SAN FRANCISCO, CA–(Marketwire – June 23, 2010) – Finding the best price is always important. But for Viator.com, the leading resource for researching and booking more than 5,500 trip activities and experiences at the best prices, providing travelers with great value goes far beyond money. With skip-the-line and private tours, as well as limited-time-only activities, summer travel this year can prove to be priceless.

“We are thrilled to see a return to travel this summer, particularly in the U.S. as the dollar has begun to strengthen against the Euro and consumer confidence is on the rise,” said Barrie Seidenberg, CEO and president of Viator.com. “Finding the best value includes the best price of course, but for Viator it also means saving our customers from standing in line, providing impossible to come by access, and creating intimate and unique experiences that will make for some of the best moments of their lives.”

SKIP THE LINE

Skip-the-line tours not only help travelers avoid many hours of idle waiting (up to four in some cases), travelers can capitalize on time saved by experiencing more of their destination. One of Viator’s most popular activities, Skip the Line: Vatican Museums Walking Tour including Sistine Chapel, Raphael’s Rooms and St Peter’s, boasts 3,282 traveler reviews. If an average wait time is one hour (it’s typically more), Viator collectively saved 137 days of waiting in line for those travelers. Skip-the-lines activities include:

• Rome: The Vatican and Sistine Chapel, the Colosseum (up to 2 hours), the Crypts
• Florence: the Accademia (up to 1 1/2 hours), Uffizi (up to 5 hours) Galleries
• Paris: the Louvre (up to 1 hour), Notre Dame Cathedral, the Catacombs
• London: London Eye (up to 1 hour), Buckingham Palace, Madame Tussauds, Tower of London

PRIVATE TOURS

Private tours can sometimes cost more, but when the ratio of traveler to guide is small, customization can come into play making the experience much more meaningful. With no need to search for empty seats on a sold-out bus or to strain to hear the guide with 50 people chatting around you, private tours are worth every penny. Extraordinary examples include:

• Private Viewing of the Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museums with just 20 people, private guide and after hours. Talk about priceless.
• Viator Exclusive: Private Paris Tour by Citroen 2CV brings travelers to the Paris only locals know
• Private Tour: New York City by Chauffeured Classic Convertible with a native New Yorker in his Caprice Classic
• Private Tour: Giza Pyramids and Sphinx with a personal expert Egyptologist at your service

LIMITED TIME ONLY

In the summertime, everyone travels, including the Pope and the Queen of England. For a limited time, travelers to Rome can experience an audience with the Pope at his summer residence during the Papal Blessing at Castelgandolfo Day Trip from Rome (five Sundays in August). From the end of July to the 1st of October, visitors to London can tour the Royal Family’s home while they are away during the Skip the Line: Buckingham Palace Tour. Both private and limited, the Private Viewing of Stonehenge including Bath and Lacock brings travelers inside the inner circle of stones at sunrise or sunset and operates just a few days a year from July through September. And, for just six days this summer, the Scottish Highland Games Day Trip from Edinburgh is available and will be sure to sell out early so caber tossing enthusiasts should book soon.

Travelers can visit the Viator Travel Blog as well as Twitter and Facebook for information on promotions, deals, contests, suggestions and inspiration.

About Viator
Viator is the world’s leading online resource for travel experiences, providing access to more than 5,500 tours, attractions and activities in 450-plus destinations in 75 countries. Viator — the Latin word for traveler — offers travelers a one-stop shop to plan, research and book trip activities with helpful resources like more than 100,000 traveler reviews and photos, star ratings, suggested itineraries and the Viator Travel Blog. Viator’s in-house travel experts have picked respected and trusted local operators to ensure a quality experience, value and service, all backed by Viator’s low-price guarantee. Founded in 1995, Viator sells its products directly to consumers at www.viator.com and through its global network of more than 1,000 affiliates that include major hotel and airline companies, online travel agencies, city-specific sites and more. Through its collection of company operated and affiliated sites, including seven local language sites across Europe, Viator welcomes more than 2.5 million visitors per month. Viator is headquartered in San Francisco with regional offices in Sydney, London and Las Vegas.

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