With the strong dollar, the days of luxury hotels at bargain prices are back. The Traveling Professor introduces travelers to one of the most spectacular hotels in all of Europe, perched on the cliffs overlooking the Bay of Naples, the gateway to the Amalfi Coast. We'll see Ravello, Positano, Sorrento and of course, Capri. From there we head up to our top-rated hotel in Florence where we will base ourselves for our tour of Tuscany - at the perfect time of year. Luxury is back at affordable prices. See the details on The Professor's newest tour in this blog post.
Since The Traveling Professor has been running small group tours to Paris, Italy, Spain and other destinations in Europe, every year the price of a tour goes up. In fact, on our first tour to Paris back in 2008, we could run a tour for $999. Since then I have added many, many amenities and improved our tours significantly, but the price has gone up too, almost three times the original amount. But just because of the weakness in the US dollar, costs on running a tour to Europe have risen significantly. But now, the US dollar is stronger than it has been in about 15 years and for the first time since I have been running tours, prices have gone down. NOW is the time to go to Europe.
The Traveling Professor tours to Italy are a little bit different than those standard big-bus tours you see going there. First of all, we only travel with about 12 people. But we don't like to insulate our travelers by putting them in those big busses either. We like to take public transportation like the high-speed luxury trains that go from city to city. Whether traveling with The Professor on a small group tour to Italy or going on your own, you'll appreciate these tips on buying train tickets in Italy.http://www.travelingprofessor.com/
On any tour to Paris, dining out is an important component of the trip. Whenever I take a tour to Paris I like to dine at least one restaurant that has that typical Parisian atmosphere. You know, it could be those places with high ceilings, paneled with mirrors, or it could be a romantic spot, with chandeliers and candles. Read The Professor's blog post to find out his picks on the best Paris restaurants for classic beauty and style.
We get ideas on proposals for new places to travel all the time. Most of them come from travelers we meet at trade shows or on trips they are currently on. We are also approached by many different sources (mostly tourist board or tour operators) to run trips. A lot of new and exciting things will be going on in 2016, and we think it might be the biggest year yet for The Traveling Professor's tours. To take a look at where we are thinking of going in 2016, take a look at today's travel blog post.
On The Traveling Professor's small group tours to Italy, Venice is one of our most popular stops. Everyone loves the unique canals, history, great food, and of course, the gondolas. Like any other Italian city, Venice is easy and enjoyable. However, there are some things to take under considerations that will greatly enhance your tour to Venice.
Whenever we take a small group tour to Paris we always visit the top attractions like the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Louvre and Orsay. But how about something a little different? In today's blog post we take you to some of the most unusual and offbeat sites in Paris. The Professor guarantees that you will be talking about them for years to come.
Most travelers who have not visited Italy before think of a tour to the Colosseum, the Accademia in Florence to see David, or maybe Venice to visit St. Mark's Square is on what should be on their itinerary. But for those of us who have enjoyed Italy before and want to go past the souvenir stands, escape the hordes of foreign tourists, and enjoy the REAL Italy, does The Traveling Professor have a tour for you. Take a look at today's blog post to see a delightful itinerary of Italy that is yours for discovery.
For me, I enjoy our small group tours to Machu Picchu in a different way than I enjoy our tours to Europe. Peru and Machu Picchu are more about adventure, physical activity, and immersion into a culture that is so different from what we experience in North America and Europe. A trip to Peru and Machu Picchu is logistically difficult to plan. For instance, other than walking, there is only one way to Machu Picchu. In today's blog post I give a sample itinerary for visiting the best of Peru and Machu Picchu.
With Valentine's Day coming up, I have been getting questions about romantic Paris restaurants. Immediately, several Paris restaurants come to mind. Some are traditional, some are more modern. One runs along the Seine River. One serves up traditional French dishes, another one puts up nouvelle cuisine. In any case, Paris is a wonderful time to spend Valentine's Day and it can only be enhanced with the wonderful restaurant selections in today's Paris blog post.