Travel Expo in Ramstein on Sept. 29

If you aren’t on the road Saturday, military I.D. card holders in Germany who love to travel should head on over to the Travel Expo at Ramstein Air Base.

The event is hosted by RTT Travel and Ramstein Outdoor Recreation, and will focus on all manner of travel possibilities and vacation suggestions from now until the spring.

New routes on budget airlines

Do we love Ryanair, or do we fly them only because their prices are so darn cheap? I won’t answer that question! But does Ryanair really care about its passengers’ love, as long as the airline is profitable? Read “Michael O'Leary: A Life in Full Flight,” the newly released biography of Ryanair’s boss, to see how this airline became Europe’s number one carrier. But I digress…

The autobahn celebrates its 75th birthday

I was listening to the evening news with half an ear recently when a piece caught my attention. Seems the German autobahn recently celebrated its 75th anniversary -- on Aug. 6, to be exact.

One of the more informative articles and discussion I found on this topic is from the Web site Wired, and titled “Autobahn Turns 75, Reveals Cultural Differences in Safety.”

Italy has wine festivals, too

And although I don’t know so much about them, thankfully, someone else does.

How to be part of Italy’s Autumnal Wine Harvest” was posted on Frommer’s Web site just a few days ago. It features an overview of the various types of wines found in regions from Rome to Brescia. There’s also a list of upcoming wine festivals throughout the country.

Not in Italy? For lists of wine festivals in other European countries, see Stripes' own 2007 European Wine Festival Calendar.

In search of fall foliage in Europe

Are you from one of those states which can boast of spectacular fall foliage? If so, you may be feeling a little homesick at this time of year, and quite possibly, you're keen to do a little leaf-peeping right here in Europe.

But where should you go? I've seen some striking fall colors in Skåne, southern Sweden, although the show probably wasn't spectacular enough to warrant a special trip up there. Germany's Romantic Road at the end of September last year was a treat in yellow and gold.