You don’t need us to tell you that paying in dollars while staying in a European hotel translates into a good deal for U.S. travelers this summer. But you may need us to tell you where to find such a deal:

The WorldHotels Stay in Europe - Pay in Dollars promo, good through August 31, 2008, allows visitors to Europe to pay published euro rates with dollars, which means a hefty savings. Some of the 52+ participating hotels include Prague’s Imperial Hotel (pictured above) and Hotel Leonardo, Paris’s Hotel Astor Saint-Honore, Milan’s Grand Visconti Palace, Brussels’ Stanhope Hotel and Barcelona’s Avenida Palace.

You don’t need us to tell you that airfares are crazy high, hotels in major metropolitan areas are expensive as ever and gas prices continue to soar like parasails over the tropical blue waters you’d hoped to visit this summer. While the state of travel in Summer ‘08 has led some to declare a rash of “staycations,” let me be the first to squash that idea. Sure, holing up at home for a week and watching Rock of Love reruns sounds great while you’re toiling away at work. But I dare you to try it. By day three, it’s likely you’ll be doing laundry, cleaning out some long-forgotten container of stuff underneath your bathroom sink and wistfully wondering what the chaps back at the office are up to. Sigh.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. You know the old truism that what you’re looking for is often staring you right in the face? Well, consider that your new philosophy for summer ‘08. This year, we think the secret to a great summer vacation is right in front of you. It’s high time to go regional and dive into all those close-to-home attractions that you’ve likely overlooked in recent years, passed by on your way to major tourist destination cities or flown over on your way outside the country.

In the coming days, we’ll be rounding up some of Kayak’s favorite regional gems, budget-friendly cities and far-out festivals to help you find summer fun. So stay tuned for a slew of great, affordable summer vacation ideas.

Does your town harbor regional gems, intriguing festivals or hidden hot spots? Leave a comment and tell us about them. Or get in touch directly with me at lsanders (at) kayak (dot) com.

Priceline has just released a very interesting promotion called Sunshine Guaranteed. Essentially, if your vacations is rained out, it’s FREE. That includes airfare, hotel, car rental… the works.

Here’s the lowdown -If it rains a half an inch or more on at least half your vacation to any of their top 100+ vacation destinatinos, the ‘Negoitator’ will give you a refund after you get back. There is a lot of legal mumbo jumbo alongside it, but it’s an interesting promo. I wonder if a lot of people will start thinking of taking a nice trip to Seattle in the coming months.

…with one of the most offbeat travel promotions I’ve encountered in my three+ years of blogging. Nevada’s Moonlite Bunny Ranch, a “world famous” Nevada brothel owned by Dennis Hof of HBO’s Cathouse, is offering to give travelers $15 when they visit the 53-year-old Carson City destination and show their American Airlines baggage claim tickets (well, to be fair, the press release doesn’t specifically mention the airline, but it is the only one charging $15 for the first checked bag). Now what you choose to do with that $15 reimbursement is up to you. A nice bag of carrots for the bunnies, perhaps?

Who says big (no, huge) dudes can’t move with the equal grace and skill of a cat and ballerina rolled into one? If you’ve ever watched a Sumo match, then you know what I’m talking about.

If you haven’t witnessed the splendor of two semi-nude rikishi warring inside the ring, then you’re missing out. But that need not be the case, especially considering that the Grand Sumo Tournament is returning to Los Angeles on June 7 and 8, 2008 for the first time in 27 years.

During the two-day display of flesh and flighting (and time-honored rituals and symbols associated with Japan’s ancient national sport), the top 40 professional sumo wrestlers in the world will compete for the Sakura Cup at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena. The weekend kicks off on Friday at the Dodgers vs. Cubs game, where one of the champion Sumos will be throwing the first pitch.

Tickets for the event range from $10 to upwards of $400 for ringside seats and are available via Sumo Tour, but why spend your cash (after all, you’re gonna need it to cover airfare costs this summer) when you can go for free, courtesy of the Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau and DiscoverLosAngeles?

The first five Kayak blog readers to email Bill Karz with their request will score a pair of tickets to this event. Hit him up at wkarz (at) lainc (dot) com. Thanks to Bill and the LACVB for extending this freebie to our readers.

For more on what to see and do in Los Angeles, visit DiscoverLosAngeles.

