Hawaii, Vegas, Paris: Holiday Bargains!
The holiday season is right around the corner. Because the holidays are one of the most popular times to take a vacation, you need to plan now if you want to get away.
On The Early Show Wednesday, travel expert Laura McKenzie offered some destination and strategy suggestions.
Even though the holidays are a peak travel time, she said, there are still popular places to go that have available rooms. There are even some bargains, she said, including Hawaii (the Big Island and Oahu), Las Vegas, Amsterdam, Paris, and London.
For many people, McKenzie said, their vacation time is just as valuable as their vacation budget, so they make plans months in advance — and for the more popular destinations, it's high season, with the highest prices. But McKenzie said she did find some bargains.
Because of Hawaii's recent earthquake, many people have cancelled or have been slow to book for the holidays, especially on the Big Island.
Hawaii, Big Island
The roads are open, the resorts are fine and McKenzie found some deals. For example, at the Fairmont Orchid, not only is there availability for Thanksgiving, but if you stay four nights, you get the fifth night free, There are also great family activities on the Big Island you might not think of: You can be a "paniolo," the Hawaiian cowboy, where you can ride at your own level on a big ranch and round up the cattle. You can take a flume ride in the sugar cane irrigation canals, where you float through real lava tubes. Or you can take a hike out onto the volcano itself!
Hawaii, Oahu
On Oahu, McKenzie found an unpublished "Christmas Week" special that starts today. At the JW Marriott Ihilani Resort, you can get their breakfast buffet for two and a room upgrade if you call the hotel direct between now and Thanksgiving. It's away from the crowds of Waikiki. The kids can do some hands-on with sea life and starfish, or you can take the whole family shark diving, where you swim with sharks in an underwater cage. It's very safe and very exciting for kids as well as grandparents! Then you can have your Christmas dinner Hawaiian-style at a luau on the beach, where you can learn to husk a coconut and steer an outrigger canoe.
Las Vegas
Las Vegas offers a wide range of prices and deals for the holidays. This is a convention town, so with no conventions on the holidays, so there are lots of rooms and packages for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. McKenzie sometimes likes staying away from the Strip. For example, Lake Las Vegas is great: You're 10 minutes from Lake Mead and the Hyatt there has Thanksgiving and Christmas "Holiday Packages" available that include free breakfast for two, plus two 50-minute spa treatments, worth almost $200 alone. Christmas shopping in Las Vegas is incredible, McKenzie added. A nighttime helicopter flight over the Strip makes for a really unusual gift?
Amsterdam
Remember that Thanksgiving is an American holiday — so Thanksgiving overseas is just another day. McKenzie found some great Thanksgiving packages on several sites. Vacationstogo.com had six days in Amsterdam with hotel and airfare for under $800 from New York. You can take a romantic boat ride through the canals of Amsterdam, or you can go just outside the city to see some of Holland's most beautiful windmills … and McKenzie can vouch that wooden shoes are very comfortable!
Paris and London
McKenzie also saw similar packages that were still available to places like Paris, where she said she never gets tired of taking a cruise down the Seine to see the city sites at night. The price: Less than $1,000 from New York for six nights over Thanksgiving.
Or why not do a little holiday shopping in London for the same price — and stick around for the famous after-Christmas sales?
More Tips: Rent a Condo or Home!
Remember that if hotels are booked, condo and home rentals are another option. Your best source for information on these is on the Web or through your travel agent. Or you can call the area's convention and visitors bureaus directly — they're great at steering you in the right direction. With condos and homes, you can often negotiate the price. McKenzie said she has gotten excellent prices on last-minute holiday rentals because the closer it gets to the holiday, the more agreeable the owners are to make a deal.
How to Find Deals and Availabilities
If you do a little research online, search "Thanksgiving travel deals" or check some of the sites like Expedia and vacationstogo.com. You'll find information on availability — but don't forget to ask a travel agent and perhaps call the hotels directly to compare prices and ask what specials they might have.
HOLIDAY TRAVEL TIPS SUMMARY: