Boldly Go Solo

Looking for discount travel? Have I got deals for you!

Find discounts on food, drink and attractions in major American (and other) cities, discounts that can be steep indeed.

Just remember these two words: Livingsocial and Groupon.

Okay, those aren't really words. They're web sites. I've used them in Washington and I love them. And the deals are available in dozens of cities.

Anyone else out there heard of these or using them?

I've been receiving one email a day from each of these companies, offering the deal of the day in the Washington, DC, area. I've seen offers such as:

– Half off a $24 cruise with DC Cruises

– Half off a $60 pedicab ride

– $25 for $50 worth of food at 1905 Restaurant and AGAINN gastropub (new and trendy)

– $10 for $20 worth of drinks at Iron Horse Taproom

– $10 for $20 worth of vegetarian food at Moaz

– $25 for a pottery class worth $45

The deals only last about a day, so unless these particular ones come around again, and they sometimes do, they're no longer available.

Until recently, I hadn't thought about the potential for livingsocial and groupon coupons to be travel deals, but of course they are!

Livingsocial gives restaurant (and more) deals and discounts in cities from Buffalo to Denver to St. Louis. Similarly, Groupon offers restaurant (and more) deals and discounts in cities from Akron to Boise to Brooklyn.

If you know weeks in advance you're visiting a city, sign up for deals in the city you're visiting. Every day, you'll get an email with a deal.

Buy what seems interesting. Ignore what doesn't. Fair warning: look up exactly where in the city the restaurant, bar or other offer is located to make sure it will be convenient to where you're going to be, or that it will be relatively easy to get there.

As a solo traveler, you may not be able to eat $50 worth of food, so a $25 coupon offering $50 worth may not be useful.Then again, if you see a restaurant deal and are thinking about treating yourself to one nice dinner with wine and dessert, $25 may end up being a great deal, even for one person. Even if you only end up spending $35 to $40, you've saved.

Some of the deals are scary. $25 for $50 worth of pies at Dangerously Delicious Pies? Hell no! Especially since I presume you have to spend the dough all at once.

In any case, you never know what will be on offer. Sometimes it's massage. Other times it's yoga classes. Pick and choose what makes sense for the amount of time you have in a city and how much you're willing to spend.

In terms of value for the money, these deals are hard to beat. 

As someone who has already spent $10 for $20 worth of goods at a hardware store, $30 for an (overpriced) $70 haircut and was toying with the idea of (but did not end up purchasing) the AGAINN gastropub offer, I am one sold customer.

I can't wait to try this in another city.

Or country. I see Livingsocial has deals in London and Groupon lists 21 countries…the problem being, when I tested Argentina, the deal came up in Spanish. So start brushing up on your language skills if you plan to sign on for deals in foreign countries.

Photo: Ellen Perlman. Dessert!