Here’s a great offer brought to us courtesy of ShermansTravel.com.

If you’re living in Sicily and contemplating a trip to Rome, or vice-versa, check out Alitalia's special Web offer running from now until June 3. For just 60 euros each way, including taxes, you can fly direct from Rome Fiumicino to either Catania or Palermo, Sicily. Seats are limited, and you’ll need to fly there and back between June 1 and 30. This one-way fare appears to be about 40 euros less than the next cheapest category of ticket, so what better time than the present?

The great thing about cycling is that you can make whatever you want of it. From a short jaunt starting at your doorstep and ending at the biergarten, to a weeklong journey with a tent and sleeping bag in your panniers, there’s a route that’s right for everyone.

Here’s a quick tip for those in Germany ready, willing and able to fly on short notice.

In Italy now or planning a trip there over Memorial Day weekend? This Sunday, May 27 could be an excellent day to make a visit to a winery.

A fact I have not yet revealed about myself- I hate to drive. I have my license, but my preferred means of getting about is either by public transportation or on my trusty bike. When I cycle, I’m slow but steady, and on a weekend day, I often manage to clock up quite a few miles. Although the town in which I live is nothing special, there are a whole slew of great places within peddling distance- the Rhine and the Bergstrasse ranking tops amongst those places most easily reached.

A blog reader commented that his access to travel opportunities increased immeasurably when he discovered Ryanair. I daresay many of us traveling types have benefited greatly from the rise of this and other budget airlines. The first year of dating the man who eventually became my husband was a long-distance affair – he lived in the Frankfurt area while I was based in Rome. In fact, if it weren’t for Ryanair and its cheap flights, I might still be single.

The second Sunday in May is the day Americans have set aside to pay special attention to their mothers.  Germans mark this very same date for the very same reason, which, in terms of travel opportunities, is a bit of a double-edged sword. It’s great because it means many towns and businesses will have special events laid on, but it can also mean you’ll be jostling the crowds.

Any Italy-based Stripes readers out there? If so, here’s a bit of news I hope you can use.

Each year, the Ministry of Cultural and Artistic Patrimony of Italy organizes a Culture Week. The “Settimana della Cultura” for 2007 will be May 12-20. According to the Italian National Tourist Board, pretty much every museum and archaeological site participates in the initiative.

Hi. My name is Karen, and I am a traveloholic. Give me a long weekend, and I can’t resist hitting the road to somewhere. Sometimes I don’t know where I’m headed until I am there.