Tuesday’s Travel Tip: Daily Deal Travel Sites

By
Michael
– January 31, 2012Posted in: Tips

It’s been a long time since my last edition of Tuesday’s Travel Tip, but here’s one I think’s a great idea:

By now, most people have heard of Groupon or other “daily deal” coupon sites like Living Social, Deal Find, Save More or Tippr. You just sign up for a free account and then get emails with discounts on everything from restaurants to health spas in your neighborhood. However, a great tip is to use these sites when you’re on the road too! It’s easy. A couple weeks before departing on your trip, sign up for deals for your destination city. You can save big money (sometimes 50% or more) on meals, entertainment, tours, and other touristy things. It’s not just for locals.

To do one of these “daily deals,” first you find one that interests you. For example, there might be a voucher that costs $20 but is good toward $40 worth of food at a particular restaurant. You pay the $20 up front and then print a voucher that you bring to the restaurant when you go there to dine. You just saved 50%! These don’t just work for restaurants, they’re great for all sorts of other things too.

Here are some sample deals I just found on Groupon:

  • Las Vegas, Nevada – $49 (instead of $99) for the V-Card: The Vegas Nightlife Pass. This deal will usher you through VIP lines, waive cover charges at popular nightclubs, and offers many drink specials.
  • Seattle, Washington – $50 (instead of $100) for a ropes and zipline adventure. Sounds fun!
  • Palm Beach/Boca Raton, Florida – $55 (instead of $130) for an Inter-coastal catamaran cruise.
  • Santa Monica, California – $28 (instead of $57) for trapeze school.
  • San Diego, California – $125 (instead of $210) for a tandem skydive.
  • Virgin Airlines – $39 (toward a $100 voucher) for a flight between Los Angeles and Chicago.

 

The only caveat is to be sure that you are actually getting the best deal possible. Of course, you’ll want to read all of the terms and conditions too. You don’t want to purchase something that you can’t use while you’re away on your vacation!

You can sign up for cities all over the US or Canada, and even in other countries (but you’ll have to speak the local language to read/understand them.)

So what do you think? Have you ever used any “daily deal” sites when you travel? Feel free to comment in the section below!

 

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Michael Figueiredo is a freelance travel writer based in Los Angeles, California. When he’s not gallivanting around the world, he’s enjoying the laid-back lifestyle and perfect weather of Southern California. So far he’s visited thirty-six countries and territories on five continents. His goal is to see at least one new country every year!  . Read more from this author

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