There’s never been a better time to get a passport, especially if you’re what Rick Steves calls a “travel virgin.” As America’s leading authority on European travel, Steves thinks everyone deserves the life-changing opportunity to travel overseas. Book your 2011 Rick Steves Tour to Europe with your 2011-issued first-time U.S. passport, and his company will deduct the $135 passport cost. That’s right, they’ll pay for your passport! This deal is valid for first-time passport owners only. A 2011 purchase receipt is required.

And once you have your brand new passport, be sure to check out our fabulous Europe hotel deals!

Los Angeles might be world famous for its glitz, glamour, and star-studded sidewalks, but there’s no need to blow your budget in order to have fun in LA. Contrary to what celebrity gossip blogs would have you believe, cost-free recreation in LA isn’t limited to searching for celebrity homes in Beverly Hills or hoping you run into Jennifer Aniston at Starbucks.

LA may not be a bastion of culture like, say, New York City, but it is teeming with fascinating, world-class museums. And on certain days of the week or month, you can enjoy LA’s best museums at no charge.

The Children’s Museum in La Habra

Are you traveling to LA with children? Then you won’t want to miss the Children’s Museum in La Habra, which offers free admission on the first Saturday of each month. Even adults will have fun at this lovely little museum, which features exhibits like the Dino Dig, a sandbox with hidden bones; a kid-friendly theater where the kids can play with costumes and props; and the Family Art Center, where family members of all ages can unleash their creativity.

The Museum of Contemporary Art in Downtown LA

The Museum of Contemporary Art in downtown LA is free every Thursday from 5pm to 8pm. MOCA, as it’s known to locals, features a permanent collection with works from major art movements of the 20^th Century, including pop art and abstract expressionism. If you’re into weird, innovative, and daring art that pushes the envelope, you’ll find all that and more at MOCA. Plus, MOCA’s located near the Grand Central Market, Little Tokyo, and other popular downtown attractions, so it’s a convenient stop for travelers.

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) features works that encompass the history of art from ancient times to the present. The museum features over 100,000 pieces from around the world, including an extensive collection of Latin American art. The LACMA is free on the second Tuesday of each month.

The Craft and Folk Art Museum

Explore cultures and ideas from around the world through the universal lens of art at the Craft and Folk Art Museum (CAFAM). This small museum is one of the most overlooked institutions on so-called Museum Row, but visitors rave about its distinctive exhibits, which present art in a social and cultural context, and its affordable gift shop, which is full of colorful trinkets and treasures from around the world. The CAFAM is free on the first Wednesday of each month.

The National History Museum

The Natural History Museum in Exposition Park, downtown LA, is a fascinating museum that protects over 35 million specimens dating back 4.5 billion years. The museum’s Discovery Center features fun, interactive kiosks where you can dig up fossils, touch minerals and furs, and investigate specimens with magnifying glasses and telescopes. Among the museum’s permanent collection are Dinosaur Galleries, an Insect Zoo, and a Gem and Mineral Hall.

Who doesn’t love a fabulously prepared meal? Anyone in the Chicago or New York areas this weekend will notice an abundance of amazing discounts on fine dining. The Winter 2011 NYC Restaurant Week has officially extended through February 27, and Chicago’s Restaurant Week runs through Sunday as well. Check out more than 100 participating restaurants in either city, offering gourmet lunches and dinners at low, low prices.

Foodies across the country continue to chow down on their favorite meals, as Restaurant Weeks take place in Annapolis (now-Feb. 27), Denver (Feb. 26-March 11), Atlantic City (Feb. 27-March 5), Orange County (Feb. 27-March 5), Minneapolis (Feb. 27-March 4), Seattle (March 1-31) and Hudson Valley (March 14-27). Make your travel plans now, and check out all the available hotel deals and airline deals for your preferred destination. Bon appétit!

This week’s Yuupon offer features beach accommodations in one, two, and three bedroom properties from Seascape Resort, centrally located on Destin, Florida’s most eastern edge in the beaches of South Walton. Known for its emerald green waters and soft white sands, Destin is a popular Gulf-coast vacation destination for summer tourists. According to repeat visitors, however, Destin is still considered one of Northwest Florida’s “best-kept secrets,” especially if you’re traveling during the off and shoulder seasons.  Spring and fall welcome temperate climates and less-crowded beaches, which appeal to couples and families seeking a quiet, relaxing vacation. Because summer is such a popular time to visit the area, your best bet for securing the finest accommodations available is to visit any time between March-May or from September-November. This week’s Yuupon deal gives guests the option to book all year long (blackout dates do apply), and is valid for stays through 3/8/12.

