September Bargains

September is the month when temperatures start to cool in much of the northern hemisphere, and inevitably some people start dreaming of a way to prolong the summer. It is also the beginning of shoulder season, when summer's high prices begin to drop.

Allegiant Air (www.allegiantair.com) has some unusually attractive fares this month between some of its northern gateways and the Tampa-St. Petersburg airport in Florida. For example, the one way cost of travelling between Plattsburgh, NY and Tampa is as low as $102, while a flight from Roanoke VA to Tampa begins at just $50. Even the flight from distant Fargo ND is affordable, as low as $117, while a trip from Niagara Falls NY can cost as little as $106.

I have never spent the fall in Ireland, but I did spend one winter there and found it very cold (no central heat) and damp. A tour company called Budget Travel (www.budgettravel.ie) is offering some interesting deals on package tours to sun destinations in September. For instance, seven nights and flight from Dublin to the Algarve in Portugal starts at just 239 euros per person for bed and breakfast. Similar deals to Gran Canaria start at 359 euros per person, or you can visit Corfu, Greece for a week for as little as 399 euros each.

Whenever I am in Europe I become envious of the low-cost travel opportunities Europeans tend to enjoy. So if you happen to live in Europe, you lucky dog, check out  local travel agencies for inexpensive packages to interesting places.