Italy: Christmas train travel plus hotels for $419 a person

Christmas in Italy likely doesn’t get much cheaper than this: $419 per person for a six-night stay plus train travel from Rome to Florence and then on to Venice. It’s a nice sampler that allows travelers to explore cities on their own, or add on guided tours.

The deal: When was the last time any European land trip cost less than $100 a person? Rome, Florence & Venice by Rail from Gate1 Travel starts in the Italian capital with two-night stays in each city. Breakfast and train tickets come with this tour. Upgrades to first-class train tickets and pricier hotels are optional too. Airfare is extra.

When: The package is available Nov. 2-March 14. The lowest price leaves Dec. 21 and continues over Christmas.

Tested: I found availability for the tour starting Dec. 21 for the base price of $419 per person; the price doesn’t include tax and fees and is based on double occupancy.

The cost of airfare, of course, is the wild card in taking advantage of this deal. Using the December dates, I added round-trip airfare from Los Angeles to Gate1’s land package and came up with a total cost of $1,705 a person, including tax and fees.

Contact: Gate1 Travel, (800) 682-3333