only are the island restaurants offering Prix Fixe menus, but the hotels, inns and villas are offering enticing discounts as well.

The Prix Fixe promotion began on May 15th and will continuing through the summer season (with no end date yet announced). Top-tier restaurants like Blanchards, the CuisinArt Resort and The Old Caribe will off three course menus at $45. Mid-tier establishments will charge $40 and casual eateries will offer 3 course dinners for just $35.

Most all hotels, inns and villa complexes have special pricing as well. Many will be offering a ‘Stay 5 Nights, Get 2 Free’ promotion. These packages are typically available from May through to mid November. Among the resorts offering 7 nights for the price of 5 are: Bird of Paradise, Carimar Beach Club, CuisinArt Resort and Spa, Ku Resort, Sirena Resort & Villas, Spyglass Hill Villa, and Sur La Plage Villas.

For those not familiar with Anguilla, it is a warm and welcoming stretch of white sand located just to the east of San Juan and to the north of St. Martin. Many visitors fly into St. Martin and then ferry over to the island. This is a very pristine, laid-back beach paradise with 33 beaches, one more inviting than the next. If you love an island with miles and miles of white sand beach bordered by clear translucent water, this my be the tropical paradise you’ve been looking for.

For complete details about the Prix Fixe promotion visit Anguilla-Vacations.com

Insanely Great Sale – One Week Vacation For $199 – Act Fast!!

Susan — Thu, 20 May 2010 16:19:15 +0000

Sea Palace St. Maarten

Can a week’s vacation get any cheaper than this? I’ve just been reading Arthur Frommer’s Blog (great resource of top travel info), and learned about this insanely great sale. A full week’s vacation in a resort rental apartment (studio, 1 bedroom or 2 bedrooms) for a mere $199 per week. That’s not per person folks, it’s per unit for a full 7 days. And these are not some flea bag properties, they are from the apartment rental division of Wyndham Hotels – Endless Vacation Rentals. There are resort properties located all across the USA, Caribbean, Mexico and Europe! I just can’t stop using !!!! this is such a great deal.

Here’s the main catch…. this is a “blowout” sale on the Wyndham Vacation last minute site. You only have until 4pm on Friday 5/21/10 to reserve your vacation at this amazing price, and travel must take place within 30 days. Can’t get away for a full week? No problem, check out early (the price is still worth it)…. or split the booking with some friends and each stay a few days…that would be a vacation for $100!!!!

Now if you just can’t carve out some vacation time in the next 30 days, this is a site you should definitely bookmark and keep an eye on. The last minute page always offers properties at amazing rates that are available for travel within 30 days. The standard rate right at the moment would be $349 per week for a studio apartment, up to $399 per week for a 2 bedroom – still a fabulous deal. I think this is going to be my new go-to site for booking quick getaways.

Here’s my suggested strategy for cashing in on these offers:

Strategy #1
Pick a few locations from the destination list
Look for available frequent flyer seats and grab them
Go back to the Wyndham site and book the apt rental

Strategy #2
Select a destination that is served by a low cost airline (JetBlue, Southwest, Spirit, AirTran etc) and look for a great airfare. Combine that fare with a one week rental from the Wyndham site.

Strategy #3
See a great airline sale…freeze some seats, check the Wyndham last minute site for an apartment rental.

Make your friends incredulous with envy…”You paid WHAT for your vacation????!!!!!!” You have to love it when that happens!

