Travel Advice: What to do if you lose things while travelling, January 7, 2017.
There are plenty of chances to misplace items, but also plenty of ways to recover them.The busier aircraft and airports get, the higher the likelihood of losing things. As we try to avoid baggage charges, we cram more items into hand baggage and risk losing stuff along the way.
On any journey, there are three stages when things can be lost: in the airport, on the aircraft and en route. Lost property can fall into at least three different areas of responsibility managed by different companies: the airport, airline ground handling agents.
Between taking off shoes, opening laptops, finding liquids in your bag and folding coats, undoing belts and retrieving handfuls of coins, the security queue is the most likely place to begin the losing trail at the airport. Though it can start at the bag drop or check-in area, look around before you leave.
If you lose something in the airport including at security, items will be brought to the lost and found office. In Dublin Airport items will turn up with the airport police. Many airports will charge a fee of €5-€10 to retrieve lost items and charge postage if something has to be posted. Items can usually be tracked through their websites.
When items are lost on board an aircraft, it will be the airline or the handling agent that takes responsibility for lost property. You will have to make contact with the airline property department or the ground handling agent. Ground agents usually charge a fee to return your lost belongings.
If you arrive at your destination and your bag does not arrive on the same aircraft, you will have to contact the airline or ground handling agent, preferably in the arrivals hall. There is a standard airline property irregularity report (PIR) form to be completed. In most instances, bags will be returned within the first 24 hours and usually delivered to your final destination with no charge.
Travel Advice: Theft onboard flightsValuables being stolen on aircraft does happen, but the real danger zone is at security screening, Sat, Dec 17, 2016
I do not want to alarm anyone about safety of valuables when flying, but I have come across a few incidences of cash and valuables being stolen on board aircraft. It is a rare crime, but does happen.
It might be worth considering these tips from corporatetravelersafety.com, to keep your valuables safe while you fly:
Do not leave your wallet in your jacket pocket when you hang it up.
Put a coloured ribbon or bright big label on your bag to make it identifiable and deter thieves from walking off with it.
Always put your bag in the overhead locker upside down, with the pockets covered, so it is less easy to root in. If you can lock it – do so.
Stow your bag near you, preferably opposite your seat, where you can see it.
If you have to, bury your wallet and valuables deep in your carry-on, inside something else, or use a portable travel safe. If stowing your bag under the seat in front, ensure the pockets are facing you.
Speak up if you think someone has interfered with your luggage or you see someone acting suspiciously.
Multiple thefts have been reported in China, Hong Kong, and Macau. Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar Al Baker said last year that “thefts from passengers by passengers are becoming a security issue”. The airline increased vigilance training for staff, especially on night flights.
The responsibility for your luggage is your own, as overhead bins are shared space and airlines cannot stand guard. Keep your belongings with you at all times, especially on night flights.
In airports there is one area to be extra vigilant, the security screening area. Thefts from here occur regularly, so you need to be vigilant and prepared.
Organise your belongings quickly and carefully, leave the bag likely to be screened last. Wait until you see the bins moving into the X-ray machine, then cross the scanning machine.
I do not want to alarm anyone about safety of valuables when flying, but I have come across a few incidences of cash and valuables being stolen on board aircraft. It is a rare crime, but does happen.
It might be worth considering these tips from corporatetravelersafety.com, to keep your valuables safe while you fly:
Do not leave your wallet in your jacket pocket when you hang it up.
Put a coloured ribbon or bright big label on your bag to make it identifiable and deter thieves from walking off with it.
Always put your bag in the overhead locker upside down, with the pockets covered, so it is less easy to root in. If you can lock it – do so.
Stow your bag near you, preferably opposite your seat, where you can see it.
If you have to, bury your wallet and valuables deep in your carry-on, inside something else, or use a portable travel safe. If stowing your bag under the seat in front, ensure the pockets are facing you.
Speak up if you think someone has interfered with your luggage or you see someone acting suspiciously.
Multiple thefts have been reported in China, Hong Kong, and Macau. Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar Al Baker said last year that “thefts from passengers by passengers are becoming a security issue”. The airline increased vigilance training for staff, especially on night flights.
The responsibility for your luggage is your own, as overhead bins are shared space and airlines cannot stand guard. Keep your belongings with you at all times, especially on night flights.
In airports there is one area to be extra vigilant, the security screening area. Thefts from here occur regularly, so you need to be vigilant and prepared.
Organise your belongings quickly and carefully, leave the bag likely to be screened last. Wait until you see the bins moving into the X-ray machine, then cross the scanning machine.
Travel Advice - using coaches to get around, December 3, 2016
When travelling on a budget it is well worth considering – and using – bus and coach services. There has been a dramatic increase in bus services worldwide and also in the quality of vehicles. Modern coaches have air conditioning, smooth suspension and most have toilets on board.
Travelling around Europe can be very good value with coach services linking cities and towns at very reasonable price, ie Paris to Berlin from €30. (goeuro.com) is a transport-planning website and provides details of all types of transport within Europe including trains, flights and car hire with pricing. It can help you find which bus lines operate to where and the costs involved.
Big impactIn the United Kingdom, Megabus has been making a big impact on moving people from towns and cities. Their competitive pricing and Ryanair-style sales mean fares begin at just £1 at times.
Megabus, in conjunction with Flixbus, now operates to France, Belgium, Netherlands, Italy and Spain. London to Barcelona will cost from €96 return and London to Amsterdam from €50 return, see uk.megabus.com.
Greyhound is the most famous coach service in the United States, covering the country with its long-range services. In recent years a proliferation of new coach services has appeared, linking cities for reasonable prices.
Attitudes to public transport and eco-consciousness have also helped. Megabus also operates in the US and Canada along with BoltBus, Peter Pan Bus Lines, Coach USA, Tripper Bus and more.
You can find bus routes and companies on checkmybus.com.
When travelling on a budget it is well worth considering – and using – bus and coach services. There has been a dramatic increase in bus services worldwide and also in the quality of vehicles. Modern coaches have air conditioning, smooth suspension and most have toilets on board.
Travelling around Europe can be very good value with coach services linking cities and towns at very reasonable price, ie Paris to Berlin from €30. (goeuro.com) is a transport-planning website and provides details of all types of transport within Europe including trains, flights and car hire with pricing. It can help you find which bus lines operate to where and the costs involved.
Big impactIn the United Kingdom, Megabus has been making a big impact on moving people from towns and cities. Their competitive pricing and Ryanair-style sales mean fares begin at just £1 at times.
Megabus, in conjunction with Flixbus, now operates to France, Belgium, Netherlands, Italy and Spain. London to Barcelona will cost from €96 return and London to Amsterdam from €50 return, see uk.megabus.com.
Greyhound is the most famous coach service in the United States, covering the country with its long-range services. In recent years a proliferation of new coach services has appeared, linking cities for reasonable prices.
Attitudes to public transport and eco-consciousness have also helped. Megabus also operates in the US and Canada along with BoltBus, Peter Pan Bus Lines, Coach USA, Tripper Bus and more.
You can find bus routes and companies on checkmybus.com.
Travel Advice - Checking in - September 17, 2016
When travelling by air, you need to think about how you are going to check in and where to sit on board. Every airline has a variety of ways to check in and costs for seats and boarding.
Take Ryanair. You must check in in advance on a computer or a tablet or on your phone. If you do not, it will cost €45 at the airport. When making a booking with our most used airlines, you are offered options to sit in various places in the aircraft for a price. Premium rows can be up to €20 for a seat and most prices range from €5 to €15. Expect to pay more for window, aisle or exit row seats.
On Aer Lingus, you can check in advance from two hours to 30 days, but if you do more than 30 hours before departure, you will have to pay for a seat. This is really awkward for the return as it is not always easy to find a computer or a place to print a boarding card. On Ryanair, you can check in and print outbound and return boarding cards from four hours to 15 days.
Most European airports have self-service kiosks or you can always go to the counter, although be early as the counter staff often manages the gate and load the aircraft. Families can reduce your stress by booking seats together.
The easiest way to check in is via an app on your smartphone: just make sure to keep it charged. If it goes dead, you will have to check in at the counter and may incur a cost.
Full service carriers will check you in at the counter or you can check in online, most now charge you to to choose your seat if more than 24 hours before travel.
When travelling in the United States, another complication of checking in is that you have pay for checked luggage at the airport. Allow plenty of time for domestic flights.
When travelling by air, you need to think about how you are going to check in and where to sit on board. Every airline has a variety of ways to check in and costs for seats and boarding.
Take Ryanair. You must check in in advance on a computer or a tablet or on your phone. If you do not, it will cost €45 at the airport. When making a booking with our most used airlines, you are offered options to sit in various places in the aircraft for a price. Premium rows can be up to €20 for a seat and most prices range from €5 to €15. Expect to pay more for window, aisle or exit row seats.
On Aer Lingus, you can check in advance from two hours to 30 days, but if you do more than 30 hours before departure, you will have to pay for a seat. This is really awkward for the return as it is not always easy to find a computer or a place to print a boarding card. On Ryanair, you can check in and print outbound and return boarding cards from four hours to 15 days.
Most European airports have self-service kiosks or you can always go to the counter, although be early as the counter staff often manages the gate and load the aircraft. Families can reduce your stress by booking seats together.
The easiest way to check in is via an app on your smartphone: just make sure to keep it charged. If it goes dead, you will have to check in at the counter and may incur a cost.
Full service carriers will check you in at the counter or you can check in online, most now charge you to to choose your seat if more than 24 hours before travel.
When travelling in the United States, another complication of checking in is that you have pay for checked luggage at the airport. Allow plenty of time for domestic flights.
Ask Joan about a trip to the Yukon, following Michael Portillo's tracks in Mallorca, April 6, 2016
My partner and I would like to visit the Yukon in June/July for about 18 days. It is so vast we need advice on what sites to visit and how to travel, air/rail/coach or car. We have a budget of about €10,000 and our preference is to fly direct Dublin to Calgary with an option of including the Rockies. CF.
The Yukon, the westernmost territory of Canada is one of the remotest places in the world with only 38,000 people in nearly half a billion square kilometres. I would suggest looking at doing the Yukon by cruise ship. The MS Noordam of the Holland America fleet will be spending summer exploring Alaska and the Yukon.
There is a 12-night cruise, land and coach tour that will visit Whitehorse, Dawson City, Fairbanks and Denali National Park. Accompanied by a tour guide with deep knowledge of the area you will get to sail the Inside Passage, see lots of amazing wildlife and enjoy excursions at every stopping point. It costs from €2,400pps, hollandamerica.com.
There is also a fly-drive holiday with Canadian Affair from Whitehorse and the planned route will take you through the Yukon and into Alaska and back to Whitehorse. The 13-day trip will see you in Beaver Creek, Dawson City, Tok, Denali National Park and Anchorage. The price from €1,715 includes car hire, accommodation, flight-seeing tour of Kluane National Park and Yukon route sightseeing tour, canadianaffair.ie, (01) 866 6700.
Canadian Affair also has a range of rail holidays though the Rockies both on the Rocky Mountaineer and independent rail tours.
There are flights to Calgary via Toronto with Airtransat.ie on Tuesdays and back on Mondays and will cost from €600 return. You can also access Calgary withAircanada. com and westjet.com though Toronto and St. John’s.
We are two ladies wishing to go on holiday and are considering Mallorca which I saw in a different light in Michael Portillo’s TV series, Great Train Journeys. Would you be able to recommend areas not too ‘touristy’, but near a beach as well as places of interest? We would like a two-bed self-catering accommodation. GH.
Mallorca is a beautiful island and has something for everyone. There is a good bus service around the island and fares are reasonable. You would have seen the old wooden train to Soller with Michael Portillo. Port de Soller is a lovely small town to stay in and is on the coast.
Otherwise staying in or near Palma de Mallorca, the city would give you access to many cultural and interesting things to do including the train to Soller. The cathedral in Palma, La Seu is a beautiful example of Gothic architecture.
Palma city is very lively and has lovely places to see, nice parks, museums, galleries and the Paseo Maritimo that is paved for kilometres. Try to avoid June, July or August as Mallorca is incredibly busy then. The weather in September is still fine with warm days.
There are some nice towns on easy bus routes from the city, to the west are Illetes and Portals Nous and to the east are Portixol, El Molinar, C’an Pastilla and El Arenal. These are a mixture of local communities and tourism.
You can find properties to rent on a variety of websites like booking.com, only-apartments.com, homeaway.com, airbnb.com and rentalia.com.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com.
My partner and I would like to visit the Yukon in June/July for about 18 days. It is so vast we need advice on what sites to visit and how to travel, air/rail/coach or car. We have a budget of about €10,000 and our preference is to fly direct Dublin to Calgary with an option of including the Rockies. CF.
The Yukon, the westernmost territory of Canada is one of the remotest places in the world with only 38,000 people in nearly half a billion square kilometres. I would suggest looking at doing the Yukon by cruise ship. The MS Noordam of the Holland America fleet will be spending summer exploring Alaska and the Yukon.
There is a 12-night cruise, land and coach tour that will visit Whitehorse, Dawson City, Fairbanks and Denali National Park. Accompanied by a tour guide with deep knowledge of the area you will get to sail the Inside Passage, see lots of amazing wildlife and enjoy excursions at every stopping point. It costs from €2,400pps, hollandamerica.com.
There is also a fly-drive holiday with Canadian Affair from Whitehorse and the planned route will take you through the Yukon and into Alaska and back to Whitehorse. The 13-day trip will see you in Beaver Creek, Dawson City, Tok, Denali National Park and Anchorage. The price from €1,715 includes car hire, accommodation, flight-seeing tour of Kluane National Park and Yukon route sightseeing tour, canadianaffair.ie, (01) 866 6700.
Canadian Affair also has a range of rail holidays though the Rockies both on the Rocky Mountaineer and independent rail tours.
There are flights to Calgary via Toronto with Airtransat.ie on Tuesdays and back on Mondays and will cost from €600 return. You can also access Calgary withAircanada. com and westjet.com though Toronto and St. John’s.
We are two ladies wishing to go on holiday and are considering Mallorca which I saw in a different light in Michael Portillo’s TV series, Great Train Journeys. Would you be able to recommend areas not too ‘touristy’, but near a beach as well as places of interest? We would like a two-bed self-catering accommodation. GH.
Mallorca is a beautiful island and has something for everyone. There is a good bus service around the island and fares are reasonable. You would have seen the old wooden train to Soller with Michael Portillo. Port de Soller is a lovely small town to stay in and is on the coast.
Otherwise staying in or near Palma de Mallorca, the city would give you access to many cultural and interesting things to do including the train to Soller. The cathedral in Palma, La Seu is a beautiful example of Gothic architecture.
Palma city is very lively and has lovely places to see, nice parks, museums, galleries and the Paseo Maritimo that is paved for kilometres. Try to avoid June, July or August as Mallorca is incredibly busy then. The weather in September is still fine with warm days.
There are some nice towns on easy bus routes from the city, to the west are Illetes and Portals Nous and to the east are Portixol, El Molinar, C’an Pastilla and El Arenal. These are a mixture of local communities and tourism.
You can find properties to rent on a variety of websites like booking.com, only-apartments.com, homeaway.com, airbnb.com and rentalia.com.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com.
Ask Joan, how can I explore Ireland with my sons, finding a nice honeymoon location in November, March 30, 2016
I have two sons, 11 and 14 and would like to get their heads out of computer games to see something of the country. I feel that they are missing out on what there is to do outdoors in Ireland. Can you give me any ideas of things we could do that would show them something beyond the addictive screens? SA.
Doing things together is a great way to see the country and have experiences together. It also provides something to talk about. Camping comes to mind as something that everyone can enjoy and there are plenty of places to try.
Pure Camping near the small village of Querrin in Co Clare is on the Loop Head peninsula. You can even rent tents that are already erected and furnished, just collect wood and light a fire and you are ready to go. The Loop Head peninsula is a great destination for exploring the outdoors. Whales and dolphin regularly swim by and you could try kayaking with the boys.
There are also places to see like the light house, take a trip on the West Clare Railway, do a farm tour at Carraig Nua. Nearby Kilkee is a lovely seaside town where you can enjoy swimming at Waterworld, do indoor climbing and eat chips walking along the pier.
If the lads like cycling you could give them a real adrenaline buzz by taking them mountain biking. Bike Park Ireland at Fairymount Farm near Roscrea is the real business. You can rent Kona bikes and use the six dedicated bike trails. There is also an army truck uplift service to get you back up the trails quicker. Half day bike hire is €35 for adults and €20 for children and use of the trails is €5 each. The half day package with bike hire, helmets, pads and uplift costs €55, see bikeparkireland.ie. You can also stay at Fairymount Farm in either a self-catering house or pitch a tent.
On Achill Island you could give the boys a taste of some water sports at Pure Magic Achill. The lodge and adventure sports centre is perfect for getting wet and wild. Here you can try kite-surfing and SUP - stand up paddle boarding. There’s always good fun at Pure Magic and the enthusiasm of the staff is infectious. There is a pizza restaurant on site and often spontaneous music sessions at night. Achill Island is also beautiful and wild and if the weather is good, has amazing beaches, puremagic.ie.
My fiancé and I are trying to decide where to go for our honeymoon during the first week of November. We would like to go somewhere in Europe and know that we will not be guaranteed sunshine in many destinations but would ideally like to avoid rain! We would like somewhere relaxing, with options to go walking or cycling, and good choice of restaurants. SD.
Heading as far south as possible is probably the best way to find some warm weather and maybe sunshine. The islands of Malta and Cyprus will still be quite warm with some possibility of rain. Both are places where you can enjoy walking and cycling. Malta has the advantage over Cyprus in that there are direct flights there over the winter. There is also a very good selection of top quality hotels, though Cyprus has some very high end resort type hotels. A week in Malta staying at the five-star Westin Dragonara resort in St. Julian’s will cost from €724 with flights, from clickandgo.com.
Further south the Canary Islands have better weather in November and a good variety of things to do. Tenerife has a good selection of high end resorts and boutique hotels. See holidays in Tenerife from sunway.ie and classic-collection.ie. There is also the opportunity to take a ferry from Tenerife to La Gomera or El Hierro to do some nice walking with gomerawalking.ie or shane-gray.com.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com.
Ask Joan about a classy weekend in London, a special family evevt in Ireland, March, 20, 2015
My husband and I would like to take a trip to London this year. We are a retired couple so can take this holiday anytime. Ideally, we would plan to spend three-four nights in a four star hotel and be based reasonably close to the main tourist sites. As we live in the west we would plan to use Ireland West airport so maybe you could advise us regarding the airport destination we should choose. We have a decent budget for this trip. CH, Mayo
Ireland West Knock airport has connections to three London airports, Luton, and Stansted with Ryanair and Gatwick with Aer Lingus. Both Stansted and Gatwick have good rail connections into London, so either airport would work.
The four-star Marylebone Hotel is Irish owned and five minutes from the busy Oxford Street. It is a lovely hotel and a good location. Prices would be from £235 per night, including taxes but not breakfast, doylecollection.com, (0044) 2074866600.
If you are planning on a theatre or ballet show the five-star One Aldwych Hotela great location, on the corner of the Strand and Covent Garden. It has a year round four nights for the price of three special offer which would be from £1,125 for four nights, onealdwych.com, (0044) 2073001000.
London is a very busy city and I would suggest you avoid June, July and August. Things to consider doing are going to a show, visiting some of the famous museums. The V & A has Botticelli Reimagined exhibition until July 3, vam.ac.uk, and taking a tour by bus and by river. See visitlondon.com and londontown for more ideas.
Our father is turning 75 this year and to celebrate my five sisters and I would like to plan a long weekend in Ireland for the August bank holiday weekend. There are 24 people altogether. We would like a location close to a beach or other similar amenity which is a couple of hours drive from Dublin, Kildare and Louth. We are open to both hotels and self-catering accommodation or a combination of both and would like the option of good restaurants nearby. AC, Dublin.
Waterford is a good place to consider for your trip and the town of Dungarvan is a lively place. It is on the coast with beaches nearby. There are a few nice places to eat in, including the Tannery Restaurant, tannery.ie and the Cliff House atArdmore thecliffhousehotel.com.
The Park Hotel is ideal for families and is a comfortable three star hotel. Rooms at the bank holiday weekend will be from €160 per night or two nights B&B and one dinner and picnic will be from €165pps, flynnhotels.com.
Brooklodge and Macreddin Village in Co Wicklow, is a mix of hotel and self-catering accommodation. The food is excellent, especially in the Strawberry Tree, where everything is organic. The estate has its own pub, cafe and an Italian restaurant. It is in the mountains and a short drive from Brittas Bay. There is also a swimming pool, spa and golf. Rooms from €180 per night, B&B. (0402) 36444. Brooklodge.com.
The centre of Ireland would be close for all the family and the Hodson Bay Resort caters well for families. In the area you have the lovely Wineport Lodge restaurant, wineport.ie. Athlone also has a good variety of restaurants, athlone.ie. Rooms at the Hodson Bay are from €180 per night and family two-night breaks with dinner one evening are from €506 for four,hodsonbayhotel.com.
Send you queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
My husband and I would like to take a trip to London this year. We are a retired couple so can take this holiday anytime. Ideally, we would plan to spend three-four nights in a four star hotel and be based reasonably close to the main tourist sites. As we live in the west we would plan to use Ireland West airport so maybe you could advise us regarding the airport destination we should choose. We have a decent budget for this trip. CH, Mayo
Ireland West Knock airport has connections to three London airports, Luton, and Stansted with Ryanair and Gatwick with Aer Lingus. Both Stansted and Gatwick have good rail connections into London, so either airport would work.
The four-star Marylebone Hotel is Irish owned and five minutes from the busy Oxford Street. It is a lovely hotel and a good location. Prices would be from £235 per night, including taxes but not breakfast, doylecollection.com, (0044) 2074866600.
If you are planning on a theatre or ballet show the five-star One Aldwych Hotela great location, on the corner of the Strand and Covent Garden. It has a year round four nights for the price of three special offer which would be from £1,125 for four nights, onealdwych.com, (0044) 2073001000.
London is a very busy city and I would suggest you avoid June, July and August. Things to consider doing are going to a show, visiting some of the famous museums. The V & A has Botticelli Reimagined exhibition until July 3, vam.ac.uk, and taking a tour by bus and by river. See visitlondon.com and londontown for more ideas.
Our father is turning 75 this year and to celebrate my five sisters and I would like to plan a long weekend in Ireland for the August bank holiday weekend. There are 24 people altogether. We would like a location close to a beach or other similar amenity which is a couple of hours drive from Dublin, Kildare and Louth. We are open to both hotels and self-catering accommodation or a combination of both and would like the option of good restaurants nearby. AC, Dublin.
Waterford is a good place to consider for your trip and the town of Dungarvan is a lively place. It is on the coast with beaches nearby. There are a few nice places to eat in, including the Tannery Restaurant, tannery.ie and the Cliff House atArdmore thecliffhousehotel.com.
The Park Hotel is ideal for families and is a comfortable three star hotel. Rooms at the bank holiday weekend will be from €160 per night or two nights B&B and one dinner and picnic will be from €165pps, flynnhotels.com.
Brooklodge and Macreddin Village in Co Wicklow, is a mix of hotel and self-catering accommodation. The food is excellent, especially in the Strawberry Tree, where everything is organic. The estate has its own pub, cafe and an Italian restaurant. It is in the mountains and a short drive from Brittas Bay. There is also a swimming pool, spa and golf. Rooms from €180 per night, B&B. (0402) 36444. Brooklodge.com.
The centre of Ireland would be close for all the family and the Hodson Bay Resort caters well for families. In the area you have the lovely Wineport Lodge restaurant, wineport.ie. Athlone also has a good variety of restaurants, athlone.ie. Rooms at the Hodson Bay are from €180 per night and family two-night breaks with dinner one evening are from €506 for four,hodsonbayhotel.com.
Send you queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about a holiday in Portugal with teenagers, Visiting the Bosch exhibiton and Keukenhof tulip fields in Netherlands, March 2, 2015
We have booked flights to Lisbon for one week and are travelling with our children aged 17, 15 and 12. I would really like for our kids to meet other kids of similar ages. They would like sun and sand while my husband and I would like some culture. We would like to go to a coastal place outside of Lisbon. Do you have any suggestions? HOL, Waterford
The nice thing about Lisbon is that there are some great resorts close to the city. Taking into account the ages of your children, I think resorts that are good for water sports would work for you.
The town of Ericeira is only 35 kms north of Lisbon and is a traditional old seaside town and port. Ericeira has lovely beaches and surf schools which would work well for the children and they would get to meet others their own ages. You will find places to rent on ericeira.net and see also surfholidays.com.
Further north again, along the Silver Coast is the famed surfing town of Nazaré. It has some of the best beaches in Portugal and is a traditional town with a warren of narrow streets and a funicular that links the Plata and Sitió areas of the town. The views from Sitió are fantastic and there are lovely walks.
Both of these towns are typical Portugal fishing ports and as such have their own culture and places of interest to charm the adults. See the tourism office here.
We would love to go on a trip to the Netherlands to see the tulips and also to visit the Hieronymus Bosch exhibition in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, which is on until early May. We would be flexible as to times, but we’re pensioners so a maximum of three nights would be our financial limit.
There are plenty of tours to visit the bulbs, but there doesn’t appear to be much scope to take time out to go to ‘s-Hertogenbosch, and in any case we would really like to spend one night there. MPR-B, Tipperary.
To make the most of your time, we need to look at this as two separate tours, one to ‘s-Hertogenbosch (Den Bosch) and one to Kuekenhof, the centre of the tulip fields. Fortunately the fares to Amsterdam are good value, with plenty of flights from Aer Lingus and Ryanair. It should be less than €100 each return. The best time to go will be mid-April to see the tulips and avoid the weekends.
If you take an early flight from Dublin, you could do the tulip fields on your arrival day. The No 858 bus from Schiphol Airport Plaza takes under an hour and the combi ticket costs €24. See keukenhof.nl/en for all the details.
For budget accommodation in Amsterdam, you could look at easyhotel.com oribis.com, both under €100 per night. If you have time in Amsterdam, I would recommend the Rijks Museum for a visit. It has an incredible array of artifacts,rijksmuseum.nl/en.
Take the train from Centraal Station to s-Hertogenbosch, it takes an hour and costs around €16 return. For details and opening times of the Hieronymus Bosch exhibition, see bosch500.nl/en. Expect to pay around €90 for a reasonable hotel there, see booking.com.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com.
We have booked flights to Lisbon for one week and are travelling with our children aged 17, 15 and 12. I would really like for our kids to meet other kids of similar ages. They would like sun and sand while my husband and I would like some culture. We would like to go to a coastal place outside of Lisbon. Do you have any suggestions? HOL, Waterford
The nice thing about Lisbon is that there are some great resorts close to the city. Taking into account the ages of your children, I think resorts that are good for water sports would work for you.
The town of Ericeira is only 35 kms north of Lisbon and is a traditional old seaside town and port. Ericeira has lovely beaches and surf schools which would work well for the children and they would get to meet others their own ages. You will find places to rent on ericeira.net and see also surfholidays.com.
Further north again, along the Silver Coast is the famed surfing town of Nazaré. It has some of the best beaches in Portugal and is a traditional town with a warren of narrow streets and a funicular that links the Plata and Sitió areas of the town. The views from Sitió are fantastic and there are lovely walks.
Both of these towns are typical Portugal fishing ports and as such have their own culture and places of interest to charm the adults. See the tourism office here.
We would love to go on a trip to the Netherlands to see the tulips and also to visit the Hieronymus Bosch exhibition in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, which is on until early May. We would be flexible as to times, but we’re pensioners so a maximum of three nights would be our financial limit.
There are plenty of tours to visit the bulbs, but there doesn’t appear to be much scope to take time out to go to ‘s-Hertogenbosch, and in any case we would really like to spend one night there. MPR-B, Tipperary.
To make the most of your time, we need to look at this as two separate tours, one to ‘s-Hertogenbosch (Den Bosch) and one to Kuekenhof, the centre of the tulip fields. Fortunately the fares to Amsterdam are good value, with plenty of flights from Aer Lingus and Ryanair. It should be less than €100 each return. The best time to go will be mid-April to see the tulips and avoid the weekends.
If you take an early flight from Dublin, you could do the tulip fields on your arrival day. The No 858 bus from Schiphol Airport Plaza takes under an hour and the combi ticket costs €24. See keukenhof.nl/en for all the details.
For budget accommodation in Amsterdam, you could look at easyhotel.com oribis.com, both under €100 per night. If you have time in Amsterdam, I would recommend the Rijks Museum for a visit. It has an incredible array of artifacts,rijksmuseum.nl/en.
Take the train from Centraal Station to s-Hertogenbosch, it takes an hour and costs around €16 return. For details and opening times of the Hieronymus Bosch exhibition, see bosch500.nl/en. Expect to pay around €90 for a reasonable hotel there, see booking.com.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com.
Ask Joan, the Atlantic coast of France, exploring New England in fall , border crossings in Europe, Feb 20, 2015
We are flying to Tours in France for a friend’s wedding in early September. We are planning to extend our holiday in France after this. We would love to ideally get a train to somewhere on the west coast and spend seven nights at a beach town to relax and unwind. We are open to anything but don’t want to have to travel a huge deal. – CK
Within two hours or so from Tours you can be on the Atlantic coast with a good choice of places to stay. First choice could be the swanky seaside destination of Parisiens, Ile de Ré. They will all be gone by then and you could have the island to yourselves to explore by bicycle. You can take a bus from the train station and the town of St Martin de Re would be a good place to base yourself.
La Rochelle is itself is a lovely seaside town and port with great beaches and eating out and not as pricey as the Ile. Steeped in history the town has lots of things to see for visitors and that lovely French cafe culture. Outside La Rochelle and accessible by bus in the small seaside town of Châtelainnon Plage, with a long beach and it will be quiet enough in September, see visit-poitou-charentes.com for more information and voyages.sncf.com for train timetables.
I will be travelling to Boston at the end of October for a week. I would love to see New England in the Fall, I was wondering if this is too late in the season if it is not do you know of any tour companies that would do a two or three day return tour. Alternatively I would use public transport as I would hope to avoid car hire – RB
At the end of October you will just catch the last of the leaf-peeping season. It is a beautiful time of the year in New England.
Boston is the main gateway to New England and a lovely city, a few days there would be enjoyable. There are day tours you can take from the city to go leaf-peeping as they call it, see viator.com, though October 23rd is the last day for the tours.
You can follow the fall foliage on this website, yankeefoliage.com and see how the colours are progressing. You will find a list of places to see the fall foliage near Boston on this website, bostoncentral.com/events/fall_foliage/p1250.php. Some are accessible by public transport and some are in the city.
You could hug the coast from Boston to Brunswick, Maine on the Amtrak Downeaster service. It operates up to five times a day, and you could consider making a trip of it by staying in one of the town along the way, seeamtrakdowneaster.com. Boston city website is bostonusa.com and the transportation is MBTA.com
My wife and I are planning to travel to the Danube Valley in June (not on a river cruise). Our route will take us through parts ofHungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic, and Austria. Can you tell if we likely to encounter issues like serious delay in crossing borders? We are reading about various countries tightening controls in response to the immigration crisis with the Schengen Agreement being discarded to some extent by some countries – JF
The Schengen Convention is still largely in place for the present. Austria, Hungary and Slovakia along with France and Germany, did reintroduce border controls to cope with the numbers of refugees crossing Europe in the past year. Who can say what will happen this summer, but once you are EU passport holders it should not impede your trip too much.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com.
We are flying to Tours in France for a friend’s wedding in early September. We are planning to extend our holiday in France after this. We would love to ideally get a train to somewhere on the west coast and spend seven nights at a beach town to relax and unwind. We are open to anything but don’t want to have to travel a huge deal. – CK
Within two hours or so from Tours you can be on the Atlantic coast with a good choice of places to stay. First choice could be the swanky seaside destination of Parisiens, Ile de Ré. They will all be gone by then and you could have the island to yourselves to explore by bicycle. You can take a bus from the train station and the town of St Martin de Re would be a good place to base yourself.
La Rochelle is itself is a lovely seaside town and port with great beaches and eating out and not as pricey as the Ile. Steeped in history the town has lots of things to see for visitors and that lovely French cafe culture. Outside La Rochelle and accessible by bus in the small seaside town of Châtelainnon Plage, with a long beach and it will be quiet enough in September, see visit-poitou-charentes.com for more information and voyages.sncf.com for train timetables.
I will be travelling to Boston at the end of October for a week. I would love to see New England in the Fall, I was wondering if this is too late in the season if it is not do you know of any tour companies that would do a two or three day return tour. Alternatively I would use public transport as I would hope to avoid car hire – RB
At the end of October you will just catch the last of the leaf-peeping season. It is a beautiful time of the year in New England.
Boston is the main gateway to New England and a lovely city, a few days there would be enjoyable. There are day tours you can take from the city to go leaf-peeping as they call it, see viator.com, though October 23rd is the last day for the tours.
You can follow the fall foliage on this website, yankeefoliage.com and see how the colours are progressing. You will find a list of places to see the fall foliage near Boston on this website, bostoncentral.com/events/fall_foliage/p1250.php. Some are accessible by public transport and some are in the city.
You could hug the coast from Boston to Brunswick, Maine on the Amtrak Downeaster service. It operates up to five times a day, and you could consider making a trip of it by staying in one of the town along the way, seeamtrakdowneaster.com. Boston city website is bostonusa.com and the transportation is MBTA.com
My wife and I are planning to travel to the Danube Valley in June (not on a river cruise). Our route will take us through parts ofHungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic, and Austria. Can you tell if we likely to encounter issues like serious delay in crossing borders? We are reading about various countries tightening controls in response to the immigration crisis with the Schengen Agreement being discarded to some extent by some countries – JF
The Schengen Convention is still largely in place for the present. Austria, Hungary and Slovakia along with France and Germany, did reintroduce border controls to cope with the numbers of refugees crossing Europe in the past year. Who can say what will happen this summer, but once you are EU passport holders it should not impede your trip too much.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com.
Ask Joan about carrying currency for travelling in Vietnam, really budget accommodation in New York and a trip to Russia to see Moscow and St. Petersburg, Feb. 13th, 2015.
We are travelling to Hanoi in March. What would you advise is the best way to carry currency, pay for services, as we don’t want to carry too much cash? We know that the Dong is only available in Vietnam and cannot be purchased prior to entry. Can cash cards be used widely? JH, Limerick. ATM machines are more widely available in Vietnam but there is a charge for using them. They only dispense Dong. The dollar is still widely taken in Vietnam and a stack of $1, $5 and $10 bills will be useful for small purchases and very welcome. The euro is not as widely recognised, but can be changed in banks or hotels for Dong. Credit cards are accepted in major shops, hotels and restaurants.
We are trying to find decent budget hotels or accommodation in New York from 10th - 14th July. I know it is expensive there but we wouldn’t like to go higher than approx, €60 per night for a twin room. Perhaps Queens area would have easy access to city and possibly be not so expensive. LE, Dublin. New York City has become extraordinarily expensive in recent years. The exchange rate does not help either. It would be impossible to find a hotel that you could stay in comfortably for €60 per night. You could look at the following websites vrbo.com, is for rentals by owners andhomestay.com is staying with families. Read the details carefully on the advertisements. Only consider places that have reviews and clarify all the charges, some owners add extras for cleaning or linens. Areas outside Manhattan will be less expensive so try Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Westchester County, making sure to seek properties that are close to public transport. Places that sleep three or four will usually have two beds or a sofa bed. The television dramatization of War and Peace and the wonderful history of the Czars has convinced me that I should visit Russia for the first time this year. Moscow and St Petersburg seem to be the most likely destinations. Can you suggest a tour operator who can offer a good all inclusive tour of these two cities at a reasonable price? The Russian language looks daunting, have you any suggestions on how to acquire a basic knowledge? TH, Dublin. Citiescapes have been taking people to Russia for quite a few years and there will be trips from May to September this year. The usual trip includes three nights in St. Petersburg and three nights in Moscow. It begins in St. Petersburg sometimes known as the Venice of the north. There will be guided tours to all the major places of interest including the Winter Palace, the Hermitage Museum, Peter Paul Fortress and more. The journey to Moscow will be on the high speed Sapsan train. In Moscow you will get to see all the iconic images of the city like the cathedrals of St. Basil’s, Assumption, Archangel Michael and the Annunciation, visit the Kremlin, take a boat trip on the Volga and much more. The basic cost of the tour including flights from Ireland and four-star hotel accommodation is from €1,649 plus €60 for the visa. There are additional optional tours you can take. Details from citiescapes.ie, (01) 294 1000. The Travel Department has similar tours beginning in Moscow then to St. Petersburg, traveldepartment.ie There are a number of courses in Dublin to learn Russian, though you may have missed the start of term, they are in Trinity College, tcd.ie, Ballsbridge College,ballbridgecollege.com and Sandford Languages in Westmoreland St,sandfordlanguages.ie. Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about budget accommodation in San Francisco and doing the Camino de Santiago alone at Easter, February 6, 2016.
We are travelling to a family wedding in San Francisco in May. We have flights booked for a stay of 12 days. We have never visited this side of the United States, so we would like to maximise our experience. All reports lead us to believeit could be a costly experience due to high cost of accommodation and the unfavourable exchange rate. I would really appreciate if you could suggest what we must do and see. We are on a limited budget. – GOC, Dublin.
San Francisco is one of the better US cities for visitors as it has good public transport and is easy to move around. Buy a city transport visitor passport and you can use the streetcars, buses and cable cars. A seven-day passport costs $40 – see sfmta.com.
The cable cars are a feature of the city and the Powell/Hyde car has great views as you climb up and then descend towards Fisherman’s Wharf.
Using the visitor passport you can easily visit popular attractions such as Fisherman’s Wharf, the Embarcadero, Golden Gate Bridge, Union Square, Chinatown and more. Alcatraz is well worth a visit, as is Golden Gate Park, especially on Sundays, when it is closed to traffic.
There are dozens of museums in the city –ones to see are the Museum of Modern Art, the de Young and the California Academy of Sciences. Plan your trip with the help of the sanfrancisco.travel website.
As a treat you may like to explore the wine country of Napa Valley. An all-day tour visiting three boutique wineries will cost from $124 with greendreamtours.com.
Staying a little out of the city centre will also bring down the cost of accommodation. Two-star hotels in May are from €120-€160 a night. See VRBO.com for self-catering properties and use the price filter to find the best-value rentals. You will be looking at about $100- $150 a night for a studio or one-bed apartment.
There are a few homestay.com rentals in San Francisco where you stay with families – that can work out costing much less.
I am planning to go solo on the Camino de Santiago during the Easter holidays. Many people have advised me to go alone and book accommodation along the way – “You’ll be grand” etc. I am wary of doing that my first time. Can you recommend a company I could book with and go as part of a group? – CG, Sligo.
At certain times of the year you can be hopeful of finding a bed each night, but I hear from the companies involved in planning Camino de Santiago trips that Easter is a busy time. Many Spaniards will be walking the pilgrim route.
This year Easter is also early and the chances of poor weather are higher. As you are travelling on your own I would suggest you book accommodation. Companies that specialise in the Camino include caminoways.com, followthecamino.com and maptravel.ie. There may be groups you could join, though walking the Camino on your own is perfectly fine. You will meet people along the way.
For example a week walking the most popular French route, from Sarria toSantiago de Compostela, with luggage transfers and half board costs from €697 in hotels from Caminoways. You can pare this back by having breakfast only and carrying your own luggage.
Staying in pilgrim hostels, called refugios or albergues can be much cheaper. You can obtain your pilgrim passport from Ireland and more information at caminosociety.ie. Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
We are travelling to a family wedding in San Francisco in May. We have flights booked for a stay of 12 days. We have never visited this side of the United States, so we would like to maximise our experience. All reports lead us to believeit could be a costly experience due to high cost of accommodation and the unfavourable exchange rate. I would really appreciate if you could suggest what we must do and see. We are on a limited budget. – GOC, Dublin.
San Francisco is one of the better US cities for visitors as it has good public transport and is easy to move around. Buy a city transport visitor passport and you can use the streetcars, buses and cable cars. A seven-day passport costs $40 – see sfmta.com.
The cable cars are a feature of the city and the Powell/Hyde car has great views as you climb up and then descend towards Fisherman’s Wharf.
Using the visitor passport you can easily visit popular attractions such as Fisherman’s Wharf, the Embarcadero, Golden Gate Bridge, Union Square, Chinatown and more. Alcatraz is well worth a visit, as is Golden Gate Park, especially on Sundays, when it is closed to traffic.
There are dozens of museums in the city –ones to see are the Museum of Modern Art, the de Young and the California Academy of Sciences. Plan your trip with the help of the sanfrancisco.travel website.
As a treat you may like to explore the wine country of Napa Valley. An all-day tour visiting three boutique wineries will cost from $124 with greendreamtours.com.
Staying a little out of the city centre will also bring down the cost of accommodation. Two-star hotels in May are from €120-€160 a night. See VRBO.com for self-catering properties and use the price filter to find the best-value rentals. You will be looking at about $100- $150 a night for a studio or one-bed apartment.
There are a few homestay.com rentals in San Francisco where you stay with families – that can work out costing much less.
I am planning to go solo on the Camino de Santiago during the Easter holidays. Many people have advised me to go alone and book accommodation along the way – “You’ll be grand” etc. I am wary of doing that my first time. Can you recommend a company I could book with and go as part of a group? – CG, Sligo.
At certain times of the year you can be hopeful of finding a bed each night, but I hear from the companies involved in planning Camino de Santiago trips that Easter is a busy time. Many Spaniards will be walking the pilgrim route.
This year Easter is also early and the chances of poor weather are higher. As you are travelling on your own I would suggest you book accommodation. Companies that specialise in the Camino include caminoways.com, followthecamino.com and maptravel.ie. There may be groups you could join, though walking the Camino on your own is perfectly fine. You will meet people along the way.
For example a week walking the most popular French route, from Sarria toSantiago de Compostela, with luggage transfers and half board costs from €697 in hotels from Caminoways. You can pare this back by having breakfast only and carrying your own luggage.
Staying in pilgrim hostels, called refugios or albergues can be much cheaper. You can obtain your pilgrim passport from Ireland and more information at caminosociety.ie. Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Bran Castle
Ask Joan about going to Romania for a summer holidays, a family holiday at Easter from Shannon, January 30, 2015.
We bit the bullet and booked flights to Bucharest,Romania, for 16 days in July. We have three kids, aged 13, 11 and nine, who love walking, cycling, activities, and a bit of beach time. Have you any recommendations for accommodation, places to visit, and car hire? – GW, Wicklow
Romania is an interesting choice for a family holiday, offering both activities and good seaside resorts. There are a couple of travel companies that arrange organised activity holidays in the Carpathian Mountains and Transylvania.
Responsible Travel has an eight-day trip beginning and ending with a stay in Bucharest and, in between, offering cycling, canoeing, hiking and a visit to a bear sanctuary. You would stay in the mountains, visit Brasnov and also explore the famous Bran Castle, purported home of Dracula. The tour costs £599-£899 (€777-€1,167) per person and is inclusive of all transport and accommodation, plus most meals and activities; see responsibletravel.com.
Another company doing similar activity-based holidays is greenworldholidays.com.
For nature lovers, the Danube Delta in northeast Romania is a wildlife reserve inhabited by hundreds of species of birds and mammals. The best way to see it is by a small boat tour from Tulcea.
The coast from Mangalia to Marmaia is dotted with beachside resorts and would be an ideal place to rent an apartment or villa. Booking. com has a good selection of rentals.
Shop around for car hire and book it early, as car hire firms usually give a discount for booking in advance.
You can see a selection of cars to rent at arguscarhire.com.
See also romaniatourism.com for more tourist information.
We are a family of four with two children under five years old. For our first holiday abroad with the children, we are considering going away on or around March 26th for five to seven days, ideally on a flight of no more than two and a half hours from Shannon Airport. I realise at this time of year that the weather will not be great, so we are looking for a hotel with a nice pool and playground, if possible five-star. – OS, Clare
Extra flights to sunny destinations will be coming on stream on that Easter weekend. Your choices from Shannon include Alicante and Malaga in Spain, and Faro in Portugal. There are also the Canary Islands of Fuerteventura and Lanzarote, where the weather can be better but flight time is four hours. All flights are with Ryanair.
A week in Alicante in the beachside Melia Alicante Hotel will cost about €2,500 for the family with clickandgo.com. A week in Marbella in the top-class Melia Don Pepe will cost from €4,500 with lowcostholidays.ie.
The Algarve is a family-friendly destination and there are plenty of resorts, though the weather can be mixed at the end of March. The Pestana Group has a number of hotels along the coast and some have kids’ clubs; see pestana.com.
The Martinhal resort is also a lovely child-friendly place, with a mix of accommodation types; see martinhal.com.
Lanzarote has a greater choice of accommodation and is less windy than Fuerteventura. The weather at the end of March should be comfortable.
A week in the five-star Hotel Volcán will cost from €710 each, while the Princesa Yaiza will cost from€1,100 each, with lowcostholidays.ie.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
We bit the bullet and booked flights to Bucharest,Romania, for 16 days in July. We have three kids, aged 13, 11 and nine, who love walking, cycling, activities, and a bit of beach time. Have you any recommendations for accommodation, places to visit, and car hire? – GW, Wicklow
Romania is an interesting choice for a family holiday, offering both activities and good seaside resorts. There are a couple of travel companies that arrange organised activity holidays in the Carpathian Mountains and Transylvania.
Responsible Travel has an eight-day trip beginning and ending with a stay in Bucharest and, in between, offering cycling, canoeing, hiking and a visit to a bear sanctuary. You would stay in the mountains, visit Brasnov and also explore the famous Bran Castle, purported home of Dracula. The tour costs £599-£899 (€777-€1,167) per person and is inclusive of all transport and accommodation, plus most meals and activities; see responsibletravel.com.
Another company doing similar activity-based holidays is greenworldholidays.com.
For nature lovers, the Danube Delta in northeast Romania is a wildlife reserve inhabited by hundreds of species of birds and mammals. The best way to see it is by a small boat tour from Tulcea.
The coast from Mangalia to Marmaia is dotted with beachside resorts and would be an ideal place to rent an apartment or villa. Booking. com has a good selection of rentals.
Shop around for car hire and book it early, as car hire firms usually give a discount for booking in advance.
You can see a selection of cars to rent at arguscarhire.com.
See also romaniatourism.com for more tourist information.
We are a family of four with two children under five years old. For our first holiday abroad with the children, we are considering going away on or around March 26th for five to seven days, ideally on a flight of no more than two and a half hours from Shannon Airport. I realise at this time of year that the weather will not be great, so we are looking for a hotel with a nice pool and playground, if possible five-star. – OS, Clare
Extra flights to sunny destinations will be coming on stream on that Easter weekend. Your choices from Shannon include Alicante and Malaga in Spain, and Faro in Portugal. There are also the Canary Islands of Fuerteventura and Lanzarote, where the weather can be better but flight time is four hours. All flights are with Ryanair.
A week in Alicante in the beachside Melia Alicante Hotel will cost about €2,500 for the family with clickandgo.com. A week in Marbella in the top-class Melia Don Pepe will cost from €4,500 with lowcostholidays.ie.
The Algarve is a family-friendly destination and there are plenty of resorts, though the weather can be mixed at the end of March. The Pestana Group has a number of hotels along the coast and some have kids’ clubs; see pestana.com.
The Martinhal resort is also a lovely child-friendly place, with a mix of accommodation types; see martinhal.com.
Lanzarote has a greater choice of accommodation and is less windy than Fuerteventura. The weather at the end of March should be comfortable.
A week in the five-star Hotel Volcán will cost from €710 each, while the Princesa Yaiza will cost from€1,100 each, with lowcostholidays.ie.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about getting to Todi in Italy by rail, classical horse-riding and dressage holidays and doing Pilates in the sun, January 23, 2016.
My husband and I plan to attend a family wedding in Todi, Italy, in May. We would like to travel from Ireland by ferry and then by rail through France and Switzerland, and see some of the countryside. Are there travel companies that specialise in organising this type of holiday?
We would like to make it as stress- and hassle-free as possible. We live in Northern Ireland and it might help to know if we would be better to use a UK company or an Irish one. The main priority is to avoid airports. We would also prefer to avoid Eurostar, if possible.– JD,Belfast
In Dublin, Railshop.ie, tel: 01-8828679, can make bookings for all European rail services. There will be a ferry from Dublin to Cherbourg on Saturdays during May with Irish Ferries, irishferries.com. That would save going to Rosslare to catch the ferry, and also avoid Eurostar. Statravel.co.uk can help with rail tickets from the UK.
If travelling from Belfast via England the ferry companies have a sail rail inclusive fare to London. Stena’s booking line is 0844-576-2762.
Eurostar is a quick and easy way to get to Europe, but there are plenty of ferries to France. You can check the routings and times on aferry.co.uk. For rail travel within the UK book online with thetrainline.com.
We are two horse-riding fanatics and we would love to go on adressage/classical horse riding holiday. We can both ride, but from a dressage point of view we would be considered novice. We are both free in late April or early May. We can go anywhere in Europe.– DM, Limerick
The Irish company that specialises in horse-riding holidays, Zaras Planet, has exactly what you are looking for. There are two possibilities for your dates, a week in Andalusia or in Tuscany. The trip to Spain would involve travelling through Malaga or Seville to the lovely town of Carmona.
Six days are devoted to classical horse-riding and dressage, with the price from €1,480pps including four-star hotel accommodation, meals and outings. There are optional excursions to the Andalusian School of Equitation; flights are extra. In Tuscany, the riding school is located at Il Paretaio, about 30 minutes from Florence and two hours from Pisa. The course will include lessons in classical and dressage and riding in the Tuscan countryside. Accommodation is in a villa with a swimming pool. Most meals are included in the price, from €1,195pps. Contact Zaras Planet on 01-4407477 andzarasplanet.com.
I am a single lady in my late 50s and have been encouraged, because of a weak back, to join a Pilates class. I would like to combine this with a sun holiday, preferably in Europe, anytime from June to end August. – CM, Dublin
There are a number of companies that combine Pilates, yoga and meditation in sunny destinations. Azulfit is based in Fuerteventura and a week-long course with vegetarian meals will cost from €735. See azulfit.com.
In Lanzarote the Princesa Yaiza (princesayaiza.com) resort has fitness activities including Pilates. Here you can combine a relaxing resort type holiday with your Pilates programme. Holidays to the Princess Yaiza can be booked through topflight.ie and sunway.ie. Prices for a week with flights will be around €1,400-€1,600.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
My husband and I plan to attend a family wedding in Todi, Italy, in May. We would like to travel from Ireland by ferry and then by rail through France and Switzerland, and see some of the countryside. Are there travel companies that specialise in organising this type of holiday?
We would like to make it as stress- and hassle-free as possible. We live in Northern Ireland and it might help to know if we would be better to use a UK company or an Irish one. The main priority is to avoid airports. We would also prefer to avoid Eurostar, if possible.– JD,Belfast
In Dublin, Railshop.ie, tel: 01-8828679, can make bookings for all European rail services. There will be a ferry from Dublin to Cherbourg on Saturdays during May with Irish Ferries, irishferries.com. That would save going to Rosslare to catch the ferry, and also avoid Eurostar. Statravel.co.uk can help with rail tickets from the UK.
If travelling from Belfast via England the ferry companies have a sail rail inclusive fare to London. Stena’s booking line is 0844-576-2762.
Eurostar is a quick and easy way to get to Europe, but there are plenty of ferries to France. You can check the routings and times on aferry.co.uk. For rail travel within the UK book online with thetrainline.com.
We are two horse-riding fanatics and we would love to go on adressage/classical horse riding holiday. We can both ride, but from a dressage point of view we would be considered novice. We are both free in late April or early May. We can go anywhere in Europe.– DM, Limerick
The Irish company that specialises in horse-riding holidays, Zaras Planet, has exactly what you are looking for. There are two possibilities for your dates, a week in Andalusia or in Tuscany. The trip to Spain would involve travelling through Malaga or Seville to the lovely town of Carmona.
Six days are devoted to classical horse-riding and dressage, with the price from €1,480pps including four-star hotel accommodation, meals and outings. There are optional excursions to the Andalusian School of Equitation; flights are extra. In Tuscany, the riding school is located at Il Paretaio, about 30 minutes from Florence and two hours from Pisa. The course will include lessons in classical and dressage and riding in the Tuscan countryside. Accommodation is in a villa with a swimming pool. Most meals are included in the price, from €1,195pps. Contact Zaras Planet on 01-4407477 andzarasplanet.com.
I am a single lady in my late 50s and have been encouraged, because of a weak back, to join a Pilates class. I would like to combine this with a sun holiday, preferably in Europe, anytime from June to end August. – CM, Dublin
There are a number of companies that combine Pilates, yoga and meditation in sunny destinations. Azulfit is based in Fuerteventura and a week-long course with vegetarian meals will cost from €735. See azulfit.com.
In Lanzarote the Princesa Yaiza (princesayaiza.com) resort has fitness activities including Pilates. Here you can combine a relaxing resort type holiday with your Pilates programme. Holidays to the Princess Yaiza can be booked through topflight.ie and sunway.ie. Prices for a week with flights will be around €1,400-€1,600.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about finding a place for a family holiday on the Costa de la Luz, walking holidays in Puglia, Italy, Jan. 16, 2106.
We are a family of five: our children are 13, 18 and 20. We are flying to Seville at the end of June and want to spend a day there and then travel to the coast for 10 nights. Can you recommend a town on the Costa de la Luz that is not very touristy, has authentic Spanish restaurants, sandy beaches and plenty of things to do? We would like to stay in a nice villa or apartment in walking distance of the beach. Our budget is €2,000 for accommodation. Do you have any suggestions for entertainment that will keep us all happy? – LF, Dublin
The Costa de la Luz is a lovely part of Spain; quite unspoiled with fabulous Atlantic beaches. The fishing town of Zahara de los Atunes is probably a good place to start. It has a lovely long beach and traditional restaurants. There are plenty of water sports and you can hire bikes too. The beachside chiringuitosbecome nightclubs later in the day.
The next town to it is Atlanterra, also lovely but quite hilly and exclusive. There are some amazing houses built into the hillside.
Zahara is beside the Doñana National Park where there is great bird watching.
The Roman town of Bolonia, with the 2,000-year-old settlement of Baelo Claudia, is a short drive away. It has some amazing sand dunes to explore.
A little further along the coast, where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean, is the medieval town of Tarifa. Here there are great water sports such as windsurfing and kite surfing. It is a windy town but very quaint and quite cool. There is long sandy beach called Los Lances and a good variety of accommodation. You will find accommodation within your budget onhomeaway.co.uk and GoTarifa.com.
My partner and I plan a trip to south-east Italy in late March/early April to meet up with her son who is travelling in the area. We want to fly to Bari, spend a couple of days there and then do some walking. We are keen and capable walkers so 25km a day would not be a problem. Ideally we would like to follow walk off-road from point to point carrying our own baggage and staying in budget accommodation. Despite spending hours on the internet we have been unable to find any useful information. – TM, Wexford
Puglia is one of Italy’s least developed regions and that also extends to waymarked trails and walking routes. It is a beautiful region and spring comes early, so walking in March and April would be nice. There are B&Bs, mostly agriturismos and, local to Puglia, masserias (fortified farmhouses).
It is a big region, 400km from top to toe, with great coastal scenery to the east and long sandy beaches to the west. There are walking trails in the Gargano National Park and Foresta Umbra. You will find some suggestions for walking in Gargano on wanderingitaly.com and accommodation on visititaly.com (search Apulia).
Two travel companies in Ireland arrange trips in Puglia. Both are owned by people from the province and they would be able to suggest some routes and book accommodation. You can contact them on discoverypuglia.com and Puglia.ie.
Ramblers Worldwide will have a walking holiday in Puglia in April. Staying in the town of trullis, Alberobello, with guided walks each day. See details on ramblersholidays.co.uk. The official tourism website for Puglia is viaggiareinpuglia.it.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
We are a family of five: our children are 13, 18 and 20. We are flying to Seville at the end of June and want to spend a day there and then travel to the coast for 10 nights. Can you recommend a town on the Costa de la Luz that is not very touristy, has authentic Spanish restaurants, sandy beaches and plenty of things to do? We would like to stay in a nice villa or apartment in walking distance of the beach. Our budget is €2,000 for accommodation. Do you have any suggestions for entertainment that will keep us all happy? – LF, Dublin
The Costa de la Luz is a lovely part of Spain; quite unspoiled with fabulous Atlantic beaches. The fishing town of Zahara de los Atunes is probably a good place to start. It has a lovely long beach and traditional restaurants. There are plenty of water sports and you can hire bikes too. The beachside chiringuitosbecome nightclubs later in the day.
The next town to it is Atlanterra, also lovely but quite hilly and exclusive. There are some amazing houses built into the hillside.
Zahara is beside the Doñana National Park where there is great bird watching.
The Roman town of Bolonia, with the 2,000-year-old settlement of Baelo Claudia, is a short drive away. It has some amazing sand dunes to explore.
A little further along the coast, where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean, is the medieval town of Tarifa. Here there are great water sports such as windsurfing and kite surfing. It is a windy town but very quaint and quite cool. There is long sandy beach called Los Lances and a good variety of accommodation. You will find accommodation within your budget onhomeaway.co.uk and GoTarifa.com.
My partner and I plan a trip to south-east Italy in late March/early April to meet up with her son who is travelling in the area. We want to fly to Bari, spend a couple of days there and then do some walking. We are keen and capable walkers so 25km a day would not be a problem. Ideally we would like to follow walk off-road from point to point carrying our own baggage and staying in budget accommodation. Despite spending hours on the internet we have been unable to find any useful information. – TM, Wexford
Puglia is one of Italy’s least developed regions and that also extends to waymarked trails and walking routes. It is a beautiful region and spring comes early, so walking in March and April would be nice. There are B&Bs, mostly agriturismos and, local to Puglia, masserias (fortified farmhouses).
It is a big region, 400km from top to toe, with great coastal scenery to the east and long sandy beaches to the west. There are walking trails in the Gargano National Park and Foresta Umbra. You will find some suggestions for walking in Gargano on wanderingitaly.com and accommodation on visititaly.com (search Apulia).
Two travel companies in Ireland arrange trips in Puglia. Both are owned by people from the province and they would be able to suggest some routes and book accommodation. You can contact them on discoverypuglia.com and Puglia.ie.
Ramblers Worldwide will have a walking holiday in Puglia in April. Staying in the town of trullis, Alberobello, with guided walks each day. See details on ramblersholidays.co.uk. The official tourism website for Puglia is viaggiareinpuglia.it.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about finding accommodation in Amsterdam, getting to Chania in Greece and taking a ski trip to Italy.
Jan. 9, 2016.
As a Christmas gift, myself and my brother bought a trip to Amsterdam for my wife and our mother. We will be travelling in mid-late April and I’ve just realised it’s the weekend before the king’s birthday. We planned to rent an apartment, but it’s difficult to find somewhere central that also has three bedrooms, for the right price. My benchmark was €150 a night for the apartment and we’ll be there for three nights. – BOS, Donegal
The king’s birthday, Koningsdag, is Wednesday, April 27th, so you will just miss it. I have noticed that prices in Amsterdam have been climbing steadily in the past few years. It is a very popular city break destination.
You may have to up your budget a bit. Homeaway. com has a few three-bedroom places around your budget. There are a few places still available on only-apartments.com and on Airbnb. com. Booking. com and housetrip. com have the best selection of places, but the prices are very high.
The Amsterdam tourism website is useful for planning your trip, iamsterdam.com. The Amsterdam city card gives free transport on trams and buses and entry to a number of museums. The Rijksmuseum is not included but is well worth a visit.
A family member who lives overseas has bought a place not far from Chania in Crete. Sounds great, but I am having trouble finding flights there. Ryanair seems to go only in high season and is quite expensive. Are there any tour operators I could book flightonly from? We are a family of four. – AW, Dublin.
Next summer there will be competition on the Dublin to Athens route between Aer Lingus, Ryanair and Aegean Air. Ryanair prices will be the cheapest and they have daily services to Chania from Athens. It may be possible to shave a bit off the fares going this way. A round trip in July to Chania would be from €250 and via Athens would be about €200. Aegean Air return to Athens will be from €180.
Last year my daughter went on a school ski trip to the Italian town of San Martino di Castrozza with Topflight. My daughter and I would like to plan a return visit for the February mid-term, but it is not available from Topflight. I would prefer a package deal, but have looked at the DIY option. I am unsure of airport transfertimes and flight arrivals. – DW, Wicklow
Package trips for ski holidays always work out a bit better as the costs of transfers can be high and usually quite longish distances. The nearest airport for San Martino di Castrozza is Venice, a two- hour transfer, but flights only operate some days of the week and not the days that the bus to the resort does – Saturday and Sundays. See brusutti.com.
You could consider driving, and would need snow chains. There are flights to Bergamo, a four-hour transfer, from €260 each. You can book accommodation on sanmartino.com. Also see tognola.it/en for booking accommodation, lift passes and lessons.
You could consider another resort in the Dolomites, Madonna di Campiglio is on a par with San Martino di Castrozza and available through crystalski.ie. A week over mid-term would cost from €974pps and that would include flights, hotel accommodation, half-board with transfers. Madonna is a lovely resort, lots of nice high-end shopping and great skiing.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Jan. 9, 2016.
As a Christmas gift, myself and my brother bought a trip to Amsterdam for my wife and our mother. We will be travelling in mid-late April and I’ve just realised it’s the weekend before the king’s birthday. We planned to rent an apartment, but it’s difficult to find somewhere central that also has three bedrooms, for the right price. My benchmark was €150 a night for the apartment and we’ll be there for three nights. – BOS, Donegal
The king’s birthday, Koningsdag, is Wednesday, April 27th, so you will just miss it. I have noticed that prices in Amsterdam have been climbing steadily in the past few years. It is a very popular city break destination.
You may have to up your budget a bit. Homeaway. com has a few three-bedroom places around your budget. There are a few places still available on only-apartments.com and on Airbnb. com. Booking. com and housetrip. com have the best selection of places, but the prices are very high.
The Amsterdam tourism website is useful for planning your trip, iamsterdam.com. The Amsterdam city card gives free transport on trams and buses and entry to a number of museums. The Rijksmuseum is not included but is well worth a visit.
A family member who lives overseas has bought a place not far from Chania in Crete. Sounds great, but I am having trouble finding flights there. Ryanair seems to go only in high season and is quite expensive. Are there any tour operators I could book flightonly from? We are a family of four. – AW, Dublin.
Next summer there will be competition on the Dublin to Athens route between Aer Lingus, Ryanair and Aegean Air. Ryanair prices will be the cheapest and they have daily services to Chania from Athens. It may be possible to shave a bit off the fares going this way. A round trip in July to Chania would be from €250 and via Athens would be about €200. Aegean Air return to Athens will be from €180.
Last year my daughter went on a school ski trip to the Italian town of San Martino di Castrozza with Topflight. My daughter and I would like to plan a return visit for the February mid-term, but it is not available from Topflight. I would prefer a package deal, but have looked at the DIY option. I am unsure of airport transfertimes and flight arrivals. – DW, Wicklow
Package trips for ski holidays always work out a bit better as the costs of transfers can be high and usually quite longish distances. The nearest airport for San Martino di Castrozza is Venice, a two- hour transfer, but flights only operate some days of the week and not the days that the bus to the resort does – Saturday and Sundays. See brusutti.com.
You could consider driving, and would need snow chains. There are flights to Bergamo, a four-hour transfer, from €260 each. You can book accommodation on sanmartino.com. Also see tognola.it/en for booking accommodation, lift passes and lessons.
You could consider another resort in the Dolomites, Madonna di Campiglio is on a par with San Martino di Castrozza and available through crystalski.ie. A week over mid-term would cost from €974pps and that would include flights, hotel accommodation, half-board with transfers. Madonna is a lovely resort, lots of nice high-end shopping and great skiing.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan Taking a family holidays to the sun from Kerry, Cork or Shannon, finding an apartment in Barcelona and a family friendly campsite on the coast Dec. 19, 2015
We will have the first week of May 2016 off and would like to get some sun, beach and heat with our three kids. Kerry, Cork or Shannon would be preferable departure points. It seems only the Canaries, and maybe Spain, might offer a chance for real sun and sand weather but we are hoping there might be more options. Are we as well to book a self catering option in a well equipped resort with lots for the kids to do? – AH, Kerry
When you are hoping to fly from a local airport it is always a good idea to start with a local travel agent. From Kerry, Ryanair runs flights twice a week in May to Alicante on the Costa Blanca – on Monday and Friday. You could use lowcostholidays.ie to combine flights, accommodation and transfers.
From Cork you could contact flycork.ie, 021-4976010, to find out what’s available at that time. There is a variety of destinations on offer: Turkey, Majorca, Costa del Sol, Tenerife and Gran Canaria. The best value is Turkey, at about €479 per week, with Sunway.ie, and the Golden Day Wings resort is popular with families.
Falconholidays.ie will have package holidays to Majorca from May 3rd and there is a good selection of accommodation. The Falcon Village and Splashworld are great for families with lots of entertainment for the children. A week in Falcon village will cost from €814pps and Splashworld from €504pps. The weather in May will be 22-28 degrees.
There are similar choices from Shannon, but no main tour operators. There will be flights to Portugal, Palma, Alicante, and three Canary Islands. You can check what lowcostholidays.ie and clickandgo.com are offering from Shannon.
I would like to spend a few days in Barcelona in an apartment with my husband and two young girls. Following that we would like to drive 1-2 hours down along the coast to a campsite for about 10 nights. We have done this type of holiday in France but I am looking for something new and better weather. I would like a good quality site with a pool and slides, night-time entertainment, day-time activities such as tennis, nice walks, kids’ camp, good quality mobile homes or chalets. – MB, Dublin
You can find apartments in Barcelona on only-apartments.com. There are plenty to choose from and a reasonable price would be about €100 per night. Pick somewhere central, so you can walk to the main sights of interest.
Do take a trip to the beach – it is fun to have a beach in the city.
About a 90-minute drive from Barcelona is Cambrils, a popular place for family holidays. There is a fine beach and the cities of Tarragona and Girona are nearby to explore. Cambrils Park campsite is one of the best rated in this area. It is available through Canvas Holidays and a week will cost from €925 in a mobile and €1,400 in a bungalow. It has all the facilities needed for a great family holiday, canvasholidays.ie.
It is also worth looking at what the Irish company KelAir Campotel, which specialises in this kind of holiday, has to offer in the Spanish resorts on the Costa Brava and Costa Dorada, campotel.com.
Other towns along this coast that are good for family holidays include Rosas, Palafrugell, Estartit, and Tarragona. It might make sense to fly into Barcelona, pick up a car when leaving the city and fly out of Girona. I find doyouspain.com is good value for car rental in Spain.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
We will have the first week of May 2016 off and would like to get some sun, beach and heat with our three kids. Kerry, Cork or Shannon would be preferable departure points. It seems only the Canaries, and maybe Spain, might offer a chance for real sun and sand weather but we are hoping there might be more options. Are we as well to book a self catering option in a well equipped resort with lots for the kids to do? – AH, Kerry
When you are hoping to fly from a local airport it is always a good idea to start with a local travel agent. From Kerry, Ryanair runs flights twice a week in May to Alicante on the Costa Blanca – on Monday and Friday. You could use lowcostholidays.ie to combine flights, accommodation and transfers.
From Cork you could contact flycork.ie, 021-4976010, to find out what’s available at that time. There is a variety of destinations on offer: Turkey, Majorca, Costa del Sol, Tenerife and Gran Canaria. The best value is Turkey, at about €479 per week, with Sunway.ie, and the Golden Day Wings resort is popular with families.
Falconholidays.ie will have package holidays to Majorca from May 3rd and there is a good selection of accommodation. The Falcon Village and Splashworld are great for families with lots of entertainment for the children. A week in Falcon village will cost from €814pps and Splashworld from €504pps. The weather in May will be 22-28 degrees.
There are similar choices from Shannon, but no main tour operators. There will be flights to Portugal, Palma, Alicante, and three Canary Islands. You can check what lowcostholidays.ie and clickandgo.com are offering from Shannon.
I would like to spend a few days in Barcelona in an apartment with my husband and two young girls. Following that we would like to drive 1-2 hours down along the coast to a campsite for about 10 nights. We have done this type of holiday in France but I am looking for something new and better weather. I would like a good quality site with a pool and slides, night-time entertainment, day-time activities such as tennis, nice walks, kids’ camp, good quality mobile homes or chalets. – MB, Dublin
You can find apartments in Barcelona on only-apartments.com. There are plenty to choose from and a reasonable price would be about €100 per night. Pick somewhere central, so you can walk to the main sights of interest.
Do take a trip to the beach – it is fun to have a beach in the city.
About a 90-minute drive from Barcelona is Cambrils, a popular place for family holidays. There is a fine beach and the cities of Tarragona and Girona are nearby to explore. Cambrils Park campsite is one of the best rated in this area. It is available through Canvas Holidays and a week will cost from €925 in a mobile and €1,400 in a bungalow. It has all the facilities needed for a great family holiday, canvasholidays.ie.
It is also worth looking at what the Irish company KelAir Campotel, which specialises in this kind of holiday, has to offer in the Spanish resorts on the Costa Brava and Costa Dorada, campotel.com.
Other towns along this coast that are good for family holidays include Rosas, Palafrugell, Estartit, and Tarragona. It might make sense to fly into Barcelona, pick up a car when leaving the city and fly out of Girona. I find doyouspain.com is good value for car rental in Spain.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about a big family holiday for Easter and celebrating Eastertide in London, Dec. 12, 2015
We are a family of four, two adults and two girls (14 and 12) who would like to go on a special holiday next Easter. We have mostly holidayed at home but we would like to be adventurous for this holiday. We would like decent weather, have a healthy budget and are open to all suggestions? ES, Dublin. One of the best family holidays for a mixture of sun, fun and adventures is Florida. It is very commercialised but great fun and the weather will be 29-31 degrees. Adults usually enjoy it more than they expect.
The main area for exploring the big name theme parks is Orlando. There you have Universal Studios, with the Harry Potter Wizarding World, Gringotts Bank and the Hogwarts Express features. Universal Studios have exciting 3D rides like The Simpsons, Transformers and Spiderman.
Disneyland is usually a big hit with girls and the centrepiece is Sleeping Beauty’s castle and the daily parade. During the holidays the parks are specially themed to reflect the season.
Meet animals up close at Discovery Cove, where you can swim with dolphins and walk underwater. Busch Gardens near Tampa recreates the African Plains and you can see wild animals up close. There are more than 12,000 animals, and it is the largest zoo in the US. A visit to the animal hospital is interesting. In Seaworld you can see all the creatures of the deep in recreated habitats.
A holiday in Florida can combine all the fun of the theme parks with relaxing time by the coast staying in maybe a rental house or apartment and enjoying living like a local. This holiday is best arranged with a travel agent and I can recommend Touramerica.ie, Sunway.ie and AmericanHolidays.ie. A budget for two weeks in Florida should be about €8,000.
For something adventurous and close to nature, a trip to Costa Rica would be amazing. March/April is a great time to visit, the weather is dry and not so humid.
This trip from Families Worldwide, a British travel company is called Waves, Whales and Waterfalls. It is 13 days exploring Costa Rica by land and sea. There will be visits to volcanoes, mountain biking and zip-wiring, treetop walks to see tropical birds. There will be hiking in the rainforest to visit amazing waterfalls and rafting along the Tenorio River.
Part of the trip will be driving the Pan American Highway, visiting national parks, staying by the beach and watching humpback whales and dolphins and maybe some iguanas. This trip costs from £2,499 for adults and £1,499 for children. familiesworldwide.co.uk.
My wife and I would like to spend Easter weekend in London. We would like to attend the Easter Vigil Service in Westminster Abbey. Can that be booked? Have you any advice about flights, accommodation, or other interesting activities in London? RD, Dublin.
The details of Easter services will be released during January by Westminster Abbey, watch Westminster-abbey.org. Keep in mind the other cathedrals such as St Paul’s and Southwark services on Good Friday. Combine a visit to Southwark with Borough Market, great for ethnic food. Check London-city-churches.org.uk.
Book flights early for Easter – Cityjet.ie to London City Airport has the best views of the city. The doylecollection.com has three very nice well-located hotels. The Emirates Cable Car is a great way to view London. VisitLondontown. com for what’s on.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
We are a family of four, two adults and two girls (14 and 12) who would like to go on a special holiday next Easter. We have mostly holidayed at home but we would like to be adventurous for this holiday. We would like decent weather, have a healthy budget and are open to all suggestions? ES, Dublin. One of the best family holidays for a mixture of sun, fun and adventures is Florida. It is very commercialised but great fun and the weather will be 29-31 degrees. Adults usually enjoy it more than they expect.
The main area for exploring the big name theme parks is Orlando. There you have Universal Studios, with the Harry Potter Wizarding World, Gringotts Bank and the Hogwarts Express features. Universal Studios have exciting 3D rides like The Simpsons, Transformers and Spiderman.
Disneyland is usually a big hit with girls and the centrepiece is Sleeping Beauty’s castle and the daily parade. During the holidays the parks are specially themed to reflect the season.
Meet animals up close at Discovery Cove, where you can swim with dolphins and walk underwater. Busch Gardens near Tampa recreates the African Plains and you can see wild animals up close. There are more than 12,000 animals, and it is the largest zoo in the US. A visit to the animal hospital is interesting. In Seaworld you can see all the creatures of the deep in recreated habitats.
A holiday in Florida can combine all the fun of the theme parks with relaxing time by the coast staying in maybe a rental house or apartment and enjoying living like a local. This holiday is best arranged with a travel agent and I can recommend Touramerica.ie, Sunway.ie and AmericanHolidays.ie. A budget for two weeks in Florida should be about €8,000.
For something adventurous and close to nature, a trip to Costa Rica would be amazing. March/April is a great time to visit, the weather is dry and not so humid.
This trip from Families Worldwide, a British travel company is called Waves, Whales and Waterfalls. It is 13 days exploring Costa Rica by land and sea. There will be visits to volcanoes, mountain biking and zip-wiring, treetop walks to see tropical birds. There will be hiking in the rainforest to visit amazing waterfalls and rafting along the Tenorio River.
Part of the trip will be driving the Pan American Highway, visiting national parks, staying by the beach and watching humpback whales and dolphins and maybe some iguanas. This trip costs from £2,499 for adults and £1,499 for children. familiesworldwide.co.uk.
My wife and I would like to spend Easter weekend in London. We would like to attend the Easter Vigil Service in Westminster Abbey. Can that be booked? Have you any advice about flights, accommodation, or other interesting activities in London? RD, Dublin.
The details of Easter services will be released during January by Westminster Abbey, watch Westminster-abbey.org. Keep in mind the other cathedrals such as St Paul’s and Southwark services on Good Friday. Combine a visit to Southwark with Borough Market, great for ethnic food. Check London-city-churches.org.uk.
Book flights early for Easter – Cityjet.ie to London City Airport has the best views of the city. The doylecollection.com has three very nice well-located hotels. The Emirates Cable Car is a great way to view London. VisitLondontown. com for what’s on.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about a family group going on holidays together, travelling around Tenerife and finding a hotel in Seville for New Year, Dec. 5th, 2015.
We are an extended family looking for a week together in August 2016. There will be 16 of us ranging in age from eight months to 79 years and we need wheelchair-friendly accommodation for a family.
We would like warmth and easy access from both Belfast and London. Ideally, individual families would have their own space but also communal areas for us to come together. We would like it to be somewhere with access to a swimming pool and/or the sea and within easy walking distance to restaurants. MC, Belfast.
The Mimozas resort in Cannes Mandelieu has recently come under the management of the Irish company behind the Wineport and Ice House Hotels. It is beside the beautiful village of La Napoule and has a variety of accommodation, including one, two and three-bedroom apartments.
They all have balconies overlooking a lake or the Old Course and the beach at Mandelieu is just a short walk away. Cannes is seven kilometres away, perfect for sightseeing, people-watching and eating out. It is also a good location for taking day trips to explore the Provence countryside and the Cote d’Azur. There is a great train service all along the coast from Cannes.
Apartments for a week in August will cost about €1,400. Nice Airport has access from Belfast with EasyJet and with a number of carriers from London. Reservations on mimozascannes.com.
The Algarve has a great variety of resorts that would be suitable for a multigenerational family group, with easy access from both Belfast and London. The Algarve has lovely Atlantic beaches and lots of small towns to explore.
EasyJet Holidays has a lovely selection of properties and resorts that combine hotel and self-catering options that would be ideal for your family. Look at theCrowne Plaza, Pinhal de Marina, Colina Village and Balaia resorts. These are good examples of all-inclusive holiday villages, from self-catering to luxury hotels with a mix of accommodation. Prices are from £499- £850pps for a week and include flights, transfers and accommodation. Easyjet.com.
I wonder could you give me some information regarding travelling around Tenerife in February? I am going solo and want to spend a few days in Santa Cruz for the Carnaval. CK, Dublin.
Bus is the best way to get around Tenerife. You can buy a travel card for €15/€25 or pay on the buses. The bus company website is titsa.com. It is also worthwhile going to see Teide, the 7,000m volcano. You will find tourism information on todotenerife.com and for the Carnaval on carnavaldetenerife. com/en.
Can you suggest a hotel in the centre of Seville from December 30th-January 4th between €150-200 a night? SC, Dublin.
Seville is very busy over new year and all the five-star hotels are already booked out. The Spanish love the new year celebrations and it is a big event. There are some central four-star hotels that still had availability at time of going to press. Two are chain hotels, the Barcelo Renacimiento, barcelo.com, and the NH Sevilla Plaza des Armas, nh-hotels.com. The other is a boutique hotel, Las Casas de la Juderia, centrally located and typically old-style Spanish, lascasasdelasjuderiasevilla.com. These are in your price range.
The Abades Triana restaurant on the riverfront has great views of the city and serves stylish modern Spanish cuisine, abadestriana.com/en. Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
We are an extended family looking for a week together in August 2016. There will be 16 of us ranging in age from eight months to 79 years and we need wheelchair-friendly accommodation for a family.
We would like warmth and easy access from both Belfast and London. Ideally, individual families would have their own space but also communal areas for us to come together. We would like it to be somewhere with access to a swimming pool and/or the sea and within easy walking distance to restaurants. MC, Belfast.
The Mimozas resort in Cannes Mandelieu has recently come under the management of the Irish company behind the Wineport and Ice House Hotels. It is beside the beautiful village of La Napoule and has a variety of accommodation, including one, two and three-bedroom apartments.
They all have balconies overlooking a lake or the Old Course and the beach at Mandelieu is just a short walk away. Cannes is seven kilometres away, perfect for sightseeing, people-watching and eating out. It is also a good location for taking day trips to explore the Provence countryside and the Cote d’Azur. There is a great train service all along the coast from Cannes.
Apartments for a week in August will cost about €1,400. Nice Airport has access from Belfast with EasyJet and with a number of carriers from London. Reservations on mimozascannes.com.
The Algarve has a great variety of resorts that would be suitable for a multigenerational family group, with easy access from both Belfast and London. The Algarve has lovely Atlantic beaches and lots of small towns to explore.
EasyJet Holidays has a lovely selection of properties and resorts that combine hotel and self-catering options that would be ideal for your family. Look at theCrowne Plaza, Pinhal de Marina, Colina Village and Balaia resorts. These are good examples of all-inclusive holiday villages, from self-catering to luxury hotels with a mix of accommodation. Prices are from £499- £850pps for a week and include flights, transfers and accommodation. Easyjet.com.
I wonder could you give me some information regarding travelling around Tenerife in February? I am going solo and want to spend a few days in Santa Cruz for the Carnaval. CK, Dublin.
Bus is the best way to get around Tenerife. You can buy a travel card for €15/€25 or pay on the buses. The bus company website is titsa.com. It is also worthwhile going to see Teide, the 7,000m volcano. You will find tourism information on todotenerife.com and for the Carnaval on carnavaldetenerife. com/en.
Can you suggest a hotel in the centre of Seville from December 30th-January 4th between €150-200 a night? SC, Dublin.
Seville is very busy over new year and all the five-star hotels are already booked out. The Spanish love the new year celebrations and it is a big event. There are some central four-star hotels that still had availability at time of going to press. Two are chain hotels, the Barcelo Renacimiento, barcelo.com, and the NH Sevilla Plaza des Armas, nh-hotels.com. The other is a boutique hotel, Las Casas de la Juderia, centrally located and typically old-style Spanish, lascasasdelasjuderiasevilla.com. These are in your price range.
The Abades Triana restaurant on the riverfront has great views of the city and serves stylish modern Spanish cuisine, abadestriana.com/en. Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan, taking my son on a cooking holiday, where to go for the girls big birthday, Nov. 28, 2015.
My son has recently turned 13 and I promised him we would go away for a week or so to celebrate. His interests are cookery, animals and swimming. It would be an added bonus to have this on a farm, working or otherwise. We can go during Easter, or anytime during the month of June. CW, Wexford.
Italy is the ideal place to find what you are looking for. The Montalbino Agriturismo in Tuscany is a working farm where children are encouraged to enjoy the animals. There are also activities like football and games on site.
Montalbino also has two swimming pools, a restaurant and the possibility of cooking classes on request. It is about an hour from Pisa airport and there will be direct flights with Ryanair and Aer Lingus next year.
A week self-catering will cost from €690 for an apartment,agriturismomontalbino.it.
There is a company called Active Gourmet Holidays and they specialise in all sorts of lovely trips with cooking classes. One I saw sounds ideal. It is in Spain and is called Cortijo Cooking in Extremadura. It involves cooking classes in a lovely farmhouse with pool for swimming and nice walks around. There are four- and seven-day courses from €600pps, activegourmetholidays.com
We are a group of six pals sharing a significant birthday in 2016 and are looking forward to celebrating with a long weekend in June. We are saving and will have a reasonable budget.
We are a mix of sun worshippers some who enjoy culture and without doubt a vibrant restaurant and nightlife. We would like something with a little luxury. Dubrovnik, San Sebastian and Ibiza have been mentioned for travel early June next year. OF, Dublin.When you have a decent budget there are lots of choices and, if booked in advance, good prices in four- and five-star hotels.
Barcelona is a top city for culture, food and nightlife and easy to get to.
The Gran Hotel la Florida is on a hilltop overlooking the city. It has fabulous views, a great spa and excellent restaurants. Taxis into the city will cost about €25. Rooms will cost from €280 per night, hotellaflorida.com/en.
San Sebastian is a top-class city for fun, food, culture and accommodation. The best hotel is the Maria Christina which oozes style. Think Penelope Cruzand Javier Bardem sipping cocktails here. It is pricey – rooms are from €505 per night.
The hotel with the best views over La Concha beach is the Hotel Londres y Inglaterra, prices start from €250 per night . The attic rooms are a bit more expensive but have sea views and terraces, hlondres.com/en. Explore the tapas bars of the Old Town, the best tapas are the ones cooked to order. The Whiskey Museum is a fun place for a night out dancing.
Nice is a fun city for a girls’ trip away. The Hotel Splendid is in a great location, just a few streets behind the Promenade des Anglais. It has a great rooftop restaurant, pool and spa. Shopping, beach, galleries, museums and restaurants are just a short stroll away. Rooms in June will cost from €220 per night, splendid-nice.com.
Luxury villas for rent, with or without catering are available in Ibiza, Italy,Croatia and France through Oliver’s Travels, oliverstravels.com.
There are a few nice properties in Dubrovnik and look also at Istria in Croatia. There will be flights to Pula again next summer with Aer Lingus.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
My son has recently turned 13 and I promised him we would go away for a week or so to celebrate. His interests are cookery, animals and swimming. It would be an added bonus to have this on a farm, working or otherwise. We can go during Easter, or anytime during the month of June. CW, Wexford.
Italy is the ideal place to find what you are looking for. The Montalbino Agriturismo in Tuscany is a working farm where children are encouraged to enjoy the animals. There are also activities like football and games on site.
Montalbino also has two swimming pools, a restaurant and the possibility of cooking classes on request. It is about an hour from Pisa airport and there will be direct flights with Ryanair and Aer Lingus next year.
A week self-catering will cost from €690 for an apartment,agriturismomontalbino.it.
There is a company called Active Gourmet Holidays and they specialise in all sorts of lovely trips with cooking classes. One I saw sounds ideal. It is in Spain and is called Cortijo Cooking in Extremadura. It involves cooking classes in a lovely farmhouse with pool for swimming and nice walks around. There are four- and seven-day courses from €600pps, activegourmetholidays.com
We are a group of six pals sharing a significant birthday in 2016 and are looking forward to celebrating with a long weekend in June. We are saving and will have a reasonable budget.
We are a mix of sun worshippers some who enjoy culture and without doubt a vibrant restaurant and nightlife. We would like something with a little luxury. Dubrovnik, San Sebastian and Ibiza have been mentioned for travel early June next year. OF, Dublin.When you have a decent budget there are lots of choices and, if booked in advance, good prices in four- and five-star hotels.
Barcelona is a top city for culture, food and nightlife and easy to get to.
The Gran Hotel la Florida is on a hilltop overlooking the city. It has fabulous views, a great spa and excellent restaurants. Taxis into the city will cost about €25. Rooms will cost from €280 per night, hotellaflorida.com/en.
San Sebastian is a top-class city for fun, food, culture and accommodation. The best hotel is the Maria Christina which oozes style. Think Penelope Cruzand Javier Bardem sipping cocktails here. It is pricey – rooms are from €505 per night.
The hotel with the best views over La Concha beach is the Hotel Londres y Inglaterra, prices start from €250 per night . The attic rooms are a bit more expensive but have sea views and terraces, hlondres.com/en. Explore the tapas bars of the Old Town, the best tapas are the ones cooked to order. The Whiskey Museum is a fun place for a night out dancing.
Nice is a fun city for a girls’ trip away. The Hotel Splendid is in a great location, just a few streets behind the Promenade des Anglais. It has a great rooftop restaurant, pool and spa. Shopping, beach, galleries, museums and restaurants are just a short stroll away. Rooms in June will cost from €220 per night, splendid-nice.com.
Luxury villas for rent, with or without catering are available in Ibiza, Italy,Croatia and France through Oliver’s Travels, oliverstravels.com.
There are a few nice properties in Dubrovnik and look also at Istria in Croatia. There will be flights to Pula again next summer with Aer Lingus.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about getting to Badhofgastein, spending a weekend in Alicante area and getting to Halifax, Nova Scotia, November 21,2015.
I want to go to the Norica Hotel in Bad Hofgastein, in Austria, next May with two friends. We have picked this hotel for its thermal spa, nice walks and apparently good restaurants. The problem is getting there. From what I can see there are no direct flights to Salzburg in May from Dublin. Our option is to go to London with Lufthansa and then to Salzburg and then a taxi from Salzburg to Bad Hofgastein. Option two would be to fly to Munich from Dublin but I’m not sure how to get to Bad Hofgastein from there. – JM, Dublin.
You have picked a great place, Bad Hofgastein is a very pretty town surrounded by high mountains. The Alpentherme spa is a really excellent place, especially in the summer. There are lovely restaurants, cafes and walks along the river and up into the mountains. See gastein.com for tourism information for the valley.
The train system in Austria and Germany is very good and you can easily get to theGastein Valley. You can fly via Stansted to Salzburg most days of the week with Ryanair. At the moment flights to Salzburg from Stansted next summer are about £100 return.
You can take a train from Salzburg right to Bad Hofgastein and it takes about 90 minutes and costs about €30. Flying direct to Munich with Aer Lingus will cost about €140 return and there will be two stops on the train journey to Bad Gastein, which costs about €45 return and takes four hours or so.
Myself and my husband are going to Alicante for three days in March. Could you recommend some things to do that are accessible by public transport as we don’t drive on holidays. Other than museums we are open to most things. – AME, Dublin.
Alicante is quite a big and busy city and there will probably be enough to see there. The castle of Santa Barbara is well worth a visit and has great views along the coast. There is a small museum, shop and place to sit out at the top.
Explore the old town streets of Barrio Santa Cruz. If the weather is nice a day trip to Tabarca island, a Mediterranean Marine Reserve, would be enjoyable. It is a small island with a few cafes and you can stroll around it easily. There are ferries from Alicante port.
You can explore the coast from Alicante using the tram from Playa Postiguet, see www.tramalicante.es. The seaside towns of Benidorm and Calpe are on this line. My favourite is the old town of Altea which is worth visiting for the views, the tiny streets, the beautiful church, galleries and nice selection of restaurants.
We are hoping to fly to Halifax in Canada next summer from Dublin. There are five of us. Do you know of any low-cost carrier that might do direct summer flights? We are looking for the best value and hoping to avoid long stopovers. – TD, Dublin.
ASL Airlines France will be operating a weekly service from Dublin to Halifax for the summer season. Fares will be from €629 return including taxes and 20kg baggage. Flights will be on Thursday from July 7th-October 13th. You can be book on europeairpost.com, and 01 882 8680.
Westjet, the Canadian low-cost carrier, will be operating from Glasgow to Halifax daily during the summer season. Fares will cost from £450 return which is about €630 at the current exchange rate. You can pick up return fares to Glasgow with Ryanair or Aer Lingus for less than €50.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com.
Ask Joan, when is the best time to go to Cuba and where will we stay,ideas for a family exploring Europe by train. November 14, 2015.
When is the “best” season to visit Cuba, from the point of view of hurricane risk and excessively high temperatures? We would like a good hotel while in Havana for a few days but would also like to tour the island staying in “casas particulares”. We would love to spend five to seven days sea swimming. Any tips would be greatly appreciated. – AH, Cork Cuba’s highest temperatures are June-September and hurricane season is June 1st-November 30th, so March-May would probably be a nice time to visit. Fly via Paris, Madrid, Amsterdam or Toronto, prices are in the region of €650-€800.
The most famous hotel in Havana is the Nacional and while quaint and authentic, it has changed little in 50 years, hotelnacionaldecuba.com. Hotels are of varying quality. There has been little investment for years. Services that we take for granted are not always available or cost a lot, such as wifi. For a better-value stay try the Hostel Casa Vana Cuba, in the Vedado area of the city, hostalcasavana.com.
Autenticacuba.com has a really good list of beaches (under “Things to do” tab) with descriptions.Casas particulares are similar to B&Bs and a good way to experience Cuban life and meet local people, there is a list of places to rent all over Cuba on casaparticular.com. The owners may also have suggestions of good local places for swimming. You may like to read, The Other Side of Paradise by Julia Cooke to get a feel for life in the new Cuba.
We would like to take our two teenage daughters by train to Italy in June. The idea is to take in some significant cities en route – London, Brussels,Luxembourg and Geneva – before travelling by train through the Alps to Milan. We’d like to spend about a week getting there and will then join friends in Italy for another week before flying back to Dublin.
My question is what is the cheapest way to buy train tickets for two adults and two teenagers? Are there family offers on 14-day Eurail tickets? Or, should we just book a ticket to our destination via the cities we’d like to stop off in? – ST, Wicklow Booking rail travel in Europe is getting easier but still quite convoluted. Fares tend to only go in the system 60-90 days in advance. Family tickets, when available are generally for children under 11-years-old. You will be able to buy youth fares for the teenagers.
Breaking down the journey, the first trip from London to Brussels on Eurostar will cost from £41 (€57), eurostar.com. From Brussels to Luxembourg with Belgian Rail (b-europe.com) will cost from €39 adults and €26 youths.
Luxembourg to Geneva is the most expensive leg of your trip and will cost €111-€125, change at Basel, b-europe.com or voyages.sncf.com. The final leg from Geneva to Milan is best value on trenitalia.com, from €29.
The German rail website is good for finding routes and timetables, see bahn.com. The rail planning site seat61.com is also a useful resource for rail travel everywhere.
The Eurail ticket is similar to the Interrail ticket and for travel on five days in a 10-day period would cost €264 adults and €192 youth fare. The interrail.eu site has a map and guidelines making reservations. You may not need reservations on every leg of the journey. It does give flexibility on travel and can be bought in Ireland from Railshop.ie, tel: 01- 8828679.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan, Going to Iguazu Falls and Uruguay, booking best value to Spain and can we get from Florida to Cuba, November 7, 2015
We are a retired couple taking a cruise to Argentina in December. We have booked a hotel for the first six nights in Buenos Aires, after which we fly to Mendoza for four nights, before returning to Buenos Aires. We have five nights that we have no plans for. We’re wondering if we should take a trip to Iguazu Falls or Uruguay. Christmas Day will fall within those five days.
– NOR, Dublin As you are going to be so close to Iguazu Falls, it would be interesting to see one of the Unesco world heritage sites. It will not be a cheap side trip, though. Access is by a very long bus journey each way or a pricey air trip. A combined package, with transport, tours and accommodation, is probably the best option.
A tour with luxury-coach transport, hotel and tours will cost in the region of $900 (€825) each for a three-day trip (see viator.com).
You can fly with LAN.com, which, in December, will cost €340-€440 return. Stay in the Sheraton in the national park to see the mist rising from the falls (see starwoodhotels.com).
You can easily take a trip from Buenos Aires to Uruguay by taking the ferry to Colonia del Sacramento across the Rio de la Plata. The former Portuguese town is pretty and popular. Allow a day to explore or stay overnight in a traditional pousada. You will find a list of these at coloniadosacramento.com/ categoria/pousadas-em-colonia/.
I would be grateful if you could advise me on the best time to book direct flights to Spain for May/June 2016 ? Should I do it now or wait till early in the new year? When does Aer Lingus usually have a sale on flights? – DD, Dublin. Aer Lingus usually has a sale early in the year. If you sign up for its newsletter, you will get advance notice of it. Prices are determined by supply and demand, and this year demand was very strong and prices rose on the popular Spanish routes.
I travelled to Spain at Easter after buying my ticket in December, and it was cheaper than the sale fare in January. The period when you are planning to travel is also a peak time, with the bank holiday and the start of the school holidays. At present, the fares to places such as Malaga and Alicante at that time are around €200 return, and they will probably not drop below this next year.
My husband has a big birthday coming up next March and I would like to take him away for a holiday. A couple of things he would like to do are drive the Florida Keys and also see Cuba. Can we go to Cuba from Florida, and what would be the best way of getting there? The European option would be somewhere in Portugal, but I would like somewhere nice to stay with a sandy beach and some history. – NN, Dublin. It would be great if you could drive the Florida Keys and then take a quick plane trip to Cuba. Restrictions on travel between the United States and Cuba will probably change during 2016, but there is no information available yet.
You can travel via a third country, such as the Bahamas, Mexico or Panama, but the cost is quite high. For example, a return to Nassau in the Bahamas is around $400 (€365) and a return from Nassau to Havana is another $400.
Probably best to make a sole trip to either Cuba or Florida (see cubatravel.ie andflydriveusa.ie).
Portugal is not very warm in March and is probably best left until mid-April onwards. See pousadas.pt and pestana.com for some very nice hotels.
Please send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
We are a retired couple taking a cruise to Argentina in December. We have booked a hotel for the first six nights in Buenos Aires, after which we fly to Mendoza for four nights, before returning to Buenos Aires. We have five nights that we have no plans for. We’re wondering if we should take a trip to Iguazu Falls or Uruguay. Christmas Day will fall within those five days.
– NOR, Dublin As you are going to be so close to Iguazu Falls, it would be interesting to see one of the Unesco world heritage sites. It will not be a cheap side trip, though. Access is by a very long bus journey each way or a pricey air trip. A combined package, with transport, tours and accommodation, is probably the best option.
A tour with luxury-coach transport, hotel and tours will cost in the region of $900 (€825) each for a three-day trip (see viator.com).
You can fly with LAN.com, which, in December, will cost €340-€440 return. Stay in the Sheraton in the national park to see the mist rising from the falls (see starwoodhotels.com).
You can easily take a trip from Buenos Aires to Uruguay by taking the ferry to Colonia del Sacramento across the Rio de la Plata. The former Portuguese town is pretty and popular. Allow a day to explore or stay overnight in a traditional pousada. You will find a list of these at coloniadosacramento.com/ categoria/pousadas-em-colonia/.
I would be grateful if you could advise me on the best time to book direct flights to Spain for May/June 2016 ? Should I do it now or wait till early in the new year? When does Aer Lingus usually have a sale on flights? – DD, Dublin. Aer Lingus usually has a sale early in the year. If you sign up for its newsletter, you will get advance notice of it. Prices are determined by supply and demand, and this year demand was very strong and prices rose on the popular Spanish routes.
I travelled to Spain at Easter after buying my ticket in December, and it was cheaper than the sale fare in January. The period when you are planning to travel is also a peak time, with the bank holiday and the start of the school holidays. At present, the fares to places such as Malaga and Alicante at that time are around €200 return, and they will probably not drop below this next year.
My husband has a big birthday coming up next March and I would like to take him away for a holiday. A couple of things he would like to do are drive the Florida Keys and also see Cuba. Can we go to Cuba from Florida, and what would be the best way of getting there? The European option would be somewhere in Portugal, but I would like somewhere nice to stay with a sandy beach and some history. – NN, Dublin. It would be great if you could drive the Florida Keys and then take a quick plane trip to Cuba. Restrictions on travel between the United States and Cuba will probably change during 2016, but there is no information available yet.
You can travel via a third country, such as the Bahamas, Mexico or Panama, but the cost is quite high. For example, a return to Nassau in the Bahamas is around $400 (€365) and a return from Nassau to Havana is another $400.
Probably best to make a sole trip to either Cuba or Florida (see cubatravel.ie andflydriveusa.ie).
Portugal is not very warm in March and is probably best left until mid-April onwards. See pousadas.pt and pestana.com for some very nice hotels.
Please send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan - a quiet hotel for Christmas in Ireland, and getting the scout troupe to France in July, October 31, 2015.
I have looked after a relative for seven years. I need a quiet place for four-five nights over Christmas. It must be on or very close to bus or train route, as I don’t drive. Four-star hotel or equivalent. I am not able for merriment so need a hotel that will serve Christmas lunch in my room. AC, Dublin.
It might be nice to stay in Dublin city over Christmas in somewhere like the Westbury Hotel. There is no specific Christmas programme but it will be open for business and the gallery is lovely for afternoon tea or light lunch. You will be able to have room service here, prices per night from €260, doylecollection.com.
In Belfast the Merchant Hotel will be open too, and while you can have room service, it may not be possible to serve a full Christmas dinner in your room. Rooms cost from £210 per night, see themerchanthotel.com. Also in Belfast the Malmaison will be open over Christmas for adults. There may not be room service but you can take meals in the Brasserie. A superior room with breakfast will cost £444 for four nights, seemalmaison.com.
Galway is a festive city and the Radisson Hotel has a great Christmas programme. They will serve dinner in your room, as you wish. Three nights including most meals will cost from €565. There is a lovely spa and swimming area too, see radisson.com.
We are a group of 20 scouts, 14-15-year-olds, with five adult chaperones. We are looking to camp for two weeks in a scouting centre (Jambville) around 50km from Paris. We would be aiming to get the ferry from Rosslare to Cherbourg, sometime in mid- July. We have a minivan, but would be looking for another vehicle to accommodate around 10 of us.
We would also love to know of some great activities to do in Paris. Can you recommend the best things to do, and a place where one could find a cheap vehicle for two weeks? The average budget of each person would be €600, to include ferries transport, accommodation and food. AK, Dublin.
Even though you already have a minivan, it would actually cost less to fly to Beauvais Paris airport and rent three vehicles than take the ferry. Fares with Ryanair, particularly if you fly midweek, will be as low as €80 return. You can contact the groups department via this link, ryanair.com.
The cheapest return on the ferry for one vehicle and cabins for 10 would be €1,600.
You can rent minivans from Hertz and if you book and pay online the price will be around €700 per vehicle for two weeks. Minivans are only licensed in Europe for up to nine passengers including the driver and the baggage space is limited.
Things to do in Paris include climbing the Eiffel Tower – a must do. Indulge some toilet humour in a visit to museum of the sewers, Musée des Égouts. The entrance is at ground level, in the strip of park between the Quai d’Orsay and the Seine. (Look for the blue-and- white booth east of the Pont de l’Alma on the left bank of the river, in the seventh arrondissement.)
July is also the month of the Paris Plage, when the quayside between Pont Neuf and Pont de Sully are turned into a beach, with sand, deck chairs, water sports and beach entertainment, parisianist.com for information.
Paris has one of the biggest flea markets in the world, Marché aux Puces de St-Ouen, and it may appeal to the scouts.
Send your queries to Jscales@irishtimes.com
I have looked after a relative for seven years. I need a quiet place for four-five nights over Christmas. It must be on or very close to bus or train route, as I don’t drive. Four-star hotel or equivalent. I am not able for merriment so need a hotel that will serve Christmas lunch in my room. AC, Dublin.
It might be nice to stay in Dublin city over Christmas in somewhere like the Westbury Hotel. There is no specific Christmas programme but it will be open for business and the gallery is lovely for afternoon tea or light lunch. You will be able to have room service here, prices per night from €260, doylecollection.com.
In Belfast the Merchant Hotel will be open too, and while you can have room service, it may not be possible to serve a full Christmas dinner in your room. Rooms cost from £210 per night, see themerchanthotel.com. Also in Belfast the Malmaison will be open over Christmas for adults. There may not be room service but you can take meals in the Brasserie. A superior room with breakfast will cost £444 for four nights, seemalmaison.com.
Galway is a festive city and the Radisson Hotel has a great Christmas programme. They will serve dinner in your room, as you wish. Three nights including most meals will cost from €565. There is a lovely spa and swimming area too, see radisson.com.
We are a group of 20 scouts, 14-15-year-olds, with five adult chaperones. We are looking to camp for two weeks in a scouting centre (Jambville) around 50km from Paris. We would be aiming to get the ferry from Rosslare to Cherbourg, sometime in mid- July. We have a minivan, but would be looking for another vehicle to accommodate around 10 of us.
We would also love to know of some great activities to do in Paris. Can you recommend the best things to do, and a place where one could find a cheap vehicle for two weeks? The average budget of each person would be €600, to include ferries transport, accommodation and food. AK, Dublin.
Even though you already have a minivan, it would actually cost less to fly to Beauvais Paris airport and rent three vehicles than take the ferry. Fares with Ryanair, particularly if you fly midweek, will be as low as €80 return. You can contact the groups department via this link, ryanair.com.
The cheapest return on the ferry for one vehicle and cabins for 10 would be €1,600.
You can rent minivans from Hertz and if you book and pay online the price will be around €700 per vehicle for two weeks. Minivans are only licensed in Europe for up to nine passengers including the driver and the baggage space is limited.
Things to do in Paris include climbing the Eiffel Tower – a must do. Indulge some toilet humour in a visit to museum of the sewers, Musée des Égouts. The entrance is at ground level, in the strip of park between the Quai d’Orsay and the Seine. (Look for the blue-and- white booth east of the Pont de l’Alma on the left bank of the river, in the seventh arrondissement.)
July is also the month of the Paris Plage, when the quayside between Pont Neuf and Pont de Sully are turned into a beach, with sand, deck chairs, water sports and beach entertainment, parisianist.com for information.
Paris has one of the biggest flea markets in the world, Marché aux Puces de St-Ouen, and it may appeal to the scouts.
Send your queries to Jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan, visiting Washington, New York and Boston, a family ski trip to Christmas, Oct. 24, 2015
My husband and I and our teenage daughter are planning a three-week trip to the States in June. We plan to visit Boston, Washington and New York. We would like to chill towards the end of the holiday and maybe stay in a nice apartment with a pool. Can you please give us some advice on the best things to do there and places to stay and the best ways to travel?
– KC, Dublin. I would begin this trip in Washington and end in Boston with a week by the beach in Cape Cod or quieter Cape Ann. This way you would do the busiest cities first, and can take the train between them. Aer Lingus flies to Washington and Boston and return fare would be about €600 each.
Taking the train works out quite reasonable and saves on parking and negotiating city traffic. Fares would be about $105 each from Washington to New York to Boston. SeeAmtrak. com.
In each city take the guided bus tour to see the major places of interest and historical locations. Pick a few specific things to do in each place and allow some time to explore at your leisure.
Washington has more museums that any other city in the United States and you should pick a few to see. There are national museums for art, history, architecture, media, the Smithsonian and more. As the seat of government, there are many famous buildings to see, like the White House, the Capitol, Jefferson Memorial, the Washington Monument and memorials to wars. See Washington.org.
In New York see the city from a height, either the Empire State Building, the Top of the Rock or One World Trade Centre. Go to a Broadway show, visit China Town, picnic in Central Park, have a cocktail in the Plaza, explore some of the museums, go to Ellis Island, see the Statue of Liberty. Plan your stay with nycgo.com. Boston oozes history and you should take the tour of the city streets that brings to life the story of America. Boston is also a city famous for sports and if you could take in a game it would make it memorable. You can buy tickets from stubhub.com. See bostonusa.com.
Take a car from Boston and explore the New England coast. Cape Cod is accessible at weekends by train from the city with the capeflyer.com. Book accommodation on hotels.com and you will get a free night for every 10 booked or use self-catering or vacation rentals on vrbo.com and airbnb.com. See also Discoveramerica. com.
We are a small family, and have decided to treat ourselves to a ski holiday this Christmas. We can go anytime between December 21st and 31st but can’t make the weekly charter from Ireland. Could we could fly with a budget airline and reserve our own accommodation and ski pass? We would like a pretty resort, lively at night and guaranteed snow. – CF, Dublin. Snow can only be guaranteed in the highest resorts at Christmas, but you should be fine in France, Austria and Switzerland. You do not have to travel on the charter flights to use a tour operator.
In fact you will probably get better value accommodation and ski packs by booking though topflight.ie, directski.ie or crystalholidays.ie. You can book your own flights or the agent can book them for you.
Highlife.ie has a number of chalets in France that are nice for family groups. Nightlife in Austria tends to be livelier than Switzerland and in France the resorts of Méribel and Courchevel are fun.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com.
My husband and I and our teenage daughter are planning a three-week trip to the States in June. We plan to visit Boston, Washington and New York. We would like to chill towards the end of the holiday and maybe stay in a nice apartment with a pool. Can you please give us some advice on the best things to do there and places to stay and the best ways to travel?
– KC, Dublin. I would begin this trip in Washington and end in Boston with a week by the beach in Cape Cod or quieter Cape Ann. This way you would do the busiest cities first, and can take the train between them. Aer Lingus flies to Washington and Boston and return fare would be about €600 each.
Taking the train works out quite reasonable and saves on parking and negotiating city traffic. Fares would be about $105 each from Washington to New York to Boston. SeeAmtrak. com.
In each city take the guided bus tour to see the major places of interest and historical locations. Pick a few specific things to do in each place and allow some time to explore at your leisure.
Washington has more museums that any other city in the United States and you should pick a few to see. There are national museums for art, history, architecture, media, the Smithsonian and more. As the seat of government, there are many famous buildings to see, like the White House, the Capitol, Jefferson Memorial, the Washington Monument and memorials to wars. See Washington.org.
In New York see the city from a height, either the Empire State Building, the Top of the Rock or One World Trade Centre. Go to a Broadway show, visit China Town, picnic in Central Park, have a cocktail in the Plaza, explore some of the museums, go to Ellis Island, see the Statue of Liberty. Plan your stay with nycgo.com. Boston oozes history and you should take the tour of the city streets that brings to life the story of America. Boston is also a city famous for sports and if you could take in a game it would make it memorable. You can buy tickets from stubhub.com. See bostonusa.com.
Take a car from Boston and explore the New England coast. Cape Cod is accessible at weekends by train from the city with the capeflyer.com. Book accommodation on hotels.com and you will get a free night for every 10 booked or use self-catering or vacation rentals on vrbo.com and airbnb.com. See also Discoveramerica. com.
