WHAT'S THE DEAL?
What's the Deal?
The week's best travel bargains around the globe, by land, sea and air.
Sunday, October 15, 2006; Page P03
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LAND
· Italy rail passes have been discounted by at least 20 percent for travel this winter. The "Trenitalia Winter Promo" for travel Nov. 1-March 31 offers second-class passes good for three days of travel within two months; prices start at $128 per person ($161 for first class) for groups of two to five traveling together. A single person pays $151 for a three-day second-class ticket, and $189 for a three-day first-class ticket. Discounted passes are also available for longer travel periods and for children and youths. Buy by Dec. 31. Info: 888-538-7245, http:/
· Lake Austin Spa Resort in Austin has savings of $500 per person on four- or five-night stays and $1,000 on six-, seven- or 10-night stays. Four-night packages -- including lodging, meals, fitness classes and use of all facilities -- start at $1,690 per person double (plus 6 percent taxes and 18 percent gratuities); spa treatments are extra. Book by Oct. 31 and complete stay by Jan. 31. Info: 800-847-5637, http:/
· Auberge La Lucarne aux Chouettes, an inn in the Burgundy region of France owned by actress Leslie Caron and her son, has a 20 percent discount off room rates for travel through mid-March. A room for two starts at about $146 per night. Info: 011-33-3-86-87-18-26, http:/
SEA
· Save $350 per person on a Mekong River cruise through Vietnam and Cambodia departing Nov. 7. Price on the Value World Tours trip now starts at $2,149 per person double plus $98 port charges. The tour includes three nights' hotel in Ho Chi Minh City; three nights' hotel in Siem Reap; most meals; seven-night cruise ; sightseeing tours; shore excursions; and guide. A Dec. 19 departure has been discounted by $250. Info: 800-795-1633, http:/
· Viking River Cruises has $299 round-trip airfare from Washington to China , a savings of about $801 per person, on select "China's Cultural Delights" itineraries. The offer applies to June-August departures and must be booked and paid in full by Dec. 18; price for the cruise starts at $3,179 per person double. The 15-night trip includes three nights' hotel in Beijing, one night in Xian, two nights in Shanghai and a nine-night Yangtze River cruise from Chongqing to Nanjing. Mention code 01P to get discounted air. Air taxes and port charges are an extra $365. Details: 877-668-4546, http:/
· Book a European holiday market cruise with Uniworld (800-733-7820, http:/
AIR
· Air New Zealand has an $883 round-trip sale fare (plus $77 taxes) from Los Angeles to Auckland, with a free stopover in Fiji . Depart Nov. 1-30 and complete travel by Dec. 12; some dates are sold out. Combine the sale fare with a round-trip ticket -- now about $322 -- from Washington to Los Angeles, and save about $498 compared with purchasing a ticket from Washington to Auckland with the Fiji stopover. Purchase by Oct. 31 at http:/
· If you can fly from Los Angeles to Papeete, Tahiti, on Nov. 2 and return Nov. 11, Air Tahiti Nui has a one-time deal of $518 round trip plus $78 taxes; fare usually starts at about $1,294. No advance purchase necessary. Info: 877-824-4846, http:/
PACKAGES
· Air France Holidays has discounted packages to Madrid . A vacation with round-trip air from Washington to Madrid and four nights' lodging at the tourist-class Sercotel Togumar Hotel is $549 per person double (plus $105 taxes); priced separately, the package would cost about $798. Cheapest rates apply to Thursday departures Nov. 2-Dec. 14; buy by Oct. 26. Info: 800-237-2623, http:/
· European Destinations has discounted packages to Prague and Budapest . The price for midweek November travel is about $826 per person double including taxes. The price includes air on United from Washington Dulles to Prague, with return from Budapest; three nights at Hotel Golf in Prague; a second-class rail ticket from Prague to Budapest; and three nights at the Hotel Frankfurt. Priced separately, the trip would cost about $1,162 per person. Info: 877-267-2247, http:/
-- Carol Sottili
Prices were verified and available on Thursday afternoon when the Travel section went to press. However, deals sell out quickly and are not guaranteed to be available. Restrictions such as day of travel, blackout dates and advance-purchase requirements sometimes apply.
