The site localguiding.com connects users looking to spend a day shopping, eating, or learning about history with guides across the globe. For example, we found tours of London that could be customized for visitors wanting to hit hard-to-find holiday markets and pop-up shops.
For DIY tours of 22 cities in Europe, try PocketGuide (Android, iOS, iPhone, iPad; free), which lets you download detailed tours (written by professional guides) of destinations such as Vienna and Prague.
When you’re exploring New York or San Francisco, use Uber (Android, iOS, iPhone, iPad; free) to get a livery cab on demand—simply point a pin onto a map on the app and your town car arrives, usually in around 10 minutes.
The newly launched Trippy app (free; iPhone) uses your existing social networks, such as Twitter, Facebook, and Foursquare, so your friends and family can help you chart your travels by sharing their tips for affordable places to stay, dine, and shop along your route.
Gogobot.com, meanwhile, is a travel-focused social network where you can interact with other members. Having trouble booking a reasonably priced hotel in Rome? Just post a question and see what the Gogobot community comes back with.
On the Gowalla app (free; Android, iPhone), users have created their own city guides. The personalized lists are often quirky (Berlin’s Best of the Wurst) and offer options for inexpensive finds (Happy Hour Bargains with Local Fare, in Austin).
The Baroque exterior of Venice’s San Moisè Church, near Piazza San Marco, was originally built in the eighth century; San Moisè’s ornate stonework was added in the late 1600’s by the wealthy Fini family. At the time, public statues were forbidden in Venice, so would-be patrons like the Finis immortalized familial likenesses on church façades instead
When shopping for flights for two (or more), reservations systems bump up all travelers to a higher price level if seat capacity is limited. “Scout out fares for one traveler first, then compare the quote for two,” suggests Rick Seaney, CEO of farecompare.com. “You can save $50–$100 if you purchase tickets separately.”
Cruise lines offer two-for-one fares, but the best bargains usually hover around the start of the year. “By March 1, prices for those same two-for-one sailings will cost ten to twenty percent more,” Crystal Cruises spokesperson Mimi Weisband says.
Already a great value, all-inclusive resorts adopt the same strategy as cruise lines, slashing prices at the beginning of the year. For example, Iberostar’s Caribbean properties offer their best promotions—45 percent off—in January and February for travel from March through August. Bonus tip: all-inclusives also regularly give deals to early birds who book four to six months in advance.
Need some pampering without a steep price? Consider destinations where spas are part of the culture: “Because treatments there are common rituals, they are easily accessible and also affordable,” says Heather Mikesell, executive editor of American Spa. A facial mask and all-day access to Istanbul’s historic Çemberlita? Bath costs $32; entrance to Japan’s Kusatsu onsen is $10.