Expedia holds its biggest hotel sale ever

Name: Budget Travel LLC
Price range: $

By Sean O'Neill

October 3, 2012

The largest seller of hotel rooms, Expedia, is having its largest-ever sale. Rates up to 60 percent off in major destinations. Book by June 30; travel through July 30, 2009. Plus, use your MasterCard to book and receive at least $100 in coupons for future travel. Details at Expedia.

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Inspiration

Better than the Eiffel Tower?

We've been asking top guidebook writers for their alternatives to iconic attractions. Today's writer is Anna Brooke, author of Frommer's Paris Day by Day and Frommer's Provence & the Riviera Day by Day. Her recommended alternative to the Eiffel Tower is… …Montparnasse Tower The Eiffel Tower may be the quintessential symbol of Paris. But for magnificent views of Paris that actually include Gustave Eiffel's engineering feat, check out La Tour Montparnasse, France's tallest skyscraper. From the 59th floor terrace, or the 56th floor restaurant, the panoramas astound. It costs €10.50 (about $14.50) adult admission to get to the top, compared to €13 ($18) for the Eiffel top platform visit, and the lines are significantly shorter. For the next year or two, it will remain Paris' only inner-city skyscraper, a controversial 1970s building often criticized for its lack of aestheticism. But you're there for the views of the skyline and of the Eiffel Tower from its viewing platform—not to praise the building itself. Tip: Best visited after dark when the Eiffel Tower sparkles (for about 10 minutes, every hour on the hour). Now don't get us wrong. We're suckers for the Eiffel Tower, too. And neither Anna Brooke nor Frommer's is criticizing anyone who might want to go to the top of the famous icon. All we're trying to do here is recognize that lesser known attractions may have their own appeal, too. For tour info for the Eiffel Tower, see its official website. Better than Stonehenge? Better than Florence's Duomo?

Cruises

Cruises: How did one reader nab $74 a day on Princess?

An amazing deal on a cruise was nabbed by Budget Travel blog reader Maureen of Mission Viejo, Calif. She scored a 30-day South American cruise from Los Angeles to Rio de Janeiro leaving on Nov. 22, 2009. Her obstructed ocean view cabin was only $1,697. After you include government taxes and mandatory gratuities, it figures out to be only $74 a day per person! That's about a third cheaper than the list price. Maureen says: Right now the current brochure for the cruise we are taking states a balcony fare from $2,979, add $197 govt.fees/taxes plus $330 tips ($11 per day added on by Princess per person). The math for this trip figures out to be $110 a day for a balcony room. Even more impressive, Maureen is paying about 59 percent less per day for her upcoming cruise than the last Princess cruise she took (staying in a comparable berth). Consider that Maureen went on a 10-day eastern Caribbean cruise with Princess this past January and paid $1,730 per person for a balcony (no fuel charges). Adding the $110 for taxes and tips that trip came to $184 a day. We asked her how she got the deal, to see if we could pick up some pointers: We got this deal from a Princess brochure mailed to us as frequent Princess cruisers (having been on Princess at least three times). We have been receiving these "exclusives-special offers just for you" frequently as well as mailers from other cruise companies. I have been monitoring the prices of all of the cruise lines for the last 4 months. This price was just reduced on Princess's website on June 10th. Maureen's tip: Use a travel agent, but negotiate I chose to book through a local travel agent I have used before. She is really good, thorough, and only deals in cruises. She makes all the phone calls to Princess regarding questions I may have. I saw the Princess eastern caribbean cruise we recently went on listed in Vacationstogo.com for the same price as the Princess website was quoting but with $100 shipboard credit and a free bottle of wine. I told her I would rather book with her and would she match that website's extra offerings? She not only met vacations freebies but added a big bottle of water to our stateroom. She also gave this same deal to my girlfriend who was traveling with us and who ended up booking through her. Maybe people do not want to go to South America??? Maybe that explains the low cost? We have never been south of Mexico. And we live an hour north from Los Angeles harbor where the cruise starts. The only major cost for us is the price of flying back from Rio where the cruise ends during the Christmas holidays. But we have found some good fares on the internet around $900-$1,000. Congrats, Maureen, on your great deal. And thanks for sharing your tips! MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL Real Deals in Cruises, hand-picked by our editors

