Best Of Chile & Argentina

from USD$2,445

Visit South America and travel through Chile and Argentina on this journey from Santiago to Buenos Aires. Live it up the cuisine, arts and the amazing beauty of dramatic Santiago before adopting a slower pace in the quieter Lakes District, where natural wonders are in abundance. With ample opportunity to indulge in epicurean delights and local wines, this trip delivers adventure, relaxation and culture in true South American style.

Highlights

• Sip Argentina's trademark wine on a vineyard tour near Mendoza.
• Admire the dramatic scenery of Chile's Lakes District.
• Sample tasty local delicacies in Bariloche.
• Discover the elegance and charm of Buenos Aires..

Itinerary

Days 1-2 Santiago

Get to know Chile's cosmopolitan capital Santiago, from its picturesque Plaza de Armas to its web of interesting shops. With a thriving cafe culture and booming arts scene, Santiago is bold and brilliant. Looking for great food and music? Then why not dance and dine in the bohemian Barrio Bellavista.

Days 3-4 Mendoza

Welcome to gorgeous Mendoza, the centre of Argentina's wine production. Learn about Argentina's winemaking on a vineyard tour, and take the chance to sample some Malbec wine - the region's signature variety. Enjoy spending time in the cafes of the beautiful city centre which is lined with parks and trees. At night, become a part of the thriving local nightlife by heading out to Aristides Villanueva street, full of lively bars and pubs.

Days 5-6 Bariloche

Take an optional hike around the base of Cerro Catedral or hit the slopes for some world-class skiing (seasonal). Bariloche is also renowned for its fine restaurants and chocolates, so why not indulge in some local epicurean delights.

Days 7-8 Buenos Aires

With strong European influences, Argentina's Buenos Aires is a top spot to shop, dine, drink and celebrate life. Stroll the streets of the city's unique barrios (neighbourhoods) such as colonial San Telmo or Recoleta, home to many interesting museums. The shops and boutiques are excellent destinations for fashionistas and the bars and restaurants will satisfy culinary


Read more: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/south-america/tours/explorer/best-chile-38?lpaffil=fbta1#ixzz22B6ey7ND

Bali Seven-Night Vacations Deals with Airfare

Bali Hai! Indus.com is featuring seven-night getaways to exotic Bali from $2,045 per person for select travel dates in 2012. This value deal includes round-trip airfare, seven-nights at the Ramada Resort Benoa Bali, daily breakfast, one lunch, return airport transfers, two full- and one half-day sightseeing tours, services of English-speaking guides during sightseeing tours, a bottle of wine on arrival or a 90-minute massage, and air taxes and fuel surcharges.

Travel Dates:

Select dates in 2012

Days of the Week:

Any

Blackout Dates:

Apply; check prior to booking.

Minimum Stay:

Seven nights

Purchase By:

There is no book-by date; this deal may expire at any time.

Notes:

Price is per person, based on double occupancy and departure from San Francisco and Los Angeles.

How It Saves You Money:

A stay of seven nights in the included accommodations costs $900; the extras cost at least $300 per person; and round-trip flights between San Francisco/Los Angeles and Bali cost $1,750, so this deal saves around $300 per person ($600 per couple).by grace bloddwell

Bahamas Vacation Deals

The Real Vacation package to the Bahamas includes airfare from Atlanta on Delta Airlines, four nights at the Wyndham Nassau Resort & Crystal Palace Casino or similar hotel of your choosing, round-trip airport transfers, baggage handling at the hotel, and up to 3,000 extra bonus miles per person depending on your hotel choice, from $563 per person including all hotel and air taxes and fees.
When Aug. 10 - Dec. 26, 2012 ($563).

 

Gateways Atlanta ($563); additional gateway cities also available through Delta.
The Fine Print Use promo code DV16000A when booking. Package price is based on select Thursday departures and Monday returns. Airport taxes and fees are included in the package price. Based on double occupancy. Read these guidelines before you book any Real Deal.
Book By Aug. 20, 2012.