We are a small family, and have decided to treat ourselves to a ski holiday this Christmas. We can go anytime between December 21st and 31st but can’t make the weekly charter from Ireland. Could we could fly with a budget airline and reserve our own accommodation and ski pass? We would like a pretty resort, lively at night and guaranteed snow. – CF, Dublin. Snow can only be guaranteed in the highest resorts at Christmas, but you should be fine in France, Austria and Switzerland. You do not have to travel on the charter flights to use a tour operator.
In fact you will probably get better value accommodation and ski packs by booking though topflight.ie, directski.ie or crystalholidays.ie. You can book your own flights or the agent can book them for you.
Highlife.ie has a number of chalets in France that are nice for family groups. Nightlife in Austria tends to be livelier than Switzerland and in France the resorts of Méribel and Courchevel are fun.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com.
Ask Joan about skiing with a special needs child, getting to the Olympics in Rio. October, 17, 2015
My husband and I love to ski but since we had our children we have skied very little. We have a 12-year-old daughter with Down syndrome and an 11-year-old son. We would like to bring them skiing next February but are concerned about finding a place that will suit our daughter’s additional needs. She would most likely need one-to-one teaching from an instructor with good English. The nursery slopes would need to be easily accessible as I feel she wouldn’t walk very far in her ski boots. – BC, Galway
Austria is a great place for family skiing and I think the resort of St Johann, in Tirol, would be a good place for you, only an hour from Salzburg. It is a nice friendly place and easy to ramble around when not skiing. The Crystal Hotel which is right beside the slopes has prices from €839pps for a week in February. The four-star Sporthotel only five minutes from the gondola has a pool and leisure centre. A week half-board will cost from €1,029pps with topflight.ie, (01) 240 1700.
The Wilder Kaiser Ski School in St Johann has a great record of teaching Irish children and adults with physical and intellectual disabilities. The instructors speak English well.
Your daughter would enjoy one-to-one classes and probably mornings would be enough for her to get used to skiing. If you would like to give her a taste of skiing in advance, there is a club called Kilternan Karvers, run by Eddie and Kathleen Sythes at the Ski Club of Ireland in Kilternan. They teach pupils with special needs to ski. You can contact them on (01) 295 5658 and skiclub.ie.
I’m thinking of travelling to the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro next August. Is there a particular Irish travel agency organising packages or would it be better to book flights and hotel accommodation separately? – LF, Dublin.
Trying to get individual tickets will be very difficult as tickets are being distributed to Brazilian residents and to authorised resellers only.
Ireland does not have an authorised ticket reseller, but you may find that the bigger travel agencies will be able to access tickets. Contact abbeytravel.ie and clubtravel.ie. There are packages with tickets available for three, four and seven days from cosport.com, the official UK reseller.
Prices for a three-night package to see four sports competitions with hotel accommodation will cost from $3,925pps.
We are looking for a 10-day family holiday setting off immediately after Christmas to the sun. We have two teenagers who enjoy water sports and ideally there would be an all-inclusive teenage club. Normally we would look to places like Morocco/ Tunisia /Red Sea but with the current unrest we don’t really want to take any risks in travelling to North Africa/Middle East. – ES, Dublin
The prices at Christmas/new year are always very high. There is some availability with Falcon Holidays to Gran Canaria. There are all-inclusive holidays staying in nice hotels from €939-€1,564pps. Further afield, Club Med has some nice properties in the Caribbean and one in Florida, but not a lot of availability. The agent in Ireland can be contacted on clubmed.ie and (01) 236 6800.
Cruises, especially the larger ships, can be an ideal holiday with teenagers. Check for availability with e-travel.ie/cruises, (01) 408 1999 and cruiseholidays.ie, (01) 817 3558.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
My husband and I love to ski but since we had our children we have skied very little. We have a 12-year-old daughter with Down syndrome and an 11-year-old son. We would like to bring them skiing next February but are concerned about finding a place that will suit our daughter’s additional needs. She would most likely need one-to-one teaching from an instructor with good English. The nursery slopes would need to be easily accessible as I feel she wouldn’t walk very far in her ski boots. – BC, Galway
Austria is a great place for family skiing and I think the resort of St Johann, in Tirol, would be a good place for you, only an hour from Salzburg. It is a nice friendly place and easy to ramble around when not skiing. The Crystal Hotel which is right beside the slopes has prices from €839pps for a week in February. The four-star Sporthotel only five minutes from the gondola has a pool and leisure centre. A week half-board will cost from €1,029pps with topflight.ie, (01) 240 1700.
The Wilder Kaiser Ski School in St Johann has a great record of teaching Irish children and adults with physical and intellectual disabilities. The instructors speak English well.
Your daughter would enjoy one-to-one classes and probably mornings would be enough for her to get used to skiing. If you would like to give her a taste of skiing in advance, there is a club called Kilternan Karvers, run by Eddie and Kathleen Sythes at the Ski Club of Ireland in Kilternan. They teach pupils with special needs to ski. You can contact them on (01) 295 5658 and skiclub.ie.
I’m thinking of travelling to the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro next August. Is there a particular Irish travel agency organising packages or would it be better to book flights and hotel accommodation separately? – LF, Dublin.
Trying to get individual tickets will be very difficult as tickets are being distributed to Brazilian residents and to authorised resellers only.
Ireland does not have an authorised ticket reseller, but you may find that the bigger travel agencies will be able to access tickets. Contact abbeytravel.ie and clubtravel.ie. There are packages with tickets available for three, four and seven days from cosport.com, the official UK reseller.
Prices for a three-night package to see four sports competitions with hotel accommodation will cost from $3,925pps.
We are looking for a 10-day family holiday setting off immediately after Christmas to the sun. We have two teenagers who enjoy water sports and ideally there would be an all-inclusive teenage club. Normally we would look to places like Morocco/ Tunisia /Red Sea but with the current unrest we don’t really want to take any risks in travelling to North Africa/Middle East. – ES, Dublin
The prices at Christmas/new year are always very high. There is some availability with Falcon Holidays to Gran Canaria. There are all-inclusive holidays staying in nice hotels from €939-€1,564pps. Further afield, Club Med has some nice properties in the Caribbean and one in Florida, but not a lot of availability. The agent in Ireland can be contacted on clubmed.ie and (01) 236 6800.
Cruises, especially the larger ships, can be an ideal holiday with teenagers. Check for availability with e-travel.ie/cruises, (01) 408 1999 and cruiseholidays.ie, (01) 817 3558.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about a family trip to Puglia and ten girls going to Sopron and Amsterdam, Oct. 10, 2015.
We are a family with three young children, travelling to Lecce for a mid-term break at the end of October. Can you recommend activities or places to see in Lecce and the surrounding areas? We will be renting a car.
– A W, Dublin
Lecce is a lovely ancient Roman city with a first century arena and is the capital ofSalento region. It is a university town so it’s lively. This whole area of Puglia is steeped in history and there are some really ancient places to visit such as Otranto, Galipoli andMonopoli.
Agriculture and wine-growing are the main activities in this region and there are lots of nice small villages and towns to explore. The east coast is rocky and full of inlets, with some spectacular drives overlooking the sea. The best sandy beaches are on the west side, the inside of the heel, so to speak. The weather may be mild enough for paddling.
Where the Adriatic and Mediterranean meet is Santa Maria deLeuca, or just Leuca. It is a lovely port town where you can take a boat tour to look at the sea caves and see the holiday homes of the wealthy.
Take a drive along the valley of Itria and visit Ostuni and see the olive groves and tiny farmhouses. Visit its most famous town, Alberobello. It will charm the children, with dozens of circular trulli houses with conical roofs all jammed together in tiny streets. Try to go earl or late in the day as it gets really busy with tours from cruise ships.
We are a group of 10 girls planning a sixth year holiday. We really want to go to a festival called Volt in Sopron,Hungary. We were also planning to visit Amsterdam. What would be are best option in a) getting from Dublin to Sopron and b) getting from Sopron to Amsterdam? We are on a very tight budget but the length of the journey doesn’t matter too much. Also, any recommendations on hostels and cheap and cheerful food spots in Amsterdam would be greatly appreciated.
– CG Dublin
You can choose to fly to Budapest with Aer Lingus or Ryanair; the fares may go down a bit after Christmas with usual early booking sales. At present they are €98 and €110. Sopron is easy enough to get to by train from Budapest-Keleti and is a three-hour trip.
From Budapest to Amsterdam, it may be worth going by air. Wizzair fly to Eindhoven, about 90 minutes by train from Amsterdam. Fares are around €35 and the train would cost €22. See wizzair.com.
The bus service run by Eurolines. com takes more than 24 hours and would cost from €29-€50 one way, depending on day of the week. There are train services via Munich and Berlin to Amsterdam and the cost would be around €70. See details on bahn.com or railshop.ie.
The Flying Pig hostels in Amsterdam are fun places to stay, with their own bar, good prices and deals on tours. Prices in July will be from €29-€37 per night. You could get a 10-bed dorm to stay together. There are two Flying Pig hostels in the city, Downtown is closest to Central Station.
A cheaper alternative is Camping Zeeburg, which is a campsite really close to the city, just a short tram ride from Central Station. On Camping Zeeburg you can pitch your own tent from €7 per night per person or rent a wagonette or eco-cabin for more privacy. There is a bar and restaurant on site and kitchen facilities. Seecampingzeeburg.nl.
See amsterdam.info for more.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan, about taking a trip to Malta in December, and where will 50 cousins go for a reunion in Ireland, October 3, 2015.
I have promised my mother a holiday and I can’t get a break from work until December.
She would like to go to Malta. She loves gardens and flowers but would also appreciate getting out and about, tasting the local food, meeting people, seeing the architecture and history of the area – she is not one for lying on the beach reading a book (much as I wouldn’t mind a day of this).
If Malta wasn’t a possibility then perhaps Madeira would be another option. But how to get there – are there tours/organised trips to these places at that time of year? – CB, Dublin.
Malta would be a nice option for your mother and the airfares and hotel prices are very good value. Ryanair has flights three days a week from Dublin and the fares would be around €100 return.
Four- and five-star hotels are particularly good value in Malta in December. You can see a selection on mercurydirect.com. See also what is available from John Galligan Travel, where a week in Malta will cost from €549 in a five-star hotel, with flights. See jgt.ie, tel: 01-207 6555.
Things to do in Malta would include a walking tour of Valletta, the capital. St John’s Co-Cathedral is a must.
Gardens to see include the Upper Barraka gardens in Valletta with a view of the Grand Harbour and the San Anton gardens at the President’s palace in Attard.
See malta.com for more ideas of things to do. A day trip to Gozo would also be interesting. Madeira is not available on direct flights from Dublin in December; the programme is only for the summer season. We are a family of 50 cousins and are planning a large family gathering in summer 2016. A date is not secured yet, but it is likely to be early July. We will have cousins travelling from the UK, Dubai, Canada, Japan, Australia and the US. We would like to arrange the reunion in proximity to Dublin.
Could you advise us of a resort that would accommodate our families, plus additional children, and of course aunts and uncles, with the option to have a large get together on one of the evenings? – EOB, Dublin.
Get the date organised as soon as possible as many big locations that can accommodation your family group are popular for weddings. In Wicklow, the Kippure Estate is ideal for a big group and it is all self-contained. There is the lodge, with a sitting room, kitchen, bar and accommodation for about 18. In the grounds are a number of two and four-bedroom lodges that can accommodate the whole family.
Kippure Estate also has an activity centre and you can organise for people to take part in some outdoor fun. It is in a lovely location on 240 acres of woodland and farmland in Wicklow. See kippure.com.
In Co Carlow, Lisnavagh House is a period home on hundreds of acres of woodland. The main house can accommodate up to 14 and 40 more can be accommodated in lodges and the stable block. Lisnavagh House is used to entertaining large groups and it is popular for weddings. See lisnavagh.com, tel: 059-916 1473.
Newgrange Lodge in the Boyne Valley, Co Meath is another option. There are a mixture of rooms and dorms and you could book the whole place for your family event. There are communal areas for meeting up, and barbecue facilities too. See newgrangelodge.com, tel: 041-988 2478.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
I have promised my mother a holiday and I can’t get a break from work until December.
She would like to go to Malta. She loves gardens and flowers but would also appreciate getting out and about, tasting the local food, meeting people, seeing the architecture and history of the area – she is not one for lying on the beach reading a book (much as I wouldn’t mind a day of this).
If Malta wasn’t a possibility then perhaps Madeira would be another option. But how to get there – are there tours/organised trips to these places at that time of year? – CB, Dublin.
Malta would be a nice option for your mother and the airfares and hotel prices are very good value. Ryanair has flights three days a week from Dublin and the fares would be around €100 return.
Four- and five-star hotels are particularly good value in Malta in December. You can see a selection on mercurydirect.com. See also what is available from John Galligan Travel, where a week in Malta will cost from €549 in a five-star hotel, with flights. See jgt.ie, tel: 01-207 6555.
Things to do in Malta would include a walking tour of Valletta, the capital. St John’s Co-Cathedral is a must.
Gardens to see include the Upper Barraka gardens in Valletta with a view of the Grand Harbour and the San Anton gardens at the President’s palace in Attard.
See malta.com for more ideas of things to do. A day trip to Gozo would also be interesting. Madeira is not available on direct flights from Dublin in December; the programme is only for the summer season. We are a family of 50 cousins and are planning a large family gathering in summer 2016. A date is not secured yet, but it is likely to be early July. We will have cousins travelling from the UK, Dubai, Canada, Japan, Australia and the US. We would like to arrange the reunion in proximity to Dublin.
Could you advise us of a resort that would accommodate our families, plus additional children, and of course aunts and uncles, with the option to have a large get together on one of the evenings? – EOB, Dublin.
Get the date organised as soon as possible as many big locations that can accommodation your family group are popular for weddings. In Wicklow, the Kippure Estate is ideal for a big group and it is all self-contained. There is the lodge, with a sitting room, kitchen, bar and accommodation for about 18. In the grounds are a number of two and four-bedroom lodges that can accommodate the whole family.
Kippure Estate also has an activity centre and you can organise for people to take part in some outdoor fun. It is in a lovely location on 240 acres of woodland and farmland in Wicklow. See kippure.com.
In Co Carlow, Lisnavagh House is a period home on hundreds of acres of woodland. The main house can accommodate up to 14 and 40 more can be accommodated in lodges and the stable block. Lisnavagh House is used to entertaining large groups and it is popular for weddings. See lisnavagh.com, tel: 059-916 1473.
Newgrange Lodge in the Boyne Valley, Co Meath is another option. There are a mixture of rooms and dorms and you could book the whole place for your family event. There are communal areas for meeting up, and barbecue facilities too. See newgrangelodge.com, tel: 041-988 2478.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about going on our first cruise, visiting Yosemite in November and can we do Iceland on a budget? September 16, 2015
We are two brothers, early 60s, going on a cruise for the first time. We travel in October with MSC from Barcelona to Miami, over 18 days. We stop off in Malaga, Funchal, Barbados, Martinique, St Maarten, Virgin Islands,Puerto Rico and Miami. Can you give us any advice re the cruise, weather and the beautiful places we will visit? JK, Dublin.
The cruise you are going on is a very special one; as the ship repositions it will take you from Europe to the Caribbean and North America. This trip will combine the fun of visiting lots of destinations with a sea voyage.
When it comes to your cruise wardrobe, shorts, chinos and swimwear for daytime and jacket and slacks for dinner with casual shirts. MSC usually has a gala dinner each week of a cruise, you’ll be told which day which is a little more formal so bring a jacket and tie.
The MSC ships are lovely, like floating four-star hotels with great food, activities and entertainment. Every day on board the ship can be as busy or relaxed as you like. When the ship is in port there will always be the option to take a guided tour. These are arranged by guest services and the prices vary depending on what is planned.
In some ports and smaller places, it is just as easy to get off the ship and stroll into town and explore yourself. In the Caribbean, you will get a flavour of different cultures in places like Martinique (French) and St Maarten (Dutch).
The weather in October will be nice, not too hot, although the Caribbean can get quite humid with a chance of storms. Try some of the local foods in each place you visit to give you a flavour of the destination.
I’m looking to spend three days in Yosemite National Park in November. Just wondering which tour company you would recommend. What are the best things to do there at that time of year? KM, Dublin.
Yosemite is one of the oldest national parks in the United States. It is managed by the National Parks Service and there is an excellent website where you will find all the information about enjoying and staying in Yosemite on nps.gov. The weather can be changeable in November and there may be snow, which could cause the closure of some roads.
If you want to book your complete trip through an operator here, then I would suggest touramerica.ie, americanholidays.ie and flydriveusa.ie. There are also some good driving routes and ideas on discoveramerica.com.
My boyfriend and I are on a very limited budget but would both love to go to Iceland next year. How should we start planning a holiday that won’t eat into our savings/credit cards too much? JS, Dublin.
Planning ahead can mean good savings on a trip to Iceland. Book direct flights withWowair. com, €167 return in spring. Stay in a hostel; pick one of the top-rated ones from Hostelworld.com. A double room will cost from €80-€110 a night, cheaper in dorm rooms. Make sure to book one where linens are included, otherwise there will be an additional cost. Take the city bus from the airport and it will be about €3, pay on the bus.
Hostels are also great places to find cut-price tours and trips. There are usually student discounts. Consider cooking your meals, Bonus supermarkets are the cheapest. Watch your daily costs – bring a water bottle; buying water is pricey and so is alcohol. Do a walking tour of Reykjavik on citywalk.is for a donation.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com.
We are two brothers, early 60s, going on a cruise for the first time. We travel in October with MSC from Barcelona to Miami, over 18 days. We stop off in Malaga, Funchal, Barbados, Martinique, St Maarten, Virgin Islands,Puerto Rico and Miami. Can you give us any advice re the cruise, weather and the beautiful places we will visit? JK, Dublin.
The cruise you are going on is a very special one; as the ship repositions it will take you from Europe to the Caribbean and North America. This trip will combine the fun of visiting lots of destinations with a sea voyage.
When it comes to your cruise wardrobe, shorts, chinos and swimwear for daytime and jacket and slacks for dinner with casual shirts. MSC usually has a gala dinner each week of a cruise, you’ll be told which day which is a little more formal so bring a jacket and tie.
The MSC ships are lovely, like floating four-star hotels with great food, activities and entertainment. Every day on board the ship can be as busy or relaxed as you like. When the ship is in port there will always be the option to take a guided tour. These are arranged by guest services and the prices vary depending on what is planned.
In some ports and smaller places, it is just as easy to get off the ship and stroll into town and explore yourself. In the Caribbean, you will get a flavour of different cultures in places like Martinique (French) and St Maarten (Dutch).
The weather in October will be nice, not too hot, although the Caribbean can get quite humid with a chance of storms. Try some of the local foods in each place you visit to give you a flavour of the destination.
I’m looking to spend three days in Yosemite National Park in November. Just wondering which tour company you would recommend. What are the best things to do there at that time of year? KM, Dublin.
Yosemite is one of the oldest national parks in the United States. It is managed by the National Parks Service and there is an excellent website where you will find all the information about enjoying and staying in Yosemite on nps.gov. The weather can be changeable in November and there may be snow, which could cause the closure of some roads.
If you want to book your complete trip through an operator here, then I would suggest touramerica.ie, americanholidays.ie and flydriveusa.ie. There are also some good driving routes and ideas on discoveramerica.com.
My boyfriend and I are on a very limited budget but would both love to go to Iceland next year. How should we start planning a holiday that won’t eat into our savings/credit cards too much? JS, Dublin.
Planning ahead can mean good savings on a trip to Iceland. Book direct flights withWowair. com, €167 return in spring. Stay in a hostel; pick one of the top-rated ones from Hostelworld.com. A double room will cost from €80-€110 a night, cheaper in dorm rooms. Make sure to book one where linens are included, otherwise there will be an additional cost. Take the city bus from the airport and it will be about €3, pay on the bus.
Hostels are also great places to find cut-price tours and trips. There are usually student discounts. Consider cooking your meals, Bonus supermarkets are the cheapest. Watch your daily costs – bring a water bottle; buying water is pricey and so is alcohol. Do a walking tour of Reykjavik on citywalk.is for a donation.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com.
Ask Joan about taking a long trip to Europe as a single woman, spending a family summer in Cuba or Spain, September, 19, 2015
I am a woman in my early 60s and considering travelling alone to Europe to explore sunnier climates for six months next year. I have a small pension but like nice accommodation. I don’t mind sharing. Any suggestion of how I could plan my trip would be welcome. PW, Laois.
As you will be travelling alone, maybe staying with a family would be a nice way to experience different places.
Homestay. com connects travellers with local hosts all around the world. It is also a reasonable way to travel, with prices from €15 per night. Cities are more expensive but still a lot cheaper than staying in hotels. If you look through the listings you will find lovely places to stay and can send messages to or video chat with hosts.
You may think hostels are for young people and backpackers, but that has changed in recent years. Across Europe you will find striking and unusual hostels in cities, towns and by the sea, and all at reasonable prices.
Hostels are also like mini tourist offices and are great places to find out what’s on and things to do. You could find yourself making friends and having people to chat to. Browse hostelworld.com or hostelbookers.com to see the variety of hostels around Europe.
You can also download a free ebook of luxury hostels in Europe at budgettraveller.org.
My husband and I are hoping to spend all of next summer with our two children in Cuba. Do you have any ideas on how we might go about arranging this trip? Given the length of time we’ll be away, some form of rental accommodation seems best, although I’m not sure what’s possible in Cuba. Where would we best to base ourselves? I’ve been to Havana once before and loved it, but somewhere smaller and less hectic might be better. If Cuba isn’t practical we would consider Spain, but again where to base ourselves is an issue. BD, Dublin.
The tourist card/visa for Cuba allows for stays of up to 90 days, so that should cover your summer visit. It would be worth visiting the Embassy of Cuba at 32b Westland Square, Pearse Street, Dublin 2 (tel: 01-4752999) to clarify details of visiting Cuba for a long period and to seek advice on finding accommodation.
I have noticed a lot of accommodation in Cuba on Airbnb lately, with apartments and houses all across the island. This would be a good place to look for a holiday rental. Prices are reasonable, and I am sure you would get a great deal for a long stay. You could also consider basing yourself in a number of places. Transport is spotty in Cuba so stay in or near bigger towns. Talk to Cuba Travel about flights, cubatravel.ie (tel: 01-6111030).
Taking airfares into consideration, Spain would probably work out about the same. Once you move even slightly off the beaten track in Spain, costs go down, although rural Spain can be quiet, with little English spoken.
Choosing where to stay would depend on whether you want to be by the sea, in the mountains, on an island or can stand the heat of summer in the far south. Some places I like include Majorca, Costa de la Luz, from Altea to Calpe on Costa Blanca, San Sebastian, Tarragona on Costa Dorada , Costa Tropical and the Alpujarras.
The Spanish Tourist Office in Dublin may be able to advise of some other suitable places (tel: 01-6350200).
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com.
I am a woman in my early 60s and considering travelling alone to Europe to explore sunnier climates for six months next year. I have a small pension but like nice accommodation. I don’t mind sharing. Any suggestion of how I could plan my trip would be welcome. PW, Laois.
As you will be travelling alone, maybe staying with a family would be a nice way to experience different places.
Homestay. com connects travellers with local hosts all around the world. It is also a reasonable way to travel, with prices from €15 per night. Cities are more expensive but still a lot cheaper than staying in hotels. If you look through the listings you will find lovely places to stay and can send messages to or video chat with hosts.
You may think hostels are for young people and backpackers, but that has changed in recent years. Across Europe you will find striking and unusual hostels in cities, towns and by the sea, and all at reasonable prices.
Hostels are also like mini tourist offices and are great places to find out what’s on and things to do. You could find yourself making friends and having people to chat to. Browse hostelworld.com or hostelbookers.com to see the variety of hostels around Europe.
You can also download a free ebook of luxury hostels in Europe at budgettraveller.org.
My husband and I are hoping to spend all of next summer with our two children in Cuba. Do you have any ideas on how we might go about arranging this trip? Given the length of time we’ll be away, some form of rental accommodation seems best, although I’m not sure what’s possible in Cuba. Where would we best to base ourselves? I’ve been to Havana once before and loved it, but somewhere smaller and less hectic might be better. If Cuba isn’t practical we would consider Spain, but again where to base ourselves is an issue. BD, Dublin.
The tourist card/visa for Cuba allows for stays of up to 90 days, so that should cover your summer visit. It would be worth visiting the Embassy of Cuba at 32b Westland Square, Pearse Street, Dublin 2 (tel: 01-4752999) to clarify details of visiting Cuba for a long period and to seek advice on finding accommodation.
I have noticed a lot of accommodation in Cuba on Airbnb lately, with apartments and houses all across the island. This would be a good place to look for a holiday rental. Prices are reasonable, and I am sure you would get a great deal for a long stay. You could also consider basing yourself in a number of places. Transport is spotty in Cuba so stay in or near bigger towns. Talk to Cuba Travel about flights, cubatravel.ie (tel: 01-6111030).
Taking airfares into consideration, Spain would probably work out about the same. Once you move even slightly off the beaten track in Spain, costs go down, although rural Spain can be quiet, with little English spoken.
Choosing where to stay would depend on whether you want to be by the sea, in the mountains, on an island or can stand the heat of summer in the far south. Some places I like include Majorca, Costa de la Luz, from Altea to Calpe on Costa Blanca, San Sebastian, Tarragona on Costa Dorada , Costa Tropical and the Alpujarras.
The Spanish Tourist Office in Dublin may be able to advise of some other suitable places (tel: 01-6350200).
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com.
Ask Joan about coming to Ireland for 1916 commemorations, family accommodation in London and tours of Bruges and Ghent, Sept. 12, 2015
I have a long-standing interest in Irish history and would like to visit for the 1916 commemorations but have been confused by different information online – regarding timetables and events. I’d like to find a tour company or even going independently, know where to stay and what is the best way to know what is going on? AW, England.
There is a very extensive programme of events, commemorations, activities and reflections planned for next year. The major events will take place over the Easter period with a parade on Easter Sunday.
The official website site is Ireland. ie, and there you will find details of events and commemorations planned. Most everything will happen in and around Dublin city so probably best to base yourself there. While in the city, you may like to take a walking tour with the authors of the Easter Rising – a guide to Dublin in 1916. It takes place most days from March, 1916rising. com.
There is a new tour by Freedom Tours that specifically concentrates on 1916. It is an unbiased trip in an old-style Army truck with the guides dressed in period uniforms, 1916tour.ie. It would also be worth while taking the Glasnevin Cemetery and museum tour, glasnevintrust.ie. There is a micro-site in this newspaper called Century dedicated to a decade of centenaries. It will be continually updated as the commemorations come closer. See irishtimes.com/culture/heritage/ century.
We are looking to make a three-day trip to London with our two girls in October. We are finding it difficult to find affordable accommodation options close to the main sights. We would also appreciate any suggestions for family friendly dining that doesn’t just offer chips and chicken nuggets. RA, Dublin.
London is already filling up for October particularly over the bank holiday weekend. The Travel Lodge hotels family rooms are good value, travellodge.co.uk. Premier Inns are also a good choice, premierinn.com. Holiday Inn Express also has family rooms, hiexpress.com. Booking. com has some apartments to rent in the €100-€150 per night range in and around the city. Try not to book too far out as the cost of transport will eat into money and time.
You can find private rental accommodation on Airbnb. com or housetrip.com. Use the map facility and read the reviews to help you choose a place to stay. There is accommodation available from around €110 - €250 per night. Here is a list of family friendly restaurants that provide more than chicken nuggets and chips, http://bit.ly/1KpdiQA.
I am travelling to Brussels with my elderly parents this autumn. We would like information on guided tours to Bruges and Ghent. Ideally we are looking to be picked up at our hotel and not too much walking involved. AR, Dublin.
Bruges and Ghent are popular day tours from Brussels. You have the option of doing both cities in one day or two separate tours. Prices are about €43 for the two or €34-€37 individually. There will be walking involved but if you opt to do them as two separate days you will have more time to enjoy the cities at your own pace. The tour companies are brusselsnicetours.com, viator.com and isango.com. Isango tours will pick you up from your hotel but it depends on which hotel you are staying in. Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
I have a long-standing interest in Irish history and would like to visit for the 1916 commemorations but have been confused by different information online – regarding timetables and events. I’d like to find a tour company or even going independently, know where to stay and what is the best way to know what is going on? AW, England.
There is a very extensive programme of events, commemorations, activities and reflections planned for next year. The major events will take place over the Easter period with a parade on Easter Sunday.
The official website site is Ireland. ie, and there you will find details of events and commemorations planned. Most everything will happen in and around Dublin city so probably best to base yourself there. While in the city, you may like to take a walking tour with the authors of the Easter Rising – a guide to Dublin in 1916. It takes place most days from March, 1916rising. com.
There is a new tour by Freedom Tours that specifically concentrates on 1916. It is an unbiased trip in an old-style Army truck with the guides dressed in period uniforms, 1916tour.ie. It would also be worth while taking the Glasnevin Cemetery and museum tour, glasnevintrust.ie. There is a micro-site in this newspaper called Century dedicated to a decade of centenaries. It will be continually updated as the commemorations come closer. See irishtimes.com/culture/heritage/ century.
We are looking to make a three-day trip to London with our two girls in October. We are finding it difficult to find affordable accommodation options close to the main sights. We would also appreciate any suggestions for family friendly dining that doesn’t just offer chips and chicken nuggets. RA, Dublin.
London is already filling up for October particularly over the bank holiday weekend. The Travel Lodge hotels family rooms are good value, travellodge.co.uk. Premier Inns are also a good choice, premierinn.com. Holiday Inn Express also has family rooms, hiexpress.com. Booking. com has some apartments to rent in the €100-€150 per night range in and around the city. Try not to book too far out as the cost of transport will eat into money and time.
You can find private rental accommodation on Airbnb. com or housetrip.com. Use the map facility and read the reviews to help you choose a place to stay. There is accommodation available from around €110 - €250 per night. Here is a list of family friendly restaurants that provide more than chicken nuggets and chips, http://bit.ly/1KpdiQA.
I am travelling to Brussels with my elderly parents this autumn. We would like information on guided tours to Bruges and Ghent. Ideally we are looking to be picked up at our hotel and not too much walking involved. AR, Dublin.
Bruges and Ghent are popular day tours from Brussels. You have the option of doing both cities in one day or two separate tours. Prices are about €43 for the two or €34-€37 individually. There will be walking involved but if you opt to do them as two separate days you will have more time to enjoy the cities at your own pace. The tour companies are brusselsnicetours.com, viator.com and isango.com. Isango tours will pick you up from your hotel but it depends on which hotel you are staying in. Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about a dog friendly holiday in Ireland, walking holidays in Europe and getting visa for Cuba. September 5, 2015.
Any ideas on a self-catering dog-friendly holiday home that would suit 11 people and one dog in any location from Cork northwards to Galway/Dublin? As an extended family from Cork city, we have traditionally rented dog-friendly accommodation for a week in Kerry. It worked well but with the teenagers getting older and working, getting away together for a week is becoming less of an option. We would still like to keep the concept of a family get-together going for a three- to four-day break somewhere. ROM, Dublin.
There are quite a few places to rent that will cater for your family of 11 and the dog. Cottages4You.com allows you to check easily the number the property can cater for, and all but two of the bigger houses take dogs.
For example, Croic an Oirr, in Mullinahone, Co Tipperary, is a lovingly restored 200-year-old farmhouse with all the comforts you need. It even has a music venue for family sing songs. In west Cork on the Beara Peninsula, Chris’s Cottage near Ardgroom is a large detached house near the sea.
On the homeaway.co.uk site, you can use the filters to specify numbers and pets, and you will be spoiled for choice. More than 100 properties fit the bill, including a few castles for rent. Expect to pay from €140-€250 per night for a large house with nice facilities.
Can you suggest any euro-based companies that organise guided walking holidays in Europe, at moderate level? I am aware of some UK companies who do so, but due to the sterling/euro exchange rate, it can be very expensive. MD, Kilkenny
A number of Irish companies do walking holidays in Europe, mainly at a moderate level, so no need to go afar to find them.Uwalk.ie, part of Navan Travel has a lovely eight-day walk in Catalonia. Shane Gray organises walking holidays in El Hierro, one of the smaller Canary Islands in October and November; contact him through shane-gray.com.
Rory O’Grady of sunwalkingholidays.com arranges a number of walking trips through the year in Spain. He also does the little Canary Islands of La Gomera and La Palma and the popular Alpujarras, in Andalucia.
Adventure-holidays.ie organises walking holidays with a wine-based themed in Bordeaux and Rioja, as well as the Rota Vincentina in Portugal, the Pyrenées, beyond the Cote d’Azur and more.
Crystal Holidays had a range of walking holidays in Austria, the Italian Dolomites, Switzerland and Slovenia. These will be self-guided and are usually in resorts with well-defined walking routes, crystalsummer.ie.
Walking holidays generally work out at about €550-€800 per week including guiding, some meals and accommodation. Flights are usually extra. If you are travelling alone, in some cases there is no single supplement.
I booked a holiday to Cuba, travelling from Gatwick direct to Havana in January with a UK travel company, which is providing Cuba tourist cards. I have an Irish passport. Do I need a visa? I have enquired with both the Cuban embassy in Dublin and the Irish Passport office but cannot get a reply. DMG, Down.
The tourist card is the visa for Cuba and can be provided by the tour operator. Irish passport holders are covered by the same tourist card as UK visitors. Ensure your passport has a minimum of six months’ validity from your departure from Cuba.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Any ideas on a self-catering dog-friendly holiday home that would suit 11 people and one dog in any location from Cork northwards to Galway/Dublin? As an extended family from Cork city, we have traditionally rented dog-friendly accommodation for a week in Kerry. It worked well but with the teenagers getting older and working, getting away together for a week is becoming less of an option. We would still like to keep the concept of a family get-together going for a three- to four-day break somewhere. ROM, Dublin.
There are quite a few places to rent that will cater for your family of 11 and the dog. Cottages4You.com allows you to check easily the number the property can cater for, and all but two of the bigger houses take dogs.
For example, Croic an Oirr, in Mullinahone, Co Tipperary, is a lovingly restored 200-year-old farmhouse with all the comforts you need. It even has a music venue for family sing songs. In west Cork on the Beara Peninsula, Chris’s Cottage near Ardgroom is a large detached house near the sea.
On the homeaway.co.uk site, you can use the filters to specify numbers and pets, and you will be spoiled for choice. More than 100 properties fit the bill, including a few castles for rent. Expect to pay from €140-€250 per night for a large house with nice facilities.
Can you suggest any euro-based companies that organise guided walking holidays in Europe, at moderate level? I am aware of some UK companies who do so, but due to the sterling/euro exchange rate, it can be very expensive. MD, Kilkenny
A number of Irish companies do walking holidays in Europe, mainly at a moderate level, so no need to go afar to find them.Uwalk.ie, part of Navan Travel has a lovely eight-day walk in Catalonia. Shane Gray organises walking holidays in El Hierro, one of the smaller Canary Islands in October and November; contact him through shane-gray.com.
Rory O’Grady of sunwalkingholidays.com arranges a number of walking trips through the year in Spain. He also does the little Canary Islands of La Gomera and La Palma and the popular Alpujarras, in Andalucia.
Adventure-holidays.ie organises walking holidays with a wine-based themed in Bordeaux and Rioja, as well as the Rota Vincentina in Portugal, the Pyrenées, beyond the Cote d’Azur and more.
Crystal Holidays had a range of walking holidays in Austria, the Italian Dolomites, Switzerland and Slovenia. These will be self-guided and are usually in resorts with well-defined walking routes, crystalsummer.ie.
Walking holidays generally work out at about €550-€800 per week including guiding, some meals and accommodation. Flights are usually extra. If you are travelling alone, in some cases there is no single supplement.
I booked a holiday to Cuba, travelling from Gatwick direct to Havana in January with a UK travel company, which is providing Cuba tourist cards. I have an Irish passport. Do I need a visa? I have enquired with both the Cuban embassy in Dublin and the Irish Passport office but cannot get a reply. DMG, Down.
The tourist card is the visa for Cuba and can be provided by the tour operator. Irish passport holders are covered by the same tourist card as UK visitors. Ensure your passport has a minimum of six months’ validity from your departure from Cuba.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan, about finding a sun holiday in autumn, photographing the carnival in Tenerife, August 29, 2015
My husband and I are planning a 10-day holiday from mid-October. We would like to go somewhere that doesn’t involve a long-haul flight but which has guaranteed sunshine. Italy, the Tuscany region and Sicily look interesting. We have also looked at the possibility of a two-centre trip such as Rome and Catania. We would appreciate your advice. YC, Belfast.
October is the month of change in southern Europe and can come in sunny and fine and go out cooler. There is no guarantee of sunshine, but over 10 days you should get some nice fine days in Tuscany and Sicily. Availability of routes also drops back in October, reducing your choices.
One option is to take a few days in Rome flying from Belfast with jet2.com or from Dublin with Aer Lingus or Ryanair. From Rome you can fly on with Ryanair to Catania in Sicily and back to Dublin with Aer Lingus. Round-trip fares for this journey would be about €200 each.
Malta is a lovely island worth considering. It has a good range of quality hotels at reasonable prices in October and direct flights from Dublin with Ryanair. The weather may be a little warmer with averages of 21 degrees. See hotel availability on mercurydirect.co.uk. The Aircoach service from Belfast to Dublin airport is £16 return.
I would like to go on a holiday with my husband, during Halloween break. I would like somewhere warm and sunny, preferably with a bit of culture thrown in. WT, Wexford.
Sunshine and culture don’t always go hand in hand at the end of October. It is also one of the busiest holidays and prices for fares to Canary Islands are topping €400.Morocco is worth considering and a week in the Agadir area is available from €519-€799pps with flights and accommodation, sunway.ie.
Holidays to the Red Sea in Egypt are available that week but flights are on Thursdays. A week in a resort hotel costs €780-€1,050pps, mainly all inclusive, falconholidays.ie.
We’re a retired couple who want to go to Tenerife to photograph the carnival in February 2016. Perhaps you could recommend the best place to stay to achieve this? Self-catering or hotel B&B is good. Which we sites would you recommend? We are happy to stay for 2-3 weeks, and winter sun would be good. Are longer-term accommodation options available and how would we access them? SL, Dublin.
Next year the carnival of Tenerife, one of the biggest carnivals in the world, will be on for two weeks from January 31st to February 13th. It takes place in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the capital of the island.
Various events take place every day and the most famous are the election of the carnival queens on February 4th, the parade on the 6th, the traditional Burial of the Sardine on the 10th, the hilarious Men in High Heels on the 12th, and the Grand Finale parade on the 13th. The programme is on carnavaldedtenerife.com. Some of the events take place in the Recinto Exhibition centre and in Puerto de la Cruz.
Flights from Ireland arrive in the south of the island, about 75km away, and you will most likely need a car to get around.
It would be best to be located in or near Santa Cruz and you can find accommodation on webtenerife.co.uk/accommodation and also the usual places such as rentalia.com,homeaway.com and airbnb.com.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com.
My husband and I are planning a 10-day holiday from mid-October. We would like to go somewhere that doesn’t involve a long-haul flight but which has guaranteed sunshine. Italy, the Tuscany region and Sicily look interesting. We have also looked at the possibility of a two-centre trip such as Rome and Catania. We would appreciate your advice. YC, Belfast.
October is the month of change in southern Europe and can come in sunny and fine and go out cooler. There is no guarantee of sunshine, but over 10 days you should get some nice fine days in Tuscany and Sicily. Availability of routes also drops back in October, reducing your choices.
One option is to take a few days in Rome flying from Belfast with jet2.com or from Dublin with Aer Lingus or Ryanair. From Rome you can fly on with Ryanair to Catania in Sicily and back to Dublin with Aer Lingus. Round-trip fares for this journey would be about €200 each.
Malta is a lovely island worth considering. It has a good range of quality hotels at reasonable prices in October and direct flights from Dublin with Ryanair. The weather may be a little warmer with averages of 21 degrees. See hotel availability on mercurydirect.co.uk. The Aircoach service from Belfast to Dublin airport is £16 return.
I would like to go on a holiday with my husband, during Halloween break. I would like somewhere warm and sunny, preferably with a bit of culture thrown in. WT, Wexford.
Sunshine and culture don’t always go hand in hand at the end of October. It is also one of the busiest holidays and prices for fares to Canary Islands are topping €400.Morocco is worth considering and a week in the Agadir area is available from €519-€799pps with flights and accommodation, sunway.ie.
Holidays to the Red Sea in Egypt are available that week but flights are on Thursdays. A week in a resort hotel costs €780-€1,050pps, mainly all inclusive, falconholidays.ie.
We’re a retired couple who want to go to Tenerife to photograph the carnival in February 2016. Perhaps you could recommend the best place to stay to achieve this? Self-catering or hotel B&B is good. Which we sites would you recommend? We are happy to stay for 2-3 weeks, and winter sun would be good. Are longer-term accommodation options available and how would we access them? SL, Dublin.
Next year the carnival of Tenerife, one of the biggest carnivals in the world, will be on for two weeks from January 31st to February 13th. It takes place in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the capital of the island.
Various events take place every day and the most famous are the election of the carnival queens on February 4th, the parade on the 6th, the traditional Burial of the Sardine on the 10th, the hilarious Men in High Heels on the 12th, and the Grand Finale parade on the 13th. The programme is on carnavaldedtenerife.com. Some of the events take place in the Recinto Exhibition centre and in Puerto de la Cruz.
Flights from Ireland arrive in the south of the island, about 75km away, and you will most likely need a car to get around.
It would be best to be located in or near Santa Cruz and you can find accommodation on webtenerife.co.uk/accommodation and also the usual places such as rentalia.com,homeaway.com and airbnb.com.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com.
Ask Joan, getting to the Northern Lights, a family break in Ireland, August 22, 2015
My husband has a special birthday next spring and I’d like to surprise him with a trip to see the Northern Lights in January or February. Ideally I am looking for a three to four day package including flights and accommodation (at least on a B&B basis) at a minimum. I do not know whether it is better to go to Iceland or Norway and which one offers the best value for money. I have a maximum budget of €1,500. Is such a trip possible on this budget and if so what travel agents organise these trips from Dublin? RSD, Wicklow.
Iceland is easier to get to from Ireland with packaged tours and one flight, northern Norway would be two flights. Norway is quite pricey to get to and expensive while there, so probably outside your budget.
There are tours with the Travel Department and Wallace Travel Group, which include flights, accommodation and guided tours of the main places of interest. Expect to pay in the region of €599-€699 each for three-night trips (traveldepartment.ie and wtg.ie)
There are now direct schedule flights from Ireland to Reykjavik on Mondays and Fridays and prices early next year will be from €175 return (wowair.com). If you wanted to book it yourself you can expect to pay €300-€450 for three nights in a good quality hotel. There is more basic accommodation available for less – you can price compare on Trivago.com and Hotelscombined.com.
Tours can be booked separately and you can expect to pay about €67pp for the all-day Golden Circle Tour (icelandhorizon.is) and the Blue Lagoon costs €35 in winter (bluelagoon.com).
We would like to take a short break in a hotel in Ireland in September. We are a family of four – two adults, a toddler and a baby. We are looking for a break for three nights or more, including dinner, and would need a large family room. We live in Galway and are happy to travel a short distance, two or three hours. Ideally the hotel would have some facilities suitable for a toddler – such as a pool or indoor play area – and be located within walking distance of a playground and be close to other attractions in the area eg. a pet farm. ES, Galway.
In Limerick, Fitzgerald’s Woodlands House Hotel has been making families welcome for many years. The hotel was recently upgraded to a four-star and is making people even happier. It is an ideal place for a family, with lovely leisure facilities and great things to do in the area.
There is a pet farm, Bunratty Folk Park, and the city of Limerick is nearby to explore. Family rooms are from €99 per night B&B, woodlands-hotels.ie, 061-605100.
Westport has a good variety of family-friendly hotels and also Westport House with the zoo and great children’s entertainment.
Hotel Westport is a favourite with families for the great facilities. There is a leisure centre, playground and baby-listening service. Rates are from €99 per night B&B,hotelwestport.ie, 098- 25122.
The Hodson Bay Hotel outside Athlone is a very family-friendly place and has nice, big family rooms. There is a leisure centre with a kiddies’ pool and lots of do in the Athlone area.
Three-night stays in September with dinner on two evenings will cost from €518 for the family (hodsonbayhotel.com, 090- 6442000). The Glendeer Pet Farm is 15 minutes away and open until the end o f September (glendeerpetfarm.ie).
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
My husband has a special birthday next spring and I’d like to surprise him with a trip to see the Northern Lights in January or February. Ideally I am looking for a three to four day package including flights and accommodation (at least on a B&B basis) at a minimum. I do not know whether it is better to go to Iceland or Norway and which one offers the best value for money. I have a maximum budget of €1,500. Is such a trip possible on this budget and if so what travel agents organise these trips from Dublin? RSD, Wicklow.
Iceland is easier to get to from Ireland with packaged tours and one flight, northern Norway would be two flights. Norway is quite pricey to get to and expensive while there, so probably outside your budget.
There are tours with the Travel Department and Wallace Travel Group, which include flights, accommodation and guided tours of the main places of interest. Expect to pay in the region of €599-€699 each for three-night trips (traveldepartment.ie and wtg.ie)
There are now direct schedule flights from Ireland to Reykjavik on Mondays and Fridays and prices early next year will be from €175 return (wowair.com). If you wanted to book it yourself you can expect to pay €300-€450 for three nights in a good quality hotel. There is more basic accommodation available for less – you can price compare on Trivago.com and Hotelscombined.com.
Tours can be booked separately and you can expect to pay about €67pp for the all-day Golden Circle Tour (icelandhorizon.is) and the Blue Lagoon costs €35 in winter (bluelagoon.com).
We would like to take a short break in a hotel in Ireland in September. We are a family of four – two adults, a toddler and a baby. We are looking for a break for three nights or more, including dinner, and would need a large family room. We live in Galway and are happy to travel a short distance, two or three hours. Ideally the hotel would have some facilities suitable for a toddler – such as a pool or indoor play area – and be located within walking distance of a playground and be close to other attractions in the area eg. a pet farm. ES, Galway.
In Limerick, Fitzgerald’s Woodlands House Hotel has been making families welcome for many years. The hotel was recently upgraded to a four-star and is making people even happier. It is an ideal place for a family, with lovely leisure facilities and great things to do in the area.
There is a pet farm, Bunratty Folk Park, and the city of Limerick is nearby to explore. Family rooms are from €99 per night B&B, woodlands-hotels.ie, 061-605100.
Westport has a good variety of family-friendly hotels and also Westport House with the zoo and great children’s entertainment.
Hotel Westport is a favourite with families for the great facilities. There is a leisure centre, playground and baby-listening service. Rates are from €99 per night B&B,hotelwestport.ie, 098- 25122.
The Hodson Bay Hotel outside Athlone is a very family-friendly place and has nice, big family rooms. There is a leisure centre with a kiddies’ pool and lots of do in the Athlone area.
Three-night stays in September with dinner on two evenings will cost from €518 for the family (hodsonbayhotel.com, 090- 6442000). The Glendeer Pet Farm is 15 minutes away and open until the end o f September (glendeerpetfarm.ie).
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about going from Toronto to Boston via Maine by public transport, Paris to Rome by air and Alvor on the Algarve by road, August 15, 2015.
Three of us fly into Toronto mid September and fly out of Boston mid October. Can you advise us on the best way to travel from Toronto (after spending a fortnight there) via Maine and down into Boston? We have no itinerary planned so would love some guidance from you as to places to visit etc. Hiring a car could be an option but we would prefer public transport. BM, Dublin
You could explore the northeast by train and bus, and the first stop worth considering is Niagara Falls. It is only three hours by train and bus from Toronto and well worth the visit. See viarail.com for train times and fares.
There is a lovely town on southern Lake Ontario called Niagara on the Lake. It is the centre of wine making in this region and you can take tours of the vineyards, see niagaraonthelake.com.
From Niagara you could consider travelling east through New York state to visit Buffalo, Syracuse the university town, Saratoga Springs, famous for horse racing and Albany the capital of New York State. To follow this route, connect with the AmtrakEmpire Service from Niagara Falls, Amtrak.com. See visitnewyorkstate.net.
Consider continuing on to the lovely city of Montreal which will give you a taste of French Canada. Explore the sights before taking a bus to Portland in Maine, withGreyhound. com.
From Portland it is possible to join the Downeaster train service by Amtrak that follows the coast. Along the way you can stop and explore towns such as Dover, Exeter, Durham and Woburn. This service links Portland to Boston. See visitmaine.com.
I will be staying in Paris with my family (we are two adults and three children) for two weeks in August/ September, and we would like to visit Rome for a few days from our Paris base. What would be the best (and cheapest) way of doing this, both in terms of how to get there and where to stay? We will have our car in Paris, but would prefer not to drive to Rome.LMC, Belfast
Ryanair operates from Beauvais airport to Rome Ciampino and the fares are quite reasonable in the first week in September, at under €100 each. Vueling. com also has reasonable flights from Orly to Rome Fiumicin. Book the earliest flight out and the latest flight back to take advantage of the time.
Regarding accommodation, the following can be found on Booking. com and cost €258-€498 for two nights for the whole family: Notti a Roma B&B, Hotel Sweet Home, Bollo Apartments, Fiftynine Luxury Apartments and Hotel Sant Angelo.
We have been invited to a wedding in Alvor, Portugal in June 2016. We don’t want to fly. Is it possible to take a ferry and drive? BF, Dubli nThere’s no reason why you could not drive to Alvor, once you allow plenty of time for the journey. From Ireland your option will be to take the ferry to either Wales or France from Dublin or Rosslare. If you go through England you can then take a ferry to France or Spain or board theEurostar train.
Brittany Ferries operates a range of services to France and Spain, brittanyferries.com. Use services like the viamichelin.com and guiarepsol.com/en to plan your route. If you book the ferry to France early, it will cost in the region of €400 return with two passengers; expect fuel, tolls and a stopover on the 2,000km route to cost at least €350 each way.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Three of us fly into Toronto mid September and fly out of Boston mid October. Can you advise us on the best way to travel from Toronto (after spending a fortnight there) via Maine and down into Boston? We have no itinerary planned so would love some guidance from you as to places to visit etc. Hiring a car could be an option but we would prefer public transport. BM, Dublin
You could explore the northeast by train and bus, and the first stop worth considering is Niagara Falls. It is only three hours by train and bus from Toronto and well worth the visit. See viarail.com for train times and fares.
There is a lovely town on southern Lake Ontario called Niagara on the Lake. It is the centre of wine making in this region and you can take tours of the vineyards, see niagaraonthelake.com.
From Niagara you could consider travelling east through New York state to visit Buffalo, Syracuse the university town, Saratoga Springs, famous for horse racing and Albany the capital of New York State. To follow this route, connect with the AmtrakEmpire Service from Niagara Falls, Amtrak.com. See visitnewyorkstate.net.
Consider continuing on to the lovely city of Montreal which will give you a taste of French Canada. Explore the sights before taking a bus to Portland in Maine, withGreyhound. com.
From Portland it is possible to join the Downeaster train service by Amtrak that follows the coast. Along the way you can stop and explore towns such as Dover, Exeter, Durham and Woburn. This service links Portland to Boston. See visitmaine.com.
I will be staying in Paris with my family (we are two adults and three children) for two weeks in August/ September, and we would like to visit Rome for a few days from our Paris base. What would be the best (and cheapest) way of doing this, both in terms of how to get there and where to stay? We will have our car in Paris, but would prefer not to drive to Rome.LMC, Belfast
Ryanair operates from Beauvais airport to Rome Ciampino and the fares are quite reasonable in the first week in September, at under €100 each. Vueling. com also has reasonable flights from Orly to Rome Fiumicin. Book the earliest flight out and the latest flight back to take advantage of the time.
Regarding accommodation, the following can be found on Booking. com and cost €258-€498 for two nights for the whole family: Notti a Roma B&B, Hotel Sweet Home, Bollo Apartments, Fiftynine Luxury Apartments and Hotel Sant Angelo.
We have been invited to a wedding in Alvor, Portugal in June 2016. We don’t want to fly. Is it possible to take a ferry and drive? BF, Dubli nThere’s no reason why you could not drive to Alvor, once you allow plenty of time for the journey. From Ireland your option will be to take the ferry to either Wales or France from Dublin or Rosslare. If you go through England you can then take a ferry to France or Spain or board theEurostar train.
Brittany Ferries operates a range of services to France and Spain, brittanyferries.com. Use services like the viamichelin.com and guiarepsol.com/en to plan your route. If you book the ferry to France early, it will cost in the region of €400 return with two passengers; expect fuel, tolls and a stopover on the 2,000km route to cost at least €350 each way.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about ideas for family Christmas holidays abroad, August 8, 2015
We are a family of seven living in Bangkok, Argentina, Edinburgh, Dublin and Washington DC. We are trying to get together for Christmas, hopefully to the sun.
We have looked at a number of options, including Florida and California, but cost and travel times are proving prohibitive.
Three of us are teachers and the earliest date we can travel is December 23rd. Can you offer any suggestions for in or around southern USA, Central America or the Caribbean, bearing in mind flight times and cost? Most of us will be limited to a 10-day stay. – AD, Edinburgh
Getting together for Christmas anywhere is always going to be costly. I would rule out the Caribbean as it is hugely expensive at Christmas, and Central America as it is difficult to get to from all your locations.
To keep everyone to two flights or fewer, Florida beats all other destinations for access. Accommodation for seven at a reasonable price is also good. For example, Emirates fly from Bangkok via Dubai to Orlando for about €1,400 return. From Buenos Aires to Orlando via Miami will cost about €1,300 with American Airlines.
From Edinburgh or Glasgow you would be looking at about £800 with Virgin Atlanticor British Airways via Manchester or London. Or you could go via Dublin for about £857 on the direct Aer Lingus service. Washington to Orlando or Tampa will be about $350 with a number of carriers.
Accommodation in Florida around Miami tends to be very expensive for Christmas. The Gulf Coast may suit better and there are many lovely towns to stay in.
Consider Sarasota, Venice, Bradenton, St Petersburg or the islands of Sanibel, Anna Maria and Captiva. You will find a great selection of properties to rent on Vrbo.com.
My daughter loves the Christmas holiday. Her ideal would be a small cabin or cottage in the snow with lights on the outside, a tree with all the trimmings and an open fire inside.
I would love to make her dream come true, in Ireland, Lapland, Vermont,Switzerland or wherever and would be grateful for your advice. – KD, Meath
There are a number of ways you could approach this, finding a cabin in the snow or joining an organised Christmas holiday in the ideal location. Highlife, the Irish ski company has gorgeous wooden chalets in France that are picture perfect for a Christmas treat.
You could relax, let them light the log fire, do the shopping, put up the tree and enjoy the chef cooking Christmas dinner, and indeed all the meals for the week. There will be a chance to go sledding, playing in the snow or skiing. Over Christmas a week in one of the chalets costs from €1,120 for adults and €910 for children plus flights, Highlife.ie.
Easily accessible locations from Ireland are Salzburg in Austria, Milan for the Dolomites, Geneva for the Swiss and French Alps or Barcelona for Andorra. All of these mountainous regions are very pretty and have lovely wooden houses/chalets to stay in. Look for house rentals on homeaway.com, housetrip.com and airbnb.com.
Lapland is more about the experience of meeting Santa Claus and there are a number of trips direct from Ireland in December. A two day trip will cost from €859pps, see sunway.ie/lapland, visit santa.ie and falconholidays.ie.
Getting to Lapland and renting a house is possible via Copenhagen, Stockholm or Helsinki and there are lots of traditional homes to rent on the above websites too.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
We are a family of seven living in Bangkok, Argentina, Edinburgh, Dublin and Washington DC. We are trying to get together for Christmas, hopefully to the sun.
We have looked at a number of options, including Florida and California, but cost and travel times are proving prohibitive.
Three of us are teachers and the earliest date we can travel is December 23rd. Can you offer any suggestions for in or around southern USA, Central America or the Caribbean, bearing in mind flight times and cost? Most of us will be limited to a 10-day stay. – AD, Edinburgh
Getting together for Christmas anywhere is always going to be costly. I would rule out the Caribbean as it is hugely expensive at Christmas, and Central America as it is difficult to get to from all your locations.
To keep everyone to two flights or fewer, Florida beats all other destinations for access. Accommodation for seven at a reasonable price is also good. For example, Emirates fly from Bangkok via Dubai to Orlando for about €1,400 return. From Buenos Aires to Orlando via Miami will cost about €1,300 with American Airlines.
From Edinburgh or Glasgow you would be looking at about £800 with Virgin Atlanticor British Airways via Manchester or London. Or you could go via Dublin for about £857 on the direct Aer Lingus service. Washington to Orlando or Tampa will be about $350 with a number of carriers.
Accommodation in Florida around Miami tends to be very expensive for Christmas. The Gulf Coast may suit better and there are many lovely towns to stay in.
Consider Sarasota, Venice, Bradenton, St Petersburg or the islands of Sanibel, Anna Maria and Captiva. You will find a great selection of properties to rent on Vrbo.com.
My daughter loves the Christmas holiday. Her ideal would be a small cabin or cottage in the snow with lights on the outside, a tree with all the trimmings and an open fire inside.
I would love to make her dream come true, in Ireland, Lapland, Vermont,Switzerland or wherever and would be grateful for your advice. – KD, Meath
There are a number of ways you could approach this, finding a cabin in the snow or joining an organised Christmas holiday in the ideal location. Highlife, the Irish ski company has gorgeous wooden chalets in France that are picture perfect for a Christmas treat.
You could relax, let them light the log fire, do the shopping, put up the tree and enjoy the chef cooking Christmas dinner, and indeed all the meals for the week. There will be a chance to go sledding, playing in the snow or skiing. Over Christmas a week in one of the chalets costs from €1,120 for adults and €910 for children plus flights, Highlife.ie.
Easily accessible locations from Ireland are Salzburg in Austria, Milan for the Dolomites, Geneva for the Swiss and French Alps or Barcelona for Andorra. All of these mountainous regions are very pretty and have lovely wooden houses/chalets to stay in. Look for house rentals on homeaway.com, housetrip.com and airbnb.com.
Lapland is more about the experience of meeting Santa Claus and there are a number of trips direct from Ireland in December. A two day trip will cost from €859pps, see sunway.ie/lapland, visit santa.ie and falconholidays.ie.
Getting to Lapland and renting a house is possible via Copenhagen, Stockholm or Helsinki and there are lots of traditional homes to rent on the above websites too.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Preparing for coffee ceremony in Lalibela, Ethiopia
Copyright Joan Scales
Ask Joan about going to Sub-Saharan Africa, finding a hotel in Brittany and book club trip to Pisa, August, 1, 2015.
I would like to visit sub-Saharan Africa. I would like a trip that includes contact with ordinary local people to get a sense of their culture and life. I would not mind having to rough it a bit. What would you recommend and what is the best time of the year to visit. – SM Galway
Sub-Saharan Africa consists of many countries but one of the easiest to get to is Ethiopia. There is a direct flight from Dublin to Addis Ababa three times a week with Ethiopian Airlines.
In Addis Ababa you could join an adventure tour that will go off the beaten track to encounter the tribes of the Omo Valley. The Karo, Mursi and Hamer tribes are isolated and fascinating to visit. A 14-day tour is from €2,575, intrepidtravel.com. There is a tour to northern Ethiopia with traveldepartment.ie which has less interactivity with locals but covers many historic places from €2,599pps.
Exodus has a good variety of holidays ranging from camping in the wilderness to canoeing, cycling, volunteering and some luxury tented safari villages. Contact them on 01- 8047153 or exodustravels.eu. Wild Frontiers has a trips to Namibia, Ethiopia and Sudan, see wildfrontierstravel.com.
Responsible Travel always tries to include an element of involvement with local communities in their trips. It has a huge range of adventures, responsibletravel.com. It is also worth looking at what Acacia Africa is doing. It has some volunteering holidays and also some trips that do not have a single supplement, acacia-africa.com.
We have to break our journey on the way back to Roscoff from the La Rochelle area. We thought of staying north of Missilac. I don’t seem to be able to find a Novotel Hotel but would be pleased if you could suggest a hotel which would be easy for us to access on the main route to Roscoff. – MM, Derry
In Missilac you have the Villa Victoria, a chambre d’hôte that is reasonable, rooms from €90 per night, villavictoria44.com.
There are no Novotels on the route but there are a number of Ibis hotels at Vannes and Lorient, see ibis.com. The Best Western Le Roof has great views of the Gulf of Morbihan and is a nice mid-priced hotel, bestwestern.com.
We are a book club group of seven ladies travelling to Pisa for a long weekend in October. We would appreciate suggestions on accommodation and attractions We would prefer to share an apartment/villa but would consider hotel accommodation. – AW, Galway First you need to decide if you will share rooms. That will affect the types of places you can rent. There are plenty of three- and four-bedroom apartments and homes in the Pisa area on homeaway.com and airbnb.com. If you would like a homely bed and breakfast, try San Michele, bedandbreakfastsanmichele.com/en/. It is centrally located with a nice garden and will cost about €35 each per night. Hotels in Pisa range from €70-€120 per night per room. The NH Pisa is modern and centrally located, nh-hotels.com. A small friendly hotel is the Alessandro della Spina, near the train station, hoteldellaspina.it/.
The Leaning Tower is the main attraction but you could also put on your list the Duomo, the Baptistry, the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo and the octagonal Church of Chiesa del Santo Sepolcro. Florence is a short train trip away and well worth taking a day to see the sights. See pisaunicaterra.it for tours and more information.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
I would like to visit sub-Saharan Africa. I would like a trip that includes contact with ordinary local people to get a sense of their culture and life. I would not mind having to rough it a bit. What would you recommend and what is the best time of the year to visit. – SM Galway
Sub-Saharan Africa consists of many countries but one of the easiest to get to is Ethiopia. There is a direct flight from Dublin to Addis Ababa three times a week with Ethiopian Airlines.
In Addis Ababa you could join an adventure tour that will go off the beaten track to encounter the tribes of the Omo Valley. The Karo, Mursi and Hamer tribes are isolated and fascinating to visit. A 14-day tour is from €2,575, intrepidtravel.com. There is a tour to northern Ethiopia with traveldepartment.ie which has less interactivity with locals but covers many historic places from €2,599pps.
Exodus has a good variety of holidays ranging from camping in the wilderness to canoeing, cycling, volunteering and some luxury tented safari villages. Contact them on 01- 8047153 or exodustravels.eu. Wild Frontiers has a trips to Namibia, Ethiopia and Sudan, see wildfrontierstravel.com.
Responsible Travel always tries to include an element of involvement with local communities in their trips. It has a huge range of adventures, responsibletravel.com. It is also worth looking at what Acacia Africa is doing. It has some volunteering holidays and also some trips that do not have a single supplement, acacia-africa.com.
We have to break our journey on the way back to Roscoff from the La Rochelle area. We thought of staying north of Missilac. I don’t seem to be able to find a Novotel Hotel but would be pleased if you could suggest a hotel which would be easy for us to access on the main route to Roscoff. – MM, Derry
In Missilac you have the Villa Victoria, a chambre d’hôte that is reasonable, rooms from €90 per night, villavictoria44.com.
There are no Novotels on the route but there are a number of Ibis hotels at Vannes and Lorient, see ibis.com. The Best Western Le Roof has great views of the Gulf of Morbihan and is a nice mid-priced hotel, bestwestern.com.
We are a book club group of seven ladies travelling to Pisa for a long weekend in October. We would appreciate suggestions on accommodation and attractions We would prefer to share an apartment/villa but would consider hotel accommodation. – AW, Galway First you need to decide if you will share rooms. That will affect the types of places you can rent. There are plenty of three- and four-bedroom apartments and homes in the Pisa area on homeaway.com and airbnb.com. If you would like a homely bed and breakfast, try San Michele, bedandbreakfastsanmichele.com/en/. It is centrally located with a nice garden and will cost about €35 each per night. Hotels in Pisa range from €70-€120 per night per room. The NH Pisa is modern and centrally located, nh-hotels.com. A small friendly hotel is the Alessandro della Spina, near the train station, hoteldellaspina.it/.
The Leaning Tower is the main attraction but you could also put on your list the Duomo, the Baptistry, the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo and the octagonal Church of Chiesa del Santo Sepolcro. Florence is a short train trip away and well worth taking a day to see the sights. See pisaunicaterra.it for tours and more information.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about going to Corrie, having a wedding anniversary in Barcelona and going it alone on holidays, July 25, 2015.
A group of us would like to go to Manchester as this is the last year you can visit the set of Coronation Street. We would like to also go shopping and sight- seeing. Would you be able to advise on the best way to do this as currently there seem to be good packages available with some tour operators to travel by coach. However, on checking the Aer Lingus website the flights to Manchester are very reasonable. CS, Dublin
The coach tour packages with Celtic Horizon Tours are good value as they will pick people up at various locations around the country. The price includes ferry transport to Manchester with two nights’ hotel accommodation and the tour of Coronation Street. It also includes a tour of Emmerdale village and a half day shopping at the Trafford Centre from around €239 per person sharing. See celtichorizontours.com.
If flying, your costs would be from €20 to €60 with Aer Lingus or Ryanair. Try to avoid match weekends as the prices can be higher. Travellodge.co.uk has super cheap hotels rooms for less than £40 per room only.
Tickets to the Coronation Street Tour cost €17 each and can be bought onticketmaster.co.uk. See also coronationstreettour.co.uk. You will have to add in the cost of transport from the airport and to the tour location. See visitmanchester.com for tourism information.
We would like to go to Barcelona in August for our wedding anniversary. Could you please provide some information as to flights and accommodation, the latter being in an old-world, three-star hotel? We have a limited budget. JFC, Cork
Aer Lingus has a direct service to Barcelona three days a week: Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Fares will be almost €300 each, but if you could postpone your trip to September the fares drop by half. Looking at aerlinguspackages.com, a three-night break in a three-star hotel will cost from €440 to €500 each in August, €290 to €340 each in September.
Old-world, three-star hotels in Barcelona are about €100 to €150 per room per night. You could look at NH Barcelona Diagonal Center and NH Eixample, the Continental Palacete and BCN Urban Gran Ducat. All of these can be booked on hotels.com,booking.com and lastminute.com, or through your local travel agent.
I am a single 41-year-old who would like to go on holidays. I would like a bit of sun and I enjoy meeting people – I don’t want to be totally on my own. I love cycling and a bit of sightseeing. CW, Dublin
There is one Irish company that has realised that there are a lot of people who for various reasons take holidays on their own: the Travel Department. The solo- friendly range of trips has greatly expanded this year and you can choose from city breaks, sun holidays or long-haul exploration.
The holidays tend to be outside the main season. This autumn you could go for a week to the Algarve from €459, Estoril and the Lisbon Coast from €669, Andalusia from €879 and Dubrovnik from €799. There is no single supplement and all the holidays include a number of excursions and day trips. See traveldepartment.ie, tel 01-6371650.
In Northern Ireland, friendshiptravel.com has an extensive range of trips for lone travellers. They are strong in Turkey and Greece and offer a number of resorts and activities. Some of the holidays are like house parties and can be a fun way to make new friends. They can book you from Irish airports.
Please send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about going to Iona, how to get around Greece by ferry and is Egypt safe to visit, July 18, 2015.
I’m keen to visit the monastic island of Iona in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland for what essentially would be a penitential visit of a few days. I have been told it’s a difficult and costly place to get to from Dublin and wonder if you have any suggestions of how best to undertake such a visit. – RJC, Dublin. The best airport is Glasgow and flights are very reasonable, €40 or less with Ryanair. com and €45 with aerlingus.com. There is a bus once a day from Glasgow Airport to Oban at around 10am, up to October. From Buchanan Street bus station there are about four buses a day: see citylink.co.uk for timetables or telephone (0044)8705 505050. From Oban you take the ferry to the Isle of Mull. Ferries are operated by Calmac.co.uk.
From Mull, you will need a bus or taxi to Fionnphort and then it is just a short ferry hop to Iona. On the island there are various types of accommodation: two hotels, a hostel, B&Bs, and the abbey has modest rooms for guests. The cheapest accommodation is the hostel, at £21 per night, B&Bs are around £65 per night and the hotels are from £75 per night. A week in the abbey costs about £365. See welcometoiona.com. The Abbey site isiona.org.net. Pilgrimages are organised by various UK groups but the prices are not in the budget range.
I was thinking about touring the Greek Islands and am eager to plan an itinerary. I am being very much frustrated by the lack of clear ferry timetable information. Guide books mention various hydrofoils and ferry companies. Is there any single, easy-to-use site that itemises all hydrofoil and ferry sailings per day and in time order, between islands. From what I can see they’re not that frequent, so I could be stuck on one for days, which would put me off trying it altogether. – JA, Dublin The Greek islands are serviced by a variety of ferry and hydrofoil companies, which makes it seem difficult to find timetables and prices. However, you will find details and can buy tickets on Greeka. com, which is also useful for planning where to go and stay.
The Greek National Tourism website is also a good source for ferry information – visitgreece.gr/ en. Sometimes you may have to go to one island and then transfer to another ferry line for smaller islands. You can also find ferry details and prices on aferry.com.
Myself and my girlfriend, both 20, are looking for a sun holiday with a twist. We have heard from friends that Egypt on the Red Sea has amazing beaches and scuba diving. We would aim to stay for a week and I’d like to see the historical side of Egypt also. Our concern is if Egypt is safe after the troubles, as well as the best way to travel to the regions. – JH, Limerick The Red Sea is indeed beautiful and has fantastic diving and beaches. It is also lively and fun for 20-year-olds. The only access from Ireland is on package holidays, which will cost from €900 per week in August and from €600 in September. Most holidays are all-inclusive with meals and drinks. Hotels are generally very comfortable and even luxurious.
You can book though a local travel agent or direct with falconholidays.ie 1850 858229, or redseaholidays.ie (01) 685 5550. As to the historical side of Egypt, that may have to wait for another visit. The Department of Foreign Affairs advises against travelling outside the Red Sea resort. It is safe once you stay within the resort area.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
I’m keen to visit the monastic island of Iona in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland for what essentially would be a penitential visit of a few days. I have been told it’s a difficult and costly place to get to from Dublin and wonder if you have any suggestions of how best to undertake such a visit. – RJC, Dublin. The best airport is Glasgow and flights are very reasonable, €40 or less with Ryanair. com and €45 with aerlingus.com. There is a bus once a day from Glasgow Airport to Oban at around 10am, up to October. From Buchanan Street bus station there are about four buses a day: see citylink.co.uk for timetables or telephone (0044)8705 505050. From Oban you take the ferry to the Isle of Mull. Ferries are operated by Calmac.co.uk.
From Mull, you will need a bus or taxi to Fionnphort and then it is just a short ferry hop to Iona. On the island there are various types of accommodation: two hotels, a hostel, B&Bs, and the abbey has modest rooms for guests. The cheapest accommodation is the hostel, at £21 per night, B&Bs are around £65 per night and the hotels are from £75 per night. A week in the abbey costs about £365. See welcometoiona.com. The Abbey site isiona.org.net. Pilgrimages are organised by various UK groups but the prices are not in the budget range.
I was thinking about touring the Greek Islands and am eager to plan an itinerary. I am being very much frustrated by the lack of clear ferry timetable information. Guide books mention various hydrofoils and ferry companies. Is there any single, easy-to-use site that itemises all hydrofoil and ferry sailings per day and in time order, between islands. From what I can see they’re not that frequent, so I could be stuck on one for days, which would put me off trying it altogether. – JA, Dublin The Greek islands are serviced by a variety of ferry and hydrofoil companies, which makes it seem difficult to find timetables and prices. However, you will find details and can buy tickets on Greeka. com, which is also useful for planning where to go and stay.
The Greek National Tourism website is also a good source for ferry information – visitgreece.gr/ en. Sometimes you may have to go to one island and then transfer to another ferry line for smaller islands. You can also find ferry details and prices on aferry.com.
Myself and my girlfriend, both 20, are looking for a sun holiday with a twist. We have heard from friends that Egypt on the Red Sea has amazing beaches and scuba diving. We would aim to stay for a week and I’d like to see the historical side of Egypt also. Our concern is if Egypt is safe after the troubles, as well as the best way to travel to the regions. – JH, Limerick The Red Sea is indeed beautiful and has fantastic diving and beaches. It is also lively and fun for 20-year-olds. The only access from Ireland is on package holidays, which will cost from €900 per week in August and from €600 in September. Most holidays are all-inclusive with meals and drinks. Hotels are generally very comfortable and even luxurious.
You can book though a local travel agent or direct with falconholidays.ie 1850 858229, or redseaholidays.ie (01) 685 5550. As to the historical side of Egypt, that may have to wait for another visit. The Department of Foreign Affairs advises against travelling outside the Red Sea resort. It is safe once you stay within the resort area.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Sunset over Istanbul.
Ask Joan, retracing Shackleton's journey to Antarctica, a wedding in Florence and a special event in Cannes or Istanbul, July 11, 2015
We are three men starting to plan a trip to the Antarctic, at the end of 2015, beginning of 2016, and would appreciate your guidance. Ideally it would include Shackleton’s grave at Grytviken, and further landings of historic and wildlife interest.
– KDT, Midwest There are three cruises this winter with Explore on the Polar Pioneerof 18 days each. Three days will be spent in South Georgia to follow in the footsteps ofErnest Shackleton. The cruises will take place in November 2015, January and February 2016, with embarkation from Ushuaia in Argentina.
Taking a loop from Argentina to the Falklands, South Georgia, Elephant Island, the Weddell Sea and the Antarctic Peninsula, you will see a huge area of wilderness and wildlife. The price is from £9,100/€12,800 and does not include the airfare to Ushuaia. See explore.co.uk.
The French cruise line Ponent will have a trip to Antarctica in November that visits South Georgia and Grytviken over 15 days. It is called the great Austral Loop and boards Le Boreal in Ushuaia. It costs from €9,000 for this expedition cruise. Seeen.ponent.com. There are other cruises to Antarctica but for longer periods and they are more expensive – see silversea.com, quarkexpeditions.com and nationalgeographicexpeditions.com.
Next March, Aurora Expeditions will have a cruise called In Shackleton’s Footsteps, retracing his journey for the 100th anniversary of Shackleton’s South Georgia Crossing. The 18-day trip from Ushuaia will cost from $14,300pps/€12,900. Seeauroraexpeditions.com.au.
Can you tell me how to fly to Florence, Italy? I have a wedding in September and would like to fly direct. Also can you find some good hotels? – AF, DublinThere are no direct flights to Florence from Ireland. You have the following options. Fly with Ryanair to Pisa and take a bus to Florence. There is bus every hour, see terravision.eu. It takes around 70 minutes and costs €5 each way, (airfare costs around €160). Or fly via Paris or Amsterdam and change planes for a flight to Florence with KLM or Air France, (airfare around €240).
Prices in Florence can vary widely and there are a lot of very nice high-end hotels in historical buildings. One such is the NH Collection Firenze Porta Rossa, prices from €320 per night, nh-collection.com. Il Granduca is a more reasonable three-star hotel with rates from €90-€140 per night, ilgranduca.com.
My parents are soon to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary and myself and my siblings want to send them on a special trip to celebrate. – MM, Westmeath There is nothing like a top-class hotel to make you feel special and there are some lovely destinations in Europe that could suit. Plan the trip for autumn and there is better value. You could consider booking an inclusive package with flights, hotel, tours and transfers.
The Travel Department recently established a brand called Occasions which is using high quality hotels for short breaks. There is a trip to Cannes staying in the Hotel Carlton. It costs from €599pps for three nights with flights.
It includes a day trip to some of the famous places on the Cote D’Azur such as St Paul de Vence, Antibes and Nice’s Promenade des Anglais. Hugely popular at the moment isIstanbul and a four-night trip staying in a five-star hotel with guided tours will cost from €659pps, traveldepartment.ie/occasions.
We are three men starting to plan a trip to the Antarctic, at the end of 2015, beginning of 2016, and would appreciate your guidance. Ideally it would include Shackleton’s grave at Grytviken, and further landings of historic and wildlife interest.
– KDT, Midwest There are three cruises this winter with Explore on the Polar Pioneerof 18 days each. Three days will be spent in South Georgia to follow in the footsteps ofErnest Shackleton. The cruises will take place in November 2015, January and February 2016, with embarkation from Ushuaia in Argentina.
Taking a loop from Argentina to the Falklands, South Georgia, Elephant Island, the Weddell Sea and the Antarctic Peninsula, you will see a huge area of wilderness and wildlife. The price is from £9,100/€12,800 and does not include the airfare to Ushuaia. See explore.co.uk.
The French cruise line Ponent will have a trip to Antarctica in November that visits South Georgia and Grytviken over 15 days. It is called the great Austral Loop and boards Le Boreal in Ushuaia. It costs from €9,000 for this expedition cruise. Seeen.ponent.com. There are other cruises to Antarctica but for longer periods and they are more expensive – see silversea.com, quarkexpeditions.com and nationalgeographicexpeditions.com.
Next March, Aurora Expeditions will have a cruise called In Shackleton’s Footsteps, retracing his journey for the 100th anniversary of Shackleton’s South Georgia Crossing. The 18-day trip from Ushuaia will cost from $14,300pps/€12,900. Seeauroraexpeditions.com.au.
Can you tell me how to fly to Florence, Italy? I have a wedding in September and would like to fly direct. Also can you find some good hotels? – AF, DublinThere are no direct flights to Florence from Ireland. You have the following options. Fly with Ryanair to Pisa and take a bus to Florence. There is bus every hour, see terravision.eu. It takes around 70 minutes and costs €5 each way, (airfare costs around €160). Or fly via Paris or Amsterdam and change planes for a flight to Florence with KLM or Air France, (airfare around €240).
Prices in Florence can vary widely and there are a lot of very nice high-end hotels in historical buildings. One such is the NH Collection Firenze Porta Rossa, prices from €320 per night, nh-collection.com. Il Granduca is a more reasonable three-star hotel with rates from €90-€140 per night, ilgranduca.com.
My parents are soon to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary and myself and my siblings want to send them on a special trip to celebrate. – MM, Westmeath There is nothing like a top-class hotel to make you feel special and there are some lovely destinations in Europe that could suit. Plan the trip for autumn and there is better value. You could consider booking an inclusive package with flights, hotel, tours and transfers.
The Travel Department recently established a brand called Occasions which is using high quality hotels for short breaks. There is a trip to Cannes staying in the Hotel Carlton. It costs from €599pps for three nights with flights.
It includes a day trip to some of the famous places on the Cote D’Azur such as St Paul de Vence, Antibes and Nice’s Promenade des Anglais. Hugely popular at the moment isIstanbul and a four-night trip staying in a five-star hotel with guided tours will cost from €659pps, traveldepartment.ie/occasions.
Ask Joan about going to Boston and Cape Cod, Parks and Recreation in the West and Christmas shopping in NYC, July 4, 2015
We are a family of five hoping to holiday in Boston and Cape Cod next July flying from Dublin. We would stay in Boston for a few days sightseeing, then on to a holiday residence in Cape Cod for about 10 days. BC, Tyrone.
Two flights a day will operate from Dublin to Boston in the summer; when you see the Aer Lingus sale early in the year, be ready to book.
Boston is a beautiful city and it is impossible to ignore the part it played in the development of the US. Embrace the history and take a walking tour or do a self-guided tour; see the freedomtrail.org.
Boston is also a city for sports lovers, with famous teams like the Red Sox, Bruins, New England Patriots and Boston Celtics. A game would be memorable; find tickets at stubhub.com.
Lots of water-based tours leave from Boston Harbor, including whale watching, and racing around the bay on Godzilla; seebostonharborcruises.com. Rent a car when you are leaving the city; see bostonusa.com for tourism information andmassholiday.ie.
The Cape has thousands of holiday homes to rent. See vrbo.com, and maybe decide on a town or area to narrow the search. Look at places that are in or near towns and public beaches to save ferrying children around.
My boyfriend would love to visit the northwest of the US and seeing national parks, ranch life and getting in touch with history and culture. We’re not sure where to start planning. Can we fly to one airport and out another? We were thinking San Francisco and Seattle. PS, Kildare.
It is easier now to fly into one airport and out of another. Pricing will depend on the time of year. Think about beginning in Seattle and ending on the direct flight back to Dublin from San Francisco. Aer Lingus allows you combine these cities. It is a 1,300km journey extended by zigzagging to see places along the way.
For national parks and places of historical interest, see nps.gov. Next year events will be held to mark 100 years of the National Parks Service. California has a considerable number of places of interest so weight your trip towards there. Visitors can stay overnight in some of the parks.
You can find ranches that take visitors on duderanch.org, listed by state and near national parks. Websites to look at for planning your trip include flydriveusa.ie,discoveramerica.com, visitcalifornia.com, traveloregon.com and experiencewa.com.
We are four girls planning a trip to New York for Christmas shopping. What can we do in four days and any ideas of places to stay? DK, Clare
Christmas arrives in New York the week after Thanksgiving (November 26th this year) when suddenly decorations and trees appear. Up to December 16th is better value. Christmas Fairs pop up at Union Square, Grand Central, Bryant Park and Columbus Circle.
The recently opened One World Trade Observatory is the tallest building for getting the view from downtown. The huge Westfield Shopping centre will have opened by then and luxury shopping at Brookfield Place is already open.
Tavern on the Green has reopened at Central Park and is fabulous at Christmas. The Rainbow Room is back and is great for cocktails. New hotels to consider are the Gregory, Hampton Inn Times Square and Marmara Park Avenue. See nycgo.com for information and opentable.com for restaurant bookings.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
We are a family of five hoping to holiday in Boston and Cape Cod next July flying from Dublin. We would stay in Boston for a few days sightseeing, then on to a holiday residence in Cape Cod for about 10 days. BC, Tyrone.
Two flights a day will operate from Dublin to Boston in the summer; when you see the Aer Lingus sale early in the year, be ready to book.
Boston is a beautiful city and it is impossible to ignore the part it played in the development of the US. Embrace the history and take a walking tour or do a self-guided tour; see the freedomtrail.org.
Boston is also a city for sports lovers, with famous teams like the Red Sox, Bruins, New England Patriots and Boston Celtics. A game would be memorable; find tickets at stubhub.com.
Lots of water-based tours leave from Boston Harbor, including whale watching, and racing around the bay on Godzilla; seebostonharborcruises.com. Rent a car when you are leaving the city; see bostonusa.com for tourism information andmassholiday.ie.
The Cape has thousands of holiday homes to rent. See vrbo.com, and maybe decide on a town or area to narrow the search. Look at places that are in or near towns and public beaches to save ferrying children around.
My boyfriend would love to visit the northwest of the US and seeing national parks, ranch life and getting in touch with history and culture. We’re not sure where to start planning. Can we fly to one airport and out another? We were thinking San Francisco and Seattle. PS, Kildare.
It is easier now to fly into one airport and out of another. Pricing will depend on the time of year. Think about beginning in Seattle and ending on the direct flight back to Dublin from San Francisco. Aer Lingus allows you combine these cities. It is a 1,300km journey extended by zigzagging to see places along the way.
For national parks and places of historical interest, see nps.gov. Next year events will be held to mark 100 years of the National Parks Service. California has a considerable number of places of interest so weight your trip towards there. Visitors can stay overnight in some of the parks.
You can find ranches that take visitors on duderanch.org, listed by state and near national parks. Websites to look at for planning your trip include flydriveusa.ie,discoveramerica.com, visitcalifornia.com, traveloregon.com and experiencewa.com.
We are four girls planning a trip to New York for Christmas shopping. What can we do in four days and any ideas of places to stay? DK, Clare
Christmas arrives in New York the week after Thanksgiving (November 26th this year) when suddenly decorations and trees appear. Up to December 16th is better value. Christmas Fairs pop up at Union Square, Grand Central, Bryant Park and Columbus Circle.
The recently opened One World Trade Observatory is the tallest building for getting the view from downtown. The huge Westfield Shopping centre will have opened by then and luxury shopping at Brookfield Place is already open.
Tavern on the Green has reopened at Central Park and is fabulous at Christmas. The Rainbow Room is back and is great for cocktails. New hotels to consider are the Gregory, Hampton Inn Times Square and Marmara Park Avenue. See nycgo.com for information and opentable.com for restaurant bookings.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about things to do in Bergen and Norway, a girls getaway near Dublin and places to go in Northumberland, June 27, 2015
I am a student travelling to Bergen, Norway in August, for three months as part of the Erasmus programme. While there, I am hoping to see as much as possible. Can you recommend some good activities and weekend trips on a student friendly budget? MW, Cork.
Bergen is a city surrounded by seven mountains and is great for hiking – from Fløyen to Ulriken takes about four hours and is worth the view.
Bergen is known as the cultural capital of Norway and has some great museums to visit like the KODE – which houses the art collections. Composer Edvard Greig is from here and there are lunchtime concerts in his house until the end of September.
The Hanseatic League is remembered with a museum and original wooden buildings. Street art is popular in Bergen so keep your eyes open for street works. Local bands to watch out for are Kings of Convenience indie folk and Datarock, electronic rock.
Around Bergen there are a number of small islands. Sotra is connected by a bridge and you can go sea kayaking. There are other smaller islands used as outposts during WW2 and you will find memorials and museums.
Consider exploring the coast of Norway by ferry. The Hurtigruten line operates all year round from port to port and is a reasonable way to see some of the magnificent fjords, see Hurtigruten.com.
There is a train service to Oslo, book in advance to pay around €70 return student price, nsb.no/en/, it takes about seven hours. Hostel accommodation will be around €35 a night. See visitbergen.com, visitnorway.com, visotoslo.com.
My wife and I, with our baby, have been invited to a wedding in Alnwick, Northumberland this September. We would like to make a week-long holiday of it. We are planning on driving via Larne through Scotland. Would you be able to recommend some nice one or two-night stops on the way there or back. We were thinking Edinburgh, but would like some nice smallish towns with some walks. CF, Dublin.
A loop around from Larne to Edinburgh, Alnwick, a stay on the Northumberland coast and back via Hadrian’s Wall and Gretna Green would be interesting. Edinburgh is not cheap – most hotels will be more than €140 per night. The coast of Northumberland is lovely with long beaches and great castles to visit. Alnwick itself is extraordinary and you should definitely visit the castle and gardens. Alnmouth on the coast is a lovely small town as is Bamburgh and Beadnell. One of these places would be nice to stay for a few days and explore the area. See visitnorthumberland.com.
We are five school friends who try to escape together every year for dinner and a night away. Could you suggest a nice place that has a pool and spa, within an hour or so of Dublin and near a nice town to ramble in on a September Saturday afternoon? JP, Dublin.
Carton House has fabulous grounds with pool and spa and close to Maynooth, rates from €160pps for B&B and dinner, carton.ie.
The Heritage Resort at Killenard is on a golf course in Co Laois. It is close to Kildare Village for shopping. Dinner, B&B will cost from €130 each, theheritage.com.
Dunboyne Castle Hotel in Co Meath has a spa, pool and lovely grounds. An overnight with dinner will cost from €130pps. You could explore some historic sights of the Royal County, or visit the castle at Trim, dunboynecastlehotel.com.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
I am a student travelling to Bergen, Norway in August, for three months as part of the Erasmus programme. While there, I am hoping to see as much as possible. Can you recommend some good activities and weekend trips on a student friendly budget? MW, Cork.
Bergen is a city surrounded by seven mountains and is great for hiking – from Fløyen to Ulriken takes about four hours and is worth the view.
Bergen is known as the cultural capital of Norway and has some great museums to visit like the KODE – which houses the art collections. Composer Edvard Greig is from here and there are lunchtime concerts in his house until the end of September.
The Hanseatic League is remembered with a museum and original wooden buildings. Street art is popular in Bergen so keep your eyes open for street works. Local bands to watch out for are Kings of Convenience indie folk and Datarock, electronic rock.
Around Bergen there are a number of small islands. Sotra is connected by a bridge and you can go sea kayaking. There are other smaller islands used as outposts during WW2 and you will find memorials and museums.
Consider exploring the coast of Norway by ferry. The Hurtigruten line operates all year round from port to port and is a reasonable way to see some of the magnificent fjords, see Hurtigruten.com.
There is a train service to Oslo, book in advance to pay around €70 return student price, nsb.no/en/, it takes about seven hours. Hostel accommodation will be around €35 a night. See visitbergen.com, visitnorway.com, visotoslo.com.
My wife and I, with our baby, have been invited to a wedding in Alnwick, Northumberland this September. We would like to make a week-long holiday of it. We are planning on driving via Larne through Scotland. Would you be able to recommend some nice one or two-night stops on the way there or back. We were thinking Edinburgh, but would like some nice smallish towns with some walks. CF, Dublin.
A loop around from Larne to Edinburgh, Alnwick, a stay on the Northumberland coast and back via Hadrian’s Wall and Gretna Green would be interesting. Edinburgh is not cheap – most hotels will be more than €140 per night. The coast of Northumberland is lovely with long beaches and great castles to visit. Alnwick itself is extraordinary and you should definitely visit the castle and gardens. Alnmouth on the coast is a lovely small town as is Bamburgh and Beadnell. One of these places would be nice to stay for a few days and explore the area. See visitnorthumberland.com.
We are five school friends who try to escape together every year for dinner and a night away. Could you suggest a nice place that has a pool and spa, within an hour or so of Dublin and near a nice town to ramble in on a September Saturday afternoon? JP, Dublin.
Carton House has fabulous grounds with pool and spa and close to Maynooth, rates from €160pps for B&B and dinner, carton.ie.
The Heritage Resort at Killenard is on a golf course in Co Laois. It is close to Kildare Village for shopping. Dinner, B&B will cost from €130 each, theheritage.com.
Dunboyne Castle Hotel in Co Meath has a spa, pool and lovely grounds. An overnight with dinner will cost from €130pps. You could explore some historic sights of the Royal County, or visit the castle at Trim, dunboynecastlehotel.com.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan, where to go for our 60th birthdays, Beatles fans going to Liverpool, a long break in the sun tout seul, June 20, 2015.
Myself and my college friends are mostly 60 this year. We wanted to go away in Ireland for a weekend, in August or September. There will probably be about 10 of us. We would like accommodation within two to three hours’ driving of Dublin, self catering but able to go out to dinner one night, within walking distance of a town, walking trails and it would be lovely to be close to a music festival. AK, Dublin.
There are a number of festivals that would appeal to you. In Kilkenny it is Arts Week from August 7th-16th with a great programme of events. There are also some very lovely restaurants to try such as Campagne, Zuni and Rinucinnis. There are food and walking trails in and around the city. See Kilkennyarts.ie and visitkilkenny.ie. For self-catering properties see kilkennycityonline.com.
In September, Galway has the Oyster Festival and Culture Night to enjoy. The fun is mighty for the Oyster Festival, September 24th-27th, see galwayoysterfestival.com. Culture Night will be the week before, Friday September 18th and the full programme is not yet available, see culturenight.ie for details. Galway offers a great variety of things to do and some very fine restaurants such as Cava Bodega, Aniar and the Gaslight Brasserie at the Meyrick Hotel. There are some good big properties at Oranmore on airbnb.com.
My friend and I are planning a short trip to Liverpool at the end of the summer to indulge our Beatles passion. We are both of an age where creature comforts are important, but we are still sufficiently active to attend the occasional gig. TH, Dublin.
You should definitely consider staying in the Hard Days Night Hotel, a Beatles tribute property. The hotel is devoted to all things Beatles, but tastefully done. There is lots of memorabilia, art and photographs. You could book the ultimate Beatles Package which includes two nights B&B, entrance for the nearby Cavern Club, passes for the Magical Mystery tour, the Beatles Story and a private taxi tour of the Fab Four related sites in Liverpool. It costs from £404 (€550) for two and can be booked onharddaysnighthotels.com and +44 (0) 151 236 1964.
You might like to plan your trip during International Beatleweek which runs from August 26th-September 1st. There are lots of gigs and events during that week that will bring back memories. See cavernclub.org/beatleweek and visitliverpool.com. Ryanair fly to Liverpool from €40 return.
I’m thinking of taking time off from work next March for a five-week trip travelling alone. I’m female in my 30s. Somewhere outside of Europe where the weather will be nice in March would be good. Budget is tight so I wouldn’t mind living out of backpack. DC, Cork.
The French islands of the Caribbean are beautiful and not too expensive to get to in March, especially if you book from Orly, where the fares are cheaper, i.e. around €500 in March return. Add on €100 for the Dublin-Paris leg. Best value accommodation would be with hostelworld.com, hostelbookers.com or airbnb.com, budget around €50 per night.
The other side of the world like Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Bali are also good value, talk to trailfinders.ie and sunway.ie for airfares. You can use budget carrier Airasia.comfor hopping between places in SE Asia.
There is plenty of budget accommodation and a bit cheaper, around €30 per night.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Myself and my college friends are mostly 60 this year. We wanted to go away in Ireland for a weekend, in August or September. There will probably be about 10 of us. We would like accommodation within two to three hours’ driving of Dublin, self catering but able to go out to dinner one night, within walking distance of a town, walking trails and it would be lovely to be close to a music festival. AK, Dublin.
There are a number of festivals that would appeal to you. In Kilkenny it is Arts Week from August 7th-16th with a great programme of events. There are also some very lovely restaurants to try such as Campagne, Zuni and Rinucinnis. There are food and walking trails in and around the city. See Kilkennyarts.ie and visitkilkenny.ie. For self-catering properties see kilkennycityonline.com.
In September, Galway has the Oyster Festival and Culture Night to enjoy. The fun is mighty for the Oyster Festival, September 24th-27th, see galwayoysterfestival.com. Culture Night will be the week before, Friday September 18th and the full programme is not yet available, see culturenight.ie for details. Galway offers a great variety of things to do and some very fine restaurants such as Cava Bodega, Aniar and the Gaslight Brasserie at the Meyrick Hotel. There are some good big properties at Oranmore on airbnb.com.
My friend and I are planning a short trip to Liverpool at the end of the summer to indulge our Beatles passion. We are both of an age where creature comforts are important, but we are still sufficiently active to attend the occasional gig. TH, Dublin.
You should definitely consider staying in the Hard Days Night Hotel, a Beatles tribute property. The hotel is devoted to all things Beatles, but tastefully done. There is lots of memorabilia, art and photographs. You could book the ultimate Beatles Package which includes two nights B&B, entrance for the nearby Cavern Club, passes for the Magical Mystery tour, the Beatles Story and a private taxi tour of the Fab Four related sites in Liverpool. It costs from £404 (€550) for two and can be booked onharddaysnighthotels.com and +44 (0) 151 236 1964.
You might like to plan your trip during International Beatleweek which runs from August 26th-September 1st. There are lots of gigs and events during that week that will bring back memories. See cavernclub.org/beatleweek and visitliverpool.com. Ryanair fly to Liverpool from €40 return.
I’m thinking of taking time off from work next March for a five-week trip travelling alone. I’m female in my 30s. Somewhere outside of Europe where the weather will be nice in March would be good. Budget is tight so I wouldn’t mind living out of backpack. DC, Cork.
The French islands of the Caribbean are beautiful and not too expensive to get to in March, especially if you book from Orly, where the fares are cheaper, i.e. around €500 in March return. Add on €100 for the Dublin-Paris leg. Best value accommodation would be with hostelworld.com, hostelbookers.com or airbnb.com, budget around €50 per night.
The other side of the world like Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Bali are also good value, talk to trailfinders.ie and sunway.ie for airfares. You can use budget carrier Airasia.comfor hopping between places in SE Asia.
There is plenty of budget accommodation and a bit cheaper, around €30 per night.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about day trips from Bergamo, a holiday for a family of 5, can I go to England alone under 16, June 13, 2015.
We are planning to spend two weeks in Bergamo, northern Italy this summer. Could you recommend any day trips we could do from there into the surrounding countryside? FB, Chicago.
Bergamo itself is an interesting town with medieval walls, Roman ruins, busy piazzas, ancient alleys and buildings. The Citta Alta, the old town can be reached by funicular and is worth exploring. You can also take another funicular to Castello San Vigilio to enjoy the peaceful park and great views over Lombardy. There is also a museum in Bergamo dedicated to the composer Gaetano Donizetti.
You can buy a tourist transport card at the tourist office at the airport and it costs about €7 and will allow 72 hours usage of local buses, trams and funiculars, and the airport bus.
Milan is less than an hour from Bergamo by train. The trains are very frequent and cost about €12 return, see trenitalia.it for times.
Explore also Lake Iseo by taking a bus from Bergamo to Sarnico (less than an hour) and taking the ferry to Monte Isola, the largest lake island in Europe. Spend the day enjoying lake scenery and having lunch in a local restaurant.
We are a family with three children under 12 and looking to go on a two-week holiday abroad at the end of June. Destination wise, we would be quite flexible as long as we can have sun and a pool. I would prefer all-inclusive but it looks like it is going to cost a lot. MB, Dublin.
The price certainly changes when you have five for holidays. The Falcon Splashworld Hotel Sun Palace in Rhodes has great facilities for all the family. The children will love the water park where they can spend hours enjoying the slides, tubes, wave pool and more.
A week all-inclusive with all meals, drinks, and snacks and ice-cream will cost from €4,169 starting on June 24th. Falconholidays.ie. In Ibiza from July 1st, two weeks with Thomson Holidays staying in the Fiesta Cala Nova resort with two interconnected rooms, half-board would cost from €5,499, thomsonholidays.ie.
New tour operator from Ireland Red Sea Holidays has some special prices for Egypt with big discounts for children. A week all-inclusive at the Sharm Plaza resort in a family suite is from €3,063 and for two weeks it would cost €3,871 at the end of June. Flights are direct from Dublin, redseaholidays.ie.
I am 15 (Irish) and I want to fly to England alone to see friends. I am aware some airlines do allow people my age to fly alone but even if I do get a flight to take me, I’m not allowed to enter the country without an adult present.What can I do to side step this without taking a family member? AOB, Dublin.
You can fly with Aer Lingus on your own without an adult accompanying you. Aer Lingus has an extensive network of flights around England. You will just need to have a form of indemnity signed by a parent or guardian. You can download the form from the Aer Lingus website; it is under “Travel Questions, Before You Fly”.
On the British Airways services to Heathrow and London City you can fly unaccompanied from age 12 and also on Flybe.com services to Bournemouth and Exeter. Ryanair does not allow unaccompanied children under 16. You are allowed to enter the UK without an adult and will need a passport or student identification photo card. It is also useful to carry your birth certificate.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
We are planning to spend two weeks in Bergamo, northern Italy this summer. Could you recommend any day trips we could do from there into the surrounding countryside? FB, Chicago.
Bergamo itself is an interesting town with medieval walls, Roman ruins, busy piazzas, ancient alleys and buildings. The Citta Alta, the old town can be reached by funicular and is worth exploring. You can also take another funicular to Castello San Vigilio to enjoy the peaceful park and great views over Lombardy. There is also a museum in Bergamo dedicated to the composer Gaetano Donizetti.
You can buy a tourist transport card at the tourist office at the airport and it costs about €7 and will allow 72 hours usage of local buses, trams and funiculars, and the airport bus.
Milan is less than an hour from Bergamo by train. The trains are very frequent and cost about €12 return, see trenitalia.it for times.
Explore also Lake Iseo by taking a bus from Bergamo to Sarnico (less than an hour) and taking the ferry to Monte Isola, the largest lake island in Europe. Spend the day enjoying lake scenery and having lunch in a local restaurant.
We are a family with three children under 12 and looking to go on a two-week holiday abroad at the end of June. Destination wise, we would be quite flexible as long as we can have sun and a pool. I would prefer all-inclusive but it looks like it is going to cost a lot. MB, Dublin.
The price certainly changes when you have five for holidays. The Falcon Splashworld Hotel Sun Palace in Rhodes has great facilities for all the family. The children will love the water park where they can spend hours enjoying the slides, tubes, wave pool and more.
A week all-inclusive with all meals, drinks, and snacks and ice-cream will cost from €4,169 starting on June 24th. Falconholidays.ie. In Ibiza from July 1st, two weeks with Thomson Holidays staying in the Fiesta Cala Nova resort with two interconnected rooms, half-board would cost from €5,499, thomsonholidays.ie.
New tour operator from Ireland Red Sea Holidays has some special prices for Egypt with big discounts for children. A week all-inclusive at the Sharm Plaza resort in a family suite is from €3,063 and for two weeks it would cost €3,871 at the end of June. Flights are direct from Dublin, redseaholidays.ie.
I am 15 (Irish) and I want to fly to England alone to see friends. I am aware some airlines do allow people my age to fly alone but even if I do get a flight to take me, I’m not allowed to enter the country without an adult present.What can I do to side step this without taking a family member? AOB, Dublin.
You can fly with Aer Lingus on your own without an adult accompanying you. Aer Lingus has an extensive network of flights around England. You will just need to have a form of indemnity signed by a parent or guardian. You can download the form from the Aer Lingus website; it is under “Travel Questions, Before You Fly”.
On the British Airways services to Heathrow and London City you can fly unaccompanied from age 12 and also on Flybe.com services to Bournemouth and Exeter. Ryanair does not allow unaccompanied children under 16. You are allowed to enter the UK without an adult and will need a passport or student identification photo card. It is also useful to carry your birth certificate.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about a trip to explore Jordan, Palestine and Israel, taking a classy and cultural trip to Europe, June 6, 2015
On the way back from a stay in Kenya our family are scheduled to stop off in Amman for almost four weeks to travel in Jordan, Palestine and Israel. When travelling in Israel and Palestine we want to support Palestinian tourism and the businesses of Palestinian citizens of Israel, particularly for accommodation.
Our query would be twofold: 1) a good land route to follow starting and finishing in Amman (November 30th to December 29th) which takes in the main sights of Jordan, Israel and Palestine and having us in Bethlehem for Christmas Day, and 2) information about how we can support Palestinian hotels when travelling in both regions. – OON, Kildare
Last month the Jordanian government eased the regulations on visa fees for international visitors. If you spend three consecutive nights in Jordan there are no visa fees. The principal site of interest to see in Jordan will be the Rose City of Petra. There are many other sites of archaeological, historical and geographical interest. It is easy to arrange tours when in Amman. See visitjordan.com for details.
Consider travelling south to the seaside resort of Aqaba and crossing the border at Wadi Araba to Eilat in Israel and travel northwards along the coast and then to Palestine. You can hire cars on one-way rentals from Amman to Aqaba and from Eilat to Tel Aviv from about $50 per day.
From Amman you can also enter Palestine via the King Hussein/Allenby Bridge border point. You will need to change public transport at the bridge – it is not possible to rent a car and drive in. Transport around Palestine and Israel is generally by shared taxis and buses. If you are going to rent a car, it is probably better to use local car rental firms. The international companies have more restrictions. There are rail services in Israel, mainly along the coast.
As you have a month you could consider numerous places. There are quite a few properties on Airbnb.com and Homeaway.com by locals. There is also the website palestinehotels.com where you will find a variety of hotels at all price ranges. The official tourism website is travelpalestine.ps.
The updated version of the Lonely Planet Guide to Israel and the Palestinian Territories is being published in August, it might be useful to order it. See also this feature from the Guardian on the 10 Highlights of Palestine.
In Israel you should certainly visit Tel Aviv, a lively modern city, stay in a kibbutz and take a seaside trip to Eilat. Israel Tourism on its website goisrael.com has a number of suggested itineraries for different interests. They are detailed, for example the south to north itinerary from Masada to Caesarea, visits national parks, cities, historical sites, towns and gentle hiking.
My husband is 70 in August and I would like to celebrate with a trip to Europe with some beach time and sightseeing. I do not have a huge budget but would like somewhere with a bit of class and culture. – JOH, Dublin
August is the most expensive time for seaside resorts, prices fall a bit in September. My suggestions are Villefranche-sur-mer and Biarritz in France, San Sebastian and Valencia in Spain, Estoril or Cascais near Lisbon in Portugal, Taormina Sicily and Pula in Croatia.
You will get the best deals by booking through a travel agent as they have access to good hotel prices. You can find your local agent on this site itaa.ie.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com.
On the way back from a stay in Kenya our family are scheduled to stop off in Amman for almost four weeks to travel in Jordan, Palestine and Israel. When travelling in Israel and Palestine we want to support Palestinian tourism and the businesses of Palestinian citizens of Israel, particularly for accommodation.
Our query would be twofold: 1) a good land route to follow starting and finishing in Amman (November 30th to December 29th) which takes in the main sights of Jordan, Israel and Palestine and having us in Bethlehem for Christmas Day, and 2) information about how we can support Palestinian hotels when travelling in both regions. – OON, Kildare
Last month the Jordanian government eased the regulations on visa fees for international visitors. If you spend three consecutive nights in Jordan there are no visa fees. The principal site of interest to see in Jordan will be the Rose City of Petra. There are many other sites of archaeological, historical and geographical interest. It is easy to arrange tours when in Amman. See visitjordan.com for details.
Consider travelling south to the seaside resort of Aqaba and crossing the border at Wadi Araba to Eilat in Israel and travel northwards along the coast and then to Palestine. You can hire cars on one-way rentals from Amman to Aqaba and from Eilat to Tel Aviv from about $50 per day.
From Amman you can also enter Palestine via the King Hussein/Allenby Bridge border point. You will need to change public transport at the bridge – it is not possible to rent a car and drive in. Transport around Palestine and Israel is generally by shared taxis and buses. If you are going to rent a car, it is probably better to use local car rental firms. The international companies have more restrictions. There are rail services in Israel, mainly along the coast.
As you have a month you could consider numerous places. There are quite a few properties on Airbnb.com and Homeaway.com by locals. There is also the website palestinehotels.com where you will find a variety of hotels at all price ranges. The official tourism website is travelpalestine.ps.
The updated version of the Lonely Planet Guide to Israel and the Palestinian Territories is being published in August, it might be useful to order it. See also this feature from the Guardian on the 10 Highlights of Palestine.
In Israel you should certainly visit Tel Aviv, a lively modern city, stay in a kibbutz and take a seaside trip to Eilat. Israel Tourism on its website goisrael.com has a number of suggested itineraries for different interests. They are detailed, for example the south to north itinerary from Masada to Caesarea, visits national parks, cities, historical sites, towns and gentle hiking.
My husband is 70 in August and I would like to celebrate with a trip to Europe with some beach time and sightseeing. I do not have a huge budget but would like somewhere with a bit of class and culture. – JOH, Dublin
August is the most expensive time for seaside resorts, prices fall a bit in September. My suggestions are Villefranche-sur-mer and Biarritz in France, San Sebastian and Valencia in Spain, Estoril or Cascais near Lisbon in Portugal, Taormina Sicily and Pula in Croatia.
You will get the best deals by booking through a travel agent as they have access to good hotel prices. You can find your local agent on this site itaa.ie.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com.
Ask Joan about finding a holiday in a rain forest, a holiday in Ireland for German teenagers, where to start the Camino de Santiago, May 30, 2015
My husband is really interested in the tropical forest and wildlife. What destination would you recommend which would give him some experience of the rainforest but also tropical beaches for relaxation for me? The shortest flight possible would be preferred. What is the best time to visit these destinations? CP. Dublin
Whether you go east or west we are still a long way from the nearest tropical zone. Probably the most easily accessible from here due to frequency of flights is Puerto Ricoin the Caribbean, where the rainforests are managed by the US Parks Service. Thailand is easily accessible from here with flights via Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Istanbul.
Many people love Costa Rica for the combination of beach life and a well-developed eco-tourism industry. Hawaii also has that great mix of rain forest and leisurely life.
Agents that arrange such trips include Tropicalsky.ie, Topflight. ie, Travelmood.ie,Sunway.ie and Gohop.ie. The tropical zone hurricane and typhoon season typically runs from June to October.
