Travel Editor Peter Greenberg's Top Finds for Great Rates on Transportation, Attractions and Accommodations
(CBS) Traveling has been rough lately, with all the cancellations due to the volcano in Iceland, and high airfares. So, how can you plan a summer trip without breaking the bank?
On "The Early Show," CBS News Travel Editor Peter Greenbergshared some easy ways for you to get great rates on your summer getaways.
FLASH SALES: (Facebook, Twitter and others)
Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort - Fans and friends of the Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort's Facebook page can enjoy a sunny Bahamian getaway for up to 40 percent off with the Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort's Facebook Fans and Friends offer. The special discounted rates start at $129 per night, and guests can upgrade to an ocean view room for only $20 more per night. To book this offer, travelers must e-mail info@sheratonnassau.com with rate code FACEBOOK by May 31 for travel through November 11, 2010. To become a fan of the Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort on Facebook, please visithttp://www.facebook.com/SheratonNassau. For more information on the Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort please visithttp://www.sheratonnassau.com
Discover Ohio Want buy-one get-two-free admissions to a great Ohio zoo? Buy-one-get-one train rides, wake boarding and Segway tours? How about $50 savings on bed and breakfast stays? Follow @DiscoverOhio on Twitter, and you'll see a new valuable travel offer every day in May. If you like what you see, make sure you purchase your deal right away, because most offers are only available in a limited quantity, and once the day is over, the deal is gone! You'll only find these great deals by following @DiscoverOhio on Twitter, so get on board today and make sure you're among the first to know!
DailyGetwaways.com - Discover America Daily Getaways is a month-long partnership between the U.S. Travel association and American Express that will auction daily travel packages to a number of American cities to cardholders. These once-in-a-lifetime packages feature exclusive access to events. For instance, revelers can get behind-the-scenes access to Mardi Gras, including a ride on Harry Connick Jr.'s float, followed by a black-tie and other inside-access experiences over a five-day stay. In addition to the travel packages, Discover America is also offering a limited number of deeply discounted travel offers that anyone can participate in. There is a new vacation package and set of deals every weekday until the promotion ends on June 4.
Vacationist.com - A new partnership between LuxuryLink.com and Travel & Leisure. An invitation-only, private-sale travel website for luxury travelers, offers exclusive luxury hotel and resort rooms available for purchase to its members at 25 to 40 percent off for limited periods of time. Invitees to Vacationist are initially limited to Travel + Leisure customers and Luxury Link members.
JetSetter.com is an invitation-only flash sale community with deals offered first come, first served deals include luxury hotels, African safaris, and more. For example, a junior suite at the Epic Hotel Miami for $169 per night, half the regular rate. Visit the site to request an invitation.
Kayak offers private hotel sales to members for up to 50 percent off regular rates, based on hot search trends.
Tablet Hotels is a private sale site that offers reduced hotels for members only. To become a member, you just have to book with Tablet or be invited. To receive alerts about becoming a Tablet member, follow them on Facebook and Twitter. Sales start every Tuesday at 10 a.m. ET and are live for only two days. Tablet Plus members ($195 fee) are given early access starting Monday at 10 a.m. ET.
CheapCaribbean.com - The 99-Hour Sale, gives customers exclusive access to up to 70 percent savings on vacation packages to the Caribbean and Mexico. The sale begins Monday at 9:00 p.m. ET and lasts through Friday at midnight. Subscribers to the company's e-mail newsletter get an early preview of the week's 99-Hour deals on Monday afternoon, and with this deal alert e-mail the company gives you an early preview as well.
The first 99 bookings receive additional savings, plus all bookings receive the Sunshine Protection Plan, which provides a $100 coupon if it rains during the customer's vacation. The webpage for the 99-hour sale has special features including a clock counting down the time remaining on the sale, and the number of bookings left of the first 99 for each resort. Go to this page or call 800-915-2322.
SUMMER DESTINATION DEALS:
HAWAII:
Pleasant Holidays - For $599+ per person, fly roundtrip from San Francisco to Oahu, Maui, Kauai, or the Big Island. Price includes five-nights hotel accommodations and a FREE car. Plus, free daily breakfast and kids stay free at select hotels. This Hawaii Summer Deal is valid for travel June 16 through August 15, 2010. Seats are limited; offer good while seats last. Prices are per person based on double occupancy, plus taxes of $37 per person.
ARIZONA:
From May 23 through September 10, the Arizona Biltmore is offering a choice of the All-Inclusive Package in the main hotel or the Exclusive All-Inclusive Package at Ocatilla at Arizona Biltmore. The All-Inclusive Package, for $199, includes accommodations, breakfast, lunch and dinner for two, half-off spa services and free parking. The Exclusive All-Inclusive package for $249 includes a club room, lounge access, breakfast, lunch and dinner, half-off spa services, free parking, and no resort charge. For the All-Inclusive package call 800-950-0086 and mention code P6, or book online at http://www.arizonbilmore.com; for the Exclusive All-Inclusive package call 800-950-0086 and mention code P5, or book online at Ocatilla.com.
