Lupe Lira, Club Director of Digital Marketing, traveled to Central America and saved along the way.
Read how much easier Club discounts made traveling. Between attraction passes, transportation tours, hotel savings, meal discounts, and rental car deals, the savings added up quickly and made it possible to experience even more along the way.
Destination El Salvador
For my June trip to El Salvador, I used the Club’s MyDeals hotel discount to book the Real InterContinental San Salvador for $151 per night. The same hotel was listed at $175 per night on Hotels.com and Orbitz, and $251 per night on Priceline. Compared with the lowest publicly available rate, MyDeals saved me $24 per night and $168 over seven nights.
I also used the Club’s Hertz discount to rent a small SUV for $30 per day instead of the regular $45 rate. With private drivers costing upwards of $400 per day, having our own transportation gave us a comfortable and affordable way to explore El Salvador on our schedule.
We drove through the mountains to Laguna de Alegría, a crater lake inside the Tecapa Volcano known for its sulfur-rich, greenish water. We also visited Tazumal Archaeological Park, where the Mayan ruins gave us a closer look at El Salvador’s ancient history.
In San Salvador, we explored the new National Library, which combines the country’s history and culture with digital collections, interactive spaces and virtual reality technology. From the library, we could see the Presidential House. Unfortunately, it was closed because we visited on a Monday, reminding us to check operating days before visiting historical attractions.
The rental car also made it easy to visit the beaches and Surf City, spend time with family and stop for local food along the way. Dining was economical compared with the United States, allowing us to enjoy pupusas, traditional dishes and fresh seafood without using a large part of our travel budget.
One travel tip is to prepare for the heat and humidity. Bring lightweight clothing, sunscreen and plenty of water, and consider planning outdoor activities during the cooler parts of the day.