I am persecuted by a German friend (16), who wants to travel Ireland with her friend (also 16) for a good week in the summer. How can they travel independently to see Ireland? From what I can see, they are too young to join the organised bus tours and too old for summer camps. They are not seasoned travellers and not on a huge budget. Any ideas for German teens dying to experience the “promised land”? AB, Westmeath.
While the girls would not be able to stay in places such as An Óige hostels, they could take part in summer camps such as Killary Adventure Centre and Donegal Adventure Centre. They wouldn’t be too old and an organised holiday would be better if they are not seasoned travellers.
The camps are ideal for teenagers as they will get to meet other teens, explore the areas, learn new sports and have great fun. The Donegal centre also specialises in surfing, which they might enjoy; a week there will cost from €420-€500. They could join an English language course, too.
Killary Adventure Centre is in a gorgeous location and the days will fly by. There are camps of four to seven days, from €270-€455. They include all tuition, accommodation and meals. They would be supervised by qualified instructors. The girls can be adventurous and take the bus to join the camps.
I y am very keen to do the Camino de Santiago via the French route. I will be able to get three weeks holidays maximum; would walking from St Jean de Pied de Port to Burgos work in this time frame? Also, to get home, would flying from Madrid back to Dublin be the best option? I will be travelling solo and want an authentic Camino. JD, Dublin.
Three weeks would allow you to do up to three stages of the Camino de Santiago and you could get from St. Jean Pied de Port to Sahagún, assuming you can walk about 20-25km a day. Your access airport would be Biarritz, on Ryanair. There is a bus from the airport to Bayonne where you can get the train to St Jean Pied de Port, see train times on sncf.com.
From Burgos or Sahagún, you can take a four-hour train journey to Madrid for the return trip, which cost about €24. Times and prices on movelia.es. There is a number of travel agents in Ireland that can make all the arrangements for you. It would cost from about €520 a week, see caminoways. com, travalue.ie and maptravel.ie. Send your travel queries to Jscales@irishtimes.com.
My husband is really interested in the tropical forest and wildlife. What destination would you recommend which would give him some experience of the rainforest but also tropical beaches for relaxation for me? The shortest flight possible would be preferred. What is the best time to visit these destinations? CP. Dublin
Whether you go east or west we are still a long way from the nearest tropical zone. Probably the most easily accessible from here due to frequency of flights is Puerto Ricoin the Caribbean, where the rainforests are managed by the US Parks Service. Thailand is easily accessible from here with flights via Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Istanbul.
Many people love Costa Rica for the combination of beach life and a well-developed eco-tourism industry. Hawaii also has that great mix of rain forest and leisurely life.
Agents that arrange such trips include Tropicalsky.ie, Topflight. ie, Travelmood.ie,Sunway.ie and Gohop.ie. The tropical zone hurricane and typhoon season typically runs from June to October.
I am persecuted by a German friend (16), who wants to travel Ireland with her friend (also 16) for a good week in the summer. How can they travel independently to see Ireland? From what I can see, they are too young to join the organised bus tours and too old for summer camps. They are not seasoned travellers and not on a huge budget. Any ideas for German teens dying to experience the “promised land”? AB, Westmeath.
While the girls would not be able to stay in places such as An Óige hostels, they could take part in summer camps such as Killary Adventure Centre and Donegal Adventure Centre. They wouldn’t be too old and an organised holiday would be better if they are not seasoned travellers.
The camps are ideal for teenagers as they will get to meet other teens, explore the areas, learn new sports and have great fun. The Donegal centre also specialises in surfing, which they might enjoy; a week there will cost from €420-€500. They could join an English language course, too.
Killary Adventure Centre is in a gorgeous location and the days will fly by. There are camps of four to seven days, from €270-€455. They include all tuition, accommodation and meals. They would be supervised by qualified instructors. The girls can be adventurous and take the bus to join the camps.
I y am very keen to do the Camino de Santiago via the French route. I will be able to get three weeks holidays maximum; would walking from St Jean de Pied de Port to Burgos work in this time frame? Also, to get home, would flying from Madrid back to Dublin be the best option? I will be travelling solo and want an authentic Camino. JD, Dublin.
Three weeks would allow you to do up to three stages of the Camino de Santiago and you could get from St. Jean Pied de Port to Sahagún, assuming you can walk about 20-25km a day. Your access airport would be Biarritz, on Ryanair. There is a bus from the airport to Bayonne where you can get the train to St Jean Pied de Port, see train times on sncf.com.
From Burgos or Sahagún, you can take a four-hour train journey to Madrid for the return trip, which cost about €24. Times and prices on movelia.es. There is a number of travel agents in Ireland that can make all the arrangements for you. It would cost from about €520 a week, see caminoways. com, travalue.ie and maptravel.ie. Send your travel queries to Jscales@irishtimes.com.
Surfing at Watergate Bay, Cornwall
Ask Joan about holidays with a 12 year old who dislike the heat.
May 23, 2015.
I am parenting my 12-year-old daughter on my own. Holidays are always a bit of a challenge as she does not like the heat and is a very active child so sun holidays are not really an option. I on the other hand want to chill out and take it easy. Any suggestions for a two-week break in the summer and/or city break in Europe would be appreciated. DS, Wicklow.
Our near neighbour could be an option for a holiday mix to suit you both. There are many good resorts and hotels in England where you would find a suitable holiday.
The first to consider is Cornwall – it gets the best weather in England, yet would not be too hot for your daughter. It has great outdoor activities and she could try surfing or other water sports. There is a direct flight from Dublin to Newquay with aerlingus.com.
The following resorts are in the Newquay area and you can take a taxi from the airport easily. The Headland Hotel, headlandhotel.co.uk, is traditional-style hotel with great new spa; it also has lovely self-catering homes.
The Esplanade Hotel on Fistral Beach has a free surf school for guests,esplanadehotelnewquay.co.uk. The family friendly Sands Resort is at Watergate Bay, where you could also visit Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen restaurant, sandsresort.co.uk. Hendra Holiday Park is a mobile home park with a swimming pool and lots of fun activities. She may also meet children of her own age there. Hendra arranges outings to attractions like the Eden Project and theme parks. Hendra-Holidays.com
Otherwise, there are many lovely apartments and cottages to rent in Cornwall. You could pick a town like Newquay, Padstow, Port Isaac, Falmouth, Fowey or Penzance, where there is plenty of summeractivity and no shortage of things to do. See visitcornwall.com and beachretreats.co.uk.
Other resorts in England to consider are Center Parcs, which has terrific activities from tropical pools to zip-wiring, rock wall climbing, cycling and spas, centerparcs.com. Adults will enjoy Center Parcs too. There are five around England and you can go for a few days or a week. Accommodation is self-catering or hotel.
The Bluestone Resort in Wales is another nice mix for adults and children with great outdoor activities, both water- and land-based, a spa, restaurant and clubhouse, bluestone.com. Oakwood theme park is also nearby and well worth a day out. The British school holidays tend to be from the middle of July to end August if you plan on meeting other children.
Amsterdam is well worth considering for a city break. It is easy to get around and there is always a lot on. See Iamsterdam.com/en/visiting. There is a great section of things to do with children.
This summer I’m visiting my sister in Italy and travelling Ryanair from Dublin with my 22-month-old and three-year-old. I’m thinking of bringing my Phil and Teds double buggy but I’m worried about damage or it getting lost in transit. Can you provide advice on Ryanair policies and if you think I’d be better off renting a buggy instead? CR, Dublin.
Ryanair has a very good reputation for handling baggage and equipment, although you could use a travel cover to make it easier to protect and handle your buggy and in case of rain. There is a number of places where you can order and rent baby equipment from in Italy, although not every area is covered. See travelswithbaby.com and travelmamas.com. Hire for a week would be about €60.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
May 23, 2015.
I am parenting my 12-year-old daughter on my own. Holidays are always a bit of a challenge as she does not like the heat and is a very active child so sun holidays are not really an option. I on the other hand want to chill out and take it easy. Any suggestions for a two-week break in the summer and/or city break in Europe would be appreciated. DS, Wicklow.
Our near neighbour could be an option for a holiday mix to suit you both. There are many good resorts and hotels in England where you would find a suitable holiday.
The first to consider is Cornwall – it gets the best weather in England, yet would not be too hot for your daughter. It has great outdoor activities and she could try surfing or other water sports. There is a direct flight from Dublin to Newquay with aerlingus.com.
The following resorts are in the Newquay area and you can take a taxi from the airport easily. The Headland Hotel, headlandhotel.co.uk, is traditional-style hotel with great new spa; it also has lovely self-catering homes.
The Esplanade Hotel on Fistral Beach has a free surf school for guests,esplanadehotelnewquay.co.uk. The family friendly Sands Resort is at Watergate Bay, where you could also visit Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen restaurant, sandsresort.co.uk. Hendra Holiday Park is a mobile home park with a swimming pool and lots of fun activities. She may also meet children of her own age there. Hendra arranges outings to attractions like the Eden Project and theme parks. Hendra-Holidays.com
Otherwise, there are many lovely apartments and cottages to rent in Cornwall. You could pick a town like Newquay, Padstow, Port Isaac, Falmouth, Fowey or Penzance, where there is plenty of summeractivity and no shortage of things to do. See visitcornwall.com and beachretreats.co.uk.
Other resorts in England to consider are Center Parcs, which has terrific activities from tropical pools to zip-wiring, rock wall climbing, cycling and spas, centerparcs.com. Adults will enjoy Center Parcs too. There are five around England and you can go for a few days or a week. Accommodation is self-catering or hotel.
The Bluestone Resort in Wales is another nice mix for adults and children with great outdoor activities, both water- and land-based, a spa, restaurant and clubhouse, bluestone.com. Oakwood theme park is also nearby and well worth a day out. The British school holidays tend to be from the middle of July to end August if you plan on meeting other children.
Amsterdam is well worth considering for a city break. It is easy to get around and there is always a lot on. See Iamsterdam.com/en/visiting. There is a great section of things to do with children.
This summer I’m visiting my sister in Italy and travelling Ryanair from Dublin with my 22-month-old and three-year-old. I’m thinking of bringing my Phil and Teds double buggy but I’m worried about damage or it getting lost in transit. Can you provide advice on Ryanair policies and if you think I’d be better off renting a buggy instead? CR, Dublin.
Ryanair has a very good reputation for handling baggage and equipment, although you could use a travel cover to make it easier to protect and handle your buggy and in case of rain. There is a number of places where you can order and rent baby equipment from in Italy, although not every area is covered. See travelswithbaby.com and travelmamas.com. Hire for a week would be about €60.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about a continental spa holiday, finding a family hotel in Toronto and paying tolls in France and Spain, May 16, 2015
Having just retired, we would like to spend several days at a luxury continental spa where we could have health, diet and lifestyle check-ups by qualified personnel. MH, Dublin.
Eastern Europe is where you will find some excellent hotels that operate spa, wellness and medical clinics. The Danubius Hotel Group has a number of hotels in Hungary and the Czech Republic that would suit your trip.
One of the best known is the Danubius Margitsziget in Budapest – it is actually on an island in the middle of the Danube. You could combine a city visit with the wellness and spa aspects of the hotel. Four nights half board with medical check-ups, laboratory tests, mineral baths, medical massage and more will cost from €508pps.
Lake Heviz in Hungary is a geothermal lake that has curative properties. A thriving spa and wellness industry has growth up around the area. A week in the Danubius Aqua resort with a medical check up and a selection of doctor ordered treatments will cost from €816pps, danubiushotels.com.
The Gastein Valley in Austria has a number of hotels focused on health and wellness, gastein.com. There is an Alpentherme, an aqua leisure centre with geothermal heat, and a healing cave under the mountain which is ideal for alleviating pain and inflammation, gasteiner-heilstollen.com. The valley is a lovely area for walking, hiking, cycling and enjoying nature. The nearest airport is Munich in Germany and there is a train to theGastein Valley, see bahn.de
The Grand Park Hotel and Spa centre in Badhofgastein has a full range of medical, wellness and spa therapies to help you feel healthy and well, combined with lovely food. Prices depend on what you choose to do – a week with a full range of medical and therapeutic treatment will cost from about €1,100pps, grandparkhotel.at.
Our little family will have four days between a house swap and the flight from Toronto (July 5th-9th). Is there a family-friendly hotel we could stay in the city. We will not have a car for this final part, but are otherwise open to pretty much anything. Our budget is about €200 a night. AHC, Kildare.July is a good time to be looking for a hotel in Toronto as this business city has some great hotels. During the summer, prices fall way down for four- and five-star places and your will find some good discounts.
The Grand Hotel and Suites Toronto is a good example of a hotel that has great prices, about €200 a night for a suite and it has a rooftop pool and jacuzzi. Breakfast is included in the price, and free wifi, grandhoteltoronto.com.
The Hilton Downtown by the entertainment area of the city has an indoor/outdoor pool which would be ideal for cooling down in the summer. It would be in your price range and can be booked on Hilton.com.
We are driving from Ireland through France to southern Spain again this summer. Last year my nine-year-old spent a lot of the trip hanging out of the rear passenger window paying tolls. At home I have an eFlow tag. Is there any single electronic tag available that covers multiple European countries or should I start a “loose change collection box” now? MF, Dublin. Start the loose change box now – there is no Europe wide electronic toll collection system. France and Spain have a shared system Via-T, viat.es but you would have to have a bank account in either country and there is a monthly service charge, like here. Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about getting from Berlin to the Croatian coast, finding a place in Costa Rica May 9, 2015.
My friend and I are planning an inter-railing trip this summer. We’re flying into Berlin, then going by rail to Prague for three days, then Budapest. We have a gap of three nights and were thinking of spending it in Croatia. We’d like to stay somewhere coastal, cheap with a lively nightlife (but we’d also like to experience some new culture and take in some beautiful scenery). We need to choose somewhere we can travel to by train from Budapest and to Ljubljana in reasonable time. HC, Dublin.
You can take the train from Budapest to Zagreb. There are only two train lines to the coast from Zagreb in Croatia, to Rijeka and Split. The journey to Split is the longest at more than eight hours, so I think going to Rijeka would make more sense. It would also put you closer to Slovenia. Ljubljana is about two hours away whereas it would take an entire day to travel to Split.
The port city of Rijeka is not really a holiday destination but nearby is the island of Krk, linked by a bridge. It is a big island and lively in summer. You can take a bus to the island and here enjoy the Dalmatian coast, Croatian culture, interesting villages and swim in the warm Mediterranean.
The seaside town of Baska is one of the more popular places, though it gets very busy in summer. Check the bus schedules on autotrans.hr, krk.hr/en/ and visit-croatia.co.ukfor tourism information.
My husband, 10-year-old daughter and I hope to attend a family wedding in Hotel Riu, Guanacaste, Costa Rica, next March. It will be in a costly, all-inclusive resort. Are there any good websites for other holiday accommodation? What would be the best way to get there? Are there any activities or attractions in the region if we make a family holiday of it? DC, Munster.
Always a good idea to book well in advance for a long-haul trip – and do take out travel insurance. The quickest option to Guanacaste is with delta.com via New York on some days of the week, where the one-stop hop will cost about €750 return. A two-stop hop with United will cost about the same.
It may be possible to get it cheaper with Delta, about €600, and it could be two stops and take more than a day to get there.
The Riu Palace is a luxurious, five-star resort and would cost at least €3,000 for a week. However, there are some nice self-catering properties in the area. Properties onairbnb.com in nearby Ocotal Beach cost €60-€150 a night.
There are also some really lovely luxury places that you could consider sharing with other wedding guests on vrbo.com and it could still work out less than the Riu Palace.
This region of Costa Rica has beautiful beaches and a number of national parks where you can go bird and wildlife watching. A popular adventure there is treetop canopy tours where you can see birds and monkeys up close.
I would like to visit London with my daughter after she finishes her Leaving Cert. Could you recommend some high-quality bed and breakfast or well-kept low-budget hotels in central London, please? AOF, Dublin.
Uptown Reservations in London has a lovely selection of bed and breakfasts in private homes in some of the best locations in London, such as Knightsbridge, Chelsea and Kensington. A twin room would cost from £110 (€154) a night including breakfast. Reserve a room on uptownres.co.uk.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
My friend and I are planning an inter-railing trip this summer. We’re flying into Berlin, then going by rail to Prague for three days, then Budapest. We have a gap of three nights and were thinking of spending it in Croatia. We’d like to stay somewhere coastal, cheap with a lively nightlife (but we’d also like to experience some new culture and take in some beautiful scenery). We need to choose somewhere we can travel to by train from Budapest and to Ljubljana in reasonable time. HC, Dublin.
You can take the train from Budapest to Zagreb. There are only two train lines to the coast from Zagreb in Croatia, to Rijeka and Split. The journey to Split is the longest at more than eight hours, so I think going to Rijeka would make more sense. It would also put you closer to Slovenia. Ljubljana is about two hours away whereas it would take an entire day to travel to Split.
The port city of Rijeka is not really a holiday destination but nearby is the island of Krk, linked by a bridge. It is a big island and lively in summer. You can take a bus to the island and here enjoy the Dalmatian coast, Croatian culture, interesting villages and swim in the warm Mediterranean.
The seaside town of Baska is one of the more popular places, though it gets very busy in summer. Check the bus schedules on autotrans.hr, krk.hr/en/ and visit-croatia.co.ukfor tourism information.
My husband, 10-year-old daughter and I hope to attend a family wedding in Hotel Riu, Guanacaste, Costa Rica, next March. It will be in a costly, all-inclusive resort. Are there any good websites for other holiday accommodation? What would be the best way to get there? Are there any activities or attractions in the region if we make a family holiday of it? DC, Munster.
Always a good idea to book well in advance for a long-haul trip – and do take out travel insurance. The quickest option to Guanacaste is with delta.com via New York on some days of the week, where the one-stop hop will cost about €750 return. A two-stop hop with United will cost about the same.
It may be possible to get it cheaper with Delta, about €600, and it could be two stops and take more than a day to get there.
The Riu Palace is a luxurious, five-star resort and would cost at least €3,000 for a week. However, there are some nice self-catering properties in the area. Properties onairbnb.com in nearby Ocotal Beach cost €60-€150 a night.
There are also some really lovely luxury places that you could consider sharing with other wedding guests on vrbo.com and it could still work out less than the Riu Palace.
This region of Costa Rica has beautiful beaches and a number of national parks where you can go bird and wildlife watching. A popular adventure there is treetop canopy tours where you can see birds and monkeys up close.
I would like to visit London with my daughter after she finishes her Leaving Cert. Could you recommend some high-quality bed and breakfast or well-kept low-budget hotels in central London, please? AOF, Dublin.
Uptown Reservations in London has a lovely selection of bed and breakfasts in private homes in some of the best locations in London, such as Knightsbridge, Chelsea and Kensington. A twin room would cost from £110 (€154) a night including breakfast. Reserve a room on uptownres.co.uk.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about taking two 16 year olds on holidays , exploring Ireland with a small family, May 2, 2015
My wife and I would like to take a week away in July or August this year. We have a son aged 16 and he would like to bring his friend.
We would prefer Spain, Italy or Portugal, and a destination that would have some sports or beach activities for the boys and a little night life (not too much), and obviously something for the mid-40-year-olds. We would prefer self-catering. – EMG, Leitrim
Surfing is a great activity for teenagers and surfholidays.com, an Irish company, has self-catering accommodation in the lovely town of Ericeira in Portugal.
The Ecolodges cost from €160 per night and can sleep up to five. There is good availability for July. Surf lesson would cost €107 each for five days, with equipment and pick up each day.
You could also look at other areas where surfholidays operate and book your own accommodation. They have a number of bases in Spain, France and Portugal that are ideal holiday destinations.
Pierre et Vacances, the French holiday company, has club-type holiday accommodation dotted all around the Mediterranean. This type of holiday allows you to self-cater and enjoy the local restaurants. PV holidays are popular with families and the lads could take part in activities and meet other teenagers.
A two-bedroom apartment in a coastal area of Spain, such as Costa Brava, or Costa Blanca, will cost in the region of €900-€1,400 per week. See pierretvacances.com/gb-en.
The Italian islands of Sardinia and Sicily are both easily accessible from Ireland with flights from Ryanair and Aer Lingus, and offer a good variety of self-catering accommodation.
Alghero in Sardinia is particularly nice and there would also be an opportunity for the teenagers to engage in water sports and other activities. There is plenty of accommodation to rent on websites such as housetrip.com, homeaway.com, airbnb.comand rentalia.com.
Consider also resorts on Lake Garda, where you can explore the lake, stay in a small village and the boys could go to Gardaland, the theme park. Topflight.ie has a good selection of self-catering properties.
Do you have any recommendations for a family with an expectant mother and 15-month-old to visit in Ireland? They love culture and scenery and would like a two-week trip basing themselves during that time in two or three places and doing day trips. – LS, Dublin
The family may like to consider a small town or city for a few days, a coastal location and then perhaps the mountains. Small cities such as Galway and Kilkenny are hives of activity. Salthill would be a great place to locate for a few days, with the beach, walks, and activities at Leisureland.
In Kilkenny, Newpark Hotel is all about families in the summer. See flynnhotels.com,visitkilkenny.ie. The sunny south east is dotted with many family-friendly homes on and near lovely beaches. Wexford offers a lot of things to do, places to visit and festivals through the season. See visitwexford.ie.
The Wicklow mountains offer easy access to the coast, Dublin city, scenery and culture. The other mountainous region to consider is Donegal.
Through the summer there are a lot of festivals, many of them family-friendly, and you can find details on discoverireland.com. Find accommodation to rent oncottages4you.ie, relaxireland.com and donegalcottageholidays.com.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about a nice hotel in Paris for a first visit, booking Lapland and a spa break for the girls on garden leave, April 25, 2015
Could you suggest a nice hotel in Paris? My husband and I received a gift of a weekend and have never visited Paris or Europe. We would prefer a hotel with a restaurant. – BMK, Belfast.
The three-star Mercure Arc de Triomphe Etoile will put you close to the major sights of the city. You will be able to walk to the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tour and the Champs-Élysées. The restaurant is open 24 hours. Rates are from €130-€150 per night. See mercure.com. The four-star Crowne Plaza Paris République has a restaurant that serves typical French cuisine and has a lovely garden for sitting in; rates from €145 per night. See crowneplaza.com. A boat trip on the Seine is a great way to see Paris.
We would love to visit Lapland with our children to see Santa. Is it cheaper to do it independently, booking flights and accommodation, or better to go through a travel agent, and if so ,which package or agent would you recommend. – VM, Dublin.
There are at least four companies doing trips to Lapland this December from Dublin, Cork and Belfast. The one-day trip,or the one overnight stay are probably the best value as it would be expensive to get to Rovaniemi with scheduled airlines. The journey would be at least two flights and you would be arriving in Rovaniemi in late afternoon and would have to stay two nights to enjoy the experience. Fares are from €270-€378 per person and hotels would be at least €250 per night. There would be additional costs for transfers, renting thermal suits and visits to Santapark.
The Lapland packages from Ireland will be on direct flights, they will also include thermal clothes, some meals, a visit to Santa and his elves, sleigh rides and presents. It would also be fun to travel with a group. If you book through one of these companies or through a travel agent, you can also pay the bill in stages. Prices for a one-day trip will be in the region of €679 for adults and €559 for children and overnight trips will cost from €799 for adults and €699 for children. The companies doing Santa trips arevisitsanta.ie, sunway.ie, santa-holidays.ie and falconholidays.ie.
My best friend and I recently lost our jobs. We have three months gardening leave and would like to blow some cash on a spa break, preferably in Dublin. – AMTC, Cork.
Starting at the top, you could certainly have a luxurious spa break in the Shelbourne and be close to Grafton Street for some retail therapy. The spa at the Shelbourne uses Pevonia, Elemis and Panpuri products. There is also a swimming pool and gym. A day in the spa with treatments will cost from €270. An overnight with spa treatments and use of the facilities will cost from €469pps. See theshelbourne.ie, tel: 01-663 4500.
If you were prepared to travel outside the city, the Powerscourt Hotel in Enniskerry is an ideal spa destination. A spa overnight break with dinner, bed and breakfast and ESpa treatments will cost from €410pps. See powerscourthotel.com, tel: 01-274 8888. Ask about special offers, from time to time the price comes down.
Other hotels in Dublin city centre with spa facilities include the Merrion, the Fitzwilliam, the Maldron, Cardiff Lane, the Intercontinental and the Camden Court (though the pool and steam room is being serviced until May 8th).
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Could you suggest a nice hotel in Paris? My husband and I received a gift of a weekend and have never visited Paris or Europe. We would prefer a hotel with a restaurant. – BMK, Belfast.
The three-star Mercure Arc de Triomphe Etoile will put you close to the major sights of the city. You will be able to walk to the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tour and the Champs-Élysées. The restaurant is open 24 hours. Rates are from €130-€150 per night. See mercure.com. The four-star Crowne Plaza Paris République has a restaurant that serves typical French cuisine and has a lovely garden for sitting in; rates from €145 per night. See crowneplaza.com. A boat trip on the Seine is a great way to see Paris.
We would love to visit Lapland with our children to see Santa. Is it cheaper to do it independently, booking flights and accommodation, or better to go through a travel agent, and if so ,which package or agent would you recommend. – VM, Dublin.
There are at least four companies doing trips to Lapland this December from Dublin, Cork and Belfast. The one-day trip,or the one overnight stay are probably the best value as it would be expensive to get to Rovaniemi with scheduled airlines. The journey would be at least two flights and you would be arriving in Rovaniemi in late afternoon and would have to stay two nights to enjoy the experience. Fares are from €270-€378 per person and hotels would be at least €250 per night. There would be additional costs for transfers, renting thermal suits and visits to Santapark.
The Lapland packages from Ireland will be on direct flights, they will also include thermal clothes, some meals, a visit to Santa and his elves, sleigh rides and presents. It would also be fun to travel with a group. If you book through one of these companies or through a travel agent, you can also pay the bill in stages. Prices for a one-day trip will be in the region of €679 for adults and €559 for children and overnight trips will cost from €799 for adults and €699 for children. The companies doing Santa trips arevisitsanta.ie, sunway.ie, santa-holidays.ie and falconholidays.ie.
My best friend and I recently lost our jobs. We have three months gardening leave and would like to blow some cash on a spa break, preferably in Dublin. – AMTC, Cork.
Starting at the top, you could certainly have a luxurious spa break in the Shelbourne and be close to Grafton Street for some retail therapy. The spa at the Shelbourne uses Pevonia, Elemis and Panpuri products. There is also a swimming pool and gym. A day in the spa with treatments will cost from €270. An overnight with spa treatments and use of the facilities will cost from €469pps. See theshelbourne.ie, tel: 01-663 4500.
If you were prepared to travel outside the city, the Powerscourt Hotel in Enniskerry is an ideal spa destination. A spa overnight break with dinner, bed and breakfast and ESpa treatments will cost from €410pps. See powerscourthotel.com, tel: 01-274 8888. Ask about special offers, from time to time the price comes down.
Other hotels in Dublin city centre with spa facilities include the Merrion, the Fitzwilliam, the Maldron, Cardiff Lane, the Intercontinental and the Camden Court (though the pool and steam room is being serviced until May 8th).
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about exploring Alaska from the Marine Highway and going to New Zealand via China, April, 18, 2015
We hope to travel to Alaska this summer, three couples. Are we too late to avail of the Alaskan Marine Highway ferry? We’d love to visit this way as opposed to an organised, huge cruise ship. Is it true we would need to book places six months in advance? We plan to fly to Seattle/Vancouver and hopefully move on from there either directly or via Vancouver Island/Prince Rupert Island.
– GMS, Louth
The 3,500-mile Alaska Marine Highway keeps the remote communities of the state connected and is a perfect way to explore Alaska. The ferries are working boats, and you are likely to meet local people too. The route is divided into three sections: south-east, south-centre and south-west. During the summer there is a route across the Gulf of Alaska twice a month.
The closest access point from Seattle/Vancouver would be Bellingham or Prince Rupert Island for the south-east section, which includes the Inside Passage. You can take a car, sleep on board or hop on and hop off and stay in port.
For example, the sailing time from Prince Rupert to Juneau is about 30 hours. The cost with cabin would be about €250 each. If taking a vehicle, the cost per car is around $400 extra, subject to the size of the car, see: dot.state.ak.us.
Summer is a busy time, and cabins and car spaces can get booked up, but so far there is still availability on most routes. It could be possible to do the journey without a car, taking the train from Seattle to Bellingham to begin. There is usually space for walk-ons, if you are just going from port to port and not overnight, though you can sleep on deckchairs.
If you went as far north as Whittier you could take the train to Anchorage and Fairbanks and fly back. See Amtrak.com. For more information about Alaska seetravelalaska.com.
My wife and I are planning a trip to New Zealand and hope to spend two weeks there. We would like to include a stopover in China on the outward leg of our trip. In China we would like to visit an area of the Great Wall that may not be too crowded with tourists, and also Beijing and Shanghai. We would also like, if possible, to spend a couple of days in Tasmania on the way to or from New Zealand. Would it be possible to book all flights with a single airline? Which airline would you recommend for best service and legroom? Where in your opinion would be a good place for a stopover on the way home for a few days? Can a trip like this be done on a budget and would you hazard a guess at an approximate cost?
– CAMG, Wexford
That is quite a trip and one that will take a lot of planning. There is no one airline that flies to all those destinations but there are alliances of airlines that between them would. The two major partnerships that would cover all your destinations would bestaralliance.com and oneworld.com.
It would be difficult to estimate a price but I would expect the fares to be in the region of ¤3,000, and you should allow about ¤120 per day each for accommodation and meals. The Mutianyu area of the Great Wall is less crowded and touristy, and you can book tours locally or with viator.com. Consider a stopover in south east Asia on the return. Your best option for this extensive journey is to book through a travel agent and maybe with a specialist agency such as trailfinders.ie or clubtravel.ie.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
We hope to travel to Alaska this summer, three couples. Are we too late to avail of the Alaskan Marine Highway ferry? We’d love to visit this way as opposed to an organised, huge cruise ship. Is it true we would need to book places six months in advance? We plan to fly to Seattle/Vancouver and hopefully move on from there either directly or via Vancouver Island/Prince Rupert Island.
– GMS, Louth
The 3,500-mile Alaska Marine Highway keeps the remote communities of the state connected and is a perfect way to explore Alaska. The ferries are working boats, and you are likely to meet local people too. The route is divided into three sections: south-east, south-centre and south-west. During the summer there is a route across the Gulf of Alaska twice a month.
The closest access point from Seattle/Vancouver would be Bellingham or Prince Rupert Island for the south-east section, which includes the Inside Passage. You can take a car, sleep on board or hop on and hop off and stay in port.
For example, the sailing time from Prince Rupert to Juneau is about 30 hours. The cost with cabin would be about €250 each. If taking a vehicle, the cost per car is around $400 extra, subject to the size of the car, see: dot.state.ak.us.
Summer is a busy time, and cabins and car spaces can get booked up, but so far there is still availability on most routes. It could be possible to do the journey without a car, taking the train from Seattle to Bellingham to begin. There is usually space for walk-ons, if you are just going from port to port and not overnight, though you can sleep on deckchairs.
If you went as far north as Whittier you could take the train to Anchorage and Fairbanks and fly back. See Amtrak.com. For more information about Alaska seetravelalaska.com.
My wife and I are planning a trip to New Zealand and hope to spend two weeks there. We would like to include a stopover in China on the outward leg of our trip. In China we would like to visit an area of the Great Wall that may not be too crowded with tourists, and also Beijing and Shanghai. We would also like, if possible, to spend a couple of days in Tasmania on the way to or from New Zealand. Would it be possible to book all flights with a single airline? Which airline would you recommend for best service and legroom? Where in your opinion would be a good place for a stopover on the way home for a few days? Can a trip like this be done on a budget and would you hazard a guess at an approximate cost?
– CAMG, Wexford
That is quite a trip and one that will take a lot of planning. There is no one airline that flies to all those destinations but there are alliances of airlines that between them would. The two major partnerships that would cover all your destinations would bestaralliance.com and oneworld.com.
It would be difficult to estimate a price but I would expect the fares to be in the region of ¤3,000, and you should allow about ¤120 per day each for accommodation and meals. The Mutianyu area of the Great Wall is less crowded and touristy, and you can book tours locally or with viator.com. Consider a stopover in south east Asia on the return. Your best option for this extensive journey is to book through a travel agent and maybe with a specialist agency such as trailfinders.ie or clubtravel.ie.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Glyfada - the Athens Riviera
Ask Joan about the Athens Riviera, finding sun sand and golf on the South Coast of England and going to Efteling, April 11, 2015.
We are going to Athens soon. We wish to stay outside the city – on the coast but near enough to enable us to visit Hydra for a day – and also near enough to the city to visit all the sites and museums. Perhaps you could suggest a venue not far from Piraeus, where the ferries depart from for the islands - FK, Dublin
I can suggest two seaside towns that would fit the bill. They are Glyfada and Vouliagmeni in the municipality of Vari-Voula-Vouliagmeni. Both towns are connected to the city centre by tram and the journey costs little more than a euro.
If you base yourself here you can pop into town to see the sites or take the bus to Piraeus for the hydro to Hydra. There is a good selection of hotels and apartments to rent on hotels.com and booking.com and prices are reasonable.
Glyfada, on the Saronic Gulf, is a former US army base and has a slight American feel to it. It is sometimes described as the Athenian Riviera. A nice sandy beach and a variety of restaurants, cafes make it an ideal seaside town.
Vouliagmeni, though by the sea, also has a spa lake which is good for swimming year round. It is fed by mountain streams and is a constant 22-29 degreeslimnivouliagmenis.gr. The lake has been developed as an attractive addition to the town. See also visitgreece.gr for tourism information about Athens and other places you may wish to visit.
We are hoping to travel from Cork to Efteling in the Netherlands in June for three nights with our eight-year-old daughter. Any tips for travel, accommodation or planning the three days? – AOS, Cork
Efteling is one of the oldest theme parks in Europe and is all about fairies and trolls. From Cork Airport you can take the Aer Lingus service to Amsterdam airport and there is a train service to Hertogenbosch (one hour, 20 minutes), from where you can take the shuttle bus to Efteling. At Efteling there is a choice of hotel or self-catering accommodation. Three nights in the hotel will cost from €220 per night including park tickets. Self-catering accommodation will cost from €542 for three nights with park tickets. This summer the new rollercoaster Baron 1898 opens, efteling.com.
My husband, 16-year-old daughter and I are considering travelling to the south of England, in late June/early July by boat for a week to 10 days. They like pitch and putt or public golf courses and I would love to be able to have some sand on my feet. We had thought about Bournemouth or the general area; can you suggest any websites that would be useful? – AR, Limerick
You would certainly get sand in your feet in Bournemouth: the beach is seven miles long. It is one of the most popular seaside locations and late June/early July will be just before the school holidays. Find accommodation and things to do on Bournemouth.co.uk. There is golf available at playgolfbournemouth.co.uk. You can see a list and map of golf courses in Dorset on englishgolf-courses.co.uk.
The coastal area from Dorset to East Devon is known as the Jurassic coast and is a Unesco heritage site. It would be worth exploring and fossil hunting, Jurassiccoast.org. Other seaside towns in the area with lovely beaches are Lyme Regis, Weymouth and Swanage, see visit-dorset.com. There is also a great selection of things to do in England on the visitengland.com site.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
We are going to Athens soon. We wish to stay outside the city – on the coast but near enough to enable us to visit Hydra for a day – and also near enough to the city to visit all the sites and museums. Perhaps you could suggest a venue not far from Piraeus, where the ferries depart from for the islands - FK, Dublin
I can suggest two seaside towns that would fit the bill. They are Glyfada and Vouliagmeni in the municipality of Vari-Voula-Vouliagmeni. Both towns are connected to the city centre by tram and the journey costs little more than a euro.
If you base yourself here you can pop into town to see the sites or take the bus to Piraeus for the hydro to Hydra. There is a good selection of hotels and apartments to rent on hotels.com and booking.com and prices are reasonable.
Glyfada, on the Saronic Gulf, is a former US army base and has a slight American feel to it. It is sometimes described as the Athenian Riviera. A nice sandy beach and a variety of restaurants, cafes make it an ideal seaside town.
Vouliagmeni, though by the sea, also has a spa lake which is good for swimming year round. It is fed by mountain streams and is a constant 22-29 degreeslimnivouliagmenis.gr. The lake has been developed as an attractive addition to the town. See also visitgreece.gr for tourism information about Athens and other places you may wish to visit.
We are hoping to travel from Cork to Efteling in the Netherlands in June for three nights with our eight-year-old daughter. Any tips for travel, accommodation or planning the three days? – AOS, Cork
Efteling is one of the oldest theme parks in Europe and is all about fairies and trolls. From Cork Airport you can take the Aer Lingus service to Amsterdam airport and there is a train service to Hertogenbosch (one hour, 20 minutes), from where you can take the shuttle bus to Efteling. At Efteling there is a choice of hotel or self-catering accommodation. Three nights in the hotel will cost from €220 per night including park tickets. Self-catering accommodation will cost from €542 for three nights with park tickets. This summer the new rollercoaster Baron 1898 opens, efteling.com.
My husband, 16-year-old daughter and I are considering travelling to the south of England, in late June/early July by boat for a week to 10 days. They like pitch and putt or public golf courses and I would love to be able to have some sand on my feet. We had thought about Bournemouth or the general area; can you suggest any websites that would be useful? – AR, Limerick
You would certainly get sand in your feet in Bournemouth: the beach is seven miles long. It is one of the most popular seaside locations and late June/early July will be just before the school holidays. Find accommodation and things to do on Bournemouth.co.uk. There is golf available at playgolfbournemouth.co.uk. You can see a list and map of golf courses in Dorset on englishgolf-courses.co.uk.
The coastal area from Dorset to East Devon is known as the Jurassic coast and is a Unesco heritage site. It would be worth exploring and fossil hunting, Jurassiccoast.org. Other seaside towns in the area with lovely beaches are Lyme Regis, Weymouth and Swanage, see visit-dorset.com. There is also a great selection of things to do in England on the visitengland.com site.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
The Orient Express
Ask Joan about taking the Orient Express and getting a group to Marseilles, April, 5, 2015
I have had a lifelong ambition to ride the ‘Orient Express’. I have dined on the Orient Express Dining Car in Glenlo Abbey, Co Galway and it has whetted my appetite to experience an overnight on the real thing. My husband has little or no interest in the experience.
I was wondering if it were possible for my husband and I to fly to a departure city, my husband to leave me to my train and he then fly to the destination city so that he could be at the station to greet me off the ‘Orient Express’. We are flexible on timing so off-season in Spring or Autumn would be preferred. Your help in fulfilling a dream would be appreciated. - AMB, Clare.
The Venice Simplon Orient Express aka the VSOE operates from a number of European cities including London, Paris, Budapest, Prague, Vienna and Venice. It would be possible to begin your trip in one city and meet your husband in the destination.
Looking at all the journeys, I think the best and fullest experience would be the European routes – Venice to Paris, Budapest to Paris, Prague to Paris or Venice to Budapest. These journeys are all two days and one night and operate at various times through the year.
You would have the experience of enjoying the scenery, all meals on board, and an overnight in a luxury cabin. The one drawback to travelling on your own is the price. There is only a small discount on the price for two people, i.e. Venice to Paris is £1,720pps and for one is £3,060. Maybe you could persuade your husband to join you.
See details on belmond.com or call 0044-077 2222. From time to time they have special offers. Next year, Belmond will have a luxury train in Ireland, the Grand Hibernianwhich will be a similar experience touring around this country.
My family (seven adults and four children) has booked a holiday villa near Avignon in June and the nearest airport is Marseilles. We are unable to locate reasonably priced seats to get there.
Aer Lingus is quoting figures of almost €400 each. A similar situation pertains on Eurostar site, assuming we could fly to London and travel on from there. We have also considered a ferry crossing bringing an MPV thus avoiding the necessity of hiring a car but driving distance in France seems a deterrent. – BK, Wicklow
Aer Lingus fares are a bit up and down early in the season and there have been a few special offers recently that have reduced fares. I suggest you contact the Groups Department at 1890 800599 and groups@aerlingus.com.
You could make it to Marseilles by going via London Stansted with Ryanair. Prices per person would then be under €200 per person if you book now.
Eurostar might work. There is a service to Avignon and Marseilles on some days of the week with fares from £99 which is about €144. The Eurostar only loads three months of fares and availability at a time. If you are going to explore that option, the best routing is to go through London Gatwick as there is a direct train from there to St Pancras. This would reduce lugging around your baggage too much, eurostar.com and trainline.com.
Taking an MPV is not an option unless it can seat 11 people and someone has the necessary license. It would also cost up to €1,900 for the ferry with cabins. The journey from Cherbourg will be around 11 hours and cost in the region of €250 for fuel and tolls each way.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan, about exploring Israel on my own and a family holidays in the Costa del Sol, March 28, 2015
I’m going to Israel to attend a conference in mid-April and will have three or four free days. I would like to spend some time in Galilee. Ideally I would like to join a pilgrim group, but I am not sure if there is a pilgrimageI can join just for a few days when I am there? I am hesitant about travelling by myself. Failing this, can you recommend somewhere nice like a retreat centre around Galilee where I could spend these few days? Any other recommendations for a solo pilgrim interesting in seeing the Holy Land would be much appreciated. – AOH, Vienna. A lot of pilgrimage groups will have set dates for the visiting Israel and usually for five to 10 days. You could join a tour with viator.com, they have regular trips to the north that includes Nazareth, the Golan Heights and Galilee. A two-day trip will cost from $360 (€330). There is also a selection of one-day trips to different regions.
It might be worth considering a few days in Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee and using it as a base to explore the region. This company – tourplanisrael.com – has daily tours from Tiberias. You can also travel around with Egged buses, egged.co.il. The bus company also runs tours of Israel for four and seven days.
The Franciscans have a number of retreat houses in Israel and they welcome guests. They are called Casa Nova and they are in Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Tiberias, Nazareth,Mount Tabor and Ein Karim. You can see details on custodia.org. You could arrange a private tour, or join a semi-private group, contact pomegranate-travel.com. See thinkisrael.com for more tourism information.
I have been invited to a wedding in Malaga in May. We were thinking of combining my trip with a family holiday so that I would travel to Malaga for the night and rejoin my family afterwards. We haven’t been on any foreign holidays as a family and I have no idea where to start looking. My partner and I tended to go on more active holidays before the children arrived. I would be grateful if you could please recommend somewhere relatively convenient to Malaga, with activities to keep my other half and our children amused. Our budget is about €2,000. – AMC Dublin .
May is a good time to go on a family trip as the weather will be nice without being too hot and the prices are considerably less than in July and August. It would be possible to combine the wedding and a family trip for your budget.
The ideal way to do this trip is go with a package that would include flights, accommodation and transfers. Towns along the Costa del Sol that would have family friendly hotels and are beachside include, Torremolinos, Benalmadena, Fuengirola and Mijas Costa. You will not need a car for any of these places. They have easy access to Malaga city by bus or train so you can join the wedding group.
Sunway Holidays has a choice of four properties in this area with prices under €500 each for a week, including flights, 20kg baggage, transfers and self-catering accommodation. See sunway.ie.
Other companies such as clickandgo.com, lowcostholdays.ie and cassidytravel.ie may be able to do this package for between €1,300 and €1,800 for the family. You could book flights yourself and find a hotel or apartment. One of the most popular places on this coast for many years is the Sunset Beach Club, owned by FBD. A week in May would cost €490-€700, depending on the type of accommodation. See sunsetbeachclub.com. Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com.
I’m going to Israel to attend a conference in mid-April and will have three or four free days. I would like to spend some time in Galilee. Ideally I would like to join a pilgrim group, but I am not sure if there is a pilgrimageI can join just for a few days when I am there? I am hesitant about travelling by myself. Failing this, can you recommend somewhere nice like a retreat centre around Galilee where I could spend these few days? Any other recommendations for a solo pilgrim interesting in seeing the Holy Land would be much appreciated. – AOH, Vienna. A lot of pilgrimage groups will have set dates for the visiting Israel and usually for five to 10 days. You could join a tour with viator.com, they have regular trips to the north that includes Nazareth, the Golan Heights and Galilee. A two-day trip will cost from $360 (€330). There is also a selection of one-day trips to different regions.
It might be worth considering a few days in Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee and using it as a base to explore the region. This company – tourplanisrael.com – has daily tours from Tiberias. You can also travel around with Egged buses, egged.co.il. The bus company also runs tours of Israel for four and seven days.
The Franciscans have a number of retreat houses in Israel and they welcome guests. They are called Casa Nova and they are in Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Tiberias, Nazareth,Mount Tabor and Ein Karim. You can see details on custodia.org. You could arrange a private tour, or join a semi-private group, contact pomegranate-travel.com. See thinkisrael.com for more tourism information.
I have been invited to a wedding in Malaga in May. We were thinking of combining my trip with a family holiday so that I would travel to Malaga for the night and rejoin my family afterwards. We haven’t been on any foreign holidays as a family and I have no idea where to start looking. My partner and I tended to go on more active holidays before the children arrived. I would be grateful if you could please recommend somewhere relatively convenient to Malaga, with activities to keep my other half and our children amused. Our budget is about €2,000. – AMC Dublin .
May is a good time to go on a family trip as the weather will be nice without being too hot and the prices are considerably less than in July and August. It would be possible to combine the wedding and a family trip for your budget.
The ideal way to do this trip is go with a package that would include flights, accommodation and transfers. Towns along the Costa del Sol that would have family friendly hotels and are beachside include, Torremolinos, Benalmadena, Fuengirola and Mijas Costa. You will not need a car for any of these places. They have easy access to Malaga city by bus or train so you can join the wedding group.
Sunway Holidays has a choice of four properties in this area with prices under €500 each for a week, including flights, 20kg baggage, transfers and self-catering accommodation. See sunway.ie.
Other companies such as clickandgo.com, lowcostholdays.ie and cassidytravel.ie may be able to do this package for between €1,300 and €1,800 for the family. You could book flights yourself and find a hotel or apartment. One of the most popular places on this coast for many years is the Sunset Beach Club, owned by FBD. A week in May would cost €490-€700, depending on the type of accommodation. See sunsetbeachclub.com. Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com.
Ask Joan about a family trip to Barcelona, going to Salzburg and a wedding on Ios, March 21,2015
We are a family of five, two boys (teenagers) and a girl (12), who are hoping to go to Barcelona in early July. We are looking for an apartment, reasonably close to the beaches and city if possible. We will be travelling by public transport and plan culture in the morning, beach in the afternoons. I am finding it difficult to find something suitable in terms of bed accommodation and that is also wheelchair accessible for one of our sons. We are looking at a budget of about €1,200 to €1,300 if this is reasonable.
– CD, Dublin
There are literally thousands of apartments to rent in Barcelona, making it an overwhelming task to find something suitable.
My suggestion is that you narrow the search to sites that allow you to find exactly what you want, ie three bedrooms, lift, wifi. They are perfectlodge.com,homeaway.co.uk, andfriendlyrentals.com. Then I think you should consider specific areas. Badelona may be a good choice for the family as it is by the sea, has a lovely long promenade and is only 15 minutes from the city centre. The areas of El Poble Nou, Sant Marti and Sant Adria are also by the sea. The area of Barceloneta is by the beach too but is very lively with late clubs. Your budget will get you a week in Barcelona in high season. Buses are adapted for wheelchair but not all metro stops are accessible. See barcelonaturisme.com
I would like to visit Salzburg with my daughter, who is an avid ‘Sound of Music’ fan. We would like to take one flight only. Also, could you recommend some central hotels and activities, other than The ‘Sound of Music’ Tour, which we might enjoy?
– AM, Dublin
Salzburg is a beautiful city and celebrating 50 years of The Sound of Music this year. The easiest way to get there is via Munich. There are daily flights with Aer Lingus and Lufthansa. From the airport you can take a train, it takes just over two hours and will involve one change. It costs about €33 return to Salzburg – see bahn.com.
Push the boat out and stay in the Sacher Hotel, home of the famous Sacher Torte, from €230 per night – sacher.com. The Mozart Hotel has two-night packages that include city transport, entrance to museums, classical concert tickets and B&B from ¤239pps, – hotel-mozart.at. See Salzburg.info/en. The St Peter restaurant is worth a visit – stpeter-stiftskeller.at/en/ – especially for the Mozart dinners.
My husband and I have been invited to a wedding in June in Ios, Greece. We have two children, aged one and two. Could we combine it as a family holiday? The option of leaving the children behind does not appeal. The logistics and expense of going as a family seem huge.
– EJ, Galway
There are no direct flights to Ios from Ireland – there is no airport on Ios. You would have to travel to Athens or another airport and then get a ferry. It will be very hot in July, 35-40 degrees, and you would have to take extra care of the children in the heat. I think the children are too young for anyone to enjoy this type of holiday. If your husband was to go on his own, then the best-value way to do it is to take a Ryanair flight from Shannon to Stansted and then onwards to Athens. From Athens he can take a ferry from Piraeus port and that should all cost less than €300, see greeka.com for ferries and island information.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
We are a family of five, two boys (teenagers) and a girl (12), who are hoping to go to Barcelona in early July. We are looking for an apartment, reasonably close to the beaches and city if possible. We will be travelling by public transport and plan culture in the morning, beach in the afternoons. I am finding it difficult to find something suitable in terms of bed accommodation and that is also wheelchair accessible for one of our sons. We are looking at a budget of about €1,200 to €1,300 if this is reasonable.
– CD, Dublin
There are literally thousands of apartments to rent in Barcelona, making it an overwhelming task to find something suitable.
My suggestion is that you narrow the search to sites that allow you to find exactly what you want, ie three bedrooms, lift, wifi. They are perfectlodge.com,homeaway.co.uk, andfriendlyrentals.com. Then I think you should consider specific areas. Badelona may be a good choice for the family as it is by the sea, has a lovely long promenade and is only 15 minutes from the city centre. The areas of El Poble Nou, Sant Marti and Sant Adria are also by the sea. The area of Barceloneta is by the beach too but is very lively with late clubs. Your budget will get you a week in Barcelona in high season. Buses are adapted for wheelchair but not all metro stops are accessible. See barcelonaturisme.com
I would like to visit Salzburg with my daughter, who is an avid ‘Sound of Music’ fan. We would like to take one flight only. Also, could you recommend some central hotels and activities, other than The ‘Sound of Music’ Tour, which we might enjoy?
– AM, Dublin
Salzburg is a beautiful city and celebrating 50 years of The Sound of Music this year. The easiest way to get there is via Munich. There are daily flights with Aer Lingus and Lufthansa. From the airport you can take a train, it takes just over two hours and will involve one change. It costs about €33 return to Salzburg – see bahn.com.
Push the boat out and stay in the Sacher Hotel, home of the famous Sacher Torte, from €230 per night – sacher.com. The Mozart Hotel has two-night packages that include city transport, entrance to museums, classical concert tickets and B&B from ¤239pps, – hotel-mozart.at. See Salzburg.info/en. The St Peter restaurant is worth a visit – stpeter-stiftskeller.at/en/ – especially for the Mozart dinners.
My husband and I have been invited to a wedding in June in Ios, Greece. We have two children, aged one and two. Could we combine it as a family holiday? The option of leaving the children behind does not appeal. The logistics and expense of going as a family seem huge.
– EJ, Galway
There are no direct flights to Ios from Ireland – there is no airport on Ios. You would have to travel to Athens or another airport and then get a ferry. It will be very hot in July, 35-40 degrees, and you would have to take extra care of the children in the heat. I think the children are too young for anyone to enjoy this type of holiday. If your husband was to go on his own, then the best-value way to do it is to take a Ryanair flight from Shannon to Stansted and then onwards to Athens. From Athens he can take a ferry from Piraeus port and that should all cost less than €300, see greeka.com for ferries and island information.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan, about going to Hampton Court Palace flower show, renting a vehicle for ten people in Europe and getting to Rhodes from Ireland, March 14, 2015
My husband and I would like to visit the Hampton Court Palace flower show in July. There seems to be plenty of options for the Chelsea flower show, but I could not find any package trips for Hampton Court. Is it feasible to travel to the show independently.
– AME, Dublin
There are packages available from Ireland to visit the Hampton Court flower show in July or you can also go independently. Keith Prowse Travel has a two-night trip with flights into Heathrow and accommodation in central London, in the four-star Lancaster or K West hotels with tickets to the show, from €351-€376pps plus taxes.keithprowse.ie (01) 878-3500.
You can also go by ferry and coach with Pab Tours. The trip will include two nights in a three-star hotel near enough to Hampton Court and tickets to the show from €369pps. pabtours.com (01) 871-9819.
Heathrow is the nearest airport to Hampton Court Palace and if you book early, tickets will cost about €150 return. You can book tickets for the show online at rhs.org.uk, at £31.50 a day. Consider staying in lovely Richmond-on- Thames, a short distance from both Heathrow and Hampton Court. There is a lovely variety of hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs. From there you can take the river boat to Hampton Court, with Turks Cruises, turks.co.uk or bus number R68. visitrichmond.co.uk.
We are a family group of 10 adults who are planning a driving trip through the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland. Can you tell us if it is possible to hire a minibus large enough to carry 10 people, including driver?
– DY, Waterford
The maximum size of vehicles available to rent from the main car rental firms in Europe is nine – a driver and eight passengers. This complies with the standard Irish and European driving licences. If one of the group has a driving licence valid to carry more than eight passengers, than you could rent a minibus.
However, you are unlikely to find a one-way minibus rental – you are mostly likely to have to return it to the country where you first rented it. You will also have to let them know to which countries you will be travelling for insurance purposes.
My husband and I would like to visit my niece who lives on the Greek island of Rhodes. She lives in a small village and we plan to stay in a hotel in Rhodes old town to do a bit of sightseeing. My husband can’t stand heat and I can’t stand cold so we think the end of April might be a good time to go. But how do we get there from Dublin? There are no direct flights as far as I can see.
– AK, Dublin
April would be a good time to go to Rhodes with average temperatures of 17 degrees and fewer visitors, which will make it a comfortable destination.
The best value flights to Rhodes would be via Stansted with Ryanair. There are flights on, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and it would be possible to go for under €160 from Ireland with separate tickets. However the flight out of Stansted is at 6.35am which would mean staying overnight or a long wait in the airport. The last flight from Dublin gets in about 11pm.
Otherwise it would mean travelling via London or Frankfurt with up to three flights and the price would be much higher. Seasonal flights return to Rhodes at the end of May and would cost from €259 return with Falcon Holidays. falconholidays.ie.
Please send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
My husband and I would like to visit the Hampton Court Palace flower show in July. There seems to be plenty of options for the Chelsea flower show, but I could not find any package trips for Hampton Court. Is it feasible to travel to the show independently.
– AME, Dublin
There are packages available from Ireland to visit the Hampton Court flower show in July or you can also go independently. Keith Prowse Travel has a two-night trip with flights into Heathrow and accommodation in central London, in the four-star Lancaster or K West hotels with tickets to the show, from €351-€376pps plus taxes.keithprowse.ie (01) 878-3500.
You can also go by ferry and coach with Pab Tours. The trip will include two nights in a three-star hotel near enough to Hampton Court and tickets to the show from €369pps. pabtours.com (01) 871-9819.
Heathrow is the nearest airport to Hampton Court Palace and if you book early, tickets will cost about €150 return. You can book tickets for the show online at rhs.org.uk, at £31.50 a day. Consider staying in lovely Richmond-on- Thames, a short distance from both Heathrow and Hampton Court. There is a lovely variety of hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs. From there you can take the river boat to Hampton Court, with Turks Cruises, turks.co.uk or bus number R68. visitrichmond.co.uk.
We are a family group of 10 adults who are planning a driving trip through the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland. Can you tell us if it is possible to hire a minibus large enough to carry 10 people, including driver?
– DY, Waterford
The maximum size of vehicles available to rent from the main car rental firms in Europe is nine – a driver and eight passengers. This complies with the standard Irish and European driving licences. If one of the group has a driving licence valid to carry more than eight passengers, than you could rent a minibus.
However, you are unlikely to find a one-way minibus rental – you are mostly likely to have to return it to the country where you first rented it. You will also have to let them know to which countries you will be travelling for insurance purposes.
My husband and I would like to visit my niece who lives on the Greek island of Rhodes. She lives in a small village and we plan to stay in a hotel in Rhodes old town to do a bit of sightseeing. My husband can’t stand heat and I can’t stand cold so we think the end of April might be a good time to go. But how do we get there from Dublin? There are no direct flights as far as I can see.
– AK, Dublin
April would be a good time to go to Rhodes with average temperatures of 17 degrees and fewer visitors, which will make it a comfortable destination.
The best value flights to Rhodes would be via Stansted with Ryanair. There are flights on, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and it would be possible to go for under €160 from Ireland with separate tickets. However the flight out of Stansted is at 6.35am which would mean staying overnight or a long wait in the airport. The last flight from Dublin gets in about 11pm.
Otherwise it would mean travelling via London or Frankfurt with up to three flights and the price would be much higher. Seasonal flights return to Rhodes at the end of May and would cost from €259 return with Falcon Holidays. falconholidays.ie.
Please send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan, how to get to Pyongyang, where should be go on the Lisbon Coast and where to take Mum in the midlands, March 7, 2015
I am travelling to Pyongyang in July and I am thinking of going via Dalian in China and then by rail. Can you please give me any further information I would require as I would be travelling on my own? – COL, Dublin
Finnair will begin services from Dublin to Beijing via Helsinki from the end of March and the prices are good, to Beijing from €912 and Dalian from €936. See finnair.com.
The flying times are good via this routing. There is no direct train from Dalian to North Korea, however, you can travel from Beijing or Dandong, the Chinese city on the Korean border, to take a train to Pyongyang.
Dandong is much closer to Dalian but the trip may be more straightforward starting from Beijing, since North Korean visas are generally issued there. It is possible to travel to DPRK as a lone traveller and you may find Koryo Tours helpful in making arrangements. They have been providing tours to DPRK since 1993. You will probably have to be accompanied by a Korean guide and driver. See koryogroup.com.
You may also find Ctrip, the Chinese travel agency, useful for planning your visit, making train or air bookings and hotel reservations. There is an English website, english.ctrip.com.
I have booked flights for 15 nights for two adults and three children, ages 15, 14 and 11, to Lisbon for the first two weeks in July. I would like to know where to stay, by the coast. We need accommodation with a swimming pool and near nice restaurants. We are tired of campsites, I want a proper bed and a good night’s sleep. – CMK, Dublin.
About 35 kilometres north of Lisbon is the seaside town of Ericeira. It is a great place for surfing and there are a number of surf schools. There are plenty of lovely apartments and villas to rent both in resorts and in the quaint town. See ericeira.netand ownersdirect.co.uk.
Further north again in the province of Estremadura is a very traditional town, Nazaré, on the Silver coast. It is famous for its very surf waves and probably not recommended for beginners.
It is a traditional seaside fishing town with a lovely beach and a warren of little streets with restaurants and shops. It is a popular place in summer with its lovely long beach. You will see places to rent on holidaylettings.co.uk and booking.com.
My mam is celebrating her 80th birthday in September and my sister and I would like to take her to a nice hotel somewhere in the midlands, possibly to a hotel that offers spa treatments. – KN, Cork
Athlone is a nice lively town with good shopping and a nice variety of restaurants and things to do. The Sheraton Athlone is in the town centre and has the Sirana Spa, for pampering.
Two nights bed and breakfast with one dinner will cost from €139pps in spring. The hotel is busy at weekends. See sheratonathlonehotel.com.
Carton House Estate is on beautiful grounds and you will feel that you are miles from everywhere here, yet it is close to the M4 motorway and the M50 interchange, so ideal for people coming from different parts of the country. There is a spa and swimming pool.
Two nights bed and breakfast and one dinner will cost from €260pps at weekends an d less from Sunday to Thursday. See cartonhouse.com.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
I am travelling to Pyongyang in July and I am thinking of going via Dalian in China and then by rail. Can you please give me any further information I would require as I would be travelling on my own? – COL, Dublin
Finnair will begin services from Dublin to Beijing via Helsinki from the end of March and the prices are good, to Beijing from €912 and Dalian from €936. See finnair.com.
The flying times are good via this routing. There is no direct train from Dalian to North Korea, however, you can travel from Beijing or Dandong, the Chinese city on the Korean border, to take a train to Pyongyang.
Dandong is much closer to Dalian but the trip may be more straightforward starting from Beijing, since North Korean visas are generally issued there. It is possible to travel to DPRK as a lone traveller and you may find Koryo Tours helpful in making arrangements. They have been providing tours to DPRK since 1993. You will probably have to be accompanied by a Korean guide and driver. See koryogroup.com.
You may also find Ctrip, the Chinese travel agency, useful for planning your visit, making train or air bookings and hotel reservations. There is an English website, english.ctrip.com.
I have booked flights for 15 nights for two adults and three children, ages 15, 14 and 11, to Lisbon for the first two weeks in July. I would like to know where to stay, by the coast. We need accommodation with a swimming pool and near nice restaurants. We are tired of campsites, I want a proper bed and a good night’s sleep. – CMK, Dublin.
About 35 kilometres north of Lisbon is the seaside town of Ericeira. It is a great place for surfing and there are a number of surf schools. There are plenty of lovely apartments and villas to rent both in resorts and in the quaint town. See ericeira.netand ownersdirect.co.uk.
Further north again in the province of Estremadura is a very traditional town, Nazaré, on the Silver coast. It is famous for its very surf waves and probably not recommended for beginners.
It is a traditional seaside fishing town with a lovely beach and a warren of little streets with restaurants and shops. It is a popular place in summer with its lovely long beach. You will see places to rent on holidaylettings.co.uk and booking.com.
My mam is celebrating her 80th birthday in September and my sister and I would like to take her to a nice hotel somewhere in the midlands, possibly to a hotel that offers spa treatments. – KN, Cork
Athlone is a nice lively town with good shopping and a nice variety of restaurants and things to do. The Sheraton Athlone is in the town centre and has the Sirana Spa, for pampering.
Two nights bed and breakfast with one dinner will cost from €139pps in spring. The hotel is busy at weekends. See sheratonathlonehotel.com.
Carton House Estate is on beautiful grounds and you will feel that you are miles from everywhere here, yet it is close to the M4 motorway and the M50 interchange, so ideal for people coming from different parts of the country. There is a spa and swimming pool.
Two nights bed and breakfast and one dinner will cost from €260pps at weekends an d less from Sunday to Thursday. See cartonhouse.com.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Sunrise on Mykonos
Ask Joan, where to stay in Prague with a pool, Marbella, Mallorca or Mykonos for our 40th, Feb. 28, 2015
Hubbie and I are off to Prague in March for three nights – first time away for more than one night on our own without the three kids. So I was trying to find a nice hotel, maybe with a pool, that is right in the atmosphere of the old city where you can get around the city easily enough on foot. A bit of luxury would be fine too as it may be another decade before we get away on our own. I am bamboozled looking online at hotels. – SM, Dublin
In the Old Town area overlooking the river, the Intercontinental Hotel is lovely and has an indoor salt water pool and leisure centre. It is surprisingly good value for a five star property from €98 per room per night, intercontinental.com.
More expensive is the Kings Court Hotel, a contemporary style in an historic property. The pool is small and part of the spa, so you won’t be doing laps here. Rates are from €125 midweek to €237 at weekends, hotelkingscourt.cz.
If you can do without a pool the Malá Strana area between the beautiful Charles Bridge and the Castle is more fun, hip and less crowded. Hotel U Krale Karla (King Charles) dates from the 17th century. It is on a quiet hilly street close to the castle and has great service, rates from €68 per night, ukralekarla.cz.
Pushing the boat out the Mandarin Oriental in Malá Strana is a beautifully restored old monastery, no pool but there is a lovely spa. Until the end of April (except Easter) there is a three for two night special offer, from €230 per room per night,mandarinoriental.com/prague.
We are a group of five girlfriends all turning 40 this year and would like to have a holiday together in September. We have a travel fund saved of €10,000 between us. Our main criteria for the holiday are: relaxing, fun, sunshine, pool, villa/hotel/high quality apartment in a town or within walking distance, good restaurants, mature nightlife, and day trips. Can you recommend a Mediterranean town or city that would suit our needs in September? – EP, Dublin
The Marbella area of the Costa del Sol is lively with lots of great restaurants lively nightlife and Puerto Banus nearby is great for adult fun. There are many beautiful places to rent from fabulous villas to luxury hotels. Euromar II is a gorgeous penthouse, two streets back from the sea. It is on the ninth floor and has fantastic views of the sea and the mountains. There is a terrace all around to capture the sun and a Jacuzzi. There is a pool in the garden. It has three double bedrooms and a vast living room. In September it will cost from €2,500 for a week see it on iti.ms/1E61Gg8.
The island of Mallorca is a perfect place for a special holiday, the city of Palma throbs to great nightlife, yet there are many tranquil places to relax. In the small fishing village ofPortixol is the Portixol Hotel, a sunny blue and white property on the sea. It is the height of Scandi style, sophisticated yet chilled with clean lines, contemporary luxury and great food. Rates are from €300 per room, portixol.com. Nikki Beach Clubs in Marbella and Mallorca would be fun to celebrate your birthdays, nikkibeach.com.
The other place to consider for your holiday is the beautiful island of Mykonos. The island has become quite the hotspot for adult fun, with amazing restaurants, great nightlife and fabulous villas. There is a very good selection of properties onholidaylettings.co.uk with prices ranging from €3,000-€5,000 per week in September.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Hubbie and I are off to Prague in March for three nights – first time away for more than one night on our own without the three kids. So I was trying to find a nice hotel, maybe with a pool, that is right in the atmosphere of the old city where you can get around the city easily enough on foot. A bit of luxury would be fine too as it may be another decade before we get away on our own. I am bamboozled looking online at hotels. – SM, Dublin
In the Old Town area overlooking the river, the Intercontinental Hotel is lovely and has an indoor salt water pool and leisure centre. It is surprisingly good value for a five star property from €98 per room per night, intercontinental.com.
More expensive is the Kings Court Hotel, a contemporary style in an historic property. The pool is small and part of the spa, so you won’t be doing laps here. Rates are from €125 midweek to €237 at weekends, hotelkingscourt.cz.
If you can do without a pool the Malá Strana area between the beautiful Charles Bridge and the Castle is more fun, hip and less crowded. Hotel U Krale Karla (King Charles) dates from the 17th century. It is on a quiet hilly street close to the castle and has great service, rates from €68 per night, ukralekarla.cz.
Pushing the boat out the Mandarin Oriental in Malá Strana is a beautifully restored old monastery, no pool but there is a lovely spa. Until the end of April (except Easter) there is a three for two night special offer, from €230 per room per night,mandarinoriental.com/prague.
We are a group of five girlfriends all turning 40 this year and would like to have a holiday together in September. We have a travel fund saved of €10,000 between us. Our main criteria for the holiday are: relaxing, fun, sunshine, pool, villa/hotel/high quality apartment in a town or within walking distance, good restaurants, mature nightlife, and day trips. Can you recommend a Mediterranean town or city that would suit our needs in September? – EP, Dublin
The Marbella area of the Costa del Sol is lively with lots of great restaurants lively nightlife and Puerto Banus nearby is great for adult fun. There are many beautiful places to rent from fabulous villas to luxury hotels. Euromar II is a gorgeous penthouse, two streets back from the sea. It is on the ninth floor and has fantastic views of the sea and the mountains. There is a terrace all around to capture the sun and a Jacuzzi. There is a pool in the garden. It has three double bedrooms and a vast living room. In September it will cost from €2,500 for a week see it on iti.ms/1E61Gg8.
The island of Mallorca is a perfect place for a special holiday, the city of Palma throbs to great nightlife, yet there are many tranquil places to relax. In the small fishing village ofPortixol is the Portixol Hotel, a sunny blue and white property on the sea. It is the height of Scandi style, sophisticated yet chilled with clean lines, contemporary luxury and great food. Rates are from €300 per room, portixol.com. Nikki Beach Clubs in Marbella and Mallorca would be fun to celebrate your birthdays, nikkibeach.com.
The other place to consider for your holiday is the beautiful island of Mykonos. The island has become quite the hotspot for adult fun, with amazing restaurants, great nightlife and fabulous villas. There is a very good selection of properties onholidaylettings.co.uk with prices ranging from €3,000-€5,000 per week in September.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Carlingford, King John's Castle
Ask Joan about exploring Granada, and where 10 25-year olds can have fun in Ireland, February 21, 2015
I’m turning 25 this August and would like to rent a house in Ireland with my friends for a weekend. There will be about 10 of us. I would love to be near the sea and close to some activities, water sports, horse riding, etc, and a bit of nightlife. Do you have any suggestions for somewhere not too expensive that does weekend rentals, please? – CM, Kildare
Houses for 10 or more are a bit more difficult to find so it might be easier to focus on an area first. Good destinations for what you are looking for are Dunmore East – theBluegrass Festival is on from August 23rd and there is an adventure centre,dunmoreadventure.com. Carlingford has lots of land and water activities withcarlingfordadventure.com and Skypark.ie. There is horse-riding at ravensdale-equestrian-centre.com and lively nightlife.
Kerry seems to have more large houses than most counties and the towns of Kenmare, Tralee, Dingle and Portmagee are all great fun for groups. You could even take a trip to the Skelligs – a memorable way to mark your 25th.
Find things to do on Gokerry.ie, and staroutdoors.ie in Kenmare have a great range of water activities. Lahinch, in Co Clare, is a lively town too and you could try surfing in one of the surf schools or beach trekking with Daly’s, based near Ennistymon,dalysequestriancentre.com.
See these websites for accommodation, cottages4you.com, myselfcatering.com,relaxireland.com, daft.ie and imagineireland.com.
In September, I’ll be staying for two weeks in a friend’s house outside Alicante, Spain. While we are there, I would like to take a trip to Granadafor a few days to see the Alhambra and the city. I will not be driving. Can you give names of companies in Ireland or a reputable one in Spain who could organise a trip for us? – MMC, Dublin
Irish companies do not usually arrange trips within countries unless part of a tour. I have seen Spanish travel agencies advertising trips to Granada but I think you would have to source that while there. Your friends may know of a local travel agency.
However, you can do Granada quite easily yourselves. There are five buses a day from Alicante and they use nice modern coaches. The journey takes around five and half hours and will cost from about €32 return. See alsa.es/en for timetables. You can book online too.
In Granada you can buy the City Pass which will give you access to the Alhambra, a city sightseeing tour, entry to museums and city bus journeys for €37.50 over five days. Entrance to the Alhambra is €13, (€9 for those over 65) and entrance to the Generalife Gardens is €7. Allow plenty of time to see the Alhambra – it is spectacular. SeeLovegranada.com for lots of information about sightseeing.
Hotels in Granada are good value in September; four-star hotels cost from €100-€130 and three-star hotels from €60-€80 on hotels.com. I stayed in the Hotel Carmen and it was a great location, downtown, near the cathedral and across the road from some good shopping. It has a small pool and bar on the roof with views over the cathedral. I also recommend taking a guided walking tour called “Between Islam and Christianity.”
There are two hotels within the Alhambra. One is a luxurious parador in a former monastery, parador.es. It costs from €336 per night and there is a discount for over 55s. The other is Hotel America, an old-style modest hotel, from around €120 per night for two, hotelamericagranada.com.
Send your questions to jscales@irishtimes.com
I’m turning 25 this August and would like to rent a house in Ireland with my friends for a weekend. There will be about 10 of us. I would love to be near the sea and close to some activities, water sports, horse riding, etc, and a bit of nightlife. Do you have any suggestions for somewhere not too expensive that does weekend rentals, please? – CM, Kildare
Houses for 10 or more are a bit more difficult to find so it might be easier to focus on an area first. Good destinations for what you are looking for are Dunmore East – theBluegrass Festival is on from August 23rd and there is an adventure centre,dunmoreadventure.com. Carlingford has lots of land and water activities withcarlingfordadventure.com and Skypark.ie. There is horse-riding at ravensdale-equestrian-centre.com and lively nightlife.
Kerry seems to have more large houses than most counties and the towns of Kenmare, Tralee, Dingle and Portmagee are all great fun for groups. You could even take a trip to the Skelligs – a memorable way to mark your 25th.
Find things to do on Gokerry.ie, and staroutdoors.ie in Kenmare have a great range of water activities. Lahinch, in Co Clare, is a lively town too and you could try surfing in one of the surf schools or beach trekking with Daly’s, based near Ennistymon,dalysequestriancentre.com.
See these websites for accommodation, cottages4you.com, myselfcatering.com,relaxireland.com, daft.ie and imagineireland.com.
In September, I’ll be staying for two weeks in a friend’s house outside Alicante, Spain. While we are there, I would like to take a trip to Granadafor a few days to see the Alhambra and the city. I will not be driving. Can you give names of companies in Ireland or a reputable one in Spain who could organise a trip for us? – MMC, Dublin
Irish companies do not usually arrange trips within countries unless part of a tour. I have seen Spanish travel agencies advertising trips to Granada but I think you would have to source that while there. Your friends may know of a local travel agency.
However, you can do Granada quite easily yourselves. There are five buses a day from Alicante and they use nice modern coaches. The journey takes around five and half hours and will cost from about €32 return. See alsa.es/en for timetables. You can book online too.
In Granada you can buy the City Pass which will give you access to the Alhambra, a city sightseeing tour, entry to museums and city bus journeys for €37.50 over five days. Entrance to the Alhambra is €13, (€9 for those over 65) and entrance to the Generalife Gardens is €7. Allow plenty of time to see the Alhambra – it is spectacular. SeeLovegranada.com for lots of information about sightseeing.
Hotels in Granada are good value in September; four-star hotels cost from €100-€130 and three-star hotels from €60-€80 on hotels.com. I stayed in the Hotel Carmen and it was a great location, downtown, near the cathedral and across the road from some good shopping. It has a small pool and bar on the roof with views over the cathedral. I also recommend taking a guided walking tour called “Between Islam and Christianity.”
There are two hotels within the Alhambra. One is a luxurious parador in a former monastery, parador.es. It costs from €336 per night and there is a discount for over 55s. The other is Hotel America, an old-style modest hotel, from around €120 per night for two, hotelamericagranada.com.
Send your questions to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about getting to Graceland and going to the Puccini Festival, Feb. 14, 2015.
I think I’m going to have to give in to a certain septuagenarian in my life and book a little trip to Graceland! Any help in planning a visit would be most gratefully received. – OB, Dublin
That’s brilliant! You’re only as young as you feel. There is a tour from Ireland that not only goes to Graceland, but to Nashville, Memphis, Lafayette, Nachez and New Orleans. It traces the route from country music, to rock and roll with a bit of blues, soul, Cajun, zydeco and jazz along the way.
The 10-day tour follows the Blues Highway, the route that brought the music of the south worldwide. It includes two days in Memphis with a full day at Graceland including a tour of Elvis’s home, museum and the Meditation Garden where he is buried.
The tour is from September 28th, and costs from €2,899pps. The price includes all scheduled flights, hotel accommodation, a tour director and attraction tickets as well as some guided destination tours. See americanholidays.ie or telephone: 01-9609396.
If you decide to go it alone, flights to Memphis will cost in the region of €700 with a stopover on the way; there is no direct flight. You should allow about €100-€150 per night for accommodation and it is very hot in July and August, though Elvis Week is around then and there will be special events.
Buy tickets and packages on graceland.com.
There is a package that includes an overnight in Heartbreak Hotel. The VIP entourage package cost from $250 and includes the hotel overnight, an all-day tour and access to VIP areas with a souvenir of your visit.
You should plan on a tour of Sun Studios while you’re there, sunstudios.com.
You can book an individual trip with American Holidays or any other local travel agent.
My husband’s birthday present is a visit to the Puccini opera festival this summer. We visited the Verona opera festival some years ago, by car and ferry, drove to Verona and bought tickets. This time we need a little help. Could you advise us of options such as all-in package or possibly independently booking flights, accommodation and tickets? – VC, Dublin
The Puccini festival runs from July 24th to August 27th in Torre del Lago, in an outdoor arena by the lake. There are four operas each week from Thursday to Sunday. There are no companies in Ireland arranging trips to the festival, but some in England do.
Jmb-travel.co.uk offers a three-night trip with two operas from £599pps (€805).
Kirkerholidays.com has a trip for five nights, staying in Lucca, with three operas, four dinners, transfers, a walking tour and two garden tours from £1,598pps (€2,150) and flights from England.
If you decide to go it alone, Ryanair fly to Pisa.
Accommodation is difficult to get in Torre del Lago. Most people stay in Viareggio or Lucca. Fares would be about €200-€250 each and nice hotels cost €100-€150 per night.
Tickets can be purchased online or over the telephone on puccinifestival.it and (0039-584-427201) and cost €20-€159.
There is a bus from Pisa airport to Viareggio and Lucca and the train service in this area is quite good and reasonably priced. Using the bus service to Torre del Lago is better than trying to park or depart after the shows. It should be possible to do the trip without a car.
Send your questions to jscales@irishtimes.com
I think I’m going to have to give in to a certain septuagenarian in my life and book a little trip to Graceland! Any help in planning a visit would be most gratefully received. – OB, Dublin
That’s brilliant! You’re only as young as you feel. There is a tour from Ireland that not only goes to Graceland, but to Nashville, Memphis, Lafayette, Nachez and New Orleans. It traces the route from country music, to rock and roll with a bit of blues, soul, Cajun, zydeco and jazz along the way.
The 10-day tour follows the Blues Highway, the route that brought the music of the south worldwide. It includes two days in Memphis with a full day at Graceland including a tour of Elvis’s home, museum and the Meditation Garden where he is buried.
The tour is from September 28th, and costs from €2,899pps. The price includes all scheduled flights, hotel accommodation, a tour director and attraction tickets as well as some guided destination tours. See americanholidays.ie or telephone: 01-9609396.
If you decide to go it alone, flights to Memphis will cost in the region of €700 with a stopover on the way; there is no direct flight. You should allow about €100-€150 per night for accommodation and it is very hot in July and August, though Elvis Week is around then and there will be special events.
Buy tickets and packages on graceland.com.
There is a package that includes an overnight in Heartbreak Hotel. The VIP entourage package cost from $250 and includes the hotel overnight, an all-day tour and access to VIP areas with a souvenir of your visit.
You should plan on a tour of Sun Studios while you’re there, sunstudios.com.
You can book an individual trip with American Holidays or any other local travel agent.
My husband’s birthday present is a visit to the Puccini opera festival this summer. We visited the Verona opera festival some years ago, by car and ferry, drove to Verona and bought tickets. This time we need a little help. Could you advise us of options such as all-in package or possibly independently booking flights, accommodation and tickets? – VC, Dublin
The Puccini festival runs from July 24th to August 27th in Torre del Lago, in an outdoor arena by the lake. There are four operas each week from Thursday to Sunday. There are no companies in Ireland arranging trips to the festival, but some in England do.
Jmb-travel.co.uk offers a three-night trip with two operas from £599pps (€805).
Kirkerholidays.com has a trip for five nights, staying in Lucca, with three operas, four dinners, transfers, a walking tour and two garden tours from £1,598pps (€2,150) and flights from England.
If you decide to go it alone, Ryanair fly to Pisa.
Accommodation is difficult to get in Torre del Lago. Most people stay in Viareggio or Lucca. Fares would be about €200-€250 each and nice hotels cost €100-€150 per night.
Tickets can be purchased online or over the telephone on puccinifestival.it and (0039-584-427201) and cost €20-€159.
There is a bus from Pisa airport to Viareggio and Lucca and the train service in this area is quite good and reasonably priced. Using the bus service to Torre del Lago is better than trying to park or depart after the shows. It should be possible to do the trip without a car.
Send your questions to jscales@irishtimes.com
- Ask Joan we are going to Berlin and Leipzig, what should we do? Finding accommodation in Stresa in September, February, 7, 201
- My husband and I, with two teenagers, are planning a two-centre trip to Berlin and Leipzig to visit our older daughter in college in Leipzig. We are hoping to travel in mid-June for five to six days. Can you give us some advice in terms of nice mid-price hotels, sightseeing and train travel between the cities as we will be first-time visitors to Germany? – KOK, Galway
Berlin is a great city and you will have fun exploring it. It is also a very big city, so be prepared to walk a lot and not get to see all the things you thought you would.
It has two central transport hubs, Potsdamer Platz in the west and Alexanderplatz in the east. It is easy to get around using the underground or buses. You can buy a Berlin welcome card which will include city transport and discounts to many places of interest, details on visitberlin.de.
One way to see a lot of the city is to take a bike tour. Fat Tire bike tours have a good selection of tours with guides to fill you in on all the history, fatbiketours.com. The tour of the eastern side of the city is very interesting and also visits the abandoned Templehof Airport where you can cycle on the runway.
The television tower near Alexanderplatz gives a rotating bird’s eye view of the city, although go early as it is very popular, tv-turm.de/en.
A bus tour is an ideal way to see a lot, or the river trip on the Spree is a good way to see how the architecture of the city has changed. There are dozens of museums and memorials and the Reichstag is a popular place to visit. The classical museums are on Museum Island and others are dotted around the city.
Shopping is great and the teenagers will love the variety of big brands, German stores and the markets. There is great boutique shopping in the Mitte district and on Sundays, the Mauerpark flea market is a classic.
Getting from Berlin to Leipzig is easy by train or bus. You can book tickets online on bahn.de or via railshop.ie, prices are about €38 return with reductions for students. The bus companies are berlinlinienbus.de and meinfernbus.de, fares would be under €20 each.
I am sure your daughter will be a great tour guide to Leipzig and you can see what to expect on Leipzig. travel/en/. Hotels in Germany are good value with great standards.
The following groups are mid- priced hotels with prices under €100 a night and in some cases, very well under. Grand City Hotels, grandcityhotels.de, Lindner Hotels, lindnerhotels.de/en, NH Hotels, nh-hotels.com/hotels/germany. Watch out for hotels that include breakfast in the price and wifi. See germany.travel for general tourism information.
My grandson is getting married in Stresa, Italy, in September. About six to eight family members are travelling there for a week. Could you recommend an apartment of villa suitable to rent for that number of people? – EOB, Dublin
Stresa on Lake Maggiore has a lot of small apartments and houses and not many big properties. There are a number of websites where you can see places to rent. OnBooking. com and there are a few houses/villas that will sleep eight or so, with prices about €1,400 for a week.
The following properties are on homeaway.co.uk, p3731268, p1023390, p6301241. Some are a mixture of apartments and houses. I found two larger properties onownersdirect.co.uk, the numbers are 8150913 and 8163990. On residencestresa.com, there are three self-contained apartments together in the town centre that would accommodate up to 11 people. Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
We are a family of four with two boys that like adventure. Could you recommend an area in Spain away from the usual tourist charade, rich in culture/music, good local food, markets, some adventure and decent self-catering accommodation?
– PT, Roscommon
Spain has lots of authentic experiences and you do not have to go too far to find some. Rural tourism in Spain has been given a big push by the government to bring visitors into places they might never otherwise discover. There are many inspected casa ruralesaround the country. They are mainly reserved by Spanish people, but everyone is welcome. See casarurales.com and toprural.com. The websites are in Spanish.
There are flights from Ireland to many Spanish airports and you can have quick access to the countryside. The north and centre of Spain are less travelled and may offer you more of the experiences you seek. Every town and village usually has a market at least one day a week and often their own local food specialities.
Consider Castile y Leon and the towns of Zamora, Avila or Segovia. See tourismodcastillayleon.com. In Aragon province you can go river rafting and fishing on Lake Caspe. Extremadura is famous for bird watching and the world heritage sites at Cacares, Merida and Guadalupe. The hilly countryside is great for hiking.
I like the coast of Cadiz from Tarifa to Zahara de los Atunes, it is wild and interesting with great beaches for kite surfing, whale watching, national parks and is very Spanish. The northern coast is less developed and would offer surfing and other water sports, particularly around San Sebastian and Hondarriba in the Basque country. The official tourism website is spain.info/en.
We would like to travel to Europe with our 11-month-old (maybe to Greeceor Portugal) for a week to 10 days in May. Ideally we will fly on a direct day flight from Dublin. Warm weather, access to a swimming pool, and accommodation with a terrace or balcony are important. We are flexible with budget and would be happy to pay for quality. – NC, Dublin
There are reasonably priced daily flights to Faro in Portugal from Dublin with Aer Lingus and Ryanair. The Martinhal Resort at Sagres on the west end of the Algarve is ideal for family holidays; they even have a package for baby’s first holiday.
A week in May including accommodation in a beach room or garden house, a romantic dinner and babysitter, spa treatment and two hours of childcare every day will cost from €1,984. You can also pre-book baby equipment in advance. See markinhal.com.
Sunway Holidays has a good range of properties on the Algarve from two to five stars. In Alvor, the Pestana Dom Joao is on the beach and would cost €579pps. The Tivoli Marina in Portimao, overlooking the port, is a lovely complex and would cost from €749pps
In May, the direct flights to Greece will be to Athens and Corfu with Aer Lingus and Chania in Crete with Ryanair. Of the three, the best option for a family would be Corfu and twice weekly flights mean you could travel on Wednesday or Saturday.
Clickandgo. com has a variety of holidays with flights and transfers, staying in a hotel or self-catering, with prices under €500pps for a week. Corfu is a family friendly island and you would probably spend much of the time by the pool or on the beach.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about going off the beaten track in Spain and taking baby on a holiday, January 31, 2015
We are a family of four with two boys that like adventure. Could you recommend an area in Spain away from the usual tourist charade, rich in culture/music, good local food, markets, some adventure and decent self-catering accommodation?
– PT, Roscommon
Spain has lots of authentic experiences and you do not have to go too far to find some. Rural tourism in Spain has been given a big push by the government to bring visitors into places they might never otherwise discover. There are many inspected casa ruralesaround the country. They are mainly reserved by Spanish people, but everyone is welcome. See casarurales.com and toprural.com. The websites are in Spanish.
There are flights from Ireland to many Spanish airports and you can have quick access to the countryside. The north and centre of Spain are less travelled and may offer you more of the experiences you seek. Every town and village usually has a market at least one day a week and often their own local food specialities.
Consider Castile y Leon and the towns of Zamora, Avila or Segovia. See tourismodcastillayleon.com. In Aragon province you can go river rafting and fishing on Lake Caspe. Extremadura is famous for bird watching and the world heritage sites at Cacares, Merida and Guadalupe. The hilly countryside is great for hiking.
I like the coast of Cadiz from Tarifa to Zahara de los Atunes, it is wild and interesting with great beaches for kite surfing, whale watching, national parks and is very Spanish. The northern coast is less developed and would offer surfing and other water sports, particularly around San Sebastian and Hondarriba in the Basque country. The official tourism website is spain.info/en.
We would like to travel to Europe with our 11-month-old (maybe to Greeceor Portugal) for a week to 10 days in May. Ideally we will fly on a direct day flight from Dublin. Warm weather, access to a swimming pool, and accommodation with a terrace or balcony are important. We are flexible with budget and would be happy to pay for quality. – NC, Dublin
There are reasonably priced daily flights to Faro in Portugal from Dublin with Aer Lingus and Ryanair. The Martinhal Resort at Sagres on the west end of the Algarve is ideal for family holidays; they even have a package for baby’s first holiday.
A week in May including accommodation in a beach room or garden house, a romantic dinner and babysitter, spa treatment and two hours of childcare every day will cost from €1,984. You can also pre-book baby equipment in advance. See markinhal.com.
Sunway Holidays has a good range of properties on the Algarve from two to five stars. In Alvor, the Pestana Dom Joao is on the beach and would cost €579pps. The Tivoli Marina in Portimao, overlooking the port, is a lovely complex and would cost from €749pps
In May, the direct flights to Greece will be to Athens and Corfu with Aer Lingus and Chania in Crete with Ryanair. Of the three, the best option for a family would be Corfu and twice weekly flights mean you could travel on Wednesday or Saturday.
Clickandgo. com has a variety of holidays with flights and transfers, staying in a hotel or self-catering, with prices under €500pps for a week. Corfu is a family friendly island and you would probably spend much of the time by the pool or on the beach.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
We are a family of four with two boys that like adventure. Could you recommend an area in Spain away from the usual tourist charade, rich in culture/music, good local food, markets, some adventure and decent self-catering accommodation?
– PT, Roscommon
Spain has lots of authentic experiences and you do not have to go too far to find some. Rural tourism in Spain has been given a big push by the government to bring visitors into places they might never otherwise discover. There are many inspected casa ruralesaround the country. They are mainly reserved by Spanish people, but everyone is welcome. See casarurales.com and toprural.com. The websites are in Spanish.
There are flights from Ireland to many Spanish airports and you can have quick access to the countryside. The north and centre of Spain are less travelled and may offer you more of the experiences you seek. Every town and village usually has a market at least one day a week and often their own local food specialities.
Consider Castile y Leon and the towns of Zamora, Avila or Segovia. See tourismodcastillayleon.com. In Aragon province you can go river rafting and fishing on Lake Caspe. Extremadura is famous for bird watching and the world heritage sites at Cacares, Merida and Guadalupe. The hilly countryside is great for hiking.
I like the coast of Cadiz from Tarifa to Zahara de los Atunes, it is wild and interesting with great beaches for kite surfing, whale watching, national parks and is very Spanish. The northern coast is less developed and would offer surfing and other water sports, particularly around San Sebastian and Hondarriba in the Basque country. The official tourism website is spain.info/en.
We would like to travel to Europe with our 11-month-old (maybe to Greeceor Portugal) for a week to 10 days in May. Ideally we will fly on a direct day flight from Dublin. Warm weather, access to a swimming pool, and accommodation with a terrace or balcony are important. We are flexible with budget and would be happy to pay for quality. – NC, Dublin
There are reasonably priced daily flights to Faro in Portugal from Dublin with Aer Lingus and Ryanair. The Martinhal Resort at Sagres on the west end of the Algarve is ideal for family holidays; they even have a package for baby’s first holiday.
A week in May including accommodation in a beach room or garden house, a romantic dinner and babysitter, spa treatment and two hours of childcare every day will cost from €1,984. You can also pre-book baby equipment in advance. See markinhal.com.
Sunway Holidays has a good range of properties on the Algarve from two to five stars. In Alvor, the Pestana Dom Joao is on the beach and would cost €579pps. The Tivoli Marina in Portimao, overlooking the port, is a lovely complex and would cost from €749pps
In May, the direct flights to Greece will be to Athens and Corfu with Aer Lingus and Chania in Crete with Ryanair. Of the three, the best option for a family would be Corfu and twice weekly flights mean you could travel on Wednesday or Saturday.
Clickandgo. com has a variety of holidays with flights and transfers, staying in a hotel or self-catering, with prices under €500pps for a week. Corfu is a family friendly island and you would probably spend much of the time by the pool or on the beach.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about a family trip to Florida and getting to Stuttgart, January 24, 2015
We are a family of six (two girls aged 20, two boys aged 13 and 17) and our dream would be to go on a holiday to the USA, taking in some theme parks in Florida, with a few days in New York en route home in June. We all like train travel and think it would be a great way to see the country. – DS, Tipperary
Florida is a great family holiday destination with lots to do and see. There you will find some of the best theme parks in the world, enjoy outdoor adventures, lovely beaches and nice weather; all the components for a brilliant family holiday. I think a week in Orlando doing the parks, followed by a beachside self-catering property and then a few days in New York would make it a memorable trip.
While the train was the original way the snowbirds headed from New York to the sun, and sounds like a great idea, it would be almost two days’ travelling and costs a lot, $806 (€605) in coach seats and from $2,021 (€1,620) for sleeper compartments.
Air trips from Ireland can include a stopover in New York without adding much to the cost. Air fares from Shannon can be a bit less than from Dublin, at about €700 each. Airlines operating from Shannon include Aer Lingus, United and Delta.
Your children would love Universal Studios in Florida where movies such asSpiderman, Harry Potter and others will come to life. There is also a great adult entertainment centre for evenings out.
There is a new budget hotel at the park called the Cabana Bay Beach resort which has family suites for six from $229 (€184) per night, universalorlando.com.
Walt Disney World and Seaworld are also fantastic theme parks, and you will have to factor in the cost of tickets, which are not cheap: from €252-491 each for a weekly ticket.
Combined tickets will give entrance to a number of parks including Disney and Universal. See prices on visitflorida.com and attractionticketsdirect.ie. Holiday home rentals in Orlando will cost in the region of $700-1,200 (€560-960) per week and many have their own swimming pools. See vrbo.com and homeaway.com.
New York is an amazing city and well worth visiting on your way to or from Florida. However, accommodation is very pricey these days and you should book as early as possible to find good prices for places to stay.
Staying in private rented accommodation may work out the best value. I have seen prices from $210 (€170) upwards per night. See what is available on airbnb.com,vrbo.com or homeaway.com. The further you are from midtown Manhattan, the better the price.
You may find that a good travel agent will be able to put together this holiday for less than you could by booking all the components separately. You would also benefit from the security of being bonded. Some American specialists are touramerica.ie, sunway.ie,topflight.ie and americanholidays.ie. Your local travel agent may also be able to help with the plans.
I am hoping to visit some friends in the first six months of next year in Tübingen, Germany. Stuttgart is the nearest airport and you take a train from there. I am having trouble sourcing flights from Ireland. I live in Galway but presume I would have to fly out from Dublin. – AB, Galway
The direct Aer Lingus service to Stuttgart from Dublin will resume at the end of March and will operate four days per week: Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, with an extra service on Saturday from May.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
We are a family of six (two girls aged 20, two boys aged 13 and 17) and our dream would be to go on a holiday to the USA, taking in some theme parks in Florida, with a few days in New York en route home in June. We all like train travel and think it would be a great way to see the country. – DS, Tipperary
Florida is a great family holiday destination with lots to do and see. There you will find some of the best theme parks in the world, enjoy outdoor adventures, lovely beaches and nice weather; all the components for a brilliant family holiday. I think a week in Orlando doing the parks, followed by a beachside self-catering property and then a few days in New York would make it a memorable trip.
While the train was the original way the snowbirds headed from New York to the sun, and sounds like a great idea, it would be almost two days’ travelling and costs a lot, $806 (€605) in coach seats and from $2,021 (€1,620) for sleeper compartments.
Air trips from Ireland can include a stopover in New York without adding much to the cost. Air fares from Shannon can be a bit less than from Dublin, at about €700 each. Airlines operating from Shannon include Aer Lingus, United and Delta.
Your children would love Universal Studios in Florida where movies such asSpiderman, Harry Potter and others will come to life. There is also a great adult entertainment centre for evenings out.
There is a new budget hotel at the park called the Cabana Bay Beach resort which has family suites for six from $229 (€184) per night, universalorlando.com.
Walt Disney World and Seaworld are also fantastic theme parks, and you will have to factor in the cost of tickets, which are not cheap: from €252-491 each for a weekly ticket.
Combined tickets will give entrance to a number of parks including Disney and Universal. See prices on visitflorida.com and attractionticketsdirect.ie. Holiday home rentals in Orlando will cost in the region of $700-1,200 (€560-960) per week and many have their own swimming pools. See vrbo.com and homeaway.com.
New York is an amazing city and well worth visiting on your way to or from Florida. However, accommodation is very pricey these days and you should book as early as possible to find good prices for places to stay.
Staying in private rented accommodation may work out the best value. I have seen prices from $210 (€170) upwards per night. See what is available on airbnb.com,vrbo.com or homeaway.com. The further you are from midtown Manhattan, the better the price.
You may find that a good travel agent will be able to put together this holiday for less than you could by booking all the components separately. You would also benefit from the security of being bonded. Some American specialists are touramerica.ie, sunway.ie,topflight.ie and americanholidays.ie. Your local travel agent may also be able to help with the plans.
I am hoping to visit some friends in the first six months of next year in Tübingen, Germany. Stuttgart is the nearest airport and you take a train from there. I am having trouble sourcing flights from Ireland. I live in Galway but presume I would have to fly out from Dublin. – AB, Galway
The direct Aer Lingus service to Stuttgart from Dublin will resume at the end of March and will operate four days per week: Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, with an extra service on Saturday from May.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan, 55 family members, where can we go, going to Florence, January 17, 2015
I am helping to organise a family reunion for about 55 people who are travelling from Ireland, the UK and Australia. We want to hold it either in the north-west of England or an easily accessible location in Ireland, in October. Do you have any recommendations for mid-priced accommodation that would suit everyone? We would not rule out hostels, but would like to explore other options . – AOD, Wicklow
That is quite an undertaking to get so many people together and find somewhere suitable. If you choose the north-west of England, Manchester would be the gateway and it has a busy international airport and a good rail services.
The Lake District would be a beautiful area to have your reunion and there are some large houses and hostels for rent. There are many beautiful hotels too. You can explore places for large groups on group accommodation.com and also contact the Youth Hostel Association which has a lot of lovely properties in Cumbria, yha.org.uk/group-enquiries.
In Ireland there are a number of great properties around the country – country mansions, small hotels and hostels. Close to Dublin, ballymagarvey.ie is a standalone estate that will easily accommodate your group.
In Wicklow, the Kippure Estate would have plenty of accommodation for your family, with a main building and lodges on the grounds, kippure.com.
In Cork, the Blarney Hotel also has a golf course and lodges in the grounds that might appeal to some of the group, theblarneyhotel.ie.
An Oige hostels around the country are in many stunning locations and they can be rented for sole use. See anoige.ie for details.
Another idea is to pick a small town or village and rent a number of houses to accommodate everyone and have a local hotel, pub or restaurant as the social centre. Towns such as Westport, Killarney, Carlingford, Kilkee, Kinsale, Kenmare, Athlone, Wexford are ideal for this.
I would like to arrange a visit with a friend who is not very well to Florencein early spring, when the weather is better. Could you suggest hotels that are central, for about three nights, that are reasonable, and sites to visit. We would only be able to do one to two things per day. – DS, Meath
Florence is a smallish city and easy to get around, though you will find yourself walking more than you expect. Fly with Ryanair to Pisa, the closest airport to Florence from Ireland. The Terravision bus takes about 90 minutes and costs around €5.
The Hotel San Giovanni is so close to the Duomo you can look out the window and check the queues. It is reasonably priced; some bathrooms are shared. Prices are from €75-€95, hotelsangiovanni.com
Just a little further away and closer to the train station, the Hotel Mia Cara is small and friendly with a little outdoor terrace for breakfast. Prices are around €80-€110, hotelmiacara.com.
There are many amazing places to see and you can gently wander around, from to Uffizi Gallery to the Accademia to see Michaelangelo’s David. Don’t miss the Duomo, the Boboli Gardens behind the Palazzo Pitti and the Ponte Vecchio.
I would also recommend taking the guided tour bus, you will get a real feel for the city from the top deck. The tour company, florencetown.com has a selection of good tours of Florence including the Uffizi and the Vasari Corridor.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
I am helping to organise a family reunion for about 55 people who are travelling from Ireland, the UK and Australia. We want to hold it either in the north-west of England or an easily accessible location in Ireland, in October. Do you have any recommendations for mid-priced accommodation that would suit everyone? We would not rule out hostels, but would like to explore other options . – AOD, Wicklow
That is quite an undertaking to get so many people together and find somewhere suitable. If you choose the north-west of England, Manchester would be the gateway and it has a busy international airport and a good rail services.
The Lake District would be a beautiful area to have your reunion and there are some large houses and hostels for rent. There are many beautiful hotels too. You can explore places for large groups on group accommodation.com and also contact the Youth Hostel Association which has a lot of lovely properties in Cumbria, yha.org.uk/group-enquiries.
In Ireland there are a number of great properties around the country – country mansions, small hotels and hostels. Close to Dublin, ballymagarvey.ie is a standalone estate that will easily accommodate your group.
In Wicklow, the Kippure Estate would have plenty of accommodation for your family, with a main building and lodges on the grounds, kippure.com.
In Cork, the Blarney Hotel also has a golf course and lodges in the grounds that might appeal to some of the group, theblarneyhotel.ie.
An Oige hostels around the country are in many stunning locations and they can be rented for sole use. See anoige.ie for details.
Another idea is to pick a small town or village and rent a number of houses to accommodate everyone and have a local hotel, pub or restaurant as the social centre. Towns such as Westport, Killarney, Carlingford, Kilkee, Kinsale, Kenmare, Athlone, Wexford are ideal for this.
I would like to arrange a visit with a friend who is not very well to Florencein early spring, when the weather is better. Could you suggest hotels that are central, for about three nights, that are reasonable, and sites to visit. We would only be able to do one to two things per day. – DS, Meath
Florence is a smallish city and easy to get around, though you will find yourself walking more than you expect. Fly with Ryanair to Pisa, the closest airport to Florence from Ireland. The Terravision bus takes about 90 minutes and costs around €5.
The Hotel San Giovanni is so close to the Duomo you can look out the window and check the queues. It is reasonably priced; some bathrooms are shared. Prices are from €75-€95, hotelsangiovanni.com
Just a little further away and closer to the train station, the Hotel Mia Cara is small and friendly with a little outdoor terrace for breakfast. Prices are around €80-€110, hotelmiacara.com.
There are many amazing places to see and you can gently wander around, from to Uffizi Gallery to the Accademia to see Michaelangelo’s David. Don’t miss the Duomo, the Boboli Gardens behind the Palazzo Pitti and the Ponte Vecchio.
I would also recommend taking the guided tour bus, you will get a real feel for the city from the top deck. The tour company, florencetown.com has a selection of good tours of Florence including the Uffizi and the Vasari Corridor.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about getting to the Azores and taking the family to Legoland Denmark. Cruising the Northern Lights, January 10, 2015
My wife and two children would like to travel to Denmark for a week next summer taking in Copenhagen, Legoland and Lalandia. Both accommodation and car hire seems expensive, any budget tips? – GM, Cork Denmark can be quite pricey, hard to get to from Cork, and Legoland in Billund, is a three to four hour drive from the capital. Flights from Dublin to Copenhagen in the summer, if you book now will cost from €120 each, flysas.ie. Aer Lingus also flies from Dublin to Copenhagen.
From Cork, the cheapest way to Billund is via Stansted with Ryanair and could cost under €150 each but the timings are not great and may mean a stay in London.
If you rent a car, arguscarhire.ie has deals from under €200 per week in Denmark in the summer, if you book in advance. You may not need a car as you can take the train from Copenhagen to Billund, see dsb.dk for rail times and prices.
Accommodation on site at Legoland and Lalandia can be quite expensive but does include entrance fees, activities and great water parks. The cheapest accommodation option in Billund is to stay in Billundcamping.dk where you can rent a cabin near the parks from €91 per night. Daily park tickets can be booked direct on legoland.dk and lalandia.dk.
Family friendly hotels in Copenhagen include the Cab Inn, cabinn.com, while Wake Up Copenhagen, is a budget, very Danish-style hotel near Tivoli, wakeupcopenhagen.com. Other hotels with family rooms are the quirky Andersen Hotel, andersen-hotel.dk, andIbsens Hotel, arthurhotels.dk/ibsens-hotel. Family rooms in July will cost from €130-€205 per night.
Prices may be a bit more reasonable on Hotels. com, booking.com and trivago.com if you book and pay in advance. There are often sales in January. See visitcopenhagen.com.
My husband and I are celebrating a significant anniversary early this year and would like to celebrate by taking a short cruise to see the Northern lights. Can you recommend any cruise companies and when is the ideal time to do this. – GB, Wicklow
The Northern Lights are at their most frequent in late autumn and early spring, between the autumn equinox and the spring equinox and the coldest time of the year. There is really only one company doing short cruises at that time of the year, the Hurtigruten.
This shipping line operates along the coast of Norway all year round delivering goods and moving people from place to place. It is the ideal way to see the lights and more an experience than a traditional cruise company. A number of companies in Ireland can arrange a short visit. Prices will be around €1,100 for five nights including flights and cruise. See project-travel.ie, rorymcdyertravel.ie, and the cruisebroker.ie.
My brother-in-law in Wisconsin is planning a surprise trip to Ponta Delgada, Azores in March for my sister’s birthday. He is anxious that my other sister and I who live in Ireland visit them. I am finding it difficult to figure out an intinerary. – Al, Dublin.
The Azores seems very far away but it is an easier journey than it would appear, and not too expensive. There are two airlines that share the route from Lisbon, TAP Air Portugal, tap.pt and Sata, sata.pt, fares will be around €150 in March. Both Aer Lingus and Ryanair have flights to Lisbon and fares will be around €100 return.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
My wife and two children would like to travel to Denmark for a week next summer taking in Copenhagen, Legoland and Lalandia. Both accommodation and car hire seems expensive, any budget tips? – GM, Cork Denmark can be quite pricey, hard to get to from Cork, and Legoland in Billund, is a three to four hour drive from the capital. Flights from Dublin to Copenhagen in the summer, if you book now will cost from €120 each, flysas.ie. Aer Lingus also flies from Dublin to Copenhagen.
From Cork, the cheapest way to Billund is via Stansted with Ryanair and could cost under €150 each but the timings are not great and may mean a stay in London.
If you rent a car, arguscarhire.ie has deals from under €200 per week in Denmark in the summer, if you book in advance. You may not need a car as you can take the train from Copenhagen to Billund, see dsb.dk for rail times and prices.
Accommodation on site at Legoland and Lalandia can be quite expensive but does include entrance fees, activities and great water parks. The cheapest accommodation option in Billund is to stay in Billundcamping.dk where you can rent a cabin near the parks from €91 per night. Daily park tickets can be booked direct on legoland.dk and lalandia.dk.
Family friendly hotels in Copenhagen include the Cab Inn, cabinn.com, while Wake Up Copenhagen, is a budget, very Danish-style hotel near Tivoli, wakeupcopenhagen.com. Other hotels with family rooms are the quirky Andersen Hotel, andersen-hotel.dk, andIbsens Hotel, arthurhotels.dk/ibsens-hotel. Family rooms in July will cost from €130-€205 per night.
Prices may be a bit more reasonable on Hotels. com, booking.com and trivago.com if you book and pay in advance. There are often sales in January. See visitcopenhagen.com.
My husband and I are celebrating a significant anniversary early this year and would like to celebrate by taking a short cruise to see the Northern lights. Can you recommend any cruise companies and when is the ideal time to do this. – GB, Wicklow
The Northern Lights are at their most frequent in late autumn and early spring, between the autumn equinox and the spring equinox and the coldest time of the year. There is really only one company doing short cruises at that time of the year, the Hurtigruten.
This shipping line operates along the coast of Norway all year round delivering goods and moving people from place to place. It is the ideal way to see the lights and more an experience than a traditional cruise company. A number of companies in Ireland can arrange a short visit. Prices will be around €1,100 for five nights including flights and cruise. See project-travel.ie, rorymcdyertravel.ie, and the cruisebroker.ie.
My brother-in-law in Wisconsin is planning a surprise trip to Ponta Delgada, Azores in March for my sister’s birthday. He is anxious that my other sister and I who live in Ireland visit them. I am finding it difficult to figure out an intinerary. – Al, Dublin.
The Azores seems very far away but it is an easier journey than it would appear, and not too expensive. There are two airlines that share the route from Lisbon, TAP Air Portugal, tap.pt and Sata, sata.pt, fares will be around €150 in March. Both Aer Lingus and Ryanair have flights to Lisbon and fares will be around €100 return.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about a visit to the Oval, home of cricket, and a fun holiday for a single lady, December 19, 2014
My husband is passionate about cricket and I would like to get him a visit to The Oval and take in a few days in London. Are there cricket breaks that include tickets to games? – FK, Sligo.
There are two major events for cricket fans on at the Kia Oval in 2015, the England v New Zealand, Royal London ODI on June 12th and the final test of the Ashes series, England v Australia from August 20th–24th, 2015, kiaoval.com. These are the events and dates you would be looking at booking for the trip to London.