Contact Delta Vacations, 800/800-1504, deltavacations.com.
Why It's a Deal A recent Kayak search shows the lowest round-trip airfare between Atlanta and Nassau starts from $316 in mid-August (AirTran Airways). Add to that $393 per person including taxes for four nights at the Wyndham Nassau Resort & Crystal Palace Casino, and you're spending $709 on airfare and accommodation alone. For $146 less, this travel package gives you airfare and four nights on the beach in the Bahamas, airport transfers, baggage handling at the hotel, extra bonus miles, and includes all taxes and fees.

More Add an economy car rental to your package for from $294 more per couple. Several optional tours are also available, including a full-day catamaran cruise to Rose Island for $70 per person, a morning or afternoon two-tank dive for $105 per person, or a 2.5 hour guided tour of the city's historic sites for $45 per person.budgettravel.com

8 Days Paris Hot Deal

About Your Destination
Discover Paris, the City of Lights with this amazing package. Explore the streets of Paris, strolling the Champs-Élysées, perhaps visiting the famous Eiffel Tower, built in 1889 to honor the hundred year anniversary of the French Revolution. Choose to visit the beautiful works of art in the Louvre museum, or spend the day in the many cafés and bistros that define Parisian cuisine. This independent tour offers unbeatable value and flexibility in your schedule, so book today and save on the trip of a lifetime

Independent Package Includes

• Round trip flights NYC-Paris
  Other departure cities available. Click on date of departure for selection and prices
• Airline taxes & fuel surcharges
• 6 nights accommodations in your choice of hotels
• Breakfast daily

from $1049  Air & Land  www.Virgin-Vacations.com

Also Available

Cape Town has plenty of luxury

Cape Town has plenty of luxury hotels, restaurants, and shopping centers, its character is defined by districts and experiences that may not be postcard-perfect or wonderfully chic, but instead evoke the grit and pathos and spirit of the city.
Victoria & Alfred Waterfront is a great place to start a Cape Town tour. It is probably the number one tourist destination, but this bustling retail development is smack-dab in the center of a working harbor, and has been an epicenter of Cape Town since the 1600s. It is not only a great place to shop, dine, and take photos of the city; it’s also a departure point for all the ocean-traveling adventures, from banana boat adventures to pirate ship booze cruises to luxury catamaran sunset sails.

For a experience visit District Six, the former inner-city slum that saw major attention during the apartheid era when government officials removed 60,000 non-white residents. Today, the neighborhood is being rebuilt and completely re-imagined, while some of the people that had to move out 20 or 30 years ago are getting permission to move back in. To understand more of the full story of what happened here, visit the District Six Museum, which gives a fairly exhaustive history of apartheid and the district itself.

A favorite of adventure guide book the township of Bo-Kaap is as notable for its colorful history as for its colorful architecture. The population is a melting pot, made up of Indonesians, Sri Lankans, and various other ethnicities including, of course, Malay. This was the first place in Cape Town that they settled, giving it its old name of “Cape Malay Quarter.”
Sure you’ve swum with dolphins, but have you swum with penguins? This is possibly in your future at Boulders Beach, a popular swimming and bird-watching beach on the Cape Peninsula route from Cape Town. Though the human swimming part of the beach is separate from where the busy, braying population of African Penguins hangs out. A few penguins inevitably break ranks and go say hi to the humans

SouthWest Big Savings

Terms and Conditions:

• Fares available only on southwest.com or swabiz.com.
• Purchase from July 10 through July 20, 2012, 11:59 pm Pacific Time.
• Travel August 20 through December 14, 2012.
• Blackout Dates Apply: September 3, November 17, November 20 - November 21, and November 24 - November 26, 2012.
• Travel valid every day except Sundays.
• Offer not available to/from Akron-Canton, OH; Dayton, OH; Buffalo, NY; Washington D.C. (Dulles); Washington D.C. (Reagan National); Des Moines, IA..
• The fares you see now include all government taxes and fees.
• Seats are limited. Fares may vary by destinations, flight, and day of week and won't be available on some flights that operate during very busy travel times and holiday periods.
• Fares are available for one-way travel.
• Fares may be combined with other Southwest Airlines combinable fares. If combining with other fares, the most restrictive fare's rules apply.
• Fares are nonrefundable but may be applied toward future travel on Southwest Airlines.
• Fares are not available through Group Desk.
• Any change in itinerary may result in an increase in fare. Standby travel requires an upgrade to the Anytime fare.
• Fares are subject to change until ticketed.
• Offer applies to published, scheduled service only.

