Italy – starting at $799 until February 28 – Explore Sorrento’s ancient beauty with the Dooley Vacations Amalfi Coast Package.

Starwood Family Travel Deals – Book before 30 April 2010 and your kids can eat for free and you get 50% off the second room at participating hotels and resorts across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

$327 & up — Royal Carribbean Cruises up to 80% Off exclusive deals on cruises to Mexico, the Bahamas, the Caribbean, Alaska, Europe, and beyond.

$189 & up — Carnival Cruises with free room upgrades on virtually any Fun Ship cruise departing through December 31, 2010

3 for 2 and 4 for 3 Hotel Deals! As previously mentioned in today’s blog post, there are hundreds of hotels offering free nights around the world when you book three or more nights.

$189 per night for Grand Caymans 4-Star Resort This Summer (Reg. $400) This Marriott Beach Resort is within walking distance of restaurants, shops, and night clubs.

$99 a night weekends at Indianapolis 4-Diamond Hotel (Reg. $219) This AAA 4-Diamond hotel is connected to the Indiana Convention Center, Circle Centre Mall and is also within a short walk of the Indianapolis Zoo and the NCAA Hall of Champions.

MSNBC Travel is highlighting this Canadian travel deal: 9 nights, from $995 – Tour Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and New Brunswick with transfers and all other transportation; the services of a professional tour director and local guides.

USA Today: Learn how to use your frequent-flier miles for more than plane tickets!

$119+: NYC Flights to Grenada & Grand Cayman, tickets must be purchased by February 9 for travel through August 28.

For more of the best travel deals as we discover them, follow @BesTravelDeals and subscribe to our blog’s RSS feed!

Southwest is revving up tourist-luring discounts for Orlando, FL vacations. The new “Super Deal” program shaves $150 off a seven-night Southwest Vacations package that includes airfare and starts at $35 to $57 per person nightly, based on availability and city of origin, with four people sharing a room at the Sheraton Safari or the DoubleTree near Universal Orlando Resort. Plus, each passenger can check two bags for free.

In time for Valentine’s Day, a handful of upscale hotel brands including Fairmont and RockResorts are offering Twitter-only discounted rooms and packages at resorts in the Caribbean, California, Colorado, and Florida.

Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants has a San Francisco hotel sale going, with eight hotels are participating. The Harbor Court Hotel and Hotel Triton start at $85 per night, and the Prescott, Cypress and Sir Francis Drake hotels start at $89 per night. The Serrano Hotel starts at $95.

USA Today reported today on loyalty bonuses from Marriott, Hilton and Loews, including Marriott’s “MegaBonus” promo beginning in Feb. 1st that lets members who register for the promo earn 2,500 bonus points with each paid stay, up to 25,000 bonus points.

Pauline Frommer suggests four great low-cost getaways on Good Day New York today to help you plan an affordable vacation. Her suggestions include finding the cheapest rates on Carnival cruises, Outdoor camping, and vacation packages to Cancun.

Paul Wade and Kathy Arnold in today’s Telegraph offer ten money-saving tips for travel in the USA, such as an 11-night package with Premier Holidays with visits to Los Angeles, San Francisco and Hawaii from £1,269 per person, including all flights and accommodation.

The Tamarijn Aruba Resort’s All-Inclusive deal offers fun, food, drinks, and a stunning location for a perfect island getaway from $899 for five nights, including airfare. Swim laps in the pool, borrow a resort bike to explore, or visit underwater worlds with a snorkel and fins. Floats and equipment for non-motorized watersports such as Sunfish sailing, canoeing, and snorkeling are part of the all-inclusive package.

And if you’d like to stay up-to-date with the latest breaking travel deals, you can follow us at @BesTravelDeals and subscribe to the blog’s RSS Feed.

Julia Scott at WalletPop is highlighting the great airfare deals to Hawaii, Vegas, NYC, and more that Virgin America, Southwest and United Airlines are offering. With United Airlines all destinations, including London, Paris, Hawaii, Mexico, and the Caribbean, are on sale.

Speaking of airfare deals, Air Tran is offering some pretty good deals right now. You’ll find airfare for as little as $44 one way, according to Terri Gruca of KVUE News.

