Here are some of the more interesting deals, websites and other travel tidbits that came across our desk recently.
Foreign Independent Tours’ nine-day Italy by Train package includes round-trip air from New York, three nights in Rome, four nights in Venice, train between the two cities, a full day of sightseeing and a cooking class starting at $1,699 per person, double occupancy. Airport fees and taxes are additional. 800-248-3487, tinyurl.com/6cf53fg
They’re not cheap, but if you’re looking for an intimate cruising experience, French Country Waterways’ fleet of eight- to 12-passenger luxury barges do six-night cruises of the canals and rivers of France. 800-222-1236, fcwl.com
Three New Hampshire inns are offering a Currier & Ives Maple Sugar Weekend and Progressive Dinner March 18-20. The package includes two nights’ lodging, breakfasts with maple as the star ingredient, a map of area sugar houses for self-guided tours and a pint of maple syrup to take home, starting at $210 per room at one inn and $258 at either of the other two. The three-course progressive dinner, which moves from inn to inn, is an additional $39 per person. 800-938-5273, 888-812-5571 or 866-428-3198, tinyurl.com/4pohkew
The Tourism Board of Zambia is holding a contest to come up with a new slogan and logo. Prize for each winner is a 15-day, $30,000 trip for two to Zambia. Deadline to enter is Feb. 25. Details at zambiatourism.com.
Zion Lodge in Southwest Utah’s Zion National Park has Sunday through Thursday rates starting at $89 per night and Friday and Saturday rates starting at $99 through March 31. Breakfast is included. Use promotion code WNTR when making reservations. 888-297-2757, tinyurl.com/2w5muul
The 2011 Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival, billed as one of the biggest and oldest consumer wine festival events in the world, will be March 28-April 3. playhousewinefest.com
At trustedhousesitters.com you can find people around the world looking for someone to watch their homes while they’re away. It’ll cost you $15 a month or $60 for a year’s membership, but you can get a 50 percent discount with promotional code TMUS11.
If you end up being the 1,500,000th subscriber to CheapCaribbean.com’s newsletter, you’ll win a four-night vacation for two to the Caribbean or Mexico. Sign up at tinyurl.com/4z6un7g.
Not sure when’s the best time to cruise to your dream destination? CruiseCritic.com has the answers at tinyurl.com/5okvtk.
The 53rd annual Fort Myers Beach Shrimp Festival and Parade is scheduled for March 12-13. fortmyersbeachshrimpfestival.com
Deals and websites listed here have been checked for availability as of press time, but the listings are not an endorsement.
