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Many travel-and-learn vacations are less expensive than staying at popular resorts in the same area.

A lot of overseas learning programs are in fascinating out-of-the-way spots that you might not otherwise visit.

You’re likely to be with others who share your interests and to have the opportunity to meet local residents.

A growing number of programs are designed for people over age 50.

To find travel-and-learn opportunities, check with universities that specialize in areas of study that interest you. Many universities now have adult study programs in the US and overseas. Two of the most prominent are the University of Wisconsin (608-263-7787,www.dcs.wisc.edu/lsa/travel) and a program run jointly by Oxford University in England and the University of California (510-642-3824,www.unex.berkeley.edu/oxford).

Still other universities have travel study programs specifically for their graduates, so also check with your own school’s alumni association. My Web site,www.transitionsabroad.com, lists hundreds of programs throughout the world. Some of today’s most interesting travel-and-learn programs...*

ITALIAN LANGUAGE

If you sign up for the two-week "Pane, Vino e Lingua" (Bread, Wine and Language) course from International Partners for Study Abroad, you’ll arrive at the Florence airport on Sunday and settle into accommodations with a local family or at a hotel.

Language lessons begin Monday morning, and in the afternoon, you’re taken on an orientation tour of Florence. There are more language lessons on Tuesday, followed by an afternoon cooking class. Later in the program, language classes precede tastings of Tuscan wines and more cooking lessons. These activities are interspersed with visits to farms, vineyards, restaurants and historic sites. One-week courses are also available.

Price: 990 euros (approximately $1,400)** per person for two-week instruction and tours (585 euros for one week). Accommodations in private homes, including breakfast, are 265 euros for two weeks per person, double occupancy (165 euros for one week). Guesthouse and hotel accommodations are available at higher prices.

Information: International Partners for Study Abroad (602-743-9682,www.studyabroadinternational.com).

CHINESE HISTORY

During a two-week tour of Chinese sites along the ancient Silk Road, students learn the fascinating history of the highway that served as a route for trading merchandise as well as religious, cultural and artistic ideas. Visitors will tour sites and hear lectures by museum curators, community leaders and local residents who provide insights into the highway that stretched 4,350 miles from China to the Mediterranean.

Price: From $2,199 per person, double occupancy, at hotels along the Silk Road. The price includes most meals but not airfare.

Information: Smithsonian Journeys (877-338-8687, www.smithsonianjourneys.org).

RAIN FORESTS, UP CLOSE

For an on-site chance to learn about tropical rain forests, consider a 10-day tour to Costa Rica. Travelers will visit several rain forests that are home to macaws, hummingbirds, iguanas, sloths and monkeys. Students hear lectures from expert scholars who spend most of the year studying plant and animal life in the rain forests.

Price: From $1,380 per person, including meals and lodging in hotels that are rustic but equipped with modern conveniences. Transportation to and from Costa Rica is not included.

Information: Proyecto Campanario (011-506-2258-5778, www.campanario.org).

VIRGINIA’S PRESIDENTS

Several of our most influential presidents came from Virginia -- including Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and James Monroe. You’ll learn about their fascinating lives on a six-day tour that includes visits to each president’s home -- Jefferson’s Monticello, Madison’s Montpelier and Monroe’s Ash Lawn-Highland.

Based in Charlottesville, Virginia, you’ll attend lectures by visiting presidential scholars from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, who will speak about the presidents’ political careers and personal lives.

Price: From $743 per person, including lodging at the English Inn in Charlottesville. Meals are also included but not transportation to Charlottesville.

Information: Elderhostel (800-454-5768, www.elderhostel.org).

german in historic berlin

Long a divided city, Berlin is now resuming its status as one of Europe’s cultural capitals. The Brandenburg Museum, the unique design of the 2,711 gray stone slabs of the Berlin Holocaust Memorial and other world-class museums are just part of what you’ll see when you study German at Languages Abroad, a Canadian company that offers language classes in more than two dozen countries.

The language courses are taught at a private language school in Berlin, with programs available between one and 12 weeks. The basic one-week course consists of 20 classroom hours, and the intensive course includes 30 hours. All teachers are native speakers with degrees in German language and/or literature.

Price: From $751 a week, including accommodations, for the basic course, and from $990, including accommodations, for the intensive course. Tours to historic and cultural sites are also included, but not transportation to and from Berlin.

Information: Languages Abroad (800-219-9924, www.languagesabroad.com).

IRISH FIDDLE LESSONS

Whether you’ve never played a fiddle or are already competent, you can acquire new skills during a week of instruction at Kerry Fiddles, a school in the town of Kenmare in southwest Ireland. Students can participate in weekend workshops with some of the best-known Irish fiddlers, including Kevin Burke, Brendan McGlinchey and Tommy Peoples.

Lessons, which are designed for adults, are in the mornings and afternoons, leaving the evenings free for listening to local musicians or for sightseeing, either on your own or on organized tours.

Price: 375 euros per person for one week, not including transportation or accommodations. There’s a wide range of hotels in the area. Typical rate: 32 to 50 euros a night per person for a double room at the Shaminir, a nearby bed-and-breakfast (011-353-64-42678, www.shaminir.com).

Information: Kerry Fiddles, (011-353-644-2387, www.kerryfiddles.com).

*Note: Prices and dates for programs are subject to change.

**At recent exchange rates, one euro was worth $1.42. To find the latest rates for the euro and other currencies, look in the business section of a major newspaper, or visitwww.oanda.com/convert/classic.