Huge Deals 72 Hour Sale

72 Hour Site Wide Super Sale

Save up to $850 Off Vacation Packages
Hurry, Sale Ends Thursday

3 Nights with Air from $599.00 was $799.00 

Gran Melia Golf Resort Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico
Travel Dates: Jul 29 - Sep 30, 2012

 

cheapcarribean.com

SOUTHWEST AIRLINES SEPTEMBER SPECIALS

View all flight deals > Philadelphia-Raleigh/Durham $59 Baltimore-Boston Logan $59 Chicago (Midway)-Nashville $59 Los Angeles-Tucson $59 Atlanta-Orlando $70 Phoenix-Oakland $71 Milwaukee-Orlando $82 Chicago (Midway)-Denver $100 Providence-Ft. Lauderdale $116 Austin-San Jose $148 Sale Terms and Conditions.

Exclusive Air Fare Deals Get discounts right to your desktop or iPhone®. Download DING! Stay connected Follow us on Twitter and become our Facebook fan.

southwest.com | Group Travel | Rapid Rewards | Rapid Rewards Credit Cards | Travel Guide | Mexico

*Terms and Conditions: The fares you see now include all government taxes and fees. Available only on southwest.com and swabiz.com. 21-day advance purchase required. Purchase from July 10 through July 20, 2012, 11:59 pm Pacific Time. Travel August 21 through October 4, 2012. Blackout Dates Apply: August 31, September 3, September 16, September 23, and September 30, 2012. Travel valid every day except Sundays. For full terms and conditions,

Jet Blue Adding New Seasonal U.S and Carribean routes

JetBlue is adding several new or seasonal U.S. and Caribbean routes to it's already well established roster. Among the flights are Boston/Nantucket, Washington, D.C./Tampa, West Palm Beach/San Juan, Ft. Lauderdale/Kingston, and Dallas/Boston—all for travel from July 10 through September 26; Washington, D.C./San Juan from August 23 through November 14; and New York City/Samana from November 24 through February 9. Finding the cheapest rates on the featured routes was very dependent on a flexible search.by patricia magana

JetBlue is adding several new or seasonal U.S. and Caribbean routes to it's already well established roster. Among the flights are Boston/Nantucket, Washington, D.C./Tampa, West Palm Beach/San Juan, Ft. Lauderdale/Kingston, and Dallas/Boston—all for travel from July 10 through September 26; Washington, D.C./San Juan from August 23 through November 14; and New York City/Samana from November 24 through February 9. Finding the cheapest rates on the featured routes was very dependent on a flexible search. AirTran, Delta, Spirit, US Airways, and United compete on several routes.

 

EDITOR'S OVERVIEW Where to Book: We found the best prices for the travel window of this sale by using a flexible date search, which can be accessed through our flight comparison tool to the right. Pros: New routes. Cons: Cheaper fares from competitors on certain routes. Verdict: Explore options but also keep in mind JetBlue's generous bag policy.

British Airways Researching Passengers before flights?

the airline has launched a program called "Know Me," in which airline employees will be searching Google Image for photos of flyers.
The Daily Mail reports that around 2,000 British Airways staff members will have access to iPads containing passenger data, including a flyer's travel and complaints history. Staff will also be able to use the iPads to Google image search for pictures of passengers, allowing them to recognize you on board.
A spokesman told the paper, "The most recent advancement of the system enables the British Airways team to search Google Images for a photo of specific customers, so they can recognize them as soon as they enter the airport or aircraft and proactively approach them."
The London Evening Standard quoted Jo Boswell, head of customer analysis at BA, as saying, "We're essentially trying to recreate the feeling of recognition you get in a favorite restaurant when you're welcomed there, but in our case it will be delivered by thousands of staff to millions of customers. This is just the start—the system has a myriad of possibilities for the future."
We wonder what they will do if they find less than favorable things about passengers online. If someone's tweeted about a bad British Airways experience, will they get the cold shoulder? Or if they find a party picture of a flyer, will they keep the beverage cart away from him or her? With all of the less than flattering things I've written about airlines and the TSA, I'd sure hate to be Googled before I fly! On the bright side, it's only "VIP customers" who will be researched.by caroline morse

