London or Paris in the Dead of Winter
No copywriter on Madison Avenue would ever write a headline like this.
Just remember that "dead" in this case refers to "slow season for tourism." It's sounding better now, isn't it?
In 2009-10, some of the best winter deals could come on trips to Europe. Your best chance at a good fare is to consider entering Europe in London, Dublin, Amsterdam or Frankfurt. These are large airports with good connections to budget airlines
Go-today.com offers four nights in London with airfare and a standard hotel from $719 from New York for Jan. 11-Feb. 24. trips.
Winter in U.S. National Parks
In summer, U.S. National Parks can be bumper-to-bumper. Convenient and relatively low-cost lodges are often booked many months in advance. In winter, it's a much different story.
Death Valley is dangerously hot in summer and much more safely explored in winter. Furnace Creek Resort and Stove Pipe Wells both offer smaller crowds and a wide variety of activities.
Among the winter deals at Yellowstone National Park: Mammoth Hotel's Winter Wildlife Expedition is a four-day program for $604/person double occupancy, $770 single. Rates do not include gratuities or taxes, but they do cover accommodation and tours by van, foot, and snowshoe to "observe and learn about bison, elk, bighorn sheep, pronghorn, coyotes, wolves, and a host of other species." Check out other learning programs available at Yellowstone in winter. Be sure to check what is included and dates of availability.
Kasbah.com, is a good starting point for finding trips and fares related to winter sports.
Bargains at the Beach
These can be tricky, because warm weather destinations are in high demand. This usually means dodging blackout dates in which your otherwise perfect deal is invalid.
So if you're beach-bound, magnify that fine print and read it carefully.
CheapCaribbean.com offers a air/hotel deals in places such as the U.S. Virgin Islands. At this site, if you're flexible about destinations you can often find some great deals.
For holiday travel to Mexico and islands of the Caribbean, book as early as possible. Look for booking deadlines and consider how much more you'll pay when taxes and fees are added to these totals.
Beware: traveling in the off-season has its drawbacks. Some museums close sections for refurbishing. Smaller restaurants and hotels shut down completely. Research anything you want to see, making certain you'll be able to see it.
