Travel Deals

JACKSONVILLE, FL -- If you're looking to get out of town for a few days, now is the time to buy.

Domestic airfares are down 10% to 15% from several summers ago, but finding those discounted fares can be hit and miss.

One web site to check out is farecompare.com. A quick search for the week of July 20 through July 26 turned up 25 flights out of Jacksonville to destinations like Baltimore, New Orleans, Denver, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Atlanta, all for less than $300 round trip.

Are you looking for something a little more exotic?

Trans-oceanic fares, which typically run about $1,000 in the summer, are going for about half of that this year. Right now you can find great deals to Ireland, Spain, Germany and Switzerland, with rates in the $600 to $700 range for August.

Or are you looking for something beachy?

Right now you can find deeply discounted travel packages to the Caribbean and Mexico. Demand for Hawaiian vacations are down, which means hotels are dropping their rates to get you in the rooms. Rates on Oahu and Maui are 15% to 30% lower, and you can save nearly 40% on the Big Island.

Remember, flexibility is key to snagging a great deal. You can't look in just one place. No travel web site is comprehensive, and even among sites that sell inventory from the same travel suppliers, prices vary widely.

Want to leave the work to the computer? Check out bargain hunting site Travelzoo. The search engine tracks low fare deals and sends alerts to its subscribers. Also, many airlines alert subscribers to special deals through email newsletters.

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