While lots of travel companies are cutting back their offerings in anticipation of an economically strangled 2009 travel season, Kathy and Charley Wood are expanding the breadth of their laid back tours from the Luberon in France to the Salzkammergut in Austria and the Bavarian Alps in southern Germany.

There are five tours of the Luberon, one only for women. The two in September are fully booked (take that, you travel naysayers!). Kathy and Charley will lead the out-of-France tours in June. Take a look at the new European Experiences web site and see if a tour has your name written all over it.

Here's Don's offer: For anyone who lost their job and must travel in search of a new one they are offering their luggage at half price, with the first 10 people getting a free SkyRoll garment bag. You can get the details from the Skyroll Specials page.

Read our review of the SkyRoll Carry-on Bag.

On my very first trip to Europe in the 70s, I latched on to a book called "Njal's Saga" in London. It was a fascinating glimpse into a remote island's struggle with governance and morality in the tenth and early eleventh centuries. Despite the fact that the saga was only written down in the 13th century, I read that the sites could be visited, that you'd still see preserved remnants of the heroic battles if you were an intrepid traveler.

Today, through the Saga Center in Hvolsvöllur, you can not only learn about early Iceland and the saga tradition, but you can go on tours, following along as Njáls Saga spreads across the Icelandic landscape.

Read more about the Saga Center, or see a map of Iceland. Remember that the Icelandic krona's fall, from 65 to the dollar a year ago to about 123 today, makes Iceland an affordable destination these days.