Ready to book a spur-of-the-moment getaway? Here's a look at some very useful online resources for last-minute travel.

Keep in mind that prices fluctuate and inventory can change daily, so you should visit the sites frequently to scope out the best deal. And expect to pay more than the first price you see.

Courtesy of MGM Grand (ENLARGE)
Three nights at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas is among deals offered by 11thHour.com
EMAIL THIS PRINT THIS MOST POPULAR
LAST-MINUTE TRAVEL Last-minute travel: Flexibility is the key  Know where to click when vacation bug bites  Experts say: Register for e-mail alerts, try alternative destinations  She who hesitates is out an additional $400  Food fests, fun with marine life just a short hop away  Hit the road for music, mirth, mischief

LastMinuteTravel.com

• On the Web: www.lastminutetravel.com

• Founded: 1997

• The lowdown: Hundreds of deals on flights, hotels, cruises, cars and packages as well as vacations with Funjet Vacation charters. Top 20 Deals is also a feature of the site.

The Speed-Book function makes it easy to fill in your booking criteria. When booking packages, after choosing a destination, you select a flight, then a hotel. The base price will be for the lowest airfare (which may not be nonstop) and the lowest-priced accommodation. The final price will depend on your choices. Package prices are per person based on double occupancy.

•Recent sample deal: Airfare and three nights in Miami, Thursday through July 3, is $672.21 for two at Red Roof Inn Airport and $1,594.50 at Delano Hotel on South Beach.

11thHour.com

• On the Web: www.11thhourvacations.com

• Founded: 1995

• The lowdown: These Vacations Priced to Go include weekly specials, many for travel a month to six weeks out. Search for vacation and cruises from a revolving inventory of more than 15 million deals. Narrow your choices by clicking on such themes as Beach, Budget, Top 11 and Romance. The Ideal Vacation Finder feature lets you plug in preferences and then shows you packages that fit.

The newly redesigned cruise booking makes it easier to determine what kind of cabin you're booking, where it's located and what the cost is. There's more information on cabin category and selections, including images, descriptions, deck plans and occupancy limits.

The site's 24-hour hold on bookings gives buyers a chance to change their minds, but once booked, the deal is done. And although you can select a hotel, there is no flexibility with the flight.

You can also book hotels, flights and rental cars separately.

• Sample deal: Two people can stay three nights in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino or Mirage for $1,114.60, including taxes, with a departure this Thursday, airfare included. Travel insurance and airport transfers can be purchased at additional cost.

Site59

• On the Web: www.site59.com

• Founded: 2000

• The lowdown: Owned by Travelocity and named for the 59th, or last, minute, Site59 packages themed weekend getaways with clever names like Bye-Bye Bayou Budget Blues — a quick trip to New Orleans. You can book three ways: flight and hotel with optional car; flight and car; or hotel and car. Packages to destinations in North and South America and Europe can be purchased 14 days to three hours before departure. The site also sorts by categories such as Sun & Beach, the Great Outdoors, Under $250 and Luxury.

To find a deal, you can select a specific destination or browse the inventory, which varies but usually includes more than 200 packages at any given time.

A plus: witty destination guides and editor's picks of things to do and places to dine.

• Sample deal: A three-night "Memphis, Tenn.: Tickled Pink in the City of Blues" hotel and air package was $283.53 per person or $567.06 for two with accommodations at Courtyard by Marriott Memphis Airport. Add $197 per person for the Residence Inn Memphis Downtown, a historic art deco-style hotel within walking distance of Beale Street, bringing the cost for two to $961.06.

Expedia.com

• On the Web: www.expedia.com/lastminute

• Founded: 1996 (the last-minute store was launched in mid-June, although Expedia has long offered such deals).

• The lowdown: An ever-changing inventory of flights, hotels, rental cars, cruises and packages. When you enter the name of the city from which you're traveling, a selection of deals will appear. Or you can book by entering your departure city and dates you wish to travel. Customize packages by selecting a different flight from the one originally offered and adding a rental car. The site also includes tips for getting the best deals — such as traveling to Las Vegas midweek and searching for low-flight Web fares, which are released on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for travel the upcoming weekend.

• Sample deal: Airfare and four nights at Couples Ocho Rios, an all-inclusive resort in Jamaica, is $2,575.38 for two, Thursday through July 4. This represents a discount of $89.36 for booking air and hotel together. The flight has a connection in Miami. Vegas for three nights for two people at the Mirage with airfare is $1,275.32 for Thursday through July 3. (The flights make one stop each way.)

Other helpful sites

While these sites do not deal exclusively in last-minute travel, they offer bargains for spontaneous travelers:

• VacationsToGo.com (www.vacationstogo.com): Savings of up to 75 percent on last-minute cruises.

• Hotwire (www.hotwire.com): Hotwire claims it can deliver savings of up to 55 percent on last-minute travel.

• Orbitz (www.orbitz.com): Select the Vacations tab, then click on Last Minute Deals.

• SideStep (www.sidestep.com): This search engine lays out a smorgasbord of deals, domestic and international, from multiple providers to more than 3 million consumers each month. Click the Deals tab for TravelFinds — flights, packages and cruises — or subscribe to the e-mails newsletter.

• Kayak.com (www.kayak.com): One-stop shopping for vacation deals from Funjet, Discount Vacations, Hotwire, Sunburst Vacations, Vacation Outlet and Liberty Travel.

• SmarterTravel.com (www.smartertravel.com): This free subscription service offers weekly e-mail newsletters detailing last-minute Internet deals and the latest promotions. The site posts the latest fare sales, deals and special promotions daily along with travel advice.

• Travelzoo (www.travelzoo.com): Click on Last Minute Specials and specify your departure city to find some pretty amazing deals (like $45 per person for an all-inclusive resort in La Romana, Dominican Republic, from Fun Caribe).

• Priceline.com (www.priceline.com): The granddaddy of the name-your-price game also is a good bet for last-minute planners. Click the Vacation Packages tab, then select Last Minute Packages from the Sample Our Favorite Finds menu.

• CheapTickets (www.cheaptickets.com): Click on the Last Minute Trips tab for package deals.

• Hotels.com (www.hotels.com) and Quikbook.com (www.quikbook.com): These hotel room brokers can be good sources for late discounts on accommodations.

• Last Minute Vacations Guide (www.last-minute-vacation-guide.com): A must for last-minute travelers. Editors of this info-packed site, founded in 2003, do the work for you, sifting through last-minute travel and vacation deals from sites such as Orbitz, Cheap Caribbean.com and Hotels.com.