Mardi Gras - Travel Deals

Mardi Gras or the Carnival Season is a series of celebrations which are directly related to the Christian celebrations of Epiphany and Easter. Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday falls on March 8, 2011, so you still have time to plan your getaway.

Although the most popular place in the USA to spend Mardi Gras is New Orleans, Orlando is also part of the celebrations. At Universal Studios every Saturday and on selected nights from February 12th to April 23rd you can catch one of the live concerts and of course, the popular parade.

But if you want to be there, you have to act fast. Book a flight and hotel package for 3 or more nights and save up to 20% when you stay at one of the three onsite Universal Orlando Resort hotels.

The sale ends on March 31, 2011 and the travel period is between February 2 and April 23, 2011. Advance purchase required (7 days).

The customized vacation package includes:

• roundtrip flight via Southwest Airlines to Orlando
• hotel accommodation
• Universal’s U-Select theme park ticket
• Early Park Admission to Universal’s Islands of Adventure and skip the regular lines at participating attractions in both Universal Orlando theme parks
• Complimentary resort-wide transportation for onsite hotel guests
• first and second checked bags fly free

The following packages are available:

• Loews Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando, 5 nights hotel + flight + 4-day Park to Park Acess ticket from $199 per person per night
• Hard Rock Hotel® at Universal Orlando, 5 nights hotel + flight + 4-day Park to Park Acess ticket from $225 per person per night
• Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando, 5 nights hotel + flight + 4-day Park to Park Acess ticket from $230 per person per night

Don’t forget to read the Southwest Airlines Vacations Current Deals

Read more Southwest Flight Deals.

You don’t have to be Catholic or even really understand the religious background of Mardi Gras to enjoy the party. In fact, it may help if you don’t know about the religious background. But either way, there is plenty to love about the famous Mardi Gras celebrations that take place in New Orleans every year – and plenty of people flock to the city to see the festivities first hand.

Because the crowds are so substantial for Mardi Gras in New Orleans, it definitely pays to do your homework when it comes to finding cheap airfare and saving money on your accommodation. The holiday itself is something of a moveable feast, since it relates to a religious holiday that isn’t always on the same day, but it’s always around the same time of year (and, if you’re in a counting mood, it’s always 47 days before Easter). This does make it a bit easier to plan your trip.

In this article, we’re going to give you some tips to finding travel deals for Mardi Gras in New Orleans, including how to find cheap airfare to New Orleans for the Mardi Gras party and some general tips about celebrating Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

>> New Orleans Mardi Gras is on February 21, 2012. 

Mardi Gras in New Orleans is an American tradition that everyone should experience at least one in a lifetime. It helps if you are a young, willing to consumer large quantities of unknown red punch or at least put up with people who do, and if you can put away your inhibitions and simply enjoy the madness that comes about when a million people party like there is no tomorrow.

As a veteran of one Mardi Gras, I can tell you that hotel rooms are very hard to come by, especially if you are looking to stay anywhere near the action. This is likely to be even harder with Hurricane Katrina having destroyed so much of New Orleans. Even if you plan well in advance, you are going to pay quite a bundle to stay in the Crescent City during Mardi Gras. That is simply a fact of life and unless you want to spend a week sleeping in a car in the Tulane medical school parking (not that I am speaking from experience or anything), you better get your hotel situation sorted out.

Orbitz has a few offers on Mardi Gras hotels. They are expensive, but they do have rooms available. You can also try your luck with the cheap hotels search tool.

Have fun, be safe and don’t drink too many of those red drinks before noon (again, not speaking from experience).