Travel is getting more expensive with oil prices moving upwards, airlines hiking fares and implementing peak travel day fees and ancillary charges for passengers at an all-time high.

Yesterday, Peter appeared on The Early Show to explain what’s happening in the business of air travel.

Now take a look at where travelers can still find deals in 2011…

ICELAND

Known as the “land of fire and ice,” Iceland has offered great value since its economy crashed a few years ago. Experiences range from wellness treatments and thermal pools to adventure activities like horse trekking and volcano hiking, to innovative cuisine and a thriving nightlife.

Most Americans are also surprised to learn that it’s a relatively short distance to Iceland from the East Coast, less than a five-hour flight.

Air service from the U.S. to Reykjavik is more accessible than ever: Delta will start flying daily from New York in June 2011; Iceland Express is flying from Newark and will soon fly from Orlando, Chicago and Boston. Icelandair has year-round flights from Boston, New York – JFK, and Seattle, and seasonal service from Orlando Sanford, Washington D.C., and Minneapolis/St. Paul.

Travel Deals

Icelandair can coordinate packages that include air, hotel and activities. For example, a trip from Boston in April costs about $1,063 per person, including round-trip airfare, airport transfer, three nights at the Hilton, and entrance to Laugar SPA (valued at $59) and entrance to the Blue Lagoon (valued at $37). Available through April 27, 2011.

The Reykjavik Welcome Card includes city bus travel and the ferry to Viðey Island, plus thermal pools, the Natural History Museum, the Maritime Museum, farm animal zoo, and several other cultural attractions. It costs about $13 for 24 hours, $17 for 48 hours, and $22 for 72 hours. Visitwww.visitreykjavik.is for more travel information.

A free, two-hour guided walking tour of Reykjavik helps orient first-timers, with daily tours starting at 1 p.m. Visit www.myreykjavik.is for more information.

For more, check out the Off The Brochure Travel Guide: Reykjavik, Iceland.

BERLIN

Berlin is booming and the numbers show it: Visitorship reached record levels in 2009, including a 3.3 increase of travelers from the US; the first nine months of 2010 showed an 8.1 increase of U.S. visitors.

Why? It’s one of the more affordable cities in Europe, especially when compared to London, Rome and Paris.  A survey conducted by Hotels.com, showed that Berlin’s average hotel rate of €79 per night is significantly lower than other top European cities: In this study, travelers paid an average of  €113 a night in London and Paris, and €105 per night in Rome.

It’s also easy to get there from the U.S. Air Berlin recently introduced nonstop service to Berlin from Miami, with twice weekly (Mondays and Thursdays) service starting November 1, 2010 until April 28, 2011. The airline also announced new nonstop service from New York to Berlin starting May 2, 2011, operating four times a week:  Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Stay tuned for Berlin’s new airport, the Berlin Brandenburg International Airport, which will open June 3, 2012.

A slew of hotels are opening between 2010 and 2011, from moderate to boutique to luxury. Travelers can secure a best-rate guarantee in about 350 of Berlin’s hotels at www.visitBerlin.de.

It’s a hugely cultural city, with art, music and shopping at every corner. In fact, travelers 18 and under can get free admission to all of Berlin’s National Museums. Visit www.smb.museum for more information.

Travel Deals

The Berlin Welcome Card offers great value, with options such as a 48-hour, 72-hour, or five-day passes. The pass gets you free public transportation inside Berlin’s city limits and up to 50 percent off   more than 150 attractions and services. Rates start from €6.90 for one adult plus three children under 15.

The Scandic Hotel recently opened on the centrally located Potsdamer Platz. A current deal  is €177.50 per person for two nights, including daily breakfast, a Welcome Card, and €20 voucher to the Potsdamer Platz Arcade.

Opened early last year, the boutique Cosmo hotel is located in Spittelmarkt, with rates from €109 a night.

