It’s a major pet peeve of mine that steep drops in airfare to my beloved Italy aren’t nearly as common as fare sales to other countries in Europe. The fact is that flying to Italy, even to the country’s big airport hubs of Rome and Milan, is usually significantly more expensive than flying to, say, Paris, London, or Amsterdam. I’ve never been able to figure out why that is, and it continues to annoy me. But it also means that when good deals to Italy come along, they’re worth paying attention to.

Arthur Frommer’s blog recently posted an article about a package deal to Venice that made me take notice. It’s a 6-night trip to the canal city that includes round-trip airfare and six nights in a Venice hotel for $699 per person. That price is for trips from either New York or Boston, and there are other departure cities available for an extra fee. Also included in that price is breakfast at the hotel each day, all hotel service charges and taxes, and airline fuel surcharges. There will still be the addition of airport taxes and fees, which are just over $100 at the moment. So overall, this is a pretty sweet deal.

In order to take advantage of this low price, you’ll need to book by December 31, and travel between now and March 31, 2009. In my own experience, Venice in the winter can be bitterly cold and enveloped in fog, but it’s also at its most magical. The crowds aren’t there, and the city can really be yours. Be sure to read all the details about this deal before you book, and if you do go - please give Venice a hug for me. I miss her.