What's the Deal?

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

LAND

· Hotel Ponte Sisto, a four-star property in Rome, has discounts on summer stays of at least two nights. Rate starts at about $255 a night and includes buffet breakfast and taxes; rate usually starts at about $309. Deal is good July 16-Aug. 31. The 103-room property, owned and operated by Catholic priests, is close to the Tiber River in the historic district. Info: 011-39-06-6863-1362, http://www.hotelpontesisto.com.

· Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa, a 354-room all-inclusive resort on St. Lucia, has discounts of 20 percent plus a resort credit of $50 per room per night for stays through Aug. 15; for stays Aug. 16 to Dec. 15, discount increases to 25 percent. A garden-view room starts at $248 per night per couple through Aug. 15 ($232 Aug. 16 to Dec. 15); usual rate starts at $310. Rate includes meals, drinks, airport transfers and taxes. Resort credit can be redeemed at the gift shop, spa or excursion desk. Info: 866-978-6226, http://www.cbayresort.com.

· Book a six-night Ireland: Connemara & Galway Bay walking tour with Country Walkers departing Aug. 13 and get a free pre-tour night at the Oak Wood Arms Hotel near Shannon. Tour cost is $3,198 per person double, including taxes; value of hotel night is about $202. The tour, which covers five to eight miles per day, includes lodging and most meals; airfare is extra. Info: 800-464-9255, http://www.countrywalkers.com.

SEA

· Book Intrav's 14-night Europe's Four Romantic Rivers cruise aboard the 98-passenger Sound of Music and get free economy airfare. Priced separately, air from Washington would cost about $875. Passengers also have option of receiving $1,000 toward business-class airfare. The deal applies to two sailings (departing Sept. 21 and Oct. 6); the cruise travels from Budapest to Trier, Germany, with air to Budapest and return from Luxembourg (reverse itinerary Oct. 6). Price starts at $4,495 per person double, including tips, shore excursions and port charges. Book by Aug. 3. Info: 800-456-8100, http://www.intrav.com.

· American Express is having a summer cruise sale. Book select cruises with any of 12 cruise lines, including Carnival, Celebrity, Royal Caribbean and Silversea, and receive assorted stateroom credits, cabin upgrades and other extras. For example, book a seven-day cruise from New York to San Juan, Puerto Rico, on the Crown Princess departing Oct. 20, with interior cabin rates starting at $529 per person double plus taxes of $53, and receive a $50 shipboard credit and a bottle of wine. Purchase by July 31. Info: 800-297-5627, http://www.americanexpresscruise.com.

· Pay for a holiday river cruise with Uniworld Grand River Cruises by July 15 and get a discount of $200 per couple. Three seven-night itineraries and one nine-night -- with 19 departures from Nov. 22 to Dec. 28 -- are included. For example, a seven-night Danube Holiday Markets cruise that visits holiday markets in Vienna; Salzburg, Austria; Passau, Germany; and Bratislava, Slovakia, starts at $1,698 per person double before discount. Info: 800-733-7820, http://www.uniworld.com.

AIR

· USA 3000 will start nonstop service between BWI and Melbourne, Fla., on Dec. 19 and is offering fares starting at $154 round trip (including $16 taxes); fare on other airlines is about $333 round trip. Also, the discount airline has an additional $20 round-trip discount on all of its routes; purchase at http://www.usa3000.com by July 12 using the promotional code Baltimore and travel by April 8. The airline also flies to Bermuda; Cancun, Mexico; and La Romana and Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. Phone: 877-872-3000.

· American has summer sale fares from BWI and Reagan National to Frankfurt, Germany. Fare from National to Frankfurt starts at $707 (including $105 taxes). Deal applies to travel bought by July 5 at http://www.aa.com. Depart by Aug. 31 and return by Sept. 30; some dates are sold out. Cheapest fares apply to Monday-Thursday flights, and seven-day advance purchase is required. Fare on other airlines starts at $924.

PACKAGES

· A three-night stay at Grotto Bay Beach Resort in Bermuda is $499 per person double (plus about $131 taxes) -- including round-trip airfare from Washington -- with a deal from Changes in L'Attitudes. Rate is good for travel Sept. 4-28; purchase by July 10. Priced separately, air would cost about $304 per person and the hotel about $305 per night, for a total savings of about $263 per couple. The oceanfront resort is on 21 acres near St. George's. Info: 800-330-8272, http://www.changes.com.

· Ritz Tours has a 12-night Tantalizing Thailand tour starting at $2,065 per person double (including $266 taxes and fuel surcharge). The deal includes round-trip air from New York to Bangkok; domestic air in Thailand from Bangkok to Chiang Rai and from Chiang Mai to Phuket; 12 nights' lodging at four hotels; land transportation; sightseeing; most meals; and a tour guide. Cheapest prices are available for departures from August to mid-December and from January to April. Priced separately, a trip in September, for example, would cost about $2,757 per person double for airfare and hotels alone. Info: 800-900-2446, http://www.ritztours.com.

-- 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.