Budget chain easyhotel opened its first property in Germany last March, with rates from a whopping €25 a night. The hotel itself is as no-frills as can be, but it’s within walking distance of major attractions like Hackescher Markt, Alexanderplatz and the Museums Island.

Leonardo Hotels recently opened the Leonardo Royal Hotel Berlin, close to Alexanderplatz, which starts from €99 a night, and Leonardo Hotel Berlin, in the City West district/Wilmersdorfer Straße from €89.

For more, don’t miss our Off The Brochure Travel Guide: Berlin, Germany.

TRINIDAD & TOBAGO

The islands of Trinidad and Tobago host a Carnival celebration that rivals the one in Rio. In fact, the locals say there are two seasons: Carnival and preparing for Carnival. The best part is, anyone can participate for about $600. Just contact the National Carnival Commission and you get a costume for the float, and unlimited food and drinks during the two-day celebration.

Caribbean Airlines has nonstop flights from JFK for under $500 during the high season (doesn’t show up in Orbitz, but does appear on Kayak and Expedia).

If you go during Carnival (March 7-8, 2011), stay in Trinidad for the festivities and once they’re over, head to Tobago for some relaxation.

As with the rest of the Caribbean, the summer months are considered the off season. This is still a great time to travel as many hotels, resorts and villa rentals offer great deals to entice travelers.

Carnival Deals

The Carlton Savannah is a new boutique hotel offering a package from March 4–8, 2011, starting from $329 a night and including daily breakfast.

Located within walking distance to most Carnival event venues as well as to shopping and restaurants, The Courtyard by Marriott is offering nightly rates from $229, with a five-night minimum stay required between March 4-8. If you travel outside of those dates, you can score a room from just $159 a night.

With only 17 rooms, the intimate Coblentz Inn Boutique Hotel has four-night Carnival packages from $1,130 and five nights from $1,370, which also includes breakfast and a stocked minibar for stays between March 3-9. Non-Carnival double room rates are from $205 a night.

Book five nights at the family-owned and operated Monique’s Guesthouse for $1,200 including daily breakfast. Before and after Carnival, regular rates are from just $90 a night, based on double occupancy.

Learn more about Caribbean Travel here.

HALIFAX AND CAPE BRETON ISLAND

This is truly one of the most scenic places in North America, complete with outdoor adventures, local artists. Cape Breton is noted for being beautiful, remote and rugged, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Saint Lawrence and the Strait of Canso, with five scenic trails and plentiful outdoor activities.

Travel Deals

One way to get introduced to the area is to take a cruise in either summer or fall (to catch the foliage). Carnival has a five-night cruise from New York that calls in St. John and Halifax – the first cruise of the season departs June 13 from $429 per person and the last cruise departs on September 5 from $369 per person.

Foliage cruises can start as early as August, but tend to peak in September and October. Princess has a seven-night New England cruise that goes from New York to Halifax, St. John, Bar Harbor, Boston, and Newport, with rates peaking on the September 24 departure from $804 per person, and ending October 22 from $699 per person.

Get to Nova Scotia the old-fashioned way: by train. VIA Rail Canada has a scenic route between Montreal and Halifax. Over the course of nearly 22 hours, the train crosses farmland and along the St. Lawrence River and in the morning, you’ll view the Chaleur Bay. A budget-class seat is about $154. A Sleeper Touring class (available mid-June to mid-October), is pricier, about $462,  but  also includes meals and educational activities like the Maritime Learning Experience which highlights the folklore of the Maritimes region.

In Halifax, the Radisson is located in the center of the business district, featuring one-bedroom suites, with weekend rates starting at about $139 a night.

But for a romantic getaway, travel outside of downtown Halifax and head to a B&B or inn:The Heritage Hideaway is a Victorian home where guests enjoy a three-course candlelight breakfast, ranging from $115 a night.

