Let's face it, cities like Rome, Florence, and Venice are just way overcrowded.  For instance, the line to get in the Vatican Museum can be OVER A MILE LONG.  Big crowds prevent you from seeing David or the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.  St. Mark's Square in Venice is awash with people, sometimes so many you might think you're in Disney World during spring break. But there are authentic and small Italian towns to visit, just about any time of the year.  Check them out in my Italy blog post.

The Traveling Professor has been running his exclusive small group tour to Iceland for several years now.  Iceland has a lot to offer in terms of natural beauty.  There are volcanoes, geysers, glaciers, black sand beaches and breathtaking waterfalls. There is the unique geothermal bathing experience at the Blue Lagoon. However, Iceland can be expensive.  It has been ranked as the second most expensive city in Europe. The Traveling Professor is introducing an exclusive bargain Iceland small group tour.  But don't the the words "Bargain Iceland" scare you away. Everything about this tour is top-notch in terms of lodging, private guided tours, and a premium Blue Lagoon experience.  See the blog post for more.

Everyone loves Venice.  In fact, we will be in Venice this September on a Traveling Professor small group tour to Venice.  Hotel selection is important in Venice.  It needs to be well located.  It has to be comfortable.  Good service is always a factor when The Traveling Professor books a hotel for his small group tours in Venice. The Traveling Professor has 3 good hotels in Venice for your selection. Join The Traveling Professor on a small group tour to Venice or choose from those provided in today's blog post.

Everyone is always looking for ways to save money on airline tickets.  If you look at The Traveling Professor's blog posts on how to save money on airline tickets, travelers can implement easy methods to save significant amounts of money on airline tickets.  There is one way to save on airline tickets, but it is a controversial one, and not without risks.  You may have seen the recent article "Lufthansa Airlines Sues Customer Who Skipped Part of His Return Flight".   This customer used a "throw away" or "hidden city" ticket on the return and did save a substantial amount of money.  Let's talk about throw away tickets, the advantages, disadvantages, and possible penalties of using this travel strategy.

The Traveling Professor has taken hundreds on his small group tours to Paris.  We stay in a variety of hotels but The Professor always recommends clean, comfortable, and quiet hotel in good locations.  The Professor likes to be near the center of it all, close to good transportation connections and attractions.  The Professor likes a hotel near restaurants and cafes. Take a look at The Traveling Professor's blog post for 4 recommendations for Paris hotels in good locations and at value prices.

We recently returned from doing two small group tours to Iceland and the Northern Lights.  We do a wonderful small group tour to Iceland where we see volcanoes, geysers, glaciers, black sand beaches, and many waterfalls,  But the highlight (pun intended) is when we go out at night to hunt down the dramatic but sometimes elusive Northern Lights. In this blog post, The Traveling Professor gives his best tips for going down and tracking down the amazing light show presented by Mother Nature herself.