May 5, 2003 -- Long holiday weekends are a longstanding American tradition; the kids get an extra day or two off from school and you get the same off from work. Then the vacation cramming begins with everyone across the country packing hurriedly, jumping into a car to meander through traffic jams to get to the choice locations to relax for a couple days before heading back to the same ol' same ol'. In all of this commotion, two things are often lost -- any real sense of a vacation and reason why you're getting the time off in the first place. With this in mind, travel packager Gate 1 Travel has assembled a series of 11 far-flung getaways over the upcoming Memorial Day weekend. The prices are affordable, but more importantly, part of the cost is being donated to the P.O.W. Network (www.pownetwork.org), an organization that disseminates information of prisoners of war and those missing in action.
One of the stand-out combos is a five-day/three-night trip to Buenos Aires starting from only $539 per person, based on double occupancy. It includes airfare out of NYC, hotel accommodations and morning meals. Departures are on May 22, 2003. Additional gateways are available throughout the U.S., and prices do not include security fees, taxes and any additional costs for visas. Be sure to ask when booking about visa requirements or go to https://travel.state.gov to learn about current requirements on a country by country basis.
Other destinations include:
Europe
- Barcelona: 6 nights from $699, departs on May 20
- Greek Islands (Athens, Mykonos & Santorini): 8 nights from $949, May 24
- London: 6 nights from $499, May 22
Latin America
- Antigua, Guatemala: 3 night's from $639; May 22
- Chile (Santiago, Santa Rita & Wine Country): 7 nights from $1,199; May 25
- Peru (Cusco & Lima): 5 nights from $999; May 20
- Rio de Janeiro: 5 nights from $659, May 22
Single supplements are around $150 (or more, depending on the destination); taxes and fees can run up to $170. Spaces are limited on flights so the sooner you book, the better your chances.
For more details, go to www.gate1travel.com/destinations/memorialday/default.htm.