Knowing the dates well in advance does help with booking flights and accommodation. Tickets for cricket at this level are always pricey. The members’ ballot for tickets is already done and your options to get tickets are the following: buy tickets fromtouchlinetickets.com. Prices are from £175-£699, (€224-€892) per day plus £25 (€32) delivery, depending on which stand you choose. Flights and hotel bookings would have to be done by you.
Or book a package with Keith Prowse Travel in Dublin and the price will include flights, two nights’ hotel accommodation and stand tickets with hospitality, from €869-€1,149pps for the England v New Zealand. The Ashes 5th Test in August will cost from €835-€1,173pps depending on days and stand chosen. Details from 01-878 3500 and keithprowse.ie.
As you will be making a holiday of the trip, you could also take him to visit London’s other famous cricket club, Lords. You can book tours of the grounds for £18 (€23),lords.org
I am a single lady approaching the 40 mark and I want to go on a singles holiday next summer. Ideally, I am hoping for the summer alternative to the Today FM ski trip – lots of people, sun in lieu of snow, some activity and most importantly a lot of craic. Are there any good tours that you could recommend in June? – DG, Galway.
The TodayFM ski trip sounds like brilliant fun and I don’t know if there is anything that can compare to it for the craic – 500 Irish people having fun in the snow is hard to beat.
The nearest I can come up with is a trip to Andalucia with the Travel Department for a week. It is a solo-friendly holiday and will include breakfast and dinner each day and guided tours of Seville, Granada and Cordoba. You will also have the opportunity to lie by the pool and relax. It costs from €799. See traveldepartment.ie.
Friendship Travel, based in Co Antrim, has quite an extensive range of singles holidays to Spain, Turkey, Croatia, Greece, Portugal, Morocco, Jamaica, and Mexico.
European holidays range from £595-£995 (€759-€1,270) for a week including flights, most meals and some drinks. There are also some sailing holidays in June in Turkey and Croatia. These are small groups on traditional gulets in Turkey and island hopping in Croatia, costing from £795-£995 (€1,014-€1,270).
Another option is to go on an activity holiday where there will be other lone travellers.Exodus Holidays have been popular in the Irish market for years. You could be exploring the Amalfi Coast, walking in the Picos de Europe or staying with a Cuban family in June. See exodus.com, 01-8047153.
G Adventures also has a great variety of holidays all over the world and I know that some of them attract people travelling on their own. You could give them a call, 01-6971360, to see which holidays in June might be suitable.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
My husband is passionate about cricket and I would like to get him a visit to The Oval and take in a few days in London. Are there cricket breaks that include tickets to games? – FK, Sligo.
There are two major events for cricket fans on at the Kia Oval in 2015, the England v New Zealand, Royal London ODI on June 12th and the final test of the Ashes series, England v Australia from August 20th–24th, 2015, kiaoval.com. These are the events and dates you would be looking at booking for the trip to London.
Knowing the dates well in advance does help with booking flights and accommodation. Tickets for cricket at this level are always pricey. The members’ ballot for tickets is already done and your options to get tickets are the following: buy tickets fromtouchlinetickets.com. Prices are from £175-£699, (€224-€892) per day plus £25 (€32) delivery, depending on which stand you choose. Flights and hotel bookings would have to be done by you.
Or book a package with Keith Prowse Travel in Dublin and the price will include flights, two nights’ hotel accommodation and stand tickets with hospitality, from €869-€1,149pps for the England v New Zealand. The Ashes 5th Test in August will cost from €835-€1,173pps depending on days and stand chosen. Details from 01-878 3500 and keithprowse.ie.
As you will be making a holiday of the trip, you could also take him to visit London’s other famous cricket club, Lords. You can book tours of the grounds for £18 (€23),lords.org
I am a single lady approaching the 40 mark and I want to go on a singles holiday next summer. Ideally, I am hoping for the summer alternative to the Today FM ski trip – lots of people, sun in lieu of snow, some activity and most importantly a lot of craic. Are there any good tours that you could recommend in June? – DG, Galway.
The TodayFM ski trip sounds like brilliant fun and I don’t know if there is anything that can compare to it for the craic – 500 Irish people having fun in the snow is hard to beat.
The nearest I can come up with is a trip to Andalucia with the Travel Department for a week. It is a solo-friendly holiday and will include breakfast and dinner each day and guided tours of Seville, Granada and Cordoba. You will also have the opportunity to lie by the pool and relax. It costs from €799. See traveldepartment.ie.
Friendship Travel, based in Co Antrim, has quite an extensive range of singles holidays to Spain, Turkey, Croatia, Greece, Portugal, Morocco, Jamaica, and Mexico.
European holidays range from £595-£995 (€759-€1,270) for a week including flights, most meals and some drinks. There are also some sailing holidays in June in Turkey and Croatia. These are small groups on traditional gulets in Turkey and island hopping in Croatia, costing from £795-£995 (€1,014-€1,270).
Another option is to go on an activity holiday where there will be other lone travellers.Exodus Holidays have been popular in the Irish market for years. You could be exploring the Amalfi Coast, walking in the Picos de Europe or staying with a Cuban family in June. See exodus.com, 01-8047153.
G Adventures also has a great variety of holidays all over the world and I know that some of them attract people travelling on their own. You could give them a call, 01-6971360, to see which holidays in June might be suitable.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan, where can we go for a cat free holiday, finding a good hotel in Westminster. December 12, 2014
My wife has a cat phobia and cannot be in the same area where there is a cat or cats. This very much restricts where we can go on holidays. Around 10 years ago, we had a difficult holiday in an otherwise beautiful Dubrovnik: cats were turning up everywhere – on the street, under tables, in restaurants etc. We would particularly like to be able to visit cat-free destinations in Southern Europe. – TT, Dublin
I can empathise with your wife; phobias can seriously affect our lives and the things we would really like to do. Your question led me to investigate the likelihood of cats in various countries and I found a graph prepared by Euromonitor of cat- and dog-owning nations. Southern Europe veered more towards cats, though people in Spain and Portugal have more dogs than cats as pets.
The one place you will not meet a cat is on a cruise ship; no moggies on board any ship. So maybe this is the way to have a lovely cat-free holiday. There has been a huge surge in cruise holidays in recent years and the value is very good when you consider all meals, entertainment and activities are included.
Barcelona is a big cruise port for the Mediterranean and there are weekly departures that travel all around the coast visiting different places each day.
The other big ports for southern Europe would be Venice and Civitavecchia for Rome, all easily accessible from Ireland.
Each day in port there are usually coach or boat excursions to see places of interest. You and your wife could join these or just enjoy the ship. Cruise lines to consider are MSC,Royal Caribbean Norwegian and Celebrity Cruises. A chat with a good cruise agent will help decide which ship.
Talk to cruiseholidays.ie, jgt.ie, Cruisescapes.ie or e-travel.ie.
I’m planning a visit to the Westminster area of London next spring. However, my experience of UK hotels is not good as they tend to be both expensive and of average standard compared with continental Europe.
I am prepared to commute (by underground) if it secures reasonable quality for an outlay of £140-£150 per double room per night. – MB, Kildare
There is no doubt that hotel prices in London have risen and continue to rise; your best option is to book as early as possible to find a well-located hotel.
Business hotels tend to have better rates at the weekends, especially in the four-star market, though breakfast can be extraordinarily expensive.
For example, the Park Plaza Riverbank is a lovely four-star hotel on Albert Embankment, in walking distance to Westminster, and the early saver rate averages around £125 per room per night. Parkplaza.com.
Grange Hotels have a nice collection of old-style hotels around London and the Rochester at Vincent Square is 10 minutes’ walk from Westminster Square and Big Ben. The early saver rate is £151 including continental breakfast.
Commuting from Islington, the Doubletree by Hilton would be a good location as it is only five minutes from the Tube. It was a Jurys Inn and has now been upgraded to a lovely four-star property. In spring you would be looking at rates from £109-£126 per night, breakfast extra. Hilton.com.
My other suggestion is to book a package with a travel agent or tour operator and combine the flights and hotel to get a good price.
A four-star hotel with Aer Lingus flights will cost in the region of €350-€450pps for three nights. See lastminute.ie and clickandgo.com.
My wife has a cat phobia and cannot be in the same area where there is a cat or cats. This very much restricts where we can go on holidays. Around 10 years ago, we had a difficult holiday in an otherwise beautiful Dubrovnik: cats were turning up everywhere – on the street, under tables, in restaurants etc. We would particularly like to be able to visit cat-free destinations in Southern Europe. – TT, Dublin
I can empathise with your wife; phobias can seriously affect our lives and the things we would really like to do. Your question led me to investigate the likelihood of cats in various countries and I found a graph prepared by Euromonitor of cat- and dog-owning nations. Southern Europe veered more towards cats, though people in Spain and Portugal have more dogs than cats as pets.
The one place you will not meet a cat is on a cruise ship; no moggies on board any ship. So maybe this is the way to have a lovely cat-free holiday. There has been a huge surge in cruise holidays in recent years and the value is very good when you consider all meals, entertainment and activities are included.
Barcelona is a big cruise port for the Mediterranean and there are weekly departures that travel all around the coast visiting different places each day.
The other big ports for southern Europe would be Venice and Civitavecchia for Rome, all easily accessible from Ireland.
Each day in port there are usually coach or boat excursions to see places of interest. You and your wife could join these or just enjoy the ship. Cruise lines to consider are MSC,Royal Caribbean Norwegian and Celebrity Cruises. A chat with a good cruise agent will help decide which ship.
Talk to cruiseholidays.ie, jgt.ie, Cruisescapes.ie or e-travel.ie.
I’m planning a visit to the Westminster area of London next spring. However, my experience of UK hotels is not good as they tend to be both expensive and of average standard compared with continental Europe.
I am prepared to commute (by underground) if it secures reasonable quality for an outlay of £140-£150 per double room per night. – MB, Kildare
There is no doubt that hotel prices in London have risen and continue to rise; your best option is to book as early as possible to find a well-located hotel.
Business hotels tend to have better rates at the weekends, especially in the four-star market, though breakfast can be extraordinarily expensive.
For example, the Park Plaza Riverbank is a lovely four-star hotel on Albert Embankment, in walking distance to Westminster, and the early saver rate averages around £125 per room per night. Parkplaza.com.
Grange Hotels have a nice collection of old-style hotels around London and the Rochester at Vincent Square is 10 minutes’ walk from Westminster Square and Big Ben. The early saver rate is £151 including continental breakfast.
Commuting from Islington, the Doubletree by Hilton would be a good location as it is only five minutes from the Tube. It was a Jurys Inn and has now been upgraded to a lovely four-star property. In spring you would be looking at rates from £109-£126 per night, breakfast extra. Hilton.com.
My other suggestion is to book a package with a travel agent or tour operator and combine the flights and hotel to get a good price.
A four-star hotel with Aer Lingus flights will cost in the region of €350-€450pps for three nights. See lastminute.ie and clickandgo.com.
Ask Joan about going to Chicago and Springfield Illinois, exploring Pompeii and Herculeneum. Getting travel insurance when you have cancer. December 6, 2014
My daughter is studying in Springfield, Illinois, for a year and my husband, 17-year-old son and I are planning to visit. We need to go mid-term in February. We would like to spend a few days in Chicago before visiting her. Can you advise on thebest hotels, sights and most economical way to travel to Springfield? I would also like to do some shopping. We are on a tight budget. – DMD,Dublin.
Aer Lingus fares will be about €600 for Chicago return. The Essex Inn at South Michigan Avenue will cost $120 (€96) per room per night, essexinn.com. Other similar three star hotels cost from €100-€120 per night.
Things to see indoors include the Willis Tower, the second-highest building in the US, the Shedd Aquarium, Field Museum of Natural History and the Art Institute of Chicago. You could also try ice skating in Millennium Park, see choosechicago.com for tourism information.
For shopping Water Tower Place has brands you will be familiar with, shopwatertower.com. There is a Premium Outlets mall at Aurora, Ilinois, which has upmarket brands. Take a bus from Chicago for $20, details from premiumoutlets.com.
The easiest way to get to Springfield is by train from Union Station. It takes three hours and there are regular connections. Prices are from $42 return if you book in advance at Amtrak. com. The bus costs about the same but takes longer.
My husband has always wanted to visit Pompeii and Herculaneum. We would like to do this over a long weekend next June. Would you have any suggestions for the trip. – GF, Dublin.
Aer Lingus returns to the Naples route next summer, the ideal airport for your trip to see Pompeii and Herculeneum. Fares will be about €200 return. You can easily explore the area by train and bus.
If you stay in Naples you can use the Circumvesuviana train to visit Pompeii and Herculaneum, it takes about 20-35 minutes, see timetable on eavcampania.it. Get off at Pompeii Scavi and for Herculaneum at Ercolano Scavi.
You can buy the entrance ticket there. The combined ticket is better value. Entrance on the first Sunday of each month is free to visitors from EU countries.
As Pompeii and Herculaneum are very busy sites it might be worth considering joining a guided tour to get to see as much as possible. There are usually guides around the ticket office. The restaurant gets really busy too and a picnic might be a good idea, especially if the weather is good.
In Naples, the Hotel Chiaja de Charme in the old town and near to the port, costs about €140 per night for two,hotelchiaia.it.
Are there any Irish companies providing travel insurance for persons with or recovering from cancer? – BB, Meath.
Travel insurance will be assessed on an individual basis and companies will require a lot of information before you get a quote. In some cases insurers will insure you for everything other than cancer. You will have to answer medical screening questions and will probably need a letter from your doctor or specialist.
The Irish Cancer Society, cancer.ie has a useful factsheet about insurance companies and brokers that can advise on travel insurance, see it here, http://bit.ly/1sDKANG. The Irish companies are Accident and General,accidentgeneral.ie, Get Cover, getcover.ie and the VHI.ie. There are a few UK-based companies that will insure Irish residents. Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
My daughter is studying in Springfield, Illinois, for a year and my husband, 17-year-old son and I are planning to visit. We need to go mid-term in February. We would like to spend a few days in Chicago before visiting her. Can you advise on thebest hotels, sights and most economical way to travel to Springfield? I would also like to do some shopping. We are on a tight budget. – DMD,Dublin.
Aer Lingus fares will be about €600 for Chicago return. The Essex Inn at South Michigan Avenue will cost $120 (€96) per room per night, essexinn.com. Other similar three star hotels cost from €100-€120 per night.
Things to see indoors include the Willis Tower, the second-highest building in the US, the Shedd Aquarium, Field Museum of Natural History and the Art Institute of Chicago. You could also try ice skating in Millennium Park, see choosechicago.com for tourism information.
For shopping Water Tower Place has brands you will be familiar with, shopwatertower.com. There is a Premium Outlets mall at Aurora, Ilinois, which has upmarket brands. Take a bus from Chicago for $20, details from premiumoutlets.com.
The easiest way to get to Springfield is by train from Union Station. It takes three hours and there are regular connections. Prices are from $42 return if you book in advance at Amtrak. com. The bus costs about the same but takes longer.
My husband has always wanted to visit Pompeii and Herculaneum. We would like to do this over a long weekend next June. Would you have any suggestions for the trip. – GF, Dublin.
Aer Lingus returns to the Naples route next summer, the ideal airport for your trip to see Pompeii and Herculeneum. Fares will be about €200 return. You can easily explore the area by train and bus.
If you stay in Naples you can use the Circumvesuviana train to visit Pompeii and Herculaneum, it takes about 20-35 minutes, see timetable on eavcampania.it. Get off at Pompeii Scavi and for Herculaneum at Ercolano Scavi.
You can buy the entrance ticket there. The combined ticket is better value. Entrance on the first Sunday of each month is free to visitors from EU countries.
As Pompeii and Herculaneum are very busy sites it might be worth considering joining a guided tour to get to see as much as possible. There are usually guides around the ticket office. The restaurant gets really busy too and a picnic might be a good idea, especially if the weather is good.
In Naples, the Hotel Chiaja de Charme in the old town and near to the port, costs about €140 per night for two,hotelchiaia.it.
Are there any Irish companies providing travel insurance for persons with or recovering from cancer? – BB, Meath.
Travel insurance will be assessed on an individual basis and companies will require a lot of information before you get a quote. In some cases insurers will insure you for everything other than cancer. You will have to answer medical screening questions and will probably need a letter from your doctor or specialist.
The Irish Cancer Society, cancer.ie has a useful factsheet about insurance companies and brokers that can advise on travel insurance, see it here, http://bit.ly/1sDKANG. The Irish companies are Accident and General,accidentgeneral.ie, Get Cover, getcover.ie and the VHI.ie. There are a few UK-based companies that will insure Irish residents. Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about travelling the rivers of Europe with a backpack, taking my husband to Bordeaux and fund in the snow, November 29, 2014
My wife and I want to travel the rivers of Europe, but the cruises all seem OTT to us, with food and gourmet offers. We want, turning 60, to travelwith rucksacks as in our 20s, independently and favouring local options. Isthis possible to do on the Rhine, Danube or the great rivers in France? Travel on the river from city to city by day, staying locally at night, getting back on again as you would on a train? – DD, Derry You can still be rucksack-carrying travellers on the Rhine, Main and Moselle rivers with K-D Koln Dusseldorfer Lines, k-d.com. This fleet of boats operates all along the rivers providing daily services to both small towns and bigger cities.
You can get on and off as you please, stopping wherever takes your fancy, staying a night or two, and then hopping back on again. The route from Rudesheim north to Koblenz will take you through the most picturesque part of the Rhine, the upper middle section, which is a Unesco World Heritage Site.
There are more than 20 castles and stately homes to see and, of course, the mystical Lorelei. Along the Moselle the journey takes you through vineyards and romantic villages of the Palatinate.
Accommodation along the river is reasonable. Small hotels will cost about €30-€50 per night and you can usually book as you go along. See, the Germany.travel website for more information.
The other rivers of Europe tend to be more focused on the all-inclusive river cruises and commercial traffic and do not offer the same opportunity to travel from place to place by boat.
My husband will be 50 next year and loves Bordeaux wines. I would like to organise a five-day trip with our eight-year-old daughter with a wine course and tasting activity for him. Where is a good place to stay? What family activities would you recommend in Bordeaux? Will we need to rent a car? – BM, Offaly Bordeaux is an ideal city to visit and you will not need a car. You can walk about easily or take the tram. The city of wine is perfect for your husband to enjoy his hobby. You will find a great variety of wine classes, tours and visits on bordeaux-tourisme.com.
The website also has a whole section devoted to things to do for families with children of all ages. The Mercure Hotels are a nice French group and will have rooms for three and prices from €82-€99 per night, mercure.com.
A group of friends aged 32-50 want to spend a week in an alpine destination in January or February. While we might try skiing one or two days, we would just like to stay in a chalet in a resort that has plenty to do, with some decent nightlife. – AC, Dublin Unless any of the group has skied before I would not recommend trying it: it is a sport that has to be learned from a qualified instructor. Or beforehand you could take lessons in the Ski Club of Ireland in Kilternan,skiclub.ie or Ski Ireland in Sandyford, skicentre.ie. Alpine ski resorts are one to three hours’ transfer from airports.
Austria tends to have fun resorts and places like St Johann, Soll and Zell am See all have good nightlife and winter activities other than skiing. In France, Meribel is a good resort for nightlife and things to do with an ice rink and large indoor leisure centre.
The main tour operators from Ireland for ski are Topflight.ie, Crystalski.ie andHighlife.ie and they all have chalet accommodation.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
My wife and I want to travel the rivers of Europe, but the cruises all seem OTT to us, with food and gourmet offers. We want, turning 60, to travelwith rucksacks as in our 20s, independently and favouring local options. Isthis possible to do on the Rhine, Danube or the great rivers in France? Travel on the river from city to city by day, staying locally at night, getting back on again as you would on a train? – DD, Derry You can still be rucksack-carrying travellers on the Rhine, Main and Moselle rivers with K-D Koln Dusseldorfer Lines, k-d.com. This fleet of boats operates all along the rivers providing daily services to both small towns and bigger cities.
You can get on and off as you please, stopping wherever takes your fancy, staying a night or two, and then hopping back on again. The route from Rudesheim north to Koblenz will take you through the most picturesque part of the Rhine, the upper middle section, which is a Unesco World Heritage Site.
There are more than 20 castles and stately homes to see and, of course, the mystical Lorelei. Along the Moselle the journey takes you through vineyards and romantic villages of the Palatinate.
Accommodation along the river is reasonable. Small hotels will cost about €30-€50 per night and you can usually book as you go along. See, the Germany.travel website for more information.
The other rivers of Europe tend to be more focused on the all-inclusive river cruises and commercial traffic and do not offer the same opportunity to travel from place to place by boat.
My husband will be 50 next year and loves Bordeaux wines. I would like to organise a five-day trip with our eight-year-old daughter with a wine course and tasting activity for him. Where is a good place to stay? What family activities would you recommend in Bordeaux? Will we need to rent a car? – BM, Offaly Bordeaux is an ideal city to visit and you will not need a car. You can walk about easily or take the tram. The city of wine is perfect for your husband to enjoy his hobby. You will find a great variety of wine classes, tours and visits on bordeaux-tourisme.com.
The website also has a whole section devoted to things to do for families with children of all ages. The Mercure Hotels are a nice French group and will have rooms for three and prices from €82-€99 per night, mercure.com.
A group of friends aged 32-50 want to spend a week in an alpine destination in January or February. While we might try skiing one or two days, we would just like to stay in a chalet in a resort that has plenty to do, with some decent nightlife. – AC, Dublin Unless any of the group has skied before I would not recommend trying it: it is a sport that has to be learned from a qualified instructor. Or beforehand you could take lessons in the Ski Club of Ireland in Kilternan,skiclub.ie or Ski Ireland in Sandyford, skicentre.ie. Alpine ski resorts are one to three hours’ transfer from airports.
Austria tends to have fun resorts and places like St Johann, Soll and Zell am See all have good nightlife and winter activities other than skiing. In France, Meribel is a good resort for nightlife and things to do with an ice rink and large indoor leisure centre.
The main tour operators from Ireland for ski are Topflight.ie, Crystalski.ie andHighlife.ie and they all have chalet accommodation.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about a special holiday for my birthday,finding murder and mystery in Ireland. November 22, 2014
I am 60 on January 2nd and want to celebrate. I would like to go somewhere warm and welcoming, where myself and my long- suffering husband can really step away from the constant demands of our working lives to enjoy excellent food and wine, and be pampered in lovely surroundings with a nice host.
I have saved long and hard and have a good budget to spend? South Africa seems easy with the time difference as we just have two weeks before return to the grindstone. PK, Co Down
Taking into account the time of year and the level of comfort you would like, I think we need to look to South Africa, the Caribbean or Thailand. South Africa at that time of the year will be lovely and you can certainly combine good food, wine and comfort.
It would be a pity to go so far and not experience something of the wildlife. My suggestions are to do a few days on safari, a visit to the Winelands and a luxury resort hotel. Kruger Park has amazing resorts; I can suggest the Boulder Lodge (singita.com) and Sabi Sands Reserve (sabisand.co.za).
In the Eastern Cape, the Shamwari Game Reserve is malaria-free and has some interesting conservation programmes. It’s also very relaxing (shamwari.com). For top-notch luxury, consider the Red Carnation Hotels. They have three properties in South Africa, two on the coast with great ocean views.
In the Caribbean, I love the British Virgin Islands, where there are some lovely resorts. One to consider is Sugar Mill Hotel on Tortola, a small, charming property with great food and service (sugarmillhotel.com).
With direct connections from Dublin via Dubai or Abu Dhabi, Thailand isn’t so far away. It is only two flights to the holiday island of Phuket, where there are many fabulous hotels. Chiva Som is one of the most famous, and has been consistently voted in the top spa resorts for years.
To get the best value and security for your budget, it would be smart to book through a travel agent. Agents often get better rates in hotels as well. In Co Down, see NI Travel Agency of the Year Knocktravel.com and DowneTravel in Downpatrick.
For packages from Dublin, you could contact Topflightworldwide.ie, Sunway.ie andtropicalsky.ie.
I’m hoping to organise a murder mystery night with dinner experience for my husband’s 40th birthday next year. Does anyone in Ireland do this type of thing, or do I need to find a small house/castle and organise the murder mystery bit myself? We will be 12 couples, so would need somewhere with approximately 12 bedrooms. RO, Dublin
That’s a great idea for a party and, as you have a good-size group, you should be able to organise it as a private event. There are quite a few hotels around the country that put on these weekends. There are also some lovely smaller venues where you could have exclusive use.
Go to murderonthemenu.ie, where Bruce Henry organises individual events. Small castles to rent include darvercastle.ie and smarmorecastle.com, both in Co Louth. Or properties from the Hidden Ireland (hiddenireland.ie) or Blue Book collections (irelands-blue-book.ie) may be ideal, especially for atmosphere.
Hotels that have mystery events include Foxford Lodge in Mayo (foxfordlodge.ie), the Yeats Country Hotel (yeatscountryhotel.com), Renvyle House (renvyle.com) in Galway, the Sheraton in Athlone (sheratonathlonehotel.com) and Bray’s Royal Hotel (royalhotel.ie).
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
I am 60 on January 2nd and want to celebrate. I would like to go somewhere warm and welcoming, where myself and my long- suffering husband can really step away from the constant demands of our working lives to enjoy excellent food and wine, and be pampered in lovely surroundings with a nice host.
I have saved long and hard and have a good budget to spend? South Africa seems easy with the time difference as we just have two weeks before return to the grindstone. PK, Co Down
Taking into account the time of year and the level of comfort you would like, I think we need to look to South Africa, the Caribbean or Thailand. South Africa at that time of the year will be lovely and you can certainly combine good food, wine and comfort.
It would be a pity to go so far and not experience something of the wildlife. My suggestions are to do a few days on safari, a visit to the Winelands and a luxury resort hotel. Kruger Park has amazing resorts; I can suggest the Boulder Lodge (singita.com) and Sabi Sands Reserve (sabisand.co.za).
In the Eastern Cape, the Shamwari Game Reserve is malaria-free and has some interesting conservation programmes. It’s also very relaxing (shamwari.com). For top-notch luxury, consider the Red Carnation Hotels. They have three properties in South Africa, two on the coast with great ocean views.
In the Caribbean, I love the British Virgin Islands, where there are some lovely resorts. One to consider is Sugar Mill Hotel on Tortola, a small, charming property with great food and service (sugarmillhotel.com).
With direct connections from Dublin via Dubai or Abu Dhabi, Thailand isn’t so far away. It is only two flights to the holiday island of Phuket, where there are many fabulous hotels. Chiva Som is one of the most famous, and has been consistently voted in the top spa resorts for years.
To get the best value and security for your budget, it would be smart to book through a travel agent. Agents often get better rates in hotels as well. In Co Down, see NI Travel Agency of the Year Knocktravel.com and DowneTravel in Downpatrick.
For packages from Dublin, you could contact Topflightworldwide.ie, Sunway.ie andtropicalsky.ie.
I’m hoping to organise a murder mystery night with dinner experience for my husband’s 40th birthday next year. Does anyone in Ireland do this type of thing, or do I need to find a small house/castle and organise the murder mystery bit myself? We will be 12 couples, so would need somewhere with approximately 12 bedrooms. RO, Dublin
That’s a great idea for a party and, as you have a good-size group, you should be able to organise it as a private event. There are quite a few hotels around the country that put on these weekends. There are also some lovely smaller venues where you could have exclusive use.
Go to murderonthemenu.ie, where Bruce Henry organises individual events. Small castles to rent include darvercastle.ie and smarmorecastle.com, both in Co Louth. Or properties from the Hidden Ireland (hiddenireland.ie) or Blue Book collections (irelands-blue-book.ie) may be ideal, especially for atmosphere.
Hotels that have mystery events include Foxford Lodge in Mayo (foxfordlodge.ie), the Yeats Country Hotel (yeatscountryhotel.com), Renvyle House (renvyle.com) in Galway, the Sheraton in Athlone (sheratonathlonehotel.com) and Bray’s Royal Hotel (royalhotel.ie).
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan, when is the best time to go to Russia, where to find the best travel deals, finding someone to transfer our luggage on the Dingle Way, Nov, 15, 2014
My husband has a significant birthday this year and I would like to treat him to five days in Moscow. Can you advise me when is the best time of year to go, where to stay, hotels etc? My budget would be about €1,200 for flights and accommodation but I could stretch it if there was something special that you would recommend. CG, Clare
There are some great guided tours from Ireland to Russia but most are for up to nine days and cost in the region of €1,500 each. You would need to be looking at spring next year, from the end of April onwards for a good time to visit to Moscow, and also for better prices.
With some early planning you should be able to do Moscow with flights and accommodation within your budget. Easyjet has started a service from London Gatwick to Moscow and prices at present in May are about £100 (€127); with a Shannon to Gatwick flight from Ryanair at about €50, you are looking at a great deal on this routing. Depending on timings you may have to overnight in Gatwick.
Hotels too, if booked in advance will mean budgeting from €100 per room per night for a three or four star property in the city centre, leaving money in the fund for some city tours. See hotels.com and booking.com for good deals.
You will need a visa. This can be obtained from the Russian embassy in Rathgar, Dublin,Ireland.mid.ru. You will also need to accompany your application with a letter/voucher from the hotel you book. See Moscow.info for tourist information.
I would like to receive a regular email newsletter from a website that gives information on inexpensive holidays, whereby you simply put in the dates of departure, give or take a day or two, and it gives you all the options.
On most sites you have to put in your destination first, but I always want to look first at what is available on the dates that I can go and base my decision on that. I would love to not have to keep entering destinations all the time: it makes searching more of a chore. MW, Dublin
I know exactly what you mean and it is very hard to find a one-stop website like that. There a few that may be of some help. Holidaysonline.ie will show availability, mostly charter and sun resorts, if you leave out the destination in the search field.
Lowcostholidays.ie has a Specials area on its site. Here you can put in a month and choose from city breaks, sun holidays or worldwide destinations and a variety of offers will come up.
On the Ryanair website there is a Fare Finder option, on the third line down on the first page. Using the sliders, you can choose your dates and maximum price and a selection of cities comes up.
There is also Skyscanner.net where you can search flight options from any airport to any destination. Ebookers.ie will also show options without your putting in the destination and then shows lowest price first.
Some friends and I are planning to walk the Dingle Way next spring, probably over eight days. Are there any firms which offer baggage transport between overnight locations? JH, Belfast
The Dingle Way is a popular route for walkers and there are companies that can provide a luggage transfer service. Dingleshuttlebus.com and autocabs.com will take your luggage from your accommodation to the next point each day. For a one vehicle transfer, prices will be about €20.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
My husband has a significant birthday this year and I would like to treat him to five days in Moscow. Can you advise me when is the best time of year to go, where to stay, hotels etc? My budget would be about €1,200 for flights and accommodation but I could stretch it if there was something special that you would recommend. CG, Clare
There are some great guided tours from Ireland to Russia but most are for up to nine days and cost in the region of €1,500 each. You would need to be looking at spring next year, from the end of April onwards for a good time to visit to Moscow, and also for better prices.
With some early planning you should be able to do Moscow with flights and accommodation within your budget. Easyjet has started a service from London Gatwick to Moscow and prices at present in May are about £100 (€127); with a Shannon to Gatwick flight from Ryanair at about €50, you are looking at a great deal on this routing. Depending on timings you may have to overnight in Gatwick.
Hotels too, if booked in advance will mean budgeting from €100 per room per night for a three or four star property in the city centre, leaving money in the fund for some city tours. See hotels.com and booking.com for good deals.
You will need a visa. This can be obtained from the Russian embassy in Rathgar, Dublin,Ireland.mid.ru. You will also need to accompany your application with a letter/voucher from the hotel you book. See Moscow.info for tourist information.
I would like to receive a regular email newsletter from a website that gives information on inexpensive holidays, whereby you simply put in the dates of departure, give or take a day or two, and it gives you all the options.
On most sites you have to put in your destination first, but I always want to look first at what is available on the dates that I can go and base my decision on that. I would love to not have to keep entering destinations all the time: it makes searching more of a chore. MW, Dublin
I know exactly what you mean and it is very hard to find a one-stop website like that. There a few that may be of some help. Holidaysonline.ie will show availability, mostly charter and sun resorts, if you leave out the destination in the search field.
Lowcostholidays.ie has a Specials area on its site. Here you can put in a month and choose from city breaks, sun holidays or worldwide destinations and a variety of offers will come up.
On the Ryanair website there is a Fare Finder option, on the third line down on the first page. Using the sliders, you can choose your dates and maximum price and a selection of cities comes up.
There is also Skyscanner.net where you can search flight options from any airport to any destination. Ebookers.ie will also show options without your putting in the destination and then shows lowest price first.
Some friends and I are planning to walk the Dingle Way next spring, probably over eight days. Are there any firms which offer baggage transport between overnight locations? JH, Belfast
The Dingle Way is a popular route for walkers and there are companies that can provide a luggage transfer service. Dingleshuttlebus.com and autocabs.com will take your luggage from your accommodation to the next point each day. For a one vehicle transfer, prices will be about €20.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Chios Island, Greece
Ask Joan about a honeymoon with diving, cycling and hiking, finding a nice hotel in Ireland for a special birthday and day cruises from Nice, Nov. 8, 2014
I’m looking for suggestions for a honeymoon, preferably in Europe. Nice beaches, with activities such as scuba diving, hill-walking and cycling would be a bonus. – James, Dublin 8
That sounds like a very active honeymoon and there are quite a few places in Europe suitable for action and relaxation together.
Chios, despite being the fifth largest of the Greek islands, is not one of the main tourist destinations. It has some great scuba diving around caves, rocks and reefs, and good hiking and cycling routes. It is an ancient island with ruins from many centuries and some interesting museums. It can be accessed via Athens with en.aegeanair.com.
See discoverchios.com and chios-scuba-diving.gr/en.
Another island with a great range of high quality hotels and a reputation for spoiling honeymooners is Cyprus. It is also a place where you can dive the wreck of the Zenobiawhich foundered on its maiden voyage and is bigger than a football field.
Cyprus also has extensive bike trails all over the island and hiking routes in the Troodos mountains. See visitcyprus.com.
I have met a number of people who told me they learned to dive on the island of Gozo, a satellite island of Malta. It has good hill walking and cliff walking, particularly Ta’Cenc, and is a quiet place to relax. There is a Kempinski hotel, kempinski.com and the Ta’Cenc hotel, tacenc.com, both with spas. Malta is easy to get to from here with direct Ryanair flights, see visitgozo.com.
Could you help me find a hotel in Ireland at which to celebrate my mother’s 70th birthday next June? We live in Westport and don’t want to travel too far. There will be 11 adults and six children. Ideally, we would like to stay for two nights with dinner on one of the evenings. A pool would be an added bonus. – MC, Mayo
Within a reasonable distance of Westport there is a good variety of hotels that would be suitable. Kilronan Castle in Roscommon was the ancestral home of the Tennisons. It is now a luxurious hotel with spa and swimming pool. There are also self-catering houses in the grounds. A weekend with dinner will cost from €189pps in June. Tel: 071-9618000, kilronancastle.ie.
In Sligo, the Clarion hotel is an ideal place for all generations; there is a pool and crazy golf for the children, a spa and lots of nice nooks and crannies for relaxing. It is on the outskirts of Sligo town with its good selection of places to eat. Rooms are very spacious. Two nights B&B with dinner would cost from €169pps. Tel: 071-9119000, clarionhotelsligo.com.
If you ventured to Galway city there would be plenty for everyone to do. The Galway Bay Hotel is a family-friendly place in Salthill with good-size rooms and a swimming pool. Weekend packages will cost from €175pps. Tel: 091-520520, galwaybayhotel.com
Can you provide details of day or shorter sea cruises from Nice to neighbouring resorts and harbours? – DH, Dublin
It is possible to do day trips from Nice to Cannes, Monaco, St Tropez and Ile St Marguerite with Trans Cote D’Azur line. The routes are seasonal and you would need to check and book in advance. The pick-up point is Quai Lunel in the port. See trans-cote-azur.co.uk.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
I’m looking for suggestions for a honeymoon, preferably in Europe. Nice beaches, with activities such as scuba diving, hill-walking and cycling would be a bonus. – James, Dublin 8
That sounds like a very active honeymoon and there are quite a few places in Europe suitable for action and relaxation together.
Chios, despite being the fifth largest of the Greek islands, is not one of the main tourist destinations. It has some great scuba diving around caves, rocks and reefs, and good hiking and cycling routes. It is an ancient island with ruins from many centuries and some interesting museums. It can be accessed via Athens with en.aegeanair.com.
See discoverchios.com and chios-scuba-diving.gr/en.
Another island with a great range of high quality hotels and a reputation for spoiling honeymooners is Cyprus. It is also a place where you can dive the wreck of the Zenobiawhich foundered on its maiden voyage and is bigger than a football field.
Cyprus also has extensive bike trails all over the island and hiking routes in the Troodos mountains. See visitcyprus.com.
I have met a number of people who told me they learned to dive on the island of Gozo, a satellite island of Malta. It has good hill walking and cliff walking, particularly Ta’Cenc, and is a quiet place to relax. There is a Kempinski hotel, kempinski.com and the Ta’Cenc hotel, tacenc.com, both with spas. Malta is easy to get to from here with direct Ryanair flights, see visitgozo.com.
Could you help me find a hotel in Ireland at which to celebrate my mother’s 70th birthday next June? We live in Westport and don’t want to travel too far. There will be 11 adults and six children. Ideally, we would like to stay for two nights with dinner on one of the evenings. A pool would be an added bonus. – MC, Mayo
Within a reasonable distance of Westport there is a good variety of hotels that would be suitable. Kilronan Castle in Roscommon was the ancestral home of the Tennisons. It is now a luxurious hotel with spa and swimming pool. There are also self-catering houses in the grounds. A weekend with dinner will cost from €189pps in June. Tel: 071-9618000, kilronancastle.ie.
In Sligo, the Clarion hotel is an ideal place for all generations; there is a pool and crazy golf for the children, a spa and lots of nice nooks and crannies for relaxing. It is on the outskirts of Sligo town with its good selection of places to eat. Rooms are very spacious. Two nights B&B with dinner would cost from €169pps. Tel: 071-9119000, clarionhotelsligo.com.
If you ventured to Galway city there would be plenty for everyone to do. The Galway Bay Hotel is a family-friendly place in Salthill with good-size rooms and a swimming pool. Weekend packages will cost from €175pps. Tel: 091-520520, galwaybayhotel.com
Can you provide details of day or shorter sea cruises from Nice to neighbouring resorts and harbours? – DH, Dublin
It is possible to do day trips from Nice to Cannes, Monaco, St Tropez and Ile St Marguerite with Trans Cote D’Azur line. The routes are seasonal and you would need to check and book in advance. The pick-up point is Quai Lunel in the port. See trans-cote-azur.co.uk.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about visiting our daughter in Jyväskylä, finding a place in Oxford and an all inclusive trip to Fuerteventura. Nov. 1, 2014.
Our daughter goes to the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, for one semester in January 2015. Is there a direct flight from Dublin to Jyväskylä, or what are her options, taking into account the cost of flights and possible train transfers? We would also like to visit her for four days around the midterm break in February. Where do you recommend we base ourselves, Helsinki or Jyväskylä? What places are of interest to see there?
Jyväskylä is in central Finland, 270km from the capital, Helsinki. There are no direct flights to either city from Ireland until March 30th, when Finnair returns with a six-times-a-week Helsinki service.
Your daughter can fly through Copenhagen to Helsinki with flySAS.ie or Norwegian. com and then take the train. Prices for flights will be in the region of €280 to €400 return. Make sure she has enough time to get to the train and to Jyväskylä, which is more than three hours away. See train timetables and ticket prices on vr.fi.
If you visit her it would be nice to divide the time between both cities. There may be an opportunity to enjoy some winter outdoor activities, such as ice skating on the frozen lakes, in central Finland. There is also a museum devoted to the Finnish architect Alvor Aalto.
In Helsinki, the Unesco world heritage site, Suomenlinna, an island 15 minutes from the city, is a must. It has a huge fortress, a museum, exhibitions, restaurants and walks. See suomenlinna/fi/en and discoveringfinland.com.
My husband will be 80 next January, and we as a family – four sons, their partners and our two granddaughters – would love to be together to celebrate. We’d like to be in an interesting village or rural place, self-catering in a house or cottage large enough to fit us all. The difficulty is that we live in midwest Ireland, and Shannon is our nearest airport. Two sonslive in Bristol, one in Bedfordshire and another in east London. We thinkwe could meet somewhere midway, perhaps the Oxford area. – MG, Limerick
Oxford is probably a good choice as there are lovely places to rent in the Cotswolds. You can fly from Shannon to Heathrow and take the bus to Oxford city or arrange for the Bristol-based couples to collect you, as it would be on their way.
You will see a fine selection of typical Cotswold properties on ownersdirect.co.uk. Prices range from hundreds to thousands, but I thought Owl Barn, in Bampton, looked lovely (property E12103).
We would like some advice on all-inclusive holidays in Fuerteventura over the winter. – KST, Dublin
Fuerteventura is one of the more recently developed Canary Islands and has extensive beaches and dunes. It is recognised by the UN as a biosphere resort. A good variety of accommodation is available.
Las Marismas de Corralejo is in the main town and offers apartment-style accommodation a short stroll from the beach, with a variety of options: all-inclusive, half-board, B&B or room-only. Prices range from €784 to €1,064 for two, half-board and all-inclusive, without flights. See lasmarismasdecorralejo.com.
The Barceló Castillo Beach Resort is at Caleta de Fuste, the other main resort on the island. It has three pools and an adults-only area. Prices range from €759 to €1,074 for two, half-board or all-inclusive, without flights.
You can book both these at clickandgo.com (01-6371699) and enjoy the services of a travel agent and keener prices. Ryanair and Aer Lingus fly to Fuerteventura.
Our daughter goes to the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, for one semester in January 2015. Is there a direct flight from Dublin to Jyväskylä, or what are her options, taking into account the cost of flights and possible train transfers? We would also like to visit her for four days around the midterm break in February. Where do you recommend we base ourselves, Helsinki or Jyväskylä? What places are of interest to see there?
Jyväskylä is in central Finland, 270km from the capital, Helsinki. There are no direct flights to either city from Ireland until March 30th, when Finnair returns with a six-times-a-week Helsinki service.
Your daughter can fly through Copenhagen to Helsinki with flySAS.ie or Norwegian. com and then take the train. Prices for flights will be in the region of €280 to €400 return. Make sure she has enough time to get to the train and to Jyväskylä, which is more than three hours away. See train timetables and ticket prices on vr.fi.
If you visit her it would be nice to divide the time between both cities. There may be an opportunity to enjoy some winter outdoor activities, such as ice skating on the frozen lakes, in central Finland. There is also a museum devoted to the Finnish architect Alvor Aalto.
In Helsinki, the Unesco world heritage site, Suomenlinna, an island 15 minutes from the city, is a must. It has a huge fortress, a museum, exhibitions, restaurants and walks. See suomenlinna/fi/en and discoveringfinland.com.
My husband will be 80 next January, and we as a family – four sons, their partners and our two granddaughters – would love to be together to celebrate. We’d like to be in an interesting village or rural place, self-catering in a house or cottage large enough to fit us all. The difficulty is that we live in midwest Ireland, and Shannon is our nearest airport. Two sonslive in Bristol, one in Bedfordshire and another in east London. We thinkwe could meet somewhere midway, perhaps the Oxford area. – MG, Limerick
Oxford is probably a good choice as there are lovely places to rent in the Cotswolds. You can fly from Shannon to Heathrow and take the bus to Oxford city or arrange for the Bristol-based couples to collect you, as it would be on their way.
You will see a fine selection of typical Cotswold properties on ownersdirect.co.uk. Prices range from hundreds to thousands, but I thought Owl Barn, in Bampton, looked lovely (property E12103).
We would like some advice on all-inclusive holidays in Fuerteventura over the winter. – KST, Dublin
Fuerteventura is one of the more recently developed Canary Islands and has extensive beaches and dunes. It is recognised by the UN as a biosphere resort. A good variety of accommodation is available.
Las Marismas de Corralejo is in the main town and offers apartment-style accommodation a short stroll from the beach, with a variety of options: all-inclusive, half-board, B&B or room-only. Prices range from €784 to €1,064 for two, half-board and all-inclusive, without flights. See lasmarismasdecorralejo.com.
The Barceló Castillo Beach Resort is at Caleta de Fuste, the other main resort on the island. It has three pools and an adults-only area. Prices range from €759 to €1,074 for two, half-board or all-inclusive, without flights.
You can book both these at clickandgo.com (01-6371699) and enjoy the services of a travel agent and keener prices. Ryanair and Aer Lingus fly to Fuerteventura.
Ask Joan about taking sons to a Manchester United game, a big trip to Canada and going to the Fat Duck, Oct. 25,
I want to treat my two sons to a trip to see their favourite football team, Manchester United, play in the Premiership, preferably at home. How do I go about organising this trip and getting tickets in a reasonably cheap way?– PH, Dublin A number of travel agents arrange packages for football matches inEngland. An overnight to see Manchester United play a Premiership match at Old Trafford with a seated Quadrants ticket, tour of the trophy room and museum and an overnight in a hotel costs from €179pps; day trips cost €149pps.
Flights to Manchester cost as little as €20 return with Ryanair, celtichorizontours.com, abbeytravel.ie and keithprowse.ie.
You can book tickets on the Manchester United website. Adult tickets to Premiership games cost from £41; over 16 from £22 under 16 £13 if you are club members. If not, add £32 for adults and £22 for children for memberships, manutd.com.
My friend and I plan to travel to Canada in May 2015. We are looking at a cruise to the Arctic and also doing the Rocky Mountaineer. We don’t like big cruise ships: a smaller Canadian company would be preferred. We would like to use public transport and reasonably priced hotels. In all, we would spend around three weeks in Canada and would be budget conscious. – AC, Down
There will be plenty of flights to Canada again next year with Aer Lingus, Air Canada,Air Transat and Westjet. Smaller ships cruising to the Arctic are thousands of dollars more expensive than the bigger liners, see alaskacruiseexperts.com for some idea of prices.
The Rocky Mountaineer is also expensive, with the cheapest package for May for two days and one night in the Redleaf service from €730pps. You can get around usingViarail.ca, the national rail network. They also cover the Rockies, with services to and from Vancouver, at slightly lower prices. They also offer rail tours.
Next year John Galligan Travel will have a tour of Canada that will include the Rocky Mountaineer and an Alaskan cruise from about €4,995pps, jgt.ie, 00353-1-207 6555. You could also talk to Canadian Affair, the tour company of Air Transat. They have a good selection of holidays at keen prices, canadianaffair.ie, 028-90243999.
My boyfriend is turning 30 next year and I would love to surprise him by bringing him to Heston Blumenthal’s restaurant, the Fat Duck, in Berkshire, England. I was wondering if you could advise on the best place to fly into and where we should stay. Are there any other attractions nearby? I would be looking for a budget-friendly option.
– FW, Dublin
The Fat Duck is relocating to Melbourne, Australia from February 2015 for six months, so it is even busier than usual. Reservations, at fatduck.co.uk, can only be made up to two months in advance and you have a better chance of getting a table for lunch than dinner. The Fat Duck is in Bray, a suburb of Maidenhead – which is quite an enclave for great restaurants . Bray also has Hinds Head, Waterside Inn, Hand and Flowers and The Crown.
Maidenhead is 40-50 minutes from London Paddington so you could stay in London where there is a good selection of budget hotels like Travel Lodge and Premier Inn.
There is also a variety of hotels in the Maidenhead area, and you are close to Windsor to explore too. Heathrow is the nearest airport.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Stylish coffee tray in bedroom
Andaz London
Ask Joan about a trip to London to explore markets and fashion, finding fun in Ireland for a short break, October, 18, 2014.
My girlfriend loves exploring and shopping in markets so I would like to take her to London for a weekend where she could indulge her passion for fashion. Can you suggest a few things we would enjoy? – ED, Dublin
London has so much to offer all generations and I think the area around the City and Shoreditch would appeal to you and your girlfriend. It has gone through a tremendous regeneration in recent years and is really on trend.
If you want to push the boat out the Andaz Hotel at Liverpool Street is a great weekend bargain. Rates during the week are from £366 (€466) and drop to £190 (€243) at weekends. It is a five star hotel with great restaurants, lively bars and lovely personal service.
It is right at Liverpool Street, so perfect for coming from Stansted or London City airports, andaz.hyatt.com. It is also has a Masonic Temple, which they might show you, if you ask.
At the other end of the budget the Travel Lodge at Harrow Place is very reasonably priced and if you book in advance it can be under £100 (€128) per night, travellodge.com.
Spitalfields Market is a must especially on Saturdays when it is dedicated to fashion, spitalfields.co.uk. Sunday is the best day for Brick Lane Market, where you can browse for unusual clothes, jewellery and bric-a-brac.
It is also a cornucopia of ethnic foods from the Bangladeshi curry houses to original Jewish bagels and everything in between. Sunday is also Petticoat Lane market day and stalls are up from early.
If she likes food markets, then visit Borough Market. Stalls are full of the best food in Britain and Europe with lots of stalls and restaurants for buying ready prepared meals. It lies in the shadow of Southwark Cathedral and now the Shard.
Eating out places to check out include Sushi Sambo on the 38th floor of Heron Tower,Albion Caff on Boundary Street, Hawksmoor on Commercial St for posh eats, Polo Bar on Bishopsgate for late night snacks and Dirty Martini also on Bishopsgate for clubbing.
We are two friends with limited resources and would love to have a bit of craic and entertainment for a few days in Ireland.
– GS, Kildare.
Going to a town when there is a festival on is usually great fun. There is normally music in the pubs, and free events to go to.
The Guinness Jazz Festival has been transforming Cork for many years and the music has become more eclectic over time. This year Imelda May and the Frank and Walters are also featuring. Hotels in Cork are pretty pricey for the festival but I have seen some nice accommodation on airbnb.com from €45-€100 per night for two. See what other festivals are coming up on discoverireland.ie.
Other fun towns include Kenmare, where you could stay in the Kenmare Bay Hotel for three nights midweek, or two nights at the weekend for €99pps with dinner one evening, kenmarebayhotel.com. Clonakilty has a reputation for good music and QualityInnClonakilty.com has offers from €54pps including dinner.
Galway is lively all year round, most pubs have music and there is a lot to see. Find hotels under €100 per night on booking.com, and B&Bs on bandbireland.com.
Westport is another fun town with good food, craic and music. The Harbour Mill apartments are €269 for four nights in a two-bedroom property. Or the Wyatt and Mill Times hotels have good prices around €60pps with dinner.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
My girlfriend loves exploring and shopping in markets so I would like to take her to London for a weekend where she could indulge her passion for fashion. Can you suggest a few things we would enjoy? – ED, Dublin
London has so much to offer all generations and I think the area around the City and Shoreditch would appeal to you and your girlfriend. It has gone through a tremendous regeneration in recent years and is really on trend.
If you want to push the boat out the Andaz Hotel at Liverpool Street is a great weekend bargain. Rates during the week are from £366 (€466) and drop to £190 (€243) at weekends. It is a five star hotel with great restaurants, lively bars and lovely personal service.
It is right at Liverpool Street, so perfect for coming from Stansted or London City airports, andaz.hyatt.com. It is also has a Masonic Temple, which they might show you, if you ask.
At the other end of the budget the Travel Lodge at Harrow Place is very reasonably priced and if you book in advance it can be under £100 (€128) per night, travellodge.com.
Spitalfields Market is a must especially on Saturdays when it is dedicated to fashion, spitalfields.co.uk. Sunday is the best day for Brick Lane Market, where you can browse for unusual clothes, jewellery and bric-a-brac.
It is also a cornucopia of ethnic foods from the Bangladeshi curry houses to original Jewish bagels and everything in between. Sunday is also Petticoat Lane market day and stalls are up from early.
If she likes food markets, then visit Borough Market. Stalls are full of the best food in Britain and Europe with lots of stalls and restaurants for buying ready prepared meals. It lies in the shadow of Southwark Cathedral and now the Shard.
Eating out places to check out include Sushi Sambo on the 38th floor of Heron Tower,Albion Caff on Boundary Street, Hawksmoor on Commercial St for posh eats, Polo Bar on Bishopsgate for late night snacks and Dirty Martini also on Bishopsgate for clubbing.
We are two friends with limited resources and would love to have a bit of craic and entertainment for a few days in Ireland.
– GS, Kildare.
Going to a town when there is a festival on is usually great fun. There is normally music in the pubs, and free events to go to.
The Guinness Jazz Festival has been transforming Cork for many years and the music has become more eclectic over time. This year Imelda May and the Frank and Walters are also featuring. Hotels in Cork are pretty pricey for the festival but I have seen some nice accommodation on airbnb.com from €45-€100 per night for two. See what other festivals are coming up on discoverireland.ie.
Other fun towns include Kenmare, where you could stay in the Kenmare Bay Hotel for three nights midweek, or two nights at the weekend for €99pps with dinner one evening, kenmarebayhotel.com. Clonakilty has a reputation for good music and QualityInnClonakilty.com has offers from €54pps including dinner.
Galway is lively all year round, most pubs have music and there is a lot to see. Find hotels under €100 per night on booking.com, and B&Bs on bandbireland.com.
Westport is another fun town with good food, craic and music. The Harbour Mill apartments are €269 for four nights in a two-bedroom property. Or the Wyatt and Mill Times hotels have good prices around €60pps with dinner.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about going to Dollywood and finding the Crooked Road and going to Titanic Belfast with the family, Oct. 11, 2014
My husband and I would like to take our three children (nine, 11 & 13) to the Titanic Exhibition in Belfast during the mid-term break in October. Where should we stay and how can we make the most of our inaugural Belfast trip? – DD, Kilkenny
You are picking a great time to go to Belfast as there are lots of things on that week including the Belfast Festival at Queens, belfastfestival.com. One of the events for the festival is Hannavas – a display of large scale mechanical animals at Botanic Gardens,
Titanic Belfast is a fantastic attraction. Allow a few hours to explore the galleries, book on titanicbelfast.com to get a 5 per cent discount. A walking tour of the Docks area is also interesting.
Crumlin Road Gaol is transforming into the Gaol of Horrors, a scary attraction for Hallowe’en, book on crulimroadgaol.com. The Belfast Giants, ice hockey team will have a match at the Odyssey Arena on Hallowe’en, belfastgiants.com.
W5 at the Odyssey is also a fun interactive science museum. On Sundays mornings St George’s Market is a good spot for food and music. See visit-belfast.com for more ideas of things to do.
Hotel rooms for five are rare but the Malone Lodge Hotel has apartments too.
A two-bedroom unit would be ideal for your family and would cost about €500 for three nights, malonelodgehotelbelfast.com.
The following hotels have interconnecting rooms: The Hilton, Fitzwilliam, Ramada Hotel Shaws Bridge, Holiday Inn Express and Jurys Inn Belfast. Websites on visit-belfast.com.
My wife is a big fan of Dolly Parton and bluegrass music and I was hoping to surprise her with a visit to Dollywood, possibly taking in a section of the Crooked Road. I’d like to take our two children with us, wallet allowing. Is it possible to do both Dollywood and the Crooked Road? Where would be best to fly into? Would there be a suitable base or is it more of a road trip? And is there a best time of year to go? – PD, Meath If you like driving and would be comfortable on American roads it would be possible combine both your interests. The nearest airport to Dollywood from Ireland is Charlotte in North Carolina. USAirways.com has a seasonal service each summer, so far prices are looking to be about €670 return. Be ready to book early as this year the fares went sky high.
It is about 205 miles from Charlotte to Dollywood. There you can stay on the theme park or in a nearby hotel. Prices this year for two days ranged from $60 – $120pps for accommodation and tickets; dollywood.com.
The Crooked Road is Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail and mainly follows the western section of Route 58 with some meandering. It is beautiful country and there are lots of small places to stop along the way and experience the music. See thecrookedroad.org.
I also came across a feature in the New York Times by Sarah Wildman in May 2011 which is exactly the route you would like to do. You can read her feature at goo.gl/gvywTI .
Discoveramerica.org has a good section on road trips and you can have your trip mapped and download music to go with it too. Look also at the National Parks Service for places of interest, nps.gov.
Accommodation is reasonable in this part of the US but you might like to talk to a travel agent when you have a good idea of what you would like to do. Flydriveusa.ie 01-8535000, are experienced in planning your type of trip.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com.
My husband and I would like to take our three children (nine, 11 & 13) to the Titanic Exhibition in Belfast during the mid-term break in October. Where should we stay and how can we make the most of our inaugural Belfast trip? – DD, Kilkenny
You are picking a great time to go to Belfast as there are lots of things on that week including the Belfast Festival at Queens, belfastfestival.com. One of the events for the festival is Hannavas – a display of large scale mechanical animals at Botanic Gardens,
Titanic Belfast is a fantastic attraction. Allow a few hours to explore the galleries, book on titanicbelfast.com to get a 5 per cent discount. A walking tour of the Docks area is also interesting.
Crumlin Road Gaol is transforming into the Gaol of Horrors, a scary attraction for Hallowe’en, book on crulimroadgaol.com. The Belfast Giants, ice hockey team will have a match at the Odyssey Arena on Hallowe’en, belfastgiants.com.
W5 at the Odyssey is also a fun interactive science museum. On Sundays mornings St George’s Market is a good spot for food and music. See visit-belfast.com for more ideas of things to do.
Hotel rooms for five are rare but the Malone Lodge Hotel has apartments too.
A two-bedroom unit would be ideal for your family and would cost about €500 for three nights, malonelodgehotelbelfast.com.
The following hotels have interconnecting rooms: The Hilton, Fitzwilliam, Ramada Hotel Shaws Bridge, Holiday Inn Express and Jurys Inn Belfast. Websites on visit-belfast.com.
My wife is a big fan of Dolly Parton and bluegrass music and I was hoping to surprise her with a visit to Dollywood, possibly taking in a section of the Crooked Road. I’d like to take our two children with us, wallet allowing. Is it possible to do both Dollywood and the Crooked Road? Where would be best to fly into? Would there be a suitable base or is it more of a road trip? And is there a best time of year to go? – PD, Meath If you like driving and would be comfortable on American roads it would be possible combine both your interests. The nearest airport to Dollywood from Ireland is Charlotte in North Carolina. USAirways.com has a seasonal service each summer, so far prices are looking to be about €670 return. Be ready to book early as this year the fares went sky high.
It is about 205 miles from Charlotte to Dollywood. There you can stay on the theme park or in a nearby hotel. Prices this year for two days ranged from $60 – $120pps for accommodation and tickets; dollywood.com.
The Crooked Road is Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail and mainly follows the western section of Route 58 with some meandering. It is beautiful country and there are lots of small places to stop along the way and experience the music. See thecrookedroad.org.
I also came across a feature in the New York Times by Sarah Wildman in May 2011 which is exactly the route you would like to do. You can read her feature at goo.gl/gvywTI .
Discoveramerica.org has a good section on road trips and you can have your trip mapped and download music to go with it too. Look also at the National Parks Service for places of interest, nps.gov.
Accommodation is reasonable in this part of the US but you might like to talk to a travel agent when you have a good idea of what you would like to do. Flydriveusa.ie 01-8535000, are experienced in planning your type of trip.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com.
Roman Ruins in Zadar city centre
Picture. Joan Scales
Ask Joan about where we should go after the Leaving Cert, planning a family event for New Year's Eve, Oct. 4, 2014
We are three 18-year-old girls looking for advice on Leaving Cert holidays for next year. We wanted to do inter-railing but figured it would be too expensive. Can you recommend somewhere culturally interesting that’s suitable for young people, with good night life and preferably by the sea and relatively cheap? – DT, Dublin
Inter-railing is a great way to see Europe and if you combine it with staying in hostels, travelling at night to save on accommodation it could work out quite reasonable. Tickets will be around €441 for five days travel over 10 days and €628 for ten days travel in 22 days.
I was in Zadar on the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia last year and loved it. It is a lively small city with lots of things to do. The city was formerly Roman and there are remains of that Empire scattered around as well as in the very fine museum. It is a lovely mix of ancient, old and new with the amazing Sea Organ spookily playing at night to its own audience.
It has some really great bars and nightlife and there are lots of young people. A good time to go would be around the Garden Festival at Tisno in July. (See facebook.com/TheGardenFestival.)
From Zadar you can also take trips out to the Kornati Islands. Cost of living is good value. Ryanair flies to Zadar.
Island hopping in Greece is always a popular holiday for students and I see Ios appearing again as a hotspot. It is that bit further away and it can cost more to get there but accommodation and living costs are cheap. See islands and ferries on greeka.com and aferry.com.
If you can steer away from the six weeks from beginning of July to mid August you will find prices will be a little less.
Aer Lingus will have flights to Athens and Corfu. Ryanair are increasing flights to Greece over the next year. If you are prepared to go from a UK or European airport you may find even better prices.
We are a family with three teenagers. For New Year’s Eve we would like to go for a short break that is not expensive but which will give us all a nice party. Ireland is probably the cheapest for this, but most hotels only offer adult only, or kids clubs, both would not really suit. Do you have any suggestions? – DML, Galway
Why not come east and experience the New Year Festival in Dublin. This festival began only a few years ago and will take place over three days this year with lots of exciting events for all the family, many free. The full programme is not yet out, you can watch for the details on visitdublin.com/nye.
Last year the concert in College Green was very good with Madness and Imelda Mayand there were half-price sightseeing tours, a fireworks display and family friendly events in Meeting House Square and music everywhere.
There are many things to do in Dublin for all the family and it would be an opportunity to explore the capital.
Book a hotel now before prices go up. Rooms are available from €85– €130 in the city. Jurys Inns are particularly good for families. The Castle Hotel, St George Hotel at Parnell Square and Stauntons on St Stephens Green have some fine big family rooms, castlehotelgroup.ie. Call them to see what they might have available. Or consider staydublin.com where you can rent apartments from €152 per night for a one-bed with room for five.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
We are three 18-year-old girls looking for advice on Leaving Cert holidays for next year. We wanted to do inter-railing but figured it would be too expensive. Can you recommend somewhere culturally interesting that’s suitable for young people, with good night life and preferably by the sea and relatively cheap? – DT, Dublin
Inter-railing is a great way to see Europe and if you combine it with staying in hostels, travelling at night to save on accommodation it could work out quite reasonable. Tickets will be around €441 for five days travel over 10 days and €628 for ten days travel in 22 days.
I was in Zadar on the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia last year and loved it. It is a lively small city with lots of things to do. The city was formerly Roman and there are remains of that Empire scattered around as well as in the very fine museum. It is a lovely mix of ancient, old and new with the amazing Sea Organ spookily playing at night to its own audience.
It has some really great bars and nightlife and there are lots of young people. A good time to go would be around the Garden Festival at Tisno in July. (See facebook.com/TheGardenFestival.)
From Zadar you can also take trips out to the Kornati Islands. Cost of living is good value. Ryanair flies to Zadar.
Island hopping in Greece is always a popular holiday for students and I see Ios appearing again as a hotspot. It is that bit further away and it can cost more to get there but accommodation and living costs are cheap. See islands and ferries on greeka.com and aferry.com.
If you can steer away from the six weeks from beginning of July to mid August you will find prices will be a little less.
Aer Lingus will have flights to Athens and Corfu. Ryanair are increasing flights to Greece over the next year. If you are prepared to go from a UK or European airport you may find even better prices.
We are a family with three teenagers. For New Year’s Eve we would like to go for a short break that is not expensive but which will give us all a nice party. Ireland is probably the cheapest for this, but most hotels only offer adult only, or kids clubs, both would not really suit. Do you have any suggestions? – DML, Galway
Why not come east and experience the New Year Festival in Dublin. This festival began only a few years ago and will take place over three days this year with lots of exciting events for all the family, many free. The full programme is not yet out, you can watch for the details on visitdublin.com/nye.
Last year the concert in College Green was very good with Madness and Imelda Mayand there were half-price sightseeing tours, a fireworks display and family friendly events in Meeting House Square and music everywhere.
There are many things to do in Dublin for all the family and it would be an opportunity to explore the capital.
Book a hotel now before prices go up. Rooms are available from €85– €130 in the city. Jurys Inns are particularly good for families. The Castle Hotel, St George Hotel at Parnell Square and Stauntons on St Stephens Green have some fine big family rooms, castlehotelgroup.ie. Call them to see what they might have available. Or consider staydublin.com where you can rent apartments from €152 per night for a one-bed with room for five.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about a family holiday in Wales, taking my husband to BMW World and Iceland in Summer. September, 27, 2014
I’m searching for family-friendly accommodation in Wales. We are two adults and four children (aged 11, seven, four and two). I’m not interested in a caravan park. Ideally we would love to stay in a self-catering cottage on the grounds of a hotel to avail of the leisure facilities. – ER, Dublin Bluestone National Park Resort in Pembrokeshire is exactly what families love, 500 acres of Welsh countryside with lots to do. The resort is made up of cottages and lodges around a traditional style village, no hotel though.
It has a fantastic variety of indoor and outdoor activities for all the family. The Blue Lagoon water park will keep everyone happy and there is also an indoor adventure centre.
There is a spa and a good selection of restaurants, bar and a shop. There are organised activities for children all ages. Nearby is Oakwood Theme Park which is a great for a day out. There is 15 per cent discount on holidays for next year and a week in July will cost from €1,030 for a self-catering lodge for six, short breaks midweek can be half that, bluestonewales.com.
http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/travel/ask-joan-holidays-in-wales-going-to-bmw-iceland-in-summer-1.1942777.Where the mountains meet the sea is Aberdovey, on Cardigan Bay in mid-Wales. The Trefeddian Hotel has self-catering properties and guests can use the hotel facilities including the indoor swimming pool. It is close to the beach at Aberdovey and there is plenty to do in the nearby Snowdonia National Park. From €1,000 per week in summer, see trefwales.com and visitwales.com.
As a 40th birthday present for my car-mad husband, I’d like to take him to Munich for a couple of days break and a tour of the BMW plant and museum. Are there specialist companies that organise such trips? – NE, Meath You will have to arrange the tour yourself for Munich and the BMW plant but it is not hard. Aer Lingus and Lufthansa both have flights to Munich, Ryanair flies to Memmingen airport. Or you could book the flights and hotel through ebookers.ie. You’re looking at around €210-€270pps for two nights including flights and a good quality hotel.
Visiting BMW consists of three things: the plant tour, the BMW Welt/World and the museum. The plant tours are really popular and you should book that in advance and work the other elements around it. It will take a full day to enjoy the whole experience.
BMW Welt is the principal visitors centre with exhibits, cars, entertainment, a cafe and it is an architectural wonder.
The BMW website is very helpful, see bmw.welt.com/en. You can take public transport from the city centre to the BMW complex; it’s less than 30 minutes by metro. See also the city’s tourism site on muenchen.de/int/en.
My wife and I want to visit Iceland, ideally in mid-June. Are there any organised trips from Ireland in summer? Ideally a package will includeDublin to Reykjavik flights, accommodation, transfers, and a few tours such as the Blue Lagoon, national parks and the Viking parliament. – TOC, Dublin Package tours to Iceland from Dublin normally happen in autumn and winter, as many people want to see the aurora borealis. A new service is beginning in December operated by Easyjet from Belfast International Airport, twice a week to Reykjavik.
Book a package with flights and hotels on holidays.easyjet.com. Book your tours through the visiticeland.com site.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
I’m searching for family-friendly accommodation in Wales. We are two adults and four children (aged 11, seven, four and two). I’m not interested in a caravan park. Ideally we would love to stay in a self-catering cottage on the grounds of a hotel to avail of the leisure facilities. – ER, Dublin Bluestone National Park Resort in Pembrokeshire is exactly what families love, 500 acres of Welsh countryside with lots to do. The resort is made up of cottages and lodges around a traditional style village, no hotel though.
It has a fantastic variety of indoor and outdoor activities for all the family. The Blue Lagoon water park will keep everyone happy and there is also an indoor adventure centre.
There is a spa and a good selection of restaurants, bar and a shop. There are organised activities for children all ages. Nearby is Oakwood Theme Park which is a great for a day out. There is 15 per cent discount on holidays for next year and a week in July will cost from €1,030 for a self-catering lodge for six, short breaks midweek can be half that, bluestonewales.com.
http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/travel/ask-joan-holidays-in-wales-going-to-bmw-iceland-in-summer-1.1942777.Where the mountains meet the sea is Aberdovey, on Cardigan Bay in mid-Wales. The Trefeddian Hotel has self-catering properties and guests can use the hotel facilities including the indoor swimming pool. It is close to the beach at Aberdovey and there is plenty to do in the nearby Snowdonia National Park. From €1,000 per week in summer, see trefwales.com and visitwales.com.
As a 40th birthday present for my car-mad husband, I’d like to take him to Munich for a couple of days break and a tour of the BMW plant and museum. Are there specialist companies that organise such trips? – NE, Meath You will have to arrange the tour yourself for Munich and the BMW plant but it is not hard. Aer Lingus and Lufthansa both have flights to Munich, Ryanair flies to Memmingen airport. Or you could book the flights and hotel through ebookers.ie. You’re looking at around €210-€270pps for two nights including flights and a good quality hotel.
Visiting BMW consists of three things: the plant tour, the BMW Welt/World and the museum. The plant tours are really popular and you should book that in advance and work the other elements around it. It will take a full day to enjoy the whole experience.
BMW Welt is the principal visitors centre with exhibits, cars, entertainment, a cafe and it is an architectural wonder.
The BMW website is very helpful, see bmw.welt.com/en. You can take public transport from the city centre to the BMW complex; it’s less than 30 minutes by metro. See also the city’s tourism site on muenchen.de/int/en.
My wife and I want to visit Iceland, ideally in mid-June. Are there any organised trips from Ireland in summer? Ideally a package will includeDublin to Reykjavik flights, accommodation, transfers, and a few tours such as the Blue Lagoon, national parks and the Viking parliament. – TOC, Dublin Package tours to Iceland from Dublin normally happen in autumn and winter, as many people want to see the aurora borealis. A new service is beginning in December operated by Easyjet from Belfast International Airport, twice a week to Reykjavik.
Book a package with flights and hotels on holidays.easyjet.com. Book your tours through the visiticeland.com site.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about a long winter holiday alone, Vienna for New Year and a groups going to Morocco in November, September, 20, 2014
I am a widow looking for a six- to eight-week holiday in January and February. I would like to be in a country during their summertime. I don’t mind splitting this duration into periods of two to three weeks. I enjoy moderate walking, classical music and gardening. I am not into bungee jumping or white water rafting. Is this a lost cause? – DD, Dublin
Looking for summertime in our winter could take you to Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, South America and various islands and other smaller destinations. If you go to such far-flung destinations you have to be really sure you would like it as it can be quite expensive to get there.
My suggestions for you may seem a bit more ordinary but I think could work well – Florida. The Gulf of Florida has average highs of 22 degrees in January and February and I also think would offer you a good range of things do.
The town of Sarasota is a popular winter destination with Irish people as it has a thriving arts culture with great museums, galleries, concerts, recitals, and performing arts, not forgetting golf. It is right on the coast. See visitsarasotaarts.org and visitsarasota.org.
You could explore the nearby towns of Venice, Bradenton and Sanibel, the Captiva islands and the cities of St Petersburg and Tampa. See vrbo.com, airbnb.com and booking.com for vacation rentals.
You could consider combining a trip to Florida with a cruise to the Caribbean or South America. Prices may initially seem steep, but do include all meals and entertainment.
Cruise lines to consider include Silversea, Princess, Holland America Line and Azamara Club Cruises. Norwegian Cruise Line has the most single-occupancy cabins. Shop around on cruisecritic.com.
I will be travelling with my family (husband and three young adults) toVienna on December 30th to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. We plan to stay for five days. Will museums and other places of interest will be open over the New Year period. Or have we made a terrible mistake in booking at this time? – HE Belfast
You have not made a mistake. Vienna is a beautiful city and there are a whole series of event planned for New Year’s Eve, such as balls and musical events. Most museums will be open on New Year’s Day and there are exhibitions by Giacometti, Monet, Velasquez, Miro and Toulouse-Lautrec this winter. You will find the wien.info website very useful.
A group of us (20somethings) are thinking of heading away for November sun, leaning towards Morocco for a week, Marrakech for a weekend andEssaouira for the rest of the week. Any tips on places to stay, things to do etc. – DVD, Dublin
Ryanair flights on Wednesday and Sundays make Marrakech easy and cheap to get to. You should stay in an authentic riad. See riadsmorocco.com.
From Marrakech to Essaouira take the Suprabus service, it takes about three hours to the coast – see timetables on oncf.ma.
Essaouira is a laid-back town. Its windy beach is ideal for kitesurfing and windsurfing. It’s a small place and people drift around the medina, sit over coffees and mint teas, listen to gnawa music and plan the evening.
You will find budget accommodation in Hotel Sahara from €22 per night (hotelsahara-essaouira.com) and Atlantic Hostel from €11 per night, bookable on hostelworld.com.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan - Going to Gallipoli for the centenary and exploring Cape Cod in the autumn by public transport, Sept. 13, 2014.
My husband’s grandfather was killed at Gallipoli and his name is inscribed on the Helles Memorial there. We would love to visit this monument next June for the 100th anniversary of the battle. Taking in a few days inIstanbul would be a bonus. We have a limited budget so any help would be gratefully received. – CP, Wexford
The 100th anniversary of the war in Gallipoli, where more than 100,000 men lost their lives, will be very busy. The Dardanelles Campaign lasted from April to January 1916.
Turkish Airlines flies daily from Dublin to Istanbul with prices from €261 return. If you are going that far you might as well stay a few nights, maybe after the trip to Gallipoli so you can drop the car at the airport as traffic in Istanbul is famously congested.
Stay in the Sultanhamet area around Taksim Square to be near the major sites. Lots of good value hotels are under €100 per night. See hotels.com, booking.com and goturkey.com.
The best way to Gallipoli is by car, budget about €30 per day. Turkish roads are fine, and it’s about five hours drive from the airport. You could base yourself in Eceabat on the south coast of the Gallipoli peninsula or Canakkale. There is a ferry between the two towns for around €8-10. Hotels near ferries are helenhotel.com and hotelarthur.com, both around €50 per night.
The Hellas Memorial is on top of the cliffs at Seddulbahir and the cemetery behind the beach has over 200 gravestones to Irish soldiers.
The Anzac landings in Gallipoli will be celebrated on April 25th. If you know your husband’s grandfather’s unit it may be useful to contact them. See also theCommonwealth War Graves Commission, cwgc.org We will be in Boston in October for a few days. We want to see the main highlights but would also like a brief visit to Cape Cod, Hyannis, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket etc, if possible. We will be dependent on public transport. Are there half-day or one-day tours from Boston that would include some of the above? If guided tours are not available is it possible to avail of a regular bus service from Boston that would , at least, give a flavour of the Cape Cod area. – GB, Dublin
Cape Cod is close to Boston, but without a car, it is not so easy to access. There is a weekly summer train service called the Cape Flyer, however it finished at Labour Day weekend (last weekend), as did a number of other seasonal day tours.
There is bus service from South Station called Peter Pan, peterpanbus.com and once on the Cape, there is local bus service by Cape Transit. A day return ticket to Falmouth is about $30 and the local bus is from $2. See capecodtransit.org.
There are also a limited number of bus companies offering autumn day trips to the Cape in October. Brushhilltours.com has the Gray Line Sightseeing trips to Hyannis which includes a visit to the JFK Museum, some days of the week, from $62.
See the fall colours on a day trip with viator.com to Cape Cod. This trip visits Hyannis and Sandwich and includes a cruise on Lewis Bay from $62.
In October you can still take a fast ferry from Boston to Provincetown, right at the top of Cape Cod, for around $88 return. It would allow a day to explore Provincetown and surrounding area, see bostonharborcruises.com and baystatecruisecompany.com.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
My husband’s grandfather was killed at Gallipoli and his name is inscribed on the Helles Memorial there. We would love to visit this monument next June for the 100th anniversary of the battle. Taking in a few days inIstanbul would be a bonus. We have a limited budget so any help would be gratefully received. – CP, Wexford
The 100th anniversary of the war in Gallipoli, where more than 100,000 men lost their lives, will be very busy. The Dardanelles Campaign lasted from April to January 1916.
Turkish Airlines flies daily from Dublin to Istanbul with prices from €261 return. If you are going that far you might as well stay a few nights, maybe after the trip to Gallipoli so you can drop the car at the airport as traffic in Istanbul is famously congested.
Stay in the Sultanhamet area around Taksim Square to be near the major sites. Lots of good value hotels are under €100 per night. See hotels.com, booking.com and goturkey.com.
The best way to Gallipoli is by car, budget about €30 per day. Turkish roads are fine, and it’s about five hours drive from the airport. You could base yourself in Eceabat on the south coast of the Gallipoli peninsula or Canakkale. There is a ferry between the two towns for around €8-10. Hotels near ferries are helenhotel.com and hotelarthur.com, both around €50 per night.
The Hellas Memorial is on top of the cliffs at Seddulbahir and the cemetery behind the beach has over 200 gravestones to Irish soldiers.
The Anzac landings in Gallipoli will be celebrated on April 25th. If you know your husband’s grandfather’s unit it may be useful to contact them. See also theCommonwealth War Graves Commission, cwgc.org We will be in Boston in October for a few days. We want to see the main highlights but would also like a brief visit to Cape Cod, Hyannis, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket etc, if possible. We will be dependent on public transport. Are there half-day or one-day tours from Boston that would include some of the above? If guided tours are not available is it possible to avail of a regular bus service from Boston that would , at least, give a flavour of the Cape Cod area. – GB, Dublin
Cape Cod is close to Boston, but without a car, it is not so easy to access. There is a weekly summer train service called the Cape Flyer, however it finished at Labour Day weekend (last weekend), as did a number of other seasonal day tours.
There is bus service from South Station called Peter Pan, peterpanbus.com and once on the Cape, there is local bus service by Cape Transit. A day return ticket to Falmouth is about $30 and the local bus is from $2. See capecodtransit.org.
There are also a limited number of bus companies offering autumn day trips to the Cape in October. Brushhilltours.com has the Gray Line Sightseeing trips to Hyannis which includes a visit to the JFK Museum, some days of the week, from $62.
See the fall colours on a day trip with viator.com to Cape Cod. This trip visits Hyannis and Sandwich and includes a cruise on Lewis Bay from $62.
In October you can still take a fast ferry from Boston to Provincetown, right at the top of Cape Cod, for around $88 return. It would allow a day to explore Provincetown and surrounding area, see bostonharborcruises.com and baystatecruisecompany.com.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about trekking in Nepal and a summer holidays or city break in Slovenia. Sept. 6, 2014.
My wife and I are planning a 10-day trekking holiday in Nepal next year, probably May. We are looking at two options: booking the holiday online via a Nepalese based trekking company, or booking it when we get to Kathmandu so we can take advantage of obtaining a cheaper price. Do you have any advice on which option would be best?
– JT, Waterford
It may or may not be cheaper to book when you get to Kathmandu, but you may waste time looking for a tour company and you cannot always guarantee the level of service or experience. I think for such a big trip and the distance and complexity involved, it would be better to go with an experienced tour operator.
In the unlikely event of something going wrong you would be in good hands. Major tour operators abide by strict safety standards and many also have responsible travel policies which ensure that guides and porters earn a fair wage, carry proper equipment and are not overpacked.
There are quite a few companies with packages to Nepal and they work with local trekking companies. Prices will depend on where you go, the level of activity and style of accommodation.
Tucan Travel’s Highlights of Nepal tour over 10 days begins from Kathmandu with visits to Chitwan National Park, trekking in the foothills of Annapurna and cycling from €799pps, not including flights, tel: 1800-553559, tucantravel.com.
If you are experienced trekkers, the idea of tackling Everest Base Camp might appeal. The G Adventures trip stays in tea houses and the strenuous treks take 15 days. Prices begin at €1,099 plus food and flights. That is one of 11 Nepal trips available, with varying levels of activity and length, see gadventures.com.
Responsible Travel runs a number of tours to Nepal with the focus on culture and interacting with locals in the places visited. The Annapurna Sanctuary trek costs from £840pps (€1,055) plus flights, responsibletravel.com.
At the other end of the scale Aurora Adventures with Tashi Tenzing, grandson of Tenzing Norgay, will lead an easy paced nine-day trek, called the Yeti Trail to Everest without climbing mountains. There will also be a helicopter trip over the Gokyo Lakes and base camp. Prices are from £2,415pps (€3,034) plus flights, auroraexpeditions.co.uk.
I have long been curious about our EU partner Slovenia, which I’ve heard is beautiful, and its capital Ljubljana. There do not seem to be any direct flights to Slovenia from Ireland. What is the best way to get there? How could one approach planning a visit, even a short break to the capital? – BMK, Dublin
The good news is that there are holidays to Slovenia every year from Ireland during the summer, from the end of May to early September.
They are operated by Crystal Holidays and include stays in the resorts of Lake Bled, Lake Bohinj and Kranjska Gora in the Julian Alps.
Trips can be booked for next year from €626pps for a week, half-board,crystalsummer.ie. It would be possible to take a day trip to Ljubljana by rail or bus, or even stay overnight.
A city break to Ljubljana is possible via London Stansted with Easyjet. com. Prices come down from October and you could book a return for about €100 plus the Dublin to Stansted fare.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
My wife and I are planning a 10-day trekking holiday in Nepal next year, probably May. We are looking at two options: booking the holiday online via a Nepalese based trekking company, or booking it when we get to Kathmandu so we can take advantage of obtaining a cheaper price. Do you have any advice on which option would be best?
– JT, Waterford
It may or may not be cheaper to book when you get to Kathmandu, but you may waste time looking for a tour company and you cannot always guarantee the level of service or experience. I think for such a big trip and the distance and complexity involved, it would be better to go with an experienced tour operator.
In the unlikely event of something going wrong you would be in good hands. Major tour operators abide by strict safety standards and many also have responsible travel policies which ensure that guides and porters earn a fair wage, carry proper equipment and are not overpacked.
There are quite a few companies with packages to Nepal and they work with local trekking companies. Prices will depend on where you go, the level of activity and style of accommodation.
Tucan Travel’s Highlights of Nepal tour over 10 days begins from Kathmandu with visits to Chitwan National Park, trekking in the foothills of Annapurna and cycling from €799pps, not including flights, tel: 1800-553559, tucantravel.com.
If you are experienced trekkers, the idea of tackling Everest Base Camp might appeal. The G Adventures trip stays in tea houses and the strenuous treks take 15 days. Prices begin at €1,099 plus food and flights. That is one of 11 Nepal trips available, with varying levels of activity and length, see gadventures.com.
Responsible Travel runs a number of tours to Nepal with the focus on culture and interacting with locals in the places visited. The Annapurna Sanctuary trek costs from £840pps (€1,055) plus flights, responsibletravel.com.
At the other end of the scale Aurora Adventures with Tashi Tenzing, grandson of Tenzing Norgay, will lead an easy paced nine-day trek, called the Yeti Trail to Everest without climbing mountains. There will also be a helicopter trip over the Gokyo Lakes and base camp. Prices are from £2,415pps (€3,034) plus flights, auroraexpeditions.co.uk.
I have long been curious about our EU partner Slovenia, which I’ve heard is beautiful, and its capital Ljubljana. There do not seem to be any direct flights to Slovenia from Ireland. What is the best way to get there? How could one approach planning a visit, even a short break to the capital? – BMK, Dublin
The good news is that there are holidays to Slovenia every year from Ireland during the summer, from the end of May to early September.
They are operated by Crystal Holidays and include stays in the resorts of Lake Bled, Lake Bohinj and Kranjska Gora in the Julian Alps.
Trips can be booked for next year from €626pps for a week, half-board,crystalsummer.ie. It would be possible to take a day trip to Ljubljana by rail or bus, or even stay overnight.
A city break to Ljubljana is possible via London Stansted with Easyjet. com. Prices come down from October and you could book a return for about €100 plus the Dublin to Stansted fare.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan, where to spend the winter, taking the family to Orlando for next summer and would Mum be able for the Camino? Aug. 23, 2014
I am taking early retirement at the end of the year. My partner and I would like to take the opportunity to spend some time in a warmer climate in January/February. Ideally we would like to rent an apartment, enjoy the beach, and also take in a bit of culture. We are open to hopping on a train or bus to explore new towns and cities. – RG, Dublin
Being based in southern Europe would probably be a good option with the opportunity to use public transport and milder winter weather.
Last November I was in Almunecar, on the Costa Topical in Spain and it was lovely. A nice town, not too busy, a lovely beach and yet close to Malaga, Granada, Cordoba and other places of interest, see costatopical.net/almunecar. There was a good selection of hotels and apartments.
In the South of France, the small town of Villefranche is almost a suburb of Nice and the bus and train service is great. You could wander up and down coast and into Monacoand Italy very reasonably, villefranche-sur-mer.fr/tourism/.
Or at the westerly end of France, the lovely town of Collioure, close to Spain and with a Catalan feel, offers the Pyrenees to explore too, see collioure.com/en.
We are a family of five hoping to fly from Dublin to Orlando, next summer (end May/start June) – we have just recently looked at the prices of flights and they have jumped even in a couple of days – my question is: are we better booking the flights now, or would we get a better price if we waited a month or so? We would prefer direct flights if possible but would be happy enough with one stop if needs be. – CMM, Dublin
At present Aer Lingus is the only airline operating direct services to Orlando and the prices are about €700 return. Usually there are sporadic sales through the year which could mean €50 to €100 off the price, but it is still quite high for five seats. UnitedAirlines is a bit less, just under €600 each, via Newark, see united.com.
If you are also going to need accommodation in Orlando then it may work out better value for you to book the holiday with a travel agent. I have seen holidays with flights, hotels and transfers from €650pps for a week.
The biggest operators to Orlando are touramerica.ie, sunway.ie and americanholidays.ie. An interesting hotel has opened this summer in Universal Studios, the Cabana Bay resort and they have family rooms that sleep up to six.
My mum will be 80 at the end of September. She would love to do a little of the Camino while she is reasonably agile. Long walks really wouldn’t be an option. If we were to base ourselves in Santiago de Compostela could she experience a few days of short walks on the Camino? If you think this is feasible could you recommend any contacts to help plan it and maybe a moderately priced hotel? – AM, Dublin
There’s no reason why your mother can’t enjoy some of the Camino. But officially she would have to walk the last 100km to get the Pilgrim’s Passport. Flights will operate three times a week until October 25th with Aer Lingus.
Accommodation along the route is a mixture of hostels, guesthouses and small hotels. There are several companies that arrange trips. Roland or Maria in caminoways.com, 01-5252886, know their stuff; maptravel.ie, 01- 6783111 does a relaxed trip that may suit.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
I am taking early retirement at the end of the year. My partner and I would like to take the opportunity to spend some time in a warmer climate in January/February. Ideally we would like to rent an apartment, enjoy the beach, and also take in a bit of culture. We are open to hopping on a train or bus to explore new towns and cities. – RG, Dublin
Being based in southern Europe would probably be a good option with the opportunity to use public transport and milder winter weather.
Last November I was in Almunecar, on the Costa Topical in Spain and it was lovely. A nice town, not too busy, a lovely beach and yet close to Malaga, Granada, Cordoba and other places of interest, see costatopical.net/almunecar. There was a good selection of hotels and apartments.
In the South of France, the small town of Villefranche is almost a suburb of Nice and the bus and train service is great. You could wander up and down coast and into Monacoand Italy very reasonably, villefranche-sur-mer.fr/tourism/.
Or at the westerly end of France, the lovely town of Collioure, close to Spain and with a Catalan feel, offers the Pyrenees to explore too, see collioure.com/en.
We are a family of five hoping to fly from Dublin to Orlando, next summer (end May/start June) – we have just recently looked at the prices of flights and they have jumped even in a couple of days – my question is: are we better booking the flights now, or would we get a better price if we waited a month or so? We would prefer direct flights if possible but would be happy enough with one stop if needs be. – CMM, Dublin
At present Aer Lingus is the only airline operating direct services to Orlando and the prices are about €700 return. Usually there are sporadic sales through the year which could mean €50 to €100 off the price, but it is still quite high for five seats. UnitedAirlines is a bit less, just under €600 each, via Newark, see united.com.
If you are also going to need accommodation in Orlando then it may work out better value for you to book the holiday with a travel agent. I have seen holidays with flights, hotels and transfers from €650pps for a week.
The biggest operators to Orlando are touramerica.ie, sunway.ie and americanholidays.ie. An interesting hotel has opened this summer in Universal Studios, the Cabana Bay resort and they have family rooms that sleep up to six.
My mum will be 80 at the end of September. She would love to do a little of the Camino while she is reasonably agile. Long walks really wouldn’t be an option. If we were to base ourselves in Santiago de Compostela could she experience a few days of short walks on the Camino? If you think this is feasible could you recommend any contacts to help plan it and maybe a moderately priced hotel? – AM, Dublin
There’s no reason why your mother can’t enjoy some of the Camino. But officially she would have to walk the last 100km to get the Pilgrim’s Passport. Flights will operate three times a week until October 25th with Aer Lingus.
Accommodation along the route is a mixture of hostels, guesthouses and small hotels. There are several companies that arrange trips. Roland or Maria in caminoways.com, 01-5252886, know their stuff; maptravel.ie, 01- 6783111 does a relaxed trip that may suit.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about Yoga holidays for lone travellers, and must sees for girls in New York, August 16, 2014.
I want to go away for about three weeks from December 27th, travelling on my own. I’m a yoga enthusiast and would like to go somewhere warm and tropical – by the beach. I was thinking about Costa Rica or Sri Lanka, butother suggestions would be welcome. I’m looking for a yoga retreat, with other activities as I’ll be going on my own. I have a budget of €3,000. – MD, Cork.
The first place that comes to mind is The Body Holiday in Saint Lucia which would be perfect but pricey. The Caribbean is very expensive at that time of year and availability is limited and expensive. Friendshipholidays. com has special offers for solos at some times of the year and it is worth checking with them. They are based in Northern Ireland.
Heading east, there is a more availability and choice with responsibletravel.com. They have a big variety of yoga holidays, combining all type of activities and experiences. For example you could stay on a permaculture farm in Thailand, enjoy yoga every day and learn about Dharma. Or in Kerala combine daily yoga with teaching local disadvantaged children.
In Indonesia, you could do yoga every day along with volunteering to care for orangutangs and other rescued wildlife. A trip to the Red Sea would include a mix of yoga and diving and an opportunity to meet local Bedouins. The prices vary depending on which you choose, but some are keenly priced.
You will also find a selection of yoga and wellness holidays on golearnto.com. Thailand is popular with single travellers and holidays can be combined with cooking or Pilates.
If your budget or time is a little flexible then have a look at what is on offer at ulpotha.com in Sri Lanka, a special yoga and Ayurvedic retreat.
We have three daughters aged 21, 19 and 17 and we are going to New York from September 16th to 22nd. We are staying in Tribeca and are seeking advice on “must dos”. Also, given the ages of the girls, discount shopping and a Broadway show will be high on their agenda. When and where is the best time to book tickets? And I have been advised to go out of town for best shopping. Is this correct? – DB, Co Down.
As there are five of you, a Broadway show is going to be expensive, prices run from about $95– $250, and that’s just the ordinary seats. The newer the show, the more expensive the seats. Musicals are particularly good and the girls would love the singing and dancing in shows like Chicago, Wicked and Spiderman Turn Off The Dark.
You can buy tickets before you travel from ticketnetonline.com. Or take a chance and queue on the day at the TKTS office at Time Square for discounted tickets.
See the city by land, sea and height, that is take a bus tour, or a water tour around Manhattan Island with circlelinedowntown.com. See the city from either the Empire State Building or Top of the Rock. Walk the Highline between 30th and Gansevoort Street, highline.org.
For museums, the girls might enjoy the Museum of Modern Art and the Natural History Museum is terrific. Shopping outside the city will take a full day of your trip. Premium Outlets Woodbury Common has all the brands the girls will love. You can catch a bus from the Port Authority at 42nd Street and Eighth Avenue. West Broadway is also a good place to shop. Maybe do a movie and television tour: See dosomethingdifferent.com. Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
I want to go away for about three weeks from December 27th, travelling on my own. I’m a yoga enthusiast and would like to go somewhere warm and tropical – by the beach. I was thinking about Costa Rica or Sri Lanka, butother suggestions would be welcome. I’m looking for a yoga retreat, with other activities as I’ll be going on my own. I have a budget of €3,000. – MD, Cork.
The first place that comes to mind is The Body Holiday in Saint Lucia which would be perfect but pricey. The Caribbean is very expensive at that time of year and availability is limited and expensive. Friendshipholidays. com has special offers for solos at some times of the year and it is worth checking with them. They are based in Northern Ireland.
Heading east, there is a more availability and choice with responsibletravel.com. They have a big variety of yoga holidays, combining all type of activities and experiences. For example you could stay on a permaculture farm in Thailand, enjoy yoga every day and learn about Dharma. Or in Kerala combine daily yoga with teaching local disadvantaged children.
In Indonesia, you could do yoga every day along with volunteering to care for orangutangs and other rescued wildlife. A trip to the Red Sea would include a mix of yoga and diving and an opportunity to meet local Bedouins. The prices vary depending on which you choose, but some are keenly priced.
You will also find a selection of yoga and wellness holidays on golearnto.com. Thailand is popular with single travellers and holidays can be combined with cooking or Pilates.
If your budget or time is a little flexible then have a look at what is on offer at ulpotha.com in Sri Lanka, a special yoga and Ayurvedic retreat.
We have three daughters aged 21, 19 and 17 and we are going to New York from September 16th to 22nd. We are staying in Tribeca and are seeking advice on “must dos”. Also, given the ages of the girls, discount shopping and a Broadway show will be high on their agenda. When and where is the best time to book tickets? And I have been advised to go out of town for best shopping. Is this correct? – DB, Co Down.
As there are five of you, a Broadway show is going to be expensive, prices run from about $95– $250, and that’s just the ordinary seats. The newer the show, the more expensive the seats. Musicals are particularly good and the girls would love the singing and dancing in shows like Chicago, Wicked and Spiderman Turn Off The Dark.
You can buy tickets before you travel from ticketnetonline.com. Or take a chance and queue on the day at the TKTS office at Time Square for discounted tickets.
See the city by land, sea and height, that is take a bus tour, or a water tour around Manhattan Island with circlelinedowntown.com. See the city from either the Empire State Building or Top of the Rock. Walk the Highline between 30th and Gansevoort Street, highline.org.
For museums, the girls might enjoy the Museum of Modern Art and the Natural History Museum is terrific. Shopping outside the city will take a full day of your trip. Premium Outlets Woodbury Common has all the brands the girls will love. You can catch a bus from the Port Authority at 42nd Street and Eighth Avenue. West Broadway is also a good place to shop. Maybe do a movie and television tour: See dosomethingdifferent.com. Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about a wine trip for a wine lover, getting to Strasbourg for Erasmus and finding a family holiday in September, August 9, 2014.
As a non-expert wine lover, I’d like to go on a wine tour to Europe in the autumn when the harvest is due or even in progress – up to a week in duration, with visits and tastings in several wineries. I will be departing from Dublin. BMK, Dublin.
I have found two wine tours that you may find of interest. Both are in France, beginning in Bordeaux. The first is escorted by a wine expert from Mitchell and Sons Wine merchants with the Travel Department and based in Bordeaux. Over six days there will be visits and tasting in some very famous vineyards, Lynch Bages, Saint Emilion, Margaux, Beychevelle and Laubade in Armagnac. There will also be a walking tour of Bordeaux. It costs from €1,199pps plus €349 for single supplement,traveldepartment.ie.
The other tour is a fine dining river cruise on the Garonne, Gironde and Dordogne with Uniworld. There will be big meals, visits to some of the major wine producers in the region with tastings and lunches. The ship will moor or stop overnight in famous wine towns and you will get to see the harvest countryside from a different perspective. The eight-night trip includes all meals, drinks and tours from €2,995pps, single supplement €600, flights extra, uniworld.ie.
My daughter is going to Strasbourg in September for her Erasmus year. What are the best travel options? CC, Cork.
Despite being the home of the European Parliament, Strasbourg is not easy or cheap to get to. Your options from Cork are to fly to Paris with Aer Lingus and take the train, voyages.sncf.com, cheapest fares are around €80 return. Or fly to Amsterdam and take a flight from there with Hop.com/en for around €150 return. The train from Amsterdam would be more than six hours.
There is a flight from Stansted three times a week with Ryanair to Strasbourg, Tuesday Thursday and Saturday, and it is good value (could be under €60) but would mean an overnight on the way back. Or via Gatwick with Easyjet and again the timings are not great and would mean an overnight.
I am looking for advice on family sun destinations with short flight and transfer times for September with our three-year-old. Lanzarote is perfect except for the flight duration. Our ideal holiday is a short flight, short transfer time by taxi (30 minutes or less) and a hotel/ apartment in a family resort within walking distance of nice bars/ restaurants. We don’t want to rent a car. We will be travelling from Dublin and our budget is approx €1,500-€2,000 including flights. EMD, Dublin.
At three, your child is probably old enough to go on a holiday where there are children’s clubs and would have company for part of the day. Falcon Holidays have a number of family-friendly resorts in mainland Spain, the Balearics and the Algarve, with short transfers.
On the Algarve, the Falcon Holiday Village is specifically for families and the transfer is short. I have seen two weeks there from €1,715 for your family.
The Hotel Calyso in the Costa Dorada would be ideal. You could also take a day trip to Portaventura theme park. On Majorca, the Seaclub Alcudia is a good spot with a short transfer. The beach at Alcudia is very family friendly, wide, sandy and shallow. There are plenty of restaurants to visit and the lovely resort of Porto Pollensa is nearby,falconholidays.ie.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
As a non-expert wine lover, I’d like to go on a wine tour to Europe in the autumn when the harvest is due or even in progress – up to a week in duration, with visits and tastings in several wineries. I will be departing from Dublin. BMK, Dublin.
I have found two wine tours that you may find of interest. Both are in France, beginning in Bordeaux. The first is escorted by a wine expert from Mitchell and Sons Wine merchants with the Travel Department and based in Bordeaux. Over six days there will be visits and tasting in some very famous vineyards, Lynch Bages, Saint Emilion, Margaux, Beychevelle and Laubade in Armagnac. There will also be a walking tour of Bordeaux. It costs from €1,199pps plus €349 for single supplement,traveldepartment.ie.
The other tour is a fine dining river cruise on the Garonne, Gironde and Dordogne with Uniworld. There will be big meals, visits to some of the major wine producers in the region with tastings and lunches. The ship will moor or stop overnight in famous wine towns and you will get to see the harvest countryside from a different perspective. The eight-night trip includes all meals, drinks and tours from €2,995pps, single supplement €600, flights extra, uniworld.ie.
My daughter is going to Strasbourg in September for her Erasmus year. What are the best travel options? CC, Cork.
Despite being the home of the European Parliament, Strasbourg is not easy or cheap to get to. Your options from Cork are to fly to Paris with Aer Lingus and take the train, voyages.sncf.com, cheapest fares are around €80 return. Or fly to Amsterdam and take a flight from there with Hop.com/en for around €150 return. The train from Amsterdam would be more than six hours.
There is a flight from Stansted three times a week with Ryanair to Strasbourg, Tuesday Thursday and Saturday, and it is good value (could be under €60) but would mean an overnight on the way back. Or via Gatwick with Easyjet and again the timings are not great and would mean an overnight.
I am looking for advice on family sun destinations with short flight and transfer times for September with our three-year-old. Lanzarote is perfect except for the flight duration. Our ideal holiday is a short flight, short transfer time by taxi (30 minutes or less) and a hotel/ apartment in a family resort within walking distance of nice bars/ restaurants. We don’t want to rent a car. We will be travelling from Dublin and our budget is approx €1,500-€2,000 including flights. EMD, Dublin.
At three, your child is probably old enough to go on a holiday where there are children’s clubs and would have company for part of the day. Falcon Holidays have a number of family-friendly resorts in mainland Spain, the Balearics and the Algarve, with short transfers.
On the Algarve, the Falcon Holiday Village is specifically for families and the transfer is short. I have seen two weeks there from €1,715 for your family.
The Hotel Calyso in the Costa Dorada would be ideal. You could also take a day trip to Portaventura theme park. On Majorca, the Seaclub Alcudia is a good spot with a short transfer. The beach at Alcudia is very family friendly, wide, sandy and shallow. There are plenty of restaurants to visit and the lovely resort of Porto Pollensa is nearby,falconholidays.ie.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan, how can we get to Thomas Land, looking for ways to travel alone, and exploring Russia with our adopted children, August 2, 2014.
I am planning on taking a year out before starting a masters degree in 2015 and would love to travel for a month or two, either around Asia or Australia and New Zealand. I don’t have anyone to travel with, but don’t want this to hold me back. Are there any travel agencies or groups which join up solo travellers, as I find the idea of travelling alone as a young woman a little daunting? – RL, Dublin
There are companies that arrange holidays for people travelling alone.Solosholidays.co.uk is one, but its trips to Asia are quite expensive: the Indo China tour costs from £3,359 for 15 nights.
Friendshiptravel. com, based in Northern Ireland, has a Cambodia trip over 13 days which costs from €2,595.
It might be better value to join guided tours run by companies such as Intrepidtravel.com. The prices are good and they usually have a number of styles of trips, ie comfort, luxury, budget etc.
Gadventures.com has a huge range of tours. The Yolo brand is for young travellers: an Asia tour beginning in Bangkok for 30 days would cost about €2,200 plus flights. This blog for women travellers has good ideas and advice: solotravelerblog.com.
We have a five-year-old boy who is crazy about Thomas the Tank Engine and we’d like to bring him to Thomas Land near Birmingham. Would it be best to fly or get the ferry? We would be travelling from Kerry in September. Where would we stay? There is a hotel on the grounds but it seems expensive. – VC, Kerry
Thomas Land is at Drayton Park near Staffordshire and you have a couple of options to get there. Stenaline.ie has a good price option which includes the ferry and a hotel for two nights from €267 for the three of you with the car. You would have to factor in the cost of petrol and time driving to Rosslare and from Fishguard to Thomas Land.
Flying from Kerry Airport to Luton is quicker. Flights in September will cost less than €150. Watch out for the timings: they vary. Drayton Manor is about and hour and a half from there. Expect car hire to be under €100. There are a number of Holiday Inn Express properties near Drayton Manor and prices will be from £45-£65 per night,hiexpress.com.
I am in the very earliest stages of planning a family trip to Russia. We intend to go there sometime next summer with our two Russian adopted children. It will be costly as we want to visit cities in the North Caucasus and western Siberia, Moscow and maybe St Petersburg. I need help with the logistics, so we can get a handle on the costs before making decisions and doing detailed planning. Do you know of any company that could help us organise our travel? – SP, Cork
The Russian carrier S7.ru operates a direct service on Saturdays from Dublin to Moscow during the summer. If you were to take a flight to your furthest city in Siberia, it would be about €600 return. S7 allows stopovers and is the best domestic carrier in Russia.
However, the city you mention in the Caucasus, Vladikavkaz is in a military zone and extremely difficult to get a permit to visit. You may have to rethink visiting there for the present.
Sky Tours travel agency at 75 Talbot Street, Dublin has a Russian consultant who can help with planning the trip. Tatiana Sukhanova can be contacted on 01-8772519 and Tatiana@skytours.ie.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
I am planning on taking a year out before starting a masters degree in 2015 and would love to travel for a month or two, either around Asia or Australia and New Zealand. I don’t have anyone to travel with, but don’t want this to hold me back. Are there any travel agencies or groups which join up solo travellers, as I find the idea of travelling alone as a young woman a little daunting? – RL, Dublin
There are companies that arrange holidays for people travelling alone.Solosholidays.co.uk is one, but its trips to Asia are quite expensive: the Indo China tour costs from £3,359 for 15 nights.
Friendshiptravel. com, based in Northern Ireland, has a Cambodia trip over 13 days which costs from €2,595.
It might be better value to join guided tours run by companies such as Intrepidtravel.com. The prices are good and they usually have a number of styles of trips, ie comfort, luxury, budget etc.
Gadventures.com has a huge range of tours. The Yolo brand is for young travellers: an Asia tour beginning in Bangkok for 30 days would cost about €2,200 plus flights. This blog for women travellers has good ideas and advice: solotravelerblog.com.
We have a five-year-old boy who is crazy about Thomas the Tank Engine and we’d like to bring him to Thomas Land near Birmingham. Would it be best to fly or get the ferry? We would be travelling from Kerry in September. Where would we stay? There is a hotel on the grounds but it seems expensive. – VC, Kerry
Thomas Land is at Drayton Park near Staffordshire and you have a couple of options to get there. Stenaline.ie has a good price option which includes the ferry and a hotel for two nights from €267 for the three of you with the car. You would have to factor in the cost of petrol and time driving to Rosslare and from Fishguard to Thomas Land.
Flying from Kerry Airport to Luton is quicker. Flights in September will cost less than €150. Watch out for the timings: they vary. Drayton Manor is about and hour and a half from there. Expect car hire to be under €100. There are a number of Holiday Inn Express properties near Drayton Manor and prices will be from £45-£65 per night,hiexpress.com.
I am in the very earliest stages of planning a family trip to Russia. We intend to go there sometime next summer with our two Russian adopted children. It will be costly as we want to visit cities in the North Caucasus and western Siberia, Moscow and maybe St Petersburg. I need help with the logistics, so we can get a handle on the costs before making decisions and doing detailed planning. Do you know of any company that could help us organise our travel? – SP, Cork
The Russian carrier S7.ru operates a direct service on Saturdays from Dublin to Moscow during the summer. If you were to take a flight to your furthest city in Siberia, it would be about €600 return. S7 allows stopovers and is the best domestic carrier in Russia.
However, the city you mention in the Caucasus, Vladikavkaz is in a military zone and extremely difficult to get a permit to visit. You may have to rethink visiting there for the present.
Sky Tours travel agency at 75 Talbot Street, Dublin has a Russian consultant who can help with planning the trip. Tatiana Sukhanova can be contacted on 01-8772519 and Tatiana@skytours.ie.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about going to the Northern Lights in Tromso and visiting Puglia by bus, July 26, 2014
My sister and I (both in our 60s) are planning a trip to Puglia in the last week in September. We absolutely do not want to drive, but would like to find a nice base from which to do day trips by public transport. Anyone we have spoken with has said that is impossible, as public transport is useless in that region. Can you give me any advice on this or even on organised day trips and also could could you recommend a base, at the sea preferably? – CA, Dublin
The Ryanair flight to Bari makes it easy to get to Puglia this year. If you’re going to be using public transport to get around, then you will probably find it more convenient to stay in one of the bigger towns, Taranto, Lecce or Otranto. The Ionian coast has beautiful sandy beaches and the Adriatic coast is rocky and interesting. The train service in this region is Ferrovia del Sud Est, fseonline.it and I have had a look at some pairs of destinations and it seems easy and reasonably priced. You may have to change some times, but I am sure you will find it easy enough. The walled Baroque inland town of Lecce has train services to places like Alberobello, Bari, Otranto, Gallipoli, Galatina, Taranto and Ugento. It is a university town and is lively. There is a 1st-century Roman arena in the city centre. Uxemtum Tours has a special offer in the lovely five-star Patria Palace Hotel in Lecce for seven nights and it includes collection from Bari Airport, from €540pps. Uxentum can also arrange day tours in the region. It has a deal for a stay in a four-star hotel in Alberobello, the town of trulli - those beehive shaped houses - with three dinners from €545pps, uxentumtour.it. The official tourism site for the region is viaggiareinpuglia.it. There is also a Puglia tour company based in Ireland, run by a couple from the region. They have some very good hotel and tour offers, mainly by car but may have some ideas for bus or boat tours. You can contact them on 01-254 4280 and their website is discoverypuglia.com.