Occidental Grand Xcaret 5 Nights with Air from $579 was $969 - All Inclusive

Occidental Grand Xcaret

Riviera Maya

Our Rating

Details

     "the service was great. the pools were outstanding. the food was excellent. would definitely book here again" –

Room Information

769 guestrooms and suites, located in a number of small three-story buildings (no elevators) surrounded by gardens, pools, and river channels. All rooms are spacious, and feature contemporary dark-wood furniture and barefoot-friendly tile or marble floors. Bathrooms contain a roomy, marble stall shower with a bench and a marble vanity, but do not include a tub. Each room is equipped with air-conditioning, in-room safe, satellite TV, hair dryer, iron and ironing board, mini fridge, a balcony or terrace furnished with table and chairs, telephone with data port connection, and alarm clock. Cribs and extra bed available upon request.

 

cheapcarribean.com

 

                                                                               

Summer Sale on US Airways, Virgin America

US Airways is  matching a new sale from Virgin America that puts major U.S. cities like Boston, New York, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia and others on sale for summer travel. Flights start at $99 each way (shown as $198 round-trip below) and prices vary by route. We found identical fares on Virgin and US Airways, and occasionally matching prices from JetBlue, United, Frontier, AirTran, Alaska, and American. A 10-day advance purchase is required, and travel must occur on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays through August 1. Book by Monday, July 9.by josh roberts

EDITOR'S OVERVIEW Where to Book: We found the best prices for the travel window of this sale by using a flexible date search, which can be accessed through our flight comparison tool to the right. Pros: Affordable travel on fourt days of the week. Cons: Weekend departures aren't included in this promotion. Verdict: A good sale on major cities across the country.

Live TV Coming To Southwest Flights?

Southwest Airlines announced that it is offering seven channels of live TV shows on some planes, starting with 20 planes this month. The channels include CNBC, Fox Business Network, Fox News, MLB, MSNBC, NBC Sports, and NFL Network.
Presumably, TV soon to be available on all Southwest planes that have installed the equipment necessary for Wi-Fi—now 250, growing to around 400 by the end of next year. Southwest is testing how much to charge. Prices could range from $3 to $8 per flight, which will be independent of whether you buy into the more expensive onboard Wi-Fi Internet service.

Southwest is in a good position to offer this service because, unlike most domestic airlines, it uses satellite-based Wi-Fi rather than a system based on ground transmitters. But Southwest isn't the first U.S. carrier with in-flight TV. Frontier, JetBlue, United  and Virgin America already offer some form of in-flight live TV. And unlike the others, Southwest's system requires that you have your own Wi-Fi-enabled device onboard: a laptop, a tablet, or a smartphone.

In-flight Wi-Fi and TV service is likely to be the focus of a lot of what passes for airline competition these days. Most big domestic airlines previously decided to install onboard Wi-Fi—Delta's fleet of larger planes is already fully equipped and,they can add live TV functionality at very little additional cost. The next big move will be to add satellite-based Wi-Fi and presumably TV on intercontinental flights, already starting with a recent announcement  by ed perkins

