This year's average tax refund is about $3,000 so far, according to USA Today. Lucky recipients of the coveted U.S. Treasury check will find some good travel deals to fit budgets both big and small for trips they can take throughout the rest of the year.
$250 and less:
- Twenty-three miles of beaches for lounging or sand castles plus 300 miles of inland canals equal savings for early summer travel in Fort Lauderdale. Weekdays at Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six are $109 per night, 40% off current rates May 18 - Sept. 30. The resort sits on the Intercoastal Waterway in a tropical haven and is also offering breakfast, a room upgrade and Wi-Fi with this deal. Weekends are $30 more per night. Travelzoo Tip: For more deals and information on this sunny southern Florida locale, check out our Featured Destination page.
$1,000 and less:
- Paradise sans passport is now accessible with a three-night stay at a Conde Nast Traveler Top 20 Hawaiian Resort: Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalow. At $699 for two people, save more than 60% on the Big Island for travel through September. Accommodations boast ocean views, and the grounds feature a spa, fitness club, tennis club and two golf courses. Visit Fly.com for cheap flights to Kona.
$2,500 and less:
- Embark on a seven-night South American adventure -- including an Amazon River ride -- for $1,199 per person for late-summer dates. Savings are about600 on competing packages on this rare itinerary that includes crossing jungle bridges, visits to volcanoes and the chance to straddle the equator at the Middle of the World monument. Roundtrip air from Miami is included.
-- Antoinette Fadera is a producer at Travelzoo and based in Chicago. Travelzoo has 450 deal experts from around the world who rigorously research, evaluate and test thousands of deals to find those with true value.