What's the Deal?
The week's best travel bargains around the globe, by land, sea and air.

Sunday, May 20, 2007

LAND

* Vail Cascade Resort & Spa in Vail, Colo., is offering discounts to military personnel beginning Memorial Day weekend. Active-duty personnel pay $89 a night plus 15.8 percent taxes and resort fees for a standard guest room with courtyard views (rate usually starts at $179). The resort is also offering military discounts of 40 percent at the Aria Spa and at Chap's Grill and Chophouse. Deal applies May 25-Sept. 15; military identification is required upon check-in. Info: 800-420-2424, http://www.vailcascade.com/. Request promotional code MILITARY.

* Charleston Place, an Orient-Express hotel in Charleston, S.C., has a Summer Family Getaway package for Sunday-Thursday stays May 28-Sept. 7. Nightly price of $268 (plus 12.5 percent taxes) for a family of four includes deluxe room accommodations and four tickets (value $38 to $58) to any of four activities, including the South Carolina Aquarium or a carriage ride through historic downtown. Also, children age 12 and younger dine free with adults at lunch or breakfast (value about $13 a day). Room-only rates usually start at about $259 a night. Info: 800-611-5545, http://www.charlestonplace.com/.

* Get a third night free at the Mango Inn, a bed-and-breakfast in Florida's Palm Beach County. Deal applies to five of the inn's rooms and suites for Sunday-Thursday stays through Oct. 31. Rates start at $140 a night, plus 11.5 percent taxes. The Lake Worth, Fla., inn, originally built between 1915 and 1920, is about a 15-minute walk from the beach. Info: 888-626-4619, http://www.mangoinn.com/.

SEA

* Get prepaid gratuities worth about $322, a $200 per-stateroom shipboard credit and a complimentary bottle of wine on a 14-day transatlantic Oceania Cruise departing Nov. 24, 2008, when you book a veranda cabin with Cruise Holidays of Alexandria. Price of $2,949 per person double includes taxes and airfare from Washington Dulles to Lisbon with return from Rio de Janeiro. Book by June 15 and also receive ship transfers valued at $131 per person. The cruise stops in the Cape Verde Islands and several ports in Brazil. Info: 866-368-7327, http://www.yourcruisesource.com/.

* Expedition Trips is offering a 10-night Islands of the Russian Far East cruise to Russia's Kuril Islands and Kamchatka Peninsula from $5,380 per person double. Price includes a $500 per-person discount, plus charter flight from Tokyo to Hakodate, Japan, valued at $1,175 per person. The cruise aboard the Clipper Odyssey, which departs June 4 and Aug. 11, sails between Hakodate and Petropavlovsk, Russia. Info: 877-412-8527, http://www.expeditiontrips.com/.

* Costa Cruises will celebrate its 60th year in 2008 with a Diamond Anniversary Jubilee sale. The line is offering savings of at least 60 percent on most of its 2008 Europe itineraries. For example, a seven-night trip to Italy, Greece and Turkey aboard the Costa Romantica departing Nov. 10 is $549 per person double (plus about $159 port charges); brochure rate was $1,719. The sale will also apply to sailings on Costa's two newest ships, the Costa Serena and the Costa Concordia. For example, seven-night Western Mediterranean sailings from Civitavecchia, Italy, will start at $649 per person double (plus $159 port charges). Info: 800-462-6782, http://www.costacruises.com/.

AIR

* Eurofly has late summer/fall sale fares from New York to cities throughout Italy. Fare for nonstop service to Rome, Naples, Palermo or Bologna -- or for connecting service to Pescara or Lamezia -- starts at $529 round trip (plus up to $81 taxes). Fare on other airlines to Bologna, for example, is about $891. Travel Aug. 15-Nov. 13. Availability is limited on some dates. Purchase by May 31 at 800-459-0581, http://www.euroflyusa.com/.

* British Airways has extended its purchase deadline to May 24 on a fare sale to London that also includes two free hotel nights. Round-trip fare from Dulles to London for travel May 28-Sept. 5 starts at about $920; from Sept. 6-Oct. 24, fare is about $716. Value of free hotel nights ranges from about $250 to $320. Several hotels are participating, including the Premier Travel Inn Wembley and the Royal National Hotel. Book at http://www.ba.com/maylondonforfree, or pay $20 more at 800-247-9297.

PACKAGE

* Icelandair Holidays has discounts of $150 per person on its five-night Glaciers, Geysers and Waterfalls tour for travel July 1-Aug. 19. Post-discount price is about $2,285 per person double, including round-trip airfare from BWI to Reykjavik, Iceland; five nights at three hotels; guided motorcoach tour; breakfasts, one lunch and and three dinners; and taxes. Trip highlights include the hot springs village of Hveragerdi, Skaftafell National Park and the Thingvellir Viking settlement. Book by May 31. Info: 800-779-2899, http://www.icelandair.com/.

* Save $200 per couple on October departures of a Croatia & Hidden Treasures of the Adriatic tour from Vantage Deluxe World Travel. The 13-night escorted trip starts at $2,699 per person double (plus about $331 taxes and fuel surcharge) for the Oct. 18 departure; other departures in October are $2,899. Trip includes airfare from Washington Dulles to Ljubljana, Slovenia, with return from Dubrovnik, Croatia; 13 nights at five first-class hotels; 25 meals; and 22 tours. The trip includes overnights in Lake Bled, Slovenia; and Zagreb, Opatija, Sibenik and Dubrovnik in Croatia. Book by June 4; request promo PR20100. Priced separately, air and hotel alone would cost about $3,320. Info: 800-322-6677, http://www.vantagetravel.com/cro07.

-- 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.

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PACKAGE

· Icelandair Holidays has discounts of $150 per person on its five-night Glaciers, Geysers and Waterfalls tour for travel July 1-Aug. 19. Post-discount price is about $2,285 per person double, including round-trip airfare from BWI to Reykjavik, Iceland; five nights at three hotels; guided motorcoach tour; breakfasts, one lunch and and three dinners; and taxes. Trip highlights include the hot springs village of Hveragerdi, Skaftafell National Park and the Thingvellir Viking settlement. Book by May 31. Info: 800-779-2899, http://www.icelandair.com.

· Save $200 per couple on October departures of a Croatia & Hidden Treasures of the Adriatic tour from Vantage Deluxe World Travel. The 13-night escorted trip starts at $2,699 per person double (plus about $331 taxes and fuel surcharge) for the Oct. 18 departure; other departures in October are $2,899. Trip includes airfare from Washington Dulles to Ljubljana, Slovenia, with return from Dubrovnik, Croatia; 13 nights at five first-class hotels; 25 meals; and 22 tours. The trip includes overnights in Lake Bled, Slovenia; and Zagreb, Opatija, Sibenik and Dubrovnik in Croatia. Book by June 4; request promo PR20100. Priced separately, air and hotel alone would cost about $3,320. Info: 800-322-6677, http://www.vantagetravel.com/cro07.

-- 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.