These days, there’s a glut of group-coupon sites on the market, so how can you know which ones are best for travel?

Peter Greenberg and SmarterTravel.com’s Executive Editor Anne Banas discuss new ways to find a travel deal and how to know you’ve found a real bargain.

Peter Greenberg: How is Groupon is doing with travel these days? And what is Groupon, exactly?

Anne Banas: Groupon is a group-buy site. They pre-negotiate deals that are sometimes 50, 60 or 70 percent off the retail price. Groupons range from Botox treatments to tours or cruises. In general, the deals are event focused. A lot of people sign up for sites like Groupon and LivingSocial for their local city so they might not be thinking about how to take advantage of these deals when they travel. Some things might not be appropriate for the traveler but there are great deals to be found.

PG: The same philosophy applies to people who sign up for email alerts from airlines or online travel agencies about great airfare deals. People are destination focused in the wrong direction. They say, “I want all the great deals to Rome” instead of “I live in Sheboygan. How about all the great deals from Sheboygan anywhere in the world.” One day they’ll get a deal on their email saying there’s a great deal to Santiago, Chile. They weren’t thinking of going to Santiago, but at that price, they’re going.

AB: People also focus too much on airfare and they don’t think about the value to be had at the destination. Group-coupon sites are offering package escapes that can make luxury destinations more affordable. With a LivingSocial escape, you can go up to Napa for a couple days with some restaurants, spa treatments or other perks thrown in. These are real deals that go beyond a basic online rate from Hilton or Hyatt. Some deals are a little more up-market and can be a bit luxurious. In general, you’re getting more for your money.

Want more ways to save on travel? Try the Budget Travel section

PG: Not a day goes by that I don’t get another email from a new site that’s been created which claims to be better for X or Y reason. I’ve lost track of how many different sites that you can buy stuff on. Who’s vetting this?

AB: No one is vetting this. You need to pick and choose. Find out what resonates with you and matches your interests. Also, look for aggregator sites like Yipit.com, 8coupons.com. They all have funny names too; you have to get used to that. These sites aggregate a lot of these deals, so you can see what deals they’re offering for a specific destination. Or you can sign up for their newsletter and that way you don’t have to sign up for the 50 little copycat sites that are popping up all over the place.

PG: Packages are interesting. Remember the old days of Pleasant Hawaiian Holidays, now known as Pleasant Holidays? They would basically block book hundreds of seats on airplanes and hundreds of rooms at hotels. All of a sudden, you’d see a deal for the airfare and the hotel for a week in Maui for $300. If you went to any airline at that point the airfare to Maui would be $1,200. So you’d buy the package with no intention whatsoever of using the hotel room because you just needed to get on the plane. Sometimes it’s easier to buy the package even if you have no intention of using the entire thing.

Need help vetting? Travel Tip: Vetting Group Discount Sites

AB: Packages can be a really smart way to go. When you’re bundling services with air, hotel, car, or even things like theater tickets, you can pick and choose what you use. But you really should take the time and price those elements á la carte as well. You need to make sure you’re getting the better deal through the package. It’s not always the case and you can do better by doing a little research on your own.

PG: Every year at certain times, like Valentine’s Day, they always have these great packages with the room, the chocolates, the strawberries and the champagne. You know what? Go to the store and buy your own champagne.

AB: It’s not going to be Veuve Clicquot, so you want to pick out your own.

PG: It’s going to be Veuve Uh-oh. Remember just because they throw it in doesn’t mean it’s the best deal for you. Get your own cheese. Stop at a farmers market for strawberries. Buy your own champagne and chocolate. Then just get a room. That’s the package you should do for Valentine’s Day. It will be called, “Get a room.”

Moving on, in your investigation, is there one group deals site that really shines?

SH: LivingSocial. As a mentioned, its Escapes package is really nice. It does a lot of the daily deals that you’d find in your local city or community, but their escapes make them stand out. They have great deals in the U.S. and you can go to Mexico and abroad.

By Peter Greenberg for Peter Greenberg Worldwide Radio.

Related links on PeterGreenberg.com:

• Travel Tip: Vetting Group Discount Sites
• How To Find Deals At Luxury Destination Spas
• Saving Money At All-Inclusive Resorts
• Five Ways To Get Group Discounts & Special Deals at Orlando’s Theme Parks
• Budget Travel section
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