The Real Deal: Round-trip airfare, six nights' accommodations, and intercity transportation from $699 per person—plus taxes and fees of $299.
When: Nov. 1-Dec. 13, 2007, and Jan. 8-Mar. 24, 2008.
The fine print: Hotel taxes and daily continental breakfast are included. Airport taxes are an additional $289 per person, plus a $10 delivery charge. Mandatory insurance starts at $74. Price based on double occupancy; single supplement $170. Price valid only for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday departures. Read these guidelines before you book any Real Deal.
Book by: Nov. 12, 2007.
Gateways: New York City; add $10 for Boston, Philadelphia; $30 for L.A.; $80 for San Francisco; $100 for Chicago; additional cities available.
Contact: EuropeASAP, 415/750-5449, europeasap.com.
Why it's a deal: A recent search on Kayak yielded a lowest round-trip fare of $476 for travel between New York City and Paris in late November (United, Lufthansa). When combined with the six nights' accommodations (The Timhotel in Paris, for instance, averages about $156 per night in the off-season) and the flight between Paris and Nice, the total cost of booking the package independently would set you back several hundred dollars more than this $699 EuropeASAP package.
Trip details: The Paris and Nice Combo Special includes round-trip airfare, arriving in Paris and departing from Nice, on a major airline. On the first three nights, you'll relax in the quaint, 50-room Timhotel Nation Hotel in Paris's 12th arrondissement, steps away from Gare de Lyon and conveniently located near the Metro.
After arriving in Nice on a short flight from Paris, you will spend the next three nights at the cozy Comte de Nice, a family-run hotel about 20 minutes from the seafront. You may extend your trip at an additional cost of $40 per night.
You'll beat the crowds by traveling in the off-season, but be forewarned that the weather gets quite chilly this time of year—with the temperature (in Fahrenheit) ranging from the low 30s to the high 40s in Paris. The weather in Nice will be a bit warmer, but don't expect swimsuit weather.
Late-February travelers will encounter festival season in Nice. From February 16 to March 2, Nice celebrates its annual Carnaval, a must-see extravaganza similar to Mardi Gras, with floats, costumes, and parades that take over the city in late February.
Before you go, you can check the latest exchange rate, the local time, and the weather forecast at BudgetTravel.com.