Shockingly Cheap Spring Vacation Deals

There's a 95 percent chance Senior Editor Christine Sarkis is thinking about travel right now. Follow her on Instagram @postcartography and Twitter @ChristineSarkis.

Christine Sarkis is an SATW-award-winning journalist and executive editor at SmarterTravel. Her stories have also appeared on USA Today, Conde Nast Traveler, Huffington Post, and Business Insider. Her advice has been featured in dozens of print and online publications including The New York Times, Conde Nast Traveler, and People magazine. She has also shared travel tips on television and radio shows including Good Morning America, Marketplace, and Here & Now. Her work has been published in the anthologies Spain from a Backpack and The Best Women's Travel Writing 2008. She is currently working on a travel memoir.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: The Trtl Pillow. It's easy to pack and comfortable, and makes it so I can actually sleep on flights.

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: Seeing the Aurora Borealis from the comfort of somewhere warm, like a glass igloo or hot spring.

Travel Motto: Curiosity is an amazing compass.

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: Aisle all the way.

Email Christine Sarkis at editor@smartertravel.com.

See recent posts by Christine Sarkis

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What’s it going to take to get you to take a spring vacation this year? That’s precisely the question destination visitor bureaus around the country are asking travelers. Half-off hotel rates? Done. Meal discounts and free events? Sure.

Citywide promotions are the norm right now, and whether you’ve got a hankering for someplace hot, cold, sunny, or snowy, there’s a destination with deals to match. You won’t even have to travel far; vacation spots around the U.S. provide plenty of affordable action closer to home. If you can get past goofy promotion names (warning: puns ahead), you’ll find savings of 30 percent or more on accommodations and activities, and hotel rates as low as $36 per night. From sunny San Diego to spring in New York City, here are some of the best deals available right now.

San Diego

The San DieGO Downtown Time to Spring-Diego Guide (phew, that’s a lot of word play for one promotion) helps travelers spend less and do more. The guide includes itineraries for students and families looking to maximize limited budgets, a calendar with free events, and other tips such as where to find good happy hours. Plus, you’ll find a regularly updated blog with activity and savings ideas.

There’s also a booking engine with deals like a fourth night free at the Hard Rock Hotel or 40 percent off three or more nights’ at The Sofia Hotel downtown.

We hand-pick everything we recommend and select items through testing and reviews. Some products are sent to us free of charge with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions and do not accept compensation to review products. All items are in stock and prices are accurate at the time of publication. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.