The second most costly part of a tour, after lodging, is airfare.  Airfares were sky-high a few years ago and it is my opinion the legacy carriers like American, Delta and United were gouging the consumer, despite lower fuel costs, on their fares to Europe.  It was my prediction that other "discount" airlines would come along and take advantage of a lucrative market by offering lower-fares to a variety of destinations in Europe.  But be aware, not all discount airlines are the same.  In this article, The Traveling Professor names his favorite discount airlines to Europe.

The Louvre is an enormous place with works of art spanning centuries.  The Louvre is a staple on each Traveling Professor small group tour to Paris.  So, how do we find the 5 best things in the Louvre?  Today we have advice from one of the best guides in Paris, Laurent Guariglia.  He has an encyclopedic knowledge of the Louvre and has the ability to tell the stories of the objects in it in an engaging and oftentimes, with good humor.   Read today's blog post to find out Laurent's top 5 picks of the Louvre.

Everyone needs to go to Rome at least once.  A small group tour to Rome is a staple on The Traveling Professor's Italy trips. Because of the crowds, Rome can be a difficult venue to maneuver.   Lines at major attractions can be overwhelming.  In today's blog post, The Professor will detail his favorite places to go in Rome and how to do those favorite places the right way.http://www.travelingprofessor.com/

For the fourth year in a row, The Traveling Professor will be speaking and exhibiting at The New York Times Travel Show at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.  Friday, January 27 is reserved for travel professionals but on Saturday and Sunday, January 28 and 29 is the consumer show.  Check out the blog post for The Professor's speaking scheduling and location of his booth, as well as how to get a free ticket to The New York Times Travel Show.

We often feature electronics as the travel product of the month.  This time we have a small device that will help you charge your electronic devices quickly.   Why we like this as a travel product is that sometimes while on the go, it is necessary to get a quick charge for a phone or other device while waiting a short time for a flight connection for instance.  Check out this handy little item, The Traveling Professor's Travel Product of the Month.

The Traveling Professor is taking two small group tours to Iceland and the Northern Lights in February.  We've been there several times before and we have a few great restaurants on our radar.  Dining can be on the expensive side in Reykjavik and in Iceland in general, but in today's blog post we highlight 3 Reykjavik restaurants that are priced well and provide a satisfying dining experience.

The Traveling Professor is adding a new small group tour for 2017:  Budapest, Vienna, and Prague.  There is no doubt, these are the most beautiful cities in Europe.  And yes, I will go out on a limb and say they are more beautiful than my beloved Paris.  The cities of Budapest, Vienna, and Prague offer an unusually good value compared to other parts of Europe.  We have picked special hotels, have developed a wonderful small group tour itinerary, and have some great itineraries lined up.  Read more in the blog post.

On our small group tours to Paris, we like to stay in the trendy and fashionable 5th arrondissement.  However, another favorite spot of Paris travelers is near the Eiffel Tower.  It is no secret that tourism is down in Paris due to recent unfortunate incidents.  Therefore, hotel deals abound.  Here are The Traveling Professor's picks for bargain hotels near the Eiffel Tower in Paris.