Get Crazy Down By The River At The FREE “Riverrock” Festival in Richmond

Susan — Fri, 07 May 2010 16:51:32 +0000

What do you get when you mix slippery mud, a field of joggers, mountain bikes, air dogs and rock music? An adrenaline filled riverside festival, and the best part….. it’s FREE! Everyone’s invited to Richmond Virginia’s ‘riverlife’ celebration on May 14-15, when the city busts loose and celebrates it’s 2nd annual Dominion Riverrock Festival. This an adrenaline-pumping, get out of your comfort zone good time. The RiverRock Festival includes a 5K mud run, where grown adults squiggle through pits of mud before finishing the race, and everyone’s favorite pooch can prove their air-ability by leaping to catch a toy thrown over a huge swimming pool. Your kids will love the freestyle mountain bike competitions, 10K trail run, tree climbing on Brown’s Island and group raft rides on the James River. Even kayaking is pumped up with the introduction of “canal crashers” which brings kayak flipping to the world of extreme sports. There’s something at the celebration for every age and athletic ability. And it’s all topped off with a rock concert by Grace Potter & the Nocturnals (named by Rolling Stone as one of the Best New Bands of 2010). So if you’re within a few hour’s drive of Richmond Virginia, you know where you’ll want to be next weekend for two days of hilarity and good times down by the river!!! Check out all the details at DominionRiverrock.com

Big Discounts Make St. Lucia A Must Go Destination!

Susan — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 12:24:01 +0000

I love it when this happens! Over the past few days we’ve received two amazing sales notifications for St. Lucia; one from a luxury hotel, and one from an airline – presto… a really great vacation opportunity!

The five-star luxury adult’s-only boutique hotel, Rendezvous Resort on St. Lucia, is inviting travelers from the USA and Canada to save 40% on intimate romantic getaways. The Rendezvous Resort is an elegant, all-inclusive, secluded hideaway where you’ll leave stress and tension behind as you sink your toes into the soft sand and enjoy being pampered by an attentive staff where ‘nothing is too much trouble’. You can be as active or relaxed as you like, as you sample the resort’s many leisure activities, lovely beachfront, and indulgent spa – a perfect location for couples in need of romance. To receive 40% off standard rates, reservations must be made by April 30, 2010.

To get to St. Lucia, just rely on Jet Blue and their expanded nonstop flight schedule from New York JFK to Saint Lucia’s Hewanorra International Airport (UVF). Beginning on May 1st, JetBlue will fly 5 times per week on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. To celebrate their new schedule, JetBlue is offering flights for $99 each way if purchased by May 1st, for travel between May 6 and June 16, 2010. The new schedule coincides perfectly with the St. Lucia Jazz Festival that takes place between May 1 to 9.

Combine these two sales, and anyone with a summertime anniversary has the perfect makings of an affordable ultra-pampered celebration!

Incredibly Cheap Business Class Airfares To Paris In High Season!

Susan — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 15:04:54 +0000

Open Skies Airlines has announced an amazing companion airfare promotion to celebrate their new route from Dulles Airport (Washington DC) to Orly Airport (Paris). Business class flights start at $1,349 one way for TWO passengers! If you’re not familiar with Open Skies Airlines yet, it’s time to become a fan. Open Skies is a subsidiary of British Airlines and is an all-business class airlines featuring 2×2 seating throughout the aircraft with cushy seats, premium food service and of course cutting edge entertainment systems. The promotional fares are available for purchase through May 22, 2010 for travel beginning May 3rd through September 10, 2010 (right through the prime-time summer travel season)! For slightly higher prices you can catch a Open Skies flight from Newark Airport to Orly as well. Visit FlyOpenSkies.com to book your flights and to read all the fine print about availability, terms and conditions.

Spend Thanksgiving In A Tuscan Castle At An Unbelievable Price

Susan — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 14:26:59 +0000

We just came across this fabulous Tuscany Vacation Deal that will have you dreaming of sharing a bowl of perfectly prepared artisan pasta while gathered around a rustic farm table with your family – a smile on every face. Ahhhh the memories you will create! Instead of fighting the highway congestion at Thanksgiving time this year, why not fly away to Italy and spend a peaceful week at a Tuscan castle where Noblemen of the region have gathered for centuries?

The folks at Dooley Vacations have put together a dream Tuscan Vacation for a family of four for $799 per person that includes round trip airfare on Alitalia, 6 nights in a 13th century Tuscan castle in the town of Montegufoni just outside of Florence, and a weekly rental car. The $799 offering is good for travel from November 2010 until February 2011 with higher prices available throughout the year. Check out all the package details at Dooley Vacations. I can’t think of a better way to escape a dreary winter than to skip over to Tuscany for a dose of Renaissance art, Medieval history, rustic cuisine, sublime wines and incomparable scenic beauty.