American Airlines Claims 'Less Is More' with New Coach Seats

American Airlines is the likely winner of the Georgie (for George Orwell) award this year. The airline's recent announcement that the new 10-across economy seats in 777-300s will give a "feeling of more space" than the standard nine-across seats could easily have originated with 1984's Ministry of Truth.
The math is simple and uncompromising. At nine-across, 777 optimum economy seats are approximately 20.5 inches wide between armrest midpoints—the correct way to measure seat width. Thus, nine seats take up 185 inches. When you fit 10 seats into those 185 inches, each seat gets only 18.5 inches. That's actually narrower than the ultra-tight 737 seats, typically 19 inches, and among the tightest one will encounter on any major airline. American not only is using the ultra-narrow design on its newest 777s but also is likely to retrofit its current 777 fleet with them as well

So the American flak machine says that a seat two inches narrower gives a feeling of more space? Let's get real here. American will stuff 10-across seats in economy cabins because it can make more money that way—and because it knows economy-class travelers are used to rock-bottom comfort standards.by ed perkins

How To Fly For Free?

I started searching for the best ways to save money on airline flights. I wanted to see the world -- or at least the United States -- but I didn't have a bottomless budget. In the end, I found something surprising.
There is a group of people who fly for free by using a strategy that is the complete opposite of what most people do.

It probably comes as no surprise to you that a great way to fly for cheap is by using frequent flyer miles. It's pretty simple: Cash in your miles, get a free flight and travel for less.
At first, I assumed that you had to fly all the time to earn frequent flyer miles. They are called "frequent flyer" miles after all. As it turns out, that's not true. The best way to earn frequent flyer miles isn't by flying at all. It's by finding the best credit card deals for earning frequent flyer miles, free hotel stays and rewards points

Here's The Extras

The credit card market is extremely competitive and very lucrative. As a result, credit card companies hand out huge frequent flyer bonuses to get people to sign up for their cards.
A typical bonus for getting a new credit card is 25,000 frequent flyer miles. Occasionally, you can get as many as 100,000 frequent flyer miles just by signing up for a new card

In case you're wondering, 100,000 frequent flyer miles is enough to get you a round-trip business-class ticket from the U.S. to Europe. That's a value of about $5,000 for taking 10 minutes to fill out a credit card application.
Despite the huge payoff, I was still skeptical at first. How many cards could I apply for? Would this strategy affecting my credit score?

The 'churn'

As I read more about credit card bonuses, I stumbled upon a group of people called "churners."
Credit card churners are people who churn through credit card applications on a regular basis to get as many frequent flyer miles as possible. They apply for a card, spend the minimum amount necessary, get the frequent flyer miles, cancel the card a year later, and then do it all over again.

Some churners are so consistent with their efforts that they have earned more than a million frequent flyer miles in a single year. With that many miles, you could fly around the world multiple times for free.
Churners find out about credit card deals from a variety of websites, blogs and forums. There are even free email newsletters like CreditCardFlyers.com that will send you a brief update of the best credit card deals.

How to keep churning from hurting your credit

Credit card churning will not hurt your credit score if you do two things:

1. Pay your balance in full every month.
2. Carry little or no debt.

if you do those two things, churning may actually have a positive impact on your credit score. This is because you are getting more overall credit by applying for new cards, but you are spending about the same amount as before. This causes your credit-utilization ratio to drop, which can actually improve your credit score.

If you pay your balance in full and carry no debt, it is  unlikely that you will make a major credit card mistake, and you will see little or no impact from churning.
As a reminder, I want to be very clear about this: Credit card churning is not a good idea if you do not pay your balance in full every month. I advocate living a life with no debt, and I suggest you do whatever you can to lower or erase your debt.by james clear

$999 -- Ireland in Autumn: 5-Star Vacation w/Air

treat the family with a luxurious Ireland vacation at a 5-star resort, while saving as much as $1000 compared with booking air and hotel separately.
This $999-per-person trip based on four travelers features:

• Roundtrip airfare to Dublin
• Six nights in a three-bedroom private villa at Adare Manor Resort -- a Conde Nast 2012 Gold List resort with a full kitchen
• Manual-shift economy car rental with unlimited mileage

Depart from New York City Sunday-Thursday, Sept. 2 - Oct. 31. Flights into Shannon (30 minutes from the resort) are also available on select dates.
The acclaimed resort is a two-hour scenic drive from Dublin and boasts an 18-hole championship golf course, fine dining, horseback riding, fishing and spa services. Attractions such as the Cliffs of Moher, the Ring of Kerry and Blarney Castle are a one-hour drive from the resort.
For $200 more per person, make it an eight-night vacation and stay at the Croke Park Hotel in Dublin on the first and last night of the trip with extended car rental.