A friend and I are hoping to travel to Tromso in Norway next February or March to catch the Northern Lights. We travelled to the north of Sweden a couple of years ago, but alas the lights didn’t show. This time we would like to include a few days’ skiing while in Norway. Would this be possible? – IS, Dublin
Tromso is a good location to see the Northern Lights but like any natural phenomenon, there’s no guarantee. The city is now embracing the tourism from the Northern Lights and you will find events on in the museum and around the city, see visittromso.no/en. Check closer to the date to see if there will be a midnight concert in the Arctic Cathedral. It is a beautiful experience. Getting to Tromso from Ireland is not too difficult.Norwegian. com has same day arrivals via Oslo. Flights will operate on Sunday and Thursday in the winter and cost from €316 return. SAS also has flights via Copenhagen some days of the week, butthey are a little more expensive. There is alpine skiing in the Tromso area in the suburb of Kroken, see iti.ms/1n56tXg. Cross-country skiing is the most popular type of skiing in this region. You could also ski Lillehammer, just over two hours from Oslo by train. The other most popular ski region in Norway is Trysil, about two-and-half hours from Oslo. See visitnorway.com for more details.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
My sister and I (both in our 60s) are planning a trip to Puglia in the last week in September. We absolutely do not want to drive, but would like to find a nice base from which to do day trips by public transport. Anyone we have spoken with has said that is impossible, as public transport is useless in that region. Can you give me any advice on this or even on organised day trips and also could could you recommend a base, at the sea preferably? – CA, Dublin
The Ryanair flight to Bari makes it easy to get to Puglia this year. If you’re going to be using public transport to get around, then you will probably find it more convenient to stay in one of the bigger towns, Taranto, Lecce or Otranto. The Ionian coast has beautiful sandy beaches and the Adriatic coast is rocky and interesting. The train service in this region is Ferrovia del Sud Est, fseonline.it and I have had a look at some pairs of destinations and it seems easy and reasonably priced. You may have to change some times, but I am sure you will find it easy enough. The walled Baroque inland town of Lecce has train services to places like Alberobello, Bari, Otranto, Gallipoli, Galatina, Taranto and Ugento. It is a university town and is lively. There is a 1st-century Roman arena in the city centre. Uxemtum Tours has a special offer in the lovely five-star Patria Palace Hotel in Lecce for seven nights and it includes collection from Bari Airport, from €540pps. Uxentum can also arrange day tours in the region. It has a deal for a stay in a four-star hotel in Alberobello, the town of trulli - those beehive shaped houses - with three dinners from €545pps, uxentumtour.it. The official tourism site for the region is viaggiareinpuglia.it. There is also a Puglia tour company based in Ireland, run by a couple from the region. They have some very good hotel and tour offers, mainly by car but may have some ideas for bus or boat tours. You can contact them on 01-254 4280 and their website is discoverypuglia.com.
A friend and I are hoping to travel to Tromso in Norway next February or March to catch the Northern Lights. We travelled to the north of Sweden a couple of years ago, but alas the lights didn’t show. This time we would like to include a few days’ skiing while in Norway. Would this be possible? – IS, Dublin
Tromso is a good location to see the Northern Lights but like any natural phenomenon, there’s no guarantee. The city is now embracing the tourism from the Northern Lights and you will find events on in the museum and around the city, see visittromso.no/en. Check closer to the date to see if there will be a midnight concert in the Arctic Cathedral. It is a beautiful experience. Getting to Tromso from Ireland is not too difficult.Norwegian. com has same day arrivals via Oslo. Flights will operate on Sunday and Thursday in the winter and cost from €316 return. SAS also has flights via Copenhagen some days of the week, butthey are a little more expensive. There is alpine skiing in the Tromso area in the suburb of Kroken, see iti.ms/1n56tXg. Cross-country skiing is the most popular type of skiing in this region. You could also ski Lillehammer, just over two hours from Oslo by train. The other most popular ski region in Norway is Trysil, about two-and-half hours from Oslo. See visitnorway.com for more details.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
The desert of Namibia
Namibia or Qatar for an autmn trip. A trip for Mum who is hard of hearing and getting from Malaga to Alicante. July 19, 2014
I have a few weeks to play around with in September and early October and I’m trying to decide what to do. I was in Japan last year so it’s going to take something special to top that. I was looking at Namibia, Oman orTrinidad. Does the time of year suit any of these places? How do you get to Namibia and would a single traveller be able to join a tour? Any of the destinations would have to involve adventure activities. – BC, Cavan
The best season to see Trinidad is from January to May. September may be a bit too humid and wet. Explore.co.uk has a trip to Oman from September 21st that might be of interest. The seven-day tour begins in Muscat and then travels around the country from the coast to Nizwa. There will be camping in the sand dunes and sailing on a dhow having seen dhow building. The trip costs from €1,415 without flights.
Namibia a country of deserts and deserted coasts and the weather in September -October will be the best for game viewing though dusty. It is accessible on a trip from Cape Town with G Adventures. The 12-day trip has plenty of natural adventures, crossing lunar scenery and leaving footprints on the highest sand dunes in the world. You would also get to see the Etosha National Park where game viewing is possible.
Staying in a mixture of hotels, guesthouses and camping it will be a real opportunity to get up close to nature. The price is from €1,399 not including flights. The tour ends at Windhoek, where you could stay on to enjoy the colonial architecture. See gadventures.com.
Any suggestions for a holiday for my mum? She’s in her 80s, pretty active but very hard of hearing. This makes it difficult for her to socialise and makes her a little unsure about situations she doesn’t know. We have suggested she goes on an organised tour, even for a long weekend, to see whether see enjoys it. She’s not convinced and in particular she’s concerned she would miss scheduled events as she wouldn’t hear announcement of the arrangements. – MG, Dublin
A weekend or a few days away with a tour group is probably a good idea. Usually there will be someone in charge or a group leader who can be advised in advance to make sure your mother joins in and does not miss anything.
PAB Travel has a good variety of holidays in Ireland and their guests are usually an older age group. They are experienced at providing a good time for everyone, see pabtravel.com.
Other trips that can work well for people hard of hearing are cruise holidays. Ships normally carry the necessary equipment for cabins such as vibrating alarm clocks, door lights and sirens. The ratio of staff to passengers is also higher making is easier to have your mother looked after.
A river cruise might be worth considering. A chat with a good cruise agent might be helpful, see cruisecapes.ie or cruiseholidays.ie.
What’s the best way to travel from Malaga to Alicante at the end of September? There does not seem to be a direct rail route. – WB, Belfast There is a rail connection to Alicante from Malaga via Cordoba. The service operates three times a week on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday and will cost around €67. You can see the timetables on renfe.com. There are daily bus services for the 650km trip and it costs around €45, see the timetables on alsa.es. Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
I have a few weeks to play around with in September and early October and I’m trying to decide what to do. I was in Japan last year so it’s going to take something special to top that. I was looking at Namibia, Oman orTrinidad. Does the time of year suit any of these places? How do you get to Namibia and would a single traveller be able to join a tour? Any of the destinations would have to involve adventure activities. – BC, Cavan
The best season to see Trinidad is from January to May. September may be a bit too humid and wet. Explore.co.uk has a trip to Oman from September 21st that might be of interest. The seven-day tour begins in Muscat and then travels around the country from the coast to Nizwa. There will be camping in the sand dunes and sailing on a dhow having seen dhow building. The trip costs from €1,415 without flights.
Namibia a country of deserts and deserted coasts and the weather in September -October will be the best for game viewing though dusty. It is accessible on a trip from Cape Town with G Adventures. The 12-day trip has plenty of natural adventures, crossing lunar scenery and leaving footprints on the highest sand dunes in the world. You would also get to see the Etosha National Park where game viewing is possible.
Staying in a mixture of hotels, guesthouses and camping it will be a real opportunity to get up close to nature. The price is from €1,399 not including flights. The tour ends at Windhoek, where you could stay on to enjoy the colonial architecture. See gadventures.com.
Any suggestions for a holiday for my mum? She’s in her 80s, pretty active but very hard of hearing. This makes it difficult for her to socialise and makes her a little unsure about situations she doesn’t know. We have suggested she goes on an organised tour, even for a long weekend, to see whether see enjoys it. She’s not convinced and in particular she’s concerned she would miss scheduled events as she wouldn’t hear announcement of the arrangements. – MG, Dublin
A weekend or a few days away with a tour group is probably a good idea. Usually there will be someone in charge or a group leader who can be advised in advance to make sure your mother joins in and does not miss anything.
PAB Travel has a good variety of holidays in Ireland and their guests are usually an older age group. They are experienced at providing a good time for everyone, see pabtravel.com.
Other trips that can work well for people hard of hearing are cruise holidays. Ships normally carry the necessary equipment for cabins such as vibrating alarm clocks, door lights and sirens. The ratio of staff to passengers is also higher making is easier to have your mother looked after.
A river cruise might be worth considering. A chat with a good cruise agent might be helpful, see cruisecapes.ie or cruiseholidays.ie.
What’s the best way to travel from Malaga to Alicante at the end of September? There does not seem to be a direct rail route. – WB, Belfast There is a rail connection to Alicante from Malaga via Cordoba. The service operates three times a week on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday and will cost around €67. You can see the timetables on renfe.com. There are daily bus services for the 650km trip and it costs around €45, see the timetables on alsa.es. Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan. Taking teenagers to Copenhagen, Dublin to Paris via Eurostar and Tallinn in autumn, how to get there, July 12, 2014
We would like to take three teenagers to Copenhagen in August. I am looking for recommendations for accommodation which is nice but not too pricey. Would you think five days is enough and have you any general advice on the city in terms of things to see and do and places to eat? KOK, Dublin
Copenhagen city centre is compact and five days would be enough to get a real feel for it. If you mix and match flights from SAS and Aer Lingus you could make it five days and four nights.
The city has been going through a transformation in the hotel sector and there are quite a few new boutique, modern and quirky hotels. The following hotels range in price from around €85 to €190 per night, and all are in good locations for walking around.
The cabinn.com is one of the first of the new wave of hotels and is the best value. Wakeupcopenhagen.com has two budget, very Danish-style hotel. Andersens-hotel.dk/en is real quirky and may appeal to the teenagers, and arthurhotels.dk/ibsens-hotel/ is in the university district. Prices may be a bit more reasonable on Hotels.com, booking.com and trivago.com. Top of the list of things to see include the Tivoli Gardens; the Little Mermaid; Christiana, the famous free town, now an attraction in its own right; the Royal Palace, though the family may not be in residence in August. Hang out at Nyhavn and enjoy the pretty quays and take a canal cruise.
An affordable range of cafes in Copenhagen are Cofoco, where they cater for a young urban crowd, see cofoco.dk. Check out visitcopenhagen.com.
My brother is going to work in Tallinn in September. The family is looking at flights and ways of getting there and find that flights from Dublin are very limited and some very expensive. It has been suggested to fly to Helsinki and then go by boat to Tallinn or fly to Riga, followed by a four-and-a half-hour coach trip to Tallinn. Are these really the best options? LQ, Dublin
Forget about Helsinki, there are only two weekly direct flights from Ireland with Norwegian.com and they arrive too late at night to take a ferry. Those flight are also due to finish in October.
Ryanair flights continue through the winter from Stansted to Tallinn with good connecting times. Or look at routing through Copenhagen for Tallinn with flysas.ie for a quite painless option. Watch out for the SAS sale fares. I would love to travel to Paris via the channel tunnel from London in August. Can it be done on a budget? Online tickets seem to be very expensive. COC, Dublin
London to Paris by Eurostar is a terrific trip and well worth doing. It is great to leave one city centre and arrive in the city centre of another country in under three hours.
My best ideas for keeping the cost down is to fly into Gatwick on a cheapie Ryanair or Aer Lingus ticket, take the train from there to St. Pancras. It takes under an hour and the cheapest ticket is from £10 (€12.60). That way you will not need accommodation or meals in London. See the timetables on thetrainline.com.
You can find the cheapest fares on Eurostar.com by clicking on the “Flexible with My Dates” option and it will show prices for a month. Prices start from £44.50 (€56) each way in August. If you are over 60, you can avail of a seniors’ discount. Fly back from Paris on Ryanair.com through Beauvais Airport for around €50.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about getting to Barcelona and Sitges on a budget and how to take money to Asia. July 5, 2014
I’m hoping to go to Barcelona for a few days anytime from mid-August to mid-September and may pay a visit to Sitges for the day or overnight. I will be travelling alone and my budget is very tight so I’d be looking to stay in a hostel or a very cheap central hotel. How far is Sitges from the city and would there be cheap accommodation available. BL, Meath
The prices for airline tickets to Barcelona start to go down from the beginning of September and if you book soon you could pay around €100 return with Ryanair. com. The 10kg baggage allowance should be plenty for a warm weather break then.
Barcelona is a great city with lots to see and do, which will not cost a lot of money. There are dozens of good quality hostels and you will find a bed for under €25 per night. Private rooms are more expensive, around €60 per night. See hostelworld.com and hostelbookers.com. The ratings and reviews are a good guide, choose one that provides breakfast and free WiFi in El Born or Barrio Gotik.
Sitges is about 45 minutes by train from Barcelona. There are three main train stations in Barcelona that have services to Sitges: Estacio de França, Passeig de Gracia and Estacio Sants. The C2 train travels from Franca to Passeig de Gracia to Sants and then on to Sitges. The final destination of the train is either Vilanova i la Geltru or St Vincenç de Calders – these are the names you should be searching for on departure boards and on the front of the train rather than Sitges. It costs around €8 return and runs around twice an hour.
Sitges is a smaller city and there are not so many hostels and small hotels. You may find that the cost of a room will be higher than Barcelona, but you will still find somewhere for under €60 per night. Accommodation away from the beach area will be less expensive. Look at hostelbookers.com and booking.com. Being flexible on dates will make it easier to find good value. See also sitges-tourist-guide.com for links to budget accommodation.
My son is going travelling for a few months in Europe before travelling toIndia, Thailand and Cambodia. Any advice on the best way for him to manage money? The banks offer the Visa Debit Card or Master Card. He is thinking of that An Post offer, the Cash Passport, where you load the card before you go in US Dollars or Sterling.
NOR, Dublin An Post Cash Passport is one of a number of similar type of preloaded debit cards which are ideal for travelling as you can only spend what you have loaded on the card. It is not connected to a bank account. It does cost a fee to set up and there are charges each time you use it or load money to it. Moneyguideireland. com has a comparison table between the various cards available.
However your son will be travelling to countries and places where there may not be ATMs and debit cards will not always be of use. He could take some currency for each country. You can order commission-free currency from No1currency.ie online and collect it from their shops in Westmoreland Street, Tallaght, Malahide or Shankill.
If he is taking a credit card then the most important thing to do first is to let his bank know that he will be travelling in those countries and even when he moves from one to another. Banks are quick to block cards when they see unusual transactions. Make sure he brings the necessary phone numbers with him and a money belt or wallet to wear inside his clothes. Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
I’m hoping to go to Barcelona for a few days anytime from mid-August to mid-September and may pay a visit to Sitges for the day or overnight. I will be travelling alone and my budget is very tight so I’d be looking to stay in a hostel or a very cheap central hotel. How far is Sitges from the city and would there be cheap accommodation available. BL, Meath
The prices for airline tickets to Barcelona start to go down from the beginning of September and if you book soon you could pay around €100 return with Ryanair. com. The 10kg baggage allowance should be plenty for a warm weather break then.
Barcelona is a great city with lots to see and do, which will not cost a lot of money. There are dozens of good quality hostels and you will find a bed for under €25 per night. Private rooms are more expensive, around €60 per night. See hostelworld.com and hostelbookers.com. The ratings and reviews are a good guide, choose one that provides breakfast and free WiFi in El Born or Barrio Gotik.
Sitges is about 45 minutes by train from Barcelona. There are three main train stations in Barcelona that have services to Sitges: Estacio de França, Passeig de Gracia and Estacio Sants. The C2 train travels from Franca to Passeig de Gracia to Sants and then on to Sitges. The final destination of the train is either Vilanova i la Geltru or St Vincenç de Calders – these are the names you should be searching for on departure boards and on the front of the train rather than Sitges. It costs around €8 return and runs around twice an hour.
Sitges is a smaller city and there are not so many hostels and small hotels. You may find that the cost of a room will be higher than Barcelona, but you will still find somewhere for under €60 per night. Accommodation away from the beach area will be less expensive. Look at hostelbookers.com and booking.com. Being flexible on dates will make it easier to find good value. See also sitges-tourist-guide.com for links to budget accommodation.
My son is going travelling for a few months in Europe before travelling toIndia, Thailand and Cambodia. Any advice on the best way for him to manage money? The banks offer the Visa Debit Card or Master Card. He is thinking of that An Post offer, the Cash Passport, where you load the card before you go in US Dollars or Sterling.
NOR, Dublin An Post Cash Passport is one of a number of similar type of preloaded debit cards which are ideal for travelling as you can only spend what you have loaded on the card. It is not connected to a bank account. It does cost a fee to set up and there are charges each time you use it or load money to it. Moneyguideireland. com has a comparison table between the various cards available.
However your son will be travelling to countries and places where there may not be ATMs and debit cards will not always be of use. He could take some currency for each country. You can order commission-free currency from No1currency.ie online and collect it from their shops in Westmoreland Street, Tallaght, Malahide or Shankill.
If he is taking a credit card then the most important thing to do first is to let his bank know that he will be travelling in those countries and even when he moves from one to another. Banks are quick to block cards when they see unusual transactions. Make sure he brings the necessary phone numbers with him and a money belt or wallet to wear inside his clothes. Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about a luxury treat in Florence, finding a French course on holidays and getting to Hvar for a wedding, June 28, 2014.
My wife and I are travelling to a Eurocamp site near Venice with our children and grandchildren. While there, we would like to spend a few days in Florence on our own. We are assuming rail travel from Venice to Florence is easy, but do we need to book in advance? Can you recommend a really good hotel? Do we need to book entry to museums before we go? AH, Cork
Getting from Venice to Florence is quite easy, there are plenty of trains and it takes just under two hours. Search trenitalia.com for timetables. You will probably be leaving from Venezia Mestre station going to Firenze. It will cost under €60 return. Booking on the website is not easy, much easier to book tickets through railshop.ie (or tel: 01-866 5841).
The five-star Four Seasons Hotel in Florence is a former palazzo and convent and has a beautiful 11-acre formal garden. Prices are from €800 per night and the food is highly recommended. See fourseasons.com/florence.
The Bernini Palace Hotel is in a great location, five minutes from most places you will want to see. It is a smaller, boutique-type hotel, with 74 rooms and costs from €550 per night. Its “romantic package” includes a private car tour of the city, champagne and dinner, from €870 for two. See hotelbernini.duetorrihotels.com.
The Lungarno Collection has a number of very fine hotels in Florence, with one on the riverside with views of the Ponte Vecchio and close enough to everything you would like to see. Prices are from around €350 per night. See lungarnocollection.com.
The most famous museum is the Uffizi Gallery and you should probably book that in advance. You can buy tickets, €6.50 each, at uffizi.firenze.it/en. Special exhibitions are an additional fee. A telephone booking service charges a fee of €4, tel: 0039-0552-94883. Or just take a chance and queue on the day. The queues can be long, but are fast-moving. The tour company, florencetown.com has a selection of good tours of Florence including the Uffizi and the Vasari Corridor.
Could you recommend somewhere in the Languedoc/ Provence coastal regions for a short holiday in September? Somewhere I could have morning French classes while my partner could have cultural and retail therapy opportunities – leaving us free après midi to explore. DO, Dublin
There are many language schools in France, and some very good ones around the Côte d’Azur. The best option is to talk to a company that is familiar with them. It is important to find a school that has been inspected and comes up to European standards.
A chat with Mary Grennan of International House, ihgalway.ie, tel: 086-2325335, would be worthwhile because she is an inspector for language schools in France and Spain. Another Irish company to contact is steinstudy.com, tel: 01-4759646. I have been invited to a wedding on Hvar Island, Croatia, on September 3rd. Have you any ideas on the best way to get there from Dublin? CM, Dublin Dubrovnik is the nearest airport for getting to Hvar from Dublin. Aer Lingus has flights four times a week. There are ferries from Dubrovnik and it will take around three to four hours. See croatiaferries.com for timetables, or consult a Croatia specialist, Croatiatours.ie, for help in planning your trip. Send your questions to jscales@irishtimes.com
My wife and I are travelling to a Eurocamp site near Venice with our children and grandchildren. While there, we would like to spend a few days in Florence on our own. We are assuming rail travel from Venice to Florence is easy, but do we need to book in advance? Can you recommend a really good hotel? Do we need to book entry to museums before we go? AH, Cork
Getting from Venice to Florence is quite easy, there are plenty of trains and it takes just under two hours. Search trenitalia.com for timetables. You will probably be leaving from Venezia Mestre station going to Firenze. It will cost under €60 return. Booking on the website is not easy, much easier to book tickets through railshop.ie (or tel: 01-866 5841).
The five-star Four Seasons Hotel in Florence is a former palazzo and convent and has a beautiful 11-acre formal garden. Prices are from €800 per night and the food is highly recommended. See fourseasons.com/florence.
The Bernini Palace Hotel is in a great location, five minutes from most places you will want to see. It is a smaller, boutique-type hotel, with 74 rooms and costs from €550 per night. Its “romantic package” includes a private car tour of the city, champagne and dinner, from €870 for two. See hotelbernini.duetorrihotels.com.
The Lungarno Collection has a number of very fine hotels in Florence, with one on the riverside with views of the Ponte Vecchio and close enough to everything you would like to see. Prices are from around €350 per night. See lungarnocollection.com.
The most famous museum is the Uffizi Gallery and you should probably book that in advance. You can buy tickets, €6.50 each, at uffizi.firenze.it/en. Special exhibitions are an additional fee. A telephone booking service charges a fee of €4, tel: 0039-0552-94883. Or just take a chance and queue on the day. The queues can be long, but are fast-moving. The tour company, florencetown.com has a selection of good tours of Florence including the Uffizi and the Vasari Corridor.
Could you recommend somewhere in the Languedoc/ Provence coastal regions for a short holiday in September? Somewhere I could have morning French classes while my partner could have cultural and retail therapy opportunities – leaving us free après midi to explore. DO, Dublin
There are many language schools in France, and some very good ones around the Côte d’Azur. The best option is to talk to a company that is familiar with them. It is important to find a school that has been inspected and comes up to European standards.
A chat with Mary Grennan of International House, ihgalway.ie, tel: 086-2325335, would be worthwhile because she is an inspector for language schools in France and Spain. Another Irish company to contact is steinstudy.com, tel: 01-4759646. I have been invited to a wedding on Hvar Island, Croatia, on September 3rd. Have you any ideas on the best way to get there from Dublin? CM, Dublin Dubrovnik is the nearest airport for getting to Hvar from Dublin. Aer Lingus has flights four times a week. There are ferries from Dubrovnik and it will take around three to four hours. See croatiaferries.com for timetables, or consult a Croatia specialist, Croatiatours.ie, for help in planning your trip. Send your questions to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about an autumn visit to a provincial French city and taking the dog on holidays to a forest home in Ireland., June 21, 2014.
We are two active friends in our 60s who would like to spend two nights in France, not in Paris or Nice. We ’d like to fly with Aer Lingus in September or October. We like eating out, sightseeing, shopping and markets. – MH, Dublin
In the autumn your choices to France with Aer Lingus will be Bordeaux, Lyon and Toulouse. My first suggestions would be Bordeaux as it is a very manageable city, has lovely restaurants, and the culture of wine to explore.
There are daily guided tours to wine chateaux and regions for quite good prices, plenty of markets around the city and a good range of quality hotels for under €100 per room per night. The main shopping street is the long straight rue St Catherine. See bordeaux-tourisme.com.
Lyon is famous for its gastronomy and many of the markets are devoted to fresh local produce. On two rivers the Rhône and the Saône, there are boat trips, river walks and markets along the banks.
There is great shopping with many major stores having branches here such as Galeries Lafayette at the Part Dieu Shopping Centre. There are also interesting independent shops. One of France’s biggest art galleries is in the city, Le Musée des Beaux Arts. Most three star hotels are under €80 per night, see en.lyon-france.com.
Toulouse is known as the rose city for the pink hued stone used in buildings and is the gateway to south western France. The city of rugby, aviation and cassoulet is compact and you can easily explore it in two days. It is also the city of the artist Toulouse Lautrec and there is a fine museum dedicated to his work.
There are more than a dozen markets both indoor and outdoor in Toulouse every week, so you are sure to find ones to visit. See Toulouse-visit.com. I like the Mercure Hotels in France, they are mostly four stars and have good advance rates, usually centrally located and you will find them in each of the cities I mentioned.
Can you advise about renting somewhere to stay in a forest in Ireland and that is dog friendly? – SJ, Dublin
A number of places around the country would fit the bill perfectly. Fermanagh Lakelands has a 75-acres wooded island, called Lusty Beg. It has a small hotel, spa and self-catering properties to rent. See lustybegisland.com. There are plenty of things to do such as canoeing, kayaking and off-road driving. Prices are from €440-€870 per week depending on property size and week.
The next area was in the news recently as Kim Kardashian and Kanye West apparently honeymooned there. Set in the mountains and forests between Cork and Limerick the Ballyhoura Luxury Forest Homes are lovely. The woodland homes have all the comforts with wood stoves and miles of trails to explore, see ballyhouraluxuryforest homes.com. Prices from €640-€799 per week; pets €25 per week and they will need to know the breed before confirmation.
In the lakelands of Co Cavan at Cornadarraagh on the Shannon Erne Waterway the Fáilte Log Cabins are lovely, traditional style forest houses. Each wooden A-frame has two double bedrooms. A week costs from €300-€500. See failtelogcabins.com.
The new Cottages4you.ie website makes it easy to find pet-friendly homes. There are dozens in Kerry which is famous for its woodlands and prices are very competitive.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
We are two active friends in our 60s who would like to spend two nights in France, not in Paris or Nice. We ’d like to fly with Aer Lingus in September or October. We like eating out, sightseeing, shopping and markets. – MH, Dublin
In the autumn your choices to France with Aer Lingus will be Bordeaux, Lyon and Toulouse. My first suggestions would be Bordeaux as it is a very manageable city, has lovely restaurants, and the culture of wine to explore.
There are daily guided tours to wine chateaux and regions for quite good prices, plenty of markets around the city and a good range of quality hotels for under €100 per room per night. The main shopping street is the long straight rue St Catherine. See bordeaux-tourisme.com.
Lyon is famous for its gastronomy and many of the markets are devoted to fresh local produce. On two rivers the Rhône and the Saône, there are boat trips, river walks and markets along the banks.
There is great shopping with many major stores having branches here such as Galeries Lafayette at the Part Dieu Shopping Centre. There are also interesting independent shops. One of France’s biggest art galleries is in the city, Le Musée des Beaux Arts. Most three star hotels are under €80 per night, see en.lyon-france.com.
Toulouse is known as the rose city for the pink hued stone used in buildings and is the gateway to south western France. The city of rugby, aviation and cassoulet is compact and you can easily explore it in two days. It is also the city of the artist Toulouse Lautrec and there is a fine museum dedicated to his work.
There are more than a dozen markets both indoor and outdoor in Toulouse every week, so you are sure to find ones to visit. See Toulouse-visit.com. I like the Mercure Hotels in France, they are mostly four stars and have good advance rates, usually centrally located and you will find them in each of the cities I mentioned.
Can you advise about renting somewhere to stay in a forest in Ireland and that is dog friendly? – SJ, Dublin
A number of places around the country would fit the bill perfectly. Fermanagh Lakelands has a 75-acres wooded island, called Lusty Beg. It has a small hotel, spa and self-catering properties to rent. See lustybegisland.com. There are plenty of things to do such as canoeing, kayaking and off-road driving. Prices are from €440-€870 per week depending on property size and week.
The next area was in the news recently as Kim Kardashian and Kanye West apparently honeymooned there. Set in the mountains and forests between Cork and Limerick the Ballyhoura Luxury Forest Homes are lovely. The woodland homes have all the comforts with wood stoves and miles of trails to explore, see ballyhouraluxuryforest homes.com. Prices from €640-€799 per week; pets €25 per week and they will need to know the breed before confirmation.
In the lakelands of Co Cavan at Cornadarraagh on the Shannon Erne Waterway the Fáilte Log Cabins are lovely, traditional style forest houses. Each wooden A-frame has two double bedrooms. A week costs from €300-€500. See failtelogcabins.com.
The new Cottages4you.ie website makes it easy to find pet-friendly homes. There are dozens in Kerry which is famous for its woodlands and prices are very competitive.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about touring in the Puglia region of Italy and finding a good guide for touring the American battlefields, June 14, 2014
We plan to go to Puglia and tour the area. Where would be a good place to stay? POB, Dublin.
Apulia, or Puglia, is a long narrow region that runs right into the heel of Italy, about 400km from spur to heel. New flights to Bari with Ryanair make it very accessible.
Ideally it should be considered in three main sections. To the north the Gargano promontory with the national park and city of Foggia, the central region around the capital Bari and the pretty coastal city of Monopoli, and the heel which is the province of Salento.
The region is steeped in history and the landscapes move from rocky coastline to fields of wildflowers, abundant farmland of olive trees, vines and other crops, to sandy beaches.
You have a choice of staying on the coast or inland, on the Adriatic or Ionian seas.
I recently travelled from Bari to the Salento region in the far south, and there is much there to keep holiday-makers occupied.
The whole area is alive with history, as people who came here include the Romans to the Crusaders to the Greeks, Spanish, Bourbons and English. There are 110 villages and each one has a surprise.
Torre San Giovanni is a lovely coastal town with beaches and plenty of places to stay. The Parco dei Principi Hotel with its own beach also has self-catering apartments (parcodeiprincipi.it).
Inland the Itria Valley is beautiful and dotted with ancient trullis, the conical stone houses of the region. It is also close to the heritage town of Alberobello, whose whitewashed trullis huddle together along narrow streets.
If you do go there, try to visit in the morning as it gets very crowded. You might also consider staying in a traditional, stone Masserie, which are former estate houses (masseriesalento.it).
We explored the towns of Santa Maria di Leuca, Otranto, Gallipoli, Galatina, Ugento, and the city of Lecce.
Memorable places included the Roman arena in the centre of Lecce, the medieval frescoes in the church of St Catherine of Alexandria, a boat trip to see the sea caves and coast around Santa Maria di Leuca, the historic streets of Gallipoli and the beaches on the Ionian coast. For tourist information on for Puglia on log on to viaggiareinpuglia.it
My father is interested in the American civil war. Could you recommend a US tour of the civil war sites. Getting there is not an issue but guide authenticity is. Do you know if there is a tour for, say, third-level history students? PM, Dublin Virginia and Maryland are at the heart of US history, from slavery to civil rights.
The region has more than 10,000 sites on the US National Register of Historic Places, nine presidential homes, 13 national parks and battlefields of the Revolutionary War, the French-Indian War and the War of 1812. You could use Washington as a base.
Pennsylvania also has some of the major sites such as Gettysburg and York and the city of Philadelphia is a rich in US history .
There are a number of websites you can consult to find information and guided tours: these include the National Parks Service nps.gov, civilwartours.net, civilwartours.org,gettysburgfoundation.org, destinationgettysburg.com and Virginia.org/CW NationalBattlefields.
Guides must be licensed to work in any of the national sites. Guides are normally very interested in their subject and will be authentic.
Send your questions to jscales@irishtimes.com.
We plan to go to Puglia and tour the area. Where would be a good place to stay? POB, Dublin.
Apulia, or Puglia, is a long narrow region that runs right into the heel of Italy, about 400km from spur to heel. New flights to Bari with Ryanair make it very accessible.
Ideally it should be considered in three main sections. To the north the Gargano promontory with the national park and city of Foggia, the central region around the capital Bari and the pretty coastal city of Monopoli, and the heel which is the province of Salento.
The region is steeped in history and the landscapes move from rocky coastline to fields of wildflowers, abundant farmland of olive trees, vines and other crops, to sandy beaches.
You have a choice of staying on the coast or inland, on the Adriatic or Ionian seas.
I recently travelled from Bari to the Salento region in the far south, and there is much there to keep holiday-makers occupied.
The whole area is alive with history, as people who came here include the Romans to the Crusaders to the Greeks, Spanish, Bourbons and English. There are 110 villages and each one has a surprise.
Torre San Giovanni is a lovely coastal town with beaches and plenty of places to stay. The Parco dei Principi Hotel with its own beach also has self-catering apartments (parcodeiprincipi.it).
Inland the Itria Valley is beautiful and dotted with ancient trullis, the conical stone houses of the region. It is also close to the heritage town of Alberobello, whose whitewashed trullis huddle together along narrow streets.
If you do go there, try to visit in the morning as it gets very crowded. You might also consider staying in a traditional, stone Masserie, which are former estate houses (masseriesalento.it).
We explored the towns of Santa Maria di Leuca, Otranto, Gallipoli, Galatina, Ugento, and the city of Lecce.
Memorable places included the Roman arena in the centre of Lecce, the medieval frescoes in the church of St Catherine of Alexandria, a boat trip to see the sea caves and coast around Santa Maria di Leuca, the historic streets of Gallipoli and the beaches on the Ionian coast. For tourist information on for Puglia on log on to viaggiareinpuglia.it
My father is interested in the American civil war. Could you recommend a US tour of the civil war sites. Getting there is not an issue but guide authenticity is. Do you know if there is a tour for, say, third-level history students? PM, Dublin Virginia and Maryland are at the heart of US history, from slavery to civil rights.
The region has more than 10,000 sites on the US National Register of Historic Places, nine presidential homes, 13 national parks and battlefields of the Revolutionary War, the French-Indian War and the War of 1812. You could use Washington as a base.
Pennsylvania also has some of the major sites such as Gettysburg and York and the city of Philadelphia is a rich in US history .
There are a number of websites you can consult to find information and guided tours: these include the National Parks Service nps.gov, civilwartours.net, civilwartours.org,gettysburgfoundation.org, destinationgettysburg.com and Virginia.org/CW NationalBattlefields.
Guides must be licensed to work in any of the national sites. Guides are normally very interested in their subject and will be authentic.
Send your questions to jscales@irishtimes.com.
Ask Joan about going to Tel Aviv for a sun and city break and enjoying a few days in Madrid before tackling the Camino? June 7, 2014
I’m interested in doing a city/sun break in Tel Aviv in September for a week to include a day-trip or overnight to Jerusalem. Is there an easy way to get there from Dublin? Have you any recommendations for places to stay? – FOC, Kildare
Tel Aviv is a good place to combine a beach and city break and is rising in the ranks of popular cities. There are lots of new nightclubs, restaurants and fun events. Getting there is a little complicated as you have to take two flights and some depart late at night or leave very early in the morning. The Air France timetable is not too bad but using a travel agent might work out easier as they can combine the flights from two different airlines, try ebookers.ie and budgetair.ie for options. Expect to pay around €400 return.
If your budget stretched to it, the Dan Hotel (danhotels.co.il) on the promenade, from €220 per night, is one of the classier hotels with great sea views and service, or for boutique hotels see atlashotels.co.il, particularly the Shalom, Cinema and Center from €170 per night.
Moving down a notch, three-star hotels are around €110-€150 per night by the sea, a bit less away from the coast. The Dinzengoff Suites Hotel at Gordon Street is from €115 and in a great location for exploring the city, dinzengoffsuites.co.il.
In the economy under €100 bracket, is the Prima Tel Aviv, 100 metres from the beach, prima-hotels-israel.com and good hostels from €20 per night are on hostelworld.com and hostelbookers.ocm.
Getting to Jerusalem takes around an hour by bus, see timetables on egged.co.il/Eng/ Dan.
If you wanted to blow the budget, the American Colony is one of the finest historic hotels in the city, americancolony.com. See goisrael.com for tourism information.
In September, a group of five friends will be walking the Camino fromBurgos, through the Mesata to Sahagun. Our best option for flights seems to be Madrid but I am having trouble finding a timetable for trains from Madrid to Burgos and Sahagun to Madrid. Can we book train tickets in advance? We hope to stay in Madrid for two nights and would welcome advice on affordable but central accommodation and some restaurants? – KQ, Waterford
Daily services with Iberia, Aer Lingus and Ryanair are a good proposition for Madrid. The direct train from Madrid to Burgos leaves from Chamartin station three times a day and can be booked online on renfe.com, for around €41 return. It takes about two and a half hours. The train from Sahagun is via Burgos or a direct bus takes four hours, see Alsa.es.
Madrid is a big city and for a short stay it is best to stay in the centre. There are some modest hotels around the Plaza de Santa Ana, a lively place with great restaurants and bars. The Hotel Vita Ingles on Calle Echegaray, hotelvitaingles.com, has rates from €63 per night with breakfast. Close to the Plaza Major, the Hotel Catalonia costs from €100 per night for two, hoteles-catalonia.com.
On the corner of Plaza Santa Ana the Taberna la Fragua de Vulcano (Calle Alvarez Gato, 9) serves tapas and traditional dishes. For a fun experience try El Botin (1725) on Calle Cuchilleros in one of the oldest areas of the city.The speciality is suckling pig cooked in wood fired ovens and it gets busy so you may need to book, botin.es. In Madrid it is traditional to drop napkins and shells on the floor of tapas bars so don’t be surprised if you see busy places looking very messy. The messier the floor, the better the food.
Send your questions to jscales@irishtimes.com
I’m interested in doing a city/sun break in Tel Aviv in September for a week to include a day-trip or overnight to Jerusalem. Is there an easy way to get there from Dublin? Have you any recommendations for places to stay? – FOC, Kildare
Tel Aviv is a good place to combine a beach and city break and is rising in the ranks of popular cities. There are lots of new nightclubs, restaurants and fun events. Getting there is a little complicated as you have to take two flights and some depart late at night or leave very early in the morning. The Air France timetable is not too bad but using a travel agent might work out easier as they can combine the flights from two different airlines, try ebookers.ie and budgetair.ie for options. Expect to pay around €400 return.
If your budget stretched to it, the Dan Hotel (danhotels.co.il) on the promenade, from €220 per night, is one of the classier hotels with great sea views and service, or for boutique hotels see atlashotels.co.il, particularly the Shalom, Cinema and Center from €170 per night.
Moving down a notch, three-star hotels are around €110-€150 per night by the sea, a bit less away from the coast. The Dinzengoff Suites Hotel at Gordon Street is from €115 and in a great location for exploring the city, dinzengoffsuites.co.il.
In the economy under €100 bracket, is the Prima Tel Aviv, 100 metres from the beach, prima-hotels-israel.com and good hostels from €20 per night are on hostelworld.com and hostelbookers.ocm.
Getting to Jerusalem takes around an hour by bus, see timetables on egged.co.il/Eng/ Dan.
If you wanted to blow the budget, the American Colony is one of the finest historic hotels in the city, americancolony.com. See goisrael.com for tourism information.
In September, a group of five friends will be walking the Camino fromBurgos, through the Mesata to Sahagun. Our best option for flights seems to be Madrid but I am having trouble finding a timetable for trains from Madrid to Burgos and Sahagun to Madrid. Can we book train tickets in advance? We hope to stay in Madrid for two nights and would welcome advice on affordable but central accommodation and some restaurants? – KQ, Waterford
Daily services with Iberia, Aer Lingus and Ryanair are a good proposition for Madrid. The direct train from Madrid to Burgos leaves from Chamartin station three times a day and can be booked online on renfe.com, for around €41 return. It takes about two and a half hours. The train from Sahagun is via Burgos or a direct bus takes four hours, see Alsa.es.
Madrid is a big city and for a short stay it is best to stay in the centre. There are some modest hotels around the Plaza de Santa Ana, a lively place with great restaurants and bars. The Hotel Vita Ingles on Calle Echegaray, hotelvitaingles.com, has rates from €63 per night with breakfast. Close to the Plaza Major, the Hotel Catalonia costs from €100 per night for two, hoteles-catalonia.com.
On the corner of Plaza Santa Ana the Taberna la Fragua de Vulcano (Calle Alvarez Gato, 9) serves tapas and traditional dishes. For a fun experience try El Botin (1725) on Calle Cuchilleros in one of the oldest areas of the city.The speciality is suckling pig cooked in wood fired ovens and it gets busy so you may need to book, botin.es. In Madrid it is traditional to drop napkins and shells on the floor of tapas bars so don’t be surprised if you see busy places looking very messy. The messier the floor, the better the food.
Send your questions to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about exploring the English countryside and finding an adult friendly holiday in August. May 31,
We are four ladies (over 60) visiting London for a few days and we would like to see a bit of the countryside by train and maybe stay overnight. We would like a rough idea of the cost of train and overnight stay. Our nearest station to leave from would be Finsbury Park. – RB, Dublin.
When you are in London the countryside seems far away, but it’s not, thanks to good train services. How about travelling on a restored steam train through the beautiful countryside of Hampshire?
The Mid Hants Railway Watercress Line was once used to transport passengers, watercress and other produce to market at Covent Garden. Join the line at the picturesque Georgian town of Aylesford or the bustling market town of Alton. It costs £16 (€19.75).
The nearest big town to here is Winchester with its fine cathedral, or you can take a train from Waterloo to Alton, see visit winchester.co.uk and alresford.org for details of hotels and things to do. Expect to pay from £30 to £50pps (€37 to €62) for bed and breakfast.
The countryside of Berkshire and Buckinghamshire is especially pretty with quaint English towns such as Bray, Marlow, Henley and Cookham. Trains are from London Paddington to Maidenhead, transfer to one of those little village train stations at Maidenhead. See visitengland.com for more ideas.
President Higgins recently visited Windsor during his State visit and while not countryside, it is a lovely town. It is easy to get to from Paddington and only takes about 35 minutes. You can book tickets on thetrainline.com. Paddington to Alton would be about £44 (€54) return. See also traveline.info.
Myself and my wife have traditionally avoided the peak holiday months of July and August but this year we have to take them in the first two weeks of August. We are health-conscious, seasoned travellers with a strong liking for active holidays outdoors away from cities and large crowds, matched with availability of high standard of food and accommodation. Any ideas to keep us healthy and away from the crowds during that first fortnight of August?
– PK, Dublin Trying to avoid people in August is going to be difficult, particularly as you will need to stay in the northern hemisphere to get the weather.
Canada is a good destination for a holiday where you are unlikely to run into mass tourism. It also offers the opportunity to enjoy wildlife and participate in some activities. See canadianaffair.ie for details of its programme from Dublin.
In the US, the Sagamore Resort on Lake George in upstate New York is a great place to stay if you like the outdoors. There are hiking trails, boating, tennis, golf and water sports. The historic resort in the Adirondacks is an early 20th century grand hotel with lots of space and fine dining, see the website thesagamore.com.
“Give us your body and we will give you back your mind”, is the slogan for TheBodyHoliday in St Lucia. It is an adult only all-inclusive resort that focuses on health and wellbeing through sport and activities. It is also highly rated for its cuisine. The range of activities is fantastic. See thebodyholiday.com.
Mark Warner resorts have adult friendly holidays where you can participate in sports, activities or just laze on the beach. There are resorts in Greece, Sardinia, Turkey,Portugal and Corsica. See markwarner.co.uk.
Send your suggestions to jscales@irishtimes.com
We are four ladies (over 60) visiting London for a few days and we would like to see a bit of the countryside by train and maybe stay overnight. We would like a rough idea of the cost of train and overnight stay. Our nearest station to leave from would be Finsbury Park. – RB, Dublin.
When you are in London the countryside seems far away, but it’s not, thanks to good train services. How about travelling on a restored steam train through the beautiful countryside of Hampshire?
The Mid Hants Railway Watercress Line was once used to transport passengers, watercress and other produce to market at Covent Garden. Join the line at the picturesque Georgian town of Aylesford or the bustling market town of Alton. It costs £16 (€19.75).
The nearest big town to here is Winchester with its fine cathedral, or you can take a train from Waterloo to Alton, see visit winchester.co.uk and alresford.org for details of hotels and things to do. Expect to pay from £30 to £50pps (€37 to €62) for bed and breakfast.
The countryside of Berkshire and Buckinghamshire is especially pretty with quaint English towns such as Bray, Marlow, Henley and Cookham. Trains are from London Paddington to Maidenhead, transfer to one of those little village train stations at Maidenhead. See visitengland.com for more ideas.
President Higgins recently visited Windsor during his State visit and while not countryside, it is a lovely town. It is easy to get to from Paddington and only takes about 35 minutes. You can book tickets on thetrainline.com. Paddington to Alton would be about £44 (€54) return. See also traveline.info.
Myself and my wife have traditionally avoided the peak holiday months of July and August but this year we have to take them in the first two weeks of August. We are health-conscious, seasoned travellers with a strong liking for active holidays outdoors away from cities and large crowds, matched with availability of high standard of food and accommodation. Any ideas to keep us healthy and away from the crowds during that first fortnight of August?
– PK, Dublin Trying to avoid people in August is going to be difficult, particularly as you will need to stay in the northern hemisphere to get the weather.
Canada is a good destination for a holiday where you are unlikely to run into mass tourism. It also offers the opportunity to enjoy wildlife and participate in some activities. See canadianaffair.ie for details of its programme from Dublin.
In the US, the Sagamore Resort on Lake George in upstate New York is a great place to stay if you like the outdoors. There are hiking trails, boating, tennis, golf and water sports. The historic resort in the Adirondacks is an early 20th century grand hotel with lots of space and fine dining, see the website thesagamore.com.
“Give us your body and we will give you back your mind”, is the slogan for TheBodyHoliday in St Lucia. It is an adult only all-inclusive resort that focuses on health and wellbeing through sport and activities. It is also highly rated for its cuisine. The range of activities is fantastic. See thebodyholiday.com.
Mark Warner resorts have adult friendly holidays where you can participate in sports, activities or just laze on the beach. There are resorts in Greece, Sardinia, Turkey,Portugal and Corsica. See markwarner.co.uk.
Send your suggestions to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about the ladies visiting Marrakech, getting to Roman Autun and going walking in Cornwall and Devon, May 24, 2014
We are a book club of nine ladies going to Marrakech, where we’ll be staying in a riad close to the Medina. We have a couple of queries that we’re wondering if you can help us with. 1. Our riad owner has requested payment in cash, which isn’t a problem, however we’ re wondering if credit cards will be accepted in restaurants and other places or should we bring cash or is it possible to withdraw local currency from ATMs. 2. Rumour has it that it may be difficult to find places that serve alcohol (what’s a book club without a glass of wine)? 3. Is it fair to assume that we don’t need to cover up faces and shoulders, other than if we visit a religious venue? – CN, Dublin
There are plenty of ATMs all over the city. Credit card companies have tightened up on unusual withdrawals, so it is a good idea to let your card company know you will be in Morocco. You will find credit cards are widely accepted in restaurants and shops but not always in the Medina.
Most restaurants serve alcohol, so you will find that glass of wine. In the Medina there may not be as many serving wine but Cafe Arabe has a rooftop terrace and does. See also the Grand Café de la Poste, by the Post Office, Blvd El Mansour ed-Dahbi, and La Terrazza, a highly rated Italian in Gueliz.
As you are a group of women you might like to visit the Amal Association Moroccan Centre for Women’s Training. It is a café restaurant that trains women for the hospitality industry and while they don’t serve alcohol the food is good (also in Gueliz).
Don’t worry too much about what to wear but keep in mind that Morocco is an Islamic country and you don’t want to offend anyone. Most types of clothing are perfectly fine but it is better not to attract attention by wearing too little. My colleague Fionn Davenport recently recorded a podcast on Marrakech and you can listen to it here http://bit.ly/1iOicmb.
Autun, in Bourgogne, between Nevers, Dijon and Besancon, has a famous Romanesque cathedral and I would like advice on how to go there. Is it far from an airport and would it take more than a day to get there from Dublin? What airport would have the best connection, and would I need to take both trains and buses as well? – MR, Dublin Augustodunum, as it was known in Roman times, is a very historic Burgundy town with evidence of its great age everywhere. The nearest international airport with services from Dublin is Lyon. Aer Lingus flies there daily except Tuesdays, aerlingus.com.
From Lyon you can take the train, it is about a three-hour journey with one stop along the way and the return fare will be from around €65, see voyages.sncf.com for the timetables. You should be able to do it in a day as the flight arrives around 3pm. There are trains about every two hours. See autun-tourisme.com for places to stay and things to do.
I would like information on walking in Devon/Cornwall for about four or five days during July-September. Moderate difficulty walking would suit best. Are there any useful websites? – S.M. Dublin
A good place to look for both guided and self-guided walks is hfholidays.co.uk. There s a good selection of walks in the Devon and Cornwall areas.
Send your questions to jscales@irishtimes.com
We are a book club of nine ladies going to Marrakech, where we’ll be staying in a riad close to the Medina. We have a couple of queries that we’re wondering if you can help us with. 1. Our riad owner has requested payment in cash, which isn’t a problem, however we’ re wondering if credit cards will be accepted in restaurants and other places or should we bring cash or is it possible to withdraw local currency from ATMs. 2. Rumour has it that it may be difficult to find places that serve alcohol (what’s a book club without a glass of wine)? 3. Is it fair to assume that we don’t need to cover up faces and shoulders, other than if we visit a religious venue? – CN, Dublin
There are plenty of ATMs all over the city. Credit card companies have tightened up on unusual withdrawals, so it is a good idea to let your card company know you will be in Morocco. You will find credit cards are widely accepted in restaurants and shops but not always in the Medina.
Most restaurants serve alcohol, so you will find that glass of wine. In the Medina there may not be as many serving wine but Cafe Arabe has a rooftop terrace and does. See also the Grand Café de la Poste, by the Post Office, Blvd El Mansour ed-Dahbi, and La Terrazza, a highly rated Italian in Gueliz.
As you are a group of women you might like to visit the Amal Association Moroccan Centre for Women’s Training. It is a café restaurant that trains women for the hospitality industry and while they don’t serve alcohol the food is good (also in Gueliz).
Don’t worry too much about what to wear but keep in mind that Morocco is an Islamic country and you don’t want to offend anyone. Most types of clothing are perfectly fine but it is better not to attract attention by wearing too little. My colleague Fionn Davenport recently recorded a podcast on Marrakech and you can listen to it here http://bit.ly/1iOicmb.
Autun, in Bourgogne, between Nevers, Dijon and Besancon, has a famous Romanesque cathedral and I would like advice on how to go there. Is it far from an airport and would it take more than a day to get there from Dublin? What airport would have the best connection, and would I need to take both trains and buses as well? – MR, Dublin Augustodunum, as it was known in Roman times, is a very historic Burgundy town with evidence of its great age everywhere. The nearest international airport with services from Dublin is Lyon. Aer Lingus flies there daily except Tuesdays, aerlingus.com.
From Lyon you can take the train, it is about a three-hour journey with one stop along the way and the return fare will be from around €65, see voyages.sncf.com for the timetables. You should be able to do it in a day as the flight arrives around 3pm. There are trains about every two hours. See autun-tourisme.com for places to stay and things to do.
I would like information on walking in Devon/Cornwall for about four or five days during July-September. Moderate difficulty walking would suit best. Are there any useful websites? – S.M. Dublin
A good place to look for both guided and self-guided walks is hfholidays.co.uk. There s a good selection of walks in the Devon and Cornwall areas.
Send your questions to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about getting from Tallinn to St. Petersburg and visiting the battlefields of World War 1, May 17, 2014
In August we will be in Tallinn, Estonia and we would like to visit StPetersburg if feasible. Are there daily excursions or fast trains and guided tours on arrival? Are visas required for Russia and may they be obtained in Estonia? – MH, Sligo
Tallinn is a nice small city, easy to get around and English is readily spoken. It is a good access point for St Petersburg as there is a direct train each day and an additional service at weekends for about €31 each way. It takes about six-and-a-half hours and there is an hour time difference. Buy your tickets at the train station in advance, gorail.ee. The website is quite good in English.
If you take the train you will need a visa for Russia. It would be better to get it here before you leave as it could take a few days to arrange and eat into your holiday time. The Russian Embassy is at 184-186 Orwell Road, Rathgar, Dublin 14. Tel: 01-492 2048. E-mail: info@russianembassy.ie.
There have been some changes in visa regulations for St Petersburg in recent years. If you go to the city by cruise ship, you do not need a visa and you can visit for up to three days. Other than that the regulations are relaxed, you can tour yourself or take guided tours.
This website is a good place to find tours, accommodation and details of what is on in English: saint-petersburg.com.
St Peter Line, a Finnish maritime company, has a cruise trip on the MV Anastasia from Tallinn to St Petersburg a few times a week during the summer and the modern cruise ferry is a good way to see the Baltic either just for a day or three days. The ship docks in sight of the golden spires of St Petersburg. Return trips are about €140pps or a three-day package with hotel will cost from €380pps.
St Peter Line also arranges tours and accommodation in the city, stpeterline.com.
My husband would like to tour the first World War battlefields taking in Ypres and the Menin Gate towards the latter part of this year. Would you have any recommendations on the best way to do this from Dublin? He will be travelling solo and his budget is about €500-€600.
– SH, Dublin
The best way for your husband to have the full experience and get to see all the major sights of the first World War battlefields is with a guided tour. However the cost is outside your budget.
The best trip from Ireland is run by GTI-Ireland.com, an Irish Times travel partner.
There are two trips later this year, September 21st-24th and from November 1st-4th, they cost €669pps, single supplement is €118. If your husband does not mind sharing, GTI will do its best to accommodate him with another man travelling alone.
This price includes Aer Lingus flights from Dublin, coach touring, three nights in a nice hotel with breakfast and is accompanied by a historian. He will get to see all the major sights and will attend the Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate. There is also a visit to Bruges.
If he were to go it alone, airfares are reasonable to Brussels with both Aer Lingus and Ryanair charging about €100 or less. He would need a car, and it would cost about €25 per day, estimate hotel or guest house from €50-€80 per day. There are some very fine guidebooks for touring the battlefields such as Major and Mrs Holt’s guides, which can be ordered by your local bookshop or purchased on Amazon. com.
See also battlefield-tours.com for self-guided tours. Going it alone is not necessarily going to be any more reasonable than taking a tour however.
Send your questions to jscales@irishtimes.com
In August we will be in Tallinn, Estonia and we would like to visit StPetersburg if feasible. Are there daily excursions or fast trains and guided tours on arrival? Are visas required for Russia and may they be obtained in Estonia? – MH, Sligo
Tallinn is a nice small city, easy to get around and English is readily spoken. It is a good access point for St Petersburg as there is a direct train each day and an additional service at weekends for about €31 each way. It takes about six-and-a-half hours and there is an hour time difference. Buy your tickets at the train station in advance, gorail.ee. The website is quite good in English.
If you take the train you will need a visa for Russia. It would be better to get it here before you leave as it could take a few days to arrange and eat into your holiday time. The Russian Embassy is at 184-186 Orwell Road, Rathgar, Dublin 14. Tel: 01-492 2048. E-mail: info@russianembassy.ie.
There have been some changes in visa regulations for St Petersburg in recent years. If you go to the city by cruise ship, you do not need a visa and you can visit for up to three days. Other than that the regulations are relaxed, you can tour yourself or take guided tours.
This website is a good place to find tours, accommodation and details of what is on in English: saint-petersburg.com.
St Peter Line, a Finnish maritime company, has a cruise trip on the MV Anastasia from Tallinn to St Petersburg a few times a week during the summer and the modern cruise ferry is a good way to see the Baltic either just for a day or three days. The ship docks in sight of the golden spires of St Petersburg. Return trips are about €140pps or a three-day package with hotel will cost from €380pps.
St Peter Line also arranges tours and accommodation in the city, stpeterline.com.
My husband would like to tour the first World War battlefields taking in Ypres and the Menin Gate towards the latter part of this year. Would you have any recommendations on the best way to do this from Dublin? He will be travelling solo and his budget is about €500-€600.
– SH, Dublin
The best way for your husband to have the full experience and get to see all the major sights of the first World War battlefields is with a guided tour. However the cost is outside your budget.
The best trip from Ireland is run by GTI-Ireland.com, an Irish Times travel partner.
There are two trips later this year, September 21st-24th and from November 1st-4th, they cost €669pps, single supplement is €118. If your husband does not mind sharing, GTI will do its best to accommodate him with another man travelling alone.
This price includes Aer Lingus flights from Dublin, coach touring, three nights in a nice hotel with breakfast and is accompanied by a historian. He will get to see all the major sights and will attend the Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate. There is also a visit to Bruges.
If he were to go it alone, airfares are reasonable to Brussels with both Aer Lingus and Ryanair charging about €100 or less. He would need a car, and it would cost about €25 per day, estimate hotel or guest house from €50-€80 per day. There are some very fine guidebooks for touring the battlefields such as Major and Mrs Holt’s guides, which can be ordered by your local bookshop or purchased on Amazon. com.
See also battlefield-tours.com for self-guided tours. Going it alone is not necessarily going to be any more reasonable than taking a tour however.
Send your questions to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan how to plan a trip to the Arctic or Antarctic, which river to cruise, the Rhine or Danube.
May 10, 2014
I would like to plan a trip to the Arctic or Antarctic. Could you recommend books/websites where I could begin research please? When is considered the best time to go? Which destination is considered better for tourists?
– BMC, Kildare
The first question to consider is whether you would like to see penguins or polar bears.Antarctica, where the penguins reside, is difficult to visit. Tourists cannot stay in Antarctica, but can visit on special cruises.
These are usually called expedition cruises and are worthwhile if you want to learn about the environment and fauna of the region. They operate in our winter time, accompanied by experts who will give lectures while at sea; trips by smaller boats visit Antarctica and the surrounding waters.
Next year is the anniversary of the Shackleton expedition and there will be a special trip in February to commemorate it. You can see details on theshackleton100.com. It cost s more than €10,000, as do many Antarctic trips.
The Hurtigruten Line offers cruises to both the Arctic and Antarctic. The MV Fram is an expedition ship that travels between both, see hurtigruten.com. Another ship to consider is the Silversea Explorer, which is designed to navigate the remote Polar regions, silversea.com.
Quark Expeditions offer adventure cruises to the North Pole, Arctic and Antarctic on board ice-breakers and ice strengthened vessels. Auroraexpeditions. com has trips to both poles and the European Arctic.
The Arctic Circle is more accessible than the poles, and is possible to visit as a tourist. Countries bordering the Arctic include Norway, Finland, Iceland, Alaska and Canada, all of which have good tourism infrastructure and are easy to get to. Going deeper into the Arctic Circle to remote communities, though, is expensive and can be difficult to arrange.
If it is wildlife you are interested in, Churchill in Manitoba – though outside the circle – is a good place to see polar bears and beluga whales, see frontiersnorth.com for tours. Canadianaffair.ie also has a good selection of wildlife holidays on which you can see the Big Five of Canadian wildlife. For Norway and Finland, I suggest rorymcdyertravel.ie and project-travel.ie for trips to Tromso, Spitsbergen and Rovaniemi, all in the Polar regions. See Amazon. com for a list of books.
Before booking a river cruise, I would very much appreciate your advice as to the most interesting and best section to see on either the Rhine or Danube.
– BOC, Dublin
River cruise holidays are usually seven days or so and a great way to explore at a gentle pace. Normally a cruise on the Danube will start in Budapest and end in Passau, while the Rhine cruise operates between Amsterdam and Basel.
It’s a matter of considering what you want to see. A Rhine cruise offers the option of seeing cities such as Amsterdam and Cologne, towns like Strasbourg and the romantic castles along the way.
The 64km stretch of the river from Rudesheim to Boppard is one of the most picturesque and the one you see in pictures and films.
A trip on the Danube offers the great cities of the Austro-Hungarian Empire – Vienna, Budapest and Prague – the Unesco heritage site of the Wachau valley and the charming towns of Durnstein and Passau. Cruises are available from uniworld.ie, Sunway.ie is the agent in Ireland for amawaterways.com. See also vikingriverscruises.com.
Send your questions to jscales@irishtimes.com
May 10, 2014
I would like to plan a trip to the Arctic or Antarctic. Could you recommend books/websites where I could begin research please? When is considered the best time to go? Which destination is considered better for tourists?
– BMC, Kildare
The first question to consider is whether you would like to see penguins or polar bears.Antarctica, where the penguins reside, is difficult to visit. Tourists cannot stay in Antarctica, but can visit on special cruises.
These are usually called expedition cruises and are worthwhile if you want to learn about the environment and fauna of the region. They operate in our winter time, accompanied by experts who will give lectures while at sea; trips by smaller boats visit Antarctica and the surrounding waters.
Next year is the anniversary of the Shackleton expedition and there will be a special trip in February to commemorate it. You can see details on theshackleton100.com. It cost s more than €10,000, as do many Antarctic trips.
The Hurtigruten Line offers cruises to both the Arctic and Antarctic. The MV Fram is an expedition ship that travels between both, see hurtigruten.com. Another ship to consider is the Silversea Explorer, which is designed to navigate the remote Polar regions, silversea.com.
Quark Expeditions offer adventure cruises to the North Pole, Arctic and Antarctic on board ice-breakers and ice strengthened vessels. Auroraexpeditions. com has trips to both poles and the European Arctic.
The Arctic Circle is more accessible than the poles, and is possible to visit as a tourist. Countries bordering the Arctic include Norway, Finland, Iceland, Alaska and Canada, all of which have good tourism infrastructure and are easy to get to. Going deeper into the Arctic Circle to remote communities, though, is expensive and can be difficult to arrange.
If it is wildlife you are interested in, Churchill in Manitoba – though outside the circle – is a good place to see polar bears and beluga whales, see frontiersnorth.com for tours. Canadianaffair.ie also has a good selection of wildlife holidays on which you can see the Big Five of Canadian wildlife. For Norway and Finland, I suggest rorymcdyertravel.ie and project-travel.ie for trips to Tromso, Spitsbergen and Rovaniemi, all in the Polar regions. See Amazon. com for a list of books.
Before booking a river cruise, I would very much appreciate your advice as to the most interesting and best section to see on either the Rhine or Danube.
– BOC, Dublin
River cruise holidays are usually seven days or so and a great way to explore at a gentle pace. Normally a cruise on the Danube will start in Budapest and end in Passau, while the Rhine cruise operates between Amsterdam and Basel.
It’s a matter of considering what you want to see. A Rhine cruise offers the option of seeing cities such as Amsterdam and Cologne, towns like Strasbourg and the romantic castles along the way.
The 64km stretch of the river from Rudesheim to Boppard is one of the most picturesque and the one you see in pictures and films.
A trip on the Danube offers the great cities of the Austro-Hungarian Empire – Vienna, Budapest and Prague – the Unesco heritage site of the Wachau valley and the charming towns of Durnstein and Passau. Cruises are available from uniworld.ie, Sunway.ie is the agent in Ireland for amawaterways.com. See also vikingriverscruises.com.
Send your questions to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about getting from Kuwait to Corkusiang trains, buses and boats. Five sisters on a road trip from Fargo to Kansas. May 3, 2014.
How would I travel from Kuwait to Cork, avoiding planes, and using ferries, trains and buses? I’m working in Kuwait and hoping to travel in late May. I have a preference for taking a ferry from Alexandria to Greece, but am having difficulty finding one on a website. – DM, Kuwait
It is possible to make the more than 5,000km journey crossing many countries without getting on an aircraft. Alexandria to Greece is not recommended as the Department of Foreign Affairs advises against travel to Egypt for Irish citizens. You will need a visa for travelling through Iran, which you can get in Kuwait at the Iranian embassy, and forTurkey, buy here evisa.gov.tr.
From Kuwait there are ferry services to ports in Iran, the main one is Bushehr, contact Kuwait-Iran Shipping locally. From here you can take a bus to the capital Tehran, it will take most of a day, see irantravelingcenter.com for travel advice. There is a train from Tehran to Ankara, in Turkey, the Trans Asia Express which takes two nights and includes a crossing of Lake Van.
In Ankara your decision will be whether to go to Istanbul or head to the coast for a ferry to Greece. From Istanbul it is possible to take a train all the way through Europe, crossing to England and then to Ireland by ferry, see Seat61. com.
If you choose a ferry to Greece from the coast of Turkey, see ferrylines.com for a list of ports and destinations and greeka.com for travel in Greece. The nicest way to continue the journey from Greece is by ferry from Patras to Bari joining the international rail network in Italy. An Interrail.eu ticket might be good value.
Getting to Cork from France is possible on the Brittany Ferries ship which departs weekly from Roscoff, brittanyferries.ie. As there are so many elements to your trip, using a spreadsheet for days, times and modes of transport might make it easier.
This year my eldest sister will have lived in the US for 50 years. She has visited all but six of the States. We five sisters plan to remedy this by driving from Fargo, North Dakota stopping overnight at various cities in each missed State: Sioux Falls SD, Sioux City IA, Omaha NB, Kansas City MO/KS, ending at Tulsa OK. Are you aware of any must-see tourist attractions in these cities? – SOH, Meath
I love the idea of the sisters taking a road trip and it will take you all down memory lane too. If you had time in Fargo you could see the world’s largest baseball bat, Big Bruce. It is 13ft and 5 inches long and located in Newman Outdoor Field.
Sioux Falls is named for the waterfalls of the Big Sioux River and Falls Park and may be worth a visit, visitsiouxfalls.com. Look back at the discovery of the Sioux City area in 1804 at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center on the banks of the Missouri River.
Enjoy art in Omaha at the Joslyn Art Museum, which has works by Monet, Degas and Karl Bodmer or explore American military history at the Strategic Air and Space Museum and cross the Missouri River between Iowa and Nebraska by walking the Bob Kerry Pedestrian Bridge.
Confusingly most of Kansas City lies in Missouri and downtown is rich in arts, culture and upscale shopping. The City Market is a good spot to try some local food. Music lovers might like the American Jazz Museum , americanjazzmuseum.org.
The discoveramerica.com website is ideal when looking for more information and inspiration for your trip.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
How would I travel from Kuwait to Cork, avoiding planes, and using ferries, trains and buses? I’m working in Kuwait and hoping to travel in late May. I have a preference for taking a ferry from Alexandria to Greece, but am having difficulty finding one on a website. – DM, Kuwait
It is possible to make the more than 5,000km journey crossing many countries without getting on an aircraft. Alexandria to Greece is not recommended as the Department of Foreign Affairs advises against travel to Egypt for Irish citizens. You will need a visa for travelling through Iran, which you can get in Kuwait at the Iranian embassy, and forTurkey, buy here evisa.gov.tr.
From Kuwait there are ferry services to ports in Iran, the main one is Bushehr, contact Kuwait-Iran Shipping locally. From here you can take a bus to the capital Tehran, it will take most of a day, see irantravelingcenter.com for travel advice. There is a train from Tehran to Ankara, in Turkey, the Trans Asia Express which takes two nights and includes a crossing of Lake Van.
In Ankara your decision will be whether to go to Istanbul or head to the coast for a ferry to Greece. From Istanbul it is possible to take a train all the way through Europe, crossing to England and then to Ireland by ferry, see Seat61. com.
If you choose a ferry to Greece from the coast of Turkey, see ferrylines.com for a list of ports and destinations and greeka.com for travel in Greece. The nicest way to continue the journey from Greece is by ferry from Patras to Bari joining the international rail network in Italy. An Interrail.eu ticket might be good value.
Getting to Cork from France is possible on the Brittany Ferries ship which departs weekly from Roscoff, brittanyferries.ie. As there are so many elements to your trip, using a spreadsheet for days, times and modes of transport might make it easier.
This year my eldest sister will have lived in the US for 50 years. She has visited all but six of the States. We five sisters plan to remedy this by driving from Fargo, North Dakota stopping overnight at various cities in each missed State: Sioux Falls SD, Sioux City IA, Omaha NB, Kansas City MO/KS, ending at Tulsa OK. Are you aware of any must-see tourist attractions in these cities? – SOH, Meath
I love the idea of the sisters taking a road trip and it will take you all down memory lane too. If you had time in Fargo you could see the world’s largest baseball bat, Big Bruce. It is 13ft and 5 inches long and located in Newman Outdoor Field.
Sioux Falls is named for the waterfalls of the Big Sioux River and Falls Park and may be worth a visit, visitsiouxfalls.com. Look back at the discovery of the Sioux City area in 1804 at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center on the banks of the Missouri River.
Enjoy art in Omaha at the Joslyn Art Museum, which has works by Monet, Degas and Karl Bodmer or explore American military history at the Strategic Air and Space Museum and cross the Missouri River between Iowa and Nebraska by walking the Bob Kerry Pedestrian Bridge.
Confusingly most of Kansas City lies in Missouri and downtown is rich in arts, culture and upscale shopping. The City Market is a good spot to try some local food. Music lovers might like the American Jazz Museum , americanjazzmuseum.org.
The discoveramerica.com website is ideal when looking for more information and inspiration for your trip.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan - what can we do in Barcelona for our post Leaving Cert Holiday. My friend wants to stay in a nice hotel in Ireland, any suggestions? April 26, 2014
My friends and I are going to Barcelona from June 21st to 25th as our Leaving Cert holiday. I want to show them there is more to Barcelona than drinking and clubbing. Any suggestions on things to do or see would be really appreciated.
–LR, Wexford
Barcelona is a wonderful city and you should try a see a bit more than the inside of clubs – though the clubs are very good, and the beach clubs will be hopping in June. The beaches are fun and easy to get to, try Barceloneta, Mar Bella or Caldetes for a dip in the Med.
You will be in the city for the feast of Sant Joan, or St John, on midsummer night, celebrated on June 23rd with parties, firecrackers and fun all over the city. The biggest party is on the beaches and it goes on all night – the next day is a holiday. Watch this website for details: santjoan.bcn.cat/es/.
Barcelona’s most famous artist, Gaudi, is responsible for many architectural works around the city. The Sagrada Familia cathedral is an amazing building, as is Parc Guell, slightly outside the city centre but well worth visiting for its quirky, colourful, crazy tiling
There are many museums and art galleries in Barcelona, pick one for the experience. Picasso lived here and began his career in the city, museupicasso.bcn.cat/en/. Famous food in Barcelona is pinxtos or tapas. I like to ramble around Santa Catarina Market and eat in the canteen-style restaurant, which is great value.
The city is comprised of a number of districts and the Gothic Quarter oozes history. The tiny streets are a warren that at times open into beautiful squares with ornate churches.
A friend of ours, a single lady in her late 40s, is to take a holiday for a week in May. She stayed in Kelly’s Resort Hotel before and enjoyed it very much.However, she would prefer a new destination this year. Could you suggest somewhere similar and reasonably priced? She lives in Dublin, and is from Waterford, and drives. – JK, Waterford
From the south west to the north west, I can suggest some hotels that I think would be relaxing and have friendly staff and guests. It is also worthwhile telephoning the hotels to ask for the best rate, as there can be special offers and discounts for lone travellers.
Starting in Ballylickey, near Bantry, the Seaview House Hotel has great views, a beach to walk on and is friendly and informal. You can explore the lovely gardens and the beautiful Beara Peninsula. Rates are from €130 half-board per night, seaviewhousehotel.com or tel: 027-50073.
Just outside Killarney on the shore of Lough Leane is the Lake Hotel, run by the Huggard family for more than 70 years. The views are fabulous, and you have the town of Killarney on the doorstep, afternoon tea is a speciality, rates from €120 half board, tel: 064-663 1035, lakehotelkillarney.com.
Ross Lake House Hotel, in the Connemara town of Oughterard, will make your friend feel like gentry. The Georgian house is full of antique furniture and set in lovely grounds. It’s only 20 minutes from Galway city, and it is easy to explore Connemara from here. Rates from €110 half board, tel: 091-550 109, rosslakehotel.com.
In Donegal, the trip to Ballyliffin Lodge takes in part of the Wild Atlantic Way and would be an opportunity to explore the Inishowen Peninsula.
Ballyliffin Lodge has a lovely spa, and is on the sea. Rates from €125 half board, tel: 074-937 8200, ballyliffinlodge.com.
Additional suggestions
Hotel Westport in the heritage town is a lively place with a nice spa and leisure centre. They are used to sole visitors and often have supplement free breaks. During May a five night special from Sunday to Thursday half board would cost from €460. The additional weekend nights would depend on availability and would be around €199 for two nights. hotelwestport.ie, 1850 536373.
In Connemara, the lively Abbeyglen Castle Hotel is known to welcome guests with afternoon tea and there’s often a sing song in the bar at night. The town of Clifden is on the doorstep and perfect for strolls and shopping. They also drop the single supplement for some weeks. A week with dinner, B&B would be around €830, abbeyglen.ie and 1850 357035.
Renvyle House Hotel on the edge of the sea in Connemara is a family run place with lots of nooks and crannies to relax in with a good book. The food is very good and the spring offer five nights would allow three gourmet dinners and two bar menu dinners, with no single supplement for €349. The weekend nights in May are looking very booked, so give them a call, (098) 46100, renvyle.ie.
In Donegal, the luxurious Harveys Point Hotel, Tripadvisor’s Irish hotel of the year for 2013 and 2014 has a lakeshore suite from €885 for the week with breakfast. There is a choice of two restaurants for meals. The staff, particularly Deirdre and Noel, would make your friend feel at home.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
My friends and I are going to Barcelona from June 21st to 25th as our Leaving Cert holiday. I want to show them there is more to Barcelona than drinking and clubbing. Any suggestions on things to do or see would be really appreciated.
–LR, Wexford
Barcelona is a wonderful city and you should try a see a bit more than the inside of clubs – though the clubs are very good, and the beach clubs will be hopping in June. The beaches are fun and easy to get to, try Barceloneta, Mar Bella or Caldetes for a dip in the Med.
You will be in the city for the feast of Sant Joan, or St John, on midsummer night, celebrated on June 23rd with parties, firecrackers and fun all over the city. The biggest party is on the beaches and it goes on all night – the next day is a holiday. Watch this website for details: santjoan.bcn.cat/es/.
Barcelona’s most famous artist, Gaudi, is responsible for many architectural works around the city. The Sagrada Familia cathedral is an amazing building, as is Parc Guell, slightly outside the city centre but well worth visiting for its quirky, colourful, crazy tiling
There are many museums and art galleries in Barcelona, pick one for the experience. Picasso lived here and began his career in the city, museupicasso.bcn.cat/en/. Famous food in Barcelona is pinxtos or tapas. I like to ramble around Santa Catarina Market and eat in the canteen-style restaurant, which is great value.
The city is comprised of a number of districts and the Gothic Quarter oozes history. The tiny streets are a warren that at times open into beautiful squares with ornate churches.
A friend of ours, a single lady in her late 40s, is to take a holiday for a week in May. She stayed in Kelly’s Resort Hotel before and enjoyed it very much.However, she would prefer a new destination this year. Could you suggest somewhere similar and reasonably priced? She lives in Dublin, and is from Waterford, and drives. – JK, Waterford
From the south west to the north west, I can suggest some hotels that I think would be relaxing and have friendly staff and guests. It is also worthwhile telephoning the hotels to ask for the best rate, as there can be special offers and discounts for lone travellers.
Starting in Ballylickey, near Bantry, the Seaview House Hotel has great views, a beach to walk on and is friendly and informal. You can explore the lovely gardens and the beautiful Beara Peninsula. Rates are from €130 half-board per night, seaviewhousehotel.com or tel: 027-50073.
Just outside Killarney on the shore of Lough Leane is the Lake Hotel, run by the Huggard family for more than 70 years. The views are fabulous, and you have the town of Killarney on the doorstep, afternoon tea is a speciality, rates from €120 half board, tel: 064-663 1035, lakehotelkillarney.com.
Ross Lake House Hotel, in the Connemara town of Oughterard, will make your friend feel like gentry. The Georgian house is full of antique furniture and set in lovely grounds. It’s only 20 minutes from Galway city, and it is easy to explore Connemara from here. Rates from €110 half board, tel: 091-550 109, rosslakehotel.com.
In Donegal, the trip to Ballyliffin Lodge takes in part of the Wild Atlantic Way and would be an opportunity to explore the Inishowen Peninsula.
Ballyliffin Lodge has a lovely spa, and is on the sea. Rates from €125 half board, tel: 074-937 8200, ballyliffinlodge.com.
Additional suggestions
Hotel Westport in the heritage town is a lively place with a nice spa and leisure centre. They are used to sole visitors and often have supplement free breaks. During May a five night special from Sunday to Thursday half board would cost from €460. The additional weekend nights would depend on availability and would be around €199 for two nights. hotelwestport.ie, 1850 536373.
In Connemara, the lively Abbeyglen Castle Hotel is known to welcome guests with afternoon tea and there’s often a sing song in the bar at night. The town of Clifden is on the doorstep and perfect for strolls and shopping. They also drop the single supplement for some weeks. A week with dinner, B&B would be around €830, abbeyglen.ie and 1850 357035.
Renvyle House Hotel on the edge of the sea in Connemara is a family run place with lots of nooks and crannies to relax in with a good book. The food is very good and the spring offer five nights would allow three gourmet dinners and two bar menu dinners, with no single supplement for €349. The weekend nights in May are looking very booked, so give them a call, (098) 46100, renvyle.ie.
In Donegal, the luxurious Harveys Point Hotel, Tripadvisor’s Irish hotel of the year for 2013 and 2014 has a lakeshore suite from €885 for the week with breakfast. There is a choice of two restaurants for meals. The staff, particularly Deirdre and Noel, would make your friend feel at home.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Exploring Poland in autumn and taking a babymoon in Sardinia, April 19, 2014
We will be travelling to Poland in early September to a wedding, in Szczawno Zdrój, Walbrzych, and will be flying into Wroclaw Airport. We have nothing booked yet, apart from three days at the wedding venue, Hotel Camelot. We would like to use this opportunity of visiting a new country to see important sights, and could spend anything from 10/14 days there. We are senior citizens and would prefer to use public transport, and/or taxis.
– MH, Dublin
September is a nice time to visit Poland, the weather will still be warm and the crowds thinned. You can fly into one city and out from another. Poland is a big country, and as you will be based in Walbrzych it might make sense to explore the western and southwestern cities and regions. Cities such as Wroclow, Krakow, the former capital, and the Carpathian mountain region of Zakopane. The small city of Jelenia Góra just over an hour from Walbrzych is famous for its hot springs and therapeutic treatments.
Getting around Poland is possible by train and the fares are very low. Trains to rarer destinations may not be as frequent. Some of the train service is available in English on polrail.com. I would think a few days in Wroclow, followed by four or five days in Krakow and two days in the mountains would give you a real feel for Poland.
Krakow is a city with lots to see and you could visit the famous salt mines at Wieliczka where miners have carved beautiful galleries and the Chapel of St Kinga out of salt. It would also be possible to visit Auschwitz.
Like many countries, all roads lead to the capital and Warsaw is a very nice and historic city. There are many cultural sites to visit – museums, war memorials and the opera. The Polish National Tourist Office in London can be contacted on poland.travel for brochures, maps and information.
Our new arrival is due in July and we would like to take a “babymoon” before then. We were hoping to travel in May and are thinking aboutSardinia. We’re looking for good weather, to be by the sea and, if possible, not to have to hire a car.
– BS, Dublin
Before you make any plans to travel, if you are more than 28 weeks pregnant at the time of travel or return, you will need a Fit to Fly form signed by your doctor or midwife for the airline. You can download it from the airline’s website and, assuming all is going well, you can travel up to the 36th week.
There are direct flights to Alghero on the west coast of Sardinia with Ryanair in May. I have three suggestions of hotels for you. The three-star hotel Soleado is on the outskirts of Alghero, across the road from the beach and a 15-minute walk to the old town for nice restaurants and costs from €50 per person per night (hotelsoleado.com/end/).
The four-star Hotel dei Pini is on the lovely Bombarde beach and has great views across the bay to the town of Alghero. It is a taxi ride from the town, and there is a shuttle bus at some times of the day. Prices are from €64 per person per night with breakfast (hoteldeipini.it).
Hotel Carlos V is a five-star property, and has a great location above the promenade with views over the Gulf of Alghero and to Capo Caccia. It has all the facilities you would expect with a wellness centre, tennis courts and good restaurants. Prices are from €90pps in May (hotelcarlosv.it/). Book these hotels will justsardinia.co.uk or direct.
Send your questions to jscales@irishtimes.com
We will be travelling to Poland in early September to a wedding, in Szczawno Zdrój, Walbrzych, and will be flying into Wroclaw Airport. We have nothing booked yet, apart from three days at the wedding venue, Hotel Camelot. We would like to use this opportunity of visiting a new country to see important sights, and could spend anything from 10/14 days there. We are senior citizens and would prefer to use public transport, and/or taxis.
– MH, Dublin
September is a nice time to visit Poland, the weather will still be warm and the crowds thinned. You can fly into one city and out from another. Poland is a big country, and as you will be based in Walbrzych it might make sense to explore the western and southwestern cities and regions. Cities such as Wroclow, Krakow, the former capital, and the Carpathian mountain region of Zakopane. The small city of Jelenia Góra just over an hour from Walbrzych is famous for its hot springs and therapeutic treatments.
Getting around Poland is possible by train and the fares are very low. Trains to rarer destinations may not be as frequent. Some of the train service is available in English on polrail.com. I would think a few days in Wroclow, followed by four or five days in Krakow and two days in the mountains would give you a real feel for Poland.
Krakow is a city with lots to see and you could visit the famous salt mines at Wieliczka where miners have carved beautiful galleries and the Chapel of St Kinga out of salt. It would also be possible to visit Auschwitz.
Like many countries, all roads lead to the capital and Warsaw is a very nice and historic city. There are many cultural sites to visit – museums, war memorials and the opera. The Polish National Tourist Office in London can be contacted on poland.travel for brochures, maps and information.
Our new arrival is due in July and we would like to take a “babymoon” before then. We were hoping to travel in May and are thinking aboutSardinia. We’re looking for good weather, to be by the sea and, if possible, not to have to hire a car.
– BS, Dublin
Before you make any plans to travel, if you are more than 28 weeks pregnant at the time of travel or return, you will need a Fit to Fly form signed by your doctor or midwife for the airline. You can download it from the airline’s website and, assuming all is going well, you can travel up to the 36th week.
There are direct flights to Alghero on the west coast of Sardinia with Ryanair in May. I have three suggestions of hotels for you. The three-star hotel Soleado is on the outskirts of Alghero, across the road from the beach and a 15-minute walk to the old town for nice restaurants and costs from €50 per person per night (hotelsoleado.com/end/).
The four-star Hotel dei Pini is on the lovely Bombarde beach and has great views across the bay to the town of Alghero. It is a taxi ride from the town, and there is a shuttle bus at some times of the day. Prices are from €64 per person per night with breakfast (hoteldeipini.it).
Hotel Carlos V is a five-star property, and has a great location above the promenade with views over the Gulf of Alghero and to Capo Caccia. It has all the facilities you would expect with a wellness centre, tennis courts and good restaurants. Prices are from €90pps in May (hotelcarlosv.it/). Book these hotels will justsardinia.co.uk or direct.
Send your questions to jscales@irishtimes.com
Discovering the fall colours of New England and visiting St Andrews, home of golf in Scotland. Ask Joan, April 12, 2014
We would like to visit New England in late October early November. We have 10-14 days so any suggestions on where to start and finish the trip, as well as places to visit would be appreciated. We could rent a car, but a train journey wouldn’t be out of the question . – NMc, Sligo
New England in Autumn is very beautiful and the leaves turn into the most amazing colours, some trees almost seem alight. New England covers six states, most of the north east of the US and is bordered by New York, New Brunswick and Quebec.
Autumn is known as leaf peeping season and runs from around mid-September to late October and you might be cutting it a bit fine taking your trip into November. It begins in Vermont and creeps across the north east ending in Connecticut, seeyankeefoliage.com for suggested driving routes.
The option of a guided tour is one to consider as the price for the trip will include flights, accommodation, tours and you would get to cover a lot of ground in eight or nine days. The Travel Department tour costs from €1,799pps, while Insight Vacations, is more luxurious and costs from €2,200pps plus flights, traveldepartment.ie andinsightvacations.com.
There is a rail journey over six days with Amtrak to see the “fall foliage”. It begins in New York heads to Albany, Rutland and finishes in Boston. It costs from $1,599 (€1,167) and includes hotel accommodation and guided tours, amtrakvacations.com.
Boston is the main gateway to New England and a good place to start, as it is a lovely city, a few days there would be enjoyable. It might be better to pick two or three places to stay for a few nights each and enjoy exploring them, see massvacation.com.
Cape Cod is lovely and towns such as Falmouth, Chatham and Provincetown are classic New England. You would also have the opportunity to explore the coast.
Moving inland you could drive a loop through Interstate 93 into New Hampshire towards Bretton Woods and Mount Washington, North Conway, then south into the Berkshires, in western Massachusetts and Connecticut. See alsodiscovernewengland.org.
My wife and I have a big anniversary coming up and would like to spend it at St Andrews golf club in Scotland. I wonder could give us any details on places to stay and on travel, and would we need to rent a car. – JR, Tipperary
Travel to Scotland is easy with plenty of flights to Edinburgh with both Aer Lingus and Ryanair and prices are very reasonable. A car would be a good idea as it would allow you time to explore some of the beautiful Scottish countryside. St Andrews is about an hour from the airport, 80kms or so.
The most famous hotel at St Andrews is the Old Course Hotel, a five star with a great name for luxury with views overlooking the famous golf course, oldcoursehotel.co.uk. It will cost from £330 (£400) per night not including breakfast, but you may find it a bit less on some of the hotel booking sites such as hotels.com, and hotelconnexions.com.
Another hotel to consider is the small Dunvegan, with a lively bar and restaurant. It too overlooks the first and 18th tee of the Old Course and costs from £150 (€182) per night,dunvegan-hotel.com.
It is possible to play some of the seven courses at St Andrews. The most famous, the Old Course, is booked out for this year, but there is availability for the others, seethestandrewsgolfclub.co.uk.
Send your travel questions to jscales@irishtimes.com
We would like to visit New England in late October early November. We have 10-14 days so any suggestions on where to start and finish the trip, as well as places to visit would be appreciated. We could rent a car, but a train journey wouldn’t be out of the question . – NMc, Sligo
New England in Autumn is very beautiful and the leaves turn into the most amazing colours, some trees almost seem alight. New England covers six states, most of the north east of the US and is bordered by New York, New Brunswick and Quebec.
Autumn is known as leaf peeping season and runs from around mid-September to late October and you might be cutting it a bit fine taking your trip into November. It begins in Vermont and creeps across the north east ending in Connecticut, seeyankeefoliage.com for suggested driving routes.
The option of a guided tour is one to consider as the price for the trip will include flights, accommodation, tours and you would get to cover a lot of ground in eight or nine days. The Travel Department tour costs from €1,799pps, while Insight Vacations, is more luxurious and costs from €2,200pps plus flights, traveldepartment.ie andinsightvacations.com.
There is a rail journey over six days with Amtrak to see the “fall foliage”. It begins in New York heads to Albany, Rutland and finishes in Boston. It costs from $1,599 (€1,167) and includes hotel accommodation and guided tours, amtrakvacations.com.
Boston is the main gateway to New England and a good place to start, as it is a lovely city, a few days there would be enjoyable. It might be better to pick two or three places to stay for a few nights each and enjoy exploring them, see massvacation.com.
Cape Cod is lovely and towns such as Falmouth, Chatham and Provincetown are classic New England. You would also have the opportunity to explore the coast.
Moving inland you could drive a loop through Interstate 93 into New Hampshire towards Bretton Woods and Mount Washington, North Conway, then south into the Berkshires, in western Massachusetts and Connecticut. See alsodiscovernewengland.org.
My wife and I have a big anniversary coming up and would like to spend it at St Andrews golf club in Scotland. I wonder could give us any details on places to stay and on travel, and would we need to rent a car. – JR, Tipperary
Travel to Scotland is easy with plenty of flights to Edinburgh with both Aer Lingus and Ryanair and prices are very reasonable. A car would be a good idea as it would allow you time to explore some of the beautiful Scottish countryside. St Andrews is about an hour from the airport, 80kms or so.
The most famous hotel at St Andrews is the Old Course Hotel, a five star with a great name for luxury with views overlooking the famous golf course, oldcoursehotel.co.uk. It will cost from £330 (£400) per night not including breakfast, but you may find it a bit less on some of the hotel booking sites such as hotels.com, and hotelconnexions.com.
Another hotel to consider is the small Dunvegan, with a lively bar and restaurant. It too overlooks the first and 18th tee of the Old Course and costs from £150 (€182) per night,dunvegan-hotel.com.
It is possible to play some of the seven courses at St Andrews. The most famous, the Old Course, is booked out for this year, but there is availability for the others, seethestandrewsgolfclub.co.uk.
Send your travel questions to jscales@irishtimes.com
Getting to La Mortella, Lady Walton's Garden in Ischia, a honeymoon in Mexico, Euuropean rail travel for seniors. Ask Joan, April 5, 2014
We are lifelong friends in our 50 s planning a garden trips to visit Lady Walton’s garden on the island of Ischia . We can only get away for five nights in May and want to travel independently. We are wondering about the logistics of transferring from Naples airport to Ischia and back again, and would also to take in a trip to Pompeii. – MQ Longford
La Mortella, the Garden of Myrtle on Ischia, is Susana Walton’s homage to the music of her husband, the late William Walton. Aer Lingus’ direct flights to Naples will be operating in May, ideal for your trip. In Naples, the Hotel Chiaja de Charme in the old town and near to the port, costs about €130 per night for two, hotelchiaia.it.
There are regular ferry and hydrofoil services to Ischia. It takes about an hour and head for the port of Forio d’Ischia, as it is closer to La Mortella. A daytrip from Naples is possible. Or the Hotel Villa Bianca, hotelvillabianca.com is a nice three star in Forio, about €130 per night half-board. During the summer season, there are concerts and recitals at La Mortella, see lamortella.org.
Getting to Pompeii from Naples is easy with the Circumvesuviana train, it takes about 35 minutes, see timetable on eavcampania.it/web. Try and visit Herculeneum too. Roberto Baguzzi and Sons taxi service in Naples is recommended by a friend, 0039 24775 44929, limoservicenaples.com.
We’re getting married at the end of December. What are the best options for a relaxing beach honeymoon in January? We were considering Mexicobut have been told that daylight hours are quite short. – LB, Sligo
I would not rule out Mexico’s Caribbean resorts as they are beautiful and January is high season with average daily weather of 21-27 degrees and eight hours of sunshine. If you are looking for longer daylight hours you will have to travel below the equator to find summer in places such as South Africa, Zanzibar, Kenya, Bali, Mauritius, Maldives, Australia and South America, and it will be more expensive than Mexico.
High season also brings high prices and using a good travel agent will help you get the best value, try classicresorts.ie, topflightworldwide.ie, trailfinders.ie and tropicalsky.ie. They have good knowledge and great prices for honeymoon resorts. The resorts of Dreams and Riu Palace in Punta Cana and Secrets and Iberostar Grand Paraiso in Playa del Carmen are lovely for honeymoons.
Are there reduced rates for seniors on European trains? I am hitting 66 this summer and for a bit of excitement, I’d like to take a rail trip, probably from Paris to Budapest, and with stops on the way, in Munich and Vienna, but I’m on a budget. – EJ, Dublin
The simple answer is that it depends on which country. For some countries you must purchase a discount card in advance and it could be up to €56. By the time you buy the senior discount card, you could save the money by booking ahead and being flexible on times.
Rail companies offer the cheapest fares usually up to two months in advance and you can stop along the way. For example, Paris to Munich cost from €39, and Munich to Vienna is the same price. Travelling overnight will also save on the cost of accommodation. See bahn.ie for Germany; voyages.sncf.com for France; and oebb.at/enin Austria for timetables and fares. You can always contact the railshop.ie in Dublin for help in booking train tickets.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
We are lifelong friends in our 50 s planning a garden trips to visit Lady Walton’s garden on the island of Ischia . We can only get away for five nights in May and want to travel independently. We are wondering about the logistics of transferring from Naples airport to Ischia and back again, and would also to take in a trip to Pompeii. – MQ Longford
La Mortella, the Garden of Myrtle on Ischia, is Susana Walton’s homage to the music of her husband, the late William Walton. Aer Lingus’ direct flights to Naples will be operating in May, ideal for your trip. In Naples, the Hotel Chiaja de Charme in the old town and near to the port, costs about €130 per night for two, hotelchiaia.it.
There are regular ferry and hydrofoil services to Ischia. It takes about an hour and head for the port of Forio d’Ischia, as it is closer to La Mortella. A daytrip from Naples is possible. Or the Hotel Villa Bianca, hotelvillabianca.com is a nice three star in Forio, about €130 per night half-board. During the summer season, there are concerts and recitals at La Mortella, see lamortella.org.
Getting to Pompeii from Naples is easy with the Circumvesuviana train, it takes about 35 minutes, see timetable on eavcampania.it/web. Try and visit Herculeneum too. Roberto Baguzzi and Sons taxi service in Naples is recommended by a friend, 0039 24775 44929, limoservicenaples.com.
We’re getting married at the end of December. What are the best options for a relaxing beach honeymoon in January? We were considering Mexicobut have been told that daylight hours are quite short. – LB, Sligo
I would not rule out Mexico’s Caribbean resorts as they are beautiful and January is high season with average daily weather of 21-27 degrees and eight hours of sunshine. If you are looking for longer daylight hours you will have to travel below the equator to find summer in places such as South Africa, Zanzibar, Kenya, Bali, Mauritius, Maldives, Australia and South America, and it will be more expensive than Mexico.
High season also brings high prices and using a good travel agent will help you get the best value, try classicresorts.ie, topflightworldwide.ie, trailfinders.ie and tropicalsky.ie. They have good knowledge and great prices for honeymoon resorts. The resorts of Dreams and Riu Palace in Punta Cana and Secrets and Iberostar Grand Paraiso in Playa del Carmen are lovely for honeymoons.
Are there reduced rates for seniors on European trains? I am hitting 66 this summer and for a bit of excitement, I’d like to take a rail trip, probably from Paris to Budapest, and with stops on the way, in Munich and Vienna, but I’m on a budget. – EJ, Dublin
The simple answer is that it depends on which country. For some countries you must purchase a discount card in advance and it could be up to €56. By the time you buy the senior discount card, you could save the money by booking ahead and being flexible on times.
Rail companies offer the cheapest fares usually up to two months in advance and you can stop along the way. For example, Paris to Munich cost from €39, and Munich to Vienna is the same price. Travelling overnight will also save on the cost of accommodation. See bahn.ie for Germany; voyages.sncf.com for France; and oebb.at/enin Austria for timetables and fares. You can always contact the railshop.ie in Dublin for help in booking train tickets.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Visiting the Metropolitan Opera in New York, a nice holiday with a special lady, how to do South America and Asia on 4,000 euro, Ask Joan, March 29, 2o13
Can you help friends of mine who wish to visit the New York Metropolitan Opera this year? They are looking for a guided tour or accompanied visit to an opera as they are both getting on in years. – JS, Dublin
The Metropolitan Opera at the Lincoln Center for Performing Arts is one of the world’s most famous opera houses. There are lots of package trips to New York but I do not know of any specific tours that would include an opera outing.
They could book a trip with americanholidays.ie or touramerica.ie and stay in a hotel such as the Empire, the Hudson or the Comfort Inn Central Park West, close to the Met. The toursbylocals.com website is an ideal way to find a licensed tour guide and they could hire a native New Yorker to take them to the Met.
My husband and I plan to take an autistic 46-year-old female relation on holiday this year. She has travelled extensively with her mother for years, but unfortunately she is unable to travel.
We need a destination that is relaxed and has plenty of places to visit (she’s a good walker). But she needs constant attention and distraction, so visual stimulus would be important.
Accommodation could be either good secure self-catering or a four-star hotel that has either adjoining rooms or family rooms suitable for three adults, a swimming pool that is not too large or deep, and nightly entertainment would be a plus factor. Our ideal airport to fly out of is Knock and we’d like to travel in May . – KM, Mayo
From Ireland West Knock Airport in May, Concorde Travel has holidays to the Algarve using Ryanair flights three times a week. The best thing about May is the low prices and you can stay in a four- or five-star resort on the Algarve for €450-€650 per person sharing for a week.
Vilamoura would be a good base as it is a lovely town with a marina, seafront walk, a good selection of restaurants and entertainment. The choice of hotels includes the five-star Dom Pedro Marina and the four-star Tivoli Marina, both of which have junior suites. The three-star Hotel Praia Sol is a 15 minute walk from the marina and has family rooms.
From Vilamoura you can take boat trips, and explore towns in the Algarve such as Loulé with its gypsy market on Saturdays, or the old city of Faro.
The Tourist Train, a combination of bus and train, is a great way to see places on the Algarve.
I have a four month period in which I have to wait to start a new job in London. I want to grab this opportunity to travel for four to eight weeks consecutively, or two individual stints. I’m 24 (female) and seeking adventure. South America and Asia would be my preference, but I’m open to anything. I’ve a budget of €3,000-€4,000. – AS, Dublin
It might be possible to do this trip on a round-the-world ticket, but you would need a specialist travel agent to work out the best possible routings to get value for money. When you add South America and Asia into a trip, it becomes more expensive, due to the mileage. Make a visit to Usit or Trailfinders to see what their agents can come up with.
Fares to Asia, point-to-point from say Dublin to Bangkok, will be under €1,000 and you could then explore south east Asia by train, boat and Air Asia, the regional low-cost carrier. Flights to South America will be similar prices and you can use Gol airlines to get around.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Can you help friends of mine who wish to visit the New York Metropolitan Opera this year? They are looking for a guided tour or accompanied visit to an opera as they are both getting on in years. – JS, Dublin
The Metropolitan Opera at the Lincoln Center for Performing Arts is one of the world’s most famous opera houses. There are lots of package trips to New York but I do not know of any specific tours that would include an opera outing.
They could book a trip with americanholidays.ie or touramerica.ie and stay in a hotel such as the Empire, the Hudson or the Comfort Inn Central Park West, close to the Met. The toursbylocals.com website is an ideal way to find a licensed tour guide and they could hire a native New Yorker to take them to the Met.
My husband and I plan to take an autistic 46-year-old female relation on holiday this year. She has travelled extensively with her mother for years, but unfortunately she is unable to travel.
We need a destination that is relaxed and has plenty of places to visit (she’s a good walker). But she needs constant attention and distraction, so visual stimulus would be important.
Accommodation could be either good secure self-catering or a four-star hotel that has either adjoining rooms or family rooms suitable for three adults, a swimming pool that is not too large or deep, and nightly entertainment would be a plus factor. Our ideal airport to fly out of is Knock and we’d like to travel in May . – KM, Mayo
From Ireland West Knock Airport in May, Concorde Travel has holidays to the Algarve using Ryanair flights three times a week. The best thing about May is the low prices and you can stay in a four- or five-star resort on the Algarve for €450-€650 per person sharing for a week.
Vilamoura would be a good base as it is a lovely town with a marina, seafront walk, a good selection of restaurants and entertainment. The choice of hotels includes the five-star Dom Pedro Marina and the four-star Tivoli Marina, both of which have junior suites. The three-star Hotel Praia Sol is a 15 minute walk from the marina and has family rooms.
From Vilamoura you can take boat trips, and explore towns in the Algarve such as Loulé with its gypsy market on Saturdays, or the old city of Faro.
The Tourist Train, a combination of bus and train, is a great way to see places on the Algarve.
I have a four month period in which I have to wait to start a new job in London. I want to grab this opportunity to travel for four to eight weeks consecutively, or two individual stints. I’m 24 (female) and seeking adventure. South America and Asia would be my preference, but I’m open to anything. I’ve a budget of €3,000-€4,000. – AS, Dublin
It might be possible to do this trip on a round-the-world ticket, but you would need a specialist travel agent to work out the best possible routings to get value for money. When you add South America and Asia into a trip, it becomes more expensive, due to the mileage. Make a visit to Usit or Trailfinders to see what their agents can come up with.
Fares to Asia, point-to-point from say Dublin to Bangkok, will be under €1,000 and you could then explore south east Asia by train, boat and Air Asia, the regional low-cost carrier. Flights to South America will be similar prices and you can use Gol airlines to get around.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Roundstone Harbour, Connemara
Finding that special holiday home in Ireland with all the comforts and easy access for the less sprightly, Istanbul in April, Ask Joan, March 22, 2013.
We are sixtysomethings of varying degrees of sprightliness, and want to find a comfortable holiday home in Ireland for a week in June. We’re looking for a house with at least four bedrooms and preferably four bathrooms. However, there has to be one disabled access ground floor en-suite for the least perky of us.
No sites we’ve found seem to offer any help in respect to this. In the last resort, I know, we could stay in a hotel, but want to avoid this because of the greater expense and lack of flexibility. EH, Dublin.
One of the spin-offs of the Celtic tiger years was the vast improvement in holiday homes to rent around the country. There are plenty of lovely, modern, high-quality homes to rent, but it can be a little difficult to find them.
I have a few suggestions for you. These are all four bedrooms houses with four bathrooms, with at least one en-suite bedroom downstairs. Tí Aine is outside Cornamona, Co Galway, and you have the playground of Lough Corrib and Connemara on the doorstep, the local pub is a short stroll away and it costs from €450 for a week in June, ti-aine.com; 087-2228602.
With views over Lough Eske on the outskirts of Donegal town, Brachan Brae is a modern house on a hillside. It is between both Harvey’s Point Hotel and the Solis Lough Eske Castle, both lovely places for eating out. It is ideal for exploring south Donegal, and from €725 per week, lougheskecottages.com; 087-7941234.
In the south-west, Fuchsia Lodge near Waterville overlooking the Skelligs is the height of luxury with beautiful furniture and fittings, including a sauna. It is a great location for discovering the stunning south Kerry area. Prices are from €1,150 in June, fivestar.ie; 087-6600042.
Rosslare Strand is a popular place for holidays and this house has the advantage of being only five minutes from Kelly’s Hotel, the perfect place for afternoon tea. Bearlough House has everything you would expect from a five-star holiday home with free wifi and Sky TV and costs from €1,250 in June. relaxireland.com.
My partner and I are considering taking a trip to Istanbul in April but would like to combine a number of days in the city with perhaps four or five days at a beach resort nearby. Can you recommend some resorts that would not involve too much travel from Istanbul? Also, any advice on where to stay when in Istanbul? GB , Dublin.
Istanbul is so easy to get to from Ireland and there are a number of companies that do packages to the city, such as traveldepartment.ie and lastminute.ie. Expect to pay about €550pps including four-star hotel accommodation. The added bonus from the Travel Department is two guided tours.
If you book the flights and hotel separately you would be looking at paying about €360 each for flights and between €90 and €170 per night for a decent four-star hotel in Taksim Square or Beyoglu areas.
April is probably a bit too early for seaside resorts in Turkey, the temperatures will be about 15 or 16 degrees and can go as high as 20 degrees. Not really very hot yet. If you did want to travel to the seaside, the resort area of Izmir on the Mediterranean coast would be ideal. Train travel is cheap in Turkey and you can take a ferry and train from Istanbul for about €20 – it takes about six hours. See seat61.com for details of how to book train travel in Turkey, and ido.com.tr for ferry details.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
We are sixtysomethings of varying degrees of sprightliness, and want to find a comfortable holiday home in Ireland for a week in June. We’re looking for a house with at least four bedrooms and preferably four bathrooms. However, there has to be one disabled access ground floor en-suite for the least perky of us.
No sites we’ve found seem to offer any help in respect to this. In the last resort, I know, we could stay in a hotel, but want to avoid this because of the greater expense and lack of flexibility. EH, Dublin.
One of the spin-offs of the Celtic tiger years was the vast improvement in holiday homes to rent around the country. There are plenty of lovely, modern, high-quality homes to rent, but it can be a little difficult to find them.
I have a few suggestions for you. These are all four bedrooms houses with four bathrooms, with at least one en-suite bedroom downstairs. Tí Aine is outside Cornamona, Co Galway, and you have the playground of Lough Corrib and Connemara on the doorstep, the local pub is a short stroll away and it costs from €450 for a week in June, ti-aine.com; 087-2228602.
With views over Lough Eske on the outskirts of Donegal town, Brachan Brae is a modern house on a hillside. It is between both Harvey’s Point Hotel and the Solis Lough Eske Castle, both lovely places for eating out. It is ideal for exploring south Donegal, and from €725 per week, lougheskecottages.com; 087-7941234.
In the south-west, Fuchsia Lodge near Waterville overlooking the Skelligs is the height of luxury with beautiful furniture and fittings, including a sauna. It is a great location for discovering the stunning south Kerry area. Prices are from €1,150 in June, fivestar.ie; 087-6600042.
Rosslare Strand is a popular place for holidays and this house has the advantage of being only five minutes from Kelly’s Hotel, the perfect place for afternoon tea. Bearlough House has everything you would expect from a five-star holiday home with free wifi and Sky TV and costs from €1,250 in June. relaxireland.com.
My partner and I are considering taking a trip to Istanbul in April but would like to combine a number of days in the city with perhaps four or five days at a beach resort nearby. Can you recommend some resorts that would not involve too much travel from Istanbul? Also, any advice on where to stay when in Istanbul? GB , Dublin.
Istanbul is so easy to get to from Ireland and there are a number of companies that do packages to the city, such as traveldepartment.ie and lastminute.ie. Expect to pay about €550pps including four-star hotel accommodation. The added bonus from the Travel Department is two guided tours.
If you book the flights and hotel separately you would be looking at paying about €360 each for flights and between €90 and €170 per night for a decent four-star hotel in Taksim Square or Beyoglu areas.
April is probably a bit too early for seaside resorts in Turkey, the temperatures will be about 15 or 16 degrees and can go as high as 20 degrees. Not really very hot yet. If you did want to travel to the seaside, the resort area of Izmir on the Mediterranean coast would be ideal. Train travel is cheap in Turkey and you can take a ferry and train from Istanbul for about €20 – it takes about six hours. See seat61.com for details of how to book train travel in Turkey, and ido.com.tr for ferry details.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Santander in Spring, two weeks in Yonkers New York and finding a holiday house for 23 in the Med, Ask Joan, March 15, 2013
As two older folk, we would appreciate advice on travel between Dublinand Santander in Spain in April/May. We hope to go for one week. We’d like reasonable accommodation, where one is assured of a night’s sleep and good food . – JC, Dublin
The Ryanair service from Dublin to Santander returns at the beginning of April and prices are good, under €100 at present for early April. Santander is a beautiful coastal city and is a popular place for Spaniards to holiday. The north of Spain has great food and you will find that it is very reasonable to eat out. Most bars have counters laden down with pinxtos or tapas at very reasonable prices, however, always check out the menu, as the hot daily specials are usually the best value
You will find a list of approved hotels here: tourspain.org/santander, with prices from €40 to €70 per night. Prices are reasonable in April – avoid Easter, and you could stay in quality hotels like the Silken Hotels which are very nice four-star properties with rates around €65 for two per night with breakfast.
My husband and I are planning a two week holiday in New York at end of June. We don’t think we can afford hotel/motel accommodation. What is available in a modest apartment/studio that sleeps two, with minimal cooking facilities. Air conditioning is essential. Somewhere close to Yonkers/McLean Ave would be ideal. – M & J, Donegal
There are not a lot of holiday rentals in the Yonkers area even though it is close to New York City.
I have found two properties on airbnb.com in the Yonkers area, see this link:airbnb.ie/rooms/1348970. This apartments costs from €71 per night. The other in nearby Bronxville, airbnb.ie/rooms/1106398 costs from €56 per night.
On vrbo.com I also found a two-bed property in Yonkers from €145 per night. vrbo.com, property number 3534446. Yonkers is a good base, it has the feel of a small town, there plenty of restaurants restaurants and has 30-minute subway access to the city. The Sunday brunch is an institution in Rory Dolan’s on McLean Avenue.