Rent a car that’s miles away from the airport, and you could save a lot of money, according to Christopher Elliott. His article today explores how to avoid airports’ sky-high car rentals in today’s Seattle Times.

An 8 day fly and drive package to Tuscany in the NYTimes includes a seven-day car rental, six nights in a hotel and breakfast daily, starts at $949 a person with departure dates of March 31 and April 7.

Hilton Hotels is offering up to 33 percent off Friday through Sunday stays at more than 520 hotels and resorts worldwide for weekend stays through Dec. 26, must be booked by Jan. 31.

Truth.travel shows us how to get a free companion ticket to Barbados on American Airlines

20 perfect getaways for Valentine’s Day for our friends in or traveling to Europe

Get half-price tickets to Off-Broadway shows such as “STOMP,” “The Fantasticks,” “Avenue Q” and the new “Venus in Fur” in New York City. The “On the House” deal from NYC & Company, the city’s marketing and tourism organization, offers 2-for-1 tickets to more than 20 Off-Broadway shows for February performances.

$17 a night and up for a hotel room in Las Vegas, but these hotel rooms are going fast, so book NOW!

For more great travel deals, be sure to follow @BesTravelDeals on Twitter and subscribe to this blog’s RSS feed.

Grand Canyon National Park river rafting travel deal: With a new “Be a Kid Again” promotion, offered for the first time this year, adults pay the child rate (normally charged for ages 16 and under) on select trips. Spend the day floating down the Colorado River, and by night, sleep riverside under the stars.

Seven Stars resort in Turks and Caicos are offering 40% off with its “Couples Escape“ travel deal. With this package, guests save $326, or a little bit more than 40%. If you don’t want all the bells and whistles and would prefer to simply purchase the room on its own, the Winter Special Getaway offer has rooms priced at $390 per night, pre-tax, through March 31.

Win a $2,500 B&B getaway from BedandBreakfast.com just in time for Valentine’s Day. Fill out the short form to be entered to win a gift card welcome at one of the luxurious Diamond Collection inns, or over 4,000 other B&Bs in the U.S. and Canada.

Get A Free Companion Ticket to Barbados on American Airlines: The promotion, which started on January 11, 2010, has recently been extended through February 12, 2010, and offers travelers one free, economy class companion ticket when two travelers fly together and book a minimum of four nights at a hotel in Barbados through AA Vacations from now through May 31, 2010.

Michigan resorts offer snowmobiles with room rental: book a $114 Sled Head package for two that includes lodging, breakfast, a $10 gas card and $20 food voucher; you then add on whichever snowmobile rental you like, starting at $135 per day.

Royal Carribbean Cruises up to 80% Off – plus free Room Upgrades! Sail into 2010 with exclusive deals on cruises to Mexico, the Bahamas, the Caribbean, Alaska, Europe, and beyond. Take advantage of ocean-deep discounts, including up to 80% off brochure prices and reduced deposits.

Valentine’s Weekend Panama City Beach Condos from $498: Shores of Panama delivers an unbeatable discount of $175 on its Valentine’s Day Shore Thing couples getaway for just $249/person.

The River House Backpackers in Cardiff offers dorms (4 or 6 beds, some female-only) from £16pp, twin rooms from £20pp, and has just won the award for the best hostel staff in the world for the second year running at the annual Hostelworld.com Hoscars in Dublin.

Caribbean cruise, 7 nights, aboard Holland America Line’s 1,916-passenger Westerdam; all meals, water, tea, coffee, and juice; a $50 shipboard credit; and port charges (totaling about $150), from $699 per person. This cruise offer breaks down to about $111 a night and includes accommodations, all meals, a $50 shipboard credit, port charges, and all taxes.

Be sure to subscribe to the RSS feed and follow @BesTravelDeals on twitter for the best travel deals and more!

Holland America has put on sale a seven-day Alaska cruise, according to the Washington Post. Rate is from $499 per person double, down from $949. Taxes of $108 are additional. The cruise departs from Seward (Anchorage) May 16. Also in the article, Universal Orlando Resort has extended its Military Salute program, which offers active and retired military personnel a free seven-day base ticket to both of its Florida theme parks, Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure. The pass, which is also valid at select Universal CityWalk clubs and venues, is good through March 26.

