Discovering discount sites for exploring someplace new

At least, that's what group buying site /*Groupon*/, and their crop of competitors, are hoping.

Groupon getaways will launch later this month, with the help of travel site /*Expedia*/, with discounts of 50 percent or more on flights, hotels, car rentals and cruises.

The idea is similar to the daily deals Groupon offers for local restaurants and merchants in almost 200 cities.

/*Groupon*/ /*Getaways*/ follows one of its top competitors down the travel path, /*Living Social*/ /*Escapes*/, which has been operating on a similar premise for about a year now. It's an offshoot of the group buying site that offers hotel stays at low prices.

There's also /*Snique Away*/, a private sale site that tips you off to luxury travel experiences, so you can do just what the name of the site implies, sneak away.

The social savvy doesn't have to end once you've hit your discount destination. A /*trip advisor*/ survey found that 38 percent of travelers use their mobile devices to plan a trip - 60 percent have downloaded travel apps, to research new adventures and even more deals, out on the road.

For more information on these great discount travel deals, check out