Flights to Amsterdam...

Schipol Amstderdam, and CDG Paris are two of the biggest/busiest airports in the world, so all the major airlines have flights to/from. Use a site like http://www.kayak.com to compare fares and schedules. Flying into one city and out of another is called "open-jaw", when searching for these type of flights choose the "multi-city" option instead of round-trip/one-way.

All you have non-stop out of Orlando is London-Gatwick. Otherwise, you'll be going through another gateway city in either the U.S. or Europe to get to Amsterdam and from Paris.

Since you said you're new to this, I'll talk you through it. Go to http://www.kayak.com/. On top, choose "Flights." Near the top, choose "Multi-City" rather than "One-Way" or "Round-Trip." For your first segment put in Gainesville to Amsterdam one or two days before your tour starts (you land in Europe a day after you leave the US). For your second segment, put in Paris to Gainesville one or two days after your tour ends. For Paris, choose "PAR (All Airports)". Choose 2 adults, and "Find Flights." Wait until all activity stops. You'll see lots of options. If you don't like these, you can use the "filters" on the left to choose airlines, connection airports, departure and arrival times, etc. If you can get to another airport besides Gainesville without difficulty (such as Orlando or Tampa), you can then do a search for this one, to see if it's any cheaper or if you like the options better. To change the search without having to enter everything again, use the Plus sign near the top, towards the right. You can even search totally separate segments (like Tampa to Amsterdam and Paris to Gainesville), if this is convenient for you. Once you find a flight, you book it directly with the airline, or the travel agent (Orbitz, Expedia, CheapTickets, etc are all online travel agents). If you have a choice, book with the airline directly (easier to deal with if there's a problem). Note that the name you book your ticket with must match the name on your passport EXACTLY, so have your passport in front of you when booking. I hope that gets you off to a good start. Let us know if you need any further assistance.

Delta can get you from Gainesville to Amsterdam and back from Paris by going through Atlanta. If it works the same way it will for us, you will not have to go through security except in Gainesville. Check the Delta website for that kind of routing. I just sneeked a peek and there are lots of options with Delta. The same guidance applies. Choose the Multi-City option and fill in your destinations and dates. When you get the list, down the left hand side choose "1 stop." Choose the pair for the flight to Amsterdam and the pair for the flight back from Paris, making sure to look at the Details which will show the amount of time for connecting and what time you will arrive the next day in Amsterdam. They will also tell you what kind of plane you will be on. I expect the hop from Gainesville to Atlanta will be on a CRJ which will not have room for a standard 22x14x9 carryon. You will have to check it at the gate and get it as you exit the plane. Coming home it will be the same day you leave Paris. That's always a very long day for those of us out west. This link, and the one for Delta above (http://www.delta.com/booking/searchFlights.do) should get you directly to the screen to do the Multi-City search. I hope they work!

Well, rats! The links didn't go directly to the Multi-City option, but it is the last one across the top of the search page, so you can click on it. Sorry.

Reid, do one more thing; check flights up to three days before (or after) your optimum travel date. Many times if you take off, or come home a day or two later than your OTD you will find signifcant savings, and a better flight. We just did this for our May/June flights into London and out of Shannon Ireland, and saved over $400 perperson. NEVER buy your ticket thru an agency; always book directly with the airline.If your flight gets canceled or changed it becomes a horrific mess trying to re-schedule...especially when it happens overseas. One time was enough for us to learn this lesson! Go to sites like Squaremouth or Insure-my-trip and buy some good trip insurance; great coverage and prices are available. If you are 6 foot or over, look into booking Economy Comfort or Economy Plus seating (airlines have different anmses for this) Up to 4" more leg room, for only a few $$ more $80 to $130 aprox.)

Thanks, everyone, for your very helpful tips. The Kayak site is just what I needed. The advice about passport names was also great. I'm off to find some tickets!