Many people consider food an integral part of their vacation plans. In fact a growing trend has emerged for culinary or food travel probably because a lot of awareness has come from the plethora of cooking and food related shows on television, especially the Food Network.

People are looking for an alternative to the traditional vacations that consist of laying around on a beach and are now looking for more adventure... without danger, and that's where the "Foodie" type of holiday makes sense.

A lot of people travel to a destination simply to find that exotic dish they had at a local restaurant or perhaps at a dinner party and they make a vacation around that experience. Most people think of France, Spain and Italy when they are reviewing culinary locations, but many other places are now becoming increasingly popular such as California, Greece, Thailand and New Zealand.

By using our consolidator flights, you can save up to 60% off of conventional published airfare for your culinary destination. Just locate the consolidator flight form near the top of any page and enter your itinerary. Now compare our prices to the larger travel sites to see how much you can save when planning your next culinary adventure!

If you are looking for an Italian culinary experience, visit the Ecco la Cucina website. This hands-on Italian cooking class in Tuscany features small, intimate classes so that you can receive individual attention when learning their techniques.

When you are looking to travel to Normandy, you may wish to visit Le Manoir de L’Aufragere which is housed in a restored 18th century manor house. The hosts speak fluent English and offer boarding as well as food courses.

Learn to make gourmet Mexican food at the Mexican Home Cooking School which is located 5 miles outside the city of Tlaxcala, a two-hour drive from Mexico City.

If it's Thai food that you crave, the Samui Institute of Thai Culinary Arts website is a great resource with classes held in Southern Thailand. They also have a great mail order catalog and offer intensive professional chef training.

Don't forget to check the foreign entry requirements from the U.S. State Department regarding any country that you may be traveling to.

Also, don't forget to visit the consular information sheets which can provide important information from the State Department as well. Finally, the U.S. passport services office can provide travelers with information on obtaining, replacing or changing a U.S. passport.