Purchase this deal for $79 and receive a $200 gift card good toward a stay at any preferred Seascape location, including Majestic Sun, Ariel Dunes, Ariel Dunes II, and a number of lakefront, boardwalk and golf course villas. All stays include one free appetizer at Whales Tail Beach Bar & Grill, complimentary 2 hour early check in and check out (not valid for Friday or Saturday night stays during the summer), daily beach service with chairs and umbrella ($40 value), 40% off a round of golf and additional discounts for area attractions. Stay where ever you want in Destin for how long you want with Seascape Resort (3 night minimum required).

And if you love options, Destin-bound travelers have a number of affordable transportation accommodations to choose from, too. While many visitors from the south, particularly those from Georgia and Louisiana, often make a road trip out of their vacation experience, others are relying on cheap airfare to get them there faster. With two nearby airports in West Bay (near Panama City Beach) and Fort Walton, tourists can choose from a number of low-cost carriers, including SouthWest Airlines with service to and from Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport and Vision Airlines operating out of the Northwest Florida Regional Airport.

There’s no rush to book your final travel and accommodation plans today, but you’ll have to act fast if you want to take advantage of Seascape Resort’s $79 for $200 gift card with beach service deal. This offer is available online at Yuupon through Monday, February 28.  Don’t forget to refer a friend to the site and earn $10 in Yuupon bucks.

It’s always a good time to visit sunny Myrtle Beach, but if you are looking for a reason to take a vacation, try planning it around one of these annually scheduled free festivals!

Myrtle Beach welcomes a flock of “snowbirds” from Canada every March when it proudly hosts the Canadian-American Days Festival. Usually taking place over the March school vacation or Spring Break, the event features several exciting activities, including the Can-Am YMCA Soccer Invitational and the International Kitefest. The Canadian-American Days run March 12-20, 2011.

The Annual  St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival takes place in North Myrtle Beach. This free one-day event opens up at 9 a.m. with a joyous parade, and continues until 4 p.m. With more than 100 arts & crafts tents, food vendors, and two stages providing live musical entertainment, this is one of the largest Irish celebrations in the south. The festival runs Saturday, March 12, 2011.

Did we mention that March is a popular time to visit Myrtle Beach? If the above festivals don’t strike your fancy, come on down for the big Mardi Gras on the Grand Strand celebration. The fun jumpstarts with a Cajun Cook-off  followed by a Masquerade Ball, a Mardi Gras Parade at Broadway at the Beach, and the Mardi Gras party at Celebrity Square. Events are held on various dates throughout March 2011.

The Myrtle Beach Sun Fun Festival has been providing free summer fun to the masses since 1951. It’s the longest running event in Myrtle Beach (usually held for two days each June at Grand Park), and every year it features live music, the Miss Sun Fun/Teen Pageant,  professional sporting events, arts & crafts tents, and plenty of kid’s activities. Past Myrtle Beach Sun Fun Festival participants have enjoyed parades, classic car shows, bikini contests and sand castle building contests. Sponsored by the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce. 2011 dates TBA.

While Myrtle Beach enjoys welcoming the summer season into town, the city never fails to give it a proper send-off. For five years, Myrtle Beach has hosted the Beach Boogie & BBQ Festival over Labor Day Weekend. This family-friendly event at Grand Park in Market Common features live entertainment, samples from local and regional BBQ teams, wake board demos, fireworks, food and more. Sponsored by the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and local businesses. 2011 dates TBA.

After spending all that money on theme park admissions, hotel accommodations, and travel expenses to Orlando, you might be looking for a way to save some money. Orlando and its surrounding areas offer a variety of museums and gardens that frequently offer free admission days. Listed below are five of our favorite free Orlando museums, just make sure you visit on the right day, at the right time.

If you’re familiar with the signature Tiffany glass lamps, then you can’t pass up a visit to the Morse Museum of American Art. The museum houses one of the most  comprehensive collections of Louis Comfort Tiffany’s work, including his lamps, glass windows and mosaics. Highlights include the chapel interior he designed for the 1983 Chicago World’s Fair. Admission is free on Fridays from November through April from 4-8 p.m.

Built as an artists’ colony in 1937 for aspiring artisans, the Maitland Art Center today features gallery exhibits, art programs and classes for anyone with a taste for craftiness. The historic building welcomes a rotation of contemporary art exhibits, and provides instruction by some of Florida’s finest professional artists. A variety of events and exhibitions are scheduled throughout the year, open and free to the public.

Harry P. Leu Gardens might not be a museum, per say, but the grounds feature an array of cultural attractions, including a butterfly garden, a tropical steam garden, a bamboo garden and a palm garden. The property also features a house museum dating way back to the 1880s. Admission to the park is free on the first Monday of every month from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Not far from Orlando in Winter Park, Florida sits the Albin Polasek Museum and Sculpture Gardens. The museum was founded in 1961, and houses an art collection focusing on American representational sculpture, with some 200 works by the internationally-renowned, Czech-born American sculptor Albin Polasek. Admission applies for the home and galleries, but garden access, featuring outdoor sculptural pieces, is always free.