According to Sophie Butler, hotel rates in European cities are down 12 per cent compared with this time last year. Barcelona, Lisbon and Dublin are among the cities that have had the biggest drop in hotel prices (up to an 18 per cent fall compared with last January), with average double room rates at about £70 per night. Amsterdam and Madrid are about 12 per cent lower and Paris hotels are five per cent down. Learn more in her article in today’s Telegraph.

Also of interest, European ski destinations are offering dramatic savings on ski packages. According to Peter Hardy in the Daily Mail, you can find amazing discounts in Austria, Slovenia, Italy, and of course Switzerland. An example, stay in Kranjska Gora in Slovenia at the Hotel Lek, a comfortable four-star in a good position for easy access to the slopes: One week half-board from February 20 with Gatwick, Stansted and regional flights to Salzburg was £525, now £345.

In the USA, you can find a room at $82-$112 per night for a Washington, D.C. hotel stay. The Churchill Hotel offers travelers a haven of old-world refinement amidst the modern-day bustle of the nation’s capital. From the inviting ambiance of its finely appointed lobby to the gracious appointment of its over-sized guest rooms to the personal attentiveness of its professionally trained staff every aspect of the hotel has been carefully arranged to meet the requirements of the most discriminating guests.

Hilary Nangle at the Boston Globe on discount vacations in Bermuda reveals that by visiting between November and March, when temperatures are usually in the 60s, Bermuda is uncrowded and affordable. Be sure to visit Best Travel Deals to vote on the best Bermuda hotel deals.

Every day, New York Habitat offers a special South of France vacation rental apartment on Twitter. Follow New York Habitat on Twitter to see the latest discount. All Twitter discounts are valid for 7 days from the time of their posting on Twitter. One of their most recent offerings was a Studio in French Riviera.

Haven’t planned a Valentines Day Vacation yet? Annabelle Thorpe details her top 20 hideaways that are still available on Valentine’s Day, with picks from cute cottages to luxury hotels, in her Sunday article in The Observer. Bubrovnik, Istanbul, and Prague top her list, and includes some truly great package deals in places like Austria, Yorkshire, and rural Dorset.

Break for spring on Oahu, with Aston hotels from $91. The budget-friendly Aston Hotels & Resorts is offering a number of attractive springtime specials at its Oahu sites. Aston Waikiki Circle Hotel, just across the road from Waikiki Beach, is the least expensive of this group. Or enter to win a hotel stay: Shape Magazine is offering a Hawaii vacation sweepstakes for a two-night stay at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel. Enter to win here.

If you’re interested in traveling to the UK, Aer Lingus has announced transatlantic airfares to Ireland as low as $239 each way from NY or from $269 from Boston or Chicago for economy class for travel to Shannon or Dublin, from April 10 to June 15. Sale prices are slated to end on January 21 according to IrishCentral.com’s travel expert, Patricia Preston. She writes that Continental and Delta also have specials running for airfare to Dublin, and CIE Tours International has extended its discount on tours around Ireland as well.

$469 and up for an Iceland Getaway with Airfare, Hotel & breakfast. Enjoy shopping for quality Icelandic products, delicious gourmet Icelandic cuisine (including Icelandic game), invigorating outdoor adventure, highland wilderness beauty, soothing spas and more. The Reykjavík City Library hosts a walking tour in downtown Reykjavík where Icelandic literature, from the Saga period to newly published books, is introduced. This is a fun introduction to Icelandic literature and the downtown area at an easy pace that suits everyone. Deal includes accommodation at the friendly Fosshotel Lind or Fosshotel Baron, both situated in the historic city center.

Truth.Travel is covering the last-minute Hyatt hotel sale of 30% off rates at 180 Hyatt Place and Hyatt Summerfield Suites hotels. Travelers must book no later than this coming Saturday (January 23, 2010) for stays from February 7 through April 5, 2010. Hyatt Place, a contemporary-style chain aimed at business travelers, while Hyatt Summerfield Suites are extended-stay hotels that come with a full kitchen and 24-hour in-house grocery markets (making them especially convenient for families). Both brands offer free breakfasts and free WiFi, and this deal is good at nearly every location.

