Though I would rather fill this blog with good news only -- bargains, discounts, cheap travel tactics -- it's important to be realistic. So I must advise of a travel setback: the decision by Eurofly (that feisty, cut-rate Italian carrier) to temporarily discontinue its flights from the U.S. to Italy as of October 16.

And thus, that amazing round-trip airfare between New York and Rome, amounting to only $343 including fuel surcharge, just won't be available starting October 16 and continuing through the rest of the autumn and all the winter months.

But Eurofly will be back with the first chirpy sounds of Spring. It promises to start up again when the winter doldrums are over, and I'll be on the lookout for its re-starting date, advising you the moment an announcement is made.

In the meantime, your cheapest method of getting to Italy in fall and winter may very well be to buy an air-and-land package there from Go-Today. Starting November 1, and continuing until the end of February, 2010, Go-Today's package called "Rome Escape" starts from only $549, including round-trip airfare from New York and four nights of hotel accommodations. If you wish, you can simply throw away the hotel nights and use the package simply as the means for enjoying a really-quite-good round-trip airfare of only $549 between New York and Rome. And there are, of course, low-cost add-ons for flights from other U.S. cities.