Sounds impossible, but there is one airline delay we can get on board with: the JetBlue Bill Me Later promo. Buy a ticket by May 31, 2008 via the airline’s web site, choose the Bill Me Later payment option at check out, and JetBlue will send you a $25 gift card for use towards future travel and allow you to defer payment for up to 90 days. One caveat: the promo is only available to first-time Bill Me Later customers.

As if there weren’t already enough reasons to fly Virgin America, here’s a brand new one (and it involves draaanks): SuperFly Wednesdays. Starting next week and running through June 18th, passengers who fly Virgin America’s afternoon and evening flights on hump day will pass the time in the sky with two free cocktails. On the ground in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Las Vegas, a Virgin America boarding pass lets you continue your jet set lifestyle with free drinks at hot spots like The Ventian’s Tao, The Tropicana at the Roosevelt Hotel and the XYZ bar at the W Hotel.

There are some ifs, ands or buts involved, but we’re still taken with this promo.

One buckaroo. That’s it folks. Earlier this year, BoltBus launched its East Coast bus service offering riders more legroom, wi-fi and low, low fares. Now Greyhound Canada and Adirondack Trailways are following suit with their own juiced up bus line NeOn, whose inaugural 9.5-hour route launching May 22 rolls passengers between New York and Toronto in coaches with extra leg room, free wireless Internet access and in-seat power outlets.

But back to the $1 part, because that’s the best feature (that and the free wi-fi), if you ask me. $1 tickets (each way, plus booking fee) go on sale today and are available through either Adirondack Trailways or Greyhound. Only a few $1 fares are available for each trip, so booking early is key. After the cheapest seats are gone, the fares increase incrementally from there.

After hunting for some of the $1 fares this morning (which I found available on plenty of days this summer), here are some tips for finding them quickly:

- Book via Greyhound. The interface is much easier to use, and, as of today, Adirondack Trailways didn’t seem to have the new route listed yet.

- Select New York Penn Station and Toronto Royal York Hotel from the drop-down list as your points of departure and arrival.

- If you select round trip when you search, the lowest fares will appear as $2. The booking fee for the reservations I tested was $3.

- Note that Greyhound does not identify these routes as part of the new NeOn service.

- If you want to purchase the cheapest fares online, you’ll have to book at least 10 mailing days in advance. Otherwise, you’ll need to buy tickets in person at a Greyhound terminal or agency.

Through Thursday, you can get some decent deals on AirTran fares with its all-destination fare sale. To score the best fares, you’ll need to:

1. Purchase your ticket directly through AirTran (800-AIR-TRAN).

2. Purchase tickets at least 10 days before your departure date.

3. Travel on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Saturday.

4. Complete travel by Nov. 5, 2008

Happy hunting!

This week had almost too many good deals to choose just five, but somehow I managed. Here we go… in no particular order:

Ireland Summer Vacation & Air from $899 (Aer Lingus)
Seen on Frommer’s
You’ll save hundreds off booking this trip separately. This includes a flight to Shannon, and return from Dublin, a night at the swank Ritz-Carlton, and six nights at the Blarney Golf Resort. If you get tired of playing golf, you can tour the countryside in a full-size car (also included in the price).

$199 — NYC 4-Diamond Westin in Times Square (Westin New York)
Seen on Travelzoo
This hotel is really top-notch, even for New York. You’ll save over $100 on select stays through summer, and can even get discounts on upgrades to suites, spa, and club rooms.

Fly to London from $339, Stay 2 Nights FREE (British Airways)
Seen on Kayak
You might have seen this… it’s being advertised all over the place. You’ll get discounted flights through the peak season and get two nights at deluxe hotels in London for free. I’ve flown BA, and I can attest they treat their passengers right.

Escorted Tour of Peru from $1,069 - includes Air (Gate 1 Travel)
Seen on BookingBuddy
Just flying to Peru can cost as much as this entire package. You’ll see Lima and Cuzco, and this deal includes flights between cities, some meats. tours in a motor coach, and a lot more.

3- and 4-night Mexico Summer Cruises from $219 (Cruise Value Center)
Seen on Travel Ticker
If you’ve never taken a cruise, this is the perfect opportunity as these short sailing are enough to evaluate whether you’ll like it. They are also on Royal Caribbean ships that have great reputations. Some of these cruises also depart on Fridays, so you don’t even have to take a lot of time off work.