According to the Orlando Sentinel, MSC Cruises is offering Caribbean cruise deals on bookings through January. The “Wave Season” offer is available on new bookings through Jan. 31 starting at $419. The sailings, from Fort Lauderdale, go to the Eastern and Western Caribbean and Bermuda.

Southwest Airlines’ Swing Into Savings sale is last-minute fares that start at just $49 for flights from over 40 U.S. cities, and cap at only $99 on cross-country routes like Chicago to San Francisco, according to Elina Vaysbeyn. Booking expires January 21 for spring travel between April 7 and May 25. Fares are one-way, and round-trip purchase is not required.

Tom Johansmeyer of Gadling is highlighting Five Valentine’s Day deals in New England in his post today, and features romantic vacation adventures in Chatham, Massachusetts, North Conway, New Hampshire, and Kennebunkport, Maine among others. Tom writes, “There are plenty of deals at your disposal through the New England Inns and Resorts Association, and a tough travel market is leading many properties to put together some amazing deals.”

And finally, NASA offers Out-of-this-World Space Shuttle Deals. Originally, NASA was asking for $42 million per shuttle, but now they’ll take $28.8 (or best available offer). The Smithsonian has already called dibs on Discovery, but Endeavor and Atlantis are still available, as is “The Enterprise,” which never took an actual trip into outer space. While this is probably out of most everyone’s price range, it’s not very often we get to point out a travel-related deal that’s $14 million off the regular price!

For more up-to-the-minute travel deals, be sure to subscribe to our RSS feed and follow us on Twitter at @bestraveldeals.

The Washington Post today is featuring a round-up of great spring and summer cruises for this season. From excursions to Albania or week-long ventures in the Bahamas, to a European river cruise down Germany’s Elbe River, this guide will give you some great ideas on how to plan your own getaway.

A couple of great discounts and travel deals are highlighted in the Dallas Morning News, including Southwest’s double Rapid Rewards credits for paid flights to and from Florida for travel through March 9. Other deals you will want to keep in mind is Amtrak’s 20% off winter fares on many routes for tickets purchased by January 25, and Delta’s sale on bargain airfare to Europe from Dallas, under $600 for round-trip airfare to Paris, London, Rome, and Milan.

Cruise Planners have organized an exclusive event, the Cruise With World Famous Astrologer/Psychic David Wells. David Wells, billed as one of the world’s leading astrologers, psychics and “past-life therapists,” announced this week he’ll be hosting a voyage focused on the topic for the first time in June on Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas. The seven-night group sailing, organized by a branch of travel agency Cruise Planners, is on the ship’s June 13-20 departure out of Miami.

$45 a night for the New Orleans: Parc St. Charles Hotel. The hotel is located next to Lafayette Square, the second oldest park in New Orleans, and sits within walking distance of Riverwalk Marketplace, Audobon Aquarium of the Americas, Harrah’s Casino, and scores of world-renowned art galleries and restaurants. What’s more, the French Quarter, Louisiana Superdome and Ernest N. Morial Convention Center are all within five blocks of the establishment, and the hotel’s prices are good through the Mardi Gras celebration.

The Chicago Tribune highlights the great deals on skiing in the Midwest, detailing ample options for downhill and cross-country skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing and tubing. Families can put their kids in special winter programs and share in outdoor activities such as sleigh rides, dog-sledding and hiking, all the while inhaling clear country air and without incurring the cost of traveling out of state. Michigan, Illinois, and Wisconsin locations and prices are covered, and there are a number of great midweek packages for even bigger discounts!

The Guardian has a special section in travel called ‘Beenthere’ where people can suggest travel tips and highlight deals that might otherwise be overlooked. In today’s comments, one member points out how to save significantly on tours in Japan, by using the web site called “Tour Guide-interpreter Search System” maintained by Japan’s own Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, which can connect you with a licensed Tour Guide directly, saving you both time and money.

And of course, you can add to the discussion both here on BestTravelDeals.net and over at twitter, where you can follow @BesTravelDeals.

