BudgetTravel

The Real Deal Round-trip airfare, 11 nights' accommodations, hotel taxes, six dinners, sightseeing tours, and entrance fees, from $2,479—plus an estimated $105 in taxes.

When Dec. 4, 2008; add $100 for Nov. 20; $200 for Nov. 6; *$400 for July 17; $600 for Oct. 16; $700 for Sept. 8 and 25.

Barcelona's Park Guell (Jack Hollingsworth/Corbis)

*Go Ahead Tours is offering a special $500 discount exclusively for Budget Travel and MSNBC readers off one summer departure, July 17, 2008, which reduces the $3,379 typical rate to $2,879 per person.

Gateways Boston, D.C., New York City; add $145 for Atlanta; $160 for Detroit, Miami; $190 for St. Louis; $215 for L.A.; and $240 for Seattle; additional cities available.

The Fine Print Fuel surcharges, hotel service charges and tips, local taxes, entrance fees, and airport transfers are included. Price does not include estimated departure tax of $105 per person. The promo code for the special $500 discount on the July 17 trip is 701146. Based on double occupancy; single supplement is $405. Read these guidelines before you book any Real Deal.

Book By Based on availability; special discount on the July 17 trip is good only for bookings made by May 15, 2008.

Contact Go Ahead Tours, 888/462-4323, goaheadtours.com.

Why It's a Deal In this package, you'll fly into Barcelona and out of Madrid. A Kayak search produced a round-trip, multicity fare of $600 from Boston in early December on Lufthansa. So for $1,879 more, you'll receive 10 nights' accommodations and taxes, some meals, travel within Spain, and sightseeing tours and entrance fees. To better appreciate the savings, consider that booking the accommodations by yourself takes time, and you often don't get as good a rate as a tour operator can negotiate (for example, the Catalonia Berna hotel in Barcelona for two nights will cost you more than $500 per room). Secondly, locking in these rates in U.S. dollars now—the same goes for the guided sightseeing, entrance fees, and meals—will save you money, as the package price was fixed several months ago, when the dollar was stronger than it is today and than it may be when you actually take the trip. Plus, there's the benefit of one-stop shopping.

Trip Details The Barcelona and Northern Spain escorted tour will let you experience three days in vibrant Barcelona, followed by a weeklong jaunt in the northern countryside.

After arriving in Barcelona on your overnight flight on Lufthansa, Delta, or Iberia, you'll be treated to an included dinner, where you can get to know your tour group. Your home base for two nights will be the 124-room Catalonia Berna hotel, classified as a historic monument and perfectly situated in central Barcelona, near landmarks like Old Town and Plaza Catalunya.

Your guided sightseeing tour of the city (by air-conditioned deluxe motor coach) will hit major attractions like La Sagrada Família (Church of the Holy Family), Parque Güell and La Pedrera, works by famous architect Antoni Gaudí. You'll also be able to stroll through the Gothic quarter, an area known for architectural brilliance (and it's something of a melting pot—modern sculptures can be found next to buildings of the Roman era).

The next day, you'll begin your trek through northern Spain. You'll travel to Montserrat, a pilgrimage site, and then on to Zaragoza, once the seat of the ancient civilization of Aragón. After your sightseeing tour ends, you'll stay at the Catalonia Zaragoza Plaza hotel for one evening and enjoy an included dinner. Zaragoza is another pilgrimage site rich in legend. The story goes that Virgin Mary told St. James, patron saint of Spain, to build a church here.