Qatar Airlines, one of the top airlines, is offering cheap fares to Tunis, Tunisia or Algiers, Algeria for $726. Fares include bags, seats, and meals. Some dates in April and then July to September. These fares are half the price of what other airlines are charging. All flights stop in Doha on the way over.
Both destinations are on the very north of Africa and worth exploring. You can get 5 star hotels for less than $100/night. They are a very good starting point for exploring Europe. From Tunis, you can get a ferry ride (9.5 hours) to Southern Italy (30€ for seat, more for cabin or get a short flight (1 hour).
Lonely Planet: Tunis, Wikitravel: Tunis. Algiers
Flights
Find the cheap dates on Google Flights then put them in Skyscanner, IWTF, Momondo etc. This Qatar African fare is also still available.
Very cheap!