From Sunday’s Washington Post:Book a flight on British Airways and travel by Jan. 29 and receive free companion air with your next flight to any of the carrier’s 300-plus destinations. To use the bonus ticket on future travel, you must book by July 30, depart through Dec. 15 and complete travel by Dec. 31.

Phil Reimer of the Canwest News Service has published his analysis of cruise deals. According to his article, prices are on the rise but there are still some deals to be had. Compared to last year, February prices are up in the Caribbean although some of the shorter cruises are still good deals with prices near $70 a day with some costing as low as $50 per day.

In today’s USA Today, there’s a review of one African Adventure Cruise that promises savings of over $2,000 the regular price. This is a 21-night African adventure reduced up to 20 percent with an early booking discount, plus an additional 25 percent off. Priced from $4,156 (originally $6,350), this cruise also includes a 2-night hotel stay in London after the voyage, and a 3-night Kenyan safari prior to setting sail.

L.A. Times is highlighting a 6 Days + Airfare “London Escape” starting at $865 from Virgin Vacations, and you can customize your own vacation, easily adding airport transfers, sightseeing, activities and more, if you like, during the booking process.

New York Habitat is offering specials on hundreds of vacation rental apartments in Paris, with discount accommodations ranging from EUR 500 per week and up.

For more, subscribe to our RSS feed and be sure to follow @BesTravelDeals for the latest deals!

Priceline Cruises kicks off wave season with exclusive Hotel Bonus Cash Coupons and stateroom upgrades. Book an oceanview or higher stateroom on any 5-6 night cruise and receive a bonus cash coupon valid toward a 1-night Name Your Own Price® hotel stay. Book an oceanview or higher stateroom on any 7 nights or longer cruise and receive a bonus cash coupon valid toward a 2-night Name Your Own Price® hotel stay. For full details and restrictions, visit cruises.priceline.com.

Fly to NYC this winter just $49 each way out of Atlanta. The $49 rate is relatively easy to land, and it’s valid on Tuesday, Wednesday or Saturday with other days priced at $69, even Sundays. Give a 14-day advance notice of travel and finish trips on or before March 11 to take advantage of this deal.

Stay at a small Queen Room at the Ace Hotel in New York City for just $152 a night when you book by January 21 for travel through April 30, 2010. The hotel’s restaurant, The Breslin, doesn’t take reservations, so most patrons have to cool their heels at the bar for hours before snagging a table. Hotel guests, however, can skip the line and get on a priority list.

New York City skiers and snowboarders will want to read Matt Gross’ report on Metro-North Railroad’s one-day getaway to Thunder Ridge Ski Area, in Patterson, N.Y. At $51.50 for round-trip train fare and an all-day lift ticket ($50.43 if you order online), it’s nearly $30 less than comparable bus trips. Even better, Thunder Ridge has night skiing (included in the one-day getaway package), so even with an early-afternoon arrival you can ski for seven hours and catch the 8:55 p.m. train back to the city.

£68 & up for a modern hotel in Amsterdam. Located near the Amsterdam historical centre, it offers high quality accommodation. This modern design hotel offers you trendy rooms, all equipped with contemporary amenities. All rooms and public areas have free Wi-Fi!

Valentine’s Day travel deal: celebrate any day in February at the Ritz-Carlton in Denver. The package is $589 per night, pre-tax, and includes dinner, jewelry, and more. It’s available the whole month of February (based on availability). And you can get it just for one night — there is no two-night minimum, even on Valentine’s Day weekend.

$143 a night for Baltimore Marriott Inner Harbor at Camden Yards for Thursday-Sunday stays from Jan. 22 – March 31. The AAA 3-Diamond hotel is a short walk to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor and National Aquarium. Guests will enjoy the new Marriott Revive bed, high-speed Internet access and fitness club.

$119 and up for stays at Boston’s Waterfront Harbor Hotel. The Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel offers Thursday-Sunday night stays through March 7 for $119-$135 per night. This saves 20% off regular weekend rates during this time.

Also in Boston, $103 a night for the Cambridge Hotel over winter weekends. Located two subway stops and across the Charles River from downtown Boston, the Boston Marriott Cambridge is centrally located in Kendall Square close to top universities such as MIT, Harvard, and Boston University.

