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

Sunday, July 20, 2008

LAND

· The Hotel Pennsylvania in Midtown Manhattan is offering a three-night Summer Spectacular Special through Aug. 31. The $600 deal (single or double occupancy) includes accommodations in an upgraded Penn 5000 Club room, continental breakfast and taxes. Deal applies only to Penn 5000 Club rooms with one bed. Room typically costs $959 for three nights. The 1,700-room hotel is on Seventh Avenue opposite Madison Square Garden. Info: 800-223-8585, http://www.hotelpenn.com/hot_specials.html.

· The Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay (800-633-7313, http://www.chesapeakebay.hyatt.com) has discounted its Mid-Week Family Retreat package. The deal, with nightly rates of $279 (plus 13.5 percent tax and $12 per-night resort fee), includes a $50 per-room activities credit that can be used toward resort amenities, including boating, fishing and spa services; a $40 per-day breakfast credit; and a $20 per-round golf discount. Room-only rate normally starts at $299, plus taxes. Deal is good Sunday-Thursday through Sept. 12; two-night minimum stay required. Rate is based on two adults; children younger than 18 staying in the same room are free. The waterfront resort in Cambridge, Md., is about a 75-minute drive from the Beltway.

· Kids ride free on Canada's VIA Rail this summer. Through Sept. 15, children ages 11 and younger go free in Comfort Class (economy) when a ticket is purchased for someone 18 or older (adult, senior, student and youth fares qualify). Prices vary by route. For example, a round-trip train ticket from Toronto to Montreal starts at $162 for an adult, free for a child. Tickets must be purchased together, and passengers must travel together. Children's fare is typically half of an adult fare. Info: 888-842-7245, http://www.viarail.ca.

SEA

· Adventure Life is offering discounts of $750 per person on a Galapagos Islands cruise. The deal applies to the Aug. 6 departure of the Monserrat I. Price now starts at $1,995 per person double for a lower-deck berth and $2,225 for an upper-deck cabin. The trip includes two nights' hotel in Quito, Ecuador, and a seven-night cruise. Extra costs include $425 for round-trip flights between Quito and San Cristobal in the Galapagos, and $100 admission to Galapagos National Park. Info: 800-344-6118, http://www.adventure-life.com/galapagos/galapagosdeals.php.

· Tauck World Discovery has reduced its single supplements on 28 departures of 10 river and ocean cruise itineraries in 2009. Savings range from $1,000 to $3,000 depending on cruise. For example, a Treasures of the Mediterranean cruise (seven nights aboard ship and three nights' hotel) between Nice, France, and Malta departing April 26 or Aug. 30, 2009, is now $6,990 per person single, including taxes -- a savings of $3,000. Other cruise itineraries include Venice and the Dalmatian Coast, the Blue Danube, and Budapest to the Black Sea. Info: 800-468-2825, http://www.tauck.com.

· Lake Powell Resorts and Marinas is offering a final free fueling on its houseboat rentals on Lake Powell, on the border of Arizona and Utah. Value varies by type of boat. For example, an Expedition series, which sleeps six, holds 110 gallons of gas; it would cost about $605 to fill if brought back empty. The company is also offering houseboat discounts of 10 to 20 percent; rate for the Expedition now starts at $2,076 for five days, plus $299 taxes. Additionally, 19-foot powerboats, which can be towed behind a houseboat, are discounted by 50 percent; price is now $200 per day, plus $33 taxes. Book by Aug. 15; promotion applies to rentals through Dec. 31. Info: 888-896-3829, http://www.lakepowell.com/gasonus.

AIR

· Fly to any of several destinations in Australia, plus receive a free stopover in New Zealand, with a deal from Air New Zealand. Fare from Los Angeles or San Francisco to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Cairns or Gold Coast starts at $1,098 round trip (plus $144 taxes); stop in Auckland costs an extra $28 taxes only. On other airlines, the trip would cost about $2,098 from Washington and $1,418 from Los Angeles. Fare for a separate round-trip ticket from Washington to Los Angeles starts at $326. Book by July 28 at http://www.airnewzealand.com, and travel Aug. 1-Sept. 21.

· United is offering a Rio Dreams sale from Washington Dulles on flights departing Sept. 2-Nov. 17. The nonstop round-trip fare to the Brazilian city is $1,160 (plus $90 taxes). Other airlines are matching, but fare is typically more than $2,000. Cheapest fares apply to Monday-Thursday travel. Requirements include a three-night minimum and three-month maximum stay. Book by July 28 at http://www.united.com, or pay $25 more by calling 800-864-8331.

PACKAGES

· LAN Airlines is offering a Lima Supersaver package from Miami. The trip starts at $608 per person double, including round-trip flights to Lima, Peru; three nights at the Hotel Mariel; hotel transfers; breakfasts; and taxes. Priced separately, package would cost $1,019 from Washington and $804 from Miami. Washington to Miami airfare, priced separately, typically starts at about $240 round trip. Travel Aug. 16-Dec. 9; purchase by Aug. 14. Extra fee of $25 each way applies to Friday-Sunday flights. Info: 800-435-3593, http://www.lanvacations.com.

· Springboard Vacations has a six-night trip to Fiji's Yasawa Island Resort & Spa starting at $3,458 per person double (plus $95 taxes) for travel through Dec. 15. The trip includes round-trip airfare from Los Angeles to Nadi; round-trip air transfers to the resort; and six nights' lodging, including meals. Priced separately, trip would cost about $5,000 per person. Info: 866-447-7746, http://www.springboardvacations.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.