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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 newlyreleased biography of Ryanair’s boss, to see how this airline became Europe’s number one carrier. But I digress…

New routes continue to open up at lightning speed on Ryanair and other budget airlines. I’ve decided against listing all of the new routes, as many are nowhere near military communities or prime tourist destinations. But with this ever-expanding network of cheap air, our travel options keep on growing. And remember, with cheapo one-way fares, you don’t have to confine yourself to just there and back. Suppose you have family coming in for Christmas. You all could, theoretically, fly Ryanair out of Frankfurt-Hahn, spend the weekend in Dublin, from there head on over to Alicante, Spain, fly in to Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden, and take the train home from there. Oh the possibilities!

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.

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.

 
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About the Author

Karen Bradbury has lived and worked in Europe for more than fifteen years. She has called Moscow, Copenhagen, Rome and now a small wine-producing village along the Rhine in Germany home. When she's not working, whatever the season, she's probably traveling.

Email: bradburyk@estripes.osd.mil