With that one extra day, three day weekends like Memorial Day give travelers that extra "umph" to travel a little further and stay a little longer. With that in mind, last minute travel deals offered for this coming weekend are ready for the taking.
Site 59 (tel. 800/845-0192; www.site59.com) owned by Travelocity (tel. 888/872-8356; www.travelocity.com) has a constant inventory of last minute travel opportunities that will take you away this Memorial Day. Available two weeks to three hours before departure time, these deals can include airfare, hotel, and rental car. Inside tips on where to eat, drink and what to see are often included in the trip description with over 76 cities and hundreds of international destinations available.
For this weekend, some Site59 highlighted trips include two nights in Dallas starting from $269, two nights in Las Vegas starting at $277, and a flight and a car rental (hotels on you or you can stay with a friend) to Colonial Williamsburg for $202 or Washington D.C. for $197. There are also some rental car and hotel combination deals for Kansas City (starting at $66) and Detroit ($72). These deals are so easy and affordable; all you have to do is a pick a destination and a starting point and watch the low travel prices refresh on your computer screen. In terms of tips, restaurants are often well-known but not too touristy. For travel to New York City, there's a pre-packaged "Beef and Guns" trip that includes a meal at Frank's Steak House on the Lower West Side and then a trip to the West Side Pistol Range. Costing $98 dollars plus tax, this "testosterone-fueled" trip makes the perfect bachelor party, guy's night out or off-beat couple outing. You can also sign up for a last minute travel deal newsletter through Travelocity.
Travelzoo (www.travelzoo.com/last-minute-travel-deals), provides a listing of last minute travel deals available this Memorial Day. Selected by departure city, deals range in price and level of luxury. Out of Chicago, Expedia (tel. 800/397-3342; www.expedia.com) gets you a room for $89 ($90 off of the regular price) at the Club Quarters, a private members only hotel facility located in downtown Chicago. This chic Chicago hotel has 322 rooms and is located on Chicago's Central Loop near restaurants, shops and Lake Michigan. From Philadelphia, Travelzoo listed some deals to the Caribbean through Last Moment Discount Travel (tel. 212/681-6666; www.lastmoment.com) offering a seven-night trip to Cancun starting at $789.99. Other departure cities are also available for this deal that expires on May 27, 2006.
A last minute Golf special to Portland, Maine is available through Travelzoo's partnership with Marriott. You need to book by May 26, 2006 to secure your savings. Call 866/306-5457 and mention promotional code TZO, which gets you a room and two rounds of afternoon golf at the Portland Marriott at Sable Oaks for just $119 per night. This represents a savings of $60 off what the room alone would normally cost, meaning you get the golf for free. Located close to downtown Portland's historic district, this hotel has an indoor pool, all the modern business amenities and a hot tub. Views from the hotel are panoramic and Portland's beaches and waterfront are great places to spend this long holiday weekend.
Best Fares (tel. 800/880-1234; www.bestfares.com) is a membership travel saving program costing an annual fee of $59.90 (or 17 cents per day, according to the website) that offers savings on pre-planned trips and last minute deals as well as a list of other travel-related services. Memorial Day Specials include trips to San Francisco from Dallas, Atlanta, New York, Houston, Chicago and Seattle starting at $821 for members and $896 for non-members from Seattle that includes hotel and airfare. Other destination cities for the Memorial Day specials include Denver, Washington D.C., Baltimore and Boston. If you want to visit friends, fly and drive packages to San Diego, Los Angeles, and Houston are also available for bargain-basement prices.
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