Travel

Five Web sites for when you need to get away from where you re sitting

By Genevieve S. Brown and Sarah Schlichter

Sometimes you just have to get away. If your wanderlust gets the better of you and the traveler inside is itching to hit the road, there are several Web sites equipped to help — fast. Whether it be a weekend getaway or a full-blown vacation, the following sites are a few of a growing number that are wholly or in part dedicated to helping you plan a last-minute trip.

LastMinute.com offers "last second deals" for travel over the upcoming week or two. Note that these deals target weekend travelers; departures are only available between Wednesday and Saturday.

Leaving our destination options open, we plugged in dates for the upcoming weekend (leaving Philadelphia on Friday and returning Sunday). One of the cheapest results was a "Wicked Smaahrt" package in Boston, starting at just $269 per person for airfare, hotel, tax recovery and service fees. A variety of other U.S. cities were also featured for less than $400 per person. The lowest-priced international options were Toronto ("Shiny, Happy People, Eh?") from $451 per person and Mexico City from $551.

While the bulk of the site's properties are in the U.S. there are more than 1,000 offerings in Europe and hundreds more around the globe. (Consider, for instance, a $482 weekly rate for an apartment in Marrakesh, Morocco, good for travel anytime in the next nine months.) Some listings do appear to be a bit outdated — we found one that hadn't posted new rates since 2007 — but with a little digging you can find some gems. See whether a vacation rental is right for you .