We are a family group of 23 – five families with kids from under one to 19 and elderly parents – who want to take a villa or apartments together in late July/August in the south of France, Italy, Spain or Portugal. Key priorities are a nice pool, access to a beach and nice town. Direct flights from Dublin and proximity to an airport are a must. – MB, Dublin
Finding a place for a big group always takes time. On homeaway.com you can easily find the number that a property sleeps by using the filters. For example there are some ideal properties in the Côte d’Azur area such as a collection of apartments 15 minutes from Nice, Mas Des Lucioles, or a house that Bill Wyman of the Stones built, Vence Rock, near St Paul de Vence (no prices quoted).
Privatevillas.ie has a good collection of houses in the Algarve, many of them are villas on small resorts, some with golf courses. You could rent three together and prices are around €3,000 per week for four-bed villas. James Villas has a big selection of mostly modern properties in France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Turkey and Croatia. Some sleep as many as 12, and have private pools. Prices in July go from €2,000 per week upwards, jamesvillas.ie.
Another company worth a look is vintagetravel.co.uk. It has nice properties with pools in a number of ideal locations such as Majorca, Andalucia, Costa Brava.
Send your questions to jscales@irishtimes.com
As two older folk, we would appreciate advice on travel between Dublinand Santander in Spain in April/May. We hope to go for one week. We’d like reasonable accommodation, where one is assured of a night’s sleep and good food . – JC, Dublin
The Ryanair service from Dublin to Santander returns at the beginning of April and prices are good, under €100 at present for early April. Santander is a beautiful coastal city and is a popular place for Spaniards to holiday. The north of Spain has great food and you will find that it is very reasonable to eat out. Most bars have counters laden down with pinxtos or tapas at very reasonable prices, however, always check out the menu, as the hot daily specials are usually the best value
You will find a list of approved hotels here: tourspain.org/santander, with prices from €40 to €70 per night. Prices are reasonable in April – avoid Easter, and you could stay in quality hotels like the Silken Hotels which are very nice four-star properties with rates around €65 for two per night with breakfast.
My husband and I are planning a two week holiday in New York at end of June. We don’t think we can afford hotel/motel accommodation. What is available in a modest apartment/studio that sleeps two, with minimal cooking facilities. Air conditioning is essential. Somewhere close to Yonkers/McLean Ave would be ideal. – M & J, Donegal
There are not a lot of holiday rentals in the Yonkers area even though it is close to New York City.
I have found two properties on airbnb.com in the Yonkers area, see this link:airbnb.ie/rooms/1348970. This apartments costs from €71 per night. The other in nearby Bronxville, airbnb.ie/rooms/1106398 costs from €56 per night.
On vrbo.com I also found a two-bed property in Yonkers from €145 per night. vrbo.com, property number 3534446. Yonkers is a good base, it has the feel of a small town, there plenty of restaurants restaurants and has 30-minute subway access to the city. The Sunday brunch is an institution in Rory Dolan’s on McLean Avenue.
We are a family group of 23 – five families with kids from under one to 19 and elderly parents – who want to take a villa or apartments together in late July/August in the south of France, Italy, Spain or Portugal. Key priorities are a nice pool, access to a beach and nice town. Direct flights from Dublin and proximity to an airport are a must. – MB, Dublin
Finding a place for a big group always takes time. On homeaway.com you can easily find the number that a property sleeps by using the filters. For example there are some ideal properties in the Côte d’Azur area such as a collection of apartments 15 minutes from Nice, Mas Des Lucioles, or a house that Bill Wyman of the Stones built, Vence Rock, near St Paul de Vence (no prices quoted).
Privatevillas.ie has a good collection of houses in the Algarve, many of them are villas on small resorts, some with golf courses. You could rent three together and prices are around €3,000 per week for four-bed villas. James Villas has a big selection of mostly modern properties in France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Turkey and Croatia. Some sleep as many as 12, and have private pools. Prices in July go from €2,000 per week upwards, jamesvillas.ie.
Another company worth a look is vintagetravel.co.uk. It has nice properties with pools in a number of ideal locations such as Majorca, Andalucia, Costa Brava.
Send your questions to jscales@irishtimes.com
What have Stalingrad, the world's great railway station and a natural park in Portugal have in common? Ask Joan, March 8, 2014
We are trying to plan a holiday and as my husband is a keen foodie he would like to have daily cooking lessons. I love horses and would rather take dressage classes or coaching in horsemanship . We would both hope for a bit of relaxation also, possibly by a pool . We have a 15-month-old who would need to be minded if our classes coincided and possibly during our evening meals. I realise that this is perhaps a tall order but we are open to any country and any month. AM, Laois
It did sound like a tall order until I recently met Portuguese man Riu Anastásio who told me about his hotel in the Serras de Aire e Candeeiros natural park an hour north of Lisbon. It is a modern boutique-style property with three pools and wellness therapies are available. It recently appeared on the Conde Nast Hot List.
The Alcaria horse-riding centre 2km away does courses in dressage and horsemanship. In the evening, guests who are interested in cooking can join the chef in making dinner. It is a child friendly hotel and there is babysitting available. Rates for family rooms are from €159 per night with discounts on longer stays. Cookery classes are €25. See more details on cookinghotel.com and chalcaria.com/en.
Travelling home from our holiday in Florida in April, we will have a 10-hour stopover at New York JFK airport (8am-6pm). My transport-mad nine-year-old would dearly love to visit Grand Central Station and I’m wondering if this is a doable option and if so, could we include any other sights in such a short amount of time in NYC? MB, Kerry
As your son is transport mad the best and most exciting way to travel into New York city is by Skytrain and subway. The Skytrain operates from JFK to Jamaica station and from there you can join the MTA subway. It will take an hour from the airport and on the return make sure to take the A train to Far Rockaway or Rockaway to change at Jamaica for the Skytrain return to the airport (tripplanner.mta.info).
Grand Central Terminal is magnificent. Your son will also be charmed by the whispering gallery below the main concourse (grandcentralterminal.com). Each day at 12.30pm there is a tour of the GCT and it costs $20 for adults and $15 for children.
As you have limited time, a visit to the Empire State Building (esbnyc.com) or the Top of the Rock at the Rockefeller Center, (rockefellercenter.com) are a short taxi hop away.
I’m writing a radio documentary about the Stalingrad siege and want to visit present-day Volgograd. Can you suggest the most convenient air route from Dublin? Will I need a visa? What is the most clement time of the year to visit? JS, Dublin.
Getting to Volgograd is going to be a bit of a trip as it could take up to three flights to get there. A less obvious routing is via Dubai with Emirates and onwards with Flydubai. com which has a direct flight twice a week to Volgograd. The best time of the year to go IS from May to September.
You will need a visa from the Russian Embassy here and you can see the requirements on ireland.mid.ru/visa_en.html. Skytours, at 75 Talbot Street, Dublin 1, has a Russian staff member who can assist in making arrangements. Tatiana Soukhanova can be contacted on 01-8772519 and Tatiana@skytours.ie.
Send your questions to jscales@irishtimes.com
We are trying to plan a holiday and as my husband is a keen foodie he would like to have daily cooking lessons. I love horses and would rather take dressage classes or coaching in horsemanship . We would both hope for a bit of relaxation also, possibly by a pool . We have a 15-month-old who would need to be minded if our classes coincided and possibly during our evening meals. I realise that this is perhaps a tall order but we are open to any country and any month. AM, Laois
It did sound like a tall order until I recently met Portuguese man Riu Anastásio who told me about his hotel in the Serras de Aire e Candeeiros natural park an hour north of Lisbon. It is a modern boutique-style property with three pools and wellness therapies are available. It recently appeared on the Conde Nast Hot List.
The Alcaria horse-riding centre 2km away does courses in dressage and horsemanship. In the evening, guests who are interested in cooking can join the chef in making dinner. It is a child friendly hotel and there is babysitting available. Rates for family rooms are from €159 per night with discounts on longer stays. Cookery classes are €25. See more details on cookinghotel.com and chalcaria.com/en.
Travelling home from our holiday in Florida in April, we will have a 10-hour stopover at New York JFK airport (8am-6pm). My transport-mad nine-year-old would dearly love to visit Grand Central Station and I’m wondering if this is a doable option and if so, could we include any other sights in such a short amount of time in NYC? MB, Kerry
As your son is transport mad the best and most exciting way to travel into New York city is by Skytrain and subway. The Skytrain operates from JFK to Jamaica station and from there you can join the MTA subway. It will take an hour from the airport and on the return make sure to take the A train to Far Rockaway or Rockaway to change at Jamaica for the Skytrain return to the airport (tripplanner.mta.info).
Grand Central Terminal is magnificent. Your son will also be charmed by the whispering gallery below the main concourse (grandcentralterminal.com). Each day at 12.30pm there is a tour of the GCT and it costs $20 for adults and $15 for children.
As you have limited time, a visit to the Empire State Building (esbnyc.com) or the Top of the Rock at the Rockefeller Center, (rockefellercenter.com) are a short taxi hop away.
I’m writing a radio documentary about the Stalingrad siege and want to visit present-day Volgograd. Can you suggest the most convenient air route from Dublin? Will I need a visa? What is the most clement time of the year to visit? JS, Dublin.
Getting to Volgograd is going to be a bit of a trip as it could take up to three flights to get there. A less obvious routing is via Dubai with Emirates and onwards with Flydubai. com which has a direct flight twice a week to Volgograd. The best time of the year to go IS from May to September.
You will need a visa from the Russian Embassy here and you can see the requirements on ireland.mid.ru/visa_en.html. Skytours, at 75 Talbot Street, Dublin 1, has a Russian staff member who can assist in making arrangements. Tatiana Soukhanova can be contacted on 01-8772519 and Tatiana@skytours.ie.
Send your questions to jscales@irishtimes.com
Joan with her wand getting ready for Forbidden Journey
Ask Joan about exploring the Harz Mountains by steam train and taking the family to Orlando for some fun. March 1, 2014 the sixth anniversary of Ask Joan - 1,000 questions answered.
We want to take our two sons (aged eight and 13 ) to Florida. Having never been I am confused about which theme parks to go to. We would like to visit Universal Studios and Kennedy Space Center as well as some Disneyparks. We think about seven days in Orlando with a week at the beach would be good.
– MC, Dublin
Florida is a great family holiday and your children are at good ages to enjoy it. There are three major theme parks in Orlando: Walt Disney World, Universal Studios and SeaWorld and lots of other smaller ones including some excellent water parks.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal tops my list, especially the Forbidden Journey ride. Seeing the manatees and walruses in SeaWorld is special too.
The parks are vast and a day can pass quickly. Disney World alone could take a week to explore. It can be quite tiring walking around, especially in the heat. Dividing the day is a good idea: the parks are open late into the evening so you can go in early and take a break during the afternoon.
Planning your stay is the key to getting the best out of your trip: see britguideorlando.net and there are plenty of videos on YouTube.com.
Tickets are quite expensive and there are various combinations. Attractionticketsdirect.ie has an office in Dublin and good prices for tickets.
Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canavaral is about an hour from Orlando. Check the launch programme here ksc.nasa.gov, you could be lucky.
The main tour operators to Florida from Ireland are
touramerica.ie, sunway.ie and americanholidays.ie. They can all provide a two-centre holiday with car and flights. Expect to budget in the region of €900-€1,400 each. For the beach part of the holiday you have the choice of Atlantic or Gulf coasts. You could book it yourself, but it might be more expensive as the flights alone are nearly €700 each.
Four of us want to explore the narrow-gauge and heritage railway s of northern Germany in June. We can fly with Aer Lingus to Hannover, which is probably the nearest airport to the region in which we are interested (other options are Hamburg and Berlin). We would like to include the Vulcan Express, the Harz Mountains and Rü desheim . We would like a trip lasting about seven to 10 days. We’re looking at either putting our own package together or finding a company that would do it. – RH, Dublin
The Harz Mountains have a large steam rail network, still used by commuters and tourist. Information is available on hsb-wr.de.
Hannover is a good hub because, by train, it is under two hours from Berlin, Hamburg and Wernigerode, where the steam railway starts from. It is also the most beautiful town in the Harz Mountains. The journey to Koblenz on the Rhine is just under four hours. For prices and timetables see bahn.ie.
The Vulkan Express only runs on certain dates and should be booked in advance, information is available on vulkan-express.de.
The advantage of planning your own holiday is that you could fly back from Frankfurt. Aer Lingus allows you to fly into one airport and out another when you use the multi-city option on the booking page. You could also contact railshop.ie for advice on train travel in Germany and
railholidays.co.uk. See also
germany.travel/en.
Send your questions to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan Where Thelma and Louise can go from Chicago, striking out on my own and taking a rail tour of Ireland. February 22
I am visiting a friend living in Chicago late July/early August and we plan to make a Thelma/Louise-type road trip in her car for a week. Can you suggest any routes for the week that would be fun/interesting for two girls? It would be a round trip bringing us back to Chicago . – FH, Dublin
Summer is a good time to explore the Great Lakes region around Chicago. Taking a circular tour around Lake Michigan the first port of call would be Milwaukee, home of Miller beer and Harley Davison bikes. The city on the lake is famous for its summer festivals and music events and you can see what’s on this year on visitmilwaukee.org. The Wisconsin State Fair will also be on over that time. Don’t miss the Museum of Art,mam.org on the lake, it is a perfect example of Calatrava’s work.
Follow the lakeside to the city of Manitowoc, a naval town and home of the Maritime Museum, manitowoc.info. From here you can take the SS Badger, ssbadger.com, car ferry to Ludington on the northern Michigan peninsula and explore beaches, small towns, sand dunes, wineries, artisan foods and forests. It’s considered the Hamptons of Michigan.
If you like music then another route to consider is the Blues Highway which runs from Chicago all the way to New Orleans. You might not get as far as New Orleans in the week but you could certainly get to St Louis and Memphis following Route 61.
There is a guidebook, now out of date called the Blues Highway published by Trailblazer and if you could find a copy, it would be a good reference guide. It focuses on the spread of the blues from the Mississippi Delta northwards, as people left in search of work. The Blues Highway also follows the Mississippi Blues Trail and Great River Road in places, see also visitmississippi.org
My friend and I would like to take a rail tour of Ireland for a week followed by a self-guided hiking tour of scenic areas. Can you advise us as to recommended trips? We are two women in our 60s from the US . – D & N
There is an extensive rail network around Ireland and it is possible to buy a pass to explore it. Though most lines lead to and from Dublin. It's not so easy to go around the country by rail. A four-day Trekker pass would cost €110 and a five-day Explorer Pass with five days travels over 15 days costs €160; you can purchase them on irishrail.ie.
Otherwise I can suggest a tour with Railtours, a specialised company that takes people on a variety of guided trips. It is a great way to see a lot of the country in a short space of time. For example, the four-day tour, the Great Southern and Western, will take in much of the Atlantic coast of Ireland, and costs from €549pps with accommodation. You can add extra nights to any of the tours or choose a different return date,railtoursireland.com.
When it comes to hiking we have extensive walking trails all over the country,irishtrails.ie. Discoverireland.ie is also a great resource for hiking and walking trails. There are also many walking festivals depending on the time of year, find them under Festivals.
I recently separated from my partner, am in my late 30s and have never travelled on my own. Could you give me any advice on companies or holidays for solo travellers please? I would like to go away for a week and enjoy visiting galleries, museums and nice restaurants. –Anon
Being on your own can be a bit daunting but there are some holidays available for people travelling alone. The Travel Department’s latest brochure has some that might fit the bill. A city tour to Dubrovnik, Croatia, is a week-long trip in April or October, from €699 and includes breakfast and dinner each day in the Hotel Tirena. There are three excursions included in the price. See traveldepartment.ie (01) 637 1626. See alsofriendshiptravel.com, based in the North, it specialises in trips for singles to European resorts and can book you from the Republic.
Send your questions to jscales@irishtimes.com
I am visiting a friend living in Chicago late July/early August and we plan to make a Thelma/Louise-type road trip in her car for a week. Can you suggest any routes for the week that would be fun/interesting for two girls? It would be a round trip bringing us back to Chicago . – FH, Dublin
Summer is a good time to explore the Great Lakes region around Chicago. Taking a circular tour around Lake Michigan the first port of call would be Milwaukee, home of Miller beer and Harley Davison bikes. The city on the lake is famous for its summer festivals and music events and you can see what’s on this year on visitmilwaukee.org. The Wisconsin State Fair will also be on over that time. Don’t miss the Museum of Art,mam.org on the lake, it is a perfect example of Calatrava’s work.
Follow the lakeside to the city of Manitowoc, a naval town and home of the Maritime Museum, manitowoc.info. From here you can take the SS Badger, ssbadger.com, car ferry to Ludington on the northern Michigan peninsula and explore beaches, small towns, sand dunes, wineries, artisan foods and forests. It’s considered the Hamptons of Michigan.
If you like music then another route to consider is the Blues Highway which runs from Chicago all the way to New Orleans. You might not get as far as New Orleans in the week but you could certainly get to St Louis and Memphis following Route 61.
There is a guidebook, now out of date called the Blues Highway published by Trailblazer and if you could find a copy, it would be a good reference guide. It focuses on the spread of the blues from the Mississippi Delta northwards, as people left in search of work. The Blues Highway also follows the Mississippi Blues Trail and Great River Road in places, see also visitmississippi.org
My friend and I would like to take a rail tour of Ireland for a week followed by a self-guided hiking tour of scenic areas. Can you advise us as to recommended trips? We are two women in our 60s from the US . – D & N
There is an extensive rail network around Ireland and it is possible to buy a pass to explore it. Though most lines lead to and from Dublin. It's not so easy to go around the country by rail. A four-day Trekker pass would cost €110 and a five-day Explorer Pass with five days travels over 15 days costs €160; you can purchase them on irishrail.ie.
Otherwise I can suggest a tour with Railtours, a specialised company that takes people on a variety of guided trips. It is a great way to see a lot of the country in a short space of time. For example, the four-day tour, the Great Southern and Western, will take in much of the Atlantic coast of Ireland, and costs from €549pps with accommodation. You can add extra nights to any of the tours or choose a different return date,railtoursireland.com.
When it comes to hiking we have extensive walking trails all over the country,irishtrails.ie. Discoverireland.ie is also a great resource for hiking and walking trails. There are also many walking festivals depending on the time of year, find them under Festivals.
I recently separated from my partner, am in my late 30s and have never travelled on my own. Could you give me any advice on companies or holidays for solo travellers please? I would like to go away for a week and enjoy visiting galleries, museums and nice restaurants. –Anon
Being on your own can be a bit daunting but there are some holidays available for people travelling alone. The Travel Department’s latest brochure has some that might fit the bill. A city tour to Dubrovnik, Croatia, is a week-long trip in April or October, from €699 and includes breakfast and dinner each day in the Hotel Tirena. There are three excursions included in the price. See traveldepartment.ie (01) 637 1626. See alsofriendshiptravel.com, based in the North, it specialises in trips for singles to European resorts and can book you from the Republic.
Send your questions to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about taking a train journey in Canada, cross border car insurance in Europe and going to Los Angeles on a student budget, Feb. 15, 2014
We have booked to fly to Toronto in mid-May to visit family. We will be flying out of Toronto at the beginning of June. While there, we would love to take a train journey, to be away for not more than a week. We are on a budget. Any suggestions would be great.
- PD, Dublin
From Toronto you have a number of options for rail journeys. You could go across the country in a week to see the Rockies, however it is not cheap. The trip would cost around CAD$1,000 (€666) each, at the lowest Escape Fare. Heading east, the cities of Montreal and Ottawa are lovely and you could spend time exploring them. Montreal is very modern and Ottawa is more historic. Fares are a lot more reasonable, as low as CAD$80, as it is only a six-hour journey.
Travelling further east would take you into the Maritimes of Canada, and Nova Scotia, which in early summer should be really nice. Or from Toronto you could also take a trip to one of nature’s great spectacles, Niagara Falls, which is less than two hours away and would cost under CAD$50 return. The national rail company viarail.com has a series of rail packages that you can book online. To give you an indication of cost, a week-long trip across Canada with accommodation will cost around CAD$2,000 (€1,332). The shorter Gems of French Canada, which would include Montreal, Ottawa and Niagara Falls, over four days, costs from CAD$899 (€599).
John Steel Rail Journeys arranges rail packages all around Canada and it’s worth looking at what they do too. See johnsteel.com.
I am holidaying in France in July but my flight lands in Girona, Spain. My family and I will be hiring a car at the airport. The car hire company has informed me that I will have to pay extra charges and insurance as I will be taking the car out of Spain. Is this true? I have never been told this before and can’t find an answer anywhere.
- KR, Dublin
Yes, you may have to pay additional insurance for taking the car into France from Spain. The cost varies, for example Enterprise Atesa charge €50 for up to 10 days and €80 from 11 to 27 days; Goldcar charge €9 per day and there is no charge from Europcar.
The four rental companies at Girona Airport are Enterprise Atesa, Goldcar, Hertz and Europcar. You can find details here: http://bit.ly/1n9KvOK to contact them directly by telephone or email. Check that there will be breakdown cover for France.
We’re three students based in Dublin and Belfast and are hoping to organise a trip to Los Angeles to visit friends in June 2014, but finances are becoming an issue. We need flights and accommodation in the Santa Monica area on a student budget (as little money as possible). We’re open to all possibilities and I was wondering what our options are. Can L A be done on the cheap?
- KB, Dublin
Travelling from Dublin is less expensive than going from Belfast or London. United.com has an additional flight via Newark from June and I have seen fares of €501 return to Los Angeles. The cheapest accommodation, apart from bunking in with friends, is the Hostelling International Hostel, around €35 per night each. There are some budget hotels in Santa Monica, see santamonicaoceanparkhotel.com.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
We have booked to fly to Toronto in mid-May to visit family. We will be flying out of Toronto at the beginning of June. While there, we would love to take a train journey, to be away for not more than a week. We are on a budget. Any suggestions would be great.
- PD, Dublin
From Toronto you have a number of options for rail journeys. You could go across the country in a week to see the Rockies, however it is not cheap. The trip would cost around CAD$1,000 (€666) each, at the lowest Escape Fare. Heading east, the cities of Montreal and Ottawa are lovely and you could spend time exploring them. Montreal is very modern and Ottawa is more historic. Fares are a lot more reasonable, as low as CAD$80, as it is only a six-hour journey.
Travelling further east would take you into the Maritimes of Canada, and Nova Scotia, which in early summer should be really nice. Or from Toronto you could also take a trip to one of nature’s great spectacles, Niagara Falls, which is less than two hours away and would cost under CAD$50 return. The national rail company viarail.com has a series of rail packages that you can book online. To give you an indication of cost, a week-long trip across Canada with accommodation will cost around CAD$2,000 (€1,332). The shorter Gems of French Canada, which would include Montreal, Ottawa and Niagara Falls, over four days, costs from CAD$899 (€599).
John Steel Rail Journeys arranges rail packages all around Canada and it’s worth looking at what they do too. See johnsteel.com.
I am holidaying in France in July but my flight lands in Girona, Spain. My family and I will be hiring a car at the airport. The car hire company has informed me that I will have to pay extra charges and insurance as I will be taking the car out of Spain. Is this true? I have never been told this before and can’t find an answer anywhere.
- KR, Dublin
Yes, you may have to pay additional insurance for taking the car into France from Spain. The cost varies, for example Enterprise Atesa charge €50 for up to 10 days and €80 from 11 to 27 days; Goldcar charge €9 per day and there is no charge from Europcar.
The four rental companies at Girona Airport are Enterprise Atesa, Goldcar, Hertz and Europcar. You can find details here: http://bit.ly/1n9KvOK to contact them directly by telephone or email. Check that there will be breakdown cover for France.
We’re three students based in Dublin and Belfast and are hoping to organise a trip to Los Angeles to visit friends in June 2014, but finances are becoming an issue. We need flights and accommodation in the Santa Monica area on a student budget (as little money as possible). We’re open to all possibilities and I was wondering what our options are. Can L A be done on the cheap?
- KB, Dublin
Travelling from Dublin is less expensive than going from Belfast or London. United.com has an additional flight via Newark from June and I have seen fares of €501 return to Los Angeles. The cheapest accommodation, apart from bunking in with friends, is the Hostelling International Hostel, around €35 per night each. There are some budget hotels in Santa Monica, see santamonicaoceanparkhotel.com.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan: Crete or Austria for family fun, the Cote d'Azur or Playa de Palma, finding a hotel in Nice near the Opera., Feb. 8, 2014
To celebrate a significant birthday, my four siblings and I would like to get together, with our families, in July or August. Two of us live in Ireland, two are in London and one is in Athens. There would be 20 people. Our original idea, Austria, is too difficult for our Athenian sibling to get to. We are now thinking of a package holidays to Chania, in Crete, or another Greek island, but we’re worried about the heat. Can you think of any other options? – MP, Dublin
Austria may be possible if the Greek-based family could travel from Athens to Vienna or Munich and take the train or bus to a resort to meet the rest of the family. Aegean Airlines has daily flights from Athens to Vienna and Lufthansa to Munich. Crystal Holidays has a great selection of packages to Austrian mountain resorts with prices from €550pps for a week. See crystalsummer.ie.
The temperatures on the Greek islands in the high season range from the mid-20s to 30 degrees. It can get hotter too, and many places do not have air conditioning.
There are packages from Ireland to Crete (not Chania), Corfu, Rhodes and Zante with falconholidays.ie and from the UK with parent company First Choice, firstchoice.co.uk. Aer Lingus flies to Athens and Corfu during the summer and Ryanair to Chania.
I hope to take my elderly parents on holiday in mid-April. They are not sun worshipers but we are looking for somewhere warm, 20-23 degrees by day, where they could swim daily, and where they do not have to do much walking. I plan on hiring a car to go sightseeing as they enjoy taking in the locality, viewing the scenery and architecture, and eating out
– AM, Limerick
Most places in Europe are beginning to warm up in April but hitting 23 degrees is not guaranteed unless you go to the Canary Islands. What you will get is warmer, longer days. From Shannon, there are flights to the Algarve, Alicante, Malaga, Majorca and Nice, though the Mediterranean will be warmer than the Atlantic for sea swimming. Easter is later this year , April 20th, so you may run into higher prices if you travel that week.
The Cote d’Azur is lovely and there are plenty of places to go sightseeing and lovely restaurants for eating out. You have all the stylish towns of the coast and the pretty villages of Provence to explore. Majorca is also a good bet, especially for sea swimmers. The resort area of Playa de Palma has good accommodation, a nice beach and is only 15 minutes from Palma city where there are plenty of cultural attractions.
Do you have a recommendation for a four-star hotel overlooking the sea in Nice, near the Opera House and in walking distance to restaurants? We intend travelling the last week in April. A lift is required in the hotel. We looked at the Hotel Negresco and it seems too formal.
– EP, Dublin
The Negresco can seem a bit stiff, but it is well worth a visit and maybe a drink in the bar. Hotels in Nice can be a little bit hit and miss, even at the top end. There is an element of faded grandeur and at times aloof service.
Nearest to the Opera is the Beau Rivage, hotelnicebeaurivage.com, next nearest, Le Meridien on the Promenade des Anglais, lemeridiennice.com, and also on the Promenade a little further along is the Westminster, westminister-nice.com. If you could stray away from the coast, the Boscolo Exedra is very stylish,nice.boscolohotels.com.
Send your questions to jscales@irishtimes.com
To celebrate a significant birthday, my four siblings and I would like to get together, with our families, in July or August. Two of us live in Ireland, two are in London and one is in Athens. There would be 20 people. Our original idea, Austria, is too difficult for our Athenian sibling to get to. We are now thinking of a package holidays to Chania, in Crete, or another Greek island, but we’re worried about the heat. Can you think of any other options? – MP, Dublin
Austria may be possible if the Greek-based family could travel from Athens to Vienna or Munich and take the train or bus to a resort to meet the rest of the family. Aegean Airlines has daily flights from Athens to Vienna and Lufthansa to Munich. Crystal Holidays has a great selection of packages to Austrian mountain resorts with prices from €550pps for a week. See crystalsummer.ie.
The temperatures on the Greek islands in the high season range from the mid-20s to 30 degrees. It can get hotter too, and many places do not have air conditioning.
There are packages from Ireland to Crete (not Chania), Corfu, Rhodes and Zante with falconholidays.ie and from the UK with parent company First Choice, firstchoice.co.uk. Aer Lingus flies to Athens and Corfu during the summer and Ryanair to Chania.
I hope to take my elderly parents on holiday in mid-April. They are not sun worshipers but we are looking for somewhere warm, 20-23 degrees by day, where they could swim daily, and where they do not have to do much walking. I plan on hiring a car to go sightseeing as they enjoy taking in the locality, viewing the scenery and architecture, and eating out
– AM, Limerick
Most places in Europe are beginning to warm up in April but hitting 23 degrees is not guaranteed unless you go to the Canary Islands. What you will get is warmer, longer days. From Shannon, there are flights to the Algarve, Alicante, Malaga, Majorca and Nice, though the Mediterranean will be warmer than the Atlantic for sea swimming. Easter is later this year , April 20th, so you may run into higher prices if you travel that week.
The Cote d’Azur is lovely and there are plenty of places to go sightseeing and lovely restaurants for eating out. You have all the stylish towns of the coast and the pretty villages of Provence to explore. Majorca is also a good bet, especially for sea swimmers. The resort area of Playa de Palma has good accommodation, a nice beach and is only 15 minutes from Palma city where there are plenty of cultural attractions.
Do you have a recommendation for a four-star hotel overlooking the sea in Nice, near the Opera House and in walking distance to restaurants? We intend travelling the last week in April. A lift is required in the hotel. We looked at the Hotel Negresco and it seems too formal.
– EP, Dublin
The Negresco can seem a bit stiff, but it is well worth a visit and maybe a drink in the bar. Hotels in Nice can be a little bit hit and miss, even at the top end. There is an element of faded grandeur and at times aloof service.
Nearest to the Opera is the Beau Rivage, hotelnicebeaurivage.com, next nearest, Le Meridien on the Promenade des Anglais, lemeridiennice.com, and also on the Promenade a little further along is the Westminster, westminister-nice.com. If you could stray away from the coast, the Boscolo Exedra is very stylish,nice.boscolohotels.com.
Send your questions to jscales@irishtimes.com
Chania, Crete
Ask Joan about swimming and hiking on Greek islands, where friends with kids and holiday together and getting to and staying in San Sebastian., February 1, 2014
Would you have any suggestions for three 60-year-old women who want to go toGreece for about 10 days in May or September? We are very active and lively, enjoy good food and are very fit – our hobbies include hill-walking and swimming. We’d like to visit three or four locations and stay in four-star accommodation.
– JM, Dublin
The good news this summer is the new flight to Chania in Crete with Ryanair. Crete is big enough to travel around and offers a mix of landscapes and experiences, with a great variety of accommodation.
Chania at the western end of the island is a good starting point. It and Rethymon are lovely Venetian port cities. You can drive the whole length of the island towards Sitia, but the road beyond Aghios Nickolas is dire. If you don’t want to drive, there are buses.
Crete has some great gorge walking including the famous and quite difficult Samaria Gorge. You will find plenty of hill-walking here. See explorecrete.com.
The Sproadic Islands of north east Greece, Skiathos, Skopelos and Alonissos are very pretty and good for walking. Tourism is slightly less developed but there are some nice hotels. There are ferries between the islands. Getting there is a bit more difficult: an Aer Lingus flight to Athens and then by air to Skiathos with olympicair.com or by bus to the port of Volos. Skiathos has well developed hiking trails and amazing beaches, skiathostraveller.com.
In the western Cyclades the islands of Sifnos, Serifos and Milos have been bypassed by mass tourism, though popular with Greeks. Sifnos is renowned for having the best food in Greece. Milos is where the famous statue of Venus, now in the Louvre, was found. Serifos has quaint bays, lovely for swimming. See visitgreece.gr.
We are three families with eight children under six, who would like to go on holiday together. We would like independent living space with a shared pool, preferably nice villa accommodation. Near a beach, with direct access from Dublin, and close to a town with amenities are top of our list.
– CL, Dublin
Look at the Santo Antonio Resort in the Algarve. It is a golf resort, with tennis, soccer and a spa. Depending on size nice villas cost from €990-€1,800 a week in July. SeeJamesvillas.ie for more details.
Near Marbella, the Alanda resort at Elviria has nice big apartments around a pool area with terraces and is ideal for a group of friends.
alandaclubmarbella.com.
We have booked flights from Belfast to Bordeaux in July and are planning to go to San Sebastian in Spain for two weeks. We would like to use public transport. Do you know any websites where we could rent an apartment or house in San Sebastian?
– MG, Belfast
San Sebastian, also known as Donostia is accessible from Bordeaux by train and the trip will take three to four hours, depending on time of day. From Bordeaux you will need to change at Bayonne or Dax, see voyages.sncf.com for train times and fares. Passengers usually change at Hendaye for the local train service to San Sebastian. Search renfe.com for the Spanish train times, the station is known as Irun-Hendaya. Returning, you may have to stay overnight if your flight is early.
The following companies rent accommodation in the city, feelfreerentals.com, emyrent.com, friendlyrentals.com, and apartmentosarrizul.com.
Send your questions to jscales@irishtimes.com
Would you have any suggestions for three 60-year-old women who want to go toGreece for about 10 days in May or September? We are very active and lively, enjoy good food and are very fit – our hobbies include hill-walking and swimming. We’d like to visit three or four locations and stay in four-star accommodation.
– JM, Dublin
The good news this summer is the new flight to Chania in Crete with Ryanair. Crete is big enough to travel around and offers a mix of landscapes and experiences, with a great variety of accommodation.
Chania at the western end of the island is a good starting point. It and Rethymon are lovely Venetian port cities. You can drive the whole length of the island towards Sitia, but the road beyond Aghios Nickolas is dire. If you don’t want to drive, there are buses.
Crete has some great gorge walking including the famous and quite difficult Samaria Gorge. You will find plenty of hill-walking here. See explorecrete.com.
The Sproadic Islands of north east Greece, Skiathos, Skopelos and Alonissos are very pretty and good for walking. Tourism is slightly less developed but there are some nice hotels. There are ferries between the islands. Getting there is a bit more difficult: an Aer Lingus flight to Athens and then by air to Skiathos with olympicair.com or by bus to the port of Volos. Skiathos has well developed hiking trails and amazing beaches, skiathostraveller.com.
In the western Cyclades the islands of Sifnos, Serifos and Milos have been bypassed by mass tourism, though popular with Greeks. Sifnos is renowned for having the best food in Greece. Milos is where the famous statue of Venus, now in the Louvre, was found. Serifos has quaint bays, lovely for swimming. See visitgreece.gr.
We are three families with eight children under six, who would like to go on holiday together. We would like independent living space with a shared pool, preferably nice villa accommodation. Near a beach, with direct access from Dublin, and close to a town with amenities are top of our list.
– CL, Dublin
Look at the Santo Antonio Resort in the Algarve. It is a golf resort, with tennis, soccer and a spa. Depending on size nice villas cost from €990-€1,800 a week in July. SeeJamesvillas.ie for more details.
Near Marbella, the Alanda resort at Elviria has nice big apartments around a pool area with terraces and is ideal for a group of friends.
alandaclubmarbella.com.
We have booked flights from Belfast to Bordeaux in July and are planning to go to San Sebastian in Spain for two weeks. We would like to use public transport. Do you know any websites where we could rent an apartment or house in San Sebastian?
– MG, Belfast
San Sebastian, also known as Donostia is accessible from Bordeaux by train and the trip will take three to four hours, depending on time of day. From Bordeaux you will need to change at Bayonne or Dax, see voyages.sncf.com for train times and fares. Passengers usually change at Hendaye for the local train service to San Sebastian. Search renfe.com for the Spanish train times, the station is known as Irun-Hendaya. Returning, you may have to stay overnight if your flight is early.
The following companies rent accommodation in the city, feelfreerentals.com, emyrent.com, friendlyrentals.com, and apartmentosarrizul.com.
Send your questions to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about going to the Eden Project in Cornwall, travelling the world on a cargo ship and and finding the perfect yoga and hill walking break for a solo traveller. January 25, 2014
I was wondering if you could give me any advice about travel on freight ships, or if you could point me towards someone who could. – CMC, Cork
Travelling by cargo or freight ships is a very different and interesting way to see the world. It’s not for everyone: cargo ships are working vessels and do not have the comfort and range of services that cruise ships do. Many do take passengers, but there will only be a few on board, probably not more than a dozen. It’s not the ideal way to travel if you intend sightseeing a destination, as turnarounds can be very short, sometimes only hours in port. If you are content to enjoy the voyage, comfortable in your own company and in good health, you will find such a trip interesting. You can take a voyage from a week to months at a time at sea.
It is not necessarily a cheap way to travel: prices tend to be about €120 per day. There are a number of agencies that sell these voyages, strandtravelltd.co.uk and cargoshipvoyages.com.
For some years my daughter and I have wanted to visit the Eden Project in Cornwall, and now discover it seems an expensive and difficult place to access. Maybe you can help us. We want to travel April 1st and return April 4th-5th. Should we consider driving or will it be necessary to hire a car there? – BC, Mayo
Cornwall is a long way from Mayo and quite difficult to get to, but not impossible. The Eden Project is amazing and Cornwall has a lot to offer – a car is a must. One of your easiest options may be to fly with Ryanair from Ireland West airport to Bristol and hire a car there.
The fares would be under €100 each and you can hire a car at Bristol Airport for about €130 for four days. The flights are not daily, however: you could fly from April 2nd to 6th, arriving in Bristol at 6pm. It is a three-hour drive to St Austell.
There is a flight from Dublin to Exeter with Flybe. com, which would be a bit closer to Cornwall but arrives at 10pm and the car rental may be closed. It would cost about €120 each. Ferry options would be with Irish Ferries and Stena Line from Rosslare and cost about €290 return with a car. It is a five-hour drive to Cornwall, the journey in Ireland about the same.
There is plenty of accommodation in and around the Eden Project, with hotels and guesthouses from €70 per night. You can book a short break on the Edenproject. com site, which includes accommodation and tickets. See also visitcornwall.com.
I’d really appreciate if you could help me find the perfect yoga getaway in Europe between February and April. I will be travelling alone and am looking for a retreat that is comfortable, friendly, used to single travellers and offers other options during the day like hillwalking or hiking. Ideally looking for somewhere as warm as possible for this time of year but also relatively affordable – budget roughly €1,200. – MM Dublin
You will find a good selection of yoga breaks with Responsible Travel. A number include hiking and hillwalking, and others have the option of horseriding, cookery classes etc. Prices from €800 for six nights and flights are extra, responsibletravel.com.
Kali Yoga runs a six day programme of yoga and hillwalking in the lovely Alpujarras region of Spain. Two full days of hiking is included as well as yoga every day. Prices are from £795 plus flights to Malaga, kaliyoga.com.
Send your questions to jscales@irishtimes.com
I was wondering if you could give me any advice about travel on freight ships, or if you could point me towards someone who could. – CMC, Cork
Travelling by cargo or freight ships is a very different and interesting way to see the world. It’s not for everyone: cargo ships are working vessels and do not have the comfort and range of services that cruise ships do. Many do take passengers, but there will only be a few on board, probably not more than a dozen. It’s not the ideal way to travel if you intend sightseeing a destination, as turnarounds can be very short, sometimes only hours in port. If you are content to enjoy the voyage, comfortable in your own company and in good health, you will find such a trip interesting. You can take a voyage from a week to months at a time at sea.
It is not necessarily a cheap way to travel: prices tend to be about €120 per day. There are a number of agencies that sell these voyages, strandtravelltd.co.uk and cargoshipvoyages.com.
For some years my daughter and I have wanted to visit the Eden Project in Cornwall, and now discover it seems an expensive and difficult place to access. Maybe you can help us. We want to travel April 1st and return April 4th-5th. Should we consider driving or will it be necessary to hire a car there? – BC, Mayo
Cornwall is a long way from Mayo and quite difficult to get to, but not impossible. The Eden Project is amazing and Cornwall has a lot to offer – a car is a must. One of your easiest options may be to fly with Ryanair from Ireland West airport to Bristol and hire a car there.
The fares would be under €100 each and you can hire a car at Bristol Airport for about €130 for four days. The flights are not daily, however: you could fly from April 2nd to 6th, arriving in Bristol at 6pm. It is a three-hour drive to St Austell.
There is a flight from Dublin to Exeter with Flybe. com, which would be a bit closer to Cornwall but arrives at 10pm and the car rental may be closed. It would cost about €120 each. Ferry options would be with Irish Ferries and Stena Line from Rosslare and cost about €290 return with a car. It is a five-hour drive to Cornwall, the journey in Ireland about the same.
There is plenty of accommodation in and around the Eden Project, with hotels and guesthouses from €70 per night. You can book a short break on the Edenproject. com site, which includes accommodation and tickets. See also visitcornwall.com.
I’d really appreciate if you could help me find the perfect yoga getaway in Europe between February and April. I will be travelling alone and am looking for a retreat that is comfortable, friendly, used to single travellers and offers other options during the day like hillwalking or hiking. Ideally looking for somewhere as warm as possible for this time of year but also relatively affordable – budget roughly €1,200. – MM Dublin
You will find a good selection of yoga breaks with Responsible Travel. A number include hiking and hillwalking, and others have the option of horseriding, cookery classes etc. Prices from €800 for six nights and flights are extra, responsibletravel.com.
Kali Yoga runs a six day programme of yoga and hillwalking in the lovely Alpujarras region of Spain. Two full days of hiking is included as well as yoga every day. Prices are from £795 plus flights to Malaga, kaliyoga.com.
Send your questions to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan in The Irish Times, Saturday January 18
Can I bring Duty Free from Iceland, going to the Dominican Republic and where will we go for mid term?
I am flying from Dublin to Reykjavik via Heathrow and was wondering what my options are for duty free. – AC, Mayo
Firstly, as Iceland is outside the EU you cannot avail of the shop and collect service at Dublin Airport. You can buy duty free in Dublin by showing proof that your final destination is Reykjavik. You will need to have proof of your onward flight, such as a boarding card.
When you are connecting to a flight outside the EU you can bring duty free goods through Heathrow Airport once they are in a sealed bag with the receipt showing you bought them in the previous 24 hours. The same applies coming back from Iceland, but only if you are travelling on a through ticket. If you are on two tickets, you will have to check in again, but that will give you an opportunity to put your purchases into your hold baggage.
We want to return to the Dominican Republic for our 25th anniversary. We had intended to go back to our original hotel but it seems to have disappeared. Our budget is €5,000.
– T and M, Dublin
Things have changed a lot in the DR since you went there on honeymoon. Then, the country catered to about 675,000 tourists; last year it was more than five million.
The growth in the market has led to competition and good value. For example a two-week stay in the four-star Grand Punta Cana all-inclusive resort costs from €1,570pps including flights, taxes, and transfers in May, well within your budget, classicresorts.ie.
Getting to the DR from Ireland takes two flights and costs about €800-€900 with Thomsonholidays.com via Gatwick or Manchester, or with Air France via Paris.
Punta Cana is the busiest resort area and best avoided at spring break when thousands of US college students take holidays. The Sivory Punta Cana is a smaller boutique-type hotel where you can opt in or out of the all-inclusive package. Nightly rates for two are about $260-$420 depending on which you book.
You could consider a stay in the less touristy southwest of the island. The Hotel La Saladilla is in Barahona and is a small property on the beach. It costs from €500-€770 per week for two, hotellasaladilla.com.
I am a single parent in my 30s with an eight-year old-son. I’m looking for suggestions, Ireland or UK, for a holiday over midterm break in February.
– OR, Dublin
In Ireland many hotels run family based programmes for midterm. Sister hotels the Hodson Bay and the Galway Bay do all-inclusive breaks with children’s clubs for 4-12 year olds. Prices are from €335 for two nights based on two adults and two children; there is probably a better price for two, hodsonbayhotel.com, (090) 6442000 and galwaybayhotel.com, (091) 520520.
In Bundoran, the Great Northern Hotel is popular with families over midterm.The two-day programme with entertainment and dinner one evening costs from €279, greatnorthernhotel.com, (071) 984 1204.
Another town to consider for a midterm break is Westport. There are a number of family friendly hotels in the town. See hotelwestport.ie, westportplazahotel.ie, castlecourthotel.ie, milltimeshotel.ie, and clewbayhotel.ie.
In England, the top rated family holidays are at the Center Parcs resorts. The Woburn Forest and Elveden Forest parks would be easy enough to access by air and public transport, centerparcs.co.uk.
Send your questions to jscales@irishtimes.com
Can I bring Duty Free from Iceland, going to the Dominican Republic and where will we go for mid term?
I am flying from Dublin to Reykjavik via Heathrow and was wondering what my options are for duty free. – AC, Mayo
Firstly, as Iceland is outside the EU you cannot avail of the shop and collect service at Dublin Airport. You can buy duty free in Dublin by showing proof that your final destination is Reykjavik. You will need to have proof of your onward flight, such as a boarding card.
When you are connecting to a flight outside the EU you can bring duty free goods through Heathrow Airport once they are in a sealed bag with the receipt showing you bought them in the previous 24 hours. The same applies coming back from Iceland, but only if you are travelling on a through ticket. If you are on two tickets, you will have to check in again, but that will give you an opportunity to put your purchases into your hold baggage.
We want to return to the Dominican Republic for our 25th anniversary. We had intended to go back to our original hotel but it seems to have disappeared. Our budget is €5,000.
– T and M, Dublin
Things have changed a lot in the DR since you went there on honeymoon. Then, the country catered to about 675,000 tourists; last year it was more than five million.
The growth in the market has led to competition and good value. For example a two-week stay in the four-star Grand Punta Cana all-inclusive resort costs from €1,570pps including flights, taxes, and transfers in May, well within your budget, classicresorts.ie.
Getting to the DR from Ireland takes two flights and costs about €800-€900 with Thomsonholidays.com via Gatwick or Manchester, or with Air France via Paris.
Punta Cana is the busiest resort area and best avoided at spring break when thousands of US college students take holidays. The Sivory Punta Cana is a smaller boutique-type hotel where you can opt in or out of the all-inclusive package. Nightly rates for two are about $260-$420 depending on which you book.
You could consider a stay in the less touristy southwest of the island. The Hotel La Saladilla is in Barahona and is a small property on the beach. It costs from €500-€770 per week for two, hotellasaladilla.com.
I am a single parent in my 30s with an eight-year old-son. I’m looking for suggestions, Ireland or UK, for a holiday over midterm break in February.
– OR, Dublin
In Ireland many hotels run family based programmes for midterm. Sister hotels the Hodson Bay and the Galway Bay do all-inclusive breaks with children’s clubs for 4-12 year olds. Prices are from €335 for two nights based on two adults and two children; there is probably a better price for two, hodsonbayhotel.com, (090) 6442000 and galwaybayhotel.com, (091) 520520.
In Bundoran, the Great Northern Hotel is popular with families over midterm.The two-day programme with entertainment and dinner one evening costs from €279, greatnorthernhotel.com, (071) 984 1204.
Another town to consider for a midterm break is Westport. There are a number of family friendly hotels in the town. See hotelwestport.ie, westportplazahotel.ie, castlecourthotel.ie, milltimeshotel.ie, and clewbayhotel.ie.
In England, the top rated family holidays are at the Center Parcs resorts. The Woburn Forest and Elveden Forest parks would be easy enough to access by air and public transport, centerparcs.co.uk.
Send your questions to jscales@irishtimes.com
Coromandel Peninsula New Zealand
Ask Joan about where a family of seven can go for holidays, finding a new hotel in New Zealand, and how about B&Bs for a lone traveller in Dublin, London and Bath.
We are a family of with five children, the oldest is nine, has special needs and has to be supervised closely; two girls of seven and five who like to mix with other children and twins who will be two next summer. We are looking for a summer holiday that we all will enjoy and not too hot. Having really enjoyed French camping holidays with Keycamp we feel the family may be too large for a mobile home now. Our budget is about €5,000. – ED, Meath
French camp site holidays are always good for families so why not try a site with apartments or bungalows. The weather in France will be slightly cooler than Spain or Italy in the summer.
Pierre et Vacances have a good variety of holiday homes on resorts in France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Germany and Austria. Many of the sites have easy access to beaches. The prices would be within your budget, ie €2,000 – €2,300 for two weeks in August. That would give you the option of taking your own car on the ferry, or flying and renting a car, pv-holidays.com. Brittany Ferries who operate a service from Cork to Roscoff also have holidays in gites, and villas, brittanyferries.ie.
A popular destination for families in Italy is the Bella Italia resort on Lake Garda. It is big with fun things for the children, available through Topflight.ie. If you book early you may be able to get free child places, (01) 240 1765.
Tour operators such as Falcon Holidays, Thomas Cook, Sunway have a great variety of family holidays on resorts in Spain, Portugal, the Canary Islands and Greece. Resorts which have children clubs and water parks are ideal for families, however the prices can be a bit steep, especially as there are seven. The Falcon Holiday villages are good for families as they have kids clubs for all ages. One of the newest to become available from Ireland will be the Kolymbia in Rhodes from next May. It is an all inclusive resort and with free child place, falconholidays.ie.
I am looking for information about B&B accommodation in Dublin for the end of January. I will also be visiting Bath and London in March. I am a single traveller. – AF, Cork
You might like to consider thewhitecottages.com in Skerries or Beechlodge.ie on the Navan Road. Both are friendly places to stay with access to public transport. For a list of all the approved B&Bs go to bandbireland.com.
Bath is a beautiful city and you will find a variety of B&Bs on visitbath.co.uk. Expect to pay anything from £50-£110 per night. In London I recommend Uptown Reservations as they have lovely properties in the Mayfair, Knightsbridge and Chelsea areas, prices are about £95 per night B&B, uptownres.com.
We are visiting relations in New Zealand in February for three weeks. My wife and I both in our sixties would like to spend a week on a beach with nice a hotel in either North or South Island. We will be based in Wellington for two weeks. – DM, Cork
The Bay of Islands in the very far north of the North Island is one of New Zealand’s top destinations. It has a sub-tropical climate and ideal for a beach holidays. Two hotels to look at are, Paihia Pacific Resort, paihiapacific.co.nz and the Scenic Hotel,scenichotels.co.nz.
The other place to consider is the rugged Coromandel Peninsula and The Duke in Russell boutique hotel, theduke.co.nz.
Send your questions to jscales@irishtimes.com
We are a family of with five children, the oldest is nine, has special needs and has to be supervised closely; two girls of seven and five who like to mix with other children and twins who will be two next summer. We are looking for a summer holiday that we all will enjoy and not too hot. Having really enjoyed French camping holidays with Keycamp we feel the family may be too large for a mobile home now. Our budget is about €5,000. – ED, Meath
French camp site holidays are always good for families so why not try a site with apartments or bungalows. The weather in France will be slightly cooler than Spain or Italy in the summer.
Pierre et Vacances have a good variety of holiday homes on resorts in France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Germany and Austria. Many of the sites have easy access to beaches. The prices would be within your budget, ie €2,000 – €2,300 for two weeks in August. That would give you the option of taking your own car on the ferry, or flying and renting a car, pv-holidays.com. Brittany Ferries who operate a service from Cork to Roscoff also have holidays in gites, and villas, brittanyferries.ie.
A popular destination for families in Italy is the Bella Italia resort on Lake Garda. It is big with fun things for the children, available through Topflight.ie. If you book early you may be able to get free child places, (01) 240 1765.
Tour operators such as Falcon Holidays, Thomas Cook, Sunway have a great variety of family holidays on resorts in Spain, Portugal, the Canary Islands and Greece. Resorts which have children clubs and water parks are ideal for families, however the prices can be a bit steep, especially as there are seven. The Falcon Holiday villages are good for families as they have kids clubs for all ages. One of the newest to become available from Ireland will be the Kolymbia in Rhodes from next May. It is an all inclusive resort and with free child place, falconholidays.ie.
I am looking for information about B&B accommodation in Dublin for the end of January. I will also be visiting Bath and London in March. I am a single traveller. – AF, Cork
You might like to consider thewhitecottages.com in Skerries or Beechlodge.ie on the Navan Road. Both are friendly places to stay with access to public transport. For a list of all the approved B&Bs go to bandbireland.com.
Bath is a beautiful city and you will find a variety of B&Bs on visitbath.co.uk. Expect to pay anything from £50-£110 per night. In London I recommend Uptown Reservations as they have lovely properties in the Mayfair, Knightsbridge and Chelsea areas, prices are about £95 per night B&B, uptownres.com.
We are visiting relations in New Zealand in February for three weeks. My wife and I both in our sixties would like to spend a week on a beach with nice a hotel in either North or South Island. We will be based in Wellington for two weeks. – DM, Cork
The Bay of Islands in the very far north of the North Island is one of New Zealand’s top destinations. It has a sub-tropical climate and ideal for a beach holidays. Two hotels to look at are, Paihia Pacific Resort, paihiapacific.co.nz and the Scenic Hotel,scenichotels.co.nz.
The other place to consider is the rugged Coromandel Peninsula and The Duke in Russell boutique hotel, theduke.co.nz.
Send your questions to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about going to Pula in Istria, can we do Harry Potter studios in a day from Dublin and how can we get to Fiji? December 28, 2013.
We have travelled to Dubrovnik and surrounding Islands for the last seven years. We love it but find it getting increasingly more expensive. I see Aer Lingus are flying into Pula and we were wondering is it as pretty but less expensive in this area. Could you give us some tips and also some information on island hopping there.– GC, Dublin
Great news that Aer Lingus will have Pula in Istria this summer; prices are from €150 at present on Tuesdays and little more expensive on Saturdays. Popularity often pushes up prices and this is probably what you have been finding in the Dubrovnik area. The Istrian peninsula is less developed than Dubrovnik but just as beautiful. Pula city is full of Roman ruins and the resort towns of Porec, Rovinj and Rabac are lovely.
Costs are in the region of €85-€140 per night for three star hotels upwards and€50-€90 per night self-catering. From the coastal towns it is easy to island hop. From Dublin clickandgo.com have put together packages to Istria and a week in Miramar Hotel in Rabac will cost from€425pps B&B, half board in Rovinj in the Amarin Resort from€482pps and half board in Valamar Hotel in Porec from €547pps.
My daughter is a huge Harry Potter fan and I would love to take her to the studios in England for a birthday treat. Do you think we could do it in a day from Dublin to keep costs down?
– HB, Dublin
It would be possible to make in a day and will mean a long day. The most time and cost effective route is flying into Stansted on the 06.25 or 08.15 flight with Ryanair. Cheap fares are normally available from six weeks in advance and you should be able to get fares for €50 or less. Avoid Sundays, rail travel is often disrupted then.
Off peak train fares don’t begin until 09.00 and would cost £49 for two, see thetrainline.com. This routing would mean changing at Tottenham Hale for the Victoria Line on the Underground, to Euston and then the Overground to Watford Junction. Journey time is around one hour 40 minutes. Train fares and times from Gatwick are less but you are restricted to certain services. There is a bus to Warner Brother Studiosfrom the station and is costs £2 return. You should be able to have at least four hours at the studios; tickets cost £29 for adults and £21.50 for children and can be booked on wbstudiotour.co.uk. All together the day out will cost around€240.
My wife and I have an opportunity to visit Fiji and accommodation is not an issue. We only intend to stay there for between five and seven days and then head to somewhere else. Have you any ideas for the somewhere else for another 10-14 days? – HT, Cork
Fiji is a long way to go for a short visit, and has a warm tropical climate which is ideal for beach holidays. The rainy season is from November to April; temperatures are over 28 degrees year round.
It seems that Los Angeles could be a good stopping point, either on the way out or back.Fiji Airways have direct flights to Nadi from LAX and it takes around 11 hours.
Around Los Angeles you have the resorts of San Diego, Santa Monica, and Long Beach. Heading south to Mexico, Puerto Vallerta has a great range of upmarket beachside resorts. You would be looking at fares from €1,200 upwards for the whole journey. Tryclassicresorts.ie, topflightsworldwide.ie or trailfinders.ie.
Send your questions to jscales@irishtimes.com
We have travelled to Dubrovnik and surrounding Islands for the last seven years. We love it but find it getting increasingly more expensive. I see Aer Lingus are flying into Pula and we were wondering is it as pretty but less expensive in this area. Could you give us some tips and also some information on island hopping there.– GC, Dublin
Great news that Aer Lingus will have Pula in Istria this summer; prices are from €150 at present on Tuesdays and little more expensive on Saturdays. Popularity often pushes up prices and this is probably what you have been finding in the Dubrovnik area. The Istrian peninsula is less developed than Dubrovnik but just as beautiful. Pula city is full of Roman ruins and the resort towns of Porec, Rovinj and Rabac are lovely.
Costs are in the region of €85-€140 per night for three star hotels upwards and€50-€90 per night self-catering. From the coastal towns it is easy to island hop. From Dublin clickandgo.com have put together packages to Istria and a week in Miramar Hotel in Rabac will cost from€425pps B&B, half board in Rovinj in the Amarin Resort from€482pps and half board in Valamar Hotel in Porec from €547pps.
My daughter is a huge Harry Potter fan and I would love to take her to the studios in England for a birthday treat. Do you think we could do it in a day from Dublin to keep costs down?
– HB, Dublin
It would be possible to make in a day and will mean a long day. The most time and cost effective route is flying into Stansted on the 06.25 or 08.15 flight with Ryanair. Cheap fares are normally available from six weeks in advance and you should be able to get fares for €50 or less. Avoid Sundays, rail travel is often disrupted then.
Off peak train fares don’t begin until 09.00 and would cost £49 for two, see thetrainline.com. This routing would mean changing at Tottenham Hale for the Victoria Line on the Underground, to Euston and then the Overground to Watford Junction. Journey time is around one hour 40 minutes. Train fares and times from Gatwick are less but you are restricted to certain services. There is a bus to Warner Brother Studiosfrom the station and is costs £2 return. You should be able to have at least four hours at the studios; tickets cost £29 for adults and £21.50 for children and can be booked on wbstudiotour.co.uk. All together the day out will cost around€240.
My wife and I have an opportunity to visit Fiji and accommodation is not an issue. We only intend to stay there for between five and seven days and then head to somewhere else. Have you any ideas for the somewhere else for another 10-14 days? – HT, Cork
Fiji is a long way to go for a short visit, and has a warm tropical climate which is ideal for beach holidays. The rainy season is from November to April; temperatures are over 28 degrees year round.
It seems that Los Angeles could be a good stopping point, either on the way out or back.Fiji Airways have direct flights to Nadi from LAX and it takes around 11 hours.
Around Los Angeles you have the resorts of San Diego, Santa Monica, and Long Beach. Heading south to Mexico, Puerto Vallerta has a great range of upmarket beachside resorts. You would be looking at fares from €1,200 upwards for the whole journey. Tryclassicresorts.ie, topflightsworldwide.ie or trailfinders.ie.
Send your questions to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan where the worldwide family can go on holidays, how two 50 year olds can explore eight European cities by train and bringing Mum and Dad to London after 50 years. December 21, 2013
We, like a lot of Irish people, are affected by emigration. Our children are in New Zealand, the UK and Germany. We would all love to meet up somewhere next summer. We were thinking of Canada or the western US but are open to other suggestions. Ideally we would like to have a four-bedroom house or apartment with enough activities to keep everyone happy, some culture, some outdoor activity and some retail therapy. EG, Galway.
California would be a great place for you all to meet. There are flights from all four countries direct to either Los Angeles or San Francisco. Western Canada would be adding another flight and hours more to each journey.
The Central Coast area between LA and San Francisco has many lovely beaches, great towns and lots of things to do. You can be surfing the Pacific, tasting wine, shopping in towns such as Carmel, Monterey and Santa Barbara and visiting national parks. There are many fine houses to rent. Book accommodation direct from owners on vrbo.com and homeaway.com. You will need cars to get around. See visitcalifornia.com and nps.gov.
A friend and I are planning to visit a number of European capitals by rail next July – about eight or nine in the course of the month. “Inter-railing” for the over-50s! While she holds an Irish passport, she lives outside Europe and it appears there are two different types of rail pass – depending on whether or not one lives in Europe. Is the difference material? Is there a “one-stop shop” I could approach about route planning and advice on safe, but well priced, accommodation? DL, Dublin.
The main site for booking train travel in Europe for residents is interrail.eu and for non-European residents it is eurail.com. InterRail has discounts for over-60s and is better value compared to eurail. You can contact the railshop.ie, tel: 01-8665841 to make bookings or have questions answered.
If travelling in July, I would recommend you book your hotels. For museums, you should probably book the most popular ones. Use websites like booking.com and hotels.com to book hotels. There are discounts for accommodation and attractions with the InterRail pass.
I’m trying to organise a trip to London for my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary (they haven’t returned since their honeymoon). We are planning to go in April 2014. There will be six adults in total going, so I was thinking of staying in a hotel or would even consider an apartment. We’d need three bedrooms, if possible. We will fly into City Airport. My parents are in their 70s so we don’t want to be walking too much. LS, Dublin.
London has changed a lot in 50 years and flying into City Airport will reveal how the city has developed eastwards. Three-bedroom apartments are not so common but I have found some. Expect to pay in the region of €250– €450 per night depending on location and quality. The following companies all have three-bedroom places: bridgestreet.com, in the City; collinghamapartments.com, near Earls Court and Grosvenor Road;Albertbridgeapartments. com, near Battersea and a short bus ride to Sloane Square and Knightsbridge; and dreamhouseapartments.com, for the City and Vauxhall.
Some of the budget hotels are quite good. PremierInn.com has a number of hotels around London at good prices and Parkplaza. com has some well located hotels on the South Bank and near Westminster Bridge.
Send your questions to jscales@irishtimes.com
We, like a lot of Irish people, are affected by emigration. Our children are in New Zealand, the UK and Germany. We would all love to meet up somewhere next summer. We were thinking of Canada or the western US but are open to other suggestions. Ideally we would like to have a four-bedroom house or apartment with enough activities to keep everyone happy, some culture, some outdoor activity and some retail therapy. EG, Galway.
California would be a great place for you all to meet. There are flights from all four countries direct to either Los Angeles or San Francisco. Western Canada would be adding another flight and hours more to each journey.
The Central Coast area between LA and San Francisco has many lovely beaches, great towns and lots of things to do. You can be surfing the Pacific, tasting wine, shopping in towns such as Carmel, Monterey and Santa Barbara and visiting national parks. There are many fine houses to rent. Book accommodation direct from owners on vrbo.com and homeaway.com. You will need cars to get around. See visitcalifornia.com and nps.gov.
A friend and I are planning to visit a number of European capitals by rail next July – about eight or nine in the course of the month. “Inter-railing” for the over-50s! While she holds an Irish passport, she lives outside Europe and it appears there are two different types of rail pass – depending on whether or not one lives in Europe. Is the difference material? Is there a “one-stop shop” I could approach about route planning and advice on safe, but well priced, accommodation? DL, Dublin.
The main site for booking train travel in Europe for residents is interrail.eu and for non-European residents it is eurail.com. InterRail has discounts for over-60s and is better value compared to eurail. You can contact the railshop.ie, tel: 01-8665841 to make bookings or have questions answered.
If travelling in July, I would recommend you book your hotels. For museums, you should probably book the most popular ones. Use websites like booking.com and hotels.com to book hotels. There are discounts for accommodation and attractions with the InterRail pass.
I’m trying to organise a trip to London for my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary (they haven’t returned since their honeymoon). We are planning to go in April 2014. There will be six adults in total going, so I was thinking of staying in a hotel or would even consider an apartment. We’d need three bedrooms, if possible. We will fly into City Airport. My parents are in their 70s so we don’t want to be walking too much. LS, Dublin.
London has changed a lot in 50 years and flying into City Airport will reveal how the city has developed eastwards. Three-bedroom apartments are not so common but I have found some. Expect to pay in the region of €250– €450 per night depending on location and quality. The following companies all have three-bedroom places: bridgestreet.com, in the City; collinghamapartments.com, near Earls Court and Grosvenor Road;Albertbridgeapartments. com, near Battersea and a short bus ride to Sloane Square and Knightsbridge; and dreamhouseapartments.com, for the City and Vauxhall.
Some of the budget hotels are quite good. PremierInn.com has a number of hotels around London at good prices and Parkplaza. com has some well located hotels on the South Bank and near Westminster Bridge.
Send your questions to jscales@irishtimes.com
Treasure Cay
Ask Joan how to get to Treasure Cay, learn Spanish in Spain with my children and good value hotels over Christmas, December 14, 2013
I am trying to get to Treasure Cay or Marsh Island, Bahamas in the New Year to join friends, and am finding it difficult to get there without costing the earth and taking days. Is there a reasonably priced way to get there? PS, Donegal.
Most islands in the Caribbean take a long time to get to from Ireland and involve at least three flights. Prices for the first week in January are also very high and start going down from January 8. Whichever way you travel it looks like a very long trip on the outbound as most Transatlantic flights arrive too late to connect with flights to the Bahamas.
I think you should factor in an overnight in New York, Atlanta, Miami or Nassau. The return journey is much easier as timings will work well for connecting to the overnight Transatlantic flights and you would be looking at around 15 hours of flying.
Delta flights are around €700 return with an overnight in Atlanta. From New York you have the option of taking JetBlue to Nassau from $146 each way. American Airlines have the most time efficient routing with flights via New York and Miami to Nassau with prices from €650.
From Nassau you can connect to Treasure Cay or Marsh Island using Bahamasair.com or SkyBahamas.com and the return flight will be under $200.
I would like to go to Spain in June with two of my children to learn Spanish - I have a degree in Spanish but have not spoken it for 30 years and want intensive conversation classes. My son is doing Leaving Cert and needs to improve his conversational Spanish. My 12 year old daughter has just started Spanish in school. Budget is an issue and I am open to staying with a family so we can learn as much as possible. FB, Dublin.
It would be good to go to a place when Spanish is spoken more slowly and maybe off the beaten track. You don’t have to go too far off the beaten track to find Spanish only spoken. Coastal resorts might be very tempting but being away from the main tourism resorts can help improve your Spanish.
There is a website about learning Spanish in Spain and it is run by the Institute Cervantes, which is a national programme to learning the language. The site is eee.cervantes.es/en/. Schools should be accredited to the national organisation.
From Ireland it is possible to book language classes with SteinStudy.com, an Irish company that arranges language classes in a number of European countries. A lot of the schools they feature do a Leaving Cert preparation course. The school in Benalmadena could cater for all the family and you would be looking at €410 -€597 each including lessons and accommodation, steinstudy.ie.
One of my colleagues attended a language course in Cadiz and enjoyed it very much. It is the Melkert School and you could travel via Seville and take the train or bus to Cadiz. Classes cost from €166 per week for 20hours tuition and home stay accommodation from €192pps. Contact them on centromelkert.com.
A friend and I are looking for a two or three day break over Christmas - from 23 or 24 - 26 December. We do not want to travel more than two hours from Dublin, and would like a country lodge/house/hotel situation that would not be too expensive. Can you help us? Be great if there was a spa, but certainly not essential. We would want a twin room and wondered if you knew of any deal we might avail of? LE, Dublin.
It is surprising the number of hotels that close at Christmas, and the ones that do remain open are mostly four and five star and charge a premium for the Christmas package.
There are a good number of B&Bs open over Christmas but they do not include meals. They are good value, with prices from €32 - €45 pps per night. You can see which ones are open on bandbireland.com, Kilkenny and Tipperary were showing about five each.
The best value I have found is if you head north, a lot of hotels in Belfast are open over Christmas and the prices are good. The Europa for instance is €195 for two nights for two, Jurys Inn is €94 for two nights and the Days Hotel is €116. They can all be booked on hotels.com.
I am trying to get to Treasure Cay or Marsh Island, Bahamas in the New Year to join friends, and am finding it difficult to get there without costing the earth and taking days. Is there a reasonably priced way to get there? PS, Donegal.
Most islands in the Caribbean take a long time to get to from Ireland and involve at least three flights. Prices for the first week in January are also very high and start going down from January 8. Whichever way you travel it looks like a very long trip on the outbound as most Transatlantic flights arrive too late to connect with flights to the Bahamas.
I think you should factor in an overnight in New York, Atlanta, Miami or Nassau. The return journey is much easier as timings will work well for connecting to the overnight Transatlantic flights and you would be looking at around 15 hours of flying.
Delta flights are around €700 return with an overnight in Atlanta. From New York you have the option of taking JetBlue to Nassau from $146 each way. American Airlines have the most time efficient routing with flights via New York and Miami to Nassau with prices from €650.
From Nassau you can connect to Treasure Cay or Marsh Island using Bahamasair.com or SkyBahamas.com and the return flight will be under $200.
I would like to go to Spain in June with two of my children to learn Spanish - I have a degree in Spanish but have not spoken it for 30 years and want intensive conversation classes. My son is doing Leaving Cert and needs to improve his conversational Spanish. My 12 year old daughter has just started Spanish in school. Budget is an issue and I am open to staying with a family so we can learn as much as possible. FB, Dublin.
It would be good to go to a place when Spanish is spoken more slowly and maybe off the beaten track. You don’t have to go too far off the beaten track to find Spanish only spoken. Coastal resorts might be very tempting but being away from the main tourism resorts can help improve your Spanish.
There is a website about learning Spanish in Spain and it is run by the Institute Cervantes, which is a national programme to learning the language. The site is eee.cervantes.es/en/. Schools should be accredited to the national organisation.
From Ireland it is possible to book language classes with SteinStudy.com, an Irish company that arranges language classes in a number of European countries. A lot of the schools they feature do a Leaving Cert preparation course. The school in Benalmadena could cater for all the family and you would be looking at €410 -€597 each including lessons and accommodation, steinstudy.ie.
One of my colleagues attended a language course in Cadiz and enjoyed it very much. It is the Melkert School and you could travel via Seville and take the train or bus to Cadiz. Classes cost from €166 per week for 20hours tuition and home stay accommodation from €192pps. Contact them on centromelkert.com.
A friend and I are looking for a two or three day break over Christmas - from 23 or 24 - 26 December. We do not want to travel more than two hours from Dublin, and would like a country lodge/house/hotel situation that would not be too expensive. Can you help us? Be great if there was a spa, but certainly not essential. We would want a twin room and wondered if you knew of any deal we might avail of? LE, Dublin.
It is surprising the number of hotels that close at Christmas, and the ones that do remain open are mostly four and five star and charge a premium for the Christmas package.
There are a good number of B&Bs open over Christmas but they do not include meals. They are good value, with prices from €32 - €45 pps per night. You can see which ones are open on bandbireland.com, Kilkenny and Tipperary were showing about five each.
The best value I have found is if you head north, a lot of hotels in Belfast are open over Christmas and the prices are good. The Europa for instance is €195 for two nights for two, Jurys Inn is €94 for two nights and the Days Hotel is €116. They can all be booked on hotels.com.
Ask Joan about sailing the Med or Caribbean, holidays to Munich and seaside and safari in Kenya, December 6.
We want to charter a boat next spring – not sure if we should go to the Caribbean or Mediterranean. We are three couples with experienced sailors among us. – PC, Kerry
Sailing the Mediterranean or the Caribbean is always fantastic, especially if you get the weather. Spring in the Med can be hit and miss, and can still be quite cold up to April. May would be better, especially further south.
Sailing activity in Croatia has really increased in recent years and chartering is not too expensive. You would be looking at about €1,100-€2,800 a week for a six-berth bareboat charter (yacht-base.com). The Croatian coast, dotted with lots of islands, is ideal for sailing.
One of the biggest companies in the charter market – in the Mediterranean, especially Greece and Turkey and with bases in Antigua and the British Virgin Islands – is sunsail.com. Prices in the Med are from about €1,500-€2,800 for a week, depending on the boat.
Chartering in the Caribbean tends to be more expensive than the Mediterranean, and getting there will cost a lot more. You would be looking at €2,400-€5,000 as spring is high season, but the weather will be good with gentle trade winds and the opportunity to island hop. On catamaransailing.com prices start at $3,795 a week.
We want to go on safari and to a beach resort afterwards. We would like to spend three days on the safari and then have up to 10 days with an all-inclusive option at a beach resort. What would our options be for around Easter 2014? Also, is it possible to incorporate the Maldives with a safari? We have a budget of about €5,000. – JW, Dublin
Generally this type of holiday is expensive: distance alone pushes up the price and the safari experience is regulated by charging high fees to visit national parks. Kenya has great options for combining an all-inclusive beach holiday with a safari within your budget.
The four-star Voyager Beach Resort, overlooking Nyali beach, near Mombasa on the Indian Ocean, is an all-inclusive resort. A package, with flights and accommodation, with budgetair.ie costs about €1,800 each.
Aa safari from Mombasa with African Memorable Safaris costs about €720 each for a three-day package, including return flights to the Masai Mara, transfers, full board at the Elengata Olerai Camp, park fees and game drives; africanmemorablesafaris.com.
You could go on safari in South Africa, where the Kruger National Park is amazing and then to the Maldives. It could stretch the budget: flights cost €1,300-€1,600 and accommodation in Maldives is mostly top-end. Companies that combine Maldives with a safari are topflightworldwide.ie, sunway.ie and tropicalsky.ie.
We are a family of six who plan to visit Munich next year. We are also considering spending time in Austria. Can you recommend websites for holiday apartments. How easy is it to travel from Munich to Austria by rail?
– NMG, Cork
The train service in Germany and Austria is efficient and reasonably priced. You can search timetables and buy tickets on bahn.de or oebb.at/en.
Accommodation can be rented from owners on homeaway.co.uk and housetrip.com. Prices in Munich are about 30-50 per cent higher than in Austria. If you do go to Austria, Salzburg is a lovely city.
We want to charter a boat next spring – not sure if we should go to the Caribbean or Mediterranean. We are three couples with experienced sailors among us. – PC, Kerry
Sailing the Mediterranean or the Caribbean is always fantastic, especially if you get the weather. Spring in the Med can be hit and miss, and can still be quite cold up to April. May would be better, especially further south.
Sailing activity in Croatia has really increased in recent years and chartering is not too expensive. You would be looking at about €1,100-€2,800 a week for a six-berth bareboat charter (yacht-base.com). The Croatian coast, dotted with lots of islands, is ideal for sailing.
One of the biggest companies in the charter market – in the Mediterranean, especially Greece and Turkey and with bases in Antigua and the British Virgin Islands – is sunsail.com. Prices in the Med are from about €1,500-€2,800 for a week, depending on the boat.
Chartering in the Caribbean tends to be more expensive than the Mediterranean, and getting there will cost a lot more. You would be looking at €2,400-€5,000 as spring is high season, but the weather will be good with gentle trade winds and the opportunity to island hop. On catamaransailing.com prices start at $3,795 a week.
We want to go on safari and to a beach resort afterwards. We would like to spend three days on the safari and then have up to 10 days with an all-inclusive option at a beach resort. What would our options be for around Easter 2014? Also, is it possible to incorporate the Maldives with a safari? We have a budget of about €5,000. – JW, Dublin
Generally this type of holiday is expensive: distance alone pushes up the price and the safari experience is regulated by charging high fees to visit national parks. Kenya has great options for combining an all-inclusive beach holiday with a safari within your budget.
The four-star Voyager Beach Resort, overlooking Nyali beach, near Mombasa on the Indian Ocean, is an all-inclusive resort. A package, with flights and accommodation, with budgetair.ie costs about €1,800 each.
Aa safari from Mombasa with African Memorable Safaris costs about €720 each for a three-day package, including return flights to the Masai Mara, transfers, full board at the Elengata Olerai Camp, park fees and game drives; africanmemorablesafaris.com.
You could go on safari in South Africa, where the Kruger National Park is amazing and then to the Maldives. It could stretch the budget: flights cost €1,300-€1,600 and accommodation in Maldives is mostly top-end. Companies that combine Maldives with a safari are topflightworldwide.ie, sunway.ie and tropicalsky.ie.
We are a family of six who plan to visit Munich next year. We are also considering spending time in Austria. Can you recommend websites for holiday apartments. How easy is it to travel from Munich to Austria by rail?
– NMG, Cork
The train service in Germany and Austria is efficient and reasonably priced. You can search timetables and buy tickets on bahn.de or oebb.at/en.
Accommodation can be rented from owners on homeaway.co.uk and housetrip.com. Prices in Munich are about 30-50 per cent higher than in Austria. If you do go to Austria, Salzburg is a lovely city.
Ask Joan about going to Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, should be charter a boat in the Med or the Caribbean, I want to be alone for New Year. November 30, 2013
We are thinking of chartering a boat next spring – not sure if we should go to the Caribbean or Mediterranean. We are three couples and will have some experienced sailors.
– PC, Kerry
Sailing the Mediterranean or the Caribbean is always fantastic, especially if you get the weather. Spring time in the Med can be a bit hit and miss, and April can still be quite cold. May would be a better option, especially the further south you go.
Sailing activity in Croatia has really increased in recent years and chartering is not too expensive. You would be looking at about €1,100-€2,800 per week for a six-berth bareboat charter (yacht-base.com). The Croatian coast is dotted with lots of islands and ideal for sailing.
One of the biggest companies in the charter market – in the Mediterranean, especiallyGreece and Turkey and with bases in Antigua and the British Virgin Islands – is sunsail.com.
Chartering in the Caribbean tends to be more expensive than the Mediterranean. You would be looking at prices €1,030-€2,000 in the Med and €2,400-€5,000 in the Caribbean, as spring is high season and the weather will be good with gentle trade winds and the opportunity to island hop. You can see some catamarans for charter on catamaransailing.com, with prices from $3,795 per week.
Could you please give me some advice on a trip to Vietnam, taking inCambodia and Laos? We are a couple, early 50s, interested in culture and history rather than shopping or sunbathing. We could have more time to spend if we travel during July or August but I have heard the humidity is highest at this time. So perhaps Easter would be a more suitable time? Would we be better going on an organised tour or should I plan it myself?
– FJ Dublin
July and August are hot and humid and also high season. Going earlier in the year makes sense, though Easter may be busy too.
Joining a tour would ensure that you see as much as possible. Not having to worry about transport and accommodation would take a lot off your plate. There are plenty of companies offering trips.
Next March, there is a guided trip from Dublin with GTI Travel to Vietnam and Cambodia over two weeks. Beginning in Saigon, the cultural and historical experiences include Cu Chi tunnels, a boat trip on the Mekong, temples of Tay Ninh and Sam mountain, Phnom Penh palaces, the Killing Fields and Angkor Wat (from €2,499pps gti-ireland.com, 01 -8434734).
If planning the trip yourself, you could talk to Brendan Barry of discovertravel.ie (021-4635440). He has been in Vietnam many times; his company works with Travel Indochina, a small group specialist company. He has lots of great insights on what to see and do. Other companies that offer on-the-ground trips include trailfinders.ie, who work with
gadventures.com and explore.co.uk and sunway.ie, who work with
amawaterways.com.
I’m a single woman who hates New Year’s Eve with a passion. I looked at a few hotels and B&Bs for a few days’ escape. However, those that aren’t booked out are ridiculously expensive. Ideally, I would like to stay in Clare/Limerick. – CH, Galway
Limerick city is better value than the county. The Railway Hotel has two nights for €80 including breakfast or the Best Western Pery Hotel is €128 for two nights with breakfast. I found these on Irelandhotels. com, the website of the Irish Hotels Federation.
Those offering bed and breakfast accommodation tend to base the price on two sharing, but you can certainly phone and ask for a one-person rate. Find the best selection of properties on bandbireland.com.
We are thinking of chartering a boat next spring – not sure if we should go to the Caribbean or Mediterranean. We are three couples and will have some experienced sailors.
– PC, Kerry
Sailing the Mediterranean or the Caribbean is always fantastic, especially if you get the weather. Spring time in the Med can be a bit hit and miss, and April can still be quite cold. May would be a better option, especially the further south you go.
Sailing activity in Croatia has really increased in recent years and chartering is not too expensive. You would be looking at about €1,100-€2,800 per week for a six-berth bareboat charter (yacht-base.com). The Croatian coast is dotted with lots of islands and ideal for sailing.
One of the biggest companies in the charter market – in the Mediterranean, especiallyGreece and Turkey and with bases in Antigua and the British Virgin Islands – is sunsail.com.
Chartering in the Caribbean tends to be more expensive than the Mediterranean. You would be looking at prices €1,030-€2,000 in the Med and €2,400-€5,000 in the Caribbean, as spring is high season and the weather will be good with gentle trade winds and the opportunity to island hop. You can see some catamarans for charter on catamaransailing.com, with prices from $3,795 per week.
Could you please give me some advice on a trip to Vietnam, taking inCambodia and Laos? We are a couple, early 50s, interested in culture and history rather than shopping or sunbathing. We could have more time to spend if we travel during July or August but I have heard the humidity is highest at this time. So perhaps Easter would be a more suitable time? Would we be better going on an organised tour or should I plan it myself?
– FJ Dublin
July and August are hot and humid and also high season. Going earlier in the year makes sense, though Easter may be busy too.
Joining a tour would ensure that you see as much as possible. Not having to worry about transport and accommodation would take a lot off your plate. There are plenty of companies offering trips.
Next March, there is a guided trip from Dublin with GTI Travel to Vietnam and Cambodia over two weeks. Beginning in Saigon, the cultural and historical experiences include Cu Chi tunnels, a boat trip on the Mekong, temples of Tay Ninh and Sam mountain, Phnom Penh palaces, the Killing Fields and Angkor Wat (from €2,499pps gti-ireland.com, 01 -8434734).
If planning the trip yourself, you could talk to Brendan Barry of discovertravel.ie (021-4635440). He has been in Vietnam many times; his company works with Travel Indochina, a small group specialist company. He has lots of great insights on what to see and do. Other companies that offer on-the-ground trips include trailfinders.ie, who work with
gadventures.com and explore.co.uk and sunway.ie, who work with
amawaterways.com.
I’m a single woman who hates New Year’s Eve with a passion. I looked at a few hotels and B&Bs for a few days’ escape. However, those that aren’t booked out are ridiculously expensive. Ideally, I would like to stay in Clare/Limerick. – CH, Galway
Limerick city is better value than the county. The Railway Hotel has two nights for €80 including breakfast or the Best Western Pery Hotel is €128 for two nights with breakfast. I found these on Irelandhotels. com, the website of the Irish Hotels Federation.
Those offering bed and breakfast accommodation tend to base the price on two sharing, but you can certainly phone and ask for a one-person rate. Find the best selection of properties on bandbireland.com.
Ask Joan about the ladies going to Bordeaux, escaping from Shannon and will we take our grandson to New York for New Year., November 23rd.
We are five ladies travelling to Bordeaux to celebrate a 50th birthday party. Our destination was chosen as none of us had ever visited this area. Could you please advise on a hotel in the centre; we need to book five rooms. While we would like a nice clean, well-located hotel. it does not have to be five-star. Can you suggest things to do for a morning or full afternoon – we are travelling in early April 2014. – Kitty K
Mercure Hotels is a French group with three hotels in the city. Prices in April range from €69-€86 per room per night, breakfast extra, mercure.com.
Bordeaux is a Unesco heritage city for its preservation of classical and neoclassical buildings and is also one of the finest wine cities in France. A short break will allow you to enjoy the city with its many good restaurants and explore some of its culture and enjoy the Garonne river walks.
Most things in Bordeaux revolve around wine and food and there are a variety of wine tours on offer. You can visit city wine merchants for a tasting class or take a bus tour to the wine regions and visit some famous wine châteaux. You can book a tour with Bordeaux-tourisme.com from €33.
Also on offer are river tours, cookery classes, and visits to museums and galleries.
We are a family of five, two adults and three small children under four at time of travel. We are hoping to travel for some winter sun around the end of January. It seems the Canaries or Dubai are best options for good temperatures at that time.
We would consider those, or any other suggestions you might have. We want somewhere with good food, children’s facilities and a heated pool. And, if possible, maybe some options for the adults like yoga or golf. In terms of budget, we are hoping for good value. – BR, Limerick.
Looking first at where you live and having three children, Shannon has flights throughout the winter to Lanzarote. You could opt to go with tour operator sunway.ie and take a package that would include flights, transfers and accommodation. Prices begin from €314pps in the self-catering Oasis Apartments Resort to €687 all-inclusive in the HL Paradise Island resort in Playa Blanca.
While the weather in the Gulf will be nice at that time of the year, it is a long distance away, a seven-hour flight from Dublin or London. Hotels are mainly four- and five-star and it is an expensive holiday – if you could get a week for €1,100 each in the Gulf that would be good value. Trailfinders.ie has an office in Limerick and may have some special offers, tel: 061- 292700.
Going the opposite way to Florida may work out better value than the Gulf states.Touramerica.ie has a variety of resorts in the St Petersburg and Clearwater area in studios or hotels from €640-€700pps including flights and accommodation. You will find golf courses and check out stpeteyoga.com for open classes.
We would like to bring our grandson to New York over Christmas for his16th birthday. We would go for three days and we could fly with Aer Lingus from December 28th-31st. We are not sure about accommodation, we want something central. We have been there many times before so know our way around. Will all the sights be open over the holiday time? – GOF, Dublin.
New York is the city that never sleeps and you will find that all the attractions will be open. They only usually close for one day at Christmas.
However, your trip will be pricey as the lowest-cost fares with Aer Lingus are from €730 each and hotels are in the range of €300-€500 per night. New Year’s Eve is a big holiday in New York and the city is busy with tourists.
Look at applecorehotels.com or priceline.com for hotels and nycgo.com for tourism information.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
We are five ladies travelling to Bordeaux to celebrate a 50th birthday party. Our destination was chosen as none of us had ever visited this area. Could you please advise on a hotel in the centre; we need to book five rooms. While we would like a nice clean, well-located hotel. it does not have to be five-star. Can you suggest things to do for a morning or full afternoon – we are travelling in early April 2014. – Kitty K
Mercure Hotels is a French group with three hotels in the city. Prices in April range from €69-€86 per room per night, breakfast extra, mercure.com.
Bordeaux is a Unesco heritage city for its preservation of classical and neoclassical buildings and is also one of the finest wine cities in France. A short break will allow you to enjoy the city with its many good restaurants and explore some of its culture and enjoy the Garonne river walks.
Most things in Bordeaux revolve around wine and food and there are a variety of wine tours on offer. You can visit city wine merchants for a tasting class or take a bus tour to the wine regions and visit some famous wine châteaux. You can book a tour with Bordeaux-tourisme.com from €33.
Also on offer are river tours, cookery classes, and visits to museums and galleries.
We are a family of five, two adults and three small children under four at time of travel. We are hoping to travel for some winter sun around the end of January. It seems the Canaries or Dubai are best options for good temperatures at that time.
We would consider those, or any other suggestions you might have. We want somewhere with good food, children’s facilities and a heated pool. And, if possible, maybe some options for the adults like yoga or golf. In terms of budget, we are hoping for good value. – BR, Limerick.
Looking first at where you live and having three children, Shannon has flights throughout the winter to Lanzarote. You could opt to go with tour operator sunway.ie and take a package that would include flights, transfers and accommodation. Prices begin from €314pps in the self-catering Oasis Apartments Resort to €687 all-inclusive in the HL Paradise Island resort in Playa Blanca.
While the weather in the Gulf will be nice at that time of the year, it is a long distance away, a seven-hour flight from Dublin or London. Hotels are mainly four- and five-star and it is an expensive holiday – if you could get a week for €1,100 each in the Gulf that would be good value. Trailfinders.ie has an office in Limerick and may have some special offers, tel: 061- 292700.
Going the opposite way to Florida may work out better value than the Gulf states.Touramerica.ie has a variety of resorts in the St Petersburg and Clearwater area in studios or hotels from €640-€700pps including flights and accommodation. You will find golf courses and check out stpeteyoga.com for open classes.
We would like to bring our grandson to New York over Christmas for his16th birthday. We would go for three days and we could fly with Aer Lingus from December 28th-31st. We are not sure about accommodation, we want something central. We have been there many times before so know our way around. Will all the sights be open over the holiday time? – GOF, Dublin.
New York is the city that never sleeps and you will find that all the attractions will be open. They only usually close for one day at Christmas.
However, your trip will be pricey as the lowest-cost fares with Aer Lingus are from €730 each and hotels are in the range of €300-€500 per night. New Year’s Eve is a big holiday in New York and the city is busy with tourists.
Look at applecorehotels.com or priceline.com for hotels and nycgo.com for tourism information.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about a weekend in Budapest, a cooking and painting holiday and where to look for accommodation in the Canaries, Nov. 16th.
Since retiring, I have taken over cooking duties at home and, as a sometime foodie, have been enjoying it very much. Meanwhile my (still working) wife has recently revived her interest in painting and drawing. We wondered if it would be possible to find an activity holiday which would allow us to combine both interests. Italy, France and Spain all appeal. – MR, Dublin
In a corner of southwest France in the Charente, Chateau L’Age Baston has been running cooking, art, walking, writing and French courses for over 20 years. It is not your usual type of holiday, with all guests sitting together for meals and taking part in the courses, more like staying with friends.
The cookery course is in French country-style cuisine and you can extend your repertoire with daily kitchen sessions and field trips to markets and producers. Your wife can enjoy painting with a tutor and the opportunity to capture the lovely area around the chateau. There is a special offer for booking up to the end of January of £950 (about €1,100) which includes accommodation, tuition, all meals and pick up from Bordeaux Airport. See lagebaston.com.
The region of Emilia Romagna is known as the bread basket of Italy, and a gastronomic area. Think Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, Parma ham, balsamic vinegar, sun ripened tomatoes. Casa Appenino with mountain views, runs similar types of art holidays on a weekly basis. Cookery classes can be arranged and would involve rustic Italian food. Guests stay in the casa or in a self catering cottage on site. The prices are similar, about £950 (€1,100) per week, and include tuition, meals and accommodation, artholidaysinitaly.com.
Four of us have booked a long weekend with accommodation in Budapest for the last weekend in November. We would appreciate any suggestions you might have for things to do and places to see. All of us are foodies and would love to eat at least one meal in a really good restaurant. We will be staying at Boscolo Hotel. – HC, Dublin
Budapest is a lovely city and full of great things to do. The Christmas markets will begin on the 29th and will be nice to ramble round. The traditional painted Christmas egg ornaments are a perfect reminder of your trip.
The city is divided by the Danube with the castle sitting high on the Buda side of the river, over the Chain bridge.
Take a Danube cruise and see the city from the river. It will give you a good insight into the history of this major city of the Austro Hungarian empire.
There are many beautiful buildings to see from the river. There are also dinner cruises you can take at night.
Heroes’ Square at the end of Andrassy Boulevard, Budapest’s Grafton Street, is a monument to Hungary’s past. It is dominated by Roman style statues and open architecture. The Museum of Fine Art and the Hall of Art are on either side. Nearby is the House of Terror, a museum to the fascist and communist past.
The most famous restaurant in Budapest is Gundel’s, which is also one of the oldest in the city (gundel.hu). It serves traditional Hungarian food with a lot of old-fashioned style. There are also two Michelin-starred restaurants in Budapest, Onyx and Costes.
Make sure to have coffee and cake at Gerbeaud, sit outside and watch the world go by on Vorosmarty Square.
We are a couple in the “youth of old age” (our mid-50s). We would like three weeks of apartment living in January/February with warmth and light (and public transport, as we don’t wish to hire a car). Given this, the Canaries appear only obvious choice. Perhaps you could suggest a location or website we could consider in our quest? – SA, Dublin
The Canaries is the obvious place to go with nice weather and a good variety of accommodation. As I wrote previously, Steintravel.ie are selling three and four-week holidays to the Canaries for about €200pps per week with flights.
Ryanair and Aer Lingus fly to all the main islands. Apartments are good value from €300 per week (see booking.com, housetrip.com, rentalia.com, cotilloholidays.co.uk, and homeaway.com). All the islands have good public transport and it is easy enough to get around, though don’t book an apartment outside a town or resort.
Send your travel queries to Joan at jscales@irishtimes.com
Since retiring, I have taken over cooking duties at home and, as a sometime foodie, have been enjoying it very much. Meanwhile my (still working) wife has recently revived her interest in painting and drawing. We wondered if it would be possible to find an activity holiday which would allow us to combine both interests. Italy, France and Spain all appeal. – MR, Dublin
In a corner of southwest France in the Charente, Chateau L’Age Baston has been running cooking, art, walking, writing and French courses for over 20 years. It is not your usual type of holiday, with all guests sitting together for meals and taking part in the courses, more like staying with friends.
The cookery course is in French country-style cuisine and you can extend your repertoire with daily kitchen sessions and field trips to markets and producers. Your wife can enjoy painting with a tutor and the opportunity to capture the lovely area around the chateau. There is a special offer for booking up to the end of January of £950 (about €1,100) which includes accommodation, tuition, all meals and pick up from Bordeaux Airport. See lagebaston.com.
The region of Emilia Romagna is known as the bread basket of Italy, and a gastronomic area. Think Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, Parma ham, balsamic vinegar, sun ripened tomatoes. Casa Appenino with mountain views, runs similar types of art holidays on a weekly basis. Cookery classes can be arranged and would involve rustic Italian food. Guests stay in the casa or in a self catering cottage on site. The prices are similar, about £950 (€1,100) per week, and include tuition, meals and accommodation, artholidaysinitaly.com.
Four of us have booked a long weekend with accommodation in Budapest for the last weekend in November. We would appreciate any suggestions you might have for things to do and places to see. All of us are foodies and would love to eat at least one meal in a really good restaurant. We will be staying at Boscolo Hotel. – HC, Dublin
Budapest is a lovely city and full of great things to do. The Christmas markets will begin on the 29th and will be nice to ramble round. The traditional painted Christmas egg ornaments are a perfect reminder of your trip.
The city is divided by the Danube with the castle sitting high on the Buda side of the river, over the Chain bridge.
Take a Danube cruise and see the city from the river. It will give you a good insight into the history of this major city of the Austro Hungarian empire.
There are many beautiful buildings to see from the river. There are also dinner cruises you can take at night.
Heroes’ Square at the end of Andrassy Boulevard, Budapest’s Grafton Street, is a monument to Hungary’s past. It is dominated by Roman style statues and open architecture. The Museum of Fine Art and the Hall of Art are on either side. Nearby is the House of Terror, a museum to the fascist and communist past.
The most famous restaurant in Budapest is Gundel’s, which is also one of the oldest in the city (gundel.hu). It serves traditional Hungarian food with a lot of old-fashioned style. There are also two Michelin-starred restaurants in Budapest, Onyx and Costes.
Make sure to have coffee and cake at Gerbeaud, sit outside and watch the world go by on Vorosmarty Square.
We are a couple in the “youth of old age” (our mid-50s). We would like three weeks of apartment living in January/February with warmth and light (and public transport, as we don’t wish to hire a car). Given this, the Canaries appear only obvious choice. Perhaps you could suggest a location or website we could consider in our quest? – SA, Dublin
The Canaries is the obvious place to go with nice weather and a good variety of accommodation. As I wrote previously, Steintravel.ie are selling three and four-week holidays to the Canaries for about €200pps per week with flights.
Ryanair and Aer Lingus fly to all the main islands. Apartments are good value from €300 per week (see booking.com, housetrip.com, rentalia.com, cotilloholidays.co.uk, and homeaway.com). All the islands have good public transport and it is easy enough to get around, though don’t book an apartment outside a town or resort.
Send your travel queries to Joan at jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about going to St. Petersburg alone, finding cheap accommodation in Paris for the match and finding a large villa for a family summer holiday - Nov. 9
I’m looking to go to St. Petersburg, Russia next June, around summer solstice. I’ll probably try get to Tallinn in Estonia either on my way there or on the way back. I’m a female in my mid-thirties and will probably be travelling alone so I really want to know if St. Petersburg is safe for a female travelling solo? NM, Clare.
Tallinn is a good access point for St. Petersburg as there is a direct train each day for about €30 and it takes about six and half hours.. Buy your ticket at the rail station in advance, gorail.ee. Ryanair has flights on Tuesdays and Saturdays to Tallinn for around €70 each way at present, it can be cheaper.
You can easily spend time in both cities, which are fine for lone travellers. Tallinn is a nice small city, easy to get around and English is readily spoken. A couple of days would be plenty to see the city.
Summer is a busy time in St. Petersburg, with many people visiting for the White Nights Festivities when it hardly gets dark from the end of May to mid July. It would probably be better for you to stay in the city centre in at least a three-star hotel as language could be a difficulty. As it is so busy you might be best to purchase museum tickets in advance or take a guided city tour to enjoy the cultural capital of Russia, and you may meet other lone travellers.
See also saint-petersburg.com for tourism information and fest300.com/festivals/white-nights. Scandinavian Airlines have a good quick routing through Copenhagen back to Dublin for around €167, flysas.ie.
You will need a visa to visit Russia, and it can be obtained from the Russian embassy in Dublin, see Ireland.mid.ru/visa_en.html, it will cost €60 and you will need a letter of invitation from the hotel you are staying in.
We are looking to gather an extended family of 12 plus infants for a 60th birthday celebration of a grandmother somewhere in Europe for seven nights next summer. We will be travelling from Cork, Dublin, Bristol or Cardiff.
Have you any recommendations for a sunny and warm location - but not too hot (i.e. not too much over 30 Celsius) - with a direct flight from each of these airports? We would consider hiring several cars to get everyone to the destination, but would prefer less than an hour's drive. A spacious house or villa to accommodate everyone with a pool and air-conditioning would be ideal. AOL, Dublin.
There are a number of routes common to all four airports, Malaga, Majorca, Alicante, Barcelona, Lanzarote, Faro, Lisbon, and Nice, so plenty of choices in Spain, Portugal and France. It would probably be better to go in June rather than August as temperatures in Europe get very high by August. Portugal and Spain will be less expensive than France for a big property but you can estimate about €2,000-€4,000 for a week.
There are quite a few companies in the market that rent villas for large groups with air conditioning, swimming pools, nice grounds and lots of space for everyone. Most bigger places will only rent from Saturday to Saturday so take this into account when making flight bookings, they may also require a substantial deposit.
Have a look at the following companies for a variety of suitable properties, world-villas.co.uk,vintagetravel.co.uk, privatevillas.ie and jamesvillas.ie. All of these companies have a telephone service and you can talk to a booking agent to get exact details of distances from airports and property descriptions.
We are group (over 55s) going to Paris March 13 – 18 and we require five rooms. We have spent a lot of time looking but all rooms are very expensive. We just want a clean and central enough location for the rugby. Could you please give us the name for some options? KK, Wicklow.
Paris can be surprisingly expensive for hotel rooms but you will find rooms under €100 per night on hipotel.info and budgetplaces.com. Needless to say for that price you will be getting one or two star hotels, and some may be slightly out from the centre of the city. As you need five rooms, it may be better to telephone or email the reservation.
I’m looking to go to St. Petersburg, Russia next June, around summer solstice. I’ll probably try get to Tallinn in Estonia either on my way there or on the way back. I’m a female in my mid-thirties and will probably be travelling alone so I really want to know if St. Petersburg is safe for a female travelling solo? NM, Clare.
Tallinn is a good access point for St. Petersburg as there is a direct train each day for about €30 and it takes about six and half hours.. Buy your ticket at the rail station in advance, gorail.ee. Ryanair has flights on Tuesdays and Saturdays to Tallinn for around €70 each way at present, it can be cheaper.
You can easily spend time in both cities, which are fine for lone travellers. Tallinn is a nice small city, easy to get around and English is readily spoken. A couple of days would be plenty to see the city.
Summer is a busy time in St. Petersburg, with many people visiting for the White Nights Festivities when it hardly gets dark from the end of May to mid July. It would probably be better for you to stay in the city centre in at least a three-star hotel as language could be a difficulty. As it is so busy you might be best to purchase museum tickets in advance or take a guided city tour to enjoy the cultural capital of Russia, and you may meet other lone travellers.
See also saint-petersburg.com for tourism information and fest300.com/festivals/white-nights. Scandinavian Airlines have a good quick routing through Copenhagen back to Dublin for around €167, flysas.ie.
You will need a visa to visit Russia, and it can be obtained from the Russian embassy in Dublin, see Ireland.mid.ru/visa_en.html, it will cost €60 and you will need a letter of invitation from the hotel you are staying in.
We are looking to gather an extended family of 12 plus infants for a 60th birthday celebration of a grandmother somewhere in Europe for seven nights next summer. We will be travelling from Cork, Dublin, Bristol or Cardiff.
Have you any recommendations for a sunny and warm location - but not too hot (i.e. not too much over 30 Celsius) - with a direct flight from each of these airports? We would consider hiring several cars to get everyone to the destination, but would prefer less than an hour's drive. A spacious house or villa to accommodate everyone with a pool and air-conditioning would be ideal. AOL, Dublin.
There are a number of routes common to all four airports, Malaga, Majorca, Alicante, Barcelona, Lanzarote, Faro, Lisbon, and Nice, so plenty of choices in Spain, Portugal and France. It would probably be better to go in June rather than August as temperatures in Europe get very high by August. Portugal and Spain will be less expensive than France for a big property but you can estimate about €2,000-€4,000 for a week.
There are quite a few companies in the market that rent villas for large groups with air conditioning, swimming pools, nice grounds and lots of space for everyone. Most bigger places will only rent from Saturday to Saturday so take this into account when making flight bookings, they may also require a substantial deposit.
Have a look at the following companies for a variety of suitable properties, world-villas.co.uk,vintagetravel.co.uk, privatevillas.ie and jamesvillas.ie. All of these companies have a telephone service and you can talk to a booking agent to get exact details of distances from airports and property descriptions.
We are group (over 55s) going to Paris March 13 – 18 and we require five rooms. We have spent a lot of time looking but all rooms are very expensive. We just want a clean and central enough location for the rugby. Could you please give us the name for some options? KK, Wicklow.
Paris can be surprisingly expensive for hotel rooms but you will find rooms under €100 per night on hipotel.info and budgetplaces.com. Needless to say for that price you will be getting one or two star hotels, and some may be slightly out from the centre of the city. As you need five rooms, it may be better to telephone or email the reservation.
Ask Joan - your questions answered
Ask Joan about an air cruise in the United States, travel insurance for Mum and what to do in Dublin over Christmas Nov. 2
My fit and healthy 81-year-old mum is travelling to
South Africa over Christmas and hopes to stay there for almost three months. Her
insurance for long-stay vacations in the past has been dealt with by her
Mastercard. Provided she paid for 80 per cent of her holiday using her
Mastercard her travel insurance was free. However, since she is now 81, Mastercard will not cover travel insurance. My mother is in very good health and has not had to claim on her travel insurance or indeed on her VHI when she has been away for
such long periods. I have telephoned several insurance companies and they have
all refused to provide insurance. The best I could get was a two-month insurance
policy with the AA. I was wondering if you would have any ideas? – TK,
Dublin
It is great that your Mum is fit and well for an extended
trip to South Africa but travel insurance is always a difficulty when you get to
a certain age. You will get insurance, at a cost. Try justcover.ie. It does not have age restrictions
and there will be a questionnaire about her health to complete before it will
quote. Allianz.ie does cover for over-75s for trips up
to 90 days. Contact them with the full details.
I won a pair of return tickets to anywhere in
the world. Originally I had earmarked Jordan but the British and
US foreign offices both warn against unnecessary travel there.
We now need to quickly decide on an eight- to nine-day trip to somewhere
fantastic. We love trekking and food and want
to maximise the flights while not wrecking ourselves with jet lag. We were
thinking of the east coast of the US or Canada
next August, but we are wide open to
suggestion.
– PB, Dublin
As you are thinking about going in August, consider the weather and season. Accommodation will be at premium
prices.
So it may make sense to join a guided tour. The Mauiva Air
Cruise is a five-night adventure, using private aircraft and small airfields to
get you around to see as much as possible. The East Coast tour begins and ends
in New York. There are visits to lots of sights and attractions. It costs from
$5,198 (€4,000) for two, which includes flights, accommodation, guided tours,
most meals and entrance fees. See mauivaaircruise.com.
The North America programme from G Adventures has such things
as hiking in the Rockies, exploring French food in Quebec, driving the Blues in
Memphis, Nashville and the Blue Ridge Parkway or discovering stunning national
parks, from €750-€2,000. Check out gadventures.com (01-697 1360).
Look at walksworldwide.com to see a good range of guided
walks next August, from traversing the Atlas Mountains to Forests of Finland and
the Alps of Romania, all under 10 days.
Would you have any tips for a family of four (parents and two sons in their 20s) on what to do in Dublin at
Christmas. We will be with family for a few days but, as we are coming from
Spain, I would like them to see/do different things. Most of the places I checked, such as
museums, seem to be closed from December 23rd-28th. Is there something open? – DE,
Spain
As Christmas Day falls in the middle of a week, it means
fewer things will be open. Museums normally close on Monday and most will not
reopen until Saturday, December 28th. There will be free walking tours that week
from December 27th, meet at Dublin City Hall at 1pm for a guided tour. Just tip
the guide, newdublintours.com. You could also take yourselves around with the
help of fun apps such as the Dublin Storymap, which takes you on a walking tour
from Trinity to the Museum of Modern Art with stories along the way. The
Discover Ireland app has a GPS locator and will give you details of things on
and open in your immediate area. The Guinness Storehouse will be open on Friday
27th and so will the Chester Beatty
Library and Dublin Castle. See dublinks.com for more ideas.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
My fit and healthy 81-year-old mum is travelling to
South Africa over Christmas and hopes to stay there for almost three months. Her
insurance for long-stay vacations in the past has been dealt with by her
Mastercard. Provided she paid for 80 per cent of her holiday using her
Mastercard her travel insurance was free. However, since she is now 81, Mastercard will not cover travel insurance. My mother is in very good health and has not had to claim on her travel insurance or indeed on her VHI when she has been away for
such long periods. I have telephoned several insurance companies and they have
all refused to provide insurance. The best I could get was a two-month insurance
policy with the AA. I was wondering if you would have any ideas? – TK,
Dublin
It is great that your Mum is fit and well for an extended
trip to South Africa but travel insurance is always a difficulty when you get to
a certain age. You will get insurance, at a cost. Try justcover.ie. It does not have age restrictions
and there will be a questionnaire about her health to complete before it will
quote. Allianz.ie does cover for over-75s for trips up
to 90 days. Contact them with the full details.
I won a pair of return tickets to anywhere in
the world. Originally I had earmarked Jordan but the British and
US foreign offices both warn against unnecessary travel there.
We now need to quickly decide on an eight- to nine-day trip to somewhere
fantastic. We love trekking and food and want
to maximise the flights while not wrecking ourselves with jet lag. We were
thinking of the east coast of the US or Canada
next August, but we are wide open to
suggestion.
– PB, Dublin
As you are thinking about going in August, consider the weather and season. Accommodation will be at premium
prices.
So it may make sense to join a guided tour. The Mauiva Air
Cruise is a five-night adventure, using private aircraft and small airfields to
get you around to see as much as possible. The East Coast tour begins and ends
in New York. There are visits to lots of sights and attractions. It costs from
$5,198 (€4,000) for two, which includes flights, accommodation, guided tours,
most meals and entrance fees. See mauivaaircruise.com.
The North America programme from G Adventures has such things
as hiking in the Rockies, exploring French food in Quebec, driving the Blues in
Memphis, Nashville and the Blue Ridge Parkway or discovering stunning national
parks, from €750-€2,000. Check out gadventures.com (01-697 1360).
Look at walksworldwide.com to see a good range of guided
walks next August, from traversing the Atlas Mountains to Forests of Finland and
the Alps of Romania, all under 10 days.
Would you have any tips for a family of four (parents and two sons in their 20s) on what to do in Dublin at
Christmas. We will be with family for a few days but, as we are coming from
Spain, I would like them to see/do different things. Most of the places I checked, such as
museums, seem to be closed from December 23rd-28th. Is there something open? – DE,
Spain
As Christmas Day falls in the middle of a week, it means
fewer things will be open. Museums normally close on Monday and most will not
reopen until Saturday, December 28th. There will be free walking tours that week
from December 27th, meet at Dublin City Hall at 1pm for a guided tour. Just tip
the guide, newdublintours.com. You could also take yourselves around with the
help of fun apps such as the Dublin Storymap, which takes you on a walking tour
from Trinity to the Museum of Modern Art with stories along the way. The
Discover Ireland app has a GPS locator and will give you details of things on
and open in your immediate area. The Guinness Storehouse will be open on Friday
27th and so will the Chester Beatty
Library and Dublin Castle. See dublinks.com for more ideas.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about bringing doggie to an Irish hotel for Christmas,,sunshine for the ladies in February and getting to Amelia Island. Oct. 26.