The Seawatch Inn, loclaed about 20 minutes from downtown is located on the Halifax Harbour, with high-season (June 1-September 30) rates from $135 a night and low-season (October 1-May 31) from $110

Cape Breton is all about B&Bs, country inns and cottage rentals.  But even luxury is affordable here: Oakwood Manor bed and breakfast is situated on a 200-acre country estate off the Cabot Trail, built by the owner’s father in 1930, and costs only $85 in the high season, and $65 in the low season.

Learn more in our Canadian Travel section.

RIVIERA NAYARIT, MEXICO

Despite reports of violence in the border cities, tourism to Mexico is actually up. According to the Mexican Tourism Ministry, tourism revenue is up 7.1 percent in the first 10 months of 2010, compared to the same months of 2009. Why? Because Mexico offers great value. Look at a map, resort towns like Puerto Vallarta are a full day’s journey from those border towns.

It’s easy to get to from most major US cities, including a new daily seasonal service on Alaska Airlines between San Diego to Puerto Vallarta. Low season runs from May-October, so look for deals in the shoulder season.

Travel Deals

Bel Air Vallarta Resort & Spa has all-inclusive rates from $117 per person, per night (or $174 single occupancy), including all meals, premium brand drinks, and stocked minibar. This rate is valid through July 7, 2011.

All-inclusive winter rates at ClubHotel Riu Jalisco in Nuevo Vallarta  start from just $188 per night in January, including all meals (buffets and specialty restaurants), sports, kids activities, evening entertainment, taxes and tips.

Even the luxury resorts are discounting. At the Four Seasons Punta Mita families can save 50 percent on a second room for kid, and will also throw in free meals for children under 12, a free kids’ program for ages 5-12, and a free one-time nanny service for up to four hours during your stay.

This resort isn’t cheap, from $575 a night, but they are offering incentives such as  resort credit of $150-$400 per night (depending on the level of room) based on a three-night stay, and a third-night-free deal.

For more travel information, try the Ask the Locals Travel Guide: Riviera Nayarit & Punta Mita, Mexico.

GULF SHORES AND ORANGE BEACH, ALABAMA

This popular family destination was pummeled by the oil spill last summer, which hit just as the tourism industry was gearing up for its high season between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Spend your travel dollars where they count, and you can be sure that the locals will roll out the welcome mat to give you a great experience.

The economy was hit hard: Gross lodging revenue for Pleasure Island this summer (May – August 2010) was down a whopping 41.1 percent when compared to the same period last year; Baldwin County dipped 33.2 percent; Santa Rosa dropped 24.8 percent, and Okaloosa was down 24.1 percent.

The beaches are now clean and while summer is the high season, winter is still an excellent time to visit as the weather is mild all year round.

The Alabama Gulf Coast is partying this spring with a family-friendly Mardi Gras, mixing beach getaways, winter deals, and the festivities of masquerades and beads. Taking place March 4-8, there will be parades all through the streets of Orange Beach, followed by Fat Tuesday Celebration and Boat Parade at the Homeport Marina.

No matter what time of year, this area offers exceptional value in vacation rentals. It’s great for traveling families and groups, gives you access to a kitchen and other amenities, and allows you to eat and play at your own pace. Check out GulfShores.com for booking options and hot deals.

Don’t miss the Ask the Locals Travel Guide: Alabama’s Gulf Coast.

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA

Since the World Cup, Cape Town is on our radar. The city has seen a record increases in U.S. tourist arrivals between May, June, July and August.

As with anywhere, deals can be found when you travel in the shoulder and low season. High season is between October and April and low is May through September, so aim for those early fall and late spring weeks.

At the luxury level, rooms can be pricey: The ultra-luxe Taj Cape Town normally starts from about $736 a night in the high season. However, if you book well in advance, you can drop that rate down to about $540. Then, as we head into late fall/early winter  in South Africa, rates drop even further: a room in mid-May drops to about $360 a night.

