If you have a special destination or hotel in mind, they often reserve their best deals for special customers. Even if you’ve never stayed at the hotel, you can become a ‘special customer’ by signing up to receive their e-newsletter. An e-mail including exclusive offers is only sent to a limited clientele, and can contain significant savings.

To date, one of the best assignments I’ve been sent on was to Sheen Falls Lodge in Co Kerry, Ireland. After a weekend spent lingering over a gourmet brunch, sitting by one of the crackling fires, or taking a hike on the extensive grounds – I immediately signed up to receive their e-newsletter. Whenever I feel like I need to get out of the city – this country escape is the first thing that comes to mind.

I just received one of these e-newsletters from Sheen Falls, and it has a spectacular deal for December. This winter package is for 2 nights accommodation, a decadent brunch each morning, dinner for two one evening in the gourmet restaurant La Cascade, and a deluxe room for 2 – all for 495 euro. This is incredible value for the 5-star Relais & Chateaux retreat.

The hospitality, warmth, and country-retreat feel of Sheen Falls has been calling me back since I first visited last February. Maybe I’ll see you there this December…

Yes, they were in the family circle at the very top, but in fairness, we had a spectacular view of the entire opera house, a bird’s eye view down into the orchestra, and sub titles were at every seat. The seats below were selling for as high as $250 – and we were all seeing the same production. 

On a Monday night, I was delighted to see a full house for the 3 1/2 hour production of the Marriage of Figaro (La Nozze di Figaro, listen to the overture here). With some of Mozart’s most recognizable music (yes, it contains music featured in The Shawshank Redemption) I knew more of the music than I thought I would. 

The night was full of surprises. First, we emerged from the subway and rounded a corner to see the fountains and Opera House of Lincoln Center brilliantly lit up. People were appropriately dressed up for the opera – with a few in formal wear, furs, and shimmering diamonds. The costumes and sets became more elaborate as the acts proceeded. And  perhaps the best surprise for me, was the presence of not only comedy, but physical comedy expertly portrayed by the cast.

Looking back.. of course I should have been impressed. The production probably has quite the budget and should come off as top caliber, extremely professional, and world-class. Other operas I’ve seen in Europe (from Berlin to Budapest to Prague..) featured spare sets, allowing all concentration to be on the opera singers. And yet, the amount of stimuli present in this production left me entranced.

While the opera is lengthy, it is also a great introduction to the pleasures of this classic art form. The subtitles ensured that jokes didn’t pass without being understood, and the use of ‘disguises’ throughout led to some unexpected surprises. And all this, for $20. 

I was about to write that my parking cost more than that, but for once, it didn’t. Bestparking.com was recommended to me, and after typing in my desired neighborhood, arrival and departure time, I secured a $15 parking fee (for being in Manhattan for almost 9 hours). 

NYC may be an expensive city, but it is good to know that a cultural evening can still be planned for a twenty dollar bill.

When the weekend papers arrive, I skip all the recession-related bad news and go straight for the travel section. The photographs are like reading a menu at a great new restaurant you’ve been dying to try – and the articles help you decide what to order. But the papers come every week, and the list of ‘Next Trip’ keeps getting longer.

Fjords of Norway

To complicate this even further, my freelance work extends to researching and writing about places I haven’t yet been. It can be a rainy, dark November day outside my window in Dublin – but I might be engrossed in reading about the beaches and culture of Thailand. This ‘escape’ during the day is a blessing and a curse, as it continuously adds to the list of places I want to get to… soon.

So here’s my MOST WANTED list – places I’m going to try and squeeze in, in the next, year? (I like to be ambitious…)

1. Norway: Just this week I finished up a series of articles about Norway. I had no idea that the city of Oslo was only a two-hour flight from London, and that many budget airlines are extending service to the Norwegian capital. I had no clue that affordable ferries follow the same routes along the Norwegian coast that cruise ships do; providing a budget approach to touring the fjords. And while I did know about the quality of the salmon and other fish that are plentiful in Norway’s waters – this just wasn’t enough by itself to convince me to book a trip. The first picture I saw of the fjords made this Scandinavian destination shoot up to the top of my list.

St Basil's Cathedral, Red Square, Moscow

3. Chile: I’ve been thinking about adventure vacations lately. While I’m all for a much-needed week on a sandy beach, swimming in the warm Caribbean waters, I’ve also wanted to add certain adventure activities to the ‘things I don’t do at home’ list that inspires vacations. I recently finished up a series of articles about adventure activities in Chile, and I was seriously interested in certain kayaking tours on offer in Patagonia. This experience allows travelers to get intimate with the landscape, all with the assistance of an experienced guide who can fill in the gaps.

