Archive for the ‘Travel’ category

Priceline.com for Travel Planning

July 22nd, 2010

Sometimes when you go on vacation, you want to spoil yourself and stay in a hotel that’s a little bit out of your price range. Or, you want to get a good deal on a rental car or flight but don’t have the time to check every car company or airline website to compare prices.

That’s where Priceline.com comes in. Priceline allows you to book flights, hotel rooms, car rental and attractions, all in the one place. Priceline is great when you can be flexible about dates, destinations and hotels, because that flexibility will help you widen your search and find the best deals. Keep in mind, however, that once you’ve made a reservation through Priceline.com, you cannot refund your booking under any circumstances.

Priceline.com is particularly handy for when you need to book a hotel. You can book hotels at the price listed by Priceline, or you can make a bid, enter in your credit card details, and wait for an answer. Bidding is great because you can find yourself scoring great deals – provided no one bids higher than you. You may find yourself staying in 5-star luxury for the price of a 3-star motel.

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Zipcar for the Occasional Driver

July 7th, 2010

If you need a car sometimes to go grocery shopping or get to a place where public transit won’t take you, want to save money, don’t want the hassle of owning a car, don’t want to make an environmental footprint by owning a car, need a second car once in a while, or need a bigger car for a camping trip or move, Zipcar may be for you.

With Zipcar, it’s quick and easy to join online and you can reserve a car online by searching by time, location, price or model just minutes or months in advance. With Zipcar, you literally pay as you go; if you only need a car for 2 hours, then that’s what you’ll pay for. Gas, insurance and miles are all included. Zipcar rates and plans vary according to where you live. If you’re a New Yorker, for example, you’ll pay $25 to join Zipcar and a $50 annual fee. Hourly rates start at $8 and daily rates start at $77. You can also score plenty of special deals.

Zipcar is perfect for the occasional driver, and makes plenty of economical sense.

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New York’s 5 Best Boutiquey Hotels

June 22nd, 2010

A room at the MAve.

Finding a hotel deal in NYC is no easy task. Even staying at a Holiday Inn can run you three hundo a night. The best option is to find something in the middle. A bunch of hip new hotels have opened up recently that make sleeping in the city affordable (relatively). Here are the top 5:

1. Distrikt: This fun hotel is centrally located near the Port Authority and each floor has its own New York themed floor.

2.Eventi: Chelsea livin’ ain’t cheap, but this spot makes up for it, with a big gym, a spa, and dog and cat massages. This is an upscale hotel in introductory guise, which it takes off in October, when the $249 a night room becomes $399. Get it while you can!

3. Fashion 26: A rooftop bar is opening this month, and right next to F.I.T., the location isn’t bad. Best Dressed Guest contest winners get free room upgrades.

4. Hotel Indigo: A small gym, rooftop bar, and floral theme are sprightly, and a business center makes this cute hotel nice, but not great, at $269.

5. The MAve: The real deal buster at $179, this hotel is on the east side, and close to Madison Park. Coffee and danish are served gratis, but the room is a little cramped.

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Travel Tips for the Summer

June 4th, 2010

Finding travel deals can be difficult. Here are some things to remember when you’re planning a summer getaway.

1. Fast action: When a deal goes up on Twitter or the site of an airline or hotel, they usually only last for a certain amount of time OR until the deal on those items is snatched up. For example, Jet Blue sometimes offers deals until 6 pm or until the 25 seats it’s offering have been bought. In order get the deal, you have to be on top of your deal game.

2. Dates: Often companies will allow a deal only for specific dates, which means that when you enter the dates you want to travel, you’re met with the normal price. Check for small print at the bottom of the page to see what the deal is. Be flexible with your dates to receive the best prices (hint: leave and return during mid-week).

3. Travel Agencies: Be wary of composite travel agencies and their offerings. Hotwire, for example, frequently has pop up style deals that present a much cheaper price than in actuality. Even when you sign up for email notifications, there’s often a chance that deceit is around the corner.

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BOLT For A Buck

May 25th, 2010

If you live in New York City and like to get away to Boston, Baltimore or Washington, D.C. every so often, but don’t have a whole lot of money, you’re probably familiar with the phenomenon of the Chinatown bus. You wait on a designated corner and make a mad dash onto the bus when it pulls up to the curb. It’s cheap, it’s…well, it’s cheap. That counts for a lot. And it’s kind of exciting. It reminds me a little bit of bus travel in Central America, except with fewer live chickens on board.

Once the Chinatown bus I was riding home from Boston broke down just north of The Bronx.  The driver didn’t speak English, but we could see the smoke rising from under the carriage, and we gathered from his gestures that we were on our own now, so we collected our bags and followed signs to the city.

I splurged for the train for awhile after that.

Then one sunny day, along came BOLT. Once again, for less than the cost of a cab ride from the East Village to Brooklyn, a bus will take me to Boston, Baltimore or D.C., but this time it’s clean. It’s reliable. And it has free WIFI. A one-way ticket costs $16-$20, depending on peak hours. If you become a member, every eight trips buys you a free one-way ticket. And if you book far enough in advance, a ticket’s just a dollar.