My parents and I are looking at the possibility of spending three days over the Christmas in a hotel in Ireland – from Christmas Eve to St Stephen’s Day. We would like to bring our small dog, rather than putting her in kennels. Have you any recommendations for hotels that might have separate apartment or cottage accommodation as part of the venue, while still offering us the usual breakfast and dinner options for the relevant three days? – LF, Dublin
Few hotels or resorts are remaining opening over Christmas, and even fewer allow pets.
However, the Castlemartyr Resort (castlemartyrresort.ie) in east Cork allows pets in rooms and has a Christmas package from €665pps for two nights.
Lodges in the grounds will be open over Christmas, but you may not be able to have Christmas dinner in the hotel, as it is very busy. You can book the lodges through naturalretreats.ie and a three-night stay will cost from €560.
The Solis Lough Eske Castle Hotel, in the lee of the Blue Stack Mountains, in Donegal, allows small pets and have a traditional Christmas package with lots of food, entertainment and walks around the lake.
The three-night package costs from €695pps and you can arrive on December 23rd for no extra charge (solishotels.com/ lougheskecastle, 074-9725100).
We are four ladies looking to get some sunshine in early February for one week. We would like a Villa with a pool, near a town with nice restaurants and shops. We are thinking about the Canary Islands as we do not want to fly much further. Where would you recommend for the best chance of good weather? We would also hire a car to give us the option of touring around if the weather was mixed. – LD, Dublin
In February, the Canary Islands would be the most likely place to find sun, with average temperatures of 17-22 degrees. There is a good selection of the type of property you would like to rent and plenty of flights from Ireland.
In order of popularity, availability of good accommodation, and places to see, I would rate the islands Lanzarote, Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura. Lanzarote is the most popular island with Irish visitors and you will feel at home there during winter. The island has attractions such as the Jameos del Agua, the cactus garden, the fascinating home of the artist Cesar Manrique, and the Timanfaya Volcanic National Park.
Tenerife is home of the highest mountain in all of Spain, Teide, and it is a wonderful drive up to the Mount Teide National Park. Other places to visit include Loro Parque zoo and charming Santa Cruz de Tenerife with its markets and old style restaurants.
Jamesvillas.ie has a good variety of accommodation to rent on the islands. Lanzarote has dozens to rent and Fuerteventura the fewest. Villas mostly have pools, some are on golf courses and others are in towns and villages. Prices are from around €555pps with accommodation, flights and – best of all – free car hire, as well as free travel insurance and welcome packs.
Making your own arrangements, you can fly to the islands with Ryanair and Aer Lingus and there are hundreds of properties to rent on housetrip.com, homeaway.com, rentalia.com and booking.com.
We are a family of two adults and three children (seven, nine, 11), and we are doing a house swap for two weeks in April with a family in Amelia Island, Florida. Have you any recommendations on getting there? The children are good travellers and don’t mind overnight travel. – MD, Galway
Aer Lingus or United would work. You can fly from Shannon to New York and on to Jacksonville, which would put you within an hour of Amelia Island.
Prices will depend on the days you travel – as it will be Easter it may be busy – and the number of stops along the way and will range from €576 to €723. It would also get you there on the same day, saving the cost of an overnight.
My parents and I are looking at the possibility of spending three days over the Christmas in a hotel in Ireland – from Christmas Eve to St Stephen’s Day. We would like to bring our small dog, rather than putting her in kennels. Have you any recommendations for hotels that might have separate apartment or cottage accommodation as part of the venue, while still offering us the usual breakfast and dinner options for the relevant three days? – LF, Dublin
Few hotels or resorts are remaining opening over Christmas, and even fewer allow pets.
However, the Castlemartyr Resort (castlemartyrresort.ie) in east Cork allows pets in rooms and has a Christmas package from €665pps for two nights.
Lodges in the grounds will be open over Christmas, but you may not be able to have Christmas dinner in the hotel, as it is very busy. You can book the lodges through naturalretreats.ie and a three-night stay will cost from €560.
The Solis Lough Eske Castle Hotel, in the lee of the Blue Stack Mountains, in Donegal, allows small pets and have a traditional Christmas package with lots of food, entertainment and walks around the lake.
The three-night package costs from €695pps and you can arrive on December 23rd for no extra charge (solishotels.com/ lougheskecastle, 074-9725100).
We are four ladies looking to get some sunshine in early February for one week. We would like a Villa with a pool, near a town with nice restaurants and shops. We are thinking about the Canary Islands as we do not want to fly much further. Where would you recommend for the best chance of good weather? We would also hire a car to give us the option of touring around if the weather was mixed. – LD, Dublin
In February, the Canary Islands would be the most likely place to find sun, with average temperatures of 17-22 degrees. There is a good selection of the type of property you would like to rent and plenty of flights from Ireland.
In order of popularity, availability of good accommodation, and places to see, I would rate the islands Lanzarote, Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura. Lanzarote is the most popular island with Irish visitors and you will feel at home there during winter. The island has attractions such as the Jameos del Agua, the cactus garden, the fascinating home of the artist Cesar Manrique, and the Timanfaya Volcanic National Park.
Tenerife is home of the highest mountain in all of Spain, Teide, and it is a wonderful drive up to the Mount Teide National Park. Other places to visit include Loro Parque zoo and charming Santa Cruz de Tenerife with its markets and old style restaurants.
Jamesvillas.ie has a good variety of accommodation to rent on the islands. Lanzarote has dozens to rent and Fuerteventura the fewest. Villas mostly have pools, some are on golf courses and others are in towns and villages. Prices are from around €555pps with accommodation, flights and – best of all – free car hire, as well as free travel insurance and welcome packs.
Making your own arrangements, you can fly to the islands with Ryanair and Aer Lingus and there are hundreds of properties to rent on housetrip.com, homeaway.com, rentalia.com and booking.com.
We are a family of two adults and three children (seven, nine, 11), and we are doing a house swap for two weeks in April with a family in Amelia Island, Florida. Have you any recommendations on getting there? The children are good travellers and don’t mind overnight travel. – MD, Galway
Aer Lingus or United would work. You can fly from Shannon to New York and on to Jacksonville, which would put you within an hour of Amelia Island.
Prices will depend on the days you travel – as it will be Easter it may be busy – and the number of stops along the way and will range from €576 to €723. It would also get you there on the same day, saving the cost of an overnight.
Ask Joan about Christmas in India or Cuba, indoor saltwater swimming in Ireland and going to Disneyland Paris, Oct. 19
I want to skip Christmas this year and am thinking either India or Cuba. I would be interested in learning to dance in Cuba, and in India I would be interested in the northern Rajasthan area, extending up to Dharmsala and Nepal and over to Varanasi. Could you recommend operators that do fully escorted tours? I would be travelling alone, leaving December 21st-23rd until after new year? Also would I need travel shots and visas? – PM, Laois
Insight Vacations (01-775 3838, insightvacations.com) has a trip called Imperial Rajasthan, from December 23rd for 13 days into the new year. It is a heritage journey visiting palaces and forts and exploring the history of Udaipur. It will include visits to Delhi, Agra, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Udaipur, the Taj Mahal and the Amber Fort. The cost is from €3,100, with single supplement plus air fare to Delhi, which costs about €1,000 return. A Classical India and Nepal tour for the same dates costs from €4,900.
Solo Holidays (soloholidays.co.uk) has a trip from Gatwick to Cuba on December 23rd for a week (the two-week programme is sold out). An all-inclusive stay in a four-star hotel with activities and entertainment, it costs about €2,360 with flights. For a classic tour of Cuba staying in good hotels and exploring the island extensively, Explore’s (explore.co.uk) two-week trip departs on December 22nd and will cost about €3,700 with flights from London. There may be an opportunity to take dance classes in Havana or Santiago. Explore also has more reasonably priced trips staying in lesser accommodation. Cuba is popular at Christmas and flight costs may go up.
A tour operator can advise on vaccinations and visas for either destination.
We are a family of five adults (two sets of parents, one grandparent) and four children (aged four to 10), hoping to visit Disneyland Paris next spring. This is not the type of trip we would normally arrange so any advice about the best time to visit, length of time we should allow for attractions, where to stay, would be appreciated. – IS, Cork
Disneyland Paris is a great place for children, and the adults will probably enjoy it too, particularly Disneyland Studios, which is all about making movies.
The combination of costs, special offers and ticket prices can be confusing. Disneyland often has special offers such as free meals for children, and lately I saw it is doing free meals for adults, too, at certain times. There are special discounts for the 20th anniversary. It can be quite cold in France in January and February.
A call to magicvacations.ie, 021-470 0568, a travel agency in Cork that specialises in Disney, could be helpful. For example, two nights and three days, with flights, hotel accommodation and park tickets will cost about €1,199 for two adults and two children.
If you were to book each element separately, you can expect to pay about €120 each for flights; daily park tickets are €59 for adults and €52 for children. Hotels near Disneyland (disneylandparis.kyriad.fr) with a shuttle service to the park, will cost about €100 per night for family rooms. The Magic Circus hotel (vi-hotels.com/en/magic-circus) is about €132 per night.
Factor in the cost of transfer from the airport to Disneyland, about €18 for adults and €15 for children (vea-shuttle.co.uk, disneylandparis.com).
I would love to know where in Ireland has indoor sea-water pools. I know of two – Parnasilla and Inchydoney – but there must be more. – KB, Cork
So far I have found only one other hotel with a salt-water pool, in the midlands. The family-run Longford Arms Hotel (longfordarms.ie, 043-3346296) has an indoor 22m saltwater pool. Two nights’ B&B for two from €149. In Donegal, the Mevagh diving centre (mevaghdiving.com, 074-9154708) has an ocean salt-water indoor pool and B&B accommodation attached. An overnight at Mevagh Cottage costs from €25pps per night. A number of hotels have salt-water vitality pools, such as the Europe in Killarney and Kellys of Rosslare.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
I want to skip Christmas this year and am thinking either India or Cuba. I would be interested in learning to dance in Cuba, and in India I would be interested in the northern Rajasthan area, extending up to Dharmsala and Nepal and over to Varanasi. Could you recommend operators that do fully escorted tours? I would be travelling alone, leaving December 21st-23rd until after new year? Also would I need travel shots and visas? – PM, Laois
Insight Vacations (01-775 3838, insightvacations.com) has a trip called Imperial Rajasthan, from December 23rd for 13 days into the new year. It is a heritage journey visiting palaces and forts and exploring the history of Udaipur. It will include visits to Delhi, Agra, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Udaipur, the Taj Mahal and the Amber Fort. The cost is from €3,100, with single supplement plus air fare to Delhi, which costs about €1,000 return. A Classical India and Nepal tour for the same dates costs from €4,900.
Solo Holidays (soloholidays.co.uk) has a trip from Gatwick to Cuba on December 23rd for a week (the two-week programme is sold out). An all-inclusive stay in a four-star hotel with activities and entertainment, it costs about €2,360 with flights. For a classic tour of Cuba staying in good hotels and exploring the island extensively, Explore’s (explore.co.uk) two-week trip departs on December 22nd and will cost about €3,700 with flights from London. There may be an opportunity to take dance classes in Havana or Santiago. Explore also has more reasonably priced trips staying in lesser accommodation. Cuba is popular at Christmas and flight costs may go up.
A tour operator can advise on vaccinations and visas for either destination.
We are a family of five adults (two sets of parents, one grandparent) and four children (aged four to 10), hoping to visit Disneyland Paris next spring. This is not the type of trip we would normally arrange so any advice about the best time to visit, length of time we should allow for attractions, where to stay, would be appreciated. – IS, Cork
Disneyland Paris is a great place for children, and the adults will probably enjoy it too, particularly Disneyland Studios, which is all about making movies.
The combination of costs, special offers and ticket prices can be confusing. Disneyland often has special offers such as free meals for children, and lately I saw it is doing free meals for adults, too, at certain times. There are special discounts for the 20th anniversary. It can be quite cold in France in January and February.
A call to magicvacations.ie, 021-470 0568, a travel agency in Cork that specialises in Disney, could be helpful. For example, two nights and three days, with flights, hotel accommodation and park tickets will cost about €1,199 for two adults and two children.
If you were to book each element separately, you can expect to pay about €120 each for flights; daily park tickets are €59 for adults and €52 for children. Hotels near Disneyland (disneylandparis.kyriad.fr) with a shuttle service to the park, will cost about €100 per night for family rooms. The Magic Circus hotel (vi-hotels.com/en/magic-circus) is about €132 per night.
Factor in the cost of transfer from the airport to Disneyland, about €18 for adults and €15 for children (vea-shuttle.co.uk, disneylandparis.com).
I would love to know where in Ireland has indoor sea-water pools. I know of two – Parnasilla and Inchydoney – but there must be more. – KB, Cork
So far I have found only one other hotel with a salt-water pool, in the midlands. The family-run Longford Arms Hotel (longfordarms.ie, 043-3346296) has an indoor 22m saltwater pool. Two nights’ B&B for two from €149. In Donegal, the Mevagh diving centre (mevaghdiving.com, 074-9154708) has an ocean salt-water indoor pool and B&B accommodation attached. An overnight at Mevagh Cottage costs from €25pps per night. A number of hotels have salt-water vitality pools, such as the Europe in Killarney and Kellys of Rosslare.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about the Applachian Trail, a flat in London, going to Nice, Oct. 12
I want to book four/five days in Nice, but I am finding this difficult as I would like to fly direct from Ireland. – NMC, Dublin
Aer Lingus will operate flights four days a week direct from Dublin to Nice until the end of March and fares are from €120 return. There are many hotels to choose from, most in the range of €80-€120 per night. You could book through aerlinguspackages.com and five nights with flights will cost from €342pps.
Otherwise, some of the specialist online travel agencies have good packages for Nice in and around the same price and even less. See ebookers.ie, gohop.ie, and lastminute.ie. If you book hotels directly, I like the Hotel Massena for its convenience and very French feel and the Mercure Marche aux Fleurs for being across from the beach and beside the flower market.
We are travelling to London from Cork for four nights in late October. Have you any recommendations for self-catering accommodation that would be fairly central and accessible? We are two adults and three children (12, 9 and 7). – JH, Cork
Housetrip. com has thousands of rentals and is a secure way to book accommodation. The costs vary but for an apartment suitable for your family you would be looking at about £600-£900 (€709 - €1,063). As that week is half term for most of Europe there will be more availability in the corporate market. You will find apartments to rent from about £150-£200 per night from sacoapartments.com, or Oakwood. com. See also visitlondon.com for ideas of things to do and cheap travel for families.
My wife and I are planning a trip to the USA in April 2014 – we plan to visit Boston, Massachusetts, Washington DC and then head south to Georgia (or perhaps start in Georgia and head north). We would value your advice regarding hiring a campervan / RV for the trip down south and also any recommendations regarding a route to follow and where to stay en route (having read Bill Bryson we’d like to experience the Appalachian Trail and visit some national parks). – AH, Dublin
That will be quite a trip, more than 3,000kms for the complete Appalachian Trail. Take advantage of sales – flights will be about €650 -€690 with Aer Lingus or Delta and you can book into one city and out of another, ie in Boston out Atlanta. Keep in mind Easter traffic and be prepared to juggle dates. From Boston, heading south would probably bring you through late winter into early spring in the Appalachians.
The US National Parks Service is a brilliant keeper of American sites of historic, cultural, national and environmental interest. On your journey you will pass through some very interesting places. Look at nps.gov to see which you should choose. I would recommend the Hudson Valley – a very scenic and historic route, hudsonrivervalley.com.
The Appalachian Trail runs for thousands of kilometres, but you can meet it around Pennsylvania and continue to Georgia. Much of the trail is dedicated to hiking and off-road but you can do it by RV. There is also appalachiantrail.org website with lots of information and maps.
Your online friend will be campusa.com, an online guide to RV camping sites all over the United States. Generally, the campsites are good, cheap and safe places to stop overnight.
When it comes to renting an RV, cruiseamerica.com is one of the biggest renters and will do a one-way rental. Renting an RV will cost about $80-$110 (€59-€81) per night.
Things to remember when booking RVs are to book early, especially one-way rentals, also they are not usually onsite at airports, they may not be open every day and you can only pick up or drop off at certain times.
If you need help finding an RV, try flydriveusa.ie.
http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/travel/ask-joan-wild-about-a-us-road-trip-1.1556439
Ask Joan - Malaysia, KL
My parents-in-law have moved to Kuala Lumpur for two years and we planto visit them with our two children (aged four and six), in December for three weeks. We’re thinking of spending the middle week in Langkawi and wonder if you have any recommendations for family hotels with a variety of things to do, as we will have parents-in-law with us. Also, any recommendations for KL and surrounding areas would be great. – SL, Dublin
That sounds like a very exciting trip and the weather will be nice and hot. Kuala Lumpur is famous for shopping and you will probably fill another suitcase. The modern shopping malls at KLCC and the Pavilion in Bukit Bintang are good. Central Market and the Petronas Towers are a must. For a real Asian feel, the bustling Petaling Street in Chinatown is worth a visit to haggle over prices and eat some street food.
KL has great architecture with an eclectic mix of old Malaysian, Art Deco, neo-Classical and very modern. The Petronas Towers were the world’s highest buildings from 1998-2004 and are no less spectacular having being outstripped by other towers. Read more about KL’s architecture on savoirvivrekl.blogspot.ie, written by a local.
Beyond the city the Batu Cave is the biggest Hindu temple outside India. The world’s tallest statue in gold, Lord Murugan, stands outside it, 42m high.
The children may love to see and/or ride elephants at the Kuala Gandah Sanctuary. If the grandparents could be persuaded to babysit, a night at the YTL Majestic Hotel in Malacca would be a treat (majesticmalacca.com).
Langkawi has great sandy beaches. The Meritus Pelangi Beach Resort is ideal for families. It is a four-star resort and costs about €1,200 for the week for the four of you. You will find better value resorts on hotels.com and booking.com.
The children may enjoy a jungle trekking or mangrove nature tour with junglewalla.com. And the adults will love the views from the panoramic cable car ride (panoramalangkawi.com).
We are an extended family group of 22-25 people celebrating a specialbirthday. We’re based all over Ireland, and would like to get together in the south or southwest in late October/November (not the bank holiday).
Our requirements include family-friendly accommodation (ideally self-catering attached to a good hotel), preferably four-star-ish with child-friendly activities in the region and – this is the important part – a couple of really good seafood restaurants that will be able to cater for our large group. – DM, Mayo
Kenmare Bay Hotel jumps into my head when I think of family groups visiting the southwest. It has lovely self-catering homes and a great leisure centre . Best of all, it is in Kenmare where there is plenty for everyone to do (kenmarebayhotel.com, October weekends from €89 per night). There are plenty of good seafood restaurants in the area. I would suggest the Boathouse at Dromquinna Manor. Opening times vary in October and November, but they will open for a big group (064-6642889).
The Maritime Hotel in Bantry has modern self-catering suites within the hotel and a good pool area. The hotel restaurant menu has a selection of local seafood. Suites are from €120 per night, themaritime.ie. Bantry has a couple of nice seafood restaurants, O’Connor’s Seafood (027-55664) and the Fish Kitchen (027-56651).
I read that you can bring small scissors in your hand luggage. I cannot find anything on the Aer Lingus website. Does this just apply to the UK? –AME, Dublin
I hate travelling without a small scissors too. You can take a small pair through security and on airlines out of Ireland – it must be no more than six centimetres from fulcrum to tip. There are details on the Aer Lingus and Dublin Airport websites. If you use the search box, you will find them.
However, the part that’s hard to determine is the return journey. Every airport has different rules, and applies them differently. If you do bring them, post them home: that way you won’t have to worry about security.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/travel/ask-joan-your-travel-dilemmas-solved-1.1549108
Ask Joan - Sept. 21
We are a family with five children, ages 12 to 17, and are planning to fly Ryanair to Turin, Milan or Munich after Christmas for a ski trip. Our choice of destination will depend on ease of transfer to a resort suitable for intermediate skiers, two hours maximum, and with self- catering or half-board accommodation. MS, Dublin.
After Christmas is the most expensive time for ski trips, with many Europeans heading to the ski resorts. Flights to Turin and Milan Bergamo are with Ryanair and to Munich with Aer Lingus. They will cost in the region of €200-€230 each including a checked bag.
Car hire in Italy is nearly twice as expensive as Germany and you will need to ensure that you have snow chains. I priced a seven-seat people carrier in Munich at about €350 for a week, fuel extra. In Italy it will be at least €670. If you fly to Munich you can use trains to access the resorts in the Tyrol and fares
would be about €45 return to say, Lermoos or Kufstein. See bahn.com or oebb.at. You can also book taxis transfers on tirol-taxi.at.
There is a bus transfer service from Milan Bergamo to the Italian resorts such as Livigno and Bormio by livignoexpress.com, and these cost about €90 return for adults and €70 for children.
Accommodation is the hard part, with most hotels showing availability for seven guests situated well away from the main resorts and prices are shockingly expensive, anything from €2,500-€5,000 per week in both Austria and Italy. The top ski resort area in Germany is the Garmisch-Partenkirchen region, see gapa.de for accommodation. The Zugspitze ski resort is one of the most popular with good glacier skiing too, Zugspitze.de.
I have seen apartments to rent in the Dolomites and the Tyrol on homeaway.com and booking.com in the range of €1,500-€3,500 and most have a minimum stay of seven nights.
You might consider going on December 28th or January 4th with a tour operator. The advantage is that flights, baggage, transfers are included in the price and they generally have better value lift passes, ski hire and ski school rates.
Topflight has flights to Austria and Italy with prices in the range of €854pps in Post Hotel, St Johann, half board including a gala New Year’s Eve dinner. In Livigno the prices are from €728pps B&B, and self-catering be about €675pps, topflight.ie. Crystalski.ie will also be operating ski trips on December 28th and January 4th to various European resorts.
Please advise if you are aware of cruise lines which cater for people who are on dialysis. JQ, Dublin.
Dialysis on board cruise ships is arranged by specialist companies, dialysisatsea.com, an American based one and dialysis-cruises.com, based in Germany.
Both companies can arrange to have dialysis on board with fully qualified nephrologists and nurses and have the most up-to-date equipment available. Having dialysis on board means you can enjoy the cruise and have days out in the various ports of call.
There are a number of cruises through the year in almost every cruise market from the Caribbean to Europe, Alaska and Australia. Dialysis-cruises.com is on mainly German-speaking ships, they also have river cruises in Europe. These cruises would have predominantly German speaking guests. You can contact them at, tel: 00-49-40410 3993. Dialysis At Sea can be contacted at, tel: 001-813 775 4040.
Prices are specific to each cruise and the additional cost of dialysis may be covered by some health insurance plans. You need to contact either company well in advance to sort out the arrangements regarding cost and requirements. You will need to have your medical history and dialysis records with you and it may take time to get that arranged.
Could you recommend a four-star hotel in Vienna, with a pool, and suitable for two adults and one 14-year-old. We are travelling at the end of October. RG, Donegal.
I have two hotels in Vienna that will fit the bill for your trip at the end of October. Both are Renaissance hotels – the Imperial Riding School and the Renaissance Wien – will cost from €100-€150 per room per night for three. See marriott.com.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
We are a family with five children, ages 12 to 17, and are planning to fly Ryanair to Turin, Milan or Munich after Christmas for a ski trip. Our choice of destination will depend on ease of transfer to a resort suitable for intermediate skiers, two hours maximum, and with self- catering or half-board accommodation. MS, Dublin.
After Christmas is the most expensive time for ski trips, with many Europeans heading to the ski resorts. Flights to Turin and Milan Bergamo are with Ryanair and to Munich with Aer Lingus. They will cost in the region of €200-€230 each including a checked bag.
Car hire in Italy is nearly twice as expensive as Germany and you will need to ensure that you have snow chains. I priced a seven-seat people carrier in Munich at about €350 for a week, fuel extra. In Italy it will be at least €670. If you fly to Munich you can use trains to access the resorts in the Tyrol and fares
would be about €45 return to say, Lermoos or Kufstein. See bahn.com or oebb.at. You can also book taxis transfers on tirol-taxi.at.
There is a bus transfer service from Milan Bergamo to the Italian resorts such as Livigno and Bormio by livignoexpress.com, and these cost about €90 return for adults and €70 for children.
Accommodation is the hard part, with most hotels showing availability for seven guests situated well away from the main resorts and prices are shockingly expensive, anything from €2,500-€5,000 per week in both Austria and Italy. The top ski resort area in Germany is the Garmisch-Partenkirchen region, see gapa.de for accommodation. The Zugspitze ski resort is one of the most popular with good glacier skiing too, Zugspitze.de.
I have seen apartments to rent in the Dolomites and the Tyrol on homeaway.com and booking.com in the range of €1,500-€3,500 and most have a minimum stay of seven nights.
You might consider going on December 28th or January 4th with a tour operator. The advantage is that flights, baggage, transfers are included in the price and they generally have better value lift passes, ski hire and ski school rates.
Topflight has flights to Austria and Italy with prices in the range of €854pps in Post Hotel, St Johann, half board including a gala New Year’s Eve dinner. In Livigno the prices are from €728pps B&B, and self-catering be about €675pps, topflight.ie. Crystalski.ie will also be operating ski trips on December 28th and January 4th to various European resorts.
Please advise if you are aware of cruise lines which cater for people who are on dialysis. JQ, Dublin.
Dialysis on board cruise ships is arranged by specialist companies, dialysisatsea.com, an American based one and dialysis-cruises.com, based in Germany.
Both companies can arrange to have dialysis on board with fully qualified nephrologists and nurses and have the most up-to-date equipment available. Having dialysis on board means you can enjoy the cruise and have days out in the various ports of call.
There are a number of cruises through the year in almost every cruise market from the Caribbean to Europe, Alaska and Australia. Dialysis-cruises.com is on mainly German-speaking ships, they also have river cruises in Europe. These cruises would have predominantly German speaking guests. You can contact them at, tel: 00-49-40410 3993. Dialysis At Sea can be contacted at, tel: 001-813 775 4040.
Prices are specific to each cruise and the additional cost of dialysis may be covered by some health insurance plans. You need to contact either company well in advance to sort out the arrangements regarding cost and requirements. You will need to have your medical history and dialysis records with you and it may take time to get that arranged.
Could you recommend a four-star hotel in Vienna, with a pool, and suitable for two adults and one 14-year-old. We are travelling at the end of October. RG, Donegal.
I have two hotels in Vienna that will fit the bill for your trip at the end of October. Both are Renaissance hotels – the Imperial Riding School and the Renaissance Wien – will cost from €100-€150 per room per night for three. See marriott.com.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan - Saturday Sept. 14
We have booked flights to Amsterdam for seven nights at mid-term. Can you recommend a tourist itinerary for us, a couple in our 50’s and our 12 year-old daughter? Also we need accommodation, with breakfast? UMD, Meath
The end of October is busy across Europe, many European schools will be getting a break then too so book accommodation as soon as you can. Amsterdam is also enjoying an increase in tourists due to the reopening of the Rijks and Van Gogh museums.
Hotels with breakfast for three will cost €90-€150 per night. Check out hotelfita.nl, hotelvanonna.nl and hotel-bellington.com. These hotels are all in good locations for exploring the city. See heemskerksuites.com for apartments to rent.
Amsterdam is compact, easy to get around and has good public transport. Apart from the Rijks and Van Gogh museums, (go early!), the Science Center Nemo is fun for children, e-nemo.nl.
A trip on a canal boat is fun. Winding through the canals, you can see the varying architecture, canal houses and quirky houseboats, canal.nl. The maritime museum is also interesting, hetscheepvaartmsueum.nl.
Take a guided cycle trip around the city and countryside with Mikes Bike Tours, mikesbiketoursamsterdam.com. Spend a day at Artis, the Royal Zoo and another in the Amsterdamse Bos or forested city park with miles of walks and cycle trails, amsterdamsebos.no.
Take a day trip to Marken and Volendam to see traditional Dutch houses, national costumes, dykes and windmills. Go on a guided coach tour (ask at the tourist office) or on the local bus which is cheaper. See iamsterdam.com for tourism information.
My sister and I would like to take our 74 year-old mother on a weekend trip to Rome. She is in reasonably good health and can walk short distances as long as it is on even ground. We would like to travel in October possibly during the school break and we would like to stay centrally. Can you recommend the best way to book a short trip with good deals incorporating direct flights from Dublin with four-star accommodation? CC, Co Clare
Riviera Travel, one of the Irish Times travel partners, will have guided tour packages to Rome in October. This would be an ideal way to see the city as the tours include four-star hotel accommodation and guided tours each day of the main sites of interest including the Spanish Steps, the Trevi fountain, Piazza Navona and the Villa Borghese. Your afternoons would be free to explore on your own, shop and just enjoy the ambiance of the city. Prices for the four night trips, with Aer Lingus flights, are from €739pps, traveloffers.irishtimes.com, tel: 01-9056300.
Booking it yourself, the Aer Lingus weekend flights are around €250 and midweek about €150. Ryanair cost a bit less and use a different airport in Rome. Expect to pay from €250 to €350 per night for a triple room in a four-star hotel in Rome.
The small modernised Hotel Memphis is near the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain, hotel-memphis- rome.com. Close to the historical centre of the city and decorated in an ornate Italian style, the Hotel Forum is also nice for a short break, hotelforum.com.
We are hoping to take our seven year-old to London for three days during the Easter holidays in 2014. Could you recommend any websites where booking well in advance may make it cheaper? Also our son would be very interested in seeing a show. Could you recommend the cheapest way to buy tickets for London shows? Any other suggestions on what to do would be most welcome. MMC, Cork.
January is a good time to book, when hotel companies usually have sales. Travelodge. com had a sale last January and family rooms were available for €60 per night. Premierinn.co.uk will also have a sale around then. These are budget three-star hotels. For four-star properties have a look at thistlehotels.com for nice, well-located hotels in London from £120 per night.
Have a look at visitlondon.com for details of events and theatres and also the theatre break offers which can work out good value, visitlondonoffers.com/theatre-breaks. I also like this site, londontown.com.
The end of October is busy across Europe, many European schools will be getting a break then too so book accommodation as soon as you can. Amsterdam is also enjoying an increase in tourists due to the reopening of the Rijks and Van Gogh museums.
Hotels with breakfast for three will cost €90-€150 per night. Check out hotelfita.nl, hotelvanonna.nl and hotel-bellington.com. These hotels are all in good locations for exploring the city. See heemskerksuites.com for apartments to rent.
Amsterdam is compact, easy to get around and has good public transport. Apart from the Rijks and Van Gogh museums, (go early!), the Science Center Nemo is fun for children, e-nemo.nl.
A trip on a canal boat is fun. Winding through the canals, you can see the varying architecture, canal houses and quirky houseboats, canal.nl. The maritime museum is also interesting, hetscheepvaartmsueum.nl.
Take a guided cycle trip around the city and countryside with Mikes Bike Tours, mikesbiketoursamsterdam.com. Spend a day at Artis, the Royal Zoo and another in the Amsterdamse Bos or forested city park with miles of walks and cycle trails, amsterdamsebos.no.
Take a day trip to Marken and Volendam to see traditional Dutch houses, national costumes, dykes and windmills. Go on a guided coach tour (ask at the tourist office) or on the local bus which is cheaper. See iamsterdam.com for tourism information.
My sister and I would like to take our 74 year-old mother on a weekend trip to Rome. She is in reasonably good health and can walk short distances as long as it is on even ground. We would like to travel in October possibly during the school break and we would like to stay centrally. Can you recommend the best way to book a short trip with good deals incorporating direct flights from Dublin with four-star accommodation? CC, Co Clare
Riviera Travel, one of the Irish Times travel partners, will have guided tour packages to Rome in October. This would be an ideal way to see the city as the tours include four-star hotel accommodation and guided tours each day of the main sites of interest including the Spanish Steps, the Trevi fountain, Piazza Navona and the Villa Borghese. Your afternoons would be free to explore on your own, shop and just enjoy the ambiance of the city. Prices for the four night trips, with Aer Lingus flights, are from €739pps, traveloffers.irishtimes.com, tel: 01-9056300.
Booking it yourself, the Aer Lingus weekend flights are around €250 and midweek about €150. Ryanair cost a bit less and use a different airport in Rome. Expect to pay from €250 to €350 per night for a triple room in a four-star hotel in Rome.
The small modernised Hotel Memphis is near the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain, hotel-memphis- rome.com. Close to the historical centre of the city and decorated in an ornate Italian style, the Hotel Forum is also nice for a short break, hotelforum.com.
We are hoping to take our seven year-old to London for three days during the Easter holidays in 2014. Could you recommend any websites where booking well in advance may make it cheaper? Also our son would be very interested in seeing a show. Could you recommend the cheapest way to buy tickets for London shows? Any other suggestions on what to do would be most welcome. MMC, Cork.
January is a good time to book, when hotel companies usually have sales. Travelodge. com had a sale last January and family rooms were available for €60 per night. Premierinn.co.uk will also have a sale around then. These are budget three-star hotels. For four-star properties have a look at thistlehotels.com for nice, well-located hotels in London from £120 per night.
Have a look at visitlondon.com for details of events and theatres and also the theatre break offers which can work out good value, visitlondonoffers.com/theatre-breaks. I also like this site, londontown.com.
Miami to Orlando via Space Coast, Northern Lights in Norway and off the beaten track in Andalusia
http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/travel/ask-joan-1.1517341
We are a family of four with kids, aged 13 and 10, who are heading to Orlando next Easter. We decided to stay in Miami for two nights on the way. Would it be better to hire a car when we land at the airport and go to the hotel, hopefully near South Beach, or wait and rent a car only when leaving Miami? Is the airport far from the centre of Miami? Is there anything we shouldn’t miss in Miami or on the drive to Orlando? – JSB, Dublin.
Miami airport is close to the town centre and the traffic can be quite busy, especially during holidays. You can take a bus from the airport to South Beach for around $2.50 each. Parking can be difficult and some hotels charge for it, so you can save two days’ car hire and parking, for $20 in bus fares.
Miami is a lovely city and two days is not a lot of time to explore it. Wander around and look at the pastel Art Deco buildings, and South Beach is fascinating for people watching. You can hire bikes or take a boat trip (there are lots of ideas on miamiandbeaches.com).
Your family would probably love the Space Coast en route to Orlando. Florida’s Space Coast is where man set out for the moon. The Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canavarel Air Force Station are here, as is the Astronaut Hall of Fame, and one of the space shuttles is on view.
It is about 320km from Miami and 60km from Orlando. Rocket launches still take place from here throughout the year, so you may get to see one.
Space Coast also has great beaches and water-sports (visitspacecoast.com).
I would love a holiday to northern Norway to see the Northern Lights preferably in October as, because of health reasons, after Christmas might be too cold. – ACJ, Dublin
The Northern Lights or aurora borealis are reaching their 11-year peak this year and expected to be spectacular.
They begin to appear from the autumn equinox. With the clearer, colder nights of January and February they can be stronger and more likely to be seen, while October might be a bit early.
As it is a natural phenomenon, there is no guarantee that you will see them.
You should plan your holidays to northern Norway around other things to see and do and be very patient. For ideas check out northernnorway.com.
Some travel companies in Ireland arrange trips to Norway to see the Northern Lights.
Project-travel.ie also has trips on the Hurtigruten, the ships that ply the coast of Norway visiting remote places (01-210 8391). Cruising the coast can be a great way to see the spectacle due to the lack of light pollution.
Rory McDyer Travel has a number of trips to Norway over the season, but not until January (they cost from €979pps). However they could arrange a separate trip for you (rorymcdyertravel.ie).
You might also like to have a look at polarlightcenter.com based in the Lofoten Islands.
The Travel Department will have a trip in October that combines Norway and Iceland in a six-day trip to see the Northern Lights. It costs from €999pps. However, it only goes as far as Oslo and not right up to northern Norway (traveldepartment.ie).
I have booked flights and a car to Malaga for me and my husband for five nights in late September. We would like to stay away from the coast, rather than in a tourist spot, between Malaga and Granada (preferably, but I am open to suggestions).
We hope to see Granada and some of the white towns. I checked out the Paradores option, but that was too expensive.
We would like authentic hotel accommodation (B&B), with a pool, for about €100 or less. – LF, Cork
Away from the coast means more authentic accommodation for less cash. Hacienda Olontigi, outside Seville, is a series of cottages in lovely grounds. It is ideal for exploring the Donaña National Park and the white villages. B&B is from €68 per night and dinner is €20 each (hacienda-olontigi.com).
In the Alpujarras mountains, Capileira is the highest white village. The Hotel Rural Real de Poqueira is in the village centre, with a swimming pool. Double rooms with breakfast in September cost from €72 per night (hotelpoqueira.com).
Miami airport is close to the town centre and the traffic can be quite busy, especially during holidays. You can take a bus from the airport to South Beach for around $2.50 each. Parking can be difficult and some hotels charge for it, so you can save two days’ car hire and parking, for $20 in bus fares.
Miami is a lovely city and two days is not a lot of time to explore it. Wander around and look at the pastel Art Deco buildings, and South Beach is fascinating for people watching. You can hire bikes or take a boat trip (there are lots of ideas on miamiandbeaches.com).
Your family would probably love the Space Coast en route to Orlando. Florida’s Space Coast is where man set out for the moon. The Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canavarel Air Force Station are here, as is the Astronaut Hall of Fame, and one of the space shuttles is on view.
It is about 320km from Miami and 60km from Orlando. Rocket launches still take place from here throughout the year, so you may get to see one.
Space Coast also has great beaches and water-sports (visitspacecoast.com).
I would love a holiday to northern Norway to see the Northern Lights preferably in October as, because of health reasons, after Christmas might be too cold. – ACJ, Dublin
The Northern Lights or aurora borealis are reaching their 11-year peak this year and expected to be spectacular.
They begin to appear from the autumn equinox. With the clearer, colder nights of January and February they can be stronger and more likely to be seen, while October might be a bit early.
As it is a natural phenomenon, there is no guarantee that you will see them.
You should plan your holidays to northern Norway around other things to see and do and be very patient. For ideas check out northernnorway.com.
Some travel companies in Ireland arrange trips to Norway to see the Northern Lights.
Project-travel.ie also has trips on the Hurtigruten, the ships that ply the coast of Norway visiting remote places (01-210 8391). Cruising the coast can be a great way to see the spectacle due to the lack of light pollution.
Rory McDyer Travel has a number of trips to Norway over the season, but not until January (they cost from €979pps). However they could arrange a separate trip for you (rorymcdyertravel.ie).
You might also like to have a look at polarlightcenter.com based in the Lofoten Islands.
The Travel Department will have a trip in October that combines Norway and Iceland in a six-day trip to see the Northern Lights. It costs from €999pps. However, it only goes as far as Oslo and not right up to northern Norway (traveldepartment.ie).
I have booked flights and a car to Malaga for me and my husband for five nights in late September. We would like to stay away from the coast, rather than in a tourist spot, between Malaga and Granada (preferably, but I am open to suggestions).
We hope to see Granada and some of the white towns. I checked out the Paradores option, but that was too expensive.
We would like authentic hotel accommodation (B&B), with a pool, for about €100 or less. – LF, Cork
Away from the coast means more authentic accommodation for less cash. Hacienda Olontigi, outside Seville, is a series of cottages in lovely grounds. It is ideal for exploring the Donaña National Park and the white villages. B&B is from €68 per night and dinner is €20 each (hacienda-olontigi.com).
In the Alpujarras mountains, Capileira is the highest white village. The Hotel Rural Real de Poqueira is in the village centre, with a swimming pool. Double rooms with breakfast in September cost from €72 per night (hotelpoqueira.com).
South Korea, Israel and an active holiday in Ireland,
Ask Joan, Aug. 31, 2013.
http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/travel/korea-israel-and-active-ireland-1.1509583
I am going to Seoul for two weeks in October. I will be accompanied in the first week by a friend but for the second week I will be on my own. I am interested in doing a tour or taking a trip that would be worthwhile and interesting for a 55-year-old. I enjoy watching people and observing life more that going to museums. Busan on the coast looks good and I wouldn’t mind visiting a Buddhist temple and maybe spending a night participating in meditation. – DL, Wicklow
There are a variety of trips you can take from Seoul to explore South Korea, see discoverkoreatour.com. They have a four-day tour visiting Busan among other places for €650 single, including accommodation in four- or five-star hotels, meals and entrance fees.
Temple visits are the perfect way to see what life is like in a Buddhist temple. You can book and see what to expect of a temple stay on visitkorea.or.kr, under the Accommodation tab. It costs around €30-€40 for a night in a temple.
Do any Irish companies organise trips to Jerusalem, for four to seven days?Or can you recommend a UK company? My sister and I usually plan our own trips. Is this a good idea given the political situation?
– ST, Wexford
The direct flights from Ireland to Israel – are arranged by Sadlier Travel – have finished for the season. They are the Israel experts in Ireland and can help you arrange a trip, 01-678 8854.
You and your sister could arrange the trip yourselves; you can check the current advice from the Department of Foreign Affairs on travel to Israel on dfa.ie. Fares to Tel Aviv go down in October. Fly Air France via Paris from around €400, airfrance.ie and Turkish Airlines flies via Istanbul from €470 return, thy.com. Outward flights are usually at night, arriving early in the morning.
Tel Aviv is the liveliest city in Israel and as it is a small country it is easy to take day trips from there. It has lots of good restaurants and night life, Jerusalem is quieter. You could divide your time between the two cities or include a Mediterranean resort stay in Netanya.
Find hotels on the usual accommodation booking sites like booking.com and hotels.com.Hotels are not cheap and most reasonable properties are over €120 per night, that’s where Sadlier Travel may be able to help most. They will have a good idea of reasonably priced accommodation. From England, there are a number of tour operators and you will find them listed on thinkisrael.com, the official website of the ministry of tourism.
My 29-year-old son is coming home from Australia for three weeks in October/November; he has been away for five years. He has a wedding to attend in Cork but will be free the rest of the time. I would love to do some family activities with himself and his girlfriend that would maybe showcase Ireland. We are all fit, so sporty things would be good and we can travel in any direction. He loves music and plays the guitar so music stuff would be good. – MMB, Dublin
First stop, why not see the city and all the changes over the past five years. There’s a free walking tour from City Hall every day at 11am and 1pm, just tip the guides. It’s a great introduction to Dublin and some history you may not know, newdublintours.com. Take a day tour to Wicklow or the Boyne Valley for great scenery near the city.
There are lots of festivals on around Hallowe’en. One of the biggest will be in this year’s city of culture, Derry,
cityofculture2013.com. Other festivals are on in Knocnagashel, Portlaoise, Kenmare and Galway.
Cork hosts the Jazz Festival that weekend too and Sligo Live is on for folk, roots and indie music. Ennis Trad Fest might be worth a visit, and if in Clare see the Cliffs of Moher or surf at Lahinch, see discoverireland.ie for a list.
The Western Greenway didn’t exist when your son went away and cycling the 40kms from Westport to Achill over a day or two could be fun, greenway.ie. Don’t forget Connemara, the scenery is stunning and a walk up Diamond Hill would give great views.
Other places to consider are Donegal, govisitdonegal.com, Kerry, Cork, our islands, discoverireland.ie/islands and the inland waterways, iwai.ie/rentals.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
There are a variety of trips you can take from Seoul to explore South Korea, see discoverkoreatour.com. They have a four-day tour visiting Busan among other places for €650 single, including accommodation in four- or five-star hotels, meals and entrance fees.
Temple visits are the perfect way to see what life is like in a Buddhist temple. You can book and see what to expect of a temple stay on visitkorea.or.kr, under the Accommodation tab. It costs around €30-€40 for a night in a temple.
Do any Irish companies organise trips to Jerusalem, for four to seven days?Or can you recommend a UK company? My sister and I usually plan our own trips. Is this a good idea given the political situation?
– ST, Wexford
The direct flights from Ireland to Israel – are arranged by Sadlier Travel – have finished for the season. They are the Israel experts in Ireland and can help you arrange a trip, 01-678 8854.
You and your sister could arrange the trip yourselves; you can check the current advice from the Department of Foreign Affairs on travel to Israel on dfa.ie. Fares to Tel Aviv go down in October. Fly Air France via Paris from around €400, airfrance.ie and Turkish Airlines flies via Istanbul from €470 return, thy.com. Outward flights are usually at night, arriving early in the morning.
Tel Aviv is the liveliest city in Israel and as it is a small country it is easy to take day trips from there. It has lots of good restaurants and night life, Jerusalem is quieter. You could divide your time between the two cities or include a Mediterranean resort stay in Netanya.
Find hotels on the usual accommodation booking sites like booking.com and hotels.com.Hotels are not cheap and most reasonable properties are over €120 per night, that’s where Sadlier Travel may be able to help most. They will have a good idea of reasonably priced accommodation. From England, there are a number of tour operators and you will find them listed on thinkisrael.com, the official website of the ministry of tourism.
My 29-year-old son is coming home from Australia for three weeks in October/November; he has been away for five years. He has a wedding to attend in Cork but will be free the rest of the time. I would love to do some family activities with himself and his girlfriend that would maybe showcase Ireland. We are all fit, so sporty things would be good and we can travel in any direction. He loves music and plays the guitar so music stuff would be good. – MMB, Dublin
First stop, why not see the city and all the changes over the past five years. There’s a free walking tour from City Hall every day at 11am and 1pm, just tip the guides. It’s a great introduction to Dublin and some history you may not know, newdublintours.com. Take a day tour to Wicklow or the Boyne Valley for great scenery near the city.
There are lots of festivals on around Hallowe’en. One of the biggest will be in this year’s city of culture, Derry,
cityofculture2013.com. Other festivals are on in Knocnagashel, Portlaoise, Kenmare and Galway.
Cork hosts the Jazz Festival that weekend too and Sligo Live is on for folk, roots and indie music. Ennis Trad Fest might be worth a visit, and if in Clare see the Cliffs of Moher or surf at Lahinch, see discoverireland.ie for a list.
The Western Greenway didn’t exist when your son went away and cycling the 40kms from Westport to Achill over a day or two could be fun, greenway.ie. Don’t forget Connemara, the scenery is stunning and a walk up Diamond Hill would give great views.
Other places to consider are Donegal, govisitdonegal.com, Kerry, Cork, our islands, discoverireland.ie/islands and the inland waterways, iwai.ie/rentals.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Amsterdam in Oct, Cape Town in Dec. and Martinique in January, Aug. 24th. http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/travel/ask-joan-1.1500914
My husband and I are visiting Cape Town for five days in early December, arriving by cruise and departing by air, and would appreciate suggestionson what we should see and do. Also, what is the best area to stay, particularly from a safety point of view? Because of our limited time would a safari be out of the question? – LM, Waterford
You will be arriving into Cape Town in summer and it will be nice to explore it in fine weather. Five days is just about enough time to enjoy the city and sights. When it comes to accommodation, there’s a big variety of hotels in Cape Town, and many upscale guesthouses and B&Bs.
It is high season and prices will reflect that, The Victoria and Alfred Waterfront area is an ideal place to stay with hotel prices from about €70 per night to a soaring €470. Green Point, next to the Waterfront area has more reasonably priced hotels. The Protea hotel group has a number of nice properties in these areas. Book online at proteahotels.com but also check trivago.com, booking.com and hotels.com for better deals.
Things to do include taking the cable car up Table Mountain, the views are terrific and you will get to see how big the city actually is. Take the guided city tour and if you can, visit Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years.
There are many tours you can take from the city. Your time limits the possibility of a full safari, but you could take a day trip to Aquila private game reserve. See aquilasafari.com.
My wife and I are considering a holiday in the Caribbean from late January. We are interested in two weeks in Martinique in a luxurious apartment/villa. We would like to be near a coastal town with restaurants, opportunity for walks/cycling. Our budget is approx €6,000 including flights – BM, Dublin
January and February is high season in the Caribbean as the weather is perfect for winter escapes. Martinique in the Lesser Antilles islands and as a department of France uses the euro and the main language is French.
The best way of getting there is with Air France, with daily flights from Paris Orly. Allow enough time to change airports. Prices early next year are about €1,034 from Dublin. You could upgrade to premium economy for some extra comfort from €1,546. Sign up for the Air France newsletter, as they have sales every week to different destinations, you may get the flight a bit cheaper.
Martinique is a tropical island, with the northern part having the highest peaks and most rainfall. Tourist accommodation is concentrated more in the south of the island where there are pretty villages, towns and seaside resorts. There are many walking and cycling trails around the island. Places to consider for renting accommodation are Diamant, Les Anses d’Arlets and Trois Ilets. Homelidays.co.uk has more than 100 holiday rental properties in Martinique with prices from €750 per week upwards with pools.
You can also email Martinique tourism for further details of properties to rent on centrale@martiniquetourisme.com and see also lovemartinique.com, where there are some luxury villas to rent.
I wish to send my brother and his wife for an overnight trip to Amsterdam, from London, to include a visit to the Rijks Museum for his 80th birthday. I would like the air tickets, hotel and museum ticket to be open so they can chose their own dates. How do I get the information about this? – LA, Cork
Open tickets are the most expensive way to travel, but you could buy travel vouchers which can then be used to pay for a trip to Amsterdam. Superbreak. com is one of the biggest UK travel firms arranging short city breaks and an overnight with flights will cost from £300-£450 for two, depending on which airport and type of hotel. Have a look at the website and you will see the possibilities.
You can buy tickets for the Rijks Museum online. They cost €15 and are valid for a year. See rijksmuseum.nl/en/tickets
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Inter railing for parents, taking the dog on holidays in Ireland and trusty accommodation in Portugal. Aug. 17th.
http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/travel/ask-joan-1.1495102
Our daughter came back from an Interrail holiday and has fired us up to do a similar journey in September over 14 days. Have you any advice on how to go about it at a reasonable cost? We definitely want to take in Berlin, Krakow and two other destinations, with a few days near the sea. We would like to be
independent of tour operators. Should we book accommodation and transport as we travel? – BC, Galway
There is no reason why you can’t be Interrailers, they have fares for grown-ups too. A pass that would allow for five days travelling out of 10 days would cost from €276 each. This should give you time to travel between places as no one journey should be more than a day. Its website is very useful for planning your trip, see interrail.eu.
Flexible air routes from Ireland mean that you can fly in to one airport and out from another with Ryanair or Aer Lingus. Looking at the map of Europe and taking into account the time of year and weather, your days by the sea should probably be on the Italian or Croatian coast in or around Pula, Trieste or Venice.
There are routes from Shannon to Wroclaw in Poland and Knock to Milan in Italy – fares are under €50 with Ryanair. If you use these flights there may be a little backtracking to take in your chosen destinations. Other cities worth visiting are Prague, Budapest, Vienna and Salzburg.
Book accommodation for your first and last night, particularly if you are arriving late or flying out early. Accommodation should be easy to find during September.
We are travelling to Lisbon in October and there are a plethora of websites offering self-catering apartment rental. We are keen to rent an apartment for the week but they all want payment up front. While this is not an issue in itself, we are worried about security and handing over all that money. Can you advise us or recommend any particular website that you know is safe, secure and reputable? – JD, Dublin
Renting an apartment is an ideal way to enjoy a holiday and get a feel for a place. There are many websites and ways of renting and you should always be careful. Here are a few ideas for
renting securely: If you want to rent directly from an owner, use a reputable site such as homeaway.co.uk or ownersdirect.com. They work hard to ensure that the advertisements are genuine. Most owners are happy to take a deposit and the balance on arrival or closer to the travel date. Never send money by money transfer services.
Apartments can also be rented on booking.com and are usually part of a holiday complex or aparthotel. Generally they will allow for payment on arrival, though the price may be a bit higher than paying in advance.
Or use lisbonapartments.com – a site where the deposit is 20 per cent and the payment is taken by credit card, which ensures some protection in event of problems.
We have two children, a newborn and three-year-old, and are hoping to have a break in Ireland in September, ideally at a hotel with self-catering houses or apartments. We’d like a pool and to be situated on or near the beach. My parents are considering coming but would like to bring their dog. – GS, Kildare
In east Cork, the Quality Hotel and Resort on Redbarn beach has self-catering apartments and houses. Stays will cost about €650 for five nights including use of all facilities. There is a €50 charge for dogs. See qualityhotels.ie; tel: 024-93050. One of the loveliest beaches in west Cork is at Inchydoney, where you can walk for kilometres on the flat sands. Inchydoney Island Lodge has a spa and there is a surf school on the beach. A five-night stay in the Island apartments will cost €595 and dogs are welcome. See Inchydoneyisland. com; tel: 023-8833143. In Dungarvan, Co Waterford, the Park Hotel has self-catering houses, close to the Blue Flag beaches of the Copper Coast. Four nights will cost from €397 in September. See flynnhotels.com; tel: 058-42899.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
independent of tour operators. Should we book accommodation and transport as we travel? – BC, Galway
There is no reason why you can’t be Interrailers, they have fares for grown-ups too. A pass that would allow for five days travelling out of 10 days would cost from €276 each. This should give you time to travel between places as no one journey should be more than a day. Its website is very useful for planning your trip, see interrail.eu.
Flexible air routes from Ireland mean that you can fly in to one airport and out from another with Ryanair or Aer Lingus. Looking at the map of Europe and taking into account the time of year and weather, your days by the sea should probably be on the Italian or Croatian coast in or around Pula, Trieste or Venice.
There are routes from Shannon to Wroclaw in Poland and Knock to Milan in Italy – fares are under €50 with Ryanair. If you use these flights there may be a little backtracking to take in your chosen destinations. Other cities worth visiting are Prague, Budapest, Vienna and Salzburg.
Book accommodation for your first and last night, particularly if you are arriving late or flying out early. Accommodation should be easy to find during September.
We are travelling to Lisbon in October and there are a plethora of websites offering self-catering apartment rental. We are keen to rent an apartment for the week but they all want payment up front. While this is not an issue in itself, we are worried about security and handing over all that money. Can you advise us or recommend any particular website that you know is safe, secure and reputable? – JD, Dublin
Renting an apartment is an ideal way to enjoy a holiday and get a feel for a place. There are many websites and ways of renting and you should always be careful. Here are a few ideas for
renting securely: If you want to rent directly from an owner, use a reputable site such as homeaway.co.uk or ownersdirect.com. They work hard to ensure that the advertisements are genuine. Most owners are happy to take a deposit and the balance on arrival or closer to the travel date. Never send money by money transfer services.
Apartments can also be rented on booking.com and are usually part of a holiday complex or aparthotel. Generally they will allow for payment on arrival, though the price may be a bit higher than paying in advance.
Or use lisbonapartments.com – a site where the deposit is 20 per cent and the payment is taken by credit card, which ensures some protection in event of problems.
We have two children, a newborn and three-year-old, and are hoping to have a break in Ireland in September, ideally at a hotel with self-catering houses or apartments. We’d like a pool and to be situated on or near the beach. My parents are considering coming but would like to bring their dog. – GS, Kildare
In east Cork, the Quality Hotel and Resort on Redbarn beach has self-catering apartments and houses. Stays will cost about €650 for five nights including use of all facilities. There is a €50 charge for dogs. See qualityhotels.ie; tel: 024-93050. One of the loveliest beaches in west Cork is at Inchydoney, where you can walk for kilometres on the flat sands. Inchydoney Island Lodge has a spa and there is a surf school on the beach. A five-night stay in the Island apartments will cost €595 and dogs are welcome. See Inchydoneyisland. com; tel: 023-8833143. In Dungarvan, Co Waterford, the Park Hotel has self-catering houses, close to the Blue Flag beaches of the Copper Coast. Four nights will cost from €397 in September. See flynnhotels.com; tel: 058-42899.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Holiday ideas for a wedding anniversary, going to Adelaide via Dubai and taking the car to Jersey Aug. 17th
We’d like to do something special to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. Since I spent my honeymoon on the back of a motorbike in torrential rain, I’d like a bit of luxury. We would travel in September, maybe the Amalfi coast, Dubrovnik and Montenegro or Greece. We’d like to be beside the sea, hire a car and staying in boutique hotels or apartments – CA, Dublin
The Amalfi Coast and the Bay of Naples are perfect for a romantic break and some hair-raising driving. Aer Lingus has a direct flight to Naples. It should be quieter by September and will still be warm.
There’s a great range of boutique and luxury hotels there: the Floridiana in Amalfi,hotelfloridiana.it; Hotel Miramare at Positano,
miramarepositano.it; Villa Fraulo in Ravello, villafraulo.com; and at Vico Equense, Hotel Capo la Gala,
hotelcapolagala.com.
The Croatian and Montenegrin coast is beautiful, dotted with islands, with a backdrop of mountains and national parks. You could combine the two countries but make sure that if you rent a car, it can be taken across the border to Montenegro. Within the city walls of Dubrovnik, the Hotel Stari Grad is a newly-refurbished boutique hotel, hotelstarigrad.com. Outside the centre, the Villa Dubrovnik is a luxury hotel built on a cliffside with great views and service, villa-dubrovnik.hr.
In Montenegro, the main resort areas are Budva, Kotor and Herceq Novi. Astoria Hotels have lovely four-star properties in three good locations, astoriamontenegro.com. Greece is harder to get to in September, the Athens flight from Dublin ends on September 13th but there are direct flights to Corfu and Crete. For boutique hotels, the islands to visit are Mykonos and Santorini.
My husband and I are visiting our daughter and family in Adelaide later this year for three weeks. My husband is 80 and I’m nearly 70. Should we break the journey, maybe in Dubai? Any advice on flights and accommodation in Dubai and costs would be most welcome. – BOK, Dublin
Many people now fly to Australia via Dubai as the time between flights is short, Emirates is a good airline and the onward flights are direct to Adelaide. Dubai is big city with the large collection of modern architecture in one place.
The weather will be nice and warm and if you stay in a beach-side hotel you can enjoy swimming in the Gulf of Arabia. It is not the cheapest place to stay, hotels are from €100 per night upwards and most are four- or five-star quality. You may find that if you book through an Australian specialist travel agency, they can get you better prices on the hotels. Fares will be around €1,200 with a stopover.
Agents include trailfinders.ie and australiatravelcentre. ie. Or call into the Emirates office at 2, Hume Street, Dublin 2, Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm , tel: 01- 517 1600. They also have hotel deals.
We want to go to Jersey in the Channel Isles in September with our car. If we travelled from Rosslare to France and then France to Jersey would that work? Or what would be the shortest way? – AF, Kildare
Rosslare to France sounds like a good option and Irish Ferries have discounted the fares from the end of August. A return trip with cabin each way would cost from €400 return and the ferry from St Malo to Jersey would cost around €300 return.
However, as the ferry from Rosslare only operates a few days a week and the ferry to Jersey is from St Malo, a two-hour plus drive, this would necessitate an overnight in France as well as on the boat.
The Jersey route is operated by Condor Ferries which also operates from Weymouth and Poole to Jersey and this would be the fastest.
Irish Ferries from Rosslare to Pembroke or Stena Line to Fishguard would mean a four-hour drive to Weymouth, and cost around €290 return. The ferry from Weymouth would cost around £280 about (€330).
You can probably do it in a day but watch the Condor timetables as they change daily depending on tides.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
The Amalfi Coast and the Bay of Naples are perfect for a romantic break and some hair-raising driving. Aer Lingus has a direct flight to Naples. It should be quieter by September and will still be warm.
There’s a great range of boutique and luxury hotels there: the Floridiana in Amalfi,hotelfloridiana.it; Hotel Miramare at Positano,
miramarepositano.it; Villa Fraulo in Ravello, villafraulo.com; and at Vico Equense, Hotel Capo la Gala,
hotelcapolagala.com.
The Croatian and Montenegrin coast is beautiful, dotted with islands, with a backdrop of mountains and national parks. You could combine the two countries but make sure that if you rent a car, it can be taken across the border to Montenegro. Within the city walls of Dubrovnik, the Hotel Stari Grad is a newly-refurbished boutique hotel, hotelstarigrad.com. Outside the centre, the Villa Dubrovnik is a luxury hotel built on a cliffside with great views and service, villa-dubrovnik.hr.
In Montenegro, the main resort areas are Budva, Kotor and Herceq Novi. Astoria Hotels have lovely four-star properties in three good locations, astoriamontenegro.com. Greece is harder to get to in September, the Athens flight from Dublin ends on September 13th but there are direct flights to Corfu and Crete. For boutique hotels, the islands to visit are Mykonos and Santorini.
My husband and I are visiting our daughter and family in Adelaide later this year for three weeks. My husband is 80 and I’m nearly 70. Should we break the journey, maybe in Dubai? Any advice on flights and accommodation in Dubai and costs would be most welcome. – BOK, Dublin
Many people now fly to Australia via Dubai as the time between flights is short, Emirates is a good airline and the onward flights are direct to Adelaide. Dubai is big city with the large collection of modern architecture in one place.
The weather will be nice and warm and if you stay in a beach-side hotel you can enjoy swimming in the Gulf of Arabia. It is not the cheapest place to stay, hotels are from €100 per night upwards and most are four- or five-star quality. You may find that if you book through an Australian specialist travel agency, they can get you better prices on the hotels. Fares will be around €1,200 with a stopover.
Agents include trailfinders.ie and australiatravelcentre. ie. Or call into the Emirates office at 2, Hume Street, Dublin 2, Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm , tel: 01- 517 1600. They also have hotel deals.
We want to go to Jersey in the Channel Isles in September with our car. If we travelled from Rosslare to France and then France to Jersey would that work? Or what would be the shortest way? – AF, Kildare
Rosslare to France sounds like a good option and Irish Ferries have discounted the fares from the end of August. A return trip with cabin each way would cost from €400 return and the ferry from St Malo to Jersey would cost around €300 return.
However, as the ferry from Rosslare only operates a few days a week and the ferry to Jersey is from St Malo, a two-hour plus drive, this would necessitate an overnight in France as well as on the boat.
The Jersey route is operated by Condor Ferries which also operates from Weymouth and Poole to Jersey and this would be the fastest.
Irish Ferries from Rosslare to Pembroke or Stena Line to Fishguard would mean a four-hour drive to Weymouth, and cost around €290 return. The ferry from Weymouth would cost around £280 about (€330).
You can probably do it in a day but watch the Condor timetables as they change daily depending on tides.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
The book club girls night away, Tallinn and St. Petersburg, finding hotels in Germany, Aug. 3
http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/travel/ask-joan-1.1481899
I’ve been a member of a book club for the past nine years or so with 11 other girls. We are trying to find a country house or B&B that will take us for an overnight with an evening meal to celebrate some birthdays in October. We would like a place within two hours’ drive from Dublin, and one that has good food, grown/sourced locally. Our budget is up to €130 per person and some of the girls don’t want to share beds/rooms. MS, MBC
You would be looking at a minimum of six rooms and many guesthouses have fewer than that. Hanora’s Cottage is high in the Nire Valley between Clonmel and Dungarvan in the Comeragh Mountains. It is picturesque and has a fine restaurant serving locally sourced food. Breakfast is highly recommended.
There are 10 bedrooms of mixed sizes, twins, doubles and triples. A weekend stay will cost €95pps including dinner and a packed lunch. Some of the girls might like to walk the surrounding hills. See hanorascottage.com, 052-6136134.
Just over an hour from Dublin in the medieval village of Carlingford, Ghan House is home to a cookery school and the restaurant provides local grown and sourced meat and fish. They have a mixture of bedrooms between the main house and the garden wing. A weekend overnight stay will cost from €125pps with candlelit dinner. See ghanhouse.com 042-9373682.
Also worth considering is the Redbank House in the fishing town of Skerries. The Redbank has been welcoming guests for the past 30 years. Fish from the harbour’s fleet is a staple of the menu and locally grown vegetables from north Dublin. An overnight stay with dinner will cost from €58pps with the early bird menu or €79pps for the a la carte. See redbank.ie, 01-8491005.
My husband and I would like to go to St Petersburg in September. I have seen a trip which includes Moscow and St Petersburg but none for just StPetersburg. We would also like to spend a few days in Tallinn. Is it difficult to get a visa for Russia, where do we apply and what notice is necessary? MR, Dublin
The good news is that it is cheap to get to Tallinn. Ryanair has flights in September for under €100 at time of writing. They fly on Tuesday and Saturday from Dublin. From Tallinn there is a daily train to St Petersburg. This would be an ideal way to see both cities, gorail.ee.
You will have to apply for a Russian visa in advance – it takes up to four weeks for a tourist visa – and you would have to book and prepay for the accommodation in St Petersburg. See ireland.mid.ru.
Skytours, at 75 Talbot Street, Dublin 1, has a Russian staff member who can assist in making arrangements for visiting Russia and St Petersburg. Tatiana Soukhanova can be contacted on 01-8772519.
I intend to drive around Germany, but they don’t seem to have cheap hotel chains in city outskirts like the French Campanile or F1 groups, or Travelodge in the UK. When you search under ‘German hotel chains’ they list international groups such as Accor and Mercure, or local ones with just a handful of hotels. JA, Dublin
There are plenty of good value hotels in Germany. Motel-one.com/en is a chain of budget hotels with prices from about €49 per night. They are in or near all the major cities in Germany and provide good modern accommodation.
Meininger Hotels have properties in all the main cities and are budget hotels with a mixture of singles, doubles and dorm rooms from €24-€74 per night. See meininger-hotels.com.
Hostels are also a good option. There are more than 500 around the country, often in historic or period buildings, some are even in castles, jugendherberge.de.
The German tourist office has recently produced a guide to affordable holidays, with more than 300 places to stay under €40. You can request a copy or download it from freegermanyguide.com.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
You would be looking at a minimum of six rooms and many guesthouses have fewer than that. Hanora’s Cottage is high in the Nire Valley between Clonmel and Dungarvan in the Comeragh Mountains. It is picturesque and has a fine restaurant serving locally sourced food. Breakfast is highly recommended.
There are 10 bedrooms of mixed sizes, twins, doubles and triples. A weekend stay will cost €95pps including dinner and a packed lunch. Some of the girls might like to walk the surrounding hills. See hanorascottage.com, 052-6136134.
Just over an hour from Dublin in the medieval village of Carlingford, Ghan House is home to a cookery school and the restaurant provides local grown and sourced meat and fish. They have a mixture of bedrooms between the main house and the garden wing. A weekend overnight stay will cost from €125pps with candlelit dinner. See ghanhouse.com 042-9373682.
Also worth considering is the Redbank House in the fishing town of Skerries. The Redbank has been welcoming guests for the past 30 years. Fish from the harbour’s fleet is a staple of the menu and locally grown vegetables from north Dublin. An overnight stay with dinner will cost from €58pps with the early bird menu or €79pps for the a la carte. See redbank.ie, 01-8491005.
My husband and I would like to go to St Petersburg in September. I have seen a trip which includes Moscow and St Petersburg but none for just StPetersburg. We would also like to spend a few days in Tallinn. Is it difficult to get a visa for Russia, where do we apply and what notice is necessary? MR, Dublin
The good news is that it is cheap to get to Tallinn. Ryanair has flights in September for under €100 at time of writing. They fly on Tuesday and Saturday from Dublin. From Tallinn there is a daily train to St Petersburg. This would be an ideal way to see both cities, gorail.ee.
You will have to apply for a Russian visa in advance – it takes up to four weeks for a tourist visa – and you would have to book and prepay for the accommodation in St Petersburg. See ireland.mid.ru.
Skytours, at 75 Talbot Street, Dublin 1, has a Russian staff member who can assist in making arrangements for visiting Russia and St Petersburg. Tatiana Soukhanova can be contacted on 01-8772519.
I intend to drive around Germany, but they don’t seem to have cheap hotel chains in city outskirts like the French Campanile or F1 groups, or Travelodge in the UK. When you search under ‘German hotel chains’ they list international groups such as Accor and Mercure, or local ones with just a handful of hotels. JA, Dublin
There are plenty of good value hotels in Germany. Motel-one.com/en is a chain of budget hotels with prices from about €49 per night. They are in or near all the major cities in Germany and provide good modern accommodation.
Meininger Hotels have properties in all the main cities and are budget hotels with a mixture of singles, doubles and dorm rooms from €24-€74 per night. See meininger-hotels.com.
Hostels are also a good option. There are more than 500 around the country, often in historic or period buildings, some are even in castles, jugendherberge.de.
The German tourist office has recently produced a guide to affordable holidays, with more than 300 places to stay under €40. You can request a copy or download it from freegermanyguide.com.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Tying the knot, where to go for honeymoon, touring Morocco and inoculations for Thailand, July 27.
http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/travel/ask-joan-1.1474923
We are tying the knot next April and cannot agree on what to do for our honeymoon. Sounds ominous? I am pushing for an adventure holiday, maybe in the Rocky Mountains or a hiking or skiing holiday in Alaska or the Nordic countries.
My better half would like white sand, clear blue water and five-star restaurants. The last thing she wants is to head away on holidays and have it feel like work. The last thing I want is to lie on a beach for 20 days.
Himself, Dublin
Marriage, like most things in life is a compromise, so let’s look at some ideas that you may both get enjoyment from. The time of the year will have an impact on where you go – the Rocky Mountains, for instance, will be covered in snow and hiking in Alaska doesn’t sound at all romantic.
How about learning to sail in a tropical destination with amazing beaches and fabulous weather? There are Sunsail bases in the Caribbean and the British Virgin Islands that would be perfect for newbie sailors. Spend the first week learning to sail and the second sailing between lovely islands on the crystal clear waters, in one of the world’s best sailing destinations. See sunway.ie/sunsail.
You could combine a cruise with a beach holiday. Star Clippers options include sailing on tall ships through the islands of the Caribbean; crossing the Atlantic, or seven nights in the Grenadines. These cost from €1,500pps, see starclippers.com. Explore the islands ofFiji with bluelagooncruises.com where a week on a small vessel will cost from €2,500 for two. A holiday to Cuba could combine horse-riding, learning to salsa and lots of beach time, see captivatingcuba.com. For riding holidays in Argentina, see zarasplanet.com.
My wife and I intend to visit Morocco in January for two weeks. We would like to spend some time trekking in the Atlas mountains with a guide andalso stay in Marrakech. We would appreciate your suggestions in relation to these activities. Could you suggest any further sights or areas to visit, and accommodation?
TOB, Cork
Morocco is a very diverse country stretching to the Sahara desert from the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts. In January, Aer Lingus has a weekly flight to Agadir on the west coast and package holidays are available with sunway.ie. Ryanair has the biggest choice of flights to Morocco from its Brussels Charleroi base – to Agadir, Essaouira, Fez, Marrakesh, Oujda, Rabat and Tangier.
Trekking with a guide is a good idea, contact travel-exploration.com, a Morocco based travel company that can organise the trekking part of your trip.
Responsible Travel, based in the UK, arranges a number of small group trips to Morocco. The highlights tour, over 15 days, includes two days of guided trekking in the Atlas, as well as camping in the desert and visits to Casablanca, Meknes, Fez, Essaouira and Marrakech. There is also a visit to a school supported by the company. The cost would be £1,029pps (about €1,190) including flights from London. See responsibletravel.com.
Look also at what is available from fleewinter.com, which has an extensive Morocco programme including guided trekking. Riads are the traditional accommodation of Morocco. They are small guesthouses, usually run by families and generally built around a courtyard. You can see a selection on riadsmorocco.com. There are many boutique riads around the country, at varying price points.
Could you advise me on the essential pre-travel inoculations required for travel to Singapore and onwards to Phuket, where we will stay in a resort called Khao Lak for a few nights?
JB, Dublin.
As long are as you are not going off the beaten track or volunteering you will just need two inoculations, one for Tetanus and Diphtheria and other for Hepatitis A and Typhoid. Consult your doctor or a specialist travel clinic for fuddrther advice.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
My better half would like white sand, clear blue water and five-star restaurants. The last thing she wants is to head away on holidays and have it feel like work. The last thing I want is to lie on a beach for 20 days.
Himself, Dublin
Marriage, like most things in life is a compromise, so let’s look at some ideas that you may both get enjoyment from. The time of the year will have an impact on where you go – the Rocky Mountains, for instance, will be covered in snow and hiking in Alaska doesn’t sound at all romantic.
How about learning to sail in a tropical destination with amazing beaches and fabulous weather? There are Sunsail bases in the Caribbean and the British Virgin Islands that would be perfect for newbie sailors. Spend the first week learning to sail and the second sailing between lovely islands on the crystal clear waters, in one of the world’s best sailing destinations. See sunway.ie/sunsail.
You could combine a cruise with a beach holiday. Star Clippers options include sailing on tall ships through the islands of the Caribbean; crossing the Atlantic, or seven nights in the Grenadines. These cost from €1,500pps, see starclippers.com. Explore the islands ofFiji with bluelagooncruises.com where a week on a small vessel will cost from €2,500 for two. A holiday to Cuba could combine horse-riding, learning to salsa and lots of beach time, see captivatingcuba.com. For riding holidays in Argentina, see zarasplanet.com.
My wife and I intend to visit Morocco in January for two weeks. We would like to spend some time trekking in the Atlas mountains with a guide andalso stay in Marrakech. We would appreciate your suggestions in relation to these activities. Could you suggest any further sights or areas to visit, and accommodation?
TOB, Cork
Morocco is a very diverse country stretching to the Sahara desert from the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts. In January, Aer Lingus has a weekly flight to Agadir on the west coast and package holidays are available with sunway.ie. Ryanair has the biggest choice of flights to Morocco from its Brussels Charleroi base – to Agadir, Essaouira, Fez, Marrakesh, Oujda, Rabat and Tangier.
Trekking with a guide is a good idea, contact travel-exploration.com, a Morocco based travel company that can organise the trekking part of your trip.
Responsible Travel, based in the UK, arranges a number of small group trips to Morocco. The highlights tour, over 15 days, includes two days of guided trekking in the Atlas, as well as camping in the desert and visits to Casablanca, Meknes, Fez, Essaouira and Marrakech. There is also a visit to a school supported by the company. The cost would be £1,029pps (about €1,190) including flights from London. See responsibletravel.com.
Look also at what is available from fleewinter.com, which has an extensive Morocco programme including guided trekking. Riads are the traditional accommodation of Morocco. They are small guesthouses, usually run by families and generally built around a courtyard. You can see a selection on riadsmorocco.com. There are many boutique riads around the country, at varying price points.
Could you advise me on the essential pre-travel inoculations required for travel to Singapore and onwards to Phuket, where we will stay in a resort called Khao Lak for a few nights?
JB, Dublin.
As long are as you are not going off the beaten track or volunteering you will just need two inoculations, one for Tetanus and Diphtheria and other for Hepatitis A and Typhoid. Consult your doctor or a specialist travel clinic for fuddrther advice.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Texas Road Trip, Walking the Lycian Way, getting to Rhodes, July 20. http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/travel/ask-joan-1.1467742
We are planning a visit to Texas in autumn, travelling to Corpus Christi, San Antonio, Austin, and Dallas. Should we book independently or take a fly-drive package through a travel agent? We intend to travel for about
16 days. Which hotel chains would you suggest and should we book as we travel along or before we leave Ireland. Could you also suggest a car hire company? – AH Dublin
If you have a look at flydriveusa.ie, tel: 01-853 5000, you will see this exact trip is on their website over a nine-day itinerary. The price from €1,099pps includes flights, accommodation and car hire for the duration. You can easily add in extra days to the trip and stay longer in some places.
If you were to book it yourself, flights in October are less expensive than September, so expect to pay under €600 return to Dallas with United Airlines or British Airways. Car hire for 16 days will depend on the size of car and other variables, but a Chevrolet Aveo for 16 days with arguscarhire.com will cost around €360. The prices are based on booking well in advance.
When it comes to staying in hotels, as you are going to be away for a few weeks, if you use the same brand you could earn reward points for each stay. Depending on your budget, the Hilton Honors programme is one of the world’s biggest. You also have a choice of Marriott and Holiday Inn Express. These brands will have properties in all the cities you plan to visit. You could also consider joining the Hotels. com Welcome Rewards loyalty programme and for every 10 nights booked, you can earn a free night. Look at traveltex.com for ideas of things to do, see and unusual places to stay.
We wish to do a self-guided walking trip on the Lycian Way and would appreciate any advice. Is it safe to travel in Southern Turkey? Is accommodation freely available along the route? We wish to walk six to seven hours daily for eight days and would prefer to find accommodation on route without booking in advance. Which route would you suggest we take? What is the best way to travel from Dublin airport? – AC, Kildare
It is quite safe to walk the Lycian Way in Southern Turkey. There is lots of advice, maps and accommodation details of the 500km route on the Lycian Way website, cultureroutesinturkey.com. You are unlikely to be able to finish the route in your timescale but should be able to cover quite a bit. It would also be worth your while getting Kate Clow’s guidebook The Lycian Way. She was instrumental in developing this waymarked way.
The route runs between Antalya and Fethiye, there are some charter flights into the region with wingsabroad.ie, to Bodrum and flights would cost around €350 return. Otherwise Turkish Airlines have daily flights from Dublin via Istanbul to Antalya from €388 return, see thy.com.
Beginning from Antalya is probably a better option as you can take a bus back there when you get to the end of your trip.
Our daughter will be six next summer and we would love to head toRhodes, particularly Lindos, for holidays. Is this an option flying from Ireland? Price is a major factor, as are activities for our daughter. We want a holiday that is active and fun with simple self-catering accommodation. – GC, Waterford
Rhodes is returning to the Irish holiday scene next summer with Falcon Holidays and direct flights from Dublin to Rhodes. If you book before August 31st this year, there are discounts for early booking and some free child places. There is availability in the self-catering Lindos View Studios, with two swimming pools, games and play area and ten minutes walk from picturesque Lindos town. Prices for a week in July are from €683pps and with a free child place, your holiday would cost €1,366 or €1,688 for two weeks. Deposits are €100pp, falconholidays.ie, tel: 1850 453545.
16 days. Which hotel chains would you suggest and should we book as we travel along or before we leave Ireland. Could you also suggest a car hire company? – AH Dublin
If you have a look at flydriveusa.ie, tel: 01-853 5000, you will see this exact trip is on their website over a nine-day itinerary. The price from €1,099pps includes flights, accommodation and car hire for the duration. You can easily add in extra days to the trip and stay longer in some places.
If you were to book it yourself, flights in October are less expensive than September, so expect to pay under €600 return to Dallas with United Airlines or British Airways. Car hire for 16 days will depend on the size of car and other variables, but a Chevrolet Aveo for 16 days with arguscarhire.com will cost around €360. The prices are based on booking well in advance.
When it comes to staying in hotels, as you are going to be away for a few weeks, if you use the same brand you could earn reward points for each stay. Depending on your budget, the Hilton Honors programme is one of the world’s biggest. You also have a choice of Marriott and Holiday Inn Express. These brands will have properties in all the cities you plan to visit. You could also consider joining the Hotels. com Welcome Rewards loyalty programme and for every 10 nights booked, you can earn a free night. Look at traveltex.com for ideas of things to do, see and unusual places to stay.
We wish to do a self-guided walking trip on the Lycian Way and would appreciate any advice. Is it safe to travel in Southern Turkey? Is accommodation freely available along the route? We wish to walk six to seven hours daily for eight days and would prefer to find accommodation on route without booking in advance. Which route would you suggest we take? What is the best way to travel from Dublin airport? – AC, Kildare
It is quite safe to walk the Lycian Way in Southern Turkey. There is lots of advice, maps and accommodation details of the 500km route on the Lycian Way website, cultureroutesinturkey.com. You are unlikely to be able to finish the route in your timescale but should be able to cover quite a bit. It would also be worth your while getting Kate Clow’s guidebook The Lycian Way. She was instrumental in developing this waymarked way.
The route runs between Antalya and Fethiye, there are some charter flights into the region with wingsabroad.ie, to Bodrum and flights would cost around €350 return. Otherwise Turkish Airlines have daily flights from Dublin via Istanbul to Antalya from €388 return, see thy.com.
Beginning from Antalya is probably a better option as you can take a bus back there when you get to the end of your trip.
Our daughter will be six next summer and we would love to head toRhodes, particularly Lindos, for holidays. Is this an option flying from Ireland? Price is a major factor, as are activities for our daughter. We want a holiday that is active and fun with simple self-catering accommodation. – GC, Waterford
Rhodes is returning to the Irish holiday scene next summer with Falcon Holidays and direct flights from Dublin to Rhodes. If you book before August 31st this year, there are discounts for early booking and some free child places. There is availability in the self-catering Lindos View Studios, with two swimming pools, games and play area and ten minutes walk from picturesque Lindos town. Prices for a week in July are from €683pps and with a free child place, your holiday would cost €1,366 or €1,688 for two weeks. Deposits are €100pp, falconholidays.ie, tel: 1850 453545.
Ask Joan about a family European Tour, guarding a honeymoon payment and where to stay near Croagh Patrick, July 13
My family would like to visit a combination of European cities this August for our holidays, maybe Berlin, Munich, Vienna, Venice or some similar combination. As we have not been away for six years, we need some help in planning travel between cities and flights or trains and hotels suitable for a family of six with four teenagers. KOK, Wicklow.
On that itinerary I would drop Venice and replace it with Budapest or Prague. Venice is too hot, crowded and expensive in the summer for a family. Using Berlin and Budapest or Prague as your start or end airport also means better value fares with Ryanair and Aer Lingus.
Between cities, I’d recommend train travel as an ideal way to see a lot of the countryside in a relaxed way. Fares can be reasonable if you book in advance. For example a train from Berlin to Budapest with stops along the way will cost under €150 each. There may be further discounts for the teenagers , see bahn.de.
You can also consult railshop.ie for help in planning train travel in Europe. Air Berlin has an extensive network in Europe and you could use a mixture of low cost fares and trains, airberlin.com.
When it comes to accommodation, Accor Hotels have a range of hotels from three to five stars. As many of the hotels are normally used by business travellers, the prices come down during the summer. You will find prices from €40-€120 per night for well- located city hotels, accorhotels.com.
See the following websites for ideas of things to do and events, germany.travel,visitberlin.de, muenchen.de, wien.info/en, and budapest.com.
In the next couple of weeks we are going to book our honeymoon next year in Cancún, Mexico. We are paying €3,500 upfront – we are worried that the company we are booking with might go out of business after we pay but before we get to Mexico. Is there anything we can do to make sure our booking is secure? FF, Kerry.
This is a big worry for many people who buy honeymoons or long-haul holidays. Generally you are paying upfront because the deal is good value.
To ensure your investment is safe, do the following: book with a travel agent that is licensed and bonded by the Aviation Regulator, see list on aviationreg.ie and itaa.ie. If you book through a licensed travel agent they can sell you holidays all over the world and your money will be safe.
Take out travel insurance in advance. You could purchase an annual policy when you pay for the trip which will be valid for the period of your honeymoon. Read the small print carefully before you buy. Some companies have a limit on the number of days out of the country allowed, and excess charges differ.
Also, make sure you pay by credit card, as most cards will offer purchase protection in the event of the collapse of an airline or hotel company.
http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/travel/ask-joan-1.1459050
My husband and I plan to walk Croagh Patrick with four or five other couples in September. We are looking for somewhere to stay for one or two nights. We’d like something quaint and low key with an emphasis on good food, comfortable beds and good showers rather than swimming pools or room service. A good B&B or guesthouse would be perfect. We don’t mind going out for dinner but would like the restaurant/pub to be within walking distance. AE, Kildare
Good luck with walking Croagh Patrick that should be a great experience. I think Westport would fit the bill. It is a lovely, lively town with great accommodation, restaurants and pubs. Matt Molloy’s pub is one of the best known and there is music every weekend.
Boffin Lodge and Augusta Lodge are comfortable, friendly guesthouses within walking distance, with rates about €40pps, boffinlodge.com and augustalodge.com. If you wanted to try a hotel, Knockranny House Hotel has a great restaurant and weekend rates from €189 in September for two nights’ B&B and one dinner, knockrannyhousehotel.ie.
As you will be a sizeable group, you could get a local guide for the ascent or for exploring Mayo/Connemara, see walkingguideireland.com for guide Gerry Greensmyth.
On that itinerary I would drop Venice and replace it with Budapest or Prague. Venice is too hot, crowded and expensive in the summer for a family. Using Berlin and Budapest or Prague as your start or end airport also means better value fares with Ryanair and Aer Lingus.
Between cities, I’d recommend train travel as an ideal way to see a lot of the countryside in a relaxed way. Fares can be reasonable if you book in advance. For example a train from Berlin to Budapest with stops along the way will cost under €150 each. There may be further discounts for the teenagers , see bahn.de.
You can also consult railshop.ie for help in planning train travel in Europe. Air Berlin has an extensive network in Europe and you could use a mixture of low cost fares and trains, airberlin.com.
When it comes to accommodation, Accor Hotels have a range of hotels from three to five stars. As many of the hotels are normally used by business travellers, the prices come down during the summer. You will find prices from €40-€120 per night for well- located city hotels, accorhotels.com.
See the following websites for ideas of things to do and events, germany.travel,visitberlin.de, muenchen.de, wien.info/en, and budapest.com.
In the next couple of weeks we are going to book our honeymoon next year in Cancún, Mexico. We are paying €3,500 upfront – we are worried that the company we are booking with might go out of business after we pay but before we get to Mexico. Is there anything we can do to make sure our booking is secure? FF, Kerry.
This is a big worry for many people who buy honeymoons or long-haul holidays. Generally you are paying upfront because the deal is good value.
To ensure your investment is safe, do the following: book with a travel agent that is licensed and bonded by the Aviation Regulator, see list on aviationreg.ie and itaa.ie. If you book through a licensed travel agent they can sell you holidays all over the world and your money will be safe.
Take out travel insurance in advance. You could purchase an annual policy when you pay for the trip which will be valid for the period of your honeymoon. Read the small print carefully before you buy. Some companies have a limit on the number of days out of the country allowed, and excess charges differ.
Also, make sure you pay by credit card, as most cards will offer purchase protection in the event of the collapse of an airline or hotel company.
http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/travel/ask-joan-1.1459050
My husband and I plan to walk Croagh Patrick with four or five other couples in September. We are looking for somewhere to stay for one or two nights. We’d like something quaint and low key with an emphasis on good food, comfortable beds and good showers rather than swimming pools or room service. A good B&B or guesthouse would be perfect. We don’t mind going out for dinner but would like the restaurant/pub to be within walking distance. AE, Kildare
Good luck with walking Croagh Patrick that should be a great experience. I think Westport would fit the bill. It is a lovely, lively town with great accommodation, restaurants and pubs. Matt Molloy’s pub is one of the best known and there is music every weekend.
Boffin Lodge and Augusta Lodge are comfortable, friendly guesthouses within walking distance, with rates about €40pps, boffinlodge.com and augustalodge.com. If you wanted to try a hotel, Knockranny House Hotel has a great restaurant and weekend rates from €189 in September for two nights’ B&B and one dinner, knockrannyhousehotel.ie.
As you will be a sizeable group, you could get a local guide for the ascent or for exploring Mayo/Connemara, see walkingguideireland.com for guide Gerry Greensmyth.
Cape Cod, sailing buddies in the Med and where to take teenage girls - Ask Joan, July 6
We are an active mature couple planning a 17-day trip to to Boston and the Massachusetts coast – and taking in a family visit in Northampton – in early September. Have you any suggestions about the eastern coast and islands? Can we book a group tour from Boston for four days, or should we hire a car?
– DJM, Dublin
Labor Day, September 2nd, heralds the end of the summer and this is a lovely time to visit coastal Massachusetts. The weather is still warm but the masses are gone, roads are less crowded and accommodation is better value.
As there are no companies offering tours of this region I would suggest that having explored Boston you hire a car and tour the Massachusetts Cultural Coast, which comprises Quincy, Plymouth Country, Southeastern Massachusetts (Bristol County), Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.
You can avoid the Cape Cod traffic at weekends by taking the ferry from Boston Harbour to Provincetown and renting a car there, capecodtravelguide.com.
This area is famous for its variety of bed and breakfast inns along the coast and inland around the many lakes and ponds of the region. There are also great hiking and biking trails, day trips and island tours you can do. For information on accommodation, sightseeing and activities, visit
massvacation.com. The blog on massvacation.com/blog is a good place to find out about events, sights and useful tips.
We are five friends (a straight couple, a gay couple and a widow) and three of us turn 60 next year. We all want to go on a special trip after Easter and before May. We are thinking of hiring a yacht in Turkey, Greece or the Balkan coast, any advice on a bit of luxury for the five of us, not sharing with others? – TD, Donegal
The Croatian coast is stunning, with hundreds of islands to explore. The flights to Dubrovnik usually begin around Easter with Aer Lingus. Ryanair has a flight to Zadar this season but it is too early to say if it will operate next year. I suggest yacht-base.com in Croatia for chartering luxury crewed vessels. They have a great variety of craft available. For Greece, you could have a look at what is available with Odyssey Sailing. They have a wide range of charters available and experienced skippers who help you explore the Greek islands like natives, odyssey-sailing.gr.
In Turkey, the traditional gulet is the way to explore the ancient coastline with its cliffs and coves. Under sail, these boats look majestic. Chartering is possible from a number of ports and you should check out what is available with zephyriayachting.com.tr. Some of the companies I have mentioned have special offers for advance bookings.
I am hoping to take a short break in August with my two teenage daughters. I’d like to go to France, Spain or Italy. My children like sports and water sports and I like to chill. I don’t want to hire a car. I’d like an apartment or hotel with triple room.
– LD, Dublin
As you have two teens to amuse, a holiday village might fit the bill. There are a number of good quality places in France, Italy and Spain with Pierre & Vacances. The holiday villages usually have great sports facilities and clubs for teens. Around Biarritz they have a number of properties and it is easy to get there with direct Ryanair flights. It is a great location for water sports. You may even just consider the Pierre & Vacances hotel in town, five minutes from the beach where the girls could join a surf school.
In the south of France, with access via Nice and the great transport system of this region, the holiday village Cap Esterel has special offers in August of around €950 for a week. There is also a spa on site. Italy isn’t really an option as the resorts are not easily accessible by public transport, but there are quite a lot of PV resorts along the Mediterranean coast of Spain with air access from Ireland, pv-holidays.com
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
– DJM, Dublin
Labor Day, September 2nd, heralds the end of the summer and this is a lovely time to visit coastal Massachusetts. The weather is still warm but the masses are gone, roads are less crowded and accommodation is better value.
As there are no companies offering tours of this region I would suggest that having explored Boston you hire a car and tour the Massachusetts Cultural Coast, which comprises Quincy, Plymouth Country, Southeastern Massachusetts (Bristol County), Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.
You can avoid the Cape Cod traffic at weekends by taking the ferry from Boston Harbour to Provincetown and renting a car there, capecodtravelguide.com.
This area is famous for its variety of bed and breakfast inns along the coast and inland around the many lakes and ponds of the region. There are also great hiking and biking trails, day trips and island tours you can do. For information on accommodation, sightseeing and activities, visit
massvacation.com. The blog on massvacation.com/blog is a good place to find out about events, sights and useful tips.
We are five friends (a straight couple, a gay couple and a widow) and three of us turn 60 next year. We all want to go on a special trip after Easter and before May. We are thinking of hiring a yacht in Turkey, Greece or the Balkan coast, any advice on a bit of luxury for the five of us, not sharing with others? – TD, Donegal
The Croatian coast is stunning, with hundreds of islands to explore. The flights to Dubrovnik usually begin around Easter with Aer Lingus. Ryanair has a flight to Zadar this season but it is too early to say if it will operate next year. I suggest yacht-base.com in Croatia for chartering luxury crewed vessels. They have a great variety of craft available. For Greece, you could have a look at what is available with Odyssey Sailing. They have a wide range of charters available and experienced skippers who help you explore the Greek islands like natives, odyssey-sailing.gr.
In Turkey, the traditional gulet is the way to explore the ancient coastline with its cliffs and coves. Under sail, these boats look majestic. Chartering is possible from a number of ports and you should check out what is available with zephyriayachting.com.tr. Some of the companies I have mentioned have special offers for advance bookings.
I am hoping to take a short break in August with my two teenage daughters. I’d like to go to France, Spain or Italy. My children like sports and water sports and I like to chill. I don’t want to hire a car. I’d like an apartment or hotel with triple room.
– LD, Dublin
As you have two teens to amuse, a holiday village might fit the bill. There are a number of good quality places in France, Italy and Spain with Pierre & Vacances. The holiday villages usually have great sports facilities and clubs for teens. Around Biarritz they have a number of properties and it is easy to get there with direct Ryanair flights. It is a great location for water sports. You may even just consider the Pierre & Vacances hotel in town, five minutes from the beach where the girls could join a surf school.
In the south of France, with access via Nice and the great transport system of this region, the holiday village Cap Esterel has special offers in August of around €950 for a week. There is also a spa on site. Italy isn’t really an option as the resorts are not easily accessible by public transport, but there are quite a lot of PV resorts along the Mediterranean coast of Spain with air access from Ireland, pv-holidays.com
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
We are an active mature couple planning a 17-day trip to to Boston and the Massachusetts coast – and taking in a family visit in Northampton – in early September. Have you any suggestions about the eastern coast and islands? Can we book a group tour from Boston for four days, or should we hire a car?
– DJM, Dublin
Labor Day, September 2nd, heralds the end of the summer and this is a lovely time to visit coastal Massachusetts. The weather is still warm but the masses are gone, roads are less crowded and accommodation is better value.
As there are no companies offering tours of this region I would suggest that having explored Boston you hire a car and tour the Massachusetts Cultural Coast, which comprises Quincy, Plymouth Country, Southeastern Massachusetts (Bristol County), Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.
You can avoid the Cape Cod traffic at weekends by taking the ferry from Boston Harbour to Provincetown and renting a car there, capecodtravelguide.com.
This area is famous for its variety of bed and breakfast inns along the coast and inland around the many lakes and ponds of the region. There are also great hiking and biking trails, day trips and island tours you can do. For information on accommodation, sightseeing and activities, visit
massvacation.com. The blog on massvacation.com/blog is a good place to find out about events, sights and useful tips.
We are five friends (a straight couple, a gay couple and a widow) and three of us turn 60 next year. We all want to go on a special trip after Easter and before May. We are thinking of hiring a yacht in Turkey, Greece or the Balkan coast, any advice on a bit of luxury for the five of us, not sharing with others? – TD, Donegal
The Croatian coast is stunning, with hundreds of islands to explore. The flights to Dubrovnik usually begin around Easter with Aer Lingus. Ryanair has a flight to Zadar this season but it is too early to say if it will operate next year. I suggest yacht-base.com in Croatia for chartering luxury crewed vessels. They have a great variety of craft available. For Greece, you could have a look at what is available with Odyssey Sailing. They have a wide range of charters available and experienced skippers who help you explore the Greek islands like natives, odyssey-sailing.gr.
In Turkey, the traditional gulet is the way to explore the ancient coastline with its cliffs and coves. Under sail, these boats look majestic. Chartering is possible from a number of ports and you should check out what is available with zephyriayachting.com.tr. Some of the companies I have mentioned have special offers for advance bookings.
I am hoping to take a short break in August with my two teenage daughters. I’d like to go to France, Spain or Italy. My children like sports and water sports and I like to chill. I don’t want to hire a car. I’d like an apartment or hotel with triple room.
– LD, Dublin
As you have two teens to amuse, a holiday village might fit the bill. There are a number of good quality places in France, Italy and Spain with Pierre & Vacances. The holiday villages usually have great sports facilities and clubs for teens. Around Biarritz they have a number of properties and it is easy to get there with direct Ryanair flights. It is a great location for water sports. You may even just consider the Pierre & Vacances hotel in town, five minutes from the beach where the girls could join a surf school.
In the south of France, with access via Nice and the great transport system of this region, the holiday village Cap Esterel has special offers in August of around €950 for a week. There is also a spa on site. Italy isn’t really an option as the resorts are not easily accessible by public transport, but there are quite a lot of PV resorts along the Mediterranean coast of Spain with air access from Ireland, pv-holidays.co
– DJM, Dublin
Labor Day, September 2nd, heralds the end of the summer and this is a lovely time to visit coastal Massachusetts. The weather is still warm but the masses are gone, roads are less crowded and accommodation is better value.
As there are no companies offering tours of this region I would suggest that having explored Boston you hire a car and tour the Massachusetts Cultural Coast, which comprises Quincy, Plymouth Country, Southeastern Massachusetts (Bristol County), Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.
You can avoid the Cape Cod traffic at weekends by taking the ferry from Boston Harbour to Provincetown and renting a car there, capecodtravelguide.com.
This area is famous for its variety of bed and breakfast inns along the coast and inland around the many lakes and ponds of the region. There are also great hiking and biking trails, day trips and island tours you can do. For information on accommodation, sightseeing and activities, visit
massvacation.com. The blog on massvacation.com/blog is a good place to find out about events, sights and useful tips.
We are five friends (a straight couple, a gay couple and a widow) and three of us turn 60 next year. We all want to go on a special trip after Easter and before May. We are thinking of hiring a yacht in Turkey, Greece or the Balkan coast, any advice on a bit of luxury for the five of us, not sharing with others? – TD, Donegal
The Croatian coast is stunning, with hundreds of islands to explore. The flights to Dubrovnik usually begin around Easter with Aer Lingus. Ryanair has a flight to Zadar this season but it is too early to say if it will operate next year. I suggest yacht-base.com in Croatia for chartering luxury crewed vessels. They have a great variety of craft available. For Greece, you could have a look at what is available with Odyssey Sailing. They have a wide range of charters available and experienced skippers who help you explore the Greek islands like natives, odyssey-sailing.gr.
In Turkey, the traditional gulet is the way to explore the ancient coastline with its cliffs and coves. Under sail, these boats look majestic. Chartering is possible from a number of ports and you should check out what is available with zephyriayachting.com.tr. Some of the companies I have mentioned have special offers for advance bookings.
I am hoping to take a short break in August with my two teenage daughters. I’d like to go to France, Spain or Italy. My children like sports and water sports and I like to chill. I don’t want to hire a car. I’d like an apartment or hotel with triple room.
– LD, Dublin
As you have two teens to amuse, a holiday village might fit the bill. There are a number of good quality places in France, Italy and Spain with Pierre & Vacances. The holiday villages usually have great sports facilities and clubs for teens. Around Biarritz they have a number of properties and it is easy to get there with direct Ryanair flights. It is a great location for water sports. You may even just consider the Pierre & Vacances hotel in town, five minutes from the beach where the girls could join a surf school.
In the south of France, with access via Nice and the great transport system of this region, the holiday village Cap Esterel has special offers in August of around €950 for a week. There is also a spa on site. Italy isn’t really an option as the resorts are not easily accessible by public transport, but there are quite a lot of PV resorts along the Mediterranean coast of Spain with air access from Ireland, pv-holidays.co
Ask Joan about a Greece, a mother and daughter holiday and getting to Cuba, June 29
My husband and I are celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary this year. I am perplexed as to a holiday suggestion. We are active and sociable and Greece seems enticing. We were supposed to go to Rhodes years ago and it fell through. I did wonder about combining a holiday in Greece with Istanbul – would that be too much? MF, Louth
Combining Greece and Turkey can be done but it would end up costing a lot. There are good short-break trips to Istanbul at reasonable prices, especially in autumn.
The Travel Department has a trip on September 12th for four nights from €559pps that includes flights, hotel and tours, see
traveldepartment.ie.
Unfortunately, Rhodes is not so easy to get to from Ireland as there are no direct flights. You could fly to Athens with Aer Lingus and take an onward flight with Aegean Air and book a hotel or accommodation through booking.com.
Greek islands that are accessible from here with direct flights are Corfu, Crete and Zante; though Zante finishes at the end of August and the other islands during September. You will find details of package holidays with falconholidays.ie,thomascook.ie and aerlinguspackages.com
My daughter and I (aged 42 and 72) are looking for a warm-weather holiday for a week in mid-September. We would prefer a self-catering apartment in a quiet place with access to restaurants and activities such as walking, sight-seeing and possibly yoga. We would prefer to use public transport rather than hire a car.
Our budget, including travel and meals, is about €600 to €800 each. My daughter lives in Edinburgh. I live in west Cork. DG, Cork
The first thing I looked at was the flight options from Edinburgh and Cork to see what destinations and days of the week had the same routes. Both have Jersey, Malaga and Nice which helps to narrow your plans.
While the flight cost to Jersey is over the €200 and £200 mark, the accommodation is less expensive than France. Aer Lingus flies from Cork and flybe.com from Edinburgh on Saturdays. Jersey would be an easy option with plenty of sightseeing and things to do. See jersey.com for activities and also yoga classes. Freedomholidays. com has a good range of self-catering accommodation to rent on the island.
The benefit of Nice as a destination is the transport options all along the Côte d’Azur. It costs only euros to get about and is a terrific city in which to stay.
Two lovely coastal towns to consider are Villefranche-sur-Mer and
Beaulieu-sur-Mer. Both are perfect for sightseeing, beaches, good food and welcoming to visitors. Flights are a bit cheaper to Nice but accommodation is dearer, maybe €100 per night for self-catering. See homeaway.com for apartments to rent and
frenchriviera-tourism.com.
Malaga has plenty of access from Cork and Edinburgh and bus services to the whole Costa Del Sol. The small town of San Pedro de Alcantara may suit, it is quietish and probably the most typical Spanish town on this coast. The bus service is run by avanzabus.com. It would take two buses to get there with a change in Marbella. It is about an hour from the airport by car. Accommodation is reasonable, with apartments for under €500 a week, holidaylettings.com and booking.com. See andalucia.com for tourism and yoga information.
We would like a special trip to Cuba and wonder when is a good time to go? We also want to travel around the country. We have 16 days and a tight budget. CJ Derry
Cuba has a tropical climate with two seasons; the dry season is from November to April. Cubatravel in Dublin arrange a variety of trips that would include travel around the country.
An 11-day trip will cost about €1,600pps including flights, accommodation and tours. You can add extra days for not too much more. This tour spends a few nights in Havana, then tours the island by private transport, staying in Camaguey, Santiago de Cuba, Baracoa, and Trinidad with a mixture of half-board and B&B accommodation. Phone Gordon on 01-2412340, cubatravel.ie
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Combining Greece and Turkey can be done but it would end up costing a lot. There are good short-break trips to Istanbul at reasonable prices, especially in autumn.
The Travel Department has a trip on September 12th for four nights from €559pps that includes flights, hotel and tours, see
traveldepartment.ie.
Unfortunately, Rhodes is not so easy to get to from Ireland as there are no direct flights. You could fly to Athens with Aer Lingus and take an onward flight with Aegean Air and book a hotel or accommodation through booking.com.
Greek islands that are accessible from here with direct flights are Corfu, Crete and Zante; though Zante finishes at the end of August and the other islands during September. You will find details of package holidays with falconholidays.ie,thomascook.ie and aerlinguspackages.com
My daughter and I (aged 42 and 72) are looking for a warm-weather holiday for a week in mid-September. We would prefer a self-catering apartment in a quiet place with access to restaurants and activities such as walking, sight-seeing and possibly yoga. We would prefer to use public transport rather than hire a car.
Our budget, including travel and meals, is about €600 to €800 each. My daughter lives in Edinburgh. I live in west Cork. DG, Cork
The first thing I looked at was the flight options from Edinburgh and Cork to see what destinations and days of the week had the same routes. Both have Jersey, Malaga and Nice which helps to narrow your plans.
While the flight cost to Jersey is over the €200 and £200 mark, the accommodation is less expensive than France. Aer Lingus flies from Cork and flybe.com from Edinburgh on Saturdays. Jersey would be an easy option with plenty of sightseeing and things to do. See jersey.com for activities and also yoga classes. Freedomholidays. com has a good range of self-catering accommodation to rent on the island.
The benefit of Nice as a destination is the transport options all along the Côte d’Azur. It costs only euros to get about and is a terrific city in which to stay.
Two lovely coastal towns to consider are Villefranche-sur-Mer and
Beaulieu-sur-Mer. Both are perfect for sightseeing, beaches, good food and welcoming to visitors. Flights are a bit cheaper to Nice but accommodation is dearer, maybe €100 per night for self-catering. See homeaway.com for apartments to rent and
frenchriviera-tourism.com.
Malaga has plenty of access from Cork and Edinburgh and bus services to the whole Costa Del Sol. The small town of San Pedro de Alcantara may suit, it is quietish and probably the most typical Spanish town on this coast. The bus service is run by avanzabus.com. It would take two buses to get there with a change in Marbella. It is about an hour from the airport by car. Accommodation is reasonable, with apartments for under €500 a week, holidaylettings.com and booking.com. See andalucia.com for tourism and yoga information.
We would like a special trip to Cuba and wonder when is a good time to go? We also want to travel around the country. We have 16 days and a tight budget. CJ Derry
Cuba has a tropical climate with two seasons; the dry season is from November to April. Cubatravel in Dublin arrange a variety of trips that would include travel around the country.
An 11-day trip will cost about €1,600pps including flights, accommodation and tours. You can add extra days for not too much more. This tour spends a few nights in Havana, then tours the island by private transport, staying in Camaguey, Santiago de Cuba, Baracoa, and Trinidad with a mixture of half-board and B&B accommodation. Phone Gordon on 01-2412340, cubatravel.ie
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
From Dubrovnik to Crete, a weekend in Brighton and car hire conundrum in Lisbon
I am a college student going inter-railing with friends in July starting in Amsterdam. We plan to finish in Dubrovnik, Croatia. As a few of my friends will be in Crete at the same time I would like to travel from Dubrovnik to Crete to spend a week with them at the end of the trip. As I will be travelling alone, I would like to know the easiest, cheapest and safest way to get from Croatia to Crete. Is there a boat I could take? How long would these boat journeys take? ENL, Dublin
The problem with Dubrovnik is there are no trains from there. You will have to take flights, bus or a boat. By boat it would be a long journey, Dubrovnik to Split, Split to Bari, Bari to Patras, Patras by land to Athens and Pireaus, Pireus to Crete. Boat fares are cheap and some of the journeys are covered on the Interrail ticket. Deck travel is the cheapest.
It would take you days to get to Crete. Then flying back to Ireland can be expensive at this time of year – though Ryanair and Jet2.com fly to UK airports from Heraklion and Chania.
However, if you go to Thessaloniki in northeast Greece, there’s a Ryanair service to Chania, in Crete for under €70. Getting to Thessaloniki from Dubrovnik is expensive by air, around €400. But you can get there by bus in a day or so. This website has travel tips for the Balkans, balkanology.com
My sister and her family live in London and I’d like to take the four of us toBrighton for a weekend to take the kids to the beach. Can you recommend accommodation that is affordable, central and walking distance to town and the beach, please? MR, Kerry
Brighton is a lively city with a great variety of accommodation, from trendy boutique hotels to stately old mansion properties and quirky B&Bs to traditional guesthouses. There is also a good selection of self-catering apartments.
However, prices are not cheap. B&Bs are around £70-£100 per night for two, apartments from around £130 and hotels generally over £100 per night for three star and over £160 a night for four star, see holidaylettings.co.uk and visitbrighton.com for a list of places to book.
Best value is Jurys Inn which is two minutes from Brighton railway station, ideal if you’re coming by train and 10 minutes from the seafront. Jurys has a sale from July 19th to September 8th for rooms – which will sleep two adults and two children or three adults– booked up to seven days in advance. During the summer, rates are from £67 - £100.
We are a family of four travelling to Portugal via Lisbon in August for 10 days and staying in San Martino de Porto. Could you recommend good value car hire as we had a bad experience in Lisbon on our previous visit?