Also available: For an additional $99 per person, receive four traditional Irish breakfasts at Adare Manor, tours of Cliffs of Moher and House of Waterford Crystal, and admission to Blarney Castle and Bunratty Folk Park.

Book by July 13.    By Jonathan Rougeot         

 

	Click here to book online at Sceptre Tours To book the six-night trip with the $99 upgrade, click here. Use the following links to book the eight-night trip or eight nights with $99 upgrade
	Call Sceptre Tours at 800-901-4042 Note: There is an additional fee of $25 per person to book by phone.

 

$99 -- Vegas Strip: Aria 5-Star Retreat w/$100 to Spend

Travelzoo.com Relax in modern luxury on the Las Vegas Strip at the AAA 5-Diamond ARIA Resort & Casino for $99 per night. Plus receive a city-view room upgrade and $100 resort credit per stay.
To snag this deal, visit on the following dates:

• $99: July 3-4, 8-12, 17-18, 24-26
  Aug. 5-9, 12, 28-30
• $107-$117: Aug. 1-2, 13-16, 27
• Select weekends are also discounted

Guests can use the $100 resort credit toward:

• Treatments at The Spa & Salon
• Restaurant fare from James Beard award-winning chefs
• Tickets to "Viva Elvis" by Cirque du Soleil

Located in the contemporary-designed CityCenter, ARIA is home to cabana-lined pools, a glittering 150,000-square-foot casino and a spa with 62 treatment rooms.
Technologically advanced guest rooms are set up to be customized for individual preferences via automated controls for in-room lighting, temperature and opening the curtains on floor-to-ceiling windows.
Note: A two-night minimum stay is required. A $25 daily resort fee (plus applicable tax) is payable directly to the property upon checking in. The resort fee covers Internet access, in-room local and toll-free calls, access to ARIA Fitness Center, daily newspaper and printing of airline boarding passes.

Book by July 6. Top 20 deal – sells out quickly.By Jessica Tilley
Travelzoo Staff,                   

$479 -- Jamaica All-Inclusive Beach Getaway w/Air

TRAVELZOO.COM Specials Steal away to a sprawling all-inclusive beachfront resort on this four-night Jamaica getaway for $479 per person, including airfare and taxes.
Saving $575 per person on competing packages, this deal from Vacation Express features the Braco Village Resort & Spa, including unlimited alcohol and meals.

Depart select dates September-October from the following cities:

• $479 ... Fort Lauderdale
• $577 ... New York
• $590 ... Baltimore
• $602 ... Boston
• $641 ... Atlanta
• $645 ... Los Angeles
• $648 ... Chicago
• $654 ... St. Louis
• $664 ... Pittsburgh
• $665 ... Dallas
• $682 ... Philadelphia

July-August dates are available for $88-$199 more per person. Discounted kids pricing starts at $353 per child (ages 2-12).
This 85-acre resort along white-sand beaches offers five restaurants, seven bars, kids clubs, sports activities and several pools.
For a longer getaway, upgrade to a seven-night stay. All major U.S. gateways are available, including nonstop service on Sunwing Airlines from Nashville and Cincinnati. See Vacation Express' site for details and kids pricing from each departure city.

Book by July 12. Top 20 deal – sells out quickly.By Josh Gershenson
Travelzoo Staff

America's 10 Worst Airports For Delays

Travel + Leisure profiled the most recent best and worst airports for flight delays in a photo gallery. Of note is that even at Seattle's Sea-Tac Airport, this year's best airport for on-time performance, 13.1 percent of flights were delayed. Still, that's better than the worst airport for delays, Chicago Midway, which weighed in with nearly 30 percent of its flights delayed.

