Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.I love it when a plan comes together. Such was the case recently when, while browsing vacation-rental listings (you know, like everyone does on a Friday night), I came across an over 50%-off deal at a resort that had been on my radar for a long time: Marriott's Village d'Ile de France, near Disneyland Paris.The catch? The rental began two weeks from the time I spotted it, in the dead of winter. (The price was certainly helped by the extreme off-season.)Thanks to three teacher workdays, two packable parkas, a fare sale on United, a Chase Sapphire Reserve $300 travel credit and a hero of a husband, an hour later my 12-year-old daughter and I were booked for a frigid week in France.BookingIf I'm booking a chain property, I usually go out of my way to book directly with the chain to make sure I receive status benefits. Marriott Vacation Club is a rare exception for two reasons: You can save a signific...