Travelzoo’s Senior Editor Gabe Saglie and his team of experts have just released 5 “wow” travel destinations for 2010. The destinations include Las Vegas and the Caribbean, perennial favorites popular among Chicago area travelers. Central America, becoming more popular with Midwesterners also made the list. And for those who want a real “wow”, destination Gabe recommends China and South Africa. And for other great deals, be sure to follow our RSS feed and @BesTravelDeals on Twitter!

The Santa Barbara Car Free special is running now. Get 20% off the best available adult train fare on Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner, San Joaquin and associated buses going to and from the following Santa Barbara County stations: Carpinteria, Santa Barbara, Goleta, Guadalupe, Lompoc, Surf, Solvang, Santa Maria and Buellton. You must reserve at least three days in advance of travel to qualify for this discount.

Global Fare Sale on bmi from $161 (O/W)! U.K.-based bmi is slashing rates on airfare by as much as 50 percent! This impressive sale encompasses dozens of destinations worldwide including Europe from $161 each way, Africa from $374, Asia from $478, and more.

A New Package to Orlando Costs Only $449 for 5 nights at a three-star Disney-area resort. In addition to receiving round-trip air on this remarkable package to Orlando, you’ll be receiving continental breakfast each morning. You’ll be given an Orlando-area coupon booklet for dining and attraction discounts. And to top things off, you’ll receive a compact car for five days with unlimited mileage (but not including car rental tax, fuel, and optional insurance). Price is per-person based on two persons traveling together.

That’s not the only Orlando hotel deal out there though, how about $67-$100 a night at the Radisson Orlando Celebration Resort! With luxuries such as custom furniture imported from Italy and granite and marble bathrooms adding a special touch to the resort, this is truly a great place to unwind. The unparalleled pool facilities boast a huge free-formed pool with cascading waterfalls, two whirlpools, a children’s wading pool, heated mid-sized pool and a 40-foot waterslide that winds around a rocky hill. In addition, you will be close to all the sites that make Orlando, FL a vacation retreat.

$76-$109 a night for New Orleans’ Bourbon Orleans Hotel, which features a rich history and French styling reminiscent of the early 1800s. As it is just steps away from the famed St. Louis Cathedral, it means you’re never far from the best the city has to offer-from upscale shopping on Royal Street, to the performers of Jackson Square, to all of the restaurants, galleries and nightlife in between.

$42 a night for a 4-Star Hotel Near The Strip, in Las Vegas, where South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa has slashed rates to 40% off. This special is valid for travel Sunday-Thursday through April.

Jicaro Island Ecolodge is a brand-new ecolodge in the Granada Isletas bringing ecotourism to Nicaragua. As an opening special, the property is offering a third night free for stays through April 2010. A three-night stay is usually $1,311 (double occupancy, including tax); with this deal it’s just $874, averaging $291/night and all meals are included as well in the package price.

Colorado River White-Water Rafting Trip from $965, which is $285 off the standard rack rate for Wilderness River Adventures’ Be a Kid Again package for select dates from April 16 through August 20. In addition to the 88-mile trek down the mighty Colorado River, the deal includes all meals (primarily home-style and barbeque), drinks, and all the essential camping equipment (sleeping bags, a foam pad, ground tarp, tent, etc.). Adrenaline junkies will also have ample opportunities to explore hidden cascading waterfalls and crevices during their trip.

Mardi Gras season began Wednesday with the Feast of Epiphany and continues through Mardi Gras itself, or Fat Tuesday (Feb. 16). Celebrations of the festive season, previously occurring mainly in and near New Orleans, have spread widely in Louisiana, Texas and other states. We’ll cover more Mardi Gras deals as members vote them up over the coming weeks.

New and luxury hotels are opening in London, Tokyo and other major destinations this year and 2010 promises to be a huge year for these new hotels. The New York Times has a handy guide to all of them, and you’ll want to visit each one!  Speaking of new hotels, be sure to add any new deals you may come across, and if you aren’t yet a member, it’s easy to sign up and start voting on the best travel deals!