The gallery also helpfully outlines the best and worst times of day to fly out of each airport. The theme that emerges reinforces the rule of thumb that flying early is better. Really early in some casesat Chicago O'Hare, the best time to fly on time is before 7 a.m.
In a number of cases, cities have airports on both the worst and the best list. For instance, Washington, D.C.'s BWI airport is the second worst airport for delays in the country, but Dulles International and Reagan International were both in the top five best for on-time performance.
the airports that made the best and worst lists for flight delays.
by christine sarkis
Ten Worst Airports for Delays
1. Chicago Midway Airport
2. Baltimore/Washington International Airport
3. San Francisco International Airport
4. Las Vegas McCarran International Airport
5. John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York City
6. Newark Liberty International Airport
7. Chicago O'Hare
8. Miami International Airport
9. Denver International Airport
10. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

Ten Best Airports for Delays

1. Sea-Tac Airport, Seattle
2. Portland International Airport
3. Reagan National Airport, Washington, D.C.
4. Salt Lake City International Airport
5. Dulles international Airport, Washington, D.C.
6. Tampa International Airport
7. George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Houston
8. LaGuardia Airport, New York City
9. Charlotte Douglas International Airport
10. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport

Euro Crisis Is Making Travel Cheaper

Over the past few weeks, I've fielded several calls from reporters looking for views on whether Europe's economic woes have made or will make Europe a real bargain for North American travelers. The short answer is still, "Not a huge bargain, at least not yet."
Currently, the euro, at 1.26 to the dollar, is down about 5 percent from a high a few months ago and, from 1.44 to the dollar last June, about 15 percent for the year. That's certainly welcome, but it hardly makes Europe a bargain paradise, especially because many local hotels and restaurants have raised prices after all.

You see a similar pattern in some other currencies on countries that are important visitor destinations:
The Swiss franc, now at 1.04 to the dollar, is down about the same 15 percent from last summer. And the Mexican peso, at almost 14 to the dollar, is down about 16 percent since last year.
But that's not a universal trend: The British pound, currently at 1.57 to the dollar, is down only 4 percent from last June. And the Canadian dollar is virtually unchanged.
Callers also raised the question of what might happen if Greece has to leave the euro zone. For now, Greece seems to have avoided that problem, but it could easily arise again. And here the outlook is still extremely cloudy. Just about everybody agrees that if Greece has to drop the euro, it would have to devalue a resurrected drachma dramatically. But that wouldn't have as much of an effect as might initially appear: Much of what Greek hotels and restaurants have to buy and much of what they have to pay in debt service is in euros, and those bills would not decrease.
Still, you may find some weakness is Greek destination prices this fall. Although I don't have any good historical data, a quick scan of prices in Athens and some of the islands leads me to think prices are, in fact, a bit weaker than in previous summers. Still, prices at many Greek hotels are locked into contracts with tour operators, and I haven't seen any major recent pricing changes in those high-volume tourist markets. Similarly, I see no "fire-sale" prices from such Greek tour specialists as Homeric Tours or GreekTourDiscounts. Any possible large-scale discounting or price reduction hasn't happened yet.
Airfares, too, are not likely to decrease much even if Greece does drop the euro. Fuel and debt services or leases for airplanes are two of the airlines' main expenses, and these obligations will remain in dollars and euros. Forward-looking fares for this fall seem to be ignoring the country's economic weakness. If demand for flights to Greece drops, rather than cut prices below cost, airlines will just cut back on the number of flights.
Although somewhat offset by price increases, the 15 percent euro and Swiss franc reductions from last year are welcome, and it will help your dollars go further this fall than last. Even with the franc down, however, Switzerland is still very expensive, and with the Olympic boost and gouging prices, plus the onerous air passenger duties, you'll probably find travel to the U.K. very expensive this fall.
That's the short-term outlook. But what if Greece does pull out, or Ireland, Portugal or Spain defaults on debt.

As before, your decision as to whether to visit Europe, or any other area, should be based mainly on your interests, not on currency fluctuations. Figure a drop in the currency is an unexpected benefit, not a primary reason to travel, this fall.by ed perkins