Sold! Place A Bid At These Top Websites For Vacation Auctions

Although Priceline pioneered bidding for your vacation 11 years ago, the recession is forcing other travel operators to go on the online auction block. Online auctions allow companies to make unload some unsold inventory and make some quick cash and you can benefit by fetching a good price. Let's look at a few, shall we?

· Generous Adventures Travel Auction
This site has been around even longer than Priceline, but Generous Adventures still differentiates itself from other auction sites by donating its profits to non-profit organizations. Just think, if you bid on the "Best of Tuscany" trip (bid starting at $100), a full-day tour of Tuscany with lunch and wine tastings included, getting drunk will help others.

Check after the jump for more travel websites where you can place a bid.

· Contiki
The new kid on the auction block is Contiki, which caters to travelers ages 18 to 35. On offer is a 14-day guided European vacay to England, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Italy, Vatican City, Switzerland and France. The trip, which includes accommodations and things like a bike tour of Munich and a night cruise on the River Seine, started out with a 99-cent bid that's shot up to $1,415.

· LuxuryLink
If you didn't get the clue from the name, this site caters to those who live large and luxe. A seven-night trip to Saint Barth is up at $2,641, but it does include car rental and bubbly and truffles upon arrival. If money's tight, stick to the under-$1,500 auctions.

· Florida Vacation Auction
The site offers a lot of Sunshine State hotel packages. But you also can find some vacation specials, like the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge Kayak Tour, which allows you to paddle amid dolphins. The highest bid is at $65.

· SkyAuction
SkyAuction is a veteran auction site, taking bids since 1999 for airline tickets, hotels, vacay packages, cruises, Broadway shows, restaurant gift certificates and more. We scoped out a deal for Royal Garden at Waikiki Resort in Honolulu that's at $4 per night and you get to choose the length of your stay. Score!

Related Stories:
· Bidding for Travel Bargains [New York Times]
· Priceline Travel Hacks Work For International Hotels Too [Jaunted]

[Photo: Better Bidders]

Jaunted

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