Peru: Travelzoo Top 20 deal trumped

Like millions of people who travel a lot, I’m a long-time Travelzoo Top 20 subscriber. I even took the time to watch their latest act of self-promotion: a behind-the-scenes video documentary on YouTube. However, despite the vetting process for their weekly top 20 deals, a “deal” slipped through this week that didn’t look like much of a bargain to me.

Deal or No Deal? In this week’s top 20 list, Travelzoo advertised a six-night South America vacation for “$1049 – Peru: Machu Picchu & 3-City Package (reg. $1500)”. For departures from Los Angeles, the price is $1,300 (not $1251 as listed on Travelzoo), plus taxes of approximately $200, for a grand total of $1,500 per person. The package includes round-trip airfare to Lima, flights to Juliaca and Cuzco, six nights of hotel stays with daily breakfast, guided tours of local sights (including the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu) and all hotel and train station transfers. Without international airfare, the land-based tour price is $819.

Having been to Peru several times recently, I know that it’s possible to take the same trip for much less. With reservations made today, a DIY (do-it-yourself) trip for the same dates that includes all of the same activities, amenities and overnight stays at the same hotels would cost approximately $1,216, almost $300 less than the Travelzoo Top 20 deal. For the land-based portion of the tour alone, the DIY price is approximately $315, over $500 less than the Travelzoo “deal.”

For trips abroad, is it better to DIY or join a guided tour? Weigh in below in the Comments section.

When: Book the “Great Peru Experience” directly with LatinAmerica4Less by August 31st, 2007. Tours depart on August 16th, September 4th, October 9th, November 6th and December 4th, 2007.

Caveat: The supplement for single travelers is $155, on top of the total package price quoted above.

Why Go: Pre-planned vacation packages can simplify travel to places you’ve never been before.

Why Not: You’re stuck with the same tour group for the entire trip, and you aren’t often allowed to take things at your own pace.

Critique: The farther you go from places you’ve traveled to before, the harder it is to analyze whether package vacations are a better value than DIY trip-planning options. In my experience, you can usually save money by planning your own trip independently rather than taking a guided tour when visiting developing countries.

Connect: Cybercafes are everywhere in Peru, from the capital city of Lima to the small pueblo of Aguas Calientes beside the train tracks below the famous Inca ruins of Machu Picchu. Access almost anywhere costs from under $1 per hour.

Contact: LatinAmerica4Less, (800) 480-0707

Related Los Angeles Times links:
Peru’s historic Machu Picchu at risk; too many tourists
Why Go? The world’s ‘New 7 Wonders’
Destination: Latin America & Caribbean

– Sara Benson, L.A. Times Travel Deal Detective

[Photo credit: Karel Navarro / Getty Images For The Times]

Permalink | E-mail | Print | Add to My Trips

This entry was posted on Friday, August 10, 2007 at 6:49 pm by Sara Benson and is filed under Latin America & Caribbean, News, Tips & Advice, South America, Tours & Cruises. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.