American travelers looking for an international beach getaway this summer may be wondering where they can get the most luxury for less. As travelers look for luxury in the surf that won’t leave only sand in their pockets, Orbitz examined popular beach destinations in two international meccas – Europe and Mexico.

“Its no secret that hitting the beach is a popular summer pastime, but it can be more difficult to decipher where you can find a truly great deal when you head outside the U.S.,” said Heather Leisman, senior director of merchandising for Orbitz. “Whether you’re heading close to home or off to another country, take advantage of summertime sales and value-add incentives at hotels and resorts to offset your costs. And consider locations that are traditionally outside the infamous hurricane belt.”

Orbitz Insider Index: Top Beach Destinations

In this summer edition of the Orbitz Insider Index, the online travel company looks at the Top 5 most popular beach destinations in Europe and Mexico and reports the average nightly cost of a hotel room in these beach hotspots.



*Orbitz.com destinations based on popularity for arrival 6/1/07 to 8/31/07. Rank based only on nominated beach destinations. Data includes hotel-only and package sales. Based on net sales as of 6/18/07.

**Average Daily Hotel Rate based on hotel bookings on Orbitz.com for travel from 6/1/07 to 8/31/07. Based on net sales as of 6/18/07. Rates are rounded up to the nearest USD.

***Total average of Daily Hotel Rates for Top 5 destinations