Since 1990, the Zora Neale Hurston National Museum of Fine Arts has provided a place for the community to gather and explore the work of artists of African descent. Operating from September through August, the museum features shows, lectures, gallery talks and receptions for each participating artist. Shows typically run three to four months. There is no admission fee, but donations are accepted.

Ski season has already begun at most ski resorts in the US, but it’s still not too late to sign your kids up for a free season of skiing. To encourage more families to hit the slopes, many states are offering “Passport” programs, which allow middle school skiers and snowboarders to ride free for anywhere from a few days to an entire season. Some of the programs are only open to state residents, while others accept all children that meet the age requirements, no matter where they live. The following are some states that are currently offering this program:

Vermont

Vermont’s Fifth Grade Passport program allows fifth graders to ski at downhill and cross country resorts throughout the state for up to 94 days at no charge. There’s a $10 processing fee, and Passport holders must be accompanied by a full-paying adult.

Utah

Members of the Ski Utah Fifth Grade Passport program can ski free for three days at each of the 14 participating resorts. Utah also offers a Passport program for sixth graders, which allows members to ski free for one day at each participating resort. Passport holders also qualify for special deals on equipment rentals, lessons, and more. Currently, the application processing fee is $25, but it will go up to $35 after January 31, 2011. The Fifth and Sixth Grade Passport programs in Utah are only open to state residents.

Colorado

Colorado fifth graders can ski free for three days at each of 21 participating resorts. For a one-time fee of $99, Colorado sixth graders can ski free for four days at each participating resort. The deadline to sign up for the Colorado Ski Country USA 5^th and 6^th Grade Passport Programs for the 2010/2011 season is January 31, 2011.

New York

New York’s 4^th Grade Ski & Ride Passport program allows fourth graders from any state or country to ski free for three days at each participating resort. There is a $19 processing fee. Passport applications will be taken till March 1, 2011.

Idaho

The Fifth Grade Ski or Ride Free program in Idaho allows fifth graders, no matter where they live, to ski or ride for free at any participating resort for a $20 processing fee. Applications will be taken through March 15, 2011, or until printed passports run out.

Maine

Maine’s WinterKids Passport is available to all fifth, sixth, and seventh graders who reside in Maine. The Passport offers free and discounted tickets, lessons, and rentals at participating ski resorts, ice skating rinks, and snow tubing parks. Maine children in preschool through fourth grade are eligible for the WinterKids FunPass, which offers free trail passes at cross country skiing and snowshoeing areas throughout Maine. There is no application deadline or processing fee for either program.

When in doubt on what to buy your loved ones this holiday season, turn to the gift card.

Travelers on your gift list will appreciate a travel gift card from BedandBreakfast. When you purchase a $250 gift card, they’ll give you a $50 gift card for free. Use it as a gift, or treat yourself to a special vacation. Gift cards are redeemable at over 4,000 B&Bs and inns across the U.S. and Canada, and guests will never have to worry about expiration dates or blackout dates. Purchase your gift cards by November 22.

Looking for something more local? Cornell’s Restaurant in Schenectady, New York offers a free $20 gift certificate for every $100 gift certificate you purchase. This deal is perfect for any foodie on your list, or anybody who appreciates fine Italian dining. Opened at its current location on Jay Street in 2002, Cornell’s is often referred to by locals as The Place to get Italian food.

Travelers looking for big savings will find them before midnight tonight with two 24 hour sales from Spirit and Expedia.  Spirit Airlines is offering flights from $2 for members of their fare club.  Sample flights include $2 from Fort Lauderdale, FL to Nassau, Bahamas or $18 from Detroit, MI to Tampa, FL.  You must book by midnight tonight.

Combine your cheap airfare with a 24 hotel sale from Expedia.  If you book by midnight tonight you can find great prices to you favorite destinations. Sample rates include $20 at the Circus Circus Hotel in Las Vegas, $118 at the Capital Hill Suites in Washington DC,  and $103 at the King George Hotel Union Square in San Francisco. You must book by 11:59 PT tonight.

Jet Blue is bringing back their All You Can Jet Pass. With the All You Can Jet Pass you can fly anywhere you want from September 7th to October 6th-either 7 days a week with the AYJC-7 pass for $699 or 5 days a week with the AYJC-5 for $499.  They are on sale now and must be booked by August 20th or as long as supplies last. Once you purchase your pass you can start booking your flights on August 23rd.