Mark your calendar for a getaway
The season for deals has arrived
By Marnie Hunter
CNN
(CNN) -- The first few months of your new calendar may look startlingly blank after the jumble of entries for holiday parties and family gatherings in November and December.
Before you pencil in a daily trip to the gym, consider blocking out a little time for tourism. This time of year is ideal for more than just the New Year's resolution frenzy.
"Across the board, January and February are just good months to travel," said Amy Bohutinsky, a spokeswoman for travel Web site Hotwire.com.
There's a slowdown for many destinations between the holiday season and the spring break season that pushes travel providers to drop prices, Bohutinsky said.
Susan Tanzman, owner of Martin Travel and Tours in Los Angeles, California, has seen a tremendous drop in airfares for January and February.
Many round-trip fares to Hawaii -- a destination with few slow periods -- are down to the low $300s from the West Coast and several airlines have dropped fares below the $300 mark. A Travelocity.com fare search conducted Friday produced fares from Los Angeles to Honolulu on Hawaiian Airlines from $229 and fares below $300 on Northwest and ATA.
Tanzman said a good fare last year landed in the $425-450 range.
Mexico, the Caribbean and the Bahamas also offer good values before the spring break season picks up in late February.
Winter in Europe
If you're not set on sun and sand, Europe is a great deal this time of year.
Cool, rainy weather deters many tourists, driving prices down for bargain hunters. Alpine picnics and sunning on the Riviera may not be possible, but there's still plenty to do.
"If it's raining outside and you're in the Louvre, it's not going to bother you at all," Tanzman said.
Travelers who have avoided Europe because of the weak dollar may want to pounce on the off-season rates.
Bohutinsky has seen fares from the East Coast to major cities in Europe for as low as $300 round trip, and as low as $400-$450 from the West Coast. Compared with the summer, when leisure fares from the West Coast could be as high as $1,000, the savings is substantial.
Chris Barsanti, an editor for the "Rough Guides" travel books, has seen some great deals to Europe on Go-today.com and Travelzoo.com.
One bargain: Virgin Vacations' "London Fling" package, which includes round-trip airfare on Virgin Atlantic and three nights in a hotel, starting at $339 per person. Virgin's six-night package starts at just $419 per person.
Skiing savings
Although the ski season is at its peak, there are still some ways to cut costs. The best bet is to go during the week. Prices are always lower midweek, Bohutinsky said.
For high-end skiing at rates cheaper than many of the resorts in Colorado or around Lake Tahoe, Bohutinsky recommends Park City, Utah.
"Salt Lake City is an hour from Park City and there are some really, really good hotel deals there, even on the weekends," she said.
If rejuvenation is what you're looking for to start the new year, midweek bookings are the way to go at spas as well as ski resorts, Tanzman said.
"You can get some great deals in spa resorts if you'll go Sunday through Thursday."
