When searching for a great deal on a weekend beach vacation, always consider traveling on dates that fall outside the destination's busiest tourist season. In the Caribbean, for example, summer is the best time to find deals, whereas before Memorial Day and after Labor Day are your best bets on the east coast of the U.S. If you're not sure when peak travel season is for your desired destination, call to ask the local Chamber of Commerce and then start contacting lodging options and activity companies to ask for special off-season rates. Ask to make sure there are no big events or conferences happening nearby that may drive up hotel prices when you want to travel.
If you bundle your lodging, transportation, food and activities, you can often save a lot of money on a weekend beach vacation. Many hotels offer a range of packages based on individual interests, including surfing, culture, spa and golf. Resorts will often allow you to custom build your own package including rental car, flight, event tickets and adventure sports. Most major airlines also offer special packages, including flights, which you can find on the airlines' websites.
More great specials can be found when you are willing to stay slightly off the beach. Often, lodging options just across the street or one block away from the sand and surf can be a great deal cheaper. For example, the Terracaribe Hotel lies just outside the main Hotel Zone in Cancun, but offers free shuttle service to its sister beach club. Similarly, just outside of popular Mendocino, California is the Stanford Inn by the Sea Eco-Resort; because of their slightly removed location, they often offer special deals and discounts on their website.
Some of the best weekend beach vacation specials can be found on a new wave of websites offering drastically reduced rates for very short periods of time, such as Groupon Getaways and Living Social Escapes. Visit their web pages and register to receive email notifications of available deals, but be prepared to act quickly when one comes up, since the deals usually don't last long.
