The following websites are good resources if you plan to extend your stay in Europe beyond Italy's borders.

• CROATIA NATIONAL TOURIST BOARD

  This official national website includes destination articles, hotel and transportation services, and a section called “Tourism Plus” that lets you search for itineraries based on activities such as golf, camping, hunting, snow skiing, and rafting. There is also an “Events” section with a searchable database of upcoming festivals and other celebrations. You can search by region, island, town, or date.

• EUROTRIP

  This is a favorite website among travelers looking to save a few bucks by backpacking, sleeping in hostels, and such. You will find links to articles titled “Cheap Flight Tactics,” “Hostels for a Newbie,” and “I Don't Quite Understand the Eurorail System” (presumably, you will if you read the entire article). An interesting feature on this site is the ability to search for affordable hostel rooms in all European countries at once.

• FRANCEGUIDE

  This is the English version of the official website of the French Government Tourism Office. In addition to all the hotel, transportation, and general travel information that you would expect to find on a site of this nature, Franceguide also offers contests where you can enter to win free vacations in Paris and beyond.

• GERMANY TOURISM

  Germany Tourism is the official website of the German National Tourist Board. It offers tips for planning itineraries in all parts of the country, weather forecasts for all major German cities, discounts on everything from hotels to day trips, and ideas for groups or special occasions, including honeymooners, gay and lesbian travelers, religious travelers, and families. A special section is devoted to “heritage seekers,” including a timeline of immigration to the United States dating back to the seventeenth century, before there actually was a United States of America.

• I LOVE SLOVENIA

  This is the official website of the Slovenian Tourist Board. It includes information about the country's regions and main sights, a map, a route planner, and ideas for travel based on food, wine, health, and other activities. You can also download promotional commercials produced for television stations that show different parts of Slovenia that are most eager to welcome tourists.

• MY SWITZERLAND

  This is the official website of the Swiss National Tourist Office. It offers destination articles, hotel reservations, updated information for travelers, and ideas for planning vacations during every season of the year. You can also buy tickets through this website for train transportation in Switzerland.

• VACATION IN AUSTRIA

  Vacation in Austria is the official website of the Austrian National Tourist Office. There are downloadable brochures, interactive maps, picture galleries, tips for itineraries based on interests such as architecture and wine, “dream vacation” suggestions, hotel reservations, and more. News and updates are posted on the home page, and there is a link where you can send a question to an expert on the staff.

• VISIT EUROPE

  This site is maintained by the European Travel Commission, an association of national travel associations with nearly forty members, including all of the European Union countries. The site offers an interactive map of Europe that lets you zoom in and out of countries and regions, learning about everything from the Danube River to the Alps. There is a currency converter to help you figure out how many American dollars you are spending with each euro, plus practical tourism information, downloadable brochures, and news about upcoming events across Europe.