The good news is there are a number of options in Cape Town for all budgets: theHoliday Inn Express is centrally located and has rooms from about $90 a night in the high season; The Cape Diamond Hotel also in the city center, has very reasonable rates from only $78 a night in the low season, and from $93 a night in the high.

Learn more: Ask the Locals Travel Guide: Cape Town, South Africa.

RIVER CRUISING

River cruising is an increasingly appealing way to travel, with all-inclusive rates (meals, alcohol and often shore excursions) a more intimate size than most cruise ships, and smaller ships that can navigate smaller waterways. Though it’s not ideal for families, it’s a good option for couples who are interested in more cultural excursions, particularly in Eastern and Central Europe.

Because flooding is more likely, spring is a slower season for river cruising, and therefore there are deals to be had at that time of year.

Uniworld Boutique River Cruises will launch River Antoinette, the sister ship to the River Beatrice, in March 2011, to sail the Castles Along the Rhine and Rhine Holiday Markets itineraries. The River Antoinette will be Uniworld’s largest ship length-wise at 443 ft. and a width of 37.5 ft. However, there will be little increase in capacity as the extra space will be used to create larger staterooms, from 163 square feet to 391 square feet.

On 2011 Castles Along the Rhine cruises, book by January 31 and save $150 per person. For the Rhine Holiday Markets cruise, pay in full by March 31 and save $450 per person on suites or category 1 and 2 staterooms, and $300 per person on category 3, 4 or 5 staterooms.

Avalon Waterways is launching the first all-suite ship, the Avalon Panorama, which will feature cabins with wall-to-wall panoramic window that transforms the living space into an open-air balcony. These cabins will be as much as 30 percent larger than industry-standard cabins. The ship will launch in May, 2011, and sail he 14-night Amsterdam/Budapest itinerary as well as the Christmas market route.

OCEAN CRUISING

Again, traveling in the shoulder season pays off. Considering an Alaskan cruise? They only operate seasonally, so travel in the very beginning or end of the season for the lowest prices. Celebrity Cruises’ seven-night Alaska cruise is cheapest departing May 20 (from $765) and August 26 ($765). Prices peak in July at $1,035 per person.

Last-minute deals still abound on cruise lines. You can sail this January 15 on Royal Caribbean from just $249 per person on a five-night Western Caribbean cruise. That’s less than $50 a night! NCL has a deal on a three-night cruise to the Bahamas from just $169 per person, or about $56 a night. Celebrity has a five-night Western Caribbean cruise to Roatan and Cozumel departing January 17 from only $209 per person, or $41 a night. (All prices from CruiseBrothers.com.)

If you’ve never cruised before and want to dip your toe in the water, consider a “cruise to nowhere.” These are one and two-night cruises where you can get a feel for a ship for not very much money. NCL is sailing out of New York on January 21 from only $79 for one night.

The growth of secondary ports has been huge in the past few years. These “drive-to” ports make cruising even more accessible to Americans who don’t want to spend a lot on airfare. Look at departures from New Orleans, Boston, Baltimore, Galveston, Mobile, Charleston, Norfolk, and Philadelphia among others.

Remember, although the cruises will discount tremendously on the cabin, it’s important to budget for the entire trip. The cruise lines count on onboard revenue, which includes drinks, specialty dining, shore excursions, and pretty much anything short of breathing. So budget accordingly and you can have an exceptional experience at great value.

By Sarika Chawla for PeterGreenberg.com.

Related links on PeterGreenberg.com:

• Off The Brochure Travel Guide: Reykjavik, Iceland
• Off The Brochure Travel Guide: Berlin, Germany
• Ask the Locals Travel Guide: Riviera Nayarit & Punta Mita, Mexico
• Ask the Locals Travel Guide: Alabama’s Gulf Coast
• Ask the Locals Travel Guide: Cape Town, South Africa
• Destinations page
• Travel Deals section
• Cruises section
• Video Tip: Cruise Ship Budgeting