The Lollipop Road

Posts Tagged ‘Travel Deals’

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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It’s deal day again and we’re taking a look at some of the last-minute family cruise deals awaiting you this summer!  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!

To book any of these sailings, contact your local travel agent or visit Carnival, Royal Caribbean 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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This week we thought we’d share some of of our secrets to finding the best travel deals on the internet.  I know families that spend hours searching for the best deals and in the end just give up.  So, every Wednesday we post what we believe to be some of the best travel deals for families each week.  We also tweet sweet deals throughout the week.  However, we’re often asked where we find these deals and how we keep on top of them.  Great question – so, this week we’ll share some of our favorite websites for finding travel deals.

1. Travelzoo – This is one of the most comprehensive travel deal websites out there.  Every Wednesday, they post their Top 20 travel deals for the week, which is a great supplement to what we post here.  They’ve sorted their deals by type and region, which makes it pretty easy to find the perfect deal for you.  We also love the fact that they also partner with travel providers to secure special promotions for their readers.  Check it out and subscribe to their newsletter.
2. Slickdeals – A relative newcomer, Slickdeals is a compilation of user forums where folks just like you post deals in various categories.  Although the Travel category (under Hot Deals) isn’t bustling with activity, you will find lots of great deals every week.  We find that the quality of travel deals that are posted far outweigh the lack of quantity.
3. FlyerTalk – Run by Frequent Flyer Guru Randy Petersen, this is a great place to discover air and hotel deals.  The Mileage Run Deals and Hotel Deals forums in the Miles and Points section is an excellent place to catch mistake fares and low hotel rates as well as long-haul flights at discount prices.  As the community has grown (as a result of extensive publicity), the deals have become more scarce and even the hotel chains and airlines troll to discover their own mistakes.  This has created a subculture or that trades deals privately – of course, you’ll be out of luck unless you’re an “insider”.

Happy Deal Hunting!  Check back next week as we provide more deals for your summer family travel.

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One of the most frequent complaints that we hear from families (including our own) is that Disney Cruise Line is just too expensive as compared to other cruise lines.  Although there is good reason for Disney to command a higher price, there are plenty of opportunities throughout the year to take advantage of Disney’s Special Offers.

Right now, Disney Cruise Line is offering a promotion that allows kids (17 and under) to sail for free on the Disney Wonder’s Mexican Riviera sailings from January 23 through March 20, 2011.  This is a huge savings!  This promotion is capacity controlled and many of the sailings and categories have already sold out of this promotion, so act fast!

Disney Cruise Line is also extending its European Summer Sale to select 10 and 11-night sailings in August and September.  You can sail the Disney Magic from just $999 per person for a Category 12 Inside Guarantee.  Third and fourth rates are a bit high, but you can still reserve a family of four for under $3600.

Last but not least, Disney Cruise Line is offering special discounts for active and retired military personnel (including DOD employees) throughout the summer.  European sailings can be reserved for as little as $699 per person, while Disney is offering 25% off of its July 11th 5-night Bahamas sailing.  These deals change every week, so be sure to check back often.

These special deals may be booked through Disney Cruise Line or your local travel agent.  You might want to shop around as agents will offer up to 10% onboard credit for each booking.  Bon Voyage!

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