The Lollipop Road

Archive for the ‘Travel Deals’ Category

Well, the summer is almost over and we’ve been searching for a few last minute things to do with the kids, so this deal day, we’re focusing on a few remaining free and discount activities that you can do as a family before school begins again.

1. Once again, the National Park Service is providing free entry into our National Parks this coming weekend, August 14-15.  If you haven’t planned your weekend yet, you might want to check out our selection of articles on National Parks.
2. SeaWorld Orlando currently has an ongoing promotion with Pepsi that will give you a free admission with each full-priced admission purchased.  This offer is good for up to 6 tickets!  Tickets must be purchased by August 31, 2010 and are valid through December 21, 2010.
3. Are you a Bank of America customer?  You can gain free admission to select museums and attractions around the country on September 4th and 5th, just by showing your ID and any Bank of America card or statement.
4. Ever wanted to go to a free movie screening?  GOFOBO gives out tickets to movie screenings every day.  You will frequently need an RSVP code, but you might get lucky and find one at FatWallet.  You can also check out the Free Movie Screening Blog.  Here is an upcoming example: Hubble 3D – August 14, 2010 – 11:00 AM, Celebration! Cinema-North, Grand Rapids, MI.  Good Luck!

Enjoy what is left of the summer!

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It’s deal day again and we’re taking a look at some of the best last-minute family cruise deals you can squeeze in before summer comes to an end and school starts once again!  Pricing is based upon 2 adults and 2 children (one under 2 ) in the same cabin, including all taxes and fees.  Fares can change without notice, so act quickly!

The steal in this pack is the Celebrity Solstice.  You’d normally pay close to this total for 2 people, but for these two sailings, a family of four can sail for around $2,500!  This is a great ship, so if you’re looking for a bit of an upscale mass market experience (comparable to Disney without all of the special entertainment), you’ll love the Solstice.

To book any of these sailings, contact your local travel agent or visit Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity or NCL online.  Remember to ask about past passenger, senior or resident discounts or bonuses for these sailings to get an even better deal!  Bon Voyage!

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Each time I do a post recap, I always hear from readers that they had missed a post or didn’t realize that we had covered a particular topic.  With over 200 articles, it is easy to understand why.  So, this deal day I’m recapping the Top 5 Deal Related Posts that are still relevant today.

1. Traveling For Free With The Family - Our most recent, but perhaps one of our most pupular deal posts ever, this is a great primer to get you started on free travel.
2. Best Websites To Find Travel Deals – This post outlines where you can find some of the same travel deals that we post each week.
3. Families Save With AAA Discounts – One of the most overlooked ways to save money on travel with kids.
4. Travel Related Discounts And Coupons – Yet more ways to save on your next vacation.
5. Travel Rebates Save You Money – Don’t be leaving money on the table – if you’re not earning rebates, you’re losing out on easy savings.

Happy deal hunting!

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This deal day we’re going a bit outside the box to talk about traveling for free.  Okay, so it’s easy to say, but can you really travel with kids for free?  Absolutely!

One of the secrets to traveling cheaply with the family is to concentrate on obtaining freebies for the kids first as they are usually the easiest to find.  When traveling, you can almost always find restaurants that allow kids to eat for free – okay that was easy.  Next, focus on attractions that offer free entry for kids or even for the entire family.  Okay, so this one may be a bit more tricky.  I start by focusing on the obvious – for example, Washington, DC is going to offer a multitude of obvious options.

Our National Parks are another good example.  During National Parks Week, all entry is free.  You can also enter for free at select times during the year during Fee Free Days.  Lots of museums offer free admission during select times and days.  Still looking for more?  Check out Free Attractions by state.

Now we’re making progress!  So, now that you have free meals and free attractions, how do you get there for free?  Yeah, this is the hard part.  Obviously, the driving vacation is going to be the least expensive…or is it?  One of the easiest ways to get free transportation is to sign up for an affinity credit card or use those piles of frequent flyer miles you’ve been stashing away.  Flying is always free for lap infants under the age of two, so if you have a little toddler, you’re half way there.

Using frequent flyer miles is an obvious way to obtain free travel, but even those tickets often come with a small (or not so small) redemption fee and taxes.  Besides, you spent lots of money (or at least your employer did) to earn those, so not exactly free, right?  Well, there are plenty of ways to earn miles without flying.  For example, you can earn miles for just making everyday purchases using one of the branded mile earning credit cards.  You can also earn miles for making purchases through an airlines website, eating out and doing things that you normally would do.  Check out some of the best affinity credit card programs and decide for yourself if you’re up to the challenge.  Check out Southwest Airlines latest offer.

Don’t want all those annoying credit cards…I’ll let you in on a little secret.  I earned enough miles with American Airlines to fly to Europe without having to actually fly American Airlines or use one of their credit cards.  AA has a relationship with BankDirect, so you can earn miles just for having a bank account.  With bonuses and monthly earnings, I was able to earn enough miles for that free trip.  Pretty cool, eh?

The same method can be utilized for earning free train travel and even free hotel nights.  The key to earning significant miles and points is to concentrate on the bonuses and exploit the unusual earning opportunities.  Remember the guy who earned lifetime status with American Airlines for buying food?  There are plenty of opportunities out there – check out FlyerTalk and InsideFlyer to become a mileage junkie.

So, traveling for free isn’t impossible, it just takes some research and planning.  Go forth, earn miles, eat and recreate for free and travel safely.  Check back next week as we dig up more travel bargains for your next family vacation.

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This deal day we’re circling the country to focus on regional travel deals that appeal to families who are looking to get away this summer.  Some of these are time sensitive, so don’t delay.

• The Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells has an amazing offer geared toward families looking for some late summer fun.  From August 31st through September 30th they’re offering a three-night stay in one of their two-bedroom suites with free admission to their waterpark for only $299.95.  Blackout dates apply – see promotion details for restrictions.  Use booking code FALL3NIGHT.
• For our California readers or those visiting this week, the SoCal Metrolink is offering a half-price Friends & Family 4-Pack.  For just $14.50 you’ll get 4 round-trip tickets valid for rides from July 9-13.
• Looking for a special trip to a far away exotic destination?  Air New Zealand is offering round-trip airfare from LAX to Raratonga in the Cook Islands for only $586 plus taxes and fees. Valid for departures on July 18th and 25th, all travel must be completed by August 8th.  Reserve by July 14th to take advantage of this special deal!
• For our friends North of the border (or near it), Air Canada has several promo codes out there that will get you up to 20% off fares to Asia from Canada.  Valid for travel between November 1 and December 15 for booking made through July 9th.  Check out the details and start planning.
• MSC Cruises has launched Kids Sail Free on any MSC Cruise.  How about a 7-night Western Caribbean Holiday Cruise (12/19-26) in an outside cabin for under $2,000…that’s right, for a family of four including taxes and fees…amazing.  Don’t miss out on this promotion!

Well, that’s it for this week.  Be sure to check back with us again next week as the deals are starting to heat up along with the weather.

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