July 28, 2003 -- If you've ever gone (or wanted to go) on a South American vacation, two of the first "must-go" spots you'd certainly select would be Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro. In the past, however, you may have been deterred from going to both and instead elected to chose just one. Well now you don't have to pick, thanks to this great BA-Rio combo.
The folks at OffPeakTravel.com are offering an outstanding two-city, 7-night package starting from just $765. On top of that, you get to hear about this deal a day sooner than everyone else, because the company isn't releasing it on their website until tomorrow -- a real insider tip, without the threat of being charged by the SEC.
The deal breaks down into 4 nights' accommodation at the Hotel Nogaro in Buenos Aires along with 3 nights at Augusto's Copacabana Hotel, which is just a couple of blocks from the beach, with breakfast and hotel service charges and taxes included. The package also includes roundtrip airfare on Aerolineas Argentinas from New York (JFK) or Miami to Buenos Aires and roundtrip connection between Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro.
The price is per person based on double occupancy (single supplement is $182) for travel August 19 through December 10, 2003 and January 19 through March 23, 2004. New York (JFK) departures are on Tuesdays and Miami departures are on Monday and Wednesdays. Prices are subject to availability and do not include international departure packages and fees. The hotels listed are tourist class (or better) and upgrades are available to superior-tourist and first class accommodations. Airport to hotel transfers are available, though additional nights are not offered for this package. To get all the details, head over (on Tuesday!) to www.offpeaktraveler.com. Since this is an Internet-only operation, you'll have to book online.
Another good (not great, but still good) two-city deal is Go-Today's 5-night Buenos Aires and Iguazu special from August 18, 2003 to December 11, 2003. For $859 per person based on double occupancy, you receive roundtrip airfare from New York or Miami (additional gateways available for an add-on), 3 nights' accommodations in Buenos Aires after which you take a continuing flight and spend 2 nights in Iguazu. Also included are roundtrip airport to hotel transfers in Iguazu, a tour of the Iguazu falls, and daily breakfast and hotel taxes. Prices are for Monday through Thursday travel with a 30-day advance purchase date and do not include air or government taxes and fees, which come to around $99. To book, www.gotoday.com (save $20 for booking online) or call 425/487-9632.