Hot Trips, Summer in the City; Orbitz Insider Staff Picks Help Travelers Find the Perfect Summer City Getaway
2 May 2006
From shopping at sidewalk boutiques and strolling through museums to rollerblading in the park and sipping java at an outdoor cafe, the city is the place to be in the summer. Travelers looking for an abundance of vacation activities can find a city with something for nearly everyone on The Orbitz Insider Index "Top Summer City Destinations" list.
Orbitz (http://www.orbitz.com), the faster and easier way to find the trip you want, released its seventh edition of The Orbitz Insider Index, helping travelers plan the perfect summer city getaway by listing the most popular U.S. and international city destinations as well as providing "Insider Staff Picks" for travelers seeking some more specific advice.
"You don't have to travel far this summer to experience a great summer getaway. Taking a short drive and staying at a hotel in your nearest city, you can experience entertainment, museums, sports and shopping," said Heather Leisman, director of merchandising for Orbitz.
"Travelers are going to find the greatest savings this summer by booking their travel components together as a package -- whether it's Air + Hotel to a city across the country, or Hotel + Car for a short drive vacation," added Leisman.
City Destinations
The Orbitz Insider Index reviews future air bookings on Orbitz.com, indicating significant destination and departure trend information within the data. The most popular U.S. and international city destinations this summer according to The Index are:
The Orbitz Insider Index
Top U.S. and International Summer City Destinations*
U.S. International
1 Orlando, FL 1 Rome, Italy
2 Seattle, WA 2 London, Great Britain (UK)
3 Las Vegas, NV 3 Cancun, Mexico
4 Chicago, IL 4 Paris, France
5 Los Angeles, CA 5 San Jose Cabo, Mexico
6 Denver, CO 6 Dublin, Ireland
7 San Juan, Puerto Rico 7 Vancouver, Canada
8 New York, NY 8 Athens, Greece
9 Anchorage, AK 9 Frankfurt, Germany
10 Boston, MA 10 Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
* Based on air bookings on Orbitz.com for travel from 6/1/06 to 8/31/06 as
of 3/27/06
Orbitz Staff Insider Picks
Looking for a great summer city getaway, but have limited time to research destinations? Orbitz "Insider Staff Picks" to the rescue! Helping to match travelers with the urban oasis perfect for them, Orbitz has highlighted a variety of city destinations offering something for nearly everyone.
SUMMER CITY FUN - Undiscovered:
Juneau, Alaska
Boasting around 18 hours of sunlight in early summer, travelers have plenty of daylight to enjoy the culture and natural beauty of this small city and its surroundings. For the adventurer, Juneau features spectacular ice fields and glaciers to explore. Mendenhall Glacier is located just minutes from downtown and tour boat companies offer visits to the twin Sawyer Glaciers. If adventure is not your cup of tea, Juneau also has great shopping, including a wide assortment of specialty stores selling artwork and crafts unique to Alaska. Visitors can load up on Alaskan souvenirs such as jewelry, sculptures, and totems from local artisans.
Newport, Rhode Island
From boating to shopping and even just relaxing on the beach, Newport is a quaint city by the sea that offers something for everyone. Newport's coastal mansions are famous for their grandeur and extravagance. The Breakers, the most extravagant of the Newport Mansions with 70 rooms, was built in 1895 as a summer "cottage" for the family of Cornelius Vanderbilt II, chairman of the New York Central Railroad. If you're looking to experience great golf while in Newport, catch the 61st U.S. Women's Open Championship taking place at the Newport Country Club from June 26 through July 2. With miles of scenic coastline, great events and cobblestone streets featuring unique shops and galleries, Newport offers both history and entertainment in a beautiful New England summer setting.
SUMMER CITY FUN - Museums:
New York, New York
New York City is a destination like no other for travelers that love to learn and explore exhibitions and objects of historical or artistic value. Aside from well-known institutions like the Guggenheim, New York has many museums that are fascinating. Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum and the South Street Seaport Museum are two such places. At Cooper-Hewitt, visitors can learn about historic and contemporary design and at the South Street Seaport Museum, travelers can explore New York City's maritime past and visit six historic ships.
Washington, D.C.
Whether visiting Capital Hill or wandering the streets of DuPont Circle and picturesque Georgetown, Washington, D.C. is a historically rich city that offer many opportunities to explore and learn. The many must-see museums with millions of works of art, historical objects and specimens make D.C. a great family destination, bringing kids' history lessons to life.
SUMMER CITY FUN - Sports:
Chicago, Illinois
Featuring the some of the world's finest sports teams, Chicago is a hotbed of activity in the summer. Baseball in the windy city has never been more exciting! Chicago is home to the current baseball World Champions and also features one of the most historic stadiums in the league. For the baseball fan seeking an up close and personal look at this landmark in the popular Wrigleyville neighborhood, consider a stadium tour. Tours cost $20 per person and include stops in the home team's clubhouse, dugouts and on deck circles. If soccer is more your style, Chicago still has you covered. Chicago has its very own pro soccer team that plays games throughout the summer and is moving into a brand new 20,000 seat stadium this year.
Frankfurt, Germany
This summer Frankfurt will explode with excitement as thousands of soccer fans descend upon the city to watch the one of world's most recognized soccer tournaments. Because of its central location, Frankfurt will act as a welcoming point for many fans visiting Germany during the tournament, June 9 to July 9. To ensure everyone enjoys the games, even if they don't have a ticket to one of the matches, the "MainArena" will be set up. The MainArena will feature two large screens in the middle of the River Main, one screen facing each side so fans can enjoy all the games. The area will also feature musicians, cooks and artists as well as a location where official tournament partners and sponsors will have stands.
SUMMER CITY FUN - Off-Season Savings:
Calgary, Canada
Known by many for its winter activities, Calgary is also a great place to visit during the summer. From July 7 to the 16, The Calgary Stampede, "The Greatest Outdoor show on Earth" takes place. This is Canada's largest annual event and features a rodeo competition, live entertainment performances, chuckwagon races and rides. For anyone seeking an event that weaves the old west with modern entertainment, the Stampede is the place to be. Along with visiting the Stampede during your Calgary visit, take in the Calgary Zoo. The Calgary Zoo and Botanical Gardens are close to downtown Calgary and home to more than 900 different animals.
Park City, Utah
The mountains aren't just for skiers. Music, outdoor excitement and family activities dominate summer fun in Park City. Beginning in June, there is a free concert performance every Wednesday night from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. After relaxing to great music in the evening, travelers will be ready to hit the more than 100 miles of mountain biking and hiking trails in Park City. For mountain bikers seeking an adventure, ski lifts operate regularly to provide bikers with an even greater downhill challenge.
About Orbitz
Orbitz (http://www.Orbitz.com) is a leading online travel company that enables travelers to search for and purchase a broad array of travel products, including airline tickets, lodging, rental cars, cruises and vacation packages. Since launching its website http://www.orbitz.com to the general public in June 2001, Orbitz has become the third largest online travel site based on gross travel bookings. On Orbitz, consumers can search more than 455 airlines, tens of thousands of lodging properties worldwide and 16 car rental companies. J.D. Power and Associates noted that Orbitz.com had the highest customer satisfaction for independent travel web sites -- hotels in its 2005 Independent Hotel Web Site Study(SM). Study based on responses from 3,668 consumers who booked their hotel reservations through an independent travel Web site. http://www.jdpower.com. Orbitz was acquired by Cendant's Travel Distribution Services division in November 2004 and is part of the Consumer Travel Americas group.
Source: prnewswire
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