Tag: deals

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Site reviews Tips

Hunting for travel deals? Don’t forget these Web sites

Google search "coupon" (courtesy Bramus! at Flickr CC)We’re so used to using search engines like Google or the new Bing Travel to look for travel deals (and metasearch engines like Kayak or Travelocity to book trips) that it’s easy to forget one “old school” way to do it….

The visitor’s Web sites that belong to the destination where you’re going.

For example, this fall I’m going to be attending the Association for Women in Communications (AWC) conference in Seattle WA, and speaking at the Oklahoma Governor’s Conference on Tourism in Tulsa OK.

Here’s where I’ll be looking around….

***  The Visit Seattle Web site has links to various deals and a lodging booking engine running down the right side of its Visitor Center Page, plus you can follow @SeattleMaven on Twitter for up-to-date local info.

***  The Visit Tulsa Web site has local accomodation deals all on one page, and a free discount coupon book for local attractions that I can order ahead of time  —  it would be nice if it was also available online, though, like the one from Hutchinson, Kansas or these deals from Fort Worth, Texas. Don’t forget @VisitTulsa on Twitter, either.

Be persistent; some tourism Web sites inexplicably bury the links/info for discounts.   Look hard for family packages that combine lodging and tickets to an attraction – SeaWorld San Antonio has these all the time.

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Product Reviews Tips

Hotel deals to help your travel budget

Planning on some summer day trips with the kids?  Turn at least one of them into an overnighter with a free night at one of the Intercontinental Hotels properties.

Guests can earn a free night by registering at https://www.GetAFreeNight.com and staying two nights at any Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, Staybridge Suites or Candlewood Suites around the world (except for Japan) between May 4 and July 3, 2009.

I racked up my two nights this past weekend; I had to go to two different areas in Houston anyway to research my upcoming articles for Texas Highways magazine, so after a search for good rate on the InterContinental Hotels (ICH) Group Web site, I landed at two different Candlewood Suites on Friday and Saturday night.

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Tips

Aaarrgh, where did summer go?

D'oh! I forgot to travel! (courtesy kjarrett at Flickr Creative Commons)It’s embarrassing to be a travel writer who forgets to travel.

I looked up this morning and school was starting; where did the summer go?

We took a short road trip to Houston, and the kids visited the nearby Schlitterbahn water park a couple of times, but that was about it.

What’s up with that?

I didn’t have plans for anything elaborate this summer, not with gas at $4/gallon and air travel such a misery, but I did intend to take a series of short one- or two-night family road trips.

As my teen would say….FAIL.

Still, I’ve been at this travel business for awhile, and I’ve learned that the vast majority of the planet will still be there when I get around to getting into the car or onto a plane.

Summer is beastly hot anyway, at least here in my home state of Texas, so another way to look at it is that the best season for travel is coming up right now.

Plan now for fall travel

Every year at about this time, it dawns on me that I should get ahead of the game for fall family travel.

When the kids come home with those enormous mounds of paper from their school, pull out the 2008-2009 school calendar and starting noting holiday/teacher workday dates (or look it up on the school Web site, of course.) Get those puppies down on your family calendar NOW, and start planning some short weekend fall getaways.

If your school observes Columbus Day, (October 13th this year) that’s an oft-forgotten holiday that’s good for a short trip.

Veterans Day in November works well, too; perhaps visit a nearby battlefield or historic fort?

It’s certainly not too late to lock in some Thanksgiving or even Christmas plans right now, because I assure you, airfare is only going to go up. Book now.

Get out of town, or out of the country, for Thanksgiving

Sometimes, holidays are even better when your family can enjoy them away from home.

Continue reading “Aaarrgh, where did summer go?”