Momliz

I would love to have a quickie getaway this June, but the airfares are just too much - so I was thinking I could find the rockbottom cheapest flights and vacation there or use the cheap intra Europe flights to go somewhere else. But, what flights would those be? I can fly out of IAD, DCA or BWI - does anyone know of a good way to search cheap places to fly to, with flexible dates?

Tim_and_Liz

www.kayak.com/buzz

Momliz

wow, great site! but, bad news, all the flights it found were way too expensive. Not their fault, flights are just too much nowadays...

bobthenavigator

Iceland !

LN

Iceland Air has generally been good!! Another good one is 1-800-FLY-EUROPE.

June is a prime month - you'll probably have difficulty - perhaps try a shoulder month Oct or Nov.

Good luck

Big_Red

We booked with ATI Flights. Saved $200 per ticket times three for $600 savings.

The website Zuji (susidiary of Travelocity) has flexible dates as an advanced search option. We have a 'tight wad' columnist in Atlanta - Clark Howard. He has a website.

Big_Red

Some of the major airlines send E-Mails with their price specials. You could sign up for one or two of those.

Are you in the Boston area?

basingstoke2

Entering travel dates of June 4-18 on Kayak yeilds the following less expensive destinations:

DCA -Dublin $828
DCA-Luxembourg $839

If you drive up to NYC, you can fly to Dublin for $728 or London for $771.

ira

Hi M,

Iceland

basingstoke2

Iceland is a wonderful destination especially in June, but it is one of the more expensive places to visit.

AAFrequentFlyer

Fodorites are always trying to be helpful but in this case, what's the point? Until the op tells us what s/he thinks is expensive then this is an pointless exercise in futility.

What may seem reasonable to many, ~$800-900, may be just the same "expensive" fare the op is talking about.

Momliz

yup, I'm afraid 800 - 900 is too much. We already have 1 very expensive vacation planned.

Think I might look at South America instead - I hear Buenos Aires is wonderful and reasonable.

Thanks for the Iceland tip, however. I just put that on the shortlist - geysers, and the northern lights sound wonderful.

LJ

I have mentioned this before and it doesn't suit those who are too far south in the US, but for those who are close to the border of Canada or have points that could get you to Toronto or Montreal, there are great deals on charters (like Zoom and Transat) out of those airports into Ireland, England and Scotland. The grab a Ryanair flight and go from there to wherever you want.

If you can take the switching around (or consider it part of the adventure!) you can save a bundle.

travelgourmet

If $800 is too expensive for airfare, then why go to Iceland? Even Danes complain about how expensive Iceland is. Also, no Northern Lights in June. Have to go in winter for those. You do get near-24 hour sunshine, though.

Momliz

of course, travelgourmet, but someday in the future...

basingstoke2

Would Mexico work for you? Airfare to Cancun is about 360 R/T. You could stay there or go south to Tulum for some great beaches and nearby Mayan ruins. The dollar is doing pretty well against the peso. Airfare to Buenos Aires is no lower than Europe although the prices are pretty good once you get there.

Momliz

I've been thinking about Mexico, and Cancun, but I have this vision of endless high rise hotels, and kitsch. I'm sure that's not entirely true, but it has put me off a bit.

basingstoke2

That descibes the hotel district of Cancun pretty well. However, if you rent a car (about 250 for the week)and drive down towards Tulum, it changes completely. Tulum is more of an eco friendly place with what some consider the most beautiful beaches in Mexico. Restaurants tend toward being both good and inexpensive. There is a Biosphere nearby that is worth a visit. Tulum's Mayan ruins are spectacular and there are other Mayan sites nearby. A day trip to Chichen Itza is well worthwhile. I would go back up to Cancun a day or two before my return and arrange for a day trip to Chichen Itza by bus.

In Tulum we stayed at Los Lirios and loved it. It is on the beach. An ocean view room (upper is by far the best and has a large balcony with hammock)goes for about 100/night including buffet breakfast. Los Lirios is one of the few hotels in Tulum with air conditioning that you will want in June. See my 3 part trip report on the Latin America forum. In Cancun, the Ambiance Villas Keh Ha was a very good deal with a quieter location at the end of the hotel strip.

zootsi

The Tulum area is a good option, lots to see and do, and quite inexpensive. If you want more of a European experience on a budget, have you considered Quebec City or even Montreal. Quebec City in particular feels very much like Europe.

basingstoke2

zootsi makes a good point. IMO Quebec City is the closest thing to Europe in Noth America. When we lived in upstate NY we would drive to Quebec for long weekends. Depending where you are, driving may be an option for you too. There are some towns north of Quebec that are quite interesting as well, particularly if you like wood carvings.