Fall Package Deals to Rome, Florence, Venice, and More from $1,169 with Air

Visiting Italy is sheer bliss at any time of the year, but the fall is my favorite season there, especially the month of September when the weather is perfect, the crowds have dissipated, and early winter fashion ranges hit the stores. And of course October, too, the month of wine and delicious white truffles. Even if you've been before, its' time to head back to Italy for a fix of culture, history, art, fine food, plenty of vino, and, despite the Euro, shopping.

The bargain trans-Atlantic airfares of years gone by have all but disappeared thanks to record fuel prices and service cuts, but relatively speaking, finding a reasonable flight to Italy really isn't that difficult, especially if you are flexible with departure dates. Midweek is almost always the cheapest time to fly.

Flying non-stop to Italy can save you several hours both in the air and waiting around at airports to connect -- not to mention a reduced risk of baggage delay or loss. Eurofly (tel. 800/459-0581; www.euroflyusa.com) is a low cost Italian carrier that flies non-stop from New York to Rome five days a week and also flies non-stop less frequently to Naples, Bologna, and Palermo with onward connections to Pescara, Bari, and Lamezia Terme. A non-stop round-trip to Rome or Bologna during the month of September is priced from $549 airfare plus a $320 fuel surcharge (for a total of $869, plus taxes). Flights to Palermo during September start from $969 plus taxes (that's $649 in airfare and $320 for fuel surcharge).

1800 Fly Europe (tel. 800/359-3876; www.1800flyeurope.com) has a range of discounted flights to Rome, Venice, and Milan (often via another European capital) valid for departures between September 6 and October 31, 2008. All prices include fuel surcharges of between $200 and $496, although taxes are additional and can be around $200. These special fares must be booked by July 31, 2008.

Sample fares include:

• Boston or Chicago to Rome for $607
• New York to Venice or Milan for $647
• Atlanta to Milan for $797
• San Francisco to Rome or Venice for $857
• Dallas to Milan or Rome for $829
• Seattle to Rome, Venice or Milan for $867

Among the cheapest September fares to Italy are those offered flying Iberia when booking through Vayama.com (www.vayama.com). A midweek round-trip flight from New York to Rome, Pisa, or Milan via Madrid starts from $745 including all taxes but keep in mind that it will probably add a couple of hours on to your flight time. For $971, Vayama has flights on Delta and Alitalia non-stop to Rome from New York including all taxes.

If you can hold off until late October and beyond, Alitalia (tel. 800/223-5730; www.alitalia.com), Italy's national carrier, is currently promoting an Early Bird fall and winter sale on its airfares to Italy. Fares start at $878 round-trip (New York to Rome) for travel between October 29, 2008 and March 25, 2009 (with a blackout period of December 13 to 25, 2008). Sample prices include Boston to Rome from $927, Miami to Venice from $878, Chicago to Florence from $987, Boston to Pisa from $963, and Chicago to Catania from $1,129. All these fares include taxes and fees. A Saturday night stay is required with a maximum stay of one month allowed. Seven days advance purchase necessary and there is a $50 surcharge for weekend travel.

Gate 1 Travel (tel. 800/682-3333; www.gate1travel.com) has an eight-day Tuscany escorted package deal priced from $1,169 plus tax per person based on double occupancy for Saturday departures in November 2008 or $1,889 plus taxes for travel in September and October 2008. The trip includes round-trip airfare from New York to Florence, airline fuel surcharges, six nights' accommodations at the centrally located four-star Grand Hotel Plaza in Montecatini, all transfers, nine meals, sightseeing with local guides, entrance fees, and train transportation to Lucca, Pisa, and Florence. Also included are a lecture on Renaissance art, a walking tour of Lucca and Pisa and wine and olive oil tasting at a Tuscan vineyard.

Gate 1's eight-day Southern Italy tour is priced from $1,919 plus taxes per person and features flights from New York to Rome and returning from Naples, fuel surcharges, six nights' accommodations at four-star hotels (three at Hotel Palatino in Rome and three at Hotel Central in Sorrento), all transfers, nine meals, sightseeing with local guides, entrance fees, and visits to the Forum, the Colosseum, the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, Pompeii, and the Amalfi Coast.

And for a nine-night package deal for a little over the cost of airfare alone, try Go-Today (tel. 800/227-3235; www.go-today.com). Travel between November 1 and 15, 2008 and pay $1,169 plus taxes per person for this trip which includes flights from New York to Rome with the return from Venice, three nights each in Rome (Taormina Hotel), Florence (Hotel Palazzuolo) and Venice (Hotel Pantalon), continental breakfast daily, hotel taxes, airline fuel surcharges, and second-class reserved train tickets between cities. This package must be purchased by August 21, 2008. Add $30 for departures from Boston or Philadelphia, $110 from Detroit, $120 from Miami or $150 from Dallas.

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