With all the work I get done on board thanks to the free WIFI, sometimes I think it would be worth the commute.

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Jet Blue has Spring Travel Deals Galore

April 12th, 2010

While for many, Spring Break has come and past. But the irony is that Spring is really just beginning; we have more than two months until summer. If you were late on the Spring Break train, or were working through February and March and need to get away in May or June, now is the time to buy.

Until April 21, for one way flights from April 22nd to June 16th, Jet Blue is offering discounted flights at excellent prices.  Of special note are the specials to the Carribean: Ft. Lauderdale to Nassau is $29, JFK to Bermuda is $69 each way, to Kingston, Jamaica is $109, and to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic is $99. If you’re flying on the left coast, San Diego to Boston starts at $149, Long Beach to San Francisco is $39, and Burbank to Las Vegas is $39.

Just looking at all of these cheap destinations gets me fired up. I can just see it now, jet setting on the plane with a backpack of carry- on, unwrapping a sandwich that I brought from home… Anyway, these deals won’t last, so visit JetBlue’s complete list of cities and specials to choose your Spring Break destination deal.

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Swiss Deals

April 9th, 2010

Switzerland, the land of neutrality, mountain goats, fine watches, and big bank accounts has never been a better place to visit.  Not only is Zurich consistently rated one of the world’s nicest cities, with beautiful mountain landscapes and skiing during the winter, and gorgeous lakes and forests during the summer, but now Swiss Rail is offering some major discounts.

Rail Europe in association with Switzerland Tourism is offering half price train rides for adults and kids 16 and under ride free. The Deal begins on April 21st and lasts until the 27th, and tickets are good for six months after bought.

The two tickets the deal covers are the 8 day, for $193, and the three day Flexipass for $128 which can be used for non- consecutive travel days. The tickets cover trains, boats and buses and allow for free access into Switzerland’s hundreds of museums.

The Kunstmuseum in Bern houses some of Switzerland’s finest art collections. As the capital of the state, Bern houses Italian pre- Renaissance pieces as well as masterworks by Cezanne and Matisse, and of course Swiss artists of today.

The Paul Klee collection is another impressive museum just outside of Bern. This house is the centerpiece of all Klee works and is a must see for any art fan.

With deals like this, why not head to the land of holey cheese?

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Top 10 U.S. Deal Cities

April 2nd, 2010

The beautiful Atlanta skyline (right)

Do you want a vacation that won’t cost you an arm and a leg? Hotwire just ranked the best cities in the U.S. to visit if you want a deal on entertainment, hotels, transportation, and value.

1. Atlanta, GA. This southern city switches spots with last year’s number 1 and this year’s

2. Orlando, FL. Disneyworld, anyone?

3.Phoenix, AZ. is perfect if you want a hot spring break.

4.Dallas, TX. This city is quintessential Texas, and has deals galore – from thrift shops to downtown dining.

5. Denver, CO. Low prices makes this city highly livable and a great destination spot.

6. Houston, TX. is another Texan gem, and is even more cosmopolitan than Dallas.

7. Los Angeles, CA. If you want cheap entertainment and nice weather, visit the home of the movies, music, and television.

8. Raleigh, N.C. This city is another one renowned for its low prices.

9. Chicago, Ill. is known for being a “second-city,” but there’s nothing second rate about this gem of a town, except its prices, of course.

10. Miami, FL. is another hotbed of entertainment and deals. Plus, the beach is a hop skip and a jump away.

If you are lucky enough to live in one of these cities, rejoice! If not, what are you waiting for? Book your deal vacation today!

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Travelzoo Finds the Scoop

March 9th, 2010

Barcelona, Esp.

Travelzoo offers many travel deals and using their guidance to Iberia.com can save you even more. They have flights from New York to Barcelona for as little as $490 if you book for next week. Or if you’re feeling more adventurous, you can go to Casablanca for just $590. These deals are good between mid April and early May. You can choose your city and date using their drop down menus and helpful yellow bar graph feature.

These prices are almost twice as much on travel sites like Kayak.com. There are more than just flights out of New York: Miami to Athens is $637, and L.A. to Madrid is $592.

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Cheap Eats NYC

March 3rd, 2010

Eating in NYC can set you back a lot of cash. But if you want to go out for dinner without spending tons of money, here are some options for under $10 around the city.

Eisenberg’s Sandwich Shop: This funky sandwich shop has been in business for more than 80 years and still is the place to go for a nice Jewish meal. You can expect a matzo ball soup, chopped liver sandwich and an egg soda for less than $10. Located at 5th ave. between 22nd and 23rd.

Mamoun’s: This falafel classic has been feeding NYU students and late night drunks for years. But you don’t have to fall into either of these categories to enjoy. 2 Locations: Mc Dougal off of W 3rd and St. Marks in between 2nd and 3rd aves.

Pizza: Whether you want Grimaldi’s underneath the Brooklyn Bridge or any of the corner Ray’s, chances are you will be satisfied with any piece of New York pizza. Located on just about every block in the entire city.

There are so many restaurants in NY that if you tried to eat at every one, it would take 8 years, at which point you could begin again and go to all the new ones that opened while you were on your first round. Happy eating!

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