4. Valencia, Spain: Valencia is the hometown of Paella, need I say more?! Beside my culinary interest, this city in Spain has everything in a getaway I could ask for. Unlike another Spanish city I love, Sevilla, Valencia is on the sea. The city has a beautiful old quarter, home to buildings on the UNESCO world heritage list. A combination of good food, cultural history, and manageable size (so I don’t feel tempted to do too much, returning home more exhausted than when I left…) make this city in Spain an appealing destination for me.

Plaza in Valencia

What are your current travel dreams? Share your MOST WANTED below.

While some of the ads you see suggesting, ‘once in a lifetime deals!’ are just marketing, others are truly advertising once in a lifetime travel opportunities. Australia and New Zealand for example, have never been so affordable. Airfares are currently offered at a fraction of the cost travelers may have seen a few years ago, making the present a tempting time to travel down under.

Traveling near home. Sheen Falls, County Kerry, Ireland

And yet, if we don’t have the extra disposable income to travel, all of this ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunity doesn’t amount to anything but frustration. During my grand tour of Europe, I learned some tactics towards being able to travel where and when I wanted to, despite financial restraints. In addition, working as a journalist over the last couple years has given me an insider’s perspective on how hotels are trying to lure guests despite the recession. There seems no time like the present to share this inside knowledge:

1. Make the Journey Part of the Vacation: For some of us, the recession means staying closer to home. While some people may view this as a downer, you can also choose to view it as an opportunity. Ireland is a small island, and a major gateway to Europe, but has more areas to explore than I would have previously imagined. It’s amazing how rejuvenating a normal weekend away can be, if you take certain precautions.

Accommodation is always going to be a major financial factor for traveling. Increase your odds of getting what you want by following these guidelines: a. Sign up to receive e-newsletters: If there’s a hotel, no matter how lavish or remote you’re interested in staying in, sign up for their e-newsletter. This is often where the best deals are offered. Hotels are trying to earn repeat customers, and will offer last-minute and package deals to a select audience before opening it up to the public. Often, these deals are gone within hours of being advertised. b. Privately owned = Discounts: Corporate owned hotels don’t get to decide when / how to offer deals; but privately owned hotels do. If there’s a special bed and breakfast or lodge a couple hours drive away, send an e-mail asking about last-minute offers, and show some flexibility in your schedule.

Bol, Croatia

2. Let the Recession Choose Your Destination: There are many destinations we never choose to visit, but when we are forced to (weddings, family reunions, traveling for work..) we are sorry that we didn’t give a location more credit to begin with. If you have a certain week or weekend that you are hoping to get away, do some research to see where you can get for the cheapest fare. This method has brought friends of mine to places such as Poland and Latvia, and who have come back with their eyes opened to countries and cities that they may not have given a chance before. The same goes for America–  have you been a close-minded traveler? You can add some spontaneity to your travel routine by letting the recession wind take you where the discounts are. 

3. Infuse Travel Into Your Daily Life: What are the things you love most about being away? Is it the restaurants, the lack of responsibility, or the feeling of exploration? It is possible to infuse all of this into your daily life. I keep a list of things to do, that I haven’t yet done in Dublin. From galleries to visit to new neighborhoods to explore, whenever that ‘boredom’ sets in, I have my list to consult. Something as simple as trying a new pizzeria, and seeing what you find while seeking out the pizzeria, brings a new light to an ‘old’ city. Seek out inspiration when it comes to your hometown: read the newspaper for restaurant reviews, keep up to date with cultural offerings, and try not to get too comfortable with the familiar. 

Anacapri, Italy

4. Travel Anyway: We need to keep some pleasures in our lives, and for some of us, travel is a pleasure priority. My father always said, the bills will be there when you get home. And if you went, at least you’ll have the memories to think of when you’re back home working. The anticipation of travel is half the pleasure as well: making plans, researching, setting aside time to spend with loved ones. I’m traveling to Venice in 2 weeks time, and the anticipation has eased the transition from late summer to early autumn, the cooler nights, the longer work days; I know there is a wine bar in Venice waiting for me with a glass of house red wine down some mysterious alleyway I’ll discover one afternoon.