On our small group tours to Peru and Machu Picchu, we stay in modern, full-service hotels that have all the amenities you would expect in a US-based hotel.  Many people I meet (incorrectly) perceive Peru as being a "third-world" country with sub-par accommodations.  However, those who have traveled on one of The Traveling Professor's small group tours to Peru and Machu Picchu wil tell you, the hotels we stay in are first-rate, and are still bargains and superior quality to those found in Europe.  

One of the largest expenses on a tour to Italy or a tour to Paris is airfare.   Airfares vary widely depending upon season.   It always isn't as straight-forward as it seems when trying to determine the least expensive time of year to fly to Europe.   In this blog post I will talk about when to fly to Paris or Italy and there might be a surprise or two as to when to make your trip.

Orly airport in Paris used to be the main international airport.   Now, it is used mostly for intra-continental flights.  However, there are times when the traveler to Paris will be routed through Orly airport instead of the more commonly used CDG Paris airport.  In this blog post I have simplified for the Paris traveler, how to get from into the city when arriving at Paris Orly. 

Many of our small group tours to Italy include a visit to Siena.  It is only an hour or so away from Florence by bus and a pleasant ride through the Chianti countryside.   Once arriving in Siena, we usually sit in Il Campo, the most beautiful of all Italy squares and enjoy a cafe or have lunch.    After that, I always make sure to visit the interesting, colorful, and historical Duomo.   See my blog post on what to see and do when traveling to Siena and visiting the Duomo.

One of those perfectly French things is a wine bar.  It's a place to hang out, try some wines, have some cheese and maybe some olives or dried meats.   Whenever I travel to Paris, I make it a point to stop in at a wine bar.   They are scattered all over Paris, generally open after 5 pm at night, and are full of Parisians and the occasional Paris tourist.   Check out my blog post to find out about my favorite Paris wine bars.

Chances are, your next trip to Italy will go flawlessly, without any trouble or issues.   However, it is well-advised to be prepared before something happens as opposed to when it happens.    In today's blog post, I have outlined some procedures and given some information in case of some type of special situation or emergency while on tour to Italy.   There are also some tips on safe travel to Italy as well.

It is safe to say that I travel internationally more than the typical person.   On top of that, I am usually traveling with more than a dozen people coming from all parts of North America on my small group tours to Europe and Peru.  Over the years I have seen travelers trips interrupted for a variety of reasons such as snowy weather, lost luggage, loss of a job, erupting volcanoes, hurricanes, floods, strikes, mechanical issues with planes, missed flights, lost passports, and illness of relatives, among others.  Fortunately, these issues don't occur as frequently as you might think, but they do happen.  Let's face it, going on vacation is expensive and you might want to protect your vacation from being a total disaster and there is a way to do that - with trip interruption insurance.

When on a tour to Peru and Machu Picchu, the majority of travelers make the mistake of visiting Machu Picchu for only one day, arriving on the train in the morning and then departing later that day.   For me, this is the biggest mistake someone can make when taking a trip to Machu Picchu.   There is plenty to see and do at Machu Picchu and in this blog post I will talk about two spectacular hikes, one to Huaynu Picchu and the other to The Sun Gate.

Some people make the mistake of trying to do too much when they take a tour of Italy.  For instance, they will want to go to Rome, Florence, Venice, the Amalfi Coast, Cinque Terre, Milan, etc. all in one trip.   My advice is to just take Italy in comfortable segments of a week or two.   In this blog post, I lay out a typical one week Italy travel itineary.

A typical trip to Italy might involve staying 3 days in Rome and another 4 in Florence.   Let’s take a look at what a trip like that to Italy would cost a traveler.   We’ll take into account lodging costs, meals, admissions, local transportation and miscellaneous items.  After reading the blog post, you should have a good idea of what it will cost you to travel to Italy for a week-long vacation.