Inspiration

Paris attractions: New sky-high dining

Well here's something out of the ordinary: a temporary rooftop restaurant with an unobstructed view of the Eiffel Tower! This summer in Paris, the Art Home restaurant has been dropped by crane (video here) on top of the Palais du Tokyo. The ultra-edgy contemporary arts museum has a nice view of the Eiffel Tower from its plebian patio down below (price of admission: as low as a single cup of coffee). Beginning July 1, however, that view will be overshadowed by the possibility of lunch or dinner up on the roof. It's close quarters inside that privileged perch, with room to welcome only a dozen diners for lunch (€60/$84) and dinner (€80/$111). Given so few seats, this is a tough reservation to score. Booking works like at Momofuku Ko in New York—reservations are taken online, beginning at 10 a.m., for a date exactly one month in the future. Be ready to with your finger on the mouse at 9:59! An alternate strategy, up until bidding closed last night, was to enter the eBay battle for opening night seats. But after seeing the price for a single person rise above €1,400 ($1,950!), I decided to settle instead for a free visit. That's right—if you're curious to see this Laurent Grasso installation for yourself, free tours are conducted daily between 3 and 5:30 p.m. (except for Mondays, when the museum, restaurant, and tours are closed), with online reservation required. If you're lucky, there might be a few lunch crumbs left on the table! Art Home at/on the Palais de Tokyo, 13 avenue du Président Wilson, 16th arrondissement, 011-33/1-47-23-54-01. MORE FROM OUR AFFORDABLE PARIS BLOG SERIES Practical Paris: What's closed on Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays? Paris bistro buzz: Frenchie Slimming down the lunch bill at Paris restaurants

Britain debuts its first high-speed commuter train, easing daytrips from London

On Monday (June 29), London debuts its first high-speed train. Called the The Javelin—because it will help to shuttle crowds during the 2012 Olympics—the train connects London's St. Pancras station with the villages of Ashford and Ebbsfleet in Great Britain's southeastern corner of Kent. The new service reduces the travel time from about 80 minutes to about 37, opening up opportunities to take a few daytrips out of London to Kent in southeast England. Fares on The Javelin are only about $10 higher than on the slower, traditional service (about £26 or $43 each way). What is there to see once you get there? The train drops you off at the Ashford International station. While cute, Ashford isn't that interesting, except perhaps for its Rare Species Conservation Centre, a one-mile walk from the station. But from the railway station, it's easy to hop a coach to Canterbury, Dover, Sandwich, and many of Kent's other coastal cities. National Express runs affordable service to all of the key villages. It's a five-to-ten-minute walk to the center of Ashford, where National Express lines leave. Or hop a local bus taxi to that point from the train station. To see medieval forts and castles, head over to Canterbury, a town with a dozen free attractions and gardens. Or consider purchasing an attraction pass, which gives you access to the famous cathedral, a kid-friendly attraction based on the Canterbury Tales, St Augustine's Abbey, plus one of the city's museums at £18.50 (about $30) for adult admission. If you prefer to rent a car, find the Avis car rental/hire shop located within walking distance from the Ashford station. (For rental rates, call Avis at 011-44/870-608-6415.) A short drive south and you can stop to walk along the White Cliffs of Dover. (There's no entry charge to this national parkland.) Hike the clifftops to Dover Castle or Samphire Hoe for sea fishing, wildlife, and quiet picnics. Or take a number of other trips throughout the mountainous Kent Downs. Looking for less touristed spots? Outside the Ashford station, you'll also find a Stagecoach bus to old-fashioned Tenterden for winetasting at the Chapel Down vineyards. Guided tours are £7 (about $11) for adults. Or maybe check out Sandwich's historic sites. Stop outside the city at the White Mill heritage center for local tourism suggestions. —David Cumming RELATED A BBC reporter films a trip on the new train High-Speed Train Round-up: Trains traveling at 200 miles per hour are now departing from stations around the globe.

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