Spring for Cheap Travel

Off-peak vacations and a soft economy add up to big savings.

By Stacy Rapacon, Reporter

From Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine, February 2009

The travel industry is shuddering as frugality becomes fashionable and a new word, staycation, creeps into our vocabulary. So to spur sagging sales, operators are offering steep discounts to entice you to leave home. Add the savings typical of shoulder season -- the period between the low and high travel seasons -- and you'll find a bumper crop of outstanding bargain vacations this spring.

Resort hotels are offering the sweetest deals. Bob Jones, of travel-industry research firm PhoCusWright, recently spied a seven-night stay for the price of four nights at the Marriott on the Caribbean island of St. Kitts. As the economy worsens, hotel deals worldwide will get better, says Jones.

The plight of airlines isn't as dire, but year-end bargains show they're feeling the pinch, too. Carl Schwartz, of CheapFlights.com, says those recent offers portend a good spring for travelers. "Airlines care about winning back travelers at the expense of profits," he says. "And if fuel stays in the $70-per-barrel range or less, there will be more good deals to come."

Early Summers
The act of summering need not be confined to the middle of your calendar. Sneaking a shoreline visit into the less-popular spring months will afford you not only good flight and hotel deals, but more beach and boardwalk real estate to call your own.

You can't beat the scenery in Monterey, Cal., where the climate is mild year-round, with high temperatures between 60 and 70 degrees. And you can take advantage of cheap rates at the four-star Clement Monterey, an InterContinental hotel that opened in May 2008. After Memorial Day, regular room rates for two people top $450 per night. But in March, weekday rates start at just $129 a night ($169 on weekends) for two.

The hotel is right on historic Monterey Bay. Step outside and you can peruse the shops or savor a wine tasting in Steinbeck Plaza on Cannery Row. A few steps away, you can rent a surrey (complete with the fringe on the top) to ride the 29-mile coastal trail, or grab a kayak and paddle the sea. And the family will love the famous Monterey Bay Aquarium down the street.

The flight can be a bargain, too. For example, in early December we found March round-trip flights from Baltimore/Washington International Airport to San Jose International Airport (an hour from Monterey) for $250. Flights to San Jose in July start at $428. Flying into Monterey Peninsula Airport was running about $400 from Baltimore for March and April. Summer peak fares were nearly $550 round-trip.

If you'd prefer fun that's a little more tropical, Hawaii has some springtime bargains as well. Given that its high temperatures remain in the 80s all year -- as Mark Twain described it, the islands' climate offers "one long, delicious summer day" -- shoulder season doesn't really exist in Hawaii.

But there are still bargains in early spring. Hotel Renew, the most popular hotel in Honolulu among TripAdvisor.com users, offers a 20% discount for guests who stay four or more nights. Located just half a block from famous Waikiki Beach, the four-star boutique hotel has rooms for two starting at $152 per night (including the discount). The price bumps up to $219 per night in July.

Plus, you could save more than 100 bucks on airfare. On Kayak.com in early December, we found the round-trip fare between Boston and Honolulu was $897 for a weeklong trip in July. The same flight was $710 in March.

For a more secluded Hawaiian retreat, consider the island of Kauai. Airfare for a week in late June from Boston to Lihue costs more than $1,000 round-trip, but we found early-May fares starting at just $893.

For your stay, try Poipu Beach Resorts, where the standard rate for bed-and-breakfast suites starts at $145 per night. Between May 1 and June 15, you can get 5% knocked off the already low rates, which include an island-style breakfast featuring guava-bread French toast. At the three-star Outrigger Waipouli Beach Resort & Spa, a stay during either month will cost just $135 per night for a room for two.

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