Since January 2013, Alison has been writing a monthly “Travel Deals” column for the San Diego Union-Tribune. The column aims to help readers stretch the dollars they spend on travel – so that they can ultimately do more traveling.
“Travel Deals” is temporarily on hiatus because of the Coronavirus pandemic still unfolding around the world.
The column usually runs in print on the first Sunday of each month in the newspaper’s Travel Section; it appears online a few days earlier. Watch for it – and be rewarded by getting first crack at the month’s most tantalizing travel bargains.
In the meantime, check out these recent columns:
Solmar Hotels & Resorts is offering up to 62 percent off at Los Cabos hotels for travel through April.
Discounts in Play at Los Cabos Hotels
To celebrate the arrival of spring, Solmar Hotels & Resorts is offering UT Travel Deals readers up to 62 percent off at its portfolio of seven Los Cabos hotels. Couples can stay for as little as $55 a night at Quinta del Sol in downtown Cabo San Lucas. At the beachfront Solmar Resort, couples can snag all-inclusive packages (with all meals, snacks, drinks and cocktails, plus a menu of daily activities included) for about $250 a day. Deals must be booked by March 15 for travel through April. Know before you go that local taxes and fees will add 29 percent to your tab. Book online at … Continue reading
The Thursday Farmers Market in San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo Offers Cash Back
San Luis Obispo is giving away $100 cash to visitors who stay at least two consecutive nights before the end of March. Here’s how to get your C-note: Book at least two nights at any of the 40 participating hotels in the city (visitslo.com/find-a-hotel). Options range from the $55-per-night Motel 6 to the newly opened Hotel San Luis Obispo, where weekend rates can exceed $500 per night. Once you’ve booked (note blackout dates of Feb. 15-16), email your room confirmation to … Continue reading
Afternoon wine and cheese tasting is included with a stay at the Gaige House & Ryokan retreat in the Sonoma Valley.
Resorts Out West Offer Flurry of Ski Deals
Ski resorts across the West want to get kids hooked on skiing and/or snowboarding. To do it, they’re inviting kids in fifth and sixth grades to ski free (with a registration fee) — no matter where they live and with no requirement that parents buy a lift ticket.
Here’s a sample of what resorts in various Western states are offering:
Fifteen resorts in Utah are each offering three days of free skiing or boarding for fifth graders — and one free day for sixth graders. The state’s top resorts — including Deer Valley, Alta and Sundance — are participating. Registration costs…continue reading
Enjoy the Repose Pools at Sunrise Springs Spa Resort in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
December Deals: Learn to Ski, Relax
Copper Mountain’s Ski and Ride University is open to anyone 18 or older who wants to learn to ski or snowboard — and what a chill deal it offers: Students get three ski or snowboard lessons with lift tickets and equipment rentals. They’ll start with a half-day lesson; on days 2 and 3, they’ll get all-day lessons and lunch. Grads get a free Copper Mountain Season Pass, a $589 value, valid through the end of the 2019-20 ski season, plus the opportunity to buy a 2020/21 pass for half price. SRU tuition is $349, less than the cost of two peak-season adult lift tickets…Continue reading
Mammoth Mountain lift tickets are $50 on opening day, Saturday. Photo/Peter Morning
Black Friday Bargains on the Way
The countdown to Black Friday and Cyber Monday travel deals is on. Here’s a preview of upcoming offers awaiting savvy travelers:
Book a 2020 European river cruise with Emerald Waterways and get your choice of free round-trip air or $2,000 per couple off the price of the sailing. You’ll also get a free Premium Drink Package, valued at $430 per couple. In addition, guests booking a cabin on the ships’ Horizon deck save an additional $500 per couple. Seven-night Emerald Waterways cruises start at about $2,900 per person, based on double occupancy. Book Nov. 25-30. Go to www.emeraldwaterways.com/offers.
Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT) is slashing prices on several bucket-list trips. Save $3,600 per couple on a 16-day Ancient Egypt and Nile River tour that includes round-trip air from San Diego, Egypt Visa fees, 23 guided tours and 35 meals. Departure is set for … Continue reading
The Grand Canyon Railway and Hotel in Williams, Ariz., is offering a 30 percent discount for both the hotel and train for U-T readers. Photo/Scott Temme
San Luis Obispo Will Pay For Your Uber Driver
Head north to explore the San Luis Obispo wine country, and the city will pay for your designated driver. Stay at least two consecutive nights by the end of November, excluding Saturday arrivals, and the city will give you a $100 Uber credit for use exploring coastal wine trails, visiting harvest events and enjoying local farm-to-table dining. To get the credit, book at any City of San Luis Obispo lodging property. (Options range from Motel 6 for $56 a night to the brand new Hotel SLO where nightly rates start at $400.) Once you’ve booked, email your lodging confirmation to … Continue reading
The Field of Light display at Sensorio in Paso Robles. Several nearby inns are offering discounts for visitors. Photo/Laura Dickinson
Book Autumn Specials at National Parks and Beyond
Early fall is a great time to travel. Summer crowds are gone, weather is beginning to crisp and cool, foliage is about to start its colorful autumn dance — and prices are down. It’s the perfect time to visit national parks and recreation areas that are usually jammed in summer. At Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado, for example, the Far View Lodge has an “End of Summer” special with rooms for two starting at $109 … Continue reading
Horseback riding is part of the package at Northern Arizona’s Mormon Lake Lodge.
August Deals: Arizona, Vegas, Hawaii
Play it cool in Northern Arizona’s Coconino National Forest. That’s where you’ll find the Mormon Lake Lodge, tucked into a dense grove of ponderosa pines. The 300-acre retreat is offering trail ride getaway packages Sunday through Thursday nights through Oct. 15. Options include the “Sunrise Mountain Saddle Up” for two for $198. It includes an overnight stay in an Elk View cabin, early morning 90-minute guided horseback riding, plus wrangler breakfasts. Late risers might choose the … Continue reading
