The Best Last Minute Travel Bargains in 2010

The best last minute travel bargains in 2010 are going to be city breaks. National travel might show a few promising target locations, but not as many as the city traveler will enjoy. Forward thinking travelers strategically target vacation locales around the country and put their information on file with a sympathetic concierge or travel organizer, but the true-blue procrastinator must rely on city venues for the greatest savings.

Seaside Breaks

Resorts are notorious for seeking to fill up vacancies, and last minute travelers can score huge bargains. The downside of this approach is the need to be flexible and accept that a travel party may be broken up for the sake of filling various rooms. That being said, it is an excellent way of staying at high end resorts for bargain basement prices.

Walking Tours

A favorite for travelers during a city break, historic walking tours habitually offer last minute sign up deals. Since the tour guide must give the full tour whether or not plenty of holiday makers are around, organizers try to make it as worthwhile as possible by opening up unfilled slots at rock bottom bargain prices.

Package Deals

Travel organizers specializing in city breaks frequently package sightseeing tours, restaurant meals, hotel stays and museum visits into attractive itineraries. If these tours include transportation provided by the tour organizer, the odds are good that s/he is willing to make deals when upcoming tours fail to have full occupancy. With soaring fuel costs, filling each seat on a tour bus is a must.

Last Minute Hotel Reservations

It is common knowledge that last minute hotel deals in the city are plentiful. That being said, popular countryside venues — such as a Lake District hotel — are almost always fully booked months ahead of time and therefore out of reach. Travelers should consider ferreting out the best last minute bargains in 2010 by drawing on experience from 2009. Hotels that were not willing to offer good deals in 2009 most likely also won’t do it in 2010.

Last minute bargain travel is an attractive and cost effective method for staying at hotels, taking tours and visiting locales you might not otherwise have chosen. There is one caveat: make sure any children in your travel party are old enough to see the flexibility needed as an adventure rather than a worrisome inconvenience.