My first, and most obvious tip on saving money on airfare to Italy is to fly off-season.   From about mid-October to May, airfares of over 50% off the peak summer prices can be found.  The weather is still great in Italy in October and March and April are terrific too.

One advantage the traveler has in flying into Italy, it is connected with frequently scheduled, inexpensive, and fast trains from one major city to another.    This gives the traveler the opportunity to look for alternative airports to fly into to get to their destination.   For instance, Milan (MXP) airport is one of the least expensive airports to fly into, sometimes 40% cheaper than Rome or Florence.  What I do is fly into Florence, take an express train into Milan Centrale train station and take a 50 euro fast train into Rome and I am there within 3 hours.  We recently saved over $300 per person doing this, so with 2 people traveling you need to ask the question, is it worth saving $600 and arriving at my destination 3 hours later.

Another airport that is easy to fly into and offers significant saving is Bologna (BLQ).   Although it might require a connection to get there, the saving is significant.   For instance, I am flying to Italy to lead a small group tour of Italy next week.  The tour starts in Rome.   My airfare from New York to Rome would have cost about $1,200.  But flying in Bologna, I got a flight on American Airlines from JFK to London, connecting with a British Air flight for $687 round trip.  Worth the savings?  You bet.   Plus, Bologna is even closer to Rome than Milan.

So, on your next tour to Italy, consider flying into an alternative airport other than Rome, Florence, or Venice.   It might put some extra money in your pocket.

For more information on The Traveling Professor tours to Italy, see www.travelingprofessor.com