FLORIDA:
One Ocean Resort Hotel & Spa in Atlantic Beach, Florida -- Northeast Florida's newest beachfront resort is offering savings of up to 39 percent with summer room rates from $271, June through September. The resort is located 22 miles, 30 minutes from Jacksonville International Airport with non-stop flights to more than 30 cities.
Costa d'Este Beach Resort, owned by Gloria and Emilio Estefan, in Vero Beach, Florida, has announced a "Sea & Be Scene" promotional rate of $159 per room valid May 1 through September 30, 2010. The special summer offer includes a $50 per night resort credit, good for the resort's spa and signature Cuban-fusion restaurant. Additionally, under the program, guests receive a $100 voucher good for a future visit of two nights or more. "Sea & Be Scene" rates are capacity controlled and based on availability; certain restrictions apply. When making a reservation, guests should request promo code SEA9.
Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village in St. Augustine has a Stay and Play golf package. If there's one golfer in the room, it's from $179 per room, per night; two golfers costs $279 per room, per night. That includes 18 rounds of golf and tickets to the World Golf Hall of Fame. The package is available June 1-August 31, 2010, based on space availability. Reference promotional code ZJ2 when booking the package for two golfers, or promotional code G4U when booking the package for one golfer.
LAS VEGAS:
Hotwire.com has four and five-star hotels on the Strip and downtown from $35 a night.
Vegas.com has hotels starting as early as mid-May from $69 at the Sahara. Travel in June and rates drop even lower, to $35 a night at the Sahara.
CRUISES:
Cruise Brothers and Celebrity Cruises have teamed up for fall deals on the Celebrity Infinity or Mercury, from $999 per person for a 16-night trans-canal cruise. That includes $75 onboard credit and an additional $100 credit if you book by May 12. Departing September 24, the Celebrity Infinity stops in Seattle, Washington, San Diego, California, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, Acapulco, Mexico, Santa Cruz Huatulco, Mexico, Puntarenas, Costa Rica, Cristobal, Panathema, Panama Canal, Panama, Cartagena, Colombia, Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Carnival - Four-night Western Caribbean from Miami starts from $379 per person in June and July.
Royal Caribbean - Three-night Bahamas cruise from Miami from $304 per person in June and July.
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ly the most popular hill resort in the Kashmir valley. Since it is rather lower than Gulmarg the nighttime temperatures do not drop so low and it has the further advantage of the beautiful Lidder River running right through the town.
eved to the abode of Lord Shiva. Although the road from Pahalgam to Chandanwari is on fairly flat terrain, and can be undertaken by car, from Chandanwari onwards the track becomes much steeper, being accessible on foot or by pony.
At a height of 2,740m, Sonamarg is the last major point in the Kashmir valley before the Zoji La pass into Ladakh . At the pass the green, lush Kashmiri landscape abruptly switches to the barren, dry landscape of Ladakh. Sonamarg is thus not only a good base for treks but also a jumping off point for trips into Ladakh.
Oneof the most popular short walks from Sonamarg and a major attraction during the summer months is the 4-km route to Thajiwas, a small valley at the foot of the Sonamarg glacier. A path leads up to the Shakhdar hill, overlooking the glacier from the northeast. It is dangerous to climb the steep slope leading up to the glacier. Ponies can be hired for the trip up to Thajiwas glacier. Often in early summer one will meet groups of Gujar passing through Sonamarg on their way to the alpine meadows for the summer.
t city of Srinagar was founded by Pravarasena-II, and Hiuen Tsang, who visited Kashmir in 631 AD, found it at the same site as it is today. Laltaditya Muktapida was the most illustrious ruler of Kashmir in the Hindu period, which ended in 1339 AD. King Zain-ul-Abidin (1420-70 AD), popularly known as‘Budshah’, was a great patron of Sanskrit. Akbar captured Kashmir valley for the Mughals, who endowed Srinagar with beautiful mosques and gardens. The Sikhs overthrew the last Muslim ruler in the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1819. In 1846 the Dogras secured the sovereignty of Kashmir from the British under the Treaty of Amrjtsar, and in 1947 the state of Jammu and Kashmir with Srinagar as its capital, became part of the Indian Union.
he Shalimar were built by Emperor Jehangir for his wife Nur Jahan, 'light of the world' in 1616. Although it is known today as the 'garden of love' it was originally named the Farah Bakhsh or 'delightful garden'.