KH , Offaly
I am sorry to hear you had a bad car hire experience, it is the one area of travel that gives arise to the most complaints.
The variables in renting a car are numerous; engine size, country of origin, type of insurance, drivers, car seats, GPS all affect the price. However I have looked at a number of companies for you and the main brands are the most expensive.
For a mid-size economy car with just about enough space for all of you, ie Corsa, Golf or Focus, Hertz, Europcar and Sixt were all around €1,000. Going through one of the broker agencies can considerably reduce the price and you may still be renting from a major firm.
Autoeurope. com was voted best car hire firm by the Irish Travel Agents Associationthis year and holidayautos.com took the top slot in previous years.
A mid-size car with Autoeurope is around €545 and Holiday Autos around €626. The cheapest I did find was with Goldcar, the Spanish car rental firm with a Seat Ibiza or similar, from €450.
Be aware also that Portugal introduced barrier-free tolling on some roads last year that led to confusion about payment. Most car rental firms now have tags in their vehicles and will charge the price of the tolls to your credit card. The A27 and A28 north of Lisbon are now barrier-free.
The problem with Dubrovnik is there are no trains from there. You will have to take flights, bus or a boat. By boat it would be a long journey, Dubrovnik to Split, Split to Bari, Bari to Patras, Patras by land to Athens and Pireaus, Pireus to Crete. Boat fares are cheap and some of the journeys are covered on the Interrail ticket. Deck travel is the cheapest.
It would take you days to get to Crete. Then flying back to Ireland can be expensive at this time of year – though Ryanair and Jet2.com fly to UK airports from Heraklion and Chania.
However, if you go to Thessaloniki in northeast Greece, there’s a Ryanair service to Chania, in Crete for under €70. Getting to Thessaloniki from Dubrovnik is expensive by air, around €400. But you can get there by bus in a day or so. This website has travel tips for the Balkans, balkanology.com
My sister and her family live in London and I’d like to take the four of us toBrighton for a weekend to take the kids to the beach. Can you recommend accommodation that is affordable, central and walking distance to town and the beach, please? MR, Kerry
Brighton is a lively city with a great variety of accommodation, from trendy boutique hotels to stately old mansion properties and quirky B&Bs to traditional guesthouses. There is also a good selection of self-catering apartments.
However, prices are not cheap. B&Bs are around £70-£100 per night for two, apartments from around £130 and hotels generally over £100 per night for three star and over £160 a night for four star, see holidaylettings.co.uk and visitbrighton.com for a list of places to book.
Best value is Jurys Inn which is two minutes from Brighton railway station, ideal if you’re coming by train and 10 minutes from the seafront. Jurys has a sale from July 19th to September 8th for rooms – which will sleep two adults and two children or three adults– booked up to seven days in advance. During the summer, rates are from £67 - £100.
We are a family of four travelling to Portugal via Lisbon in August for 10 days and staying in San Martino de Porto. Could you recommend good value car hire as we had a bad experience in Lisbon on our previous visit?
KH , Offaly
I am sorry to hear you had a bad car hire experience, it is the one area of travel that gives arise to the most complaints.
The variables in renting a car are numerous; engine size, country of origin, type of insurance, drivers, car seats, GPS all affect the price. However I have looked at a number of companies for you and the main brands are the most expensive.
For a mid-size economy car with just about enough space for all of you, ie Corsa, Golf or Focus, Hertz, Europcar and Sixt were all around €1,000. Going through one of the broker agencies can considerably reduce the price and you may still be renting from a major firm.
Autoeurope. com was voted best car hire firm by the Irish Travel Agents Associationthis year and holidayautos.com took the top slot in previous years.
A mid-size car with Autoeurope is around €545 and Holiday Autos around €626. The cheapest I did find was with Goldcar, the Spanish car rental firm with a Seat Ibiza or similar, from €450.
Be aware also that Portugal introduced barrier-free tolling on some roads last year that led to confusion about payment. Most car rental firms now have tags in their vehicles and will charge the price of the tolls to your credit card. The A27 and A28 north of Lisbon are now barrier-free.
Getting to Madagascar, Romania and a family villa in the sun, June 8, 2013.
Our family with two kids aged 10 and 13 are travelling to France by ferry and from there we are driving across Europe to Romania. Is there anything we should know in relation to car documentation required and any good tips that will help make our long journey easy and pleasant? We haven’t booked any accommodation as it’s very hard to predict the day and time we are reaching each country, but we intend to arrive in Bucharest within four days of getting off the ferry in France. AMB, Dublin
Your journey from France to Romania will cover more than 2,600km and four or five countries: France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Hungary. Without stops it will be about 30 hours in the car. It may be nice to plan the trip to have an overnight in each country.
If you have a GPS, make sure it is loaded with up-to-date maps for each country. Plan your route well in advance and print the pages. A useful website is viamichelin.com, which will give choices for your journey, such as all motorways, avoid tolls, cost of fuel and tolls.
The rac.co.uk is also very useful as it has a list of what you need for each country you travel through. Contact your insurance company to let them know you will be travelling through all these countries as you may need the insurance Green Card.
One way to cope with the long journeys is to get on the road very early each day, before the children have really woken up. You can break the back of the journey this way and have a nice long stop mid-morning to early afternoon and then do the next stage. A football or Frisbee is useful to have in the car for some exercise when you stop. Bring pillows and rugs for snuggling down. Tarom Romanian Airlines return to the Dublin-Bucharest route for the summer.
Additional information from Celia Grace Kenny who has travelled to Romania many times by car - thanks Celia.
"I did the car journey from UK to Romania many times, alone, and in my 50's. Going through France, it is best to use the toll roads, which have excellent food stops on both sides of the road. For stops in Austria, it is worth leaving the main road to stay overnight in Kufstein, where there are decent hotels in the mid-price range.
If you plan to spend time in Budapest, stay somewhere near the airport, which means that you can get on the road to Romania without incurring traffic jams in the morning. If you do this, leave the car at your hotel and take the underground into the centre. It is a good service.
Here is the best bit: when you leave Budapest, you will drive through the Hungarian plains, great expanses on either side, with a wonderful sense of space and light. Look for a restaurant on your right, called Hidi's, which does delicious goulash soup with great big chunks of bread.
Then, the road will start to rise, and you will find yourself at the top of the world, with a sense of being suspended between West and East. Do stop at the top, along with the truck drivers, for a bite to eat and to take in the view.
Then, you will snake down through wood and water, because you will now be crossing into Transylvania, a place of magic. Take care on the winding roads, and watch out for horse-driven carts. The border controls are very relaxed these days. The times of long queues has gone, as has the dreaded scrutiny of papers (or, worse, the request for papers which were pure figments of the imagination; solved by handing over a wad of notes).
Plan for a stop in Cluj-Napoca, which used to be the most Eastern university town in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Look for its small art gallery, and watch the folk go by from one of the street cafes. Cluj has the charm of a great dame, somewhat past her best, but gracious still.
After that, you will press on South East, leaving Transylvania en-route for Bucharest.
One last thing: if you have no particular reason to visit Bucharest, and you linger longer in Transylvania, you will find the most delightful small towns and villages, and some of the friendliest people on earth."
My husband and I would love to visit Madagascar this summer as we believe it has some very different species of plants and animals. Can you give us any tips on the best way to see this beautiful island? Would we need to take internal flights? TM, Dublin
Madagascar does have unusual flora and fauna. Many of which are not found anywhere else in the world. It is also a big island – 400km by 1,600km – with diverse environments and physical features, from rainforests to deserts, beaches and mountains.
You can fly to the capital Antananarivo from Paris with Air France, Air Madagascar orCorsair for about €900-€1,100 in the summer (you would have to add the cost of Ireland-Paris flights to this). A package tour may be better value and provide an opportunity to see more.Responsible Travel, based in the UK, has a variety of tours to Madagascar, with activities ranging from exploring the flora and fauna to trekking, rafting and hiking in the forests. They have an eco-friendly focus and you would get to see a lot. Prices are from £2,000, including flights, for about two weeks, responsibletravel.com.
We are a family of five children and two adults looking for a sun holiday. We’d like to spend a week or 10 days in Spain, Portugal or Italy, but don’t like scorching weather. W’d like to stay in a spacious apartment or a self-catering villa with a swimming pool. We are looking for somewhere beside a beach, a town and plenty of activities for the children. Do you have any suggestions? AN, Dublin
As you will probably travelling in July or August, the weather will be hot, and usually hottest in August. A villa with a pool is a great idea for cooling down and I’ve seen a lovely selection of properties on world-villa.co.uk with private pools.
Vintagetravel.co.uk have a nice selection with very good videos and pictures of all the properties. Irish company holidayhomesidirect.ie, have villas in France, Spain, Portugal and other EU countries. The Canary Islands are good value this year with villas sleeping up to eight under €2,000 in high season.
Availability for this summer is mixed, with Portugal showing fewer properties still available than Spain or Italy. Expect to pay €1,500 to €4,500 per week, and most of properties are Saturday to Saturday rentals.
Your journey from France to Romania will cover more than 2,600km and four or five countries: France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Hungary. Without stops it will be about 30 hours in the car. It may be nice to plan the trip to have an overnight in each country.
If you have a GPS, make sure it is loaded with up-to-date maps for each country. Plan your route well in advance and print the pages. A useful website is viamichelin.com, which will give choices for your journey, such as all motorways, avoid tolls, cost of fuel and tolls.
The rac.co.uk is also very useful as it has a list of what you need for each country you travel through. Contact your insurance company to let them know you will be travelling through all these countries as you may need the insurance Green Card.
One way to cope with the long journeys is to get on the road very early each day, before the children have really woken up. You can break the back of the journey this way and have a nice long stop mid-morning to early afternoon and then do the next stage. A football or Frisbee is useful to have in the car for some exercise when you stop. Bring pillows and rugs for snuggling down. Tarom Romanian Airlines return to the Dublin-Bucharest route for the summer.
Additional information from Celia Grace Kenny who has travelled to Romania many times by car - thanks Celia.
"I did the car journey from UK to Romania many times, alone, and in my 50's. Going through France, it is best to use the toll roads, which have excellent food stops on both sides of the road. For stops in Austria, it is worth leaving the main road to stay overnight in Kufstein, where there are decent hotels in the mid-price range.
If you plan to spend time in Budapest, stay somewhere near the airport, which means that you can get on the road to Romania without incurring traffic jams in the morning. If you do this, leave the car at your hotel and take the underground into the centre. It is a good service.
Here is the best bit: when you leave Budapest, you will drive through the Hungarian plains, great expanses on either side, with a wonderful sense of space and light. Look for a restaurant on your right, called Hidi's, which does delicious goulash soup with great big chunks of bread.
Then, the road will start to rise, and you will find yourself at the top of the world, with a sense of being suspended between West and East. Do stop at the top, along with the truck drivers, for a bite to eat and to take in the view.
Then, you will snake down through wood and water, because you will now be crossing into Transylvania, a place of magic. Take care on the winding roads, and watch out for horse-driven carts. The border controls are very relaxed these days. The times of long queues has gone, as has the dreaded scrutiny of papers (or, worse, the request for papers which were pure figments of the imagination; solved by handing over a wad of notes).
Plan for a stop in Cluj-Napoca, which used to be the most Eastern university town in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Look for its small art gallery, and watch the folk go by from one of the street cafes. Cluj has the charm of a great dame, somewhat past her best, but gracious still.
After that, you will press on South East, leaving Transylvania en-route for Bucharest.
One last thing: if you have no particular reason to visit Bucharest, and you linger longer in Transylvania, you will find the most delightful small towns and villages, and some of the friendliest people on earth."
My husband and I would love to visit Madagascar this summer as we believe it has some very different species of plants and animals. Can you give us any tips on the best way to see this beautiful island? Would we need to take internal flights? TM, Dublin
Madagascar does have unusual flora and fauna. Many of which are not found anywhere else in the world. It is also a big island – 400km by 1,600km – with diverse environments and physical features, from rainforests to deserts, beaches and mountains.
You can fly to the capital Antananarivo from Paris with Air France, Air Madagascar orCorsair for about €900-€1,100 in the summer (you would have to add the cost of Ireland-Paris flights to this). A package tour may be better value and provide an opportunity to see more.Responsible Travel, based in the UK, has a variety of tours to Madagascar, with activities ranging from exploring the flora and fauna to trekking, rafting and hiking in the forests. They have an eco-friendly focus and you would get to see a lot. Prices are from £2,000, including flights, for about two weeks, responsibletravel.com.
We are a family of five children and two adults looking for a sun holiday. We’d like to spend a week or 10 days in Spain, Portugal or Italy, but don’t like scorching weather. W’d like to stay in a spacious apartment or a self-catering villa with a swimming pool. We are looking for somewhere beside a beach, a town and plenty of activities for the children. Do you have any suggestions? AN, Dublin
As you will probably travelling in July or August, the weather will be hot, and usually hottest in August. A villa with a pool is a great idea for cooling down and I’ve seen a lovely selection of properties on world-villa.co.uk with private pools.
Vintagetravel.co.uk have a nice selection with very good videos and pictures of all the properties. Irish company holidayhomesidirect.ie, have villas in France, Spain, Portugal and other EU countries. The Canary Islands are good value this year with villas sleeping up to eight under €2,000 in high season.
Availability for this summer is mixed, with Portugal showing fewer properties still available than Spain or Italy. Expect to pay €1,500 to €4,500 per week, and most of properties are Saturday to Saturday rentals.
Budget accommodation in Knightsbridge! Where to bring the babies and when to book Australia flights. May 25, 2013http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/travel/ask-joan-1.1401557
We are a couple with two adult daughters going to London mid-July for four days. I’m wondering if you could recommend a reasonably priced guesthouse or small hotel near Knightsbridge. MC, Mayo
Reasonably-priced and Knightsbridge don’t really go together, especially when you add in July. So don’t delay and make a booking as quick as possible. I know of one company that is an agency for B&Bs in nice private homes in the Knightsbridge, Chelsea, Kensington and Mayfair areas. Uptown Reservations book accommodation on behalf of homeowners and the rates are around £125 per night for a twin or double. You can contact them on 0044-207 937 2001 and uptownres.co.uk.
Within a reasonable distance from Knightsbridge, the Premier Inns at Earls Court and Olympia work out at around £103 - £125 per night, not including breakfast. TheTravelodge on Drury Lane at Covent Garden is on the underground line to Knightsbridge and has rates from £79- £115 per night.
In nearby Kensington, the Lincoln House Hotel on Gloucester Place has rooms in July from £95-£120 and gives a five per cent discount for cash settlement, lincoln-house-hotel.com.
The Tune Hotel at Westminster is probably one of the lowest priced hotels in London and costs from £50 per night for a double/twin; you will need to bring your own towel and toiletries, or pay a daily extra, tunehotels.com.
We are two couples with new babies who would like to go away for a week, preferably with a bit of sunshine, in September/October time. We are happy to fly but perhaps no longer than 2-3 hours. Ultimately we are looking for an easy holiday with a little sunshine for the parents and suitable for the babies. RF, Wicklow
Travelling with babies can be a bit stressful, with all the paraphernalia, so a jaunt to the Costa del Sol would probably be enough of a trip. Fly Aer Lingus if you can as it has a nice big jet on that route, which is roomy for travelling with babies. The earlier flights in the day are on the A330. October tends to be better value than September.
I think Marbella is a good location for your trip, and stay by the Paseo Maritimo, as you will have a lovely smooth path for buggies, beside the sea and there are plenty of restaurants and cafes here.
There is a good variety of accommodation in Marbella from quality self-catering to nice hotels. For budget self-catering, try puertoazul.net. It is an aparthotel on the Paseo with studio apartments for around €65 per night.
A bit more luxurious accommodation is available in the same area at the Skol Apartments, and their prices go right down in October, skolapartmentsmarbella.com. The four-star NH Hotel Marbella is about 10 minutes walk to the seaside and beside a lively area. Rates in October are under €70 per night, nh-hotels.com.
My family and I are planning to travel to Sydney at the end of January 2014 or beginning of February 2014 for a daughter’s wedding. We are looking for the cheapest possible option. Could you advise please, what would be the best time to book the flights ? We are thinking of travelling with Etihad .
JA, Roscommon
Etihad and Emirates airlines are both competing for the long-haul traffic out of Ireland, and that means great fares for us. Generally they put out sale fares every few months and the easiest way to get notification is to sign up for the online newsletter on their websites.
Both airlines are also working with the travel trade and providing sale fares through travel agents. It may be a good idea to book through an agent as they will have access to all airlines fares and sales. It may also be that another airline will have better prices.
Agents with strong Australia business links are australiatravelcentre.ie, 01-804 7188,trailfinders.ie, 01-677 7888 and usit.ie, 01-602 1906.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Reasonably-priced and Knightsbridge don’t really go together, especially when you add in July. So don’t delay and make a booking as quick as possible. I know of one company that is an agency for B&Bs in nice private homes in the Knightsbridge, Chelsea, Kensington and Mayfair areas. Uptown Reservations book accommodation on behalf of homeowners and the rates are around £125 per night for a twin or double. You can contact them on 0044-207 937 2001 and uptownres.co.uk.
Within a reasonable distance from Knightsbridge, the Premier Inns at Earls Court and Olympia work out at around £103 - £125 per night, not including breakfast. TheTravelodge on Drury Lane at Covent Garden is on the underground line to Knightsbridge and has rates from £79- £115 per night.
In nearby Kensington, the Lincoln House Hotel on Gloucester Place has rooms in July from £95-£120 and gives a five per cent discount for cash settlement, lincoln-house-hotel.com.
The Tune Hotel at Westminster is probably one of the lowest priced hotels in London and costs from £50 per night for a double/twin; you will need to bring your own towel and toiletries, or pay a daily extra, tunehotels.com.
We are two couples with new babies who would like to go away for a week, preferably with a bit of sunshine, in September/October time. We are happy to fly but perhaps no longer than 2-3 hours. Ultimately we are looking for an easy holiday with a little sunshine for the parents and suitable for the babies. RF, Wicklow
Travelling with babies can be a bit stressful, with all the paraphernalia, so a jaunt to the Costa del Sol would probably be enough of a trip. Fly Aer Lingus if you can as it has a nice big jet on that route, which is roomy for travelling with babies. The earlier flights in the day are on the A330. October tends to be better value than September.
I think Marbella is a good location for your trip, and stay by the Paseo Maritimo, as you will have a lovely smooth path for buggies, beside the sea and there are plenty of restaurants and cafes here.
There is a good variety of accommodation in Marbella from quality self-catering to nice hotels. For budget self-catering, try puertoazul.net. It is an aparthotel on the Paseo with studio apartments for around €65 per night.
A bit more luxurious accommodation is available in the same area at the Skol Apartments, and their prices go right down in October, skolapartmentsmarbella.com. The four-star NH Hotel Marbella is about 10 minutes walk to the seaside and beside a lively area. Rates in October are under €70 per night, nh-hotels.com.
My family and I are planning to travel to Sydney at the end of January 2014 or beginning of February 2014 for a daughter’s wedding. We are looking for the cheapest possible option. Could you advise please, what would be the best time to book the flights ? We are thinking of travelling with Etihad .
JA, Roscommon
Etihad and Emirates airlines are both competing for the long-haul traffic out of Ireland, and that means great fares for us. Generally they put out sale fares every few months and the easiest way to get notification is to sign up for the online newsletter on their websites.
Both airlines are also working with the travel trade and providing sale fares through travel agents. It may be a good idea to book through an agent as they will have access to all airlines fares and sales. It may also be that another airline will have better prices.
Agents with strong Australia business links are australiatravelcentre.ie, 01-804 7188,trailfinders.ie, 01-677 7888 and usit.ie, 01-602 1906.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Iceland what to see, girls on tour to the sun and renting a car with a debit card
May 18, 2013
http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/travel/ask-joan-iceland-and-a-quick-dash-to-the-sun-1.1395954
For my 60th birthday, my children gave my husband and I flight-only tickets to Iceland for one week in June. The trip will span the longest days of the year. We are quite active, have travelled a lot and enjoy swimming, walking and getting about. I believe car hire is quite expensive and so I am wondering if it makes more sense to base ourselves someplace and just make day trips? Can you recommend a good tour company that does interesting one-, two- or three-day trips to explore this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to discover Iceland?
ME, Cork
Iceland in midsummer will be a wonderful experience and you can plan on sleeping when you get home as there are many sites to visit and things to see. Car hire will cost in the region of €550-€ 650 for a smallish car for the week and petrol is around the same price as here.
You could weigh up the cost of tours against driving around with a guidebook. The landscape of Iceland in summer is green and safe for driving, though there are long dista nces without habitation.
There are many tour companies to choose from, have a look at bustravel.is andigtours.is. Places that should be on your list to see include Thingvellir national park, where you can stand on the mid- Atlantic ridge of tectonic plates.
The Gullfoss waterfall throws up a huge spray and on sunny days rainbows glint off it. There are plenty of geysers to see and you may also consider a day’s pony trekking withishestar.is. Pony will also feature on menus in restaurants.
The Golden Circle takes in some of the main sights in a day and you can also include whale-watching.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
I have the tough task of organising a three-night sunny holiday abroad for seven women who have paid into a “40” fund. We are looking for a villa with a pool and would like a bar on site. We want to fly from Cork and flying into Malaga seems the most competitive. Any help in terms of accommodation would be great.
AD, Waterford
As you are only going for three nights, then you need to look at the shortest journeys with the best possibilities for a great time. From Cork not only do you have Malaga and the Costa del Sol, but also Majorca until September 16th, and Barcelona, Faro and Nice through to the end of October.
Places to look for villas include jamesvillas.ie, where three nights in the Costa del Sol with flights will cost from €480pps.
Privatevillas.ie also has a selection of lovely houses both on and off resorts in Spain and Portugal. Call them on
01-697 5734.
Most villas to rent on the Costa del Sol with a bar on site tend to be golf resorts, which are not the most exciting places if you are looking for fun. You would be better off to rent a place in, or near, Marbella, Benelmadena or Estepona.
There are some very nice resorts on the Algarve where you have villas/townhouses with hotels and all the facilities of restaurants, spas, bars and pools, such as Pine Cliffswith the Sheraton Hotel.
Check out the Vilamoura area too, though most of the resorts have apartments rather than villas.
We have booked a gîte and our flights to Carcassonne for a two-week holiday in a country location in the Aquitaine. We need to rent a car – however we don’t have a credit card and it seems to hire a car you must have one. We have a debit/Laser card – can you advise what we should do?
JP, Louth
Debit cards are in more frequent use now but hiring a car with one can be very difficult. The major car hire companies will not hire without a credit card. First thing you will need is to change your Laser card to a Visa debit.
You could contact Indigo Car Hire in the UK. Indigo deal with rental companies across Europe that accept debit cards and Carcassonne is one of the locations. Phone for a quote on 0044-113 289 9279, indigocarhire.co.uk.
ME, Cork
Iceland in midsummer will be a wonderful experience and you can plan on sleeping when you get home as there are many sites to visit and things to see. Car hire will cost in the region of €550-€ 650 for a smallish car for the week and petrol is around the same price as here.
You could weigh up the cost of tours against driving around with a guidebook. The landscape of Iceland in summer is green and safe for driving, though there are long dista nces without habitation.
There are many tour companies to choose from, have a look at bustravel.is andigtours.is. Places that should be on your list to see include Thingvellir national park, where you can stand on the mid- Atlantic ridge of tectonic plates.
The Gullfoss waterfall throws up a huge spray and on sunny days rainbows glint off it. There are plenty of geysers to see and you may also consider a day’s pony trekking withishestar.is. Pony will also feature on menus in restaurants.
The Golden Circle takes in some of the main sights in a day and you can also include whale-watching.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
I have the tough task of organising a three-night sunny holiday abroad for seven women who have paid into a “40” fund. We are looking for a villa with a pool and would like a bar on site. We want to fly from Cork and flying into Malaga seems the most competitive. Any help in terms of accommodation would be great.
AD, Waterford
As you are only going for three nights, then you need to look at the shortest journeys with the best possibilities for a great time. From Cork not only do you have Malaga and the Costa del Sol, but also Majorca until September 16th, and Barcelona, Faro and Nice through to the end of October.
Places to look for villas include jamesvillas.ie, where three nights in the Costa del Sol with flights will cost from €480pps.
Privatevillas.ie also has a selection of lovely houses both on and off resorts in Spain and Portugal. Call them on
01-697 5734.
Most villas to rent on the Costa del Sol with a bar on site tend to be golf resorts, which are not the most exciting places if you are looking for fun. You would be better off to rent a place in, or near, Marbella, Benelmadena or Estepona.
There are some very nice resorts on the Algarve where you have villas/townhouses with hotels and all the facilities of restaurants, spas, bars and pools, such as Pine Cliffswith the Sheraton Hotel.
Check out the Vilamoura area too, though most of the resorts have apartments rather than villas.
We have booked a gîte and our flights to Carcassonne for a two-week holiday in a country location in the Aquitaine. We need to rent a car – however we don’t have a credit card and it seems to hire a car you must have one. We have a debit/Laser card – can you advise what we should do?
JP, Louth
Debit cards are in more frequent use now but hiring a car with one can be very difficult. The major car hire companies will not hire without a credit card. First thing you will need is to change your Laser card to a Visa debit.
You could contact Indigo Car Hire in the UK. Indigo deal with rental companies across Europe that accept debit cards and Carcassonne is one of the locations. Phone for a quote on 0044-113 289 9279, indigocarhire.co.uk.
EU visas for Indian nationals, Ile de Re and a honeymoon in Cuba, May 11, 2013
My wife and I are currently resident in Dublin on a work permit. We are from India. We want to travel to Europe (France, Italy, Switzerland, London, etc) but we are not sure how to start and how and where to apply for visas. We want to travel to these places one at a time, i e after every country we want to come back to Dublin and then visit another country. TK, Dublin.
One of the great advantages of living in Ireland is frequent and easy access to many European cities at reasonable prices. Between Ryanair and Aer Lingus there are dozens of cities within comfortable range.
As Indian nationals, the best option for you would be to obtain a Schengen multiple entry visa. The Schengen visa area covers 25 countries in Europe, though not the UK.
You can apply for a Schengen visa to any of the countries you are intending to visit. I would suggest you pick a bigger country with an embassy here. Be prepared to provide documentation to qualify your stay in Ireland, financial situation and have travel and medical insurance for the two of you. Strong documentation will ensure that you get your visa.
For travelling to the UK you will have to apply separately, unless the visa you have to Ireland allows for travel to the UK. You may have had to obtain a UK visa for your journey to Ireland. Check with the British embassy in Dublin. There is a website indiansinireland.com that has a discussion area and you may find some help/suggestions here too.
We would like to bring our 14-year-old son to Île de Ré for two weeks in July. It will be our first trip without his older siblings so somewhere with a pool where he could meet other teens would be good. We would prefer an apartment or hotel; we are not too keen on camping but would if we have to. Our budget including flights is €3,000 at the very most. BM, Louth.
Île de Ré is a beautiful place, is very popular with the French and can be expensive. Ryanair flights to La Rochelle will cost in the region of €750 - €900, book midweek for better value. I think you can forget about a hotel for two weeks, there is very little availability and rates are from €2,000 upwards.
There are plenty of houses, villas and apartments to rent in Île de Ré, but July is high season and reflected in the prices. However, I have seen some places within your budget on homeaway.co.uk. Pierre and Vacances have a property in St Martin de Ré with pool and it would probably be ideal with your son as he would meet other children, check out dates on pv-holidays.com.
Otherwise your option is camping/mobile home rental, which again would probably suit your son as the sites have pools and there would be other teenagers around. See a list of all types of accommodation on tourisme-iledere.com. Factor in bike rental for your holidays as that is the most popular way to get around Île de Ré.
We are thinking of going on honeymoon in Cuba just after Christmas this year for 10 days; where would you recommend we stay? We were looking at Varadero as it looks like having amazing beaches but couldn’t face screaming children so a resort with an adults-only policy would be good. We also want to see Havana.
We were also looking at other Caribbean islands but the cost for both accommodation and food seems ridiculous – are there any hideaway places that aren’t at extortionate prices? AG, Dublin.
The Caribbean is very expensive for all islands and resorts particularly around Christmas and New Year. The best value I think is Thomson Holidays flying from London Gatwick and if you can have your honeymoon in the first week in January, the prices fall even further. A week in an all-inclusive adults-only resort will cost around €1,400 plus your London Gatwick flight. Thomson also has holidays to Barbados, Aruba, Dominican Republic and Jamaica, thomson.co.uk.
You could also talk to classicresorts.ie and travelmood.ie, as they both have extensive holidays to the Caribbean.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
One of the great advantages of living in Ireland is frequent and easy access to many European cities at reasonable prices. Between Ryanair and Aer Lingus there are dozens of cities within comfortable range.
As Indian nationals, the best option for you would be to obtain a Schengen multiple entry visa. The Schengen visa area covers 25 countries in Europe, though not the UK.
You can apply for a Schengen visa to any of the countries you are intending to visit. I would suggest you pick a bigger country with an embassy here. Be prepared to provide documentation to qualify your stay in Ireland, financial situation and have travel and medical insurance for the two of you. Strong documentation will ensure that you get your visa.
For travelling to the UK you will have to apply separately, unless the visa you have to Ireland allows for travel to the UK. You may have had to obtain a UK visa for your journey to Ireland. Check with the British embassy in Dublin. There is a website indiansinireland.com that has a discussion area and you may find some help/suggestions here too.
We would like to bring our 14-year-old son to Île de Ré for two weeks in July. It will be our first trip without his older siblings so somewhere with a pool where he could meet other teens would be good. We would prefer an apartment or hotel; we are not too keen on camping but would if we have to. Our budget including flights is €3,000 at the very most. BM, Louth.
Île de Ré is a beautiful place, is very popular with the French and can be expensive. Ryanair flights to La Rochelle will cost in the region of €750 - €900, book midweek for better value. I think you can forget about a hotel for two weeks, there is very little availability and rates are from €2,000 upwards.
There are plenty of houses, villas and apartments to rent in Île de Ré, but July is high season and reflected in the prices. However, I have seen some places within your budget on homeaway.co.uk. Pierre and Vacances have a property in St Martin de Ré with pool and it would probably be ideal with your son as he would meet other children, check out dates on pv-holidays.com.
Otherwise your option is camping/mobile home rental, which again would probably suit your son as the sites have pools and there would be other teenagers around. See a list of all types of accommodation on tourisme-iledere.com. Factor in bike rental for your holidays as that is the most popular way to get around Île de Ré.
We are thinking of going on honeymoon in Cuba just after Christmas this year for 10 days; where would you recommend we stay? We were looking at Varadero as it looks like having amazing beaches but couldn’t face screaming children so a resort with an adults-only policy would be good. We also want to see Havana.
We were also looking at other Caribbean islands but the cost for both accommodation and food seems ridiculous – are there any hideaway places that aren’t at extortionate prices? AG, Dublin.
The Caribbean is very expensive for all islands and resorts particularly around Christmas and New Year. The best value I think is Thomson Holidays flying from London Gatwick and if you can have your honeymoon in the first week in January, the prices fall even further. A week in an all-inclusive adults-only resort will cost around €1,400 plus your London Gatwick flight. Thomson also has holidays to Barbados, Aruba, Dominican Republic and Jamaica, thomson.co.uk.
You could also talk to classicresorts.ie and travelmood.ie, as they both have extensive holidays to the Caribbean.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about where to have a house party in Ireland, discovering Krakow and Auschwitz, and finding a hotel in Stockholm, May 4, 2013.
For a gathering in September of an Irish and US family, we are looking for a dream place in Ireland where we could all stay, self-catering. We are 21 to 25 adults, and nine children under six. We would love a place where all the siblings and cousins could sit and chat all night if they wished, while the children slept in the same house. It would be nice to have the use of a swimming pool. – JE, Dublin
There are not many self-catering places in the country that can sleep up to 34 people under one roof and with a swimming pool. Pricing for these types of properties are specific to each group and depend on your requirements and length of stay.
A close option would be Ross Castle in Co Galway. It is a beautiful estate about 16km from Galway city. There is a main castle which sleeps up to 10 and Park Hall sleeps up to 16. The castle dining room accommodates 30 for dinner. There are a number of other period buildings on the estate. It does have a swimming pool, tennis courts, acres of garden and a lake. See rosscastle.com.
In Kerry, near Beaufort and the Gap of Dunloe, Laune House is a Georgian mansion on 40 acres of woodland and has 15 bedrooms with plenty of space for all the gang. It would be an ideal location for exploring the Ring of Kerry. You can find pictures and details of Laune House on homeaway.com, property number 413157.
De Burgh Manor near Athy, Co Kildare is a 15-bedroom Palladian mansion and can easily fit your group. It has a sauna, gym, snooker room and acres of gardens. There would be lots of space for everyone. There is a full restaurant-style kitchen for self-catering. See deburghmanor.com.
Finally, there is an agency, Adams & Butler, that specialises in finding large houses for groups such as yours. It might be worth contacting them as they are familiar with all types of properties around the country. Tel: 01-2889355, adamsandbutler.com.
Do you know if any company does organised trips to Krakow? We are interested in going there with the intention of visiting Auschwitz. We are two men in our 60s. – MM, Tipperary
The Travel Department offers three-night tours to Krakow from Dublin in May, September and October. The itinerary includes a full day tour to Auschwitz-Birkenau site and a visit to the famous salt mines at Wieliczka. The price, from €439pps, includes flights, accommodation in the three-star Hotel Chopin and the guided tours. There is also a city tour included. You can book on 01-6371600, traveldepartment.ie.
I am looking for accommodation in Stockholm for the weekend of May31st- June 3rd for two adults . I am aware that Sweden is not a cheap destination . However I am finding it hard to find even reasonably priced accommodation which is central for sightseeing. My budget is €150 per night.
– CMK, Dublin.
Prices in Stockholm are higher than here and finding a reasonably priced hotel can be a bit difficult, but not impossible.
If you see a room available in the Victory, Lord Nelson and Lady Hamilton hotels, from the thecollectorshotels.se, for your dates in and around your price, book it. They are lovely period hotels with a nautical touch, in good locations.
Other hotels to check out are the Hellsten’s Malmgard, the Best Western Bentleys and some of the properties from the Scandic Hotel group. These are all within your budget, but make sure to book a hotel that includes breakfast, to keep the costs down.
Surf the various hotel booking sites to find the best prices. Some good ones to try include booking.com, trivago.com, and lastminute.com.
Ask Joan about cycling in Andalucia, family holiday in Italy and where to go in October, April 27, 2013
For several years me, my husband and our two boys ( eight and 10) havestayed at an all-inclusive hotel in Ireland but the boys are now past the activities on offer there. So we thought of booking something in Spain,Portugal or around Lake Garda in Italy.
The boys are very active, love sports and crafts and we were thinking of a hotel with half board and a kids’ club . We haven’t been to Europe before so don’t know where to begin. Have we left it a bit late to book something around the first week in July? – MQ, Down.
The first week in July is high season and quite a lot of holidays are booked up. I have come up with three possibilities. The Falcon Holiday Village in the Algarve is a great place for families. There are lots of activities with kids clubs, soccer camps, drama, and sports. The resort is at Balaia an hour from Faro airport. The price, from €792pps, is for an all-inclusive holiday (falconholidays.ie).
From Belfast there are all-inclusive holidays in the Insotel Punta Prima resort in Menorca. This has a kids’ clubs, entertainment, a tennis school and football. This costs from £792pps (€929) with thomsonholidays.co.uk.
Holidays to Lake Garda from Belfast with Crystal Holidays are booked out but Topflight has availability for self-catering, B&B and some half board.
The Hotel Splendid Palace, overlooking the lake at Limone, has great outdoor swimming pools and a children’s’ club.
If you go to Lake Garda, the boys might like to visit Gardaland, Italy’s biggest theme park.
A week in the Splendid Palace half board will cost from £793pps (€930.50) throughtopflight.ie.
We’re a family with four children aged from six to 12. We’ll be in Cad iz in Spain for a week in June visiting family and plan to stay for another week, ideally doing an activit y holiday,such as an organised cycling trip. Can you suggest any? We will hire a car. – JT, Dublin.
In the hills of Andalucia at Montecorto is Andalucian Cycling Experience. Everyone is catered for here, from tots to hard-muscled ironmen.
Each family has their own guide and routes are tailored each day to the family’s ability. If anyone gets too tired, there is a support team to collect you and bring you back to base. You don’t have to cycle every day, you can also go hiking, horse-riding, canoeing or sight-seeing in the white villages of Andalucia.
Based in the village of Montecorto, near Ronda, the accommodation is either self-catering in a townhouse or farmhouse hotel. The self-catering costs from €425 per adult with discounts for children based on age. The price includes accommodation, bicycle and guided bike ride every day. Though you may like to take day out to visit Ronda or explore the area. Details from Ashley on 0034-952 184042 and andaluciancyclingexperience.com.
My boyfriend and I are looking for a two-week adventure/sun/beach holiday departing early October but we’re finding it difficult to decide on a destination due to the time of year. It’s either out of season or monsoon season in a lot of places. – TC, Cork.
When it’s out of season in the northern hemisphere, it’s in-season in the southern hemisphere while places along the equator do not vary too much in temperatures.
In the tropical zone, October is hurricane and typhoon season, and you can be lucky or unlucky.
How about surfing in the Canary Islands? Surfholidays. com has a base in Lanzarote and you could combine adventure with sunbathing. There are direct flights to Lanzarote from Cork.
Further afield explore.co.uk has a variety of adventure trips during October all around the world. You could trek the Atlas Mountains in Morocco, walk the Lycian Way in Turkey, cycle in Cuba, safari in South Africa and explore South East Asia or India.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.comhttp://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/travel/ask-joan-cycling-in-andalucia-first-time-family-holiday-in-europe-where-to-go-in-october-1.1375330
The boys are very active, love sports and crafts and we were thinking of a hotel with half board and a kids’ club . We haven’t been to Europe before so don’t know where to begin. Have we left it a bit late to book something around the first week in July? – MQ, Down.
The first week in July is high season and quite a lot of holidays are booked up. I have come up with three possibilities. The Falcon Holiday Village in the Algarve is a great place for families. There are lots of activities with kids clubs, soccer camps, drama, and sports. The resort is at Balaia an hour from Faro airport. The price, from €792pps, is for an all-inclusive holiday (falconholidays.ie).
From Belfast there are all-inclusive holidays in the Insotel Punta Prima resort in Menorca. This has a kids’ clubs, entertainment, a tennis school and football. This costs from £792pps (€929) with thomsonholidays.co.uk.
Holidays to Lake Garda from Belfast with Crystal Holidays are booked out but Topflight has availability for self-catering, B&B and some half board.
The Hotel Splendid Palace, overlooking the lake at Limone, has great outdoor swimming pools and a children’s’ club.
If you go to Lake Garda, the boys might like to visit Gardaland, Italy’s biggest theme park.
A week in the Splendid Palace half board will cost from £793pps (€930.50) throughtopflight.ie.
We’re a family with four children aged from six to 12. We’ll be in Cad iz in Spain for a week in June visiting family and plan to stay for another week, ideally doing an activit y holiday,such as an organised cycling trip. Can you suggest any? We will hire a car. – JT, Dublin.
In the hills of Andalucia at Montecorto is Andalucian Cycling Experience. Everyone is catered for here, from tots to hard-muscled ironmen.
Each family has their own guide and routes are tailored each day to the family’s ability. If anyone gets too tired, there is a support team to collect you and bring you back to base. You don’t have to cycle every day, you can also go hiking, horse-riding, canoeing or sight-seeing in the white villages of Andalucia.
Based in the village of Montecorto, near Ronda, the accommodation is either self-catering in a townhouse or farmhouse hotel. The self-catering costs from €425 per adult with discounts for children based on age. The price includes accommodation, bicycle and guided bike ride every day. Though you may like to take day out to visit Ronda or explore the area. Details from Ashley on 0034-952 184042 and andaluciancyclingexperience.com.
My boyfriend and I are looking for a two-week adventure/sun/beach holiday departing early October but we’re finding it difficult to decide on a destination due to the time of year. It’s either out of season or monsoon season in a lot of places. – TC, Cork.
When it’s out of season in the northern hemisphere, it’s in-season in the southern hemisphere while places along the equator do not vary too much in temperatures.
In the tropical zone, October is hurricane and typhoon season, and you can be lucky or unlucky.
How about surfing in the Canary Islands? Surfholidays. com has a base in Lanzarote and you could combine adventure with sunbathing. There are direct flights to Lanzarote from Cork.
Further afield explore.co.uk has a variety of adventure trips during October all around the world. You could trek the Atlas Mountains in Morocco, walk the Lycian Way in Turkey, cycle in Cuba, safari in South Africa and explore South East Asia or India.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.comhttp://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/travel/ask-joan-cycling-in-andalucia-first-time-family-holiday-in-europe-where-to-go-in-october-1.1375330
Ask Joan about a Honeymoon to Santorini, travelling around Ireland by rail and finding a villa in Tuscany
Myself and my fiancé are searching for a honeymoon. We hope to go at the start of September for two weeks. We have a notion of going to Greece for a good break away from it all, to eat, sleep and celebrate our marriage.
We looked at the island of Santorini, but it seems so out of budget (approximately £2,500/€3,000 for flights and accommodation), and now we are looking at Crete. We want a quiet, beautiful place where we can relax, and if possible with a pool.
We are looking at so much that we need guidance please. M&B, Antrim.
Santorini is a beautiful island and does have a lot of very pricey hotels. But don’t be put off, you can still go there.Thomas Cook has holidays to Santorini from London Gatwick for two weeks under £600 each, staying in two- and three-star hotels with B&B. You can visit the luxury hotels for cocktails.
Crete is also available from both Belfast with Thomas Cook and from Dublin with Falcon Holidays. Prices are under £600 each, but don’t book Hersonissos, it tends to be busy with students celebrating exams at that time of the year. If you want to strike out alone and make your own bookings, you could probably shave a bit off the price depending on the type of hotel or accommodation you choose. The airfares are quite high, from £250-£300 each from Gatwick with Easyjet to Santorini or Crete.
Or you could take the charter flight to Crete from Belfast on Tuesdays with thomascook.com for around £359 each or thefalconholidays.ie charter from Dublin on Saturdays from €379 each. On Crete, places to consider for your honeymoon are Elounda, very pretty and up-market; Bali with its steep streets and picturesque cove; and Rethymno, which has lovely resorts around the ancient Roman city.
You will find great hotel deals on booking.com and hotels.com.
We are planning a two-week holiday in Tuscany this August. There will be three of us travelling from Ireland and four from London. I would be grateful if you could suggest any good websites to check or any other information regarding villa rental. Any advice on good car hire companies would also be appreciated. PG, Dublin.
Travel by train is always an enjoyable experience and there are a number of rail cards that might suit for your holidays. The Trekkerfour gives four consecutive days of rail travel for €110. The Explorer card gives you five days’ rail travel in 15 consecutive days for €160.
This year in light of the Gathering, there are special tickets for rail and Bus Éireann travel. Three consecutive days’ travel on train or bus cost €99 and seven consecutive days cost €199, see irishrail.ie and buseireann.ie. Tickets have to be purchased at train stations. There are many festivals on around the country and you could tie in your travel with some of these events, see
discoverireland.ie.
We are planning a two-week holiday in Tuscany this August. There will be three of us travelling from Ireland and four from London.
I would be grateful if you could suggest any good websites to check or any other information regarding villa rental. Any advice on good car hire companies would also be appreciated. PG, Dublin.
There is an agent in Ireland for To-Tuscany Villas, established in 1998, Eamonn Flanagan has seen many of the properties to rent and can advise you on a suitable place for your family, see to-tuscany.ie or phone 01-663 3939. Car hire can be pricy in Italy and larger vehicles tend to book out quickly, so book your car as soon as you confirm dates. Try arguscarhire.com or autoeurope.com.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
We looked at the island of Santorini, but it seems so out of budget (approximately £2,500/€3,000 for flights and accommodation), and now we are looking at Crete. We want a quiet, beautiful place where we can relax, and if possible with a pool.
We are looking at so much that we need guidance please. M&B, Antrim.
Santorini is a beautiful island and does have a lot of very pricey hotels. But don’t be put off, you can still go there.Thomas Cook has holidays to Santorini from London Gatwick for two weeks under £600 each, staying in two- and three-star hotels with B&B. You can visit the luxury hotels for cocktails.
Crete is also available from both Belfast with Thomas Cook and from Dublin with Falcon Holidays. Prices are under £600 each, but don’t book Hersonissos, it tends to be busy with students celebrating exams at that time of the year. If you want to strike out alone and make your own bookings, you could probably shave a bit off the price depending on the type of hotel or accommodation you choose. The airfares are quite high, from £250-£300 each from Gatwick with Easyjet to Santorini or Crete.
Or you could take the charter flight to Crete from Belfast on Tuesdays with thomascook.com for around £359 each or thefalconholidays.ie charter from Dublin on Saturdays from €379 each. On Crete, places to consider for your honeymoon are Elounda, very pretty and up-market; Bali with its steep streets and picturesque cove; and Rethymno, which has lovely resorts around the ancient Roman city.
You will find great hotel deals on booking.com and hotels.com.
We are planning a two-week holiday in Tuscany this August. There will be three of us travelling from Ireland and four from London. I would be grateful if you could suggest any good websites to check or any other information regarding villa rental. Any advice on good car hire companies would also be appreciated. PG, Dublin.
Travel by train is always an enjoyable experience and there are a number of rail cards that might suit for your holidays. The Trekkerfour gives four consecutive days of rail travel for €110. The Explorer card gives you five days’ rail travel in 15 consecutive days for €160.
This year in light of the Gathering, there are special tickets for rail and Bus Éireann travel. Three consecutive days’ travel on train or bus cost €99 and seven consecutive days cost €199, see irishrail.ie and buseireann.ie. Tickets have to be purchased at train stations. There are many festivals on around the country and you could tie in your travel with some of these events, see
discoverireland.ie.
We are planning a two-week holiday in Tuscany this August. There will be three of us travelling from Ireland and four from London.
I would be grateful if you could suggest any good websites to check or any other information regarding villa rental. Any advice on good car hire companies would also be appreciated. PG, Dublin.
There is an agent in Ireland for To-Tuscany Villas, established in 1998, Eamonn Flanagan has seen many of the properties to rent and can advise you on a suitable place for your family, see to-tuscany.ie or phone 01-663 3939. Car hire can be pricy in Italy and larger vehicles tend to book out quickly, so book your car as soon as you confirm dates. Try arguscarhire.com or autoeurope.com.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Finding a room in Panama, gorillias in mist in Uganda and can I get to Stuttgart in the winter, April 13, 2013
We are a group of five hoping to rent an apartment in Panama city for two to three days in June on our way to Costa Rica. I have been advised that the safest place to stay in the city is the financial district. We are on a tight budget so any advice you can give us would be most welcome. BM, Dublin
Panama is becoming a popular destination for holidays and the range of available accommodation is wide.
There is a company that specialises in accommodation rentals,
panamastays.com. June should be a better value month than others as it is not high season, although you can expect hot and humid weather.
See also the modern Coral Suites Hotel where they have rooms with kitchen facilities. Prices are around €80 per night if you book in advance, coralsuitespanama.com. They may have some suites that will take your group with a roll-away bed; check directly with the hotel.
There is also a good selection of apartments to rent on vrbo.com, though the prices are a bit higher and there is a minimum stay in most.
See also hostelworld.com for a variety of accommodation types such as B&Bs, guesthouses and budget hotels from €11pp per night.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
I am travelling to Kampala in Uganda for a conference in early June. We intend spending a few days after the conference exploring more of Uganda and, as we will only have three days, I want to optimise our time. Can you please recommend some “not to miss” things to do?
EQ, Kildare
The Pearl of Africa has one amazing thing you must see, incredible wildlife, in herds, up trees, running across plains and lurking in forests. The country with 10 national parks will give you the opportunity to see wild animals up close, spot amazing birds and wonder at the hundreds of butterflies.
There are companies that arrange trips and you can either book in advance or there may be something arranged in conjunction with your conference. Sometimes there are post-conference tours. See also visituganda.com.
Pick a park within easy range of Kampala, keeping in mind distances take a long time to cover in Africa. Some parks do have airfields and you could fly in. Visits to north-eastern Uganda are not recommended due to lawlessness, seefco.gov.uk.
If you can afford it, tracking the mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park would be rewarding. This is the habitat of the last remaining mountain gorillas, and you could see how Dian Fossey felt. It costs up to $500 for a day’s tracking and you must have a permit. Seeugandawildlife.org for details of tour companies and details for visiting national parks. You can also relax in a beach-side resort on the shores of the ocean-sized Lake Victoria.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Aer Lingus issued their winter schedule to all German destinations last week, except Stuttgart. Can you check if they will have a winter service there this year? RR, Wexford.
Stuttgart is a seasonal service and only operates from May to October. You will find services via Frankfurt with Lufthansa and via Zurich with Swiss Air.
Panama is becoming a popular destination for holidays and the range of available accommodation is wide.
There is a company that specialises in accommodation rentals,
panamastays.com. June should be a better value month than others as it is not high season, although you can expect hot and humid weather.
See also the modern Coral Suites Hotel where they have rooms with kitchen facilities. Prices are around €80 per night if you book in advance, coralsuitespanama.com. They may have some suites that will take your group with a roll-away bed; check directly with the hotel.
There is also a good selection of apartments to rent on vrbo.com, though the prices are a bit higher and there is a minimum stay in most.
See also hostelworld.com for a variety of accommodation types such as B&Bs, guesthouses and budget hotels from €11pp per night.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
I am travelling to Kampala in Uganda for a conference in early June. We intend spending a few days after the conference exploring more of Uganda and, as we will only have three days, I want to optimise our time. Can you please recommend some “not to miss” things to do?
EQ, Kildare
The Pearl of Africa has one amazing thing you must see, incredible wildlife, in herds, up trees, running across plains and lurking in forests. The country with 10 national parks will give you the opportunity to see wild animals up close, spot amazing birds and wonder at the hundreds of butterflies.
There are companies that arrange trips and you can either book in advance or there may be something arranged in conjunction with your conference. Sometimes there are post-conference tours. See also visituganda.com.
Pick a park within easy range of Kampala, keeping in mind distances take a long time to cover in Africa. Some parks do have airfields and you could fly in. Visits to north-eastern Uganda are not recommended due to lawlessness, seefco.gov.uk.
If you can afford it, tracking the mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park would be rewarding. This is the habitat of the last remaining mountain gorillas, and you could see how Dian Fossey felt. It costs up to $500 for a day’s tracking and you must have a permit. Seeugandawildlife.org for details of tour companies and details for visiting national parks. You can also relax in a beach-side resort on the shores of the ocean-sized Lake Victoria.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Aer Lingus issued their winter schedule to all German destinations last week, except Stuttgart. Can you check if they will have a winter service there this year? RR, Wexford.
Stuttgart is a seasonal service and only operates from May to October. You will find services via Frankfurt with Lufthansa and via Zurich with Swiss Air.
Gardens to visit in Paris and Rome, walking in Austria and budget hotels in Paris , April 6.
My wife, who is a keen gardener, will be 70 later this year and would like to go on an escorted tour of some gardens in France (around Paris) or Italy. She is fully mobile but steep slopes would be a bit of a problem. I would be going with her and am also mobile. – IP, Antrim
One of the most famous gardens to see in the Paris area is Monet’s inspiration, Giverny and a visit there will be included in a tour guided by gardening expert Dermot O’Neill in September, with thetraveldepartment.co.uk,
tel: 028-90998620.
The four-day trip to Paris will also include a visit to the famous gardens at Versailles and to see the Rose Garden at Jardin de Bagatelle. There will be a boat trip on the Seine the first evening and the activity level is moderate. The price, from €799pps, includes flights, accommodation and all the tours.
O’Neill also guides a tour to the Gardens of Rome which includes the Vatican gardens and the Villa d’Este and is actually on this week and may not appear again until next spring. There is a tour to the gardens of the Italian lakes in October, details on the website.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
I would love to go on a walking holiday in Austria, probably on my own. Can you suggest some walking holidays? I would like my bags moved from place to place. – MH, Cork
Austria is a great country for walking holidays, with a well developed infrastructure. Uwalk.ie, which is part of Navan Travel, has been arranging walking holidays in Austria for some years.
This year they will have independent walking on Eagles Way in Walschee in the Zahmer Kaiser Mountains in the Tirol.
The week’s guided walking will take you from Walschee to Achenkirch, staying in three hotels along the way on a half board basis. Luggage and transfers are included in the price, from €729pps, single supplement is €100 and flights are extra.
Uwalk will also have group walks this year to the Zillertal Alps, based at Mayrhofen, and another at Zell am See, the lakeside town under the Schmittenhöhe. If you are looking for more challenging walks, a trip to the Oetz Valley in Solden will have a choice of more strenuous adventures, Prices work out at about €100 per day half board, with €10-15 per night single supplement.
Another walk to consider in Austria is the Alpe Adria trail that connects the three regions of Carinithia. The long distance hiking trail leads from Austria’s highest mountain, the Grossglocker, through mountains and lakes to where Austria, Italy and Slovenia intersect. See alpe-adria-trail.com for details.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
I am planning a trip to Paris in early June with three friends. Would you be able to recommend accommodation that is central to the hotspots, but also relatively cheap? (Nothing too basic, but also keeping college students’ budget in mind.)
– EC, Dublin
The one thing about Paris, is that you get what you pay for, and not a lot of it at that. The less you pay, the further from the city centre you may find yourselves. French budget hotels tend to be quite basic, but not bad. Ibis Hotels has quite a few properties in and around the city centre, costing from €100-€130 per night. See ibis.com. See also, comforthotels.com, for hotels at prices from around €89 to €120.
Montmartre tends to be a cheaper area for hotels and is lively. Have a look also at what deals ebookers.ie is offering. I have seen Paris trips for three nights with flights and hotel costing from €320pps.
One of the most famous gardens to see in the Paris area is Monet’s inspiration, Giverny and a visit there will be included in a tour guided by gardening expert Dermot O’Neill in September, with thetraveldepartment.co.uk,
tel: 028-90998620.
The four-day trip to Paris will also include a visit to the famous gardens at Versailles and to see the Rose Garden at Jardin de Bagatelle. There will be a boat trip on the Seine the first evening and the activity level is moderate. The price, from €799pps, includes flights, accommodation and all the tours.
O’Neill also guides a tour to the Gardens of Rome which includes the Vatican gardens and the Villa d’Este and is actually on this week and may not appear again until next spring. There is a tour to the gardens of the Italian lakes in October, details on the website.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
I would love to go on a walking holiday in Austria, probably on my own. Can you suggest some walking holidays? I would like my bags moved from place to place. – MH, Cork
Austria is a great country for walking holidays, with a well developed infrastructure. Uwalk.ie, which is part of Navan Travel, has been arranging walking holidays in Austria for some years.
This year they will have independent walking on Eagles Way in Walschee in the Zahmer Kaiser Mountains in the Tirol.
The week’s guided walking will take you from Walschee to Achenkirch, staying in three hotels along the way on a half board basis. Luggage and transfers are included in the price, from €729pps, single supplement is €100 and flights are extra.
Uwalk will also have group walks this year to the Zillertal Alps, based at Mayrhofen, and another at Zell am See, the lakeside town under the Schmittenhöhe. If you are looking for more challenging walks, a trip to the Oetz Valley in Solden will have a choice of more strenuous adventures, Prices work out at about €100 per day half board, with €10-15 per night single supplement.
Another walk to consider in Austria is the Alpe Adria trail that connects the three regions of Carinithia. The long distance hiking trail leads from Austria’s highest mountain, the Grossglocker, through mountains and lakes to where Austria, Italy and Slovenia intersect. See alpe-adria-trail.com for details.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
I am planning a trip to Paris in early June with three friends. Would you be able to recommend accommodation that is central to the hotspots, but also relatively cheap? (Nothing too basic, but also keeping college students’ budget in mind.)
– EC, Dublin
The one thing about Paris, is that you get what you pay for, and not a lot of it at that. The less you pay, the further from the city centre you may find yourselves. French budget hotels tend to be quite basic, but not bad. Ibis Hotels has quite a few properties in and around the city centre, costing from €100-€130 per night. See ibis.com. See also, comforthotels.com, for hotels at prices from around €89 to €120.
Montmartre tends to be a cheaper area for hotels and is lively. Have a look also at what deals ebookers.ie is offering. I have seen Paris trips for three nights with flights and hotel costing from €320pps.
Ask Joan about England with teenagers, rail trips from France to Spain, and cooking holidays in Spain, March 30
We are hoping for some advice on how to go about planning a holiday in England for a family with two teenagers for two weeks in June. We would like to stay self-catering in two historic cities, such as Bath and Oxford, but wondering would there be easy access to activities to suit our children. Shopping, and a theme park/outdoor adventure centre would be of interest. We're planning to travel to the UK by ferry, taking our car.
– PR, Kildare
England is a surprisingly good destination for families with teenagers as there are many things to keep them occupied. Consider Alton Towers with Irish Ferries or Celtic Horizon Tours. Both companies have good value family packages. See irishferries.com, celtichorizontours.com.
Bath is a lovely city and a good base for exploring the surrounding countryside. Places like the Cheddar Gorge, Longleat Safari Park and Stonehenge are worth visiting. The town’s website site is visitbath.co.uk, where there is a list of self-catering accommodation.
The city of Bristol has lots of interesting things to see including the Planetarium, the Clifton Suspension Bridge, historic ships, the science museum and walks like the slave history trail. See visitbristol.co.uk.
Another option for this area is to hire a narrow boat to explore the Kennet and Avon Canal which runs from Bath to Reading. Find boating holidays on canalrivertrust.org.uk.
Oxford is a bustling city with many attractions, not least of which are the dreaming spires and 39 colleges dotted around. A visit to one or two might be of interest. Seeoxfordcity.co.uk.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
We are two adults and two kids going to the Loire Valley, near Saumur, on holidays and would we like to take a side trip to Barcelona for a few days. The problem is that when I go on to the SNCF website for train schedules I can’t get anything on getting from Saumur to Barcelona. I would appreciate it very much if you had any suggestions that might help me track some hard info down.
– RC, Dublin.
It would be quite a journey from Saumur by rail to Barcelona, but it can be done, and will take most of a day. It will mean a bit of searching and planning and the rail timetables and fares are usually only loaded into the computer systems from one to three months in advance.
You would use French rail services to the nearest border town then swap over to Spanish services. Perpignan is a good routing, with fewer changes.
voyages.sncf.com and renfe.com will the main sites to use.
Orléans is the mainline station in the area you are staying and you may have to connect there from the local train service. Last year Deutsche Bahn, the German railway service, opened an office in Ireland and they can sell tickets on all major rail services in Europe, see the website, bahn.ie or call them on 01-866 5841. See also raileurope.com andSeat61. com.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
My partner and I would like to do a course on Spanish cooking in Spain in September. We’d be grateful for any advice or suggestions. - PS, Dublin
Have a look at these two companies for cooking courses in Spain: A Taste of Spain and The Spanish Thyme Traveller. A Taste of Spain has been around for quite a few years and runs cooking classes in all the major cities of Spain, such as Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, San Sebastian, Cadiz and Marbella from €145 per day. The classes run most of the year and usually involve trips to the market to shop for local ingredients. They also have food tours of the Spanish regions. See a tasteofspain.com.
The Spanish Thyme Traveller has among its tours a cooking holiday that focuses on one of Spain’s signature dishes, paella. Based in Valencia, over three days you will discover the secrets of paella, explore Valencia, visit the rice growing region and a bodega.The course is available in September for €650 pps. Details from thespanishthymetraveller.com.
– PR, Kildare
England is a surprisingly good destination for families with teenagers as there are many things to keep them occupied. Consider Alton Towers with Irish Ferries or Celtic Horizon Tours. Both companies have good value family packages. See irishferries.com, celtichorizontours.com.
Bath is a lovely city and a good base for exploring the surrounding countryside. Places like the Cheddar Gorge, Longleat Safari Park and Stonehenge are worth visiting. The town’s website site is visitbath.co.uk, where there is a list of self-catering accommodation.
The city of Bristol has lots of interesting things to see including the Planetarium, the Clifton Suspension Bridge, historic ships, the science museum and walks like the slave history trail. See visitbristol.co.uk.
Another option for this area is to hire a narrow boat to explore the Kennet and Avon Canal which runs from Bath to Reading. Find boating holidays on canalrivertrust.org.uk.
Oxford is a bustling city with many attractions, not least of which are the dreaming spires and 39 colleges dotted around. A visit to one or two might be of interest. Seeoxfordcity.co.uk.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
We are two adults and two kids going to the Loire Valley, near Saumur, on holidays and would we like to take a side trip to Barcelona for a few days. The problem is that when I go on to the SNCF website for train schedules I can’t get anything on getting from Saumur to Barcelona. I would appreciate it very much if you had any suggestions that might help me track some hard info down.
– RC, Dublin.
It would be quite a journey from Saumur by rail to Barcelona, but it can be done, and will take most of a day. It will mean a bit of searching and planning and the rail timetables and fares are usually only loaded into the computer systems from one to three months in advance.
You would use French rail services to the nearest border town then swap over to Spanish services. Perpignan is a good routing, with fewer changes.
voyages.sncf.com and renfe.com will the main sites to use.
Orléans is the mainline station in the area you are staying and you may have to connect there from the local train service. Last year Deutsche Bahn, the German railway service, opened an office in Ireland and they can sell tickets on all major rail services in Europe, see the website, bahn.ie or call them on 01-866 5841. See also raileurope.com andSeat61. com.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
My partner and I would like to do a course on Spanish cooking in Spain in September. We’d be grateful for any advice or suggestions. - PS, Dublin
Have a look at these two companies for cooking courses in Spain: A Taste of Spain and The Spanish Thyme Traveller. A Taste of Spain has been around for quite a few years and runs cooking classes in all the major cities of Spain, such as Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, San Sebastian, Cadiz and Marbella from €145 per day. The classes run most of the year and usually involve trips to the market to shop for local ingredients. They also have food tours of the Spanish regions. See a tasteofspain.com.
The Spanish Thyme Traveller has among its tours a cooking holiday that focuses on one of Spain’s signature dishes, paella. Based in Valencia, over three days you will discover the secrets of paella, explore Valencia, visit the rice growing region and a bodega.The course is available in September for €650 pps. Details from thespanishthymetraveller.com.
Ask Joan about Outdoor fun in Florida, Taormina hotels, and getting to Piran or Portoroz, March 23.
We are a family of four with two children, 12 and 8, looking for suggestions on where to base ourselves in Florida for a 10-day holiday in mid april. We are more interested in exploring, adventurous outdoor pursuits and seeing the wildlife than theme parks – AM, Dublin
Florida is a great place for enjoying the outdoors and there are hundreds of things to do if you are interested in wildlife. The state is easy to get about with a good road system. Families tend to base themselves in the central area around Orlando for access to theme parks and good value accommodation. Or on the Gulf Coast where there are lots of lovely seaside towns like Naples, Sarasota, Bradenton, and Venice and islands such as Sanibel, Captiva and Anna Maria.
There are dozens of state parks in Florida, nature reserves, recreation areas and historic sites, and the famous National Everglades Park. The Everglades should be at the top of your list of places to visit with its unique ecosystem. The airboat ride across the glades is a great experience. Try to see some Manatees, the large aquatic mammals who live in the Glades.
The Gulf Coast has the attractions of the seaside with boat rides to see whales, fishing off the many piers or finding shells on the sandy beaches and islands. If you were to go to a theme park, I would recommend Seaworld for an up-close view of all creatures aquatic or Busch Gardens, which is a mixture of rides and zoo with 12,000 animals.
The visitflorida.com website is a great place to start planning your holiday with lots of ideas of things to see and do.
My husband and I would like to spend a holiday in Sicily as our family has roots there. Could you recommend a resort? we have a two-year-old, so a family friendly hotel would be best, if possible. – FB, Cork
One of the most popular resorts in Sicily is Taormina, a small town on the east coast and easily accessible from Ireland as a package holiday or by twice-weekly Aer Lingusflights to Catania.
The flights will cost from €250 in summer. Ryanair will also have twice-weekly flights toPalermo for about the same price.
Sunway Holidays have two nice family friendly hotels in Taormina. The Villa Belvedere has been owned and managed by the same family for more than 100 years and is a traditional villa type hotel overlooking the Bay of Naxos. A week with flights and breakfast costs from €1,087pps.
The other hotel is the two-star Hotel Splendid which is near Taormina’s botanical gardens and the ruins of the ancient Greco-Roman amphitheatre. It is a 10-minute walk to the centre of town.
A week with flights and breakfast will cost from €677pps. The beach in Taormina is accessible by lift.
My wife and I would like to travel to Piran and Portoroz in Slovenia in late August or September. Can you recommend the best way to get there? We are finding it difficult to find a package. – PC, Dublin
You are finding it difficult as there is no company doing package holidays to the Piran Peninsula from Ireland. There are holidays to Slovenia with
Crystalholidays.ie, to the mountains around Kranjska Gora and to Lake Bled.
From the UK it is possible to take a package to Piran or Portoroz with Inghams.co.uk.
They have weekly packages from London Gatwick Airport with hotels in the three, four and five star category. A week half board in a three-star hotel will cost from £654pps(about €748). If you book early you can get flights to Gatwick with Aer Lingus or Ryanair for about €100.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Florida is a great place for enjoying the outdoors and there are hundreds of things to do if you are interested in wildlife. The state is easy to get about with a good road system. Families tend to base themselves in the central area around Orlando for access to theme parks and good value accommodation. Or on the Gulf Coast where there are lots of lovely seaside towns like Naples, Sarasota, Bradenton, and Venice and islands such as Sanibel, Captiva and Anna Maria.
There are dozens of state parks in Florida, nature reserves, recreation areas and historic sites, and the famous National Everglades Park. The Everglades should be at the top of your list of places to visit with its unique ecosystem. The airboat ride across the glades is a great experience. Try to see some Manatees, the large aquatic mammals who live in the Glades.
The Gulf Coast has the attractions of the seaside with boat rides to see whales, fishing off the many piers or finding shells on the sandy beaches and islands. If you were to go to a theme park, I would recommend Seaworld for an up-close view of all creatures aquatic or Busch Gardens, which is a mixture of rides and zoo with 12,000 animals.
The visitflorida.com website is a great place to start planning your holiday with lots of ideas of things to see and do.
My husband and I would like to spend a holiday in Sicily as our family has roots there. Could you recommend a resort? we have a two-year-old, so a family friendly hotel would be best, if possible. – FB, Cork
One of the most popular resorts in Sicily is Taormina, a small town on the east coast and easily accessible from Ireland as a package holiday or by twice-weekly Aer Lingusflights to Catania.
The flights will cost from €250 in summer. Ryanair will also have twice-weekly flights toPalermo for about the same price.
Sunway Holidays have two nice family friendly hotels in Taormina. The Villa Belvedere has been owned and managed by the same family for more than 100 years and is a traditional villa type hotel overlooking the Bay of Naxos. A week with flights and breakfast costs from €1,087pps.
The other hotel is the two-star Hotel Splendid which is near Taormina’s botanical gardens and the ruins of the ancient Greco-Roman amphitheatre. It is a 10-minute walk to the centre of town.
A week with flights and breakfast will cost from €677pps. The beach in Taormina is accessible by lift.
My wife and I would like to travel to Piran and Portoroz in Slovenia in late August or September. Can you recommend the best way to get there? We are finding it difficult to find a package. – PC, Dublin
You are finding it difficult as there is no company doing package holidays to the Piran Peninsula from Ireland. There are holidays to Slovenia with
Crystalholidays.ie, to the mountains around Kranjska Gora and to Lake Bled.
From the UK it is possible to take a package to Piran or Portoroz with Inghams.co.uk.
They have weekly packages from London Gatwick Airport with hotels in the three, four and five star category. A week half board in a three-star hotel will cost from £654pps(about €748). If you book early you can get flights to Gatwick with Aer Lingus or Ryanair for about €100.
Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
March 16, 2013 - Family fun in Ireland, tickets to Faro and Uffizi
Our extended family is going on a self-catering holiday in Ireland this year. We are looking for six houses together, near a beach and village. It’s hard to get six together.
AOB, Limerick
Trident Holiday Homes is the largest manager of holidays homes, with 600 properties in 50 locations, mostly four-star quality. They have the Waterville Holiday Houses, surrounded by mountains and 15 minutes from the Blue Flag beach at Derrynane. In nearby Waterville you will find some great places to eat. The Ring of Kerry and Killarney Lakes are nice days out too. The weekly rate is from €645 in July to €790 in August, including utilities.
In Liscannor, Trident has three- and four-bedroom houses by the sandy beach and just metres from the village for shops and restaurants. Liscannor is ideal for exploring the coastal towns and villages of Clare and close enough for the children to join surfing classes in Lahinch. Prices are from €510 in July to €687 in August. See tridentholidayhomes.ie
In Wexford, the St Helen’s Bay resort is a hotel, golf club, spa with two- and three-bedroom cottages, located close to Rosslare and on the coast. There are good facilities for children, and prices range from €540 to €800 from June to August. See sthelensbay.com.
The Castlemartyr Resort has a good selection of luxury two- and three-bedroom houses and lovely grounds that children can explore. There is also a golf course, spa, and the beaches of east Cork such as Ballycotton and Garryvoe are only a short drive away. The
houses can be booked through
naturaltretreats.ie and cost from €1,190 to €1,499 per week.
Does Aer Lingus plan to have any cheap flights or sales in the near future? I want to fly to faro in June and a return flight is €300, which seems much dearer than I’ve ever paid.
ROS, Dublin
Aer Lingus does have sales from week to week and the easiest way to find out when the sales are coming up is to sign up for the email newsletter on aerlingus.com. Discounts lately have been in the region of 10 to 20 per cent.
Ryanair has cheaper flights to Faro on its site, around €200. Ryanair usually release sale fares about four to seven weeks before hand. However, Faro is a popular summer destination and I think it is unlikely that fares will go down much between now and June. The trend for the past year is for fares to keep increasing, sometimes by a euro or two every day. Be flexible in your dates to get the best prices. You can see a spread of the fares for the whole month on the skyscanner.net website; choose the whole-month option.
We are visiting Florence in June and I was trying to buy tickets online for the Uffizi gallery. I just can’t figure out which is the “official” one – the fee for booking online seems excessive (€22 for two tickets) which is on top of the ticket price.
You are right to check – there are dozens of sites that would appear to be the Uffizi Gallery, but are not. They charge additional fees, which as you say, appears to be €11 each in this case. The official site is uffizi.firenze.it/en, you can buy tickets here, €6.50 each. Specialist exhibitions are an additional fee. The ticket website can be very slow, and there is a telephone service that charges a booking fee of €4, Tel: 0039 055294883. Or better still just take a chance and queue on the day. The queues are not usually too long.
AOB, Limerick
Trident Holiday Homes is the largest manager of holidays homes, with 600 properties in 50 locations, mostly four-star quality. They have the Waterville Holiday Houses, surrounded by mountains and 15 minutes from the Blue Flag beach at Derrynane. In nearby Waterville you will find some great places to eat. The Ring of Kerry and Killarney Lakes are nice days out too. The weekly rate is from €645 in July to €790 in August, including utilities.
In Liscannor, Trident has three- and four-bedroom houses by the sandy beach and just metres from the village for shops and restaurants. Liscannor is ideal for exploring the coastal towns and villages of Clare and close enough for the children to join surfing classes in Lahinch. Prices are from €510 in July to €687 in August. See tridentholidayhomes.ie
In Wexford, the St Helen’s Bay resort is a hotel, golf club, spa with two- and three-bedroom cottages, located close to Rosslare and on the coast. There are good facilities for children, and prices range from €540 to €800 from June to August. See sthelensbay.com.
The Castlemartyr Resort has a good selection of luxury two- and three-bedroom houses and lovely grounds that children can explore. There is also a golf course, spa, and the beaches of east Cork such as Ballycotton and Garryvoe are only a short drive away. The
houses can be booked through
naturaltretreats.ie and cost from €1,190 to €1,499 per week.
Does Aer Lingus plan to have any cheap flights or sales in the near future? I want to fly to faro in June and a return flight is €300, which seems much dearer than I’ve ever paid.
ROS, Dublin
Aer Lingus does have sales from week to week and the easiest way to find out when the sales are coming up is to sign up for the email newsletter on aerlingus.com. Discounts lately have been in the region of 10 to 20 per cent.
Ryanair has cheaper flights to Faro on its site, around €200. Ryanair usually release sale fares about four to seven weeks before hand. However, Faro is a popular summer destination and I think it is unlikely that fares will go down much between now and June. The trend for the past year is for fares to keep increasing, sometimes by a euro or two every day. Be flexible in your dates to get the best prices. You can see a spread of the fares for the whole month on the skyscanner.net website; choose the whole-month option.
We are visiting Florence in June and I was trying to buy tickets online for the Uffizi gallery. I just can’t figure out which is the “official” one – the fee for booking online seems excessive (€22 for two tickets) which is on top of the ticket price.
You are right to check – there are dozens of sites that would appear to be the Uffizi Gallery, but are not. They charge additional fees, which as you say, appears to be €11 each in this case. The official site is uffizi.firenze.it/en, you can buy tickets here, €6.50 each. Specialist exhibitions are an additional fee. The ticket website can be very slow, and there is a telephone service that charges a booking fee of €4, Tel: 0039 055294883. Or better still just take a chance and queue on the day. The queues are not usually too long.
March 9, 2013.
Exploring the Rockies by train and new in New York
We are heading to new York, next month, two ladies, we have been there before and have seen the main sights. Now we would like to see some new or other things, maybe try some different restaurant. - CW, Dublin
New York is so dynamic that one of the best ways to explore the city and get a feel for what’s new or different is to take a tour with a local. The Big Apple greeters, a voluntary service, is a lovely way to see the city. Book in advance on bigapplegreeter.org.
New York is all about rooftops lately and there has been a proliferation of rooftop restaurants, gardens and pools. See the Roof Garden Café at the Metropolitan Museum 100 Fifth Avenue at 55th St or the Hudson Hotel at 356 West 58th Street. The most recent way to take in New York is the Highline, a former raised freight railway that has been turned into a linear park, see thehighline.org. At the end of the Highline the Standard Hotel has great views and a meal in the Grill followed by a cocktail in the rooftop lounge is great.
For booking restaurants, have a look at opentable.com. A drink in the Campbell Apartment at Grand Central Terminal is also worth a visit for a feel of 1920s New York and people watching. Grand Central is celebrating 100 years this year.
If you like a little bit of history I suggest a tour of any of the following Federal Mansions. Gracie Mansion - Home of the Mayor - nyc.gov/htmlor Hamilton Grange. See also nycgo.com for tourism information.
Can you recommend any escorted trips from dublin to the West coast ofCanada to include a train journey in the rockies? – MNG, Dublin
The train journey through the Rockies is one of the best ways to see the spectacular scenery and is included in a six-night trip to the west coast of Canada by American Holidays.
The holiday begins from Vancouver where you will stay and explore the city before heading off on the journey by rail on the famous Rocky Mountaineer railway in the RedLeaf service.
On the trip you will get to visit Grouse Mountain, Banff, Lake Louise, Kamloops, have a helicopter trip and fly home from Calgary. It costs from ¤2,369pps for flights, accommodation and some meals (tel: 01-673 3804, americanholidays.com).
Another company doing rail tours of the Rockies is Canadian Affair, which is part of the AirTransat group and has ®®an extensive Canadian holiday programme.
The rail journeys are escorted and you can add it to an itinerary of western Canada, which would allow you to plan some of the holiday independently.
You can contact them on tel: 01- 8666 700 and canadianaffair.ie.
We are planning a visit to Chicago for two weeks in July. we will stay with cousins for one week, which is long enough to encroach on them. The second week we would love to rent a place on the lakeside or stay somewhere our active sons could enjoy water sports, ycling and the outdoors. - ST Sligo.
The Silver Lake Sand Dunes area in West Michigan is a lovely lakeside beach town. It is a really active place with lots of water sports, outdoor activities and dune driving, which the boys would love.
There are lots of cycling and hiking trails and fishing in the lake. See
thinkdunes.com for things to do and a list of places to rent.
New York is so dynamic that one of the best ways to explore the city and get a feel for what’s new or different is to take a tour with a local. The Big Apple greeters, a voluntary service, is a lovely way to see the city. Book in advance on bigapplegreeter.org.
New York is all about rooftops lately and there has been a proliferation of rooftop restaurants, gardens and pools. See the Roof Garden Café at the Metropolitan Museum 100 Fifth Avenue at 55th St or the Hudson Hotel at 356 West 58th Street. The most recent way to take in New York is the Highline, a former raised freight railway that has been turned into a linear park, see thehighline.org. At the end of the Highline the Standard Hotel has great views and a meal in the Grill followed by a cocktail in the rooftop lounge is great.
For booking restaurants, have a look at opentable.com. A drink in the Campbell Apartment at Grand Central Terminal is also worth a visit for a feel of 1920s New York and people watching. Grand Central is celebrating 100 years this year.
If you like a little bit of history I suggest a tour of any of the following Federal Mansions. Gracie Mansion - Home of the Mayor - nyc.gov/htmlor Hamilton Grange. See also nycgo.com for tourism information.
Can you recommend any escorted trips from dublin to the West coast ofCanada to include a train journey in the rockies? – MNG, Dublin
The train journey through the Rockies is one of the best ways to see the spectacular scenery and is included in a six-night trip to the west coast of Canada by American Holidays.
The holiday begins from Vancouver where you will stay and explore the city before heading off on the journey by rail on the famous Rocky Mountaineer railway in the RedLeaf service.
On the trip you will get to visit Grouse Mountain, Banff, Lake Louise, Kamloops, have a helicopter trip and fly home from Calgary. It costs from ¤2,369pps for flights, accommodation and some meals (tel: 01-673 3804, americanholidays.com).
Another company doing rail tours of the Rockies is Canadian Affair, which is part of the AirTransat group and has ®®an extensive Canadian holiday programme.
The rail journeys are escorted and you can add it to an itinerary of western Canada, which would allow you to plan some of the holiday independently.
You can contact them on tel: 01- 8666 700 and canadianaffair.ie.
We are planning a visit to Chicago for two weeks in July. we will stay with cousins for one week, which is long enough to encroach on them. The second week we would love to rent a place on the lakeside or stay somewhere our active sons could enjoy water sports, ycling and the outdoors. - ST Sligo.
The Silver Lake Sand Dunes area in West Michigan is a lovely lakeside beach town. It is a really active place with lots of water sports, outdoor activities and dune driving, which the boys would love.
There are lots of cycling and hiking trails and fishing in the lake. See
thinkdunes.com for things to do and a list of places to rent.
Fabulous foodie holidays, the Isle of Iona and getting Les Mathes. March 2, 2013
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/travel/2013/0302/1224330591262.html
We would like a foodie type holiday in Europe, exploring and tasting local quality foods, maybe taking part in cookery demonstrations or classes and generally having a good time. – BM, Meath
There is a new company, which is an offshoot of Brendan Voyages, called Beautiful Journeys, and some of its trips are devoted to gastronomic delights.
In Italy there are three trips that will focus on different regions – Tuscany, Piedmont and Umbria. The tours will take you to wonderful Italian towns and villages, onto farms and into wineries, with guided tastings and a chance to meet producers. Each tour includes most meals and travel in luxury coaches.
The tour to Provence in France will take you from farm to table over eight days and travel from Nice to Marseille, inland and along the coast, tasting cheese, herbs, olive oil, chocolate, bouillabaisse and takes in a cookery lesson. Prices are from €1,799pps, tel: 01-775 3876.
An important gourmet region of Spain is the Basque country, specifically around San Sebastian/Donostia. The city has several Michelin-starred restaurants and every bar counter is testament to a passion for food.
The Complete Basque Adventure by San Sebastian Food is a five-day exploration of food and wine in the region. It includes the important pintxo (tapas) eating, Basque cooking, a wine tour of Rioja with five-course lunch, a trip to the markets in St Jean de Luz, and the highlight is a dinner in Arzak restaurant which has three Michelin stars.
The price is from €895pp; accommodation and travel is extra, details from sansebastianfood.com.
My husband and I would love to visit Iona this summer. Is there public transport we could use – we could travel from Belfast by ferry or air. Or better still, do you know of any organised group or pilgrimage we could join? I know a group went from Derry some years ago. Maybe that could happen again during their Year of Culture. – KM, Belfast
I haven’t heard of any plans for a pilgrimage from Derry to Iona this year. It is the 1,450th anniversary of the arrival of St Colmcille.
The easiest way to get to Iona is to take a flight with Easyjet.comfrom Belfast to Glasgow; prices are about £54 (€62.65) return in the summer.
From Glasgow you can then take a coach, from Buchanan Street station, citylink.co.uk, and the journey to Oban is two hours and 40 minutes. From Oban you can take the ferry to Mull. From Mull, you need to get to Fionnphort – which is 50kms away – by local bus and it is a 10-minute ferry hop to Iona.
If you travel in June, St Colmcille’s feast day is June 9th, a Sunday, and there will be a celebration of his life on the island.
There are two small hotels and a number of B&Bs on Iona; see the list on isle-of-iona.net. The Abbey’s Infirmary Museum will reopen this summer after major refurbishment.
We’re flying into La Rochelle on June 25th to travel to Les Mathes. We can’t find any information regarding transport links from La Rochelle to Les Mathes, can you help? – ND, Westmeath
The local bus company in this area is online at carabus-transport.com. The site is in French and the online timetables appear to run up until July. However, if you are staying in a resort around Les Mathes, ring them and ask them to check the times for you, as local bus timetables can change. There is a list of taxi services on the website larochelle-aeroport.fr.
There is a new company, which is an offshoot of Brendan Voyages, called Beautiful Journeys, and some of its trips are devoted to gastronomic delights.
In Italy there are three trips that will focus on different regions – Tuscany, Piedmont and Umbria. The tours will take you to wonderful Italian towns and villages, onto farms and into wineries, with guided tastings and a chance to meet producers. Each tour includes most meals and travel in luxury coaches.
The tour to Provence in France will take you from farm to table over eight days and travel from Nice to Marseille, inland and along the coast, tasting cheese, herbs, olive oil, chocolate, bouillabaisse and takes in a cookery lesson. Prices are from €1,799pps, tel: 01-775 3876.
An important gourmet region of Spain is the Basque country, specifically around San Sebastian/Donostia. The city has several Michelin-starred restaurants and every bar counter is testament to a passion for food.
The Complete Basque Adventure by San Sebastian Food is a five-day exploration of food and wine in the region. It includes the important pintxo (tapas) eating, Basque cooking, a wine tour of Rioja with five-course lunch, a trip to the markets in St Jean de Luz, and the highlight is a dinner in Arzak restaurant which has three Michelin stars.
The price is from €895pp; accommodation and travel is extra, details from sansebastianfood.com.
My husband and I would love to visit Iona this summer. Is there public transport we could use – we could travel from Belfast by ferry or air. Or better still, do you know of any organised group or pilgrimage we could join? I know a group went from Derry some years ago. Maybe that could happen again during their Year of Culture. – KM, Belfast
I haven’t heard of any plans for a pilgrimage from Derry to Iona this year. It is the 1,450th anniversary of the arrival of St Colmcille.
The easiest way to get to Iona is to take a flight with Easyjet.comfrom Belfast to Glasgow; prices are about £54 (€62.65) return in the summer.
From Glasgow you can then take a coach, from Buchanan Street station, citylink.co.uk, and the journey to Oban is two hours and 40 minutes. From Oban you can take the ferry to Mull. From Mull, you need to get to Fionnphort – which is 50kms away – by local bus and it is a 10-minute ferry hop to Iona.
If you travel in June, St Colmcille’s feast day is June 9th, a Sunday, and there will be a celebration of his life on the island.
There are two small hotels and a number of B&Bs on Iona; see the list on isle-of-iona.net. The Abbey’s Infirmary Museum will reopen this summer after major refurbishment.
We’re flying into La Rochelle on June 25th to travel to Les Mathes. We can’t find any information regarding transport links from La Rochelle to Les Mathes, can you help? – ND, Westmeath
The local bus company in this area is online at carabus-transport.com. The site is in French and the online timetables appear to run up until July. However, if you are staying in a resort around Les Mathes, ring them and ask them to check the times for you, as local bus timetables can change. There is a list of taxi services on the website larochelle-aeroport.fr.
I
sla Graciosa or La Gomera for a single holiday, Eastern Europe with the family and apartment rental in Rome.
Porec in Croatia
ASK JOAN: A gang of us go to Portugal every year. We are thinking about broadening our horizons, and are on a tighter budget, with Irish college and other costs attached to having teenagers. Do you have any suggestions on a hot spot, maybe eastern Europe with good food, sun, safe and child friendly. – EP, Waterford
One for the most popular holiday places in eastern Europe is Croatia, with its long island-strewn coastline, great weather and good seafood. It is easily accessible from Ireland with Aer Lingus flights to Dubrovnik and Ryanair flights to Zadar from Dublin. The Ryanair flights are under €200 in July at the moment. Crystal Alfresco Holidays has mobile home accommodation on two sites in Croatia, near Porec and Pula. Both are ideal for families with seaside, pools, children’s clubs, sports, and evening entertainment. You would need a car to get there. The prices from the end of June to August are €1,100–€1,450 for six.
You will also find similar accommodation, and maybe a little bit cheaper, with vacansoleil.iewhich has sites along the Dalmatian Coast. It also has a resort in the Giant Mountains in the Czech Republic. There are plenty of flights to Prague during the summer, including the new Sunway charter, from €56 each way.
As you are in Munster, it may also be worth looking at what is available from Cork airport to places in Poland such as Gdansk on the Baltic coast, for the resort of Sopot, and Katowice for the Tatra Mountains and the resort of Zakopane. Poland is good value when you get there. See Poland.travel/en.
I am considering visiting Isla Graciosa or La Gomera, in the Canary Islands – can you tell me which island is better for the solo traveller and what accommodation would you recommend? – NOK, Meath
Both islands are beautiful in their own way, but I think you would find Graciosa a bit limited. It is a very small, quiet island, 29sq kms, with little or no infrastructure. Graciosa has 700 inhabitants and is arid and sandy. There are no hotels, just bed and breakfast accommodation and some self-catering properties.
La Gomera is busier, with a population of about 22,000, covering 378 sq kms and is mountainous and green with forests, deep ravines and some good beaches. It has small towns, villages and hamlets and a more developed infrastructure of hotels, restaurants and transport. There is even a Parador (historic hotels of Spain) on La Gomera. Hotel prices are quite reasonable and there is a good selection of apartments to rent, see booking.com.
If you were interested in joining a group and travelling in April, Gomera Walking will have a week- long trip to the island. The hotel for the trip, the Jardin Tecina, is four star, and is waiving the single supplement. It works out at good value as the hotel is normally from €120 per night. It is a walking holiday exploring the island and costs from €899, which includes half-board accommodation and picnic lunch each day. The price also includes transfers by ferry from Tenerife, the nearest island with air services from Ireland. See gomerawalking.comand gomera.info.
Could you advise us on a suitable website for a family to find an apartment in the Pantheon/Corso area of Rome? – MOF, Dublin
There are dozens of places to look for an apartment rental in Rome but you might find what you are looking for on
cross-pollinate.com, airbnb.comor venere.com
One for the most popular holiday places in eastern Europe is Croatia, with its long island-strewn coastline, great weather and good seafood. It is easily accessible from Ireland with Aer Lingus flights to Dubrovnik and Ryanair flights to Zadar from Dublin. The Ryanair flights are under €200 in July at the moment. Crystal Alfresco Holidays has mobile home accommodation on two sites in Croatia, near Porec and Pula. Both are ideal for families with seaside, pools, children’s clubs, sports, and evening entertainment. You would need a car to get there. The prices from the end of June to August are €1,100–€1,450 for six.
You will also find similar accommodation, and maybe a little bit cheaper, with vacansoleil.iewhich has sites along the Dalmatian Coast. It also has a resort in the Giant Mountains in the Czech Republic. There are plenty of flights to Prague during the summer, including the new Sunway charter, from €56 each way.
As you are in Munster, it may also be worth looking at what is available from Cork airport to places in Poland such as Gdansk on the Baltic coast, for the resort of Sopot, and Katowice for the Tatra Mountains and the resort of Zakopane. Poland is good value when you get there. See Poland.travel/en.
I am considering visiting Isla Graciosa or La Gomera, in the Canary Islands – can you tell me which island is better for the solo traveller and what accommodation would you recommend? – NOK, Meath
Both islands are beautiful in their own way, but I think you would find Graciosa a bit limited. It is a very small, quiet island, 29sq kms, with little or no infrastructure. Graciosa has 700 inhabitants and is arid and sandy. There are no hotels, just bed and breakfast accommodation and some self-catering properties.
La Gomera is busier, with a population of about 22,000, covering 378 sq kms and is mountainous and green with forests, deep ravines and some good beaches. It has small towns, villages and hamlets and a more developed infrastructure of hotels, restaurants and transport. There is even a Parador (historic hotels of Spain) on La Gomera. Hotel prices are quite reasonable and there is a good selection of apartments to rent, see booking.com.
If you were interested in joining a group and travelling in April, Gomera Walking will have a week- long trip to the island. The hotel for the trip, the Jardin Tecina, is four star, and is waiving the single supplement. It works out at good value as the hotel is normally from €120 per night. It is a walking holiday exploring the island and costs from €899, which includes half-board accommodation and picnic lunch each day. The price also includes transfers by ferry from Tenerife, the nearest island with air services from Ireland. See gomerawalking.comand gomera.info.
Could you advise us on a suitable website for a family to find an apartment in the Pantheon/Corso area of Rome? – MOF, Dublin
There are dozens of places to look for an apartment rental in Rome but you might find what you are looking for on
cross-pollinate.com, airbnb.comor venere.com
Saturday, February 16
Visiting the Alps by train, going to Lourdes and flights to Malaga.
Could you please advise on rail trips across Switzerland and Austria. I would like an organised trip with everything taken care of, it is a holiday I always dreamed of doing My husband and myself are in our 70s and quite active. I would like to do this trip in May or September. – SH Dublin
I know of two rail tours that will fit the bill exactly for your trip. They begin in London’s St Pancras Station on the Eurostar. You may have to spend a night in London depending on the train times.
The first is the Tyrolean All-Inclusive, which will be seven days exploring the Austrian landscape, mountain towns and villages. Places like Maryhofen, Kufstein, the Brixen Valley and Kitzbuhel. The tour will be based in Hofgarten and there will be some free time to explore the pretty town and area.
The price from £845pps(about €980) includes all rail travel, seven nights hotel accommodation with breakfast and dinner, four lunches and a trip on the nostalgic Zillertal Railway and some other excursions.
The other tour is a little more exciting as it travels through some of the most spectacular scenery in Switzerland – the Jungfrau Express. The tour begins in London and over seven days visits Interlaken, Lake Thun and the Bernese Oberland. There is a trip on the Jungfrau Railway up the north face of the Eiger to the highest railway station in Europe, at 3,454 metres.
The cost from £1,075 (about €1,244) includes rail travel, hotels with breakfast, dinner on four evenings and free time to explore with a half-price travel card. Both trips are available from May to September and can be booked on railholidays.com, tel: 0044 1904 734 939.
I would like to go to Lourdes for two days and then go on somewhere else for about four days. Could you suggest a tour,
or are there any organised trips doing something like that? Perhaps you could suggest one, and if so, when is the best time to get a bit of
sunshine? – UM, Dublin
Tours to Lourdes are generally only to Lourdes with some side- trips or excursions to other places, not really what you are looking for.
However, I can suggest that you fly to Biarritz, where you can take the train; it is about two hours to Lourdes, see timetables on voyages.sncf.com.
You can find accommodation and details of what is on in Lourdes on Lourdes-infotourisme.com. Biarritz is a lovely, lively place for a holiday, the beach is right in town and there is a good selection of hotels and accommodation.
The town is very pretty, with great coastal scenery, walks and a fun place to watch surfers riding the waves.It is also a good hub for exploring the Basque country by bus and train.
Other places near Biarritz worth considering are Bayonne and St Jean de Luz. Both are easily accessible by bus or train, less than an hour away.
Any time from June to September would be a good time to visit, though August is peak season and very busy. See tourisme.biarritz.frfor accommodation and events. Ryanair has services from Dublin to Biarritz.
We are trying to arrange a family holiday in the south of Spain during the autumn mid-term school break for up to 25 people. To confirm
accommodation we need to know the flights are available. The Aer Lingus website indicates that there are no flights between Dublin and Malaga after October 26th. – PJC Dublin
I checked with Aer Lingus and they will have flights to Malaga in October and November. However, the details are not loaded into the system yet, which means you will have to check every day until they are. Be ready to move as soon as they appear as that week is a busy one. If your group is more than 25 you can make a booking through Aer Lingus Groups Department on tel: 0818365007
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
I know of two rail tours that will fit the bill exactly for your trip. They begin in London’s St Pancras Station on the Eurostar. You may have to spend a night in London depending on the train times.
The first is the Tyrolean All-Inclusive, which will be seven days exploring the Austrian landscape, mountain towns and villages. Places like Maryhofen, Kufstein, the Brixen Valley and Kitzbuhel. The tour will be based in Hofgarten and there will be some free time to explore the pretty town and area.
The price from £845pps(about €980) includes all rail travel, seven nights hotel accommodation with breakfast and dinner, four lunches and a trip on the nostalgic Zillertal Railway and some other excursions.
The other tour is a little more exciting as it travels through some of the most spectacular scenery in Switzerland – the Jungfrau Express. The tour begins in London and over seven days visits Interlaken, Lake Thun and the Bernese Oberland. There is a trip on the Jungfrau Railway up the north face of the Eiger to the highest railway station in Europe, at 3,454 metres.
The cost from £1,075 (about €1,244) includes rail travel, hotels with breakfast, dinner on four evenings and free time to explore with a half-price travel card. Both trips are available from May to September and can be booked on railholidays.com, tel: 0044 1904 734 939.
I would like to go to Lourdes for two days and then go on somewhere else for about four days. Could you suggest a tour,
or are there any organised trips doing something like that? Perhaps you could suggest one, and if so, when is the best time to get a bit of
sunshine? – UM, Dublin
Tours to Lourdes are generally only to Lourdes with some side- trips or excursions to other places, not really what you are looking for.
However, I can suggest that you fly to Biarritz, where you can take the train; it is about two hours to Lourdes, see timetables on voyages.sncf.com.
You can find accommodation and details of what is on in Lourdes on Lourdes-infotourisme.com. Biarritz is a lovely, lively place for a holiday, the beach is right in town and there is a good selection of hotels and accommodation.
The town is very pretty, with great coastal scenery, walks and a fun place to watch surfers riding the waves.It is also a good hub for exploring the Basque country by bus and train.
Other places near Biarritz worth considering are Bayonne and St Jean de Luz. Both are easily accessible by bus or train, less than an hour away.
Any time from June to September would be a good time to visit, though August is peak season and very busy. See tourisme.biarritz.frfor accommodation and events. Ryanair has services from Dublin to Biarritz.
We are trying to arrange a family holiday in the south of Spain during the autumn mid-term school break for up to 25 people. To confirm
accommodation we need to know the flights are available. The Aer Lingus website indicates that there are no flights between Dublin and Malaga after October 26th. – PJC Dublin
I checked with Aer Lingus and they will have flights to Malaga in October and November. However, the details are not loaded into the system yet, which means you will have to check every day until they are. Be ready to move as soon as they appear as that week is a busy one. If your group is more than 25 you can make a booking through Aer Lingus Groups Department on tel: 0818365007
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Saturday February 9
We are a family of five – three children aged 11, 19, 21 – and we wish to visit Sarajevo between August 8th-18th to watch our son represent Ireland in the European under-16 basketball championships. There are a number of matches in Sarajevo but we would also like to incorporate a holiday in and around Bosnia or Croatia. I would prefer not to hire a car. We would like to incorporate some local culture, along with family holiday activities. We don’t mind where we fly from as there are no direct flights. We are quite happy to use buses, trains, etc to keep costs down. It would be fantastic if you could give us some ideas, or even recommend a full package. – RE, Belfast. The best option would probably be to fly to Dubrovnik and take the bus to Sarajevo. There are buses every day from Dubrovnik and it takes about six hours. I am sure the basketball association has a list of accommodation in Sarajevo that would be suitable for your family – if not, see sarajevo-tourism.com. You can then return to Dubrovnik for your holiday and enjoy the sun, sea and islands around the coast. Aer Lingus has flights to Dubrovnik from Dublin; in August they cost from €320 each. I also looked at flying to Split via London Luton and Frankfurt, but it was more expensive.
I suggest talking to Sharon Wall at Croatia Tours, in Dublin ( croatiatours.ie, tel: 01-8780800. They are experts on this region and have a variety of accommodation available. An apartment would probably make sense for you.
We would love to do some Greek island hopping this year, but have a fairly limited budget. Is there a way to do this cheaply? – RN Tipperary
The good news is there will be an Aer Lingus flight to Corfu, beginning in April, for about €220 return. Athens would cost about €230 return. However, as the prices go up a lot for high season, your best option would be to travel in April or May. The weather will be nice, and accommodation will be less expensive.
Ryanair has flights to Rhodes, Kos, Kefalonia and Corfu from Stansted, and some routes from Liverpool and East Midlands. The prices at the moment are not any less than flying with Aer Lingus, but last year they had a good sale early in the season.
You can check out ferry services online at greekferries.grand aferry.com.
My friends are about to organise our post-Leaving Cert holiday for early August. The two destinations we have thought about are Barcelona and Paris. We would like to go somewhere with things to do during the day that is not too expensive and has good nightlife. It would also be a great advantage to visit a place with a beach. There will be about eight of us and we do not mind self catering or staying in a hostel. – COD, Meath.
These are two great cities with lots to offer. Putting them into perspective, Paris can be more expensive than Barcelona but has amazing things to see around every corner. Clubbing in Paris is also fun.
In August, when the locals have fled to the coast and country, the Paris Plages (manmade beaches) open along the Seine. The exodus may also mean some places will be fermé.
Hostel prices in Paris are about €20-30 per night each, and food is cheap from the supermarkets and markets. Book a hostel with a kitchen to save money. Pub prices are stiff, but drinks from the supermarkets are cheap. Find ideas of things to do on timeout.fr/ paris/en, en.parisinfo.comand girlsguidetoparis.com.
Barcelona will be hot in August, but with beaches in the city, it is ideal for a cool time. Clubbing in Barcelona goes on all night, on the beach, underground, and some clubs don’t open until 6am. See timeout.com/barcelona. Hostels are plentiful, with prices from €15-30 per night. Food and eating out is good value. Flights to both cities are reasonable, and both have excellent public transport.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
I suggest talking to Sharon Wall at Croatia Tours, in Dublin ( croatiatours.ie, tel: 01-8780800. They are experts on this region and have a variety of accommodation available. An apartment would probably make sense for you.
We would love to do some Greek island hopping this year, but have a fairly limited budget. Is there a way to do this cheaply? – RN Tipperary
The good news is there will be an Aer Lingus flight to Corfu, beginning in April, for about €220 return. Athens would cost about €230 return. However, as the prices go up a lot for high season, your best option would be to travel in April or May. The weather will be nice, and accommodation will be less expensive.
Ryanair has flights to Rhodes, Kos, Kefalonia and Corfu from Stansted, and some routes from Liverpool and East Midlands. The prices at the moment are not any less than flying with Aer Lingus, but last year they had a good sale early in the season.
You can check out ferry services online at greekferries.grand aferry.com.
My friends are about to organise our post-Leaving Cert holiday for early August. The two destinations we have thought about are Barcelona and Paris. We would like to go somewhere with things to do during the day that is not too expensive and has good nightlife. It would also be a great advantage to visit a place with a beach. There will be about eight of us and we do not mind self catering or staying in a hostel. – COD, Meath.
These are two great cities with lots to offer. Putting them into perspective, Paris can be more expensive than Barcelona but has amazing things to see around every corner. Clubbing in Paris is also fun.
In August, when the locals have fled to the coast and country, the Paris Plages (manmade beaches) open along the Seine. The exodus may also mean some places will be fermé.
Hostel prices in Paris are about €20-30 per night each, and food is cheap from the supermarkets and markets. Book a hostel with a kitchen to save money. Pub prices are stiff, but drinks from the supermarkets are cheap. Find ideas of things to do on timeout.fr/ paris/en, en.parisinfo.comand girlsguidetoparis.com.
Barcelona will be hot in August, but with beaches in the city, it is ideal for a cool time. Clubbing in Barcelona goes on all night, on the beach, underground, and some clubs don’t open until 6am. See timeout.com/barcelona. Hostels are plentiful, with prices from €15-30 per night. Food and eating out is good value. Flights to both cities are reasonable, and both have excellent public transport.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about going to Barbados, beaches in California and what to do for the Gathering
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/travel/2013/0202/1224329483591.html
ASK JOAN: Your travel questions answered
* Could you please advise when would be the best time to buy flights to Barbados? We are a family of five. We will have to travel in 2014, before
mid-March and probably during midterm. – GC Dublin.
Airlines normally put flights into the system from about 300-330 days before travel, so you could begin looking at prices from the end of March for next year. As Barbados is so popular with the British, you may find that fares from British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are the best. December to March is high season in the Caribbean. Both airlines run sales from time to time, and BA always sells fares right into the next year. Sign up for the email newsletter on both websites and you will receive advance notice of the sales coming up.
BA and VA fly from London Gatwick to Barbados. If you see a good price, book it immediately and try to book the fare from Dublin, that way you will not have to pay the high UK passenger tax. Check out liat.comfor flights between Caribbean islands. You can find accommodation details on dominica.dm.
* I live in London and buy The Irish Times at the weekends. I am very interested in the Gathering and would love to come home to
Ireland for a visit. However, I have few contacts there now and am looking for a holiday that would include some of my interests – circle dancing, walking and a study/learning experience, perhaps in a college, with visits to art galleries, etc. I would like to meet people and
come away hopefully having made friends and having learned lots about modern Ireland – I left over 30 years ago. – CM, London
The Gathering Ireland is gaining momentum and you’ll find hundreds of events all through the year onthegatheringireland.com.
For your interests you may like to look at circledanceireland.com, which is based in Co Sligo, where there are workshops year-round.
Across the country lots of walking festivals take place, many over weekends. You could combine a walking event with the circle dancing (see the walking section of discoverireland.ie).
Also on discoverireland.ieare links to local cultural festivals, and going to one of these might be a good way to meet other Irish people. I am thinking of the Merriman Festival in Co Clare, that discusses current affairs and issues. The Cúirt festival in Galway is an international literary event with lots of local input, and Listowel Writers Week is bags of fun.
There are hundreds of festivals around the country – it’s just a matter of exploring which one might suit your interests.
* My wife and I are travelling to Sacramento in June and have our itinerary organised with one exception: we are looking for a beach stay for a week, with plenty of sunshine. Could you suggest somewhere sunny and warm? Information on accommodation would be appreciated. – PT, Dublin
The central coast of California has a great selection of beach towns and resorts. At the higher end of the scale is Santa Barbara, with a lovely Mediterranean feel. It is an old town with one of the original Mission churches and the Santa Barbara Art Museum, as well as great places for eating out.
A variety of accommodation is on offer from boutique hotels like Harbor View Inn ( harborviewinnsb.com) to the newest Orient Express Hotel, the El Encanto, opening in March ( orient-express.com). Value accommodation is available at the Inn by the Harbor ( innbytheharbor.com) and the Best Western Beachside Inn (bestwestern.com). Alternatively Pismo Beach is more like a traditional seaside resort with a big, long pier. It is a smaller resort and more laidback. It is a good spot for wine-tasting, too.
For accommodation you could look at the Cottage Inn by the Sea for the great views and the sound of the sea (cottage-inn.com). Or have a look on vrbo.comfor a self-catering holiday rental. I recommend stopping off to see Hearst Castle, viewing Bixby Creek Bridge at Big Sur and maybe a side trip into Paso Robles.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
* Could you please advise when would be the best time to buy flights to Barbados? We are a family of five. We will have to travel in 2014, before
mid-March and probably during midterm. – GC Dublin.
Airlines normally put flights into the system from about 300-330 days before travel, so you could begin looking at prices from the end of March for next year. As Barbados is so popular with the British, you may find that fares from British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are the best. December to March is high season in the Caribbean. Both airlines run sales from time to time, and BA always sells fares right into the next year. Sign up for the email newsletter on both websites and you will receive advance notice of the sales coming up.
BA and VA fly from London Gatwick to Barbados. If you see a good price, book it immediately and try to book the fare from Dublin, that way you will not have to pay the high UK passenger tax. Check out liat.comfor flights between Caribbean islands. You can find accommodation details on dominica.dm.
* I live in London and buy The Irish Times at the weekends. I am very interested in the Gathering and would love to come home to
Ireland for a visit. However, I have few contacts there now and am looking for a holiday that would include some of my interests – circle dancing, walking and a study/learning experience, perhaps in a college, with visits to art galleries, etc. I would like to meet people and
come away hopefully having made friends and having learned lots about modern Ireland – I left over 30 years ago. – CM, London
The Gathering Ireland is gaining momentum and you’ll find hundreds of events all through the year onthegatheringireland.com.
For your interests you may like to look at circledanceireland.com, which is based in Co Sligo, where there are workshops year-round.
Across the country lots of walking festivals take place, many over weekends. You could combine a walking event with the circle dancing (see the walking section of discoverireland.ie).
Also on discoverireland.ieare links to local cultural festivals, and going to one of these might be a good way to meet other Irish people. I am thinking of the Merriman Festival in Co Clare, that discusses current affairs and issues. The Cúirt festival in Galway is an international literary event with lots of local input, and Listowel Writers Week is bags of fun.
There are hundreds of festivals around the country – it’s just a matter of exploring which one might suit your interests.
* My wife and I are travelling to Sacramento in June and have our itinerary organised with one exception: we are looking for a beach stay for a week, with plenty of sunshine. Could you suggest somewhere sunny and warm? Information on accommodation would be appreciated. – PT, Dublin
The central coast of California has a great selection of beach towns and resorts. At the higher end of the scale is Santa Barbara, with a lovely Mediterranean feel. It is an old town with one of the original Mission churches and the Santa Barbara Art Museum, as well as great places for eating out.
A variety of accommodation is on offer from boutique hotels like Harbor View Inn ( harborviewinnsb.com) to the newest Orient Express Hotel, the El Encanto, opening in March ( orient-express.com). Value accommodation is available at the Inn by the Harbor ( innbytheharbor.com) and the Best Western Beachside Inn (bestwestern.com). Alternatively Pismo Beach is more like a traditional seaside resort with a big, long pier. It is a smaller resort and more laidback. It is a good spot for wine-tasting, too.
For accommodation you could look at the Cottage Inn by the Sea for the great views and the sound of the sea (cottage-inn.com). Or have a look on vrbo.comfor a self-catering holiday rental. I recommend stopping off to see Hearst Castle, viewing Bixby Creek Bridge at Big Sur and maybe a side trip into Paso Robles.
Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about cut price hotels, going to Cuba and cruising the Norwegian Fjords January 26, 2013
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/travel/2013/0126/1224329236998.html
ASK JOAN: Myself and my wife would like to do the Hurtigruten 12-day Norwegian cruise to Kirkenes (above the Arctic Circle) this year. Can you advise us on when is the best time to go, bearing in mind the length of day in winter compared to summer? Also, do you know if the Northern Lights are active all year round or just in winter?– LM, Dublin
Hurtigruten is celebrating 120 years plying the coast of Norway and keeping communities connected all year round. Thanks to the Gulf Stream the coast remains ice-free, but the weather in winter can be harsh.In northern Norway the sun does not rise from mid-November until the end of January, so it is very dark. Spring usually arrives around the end of May, and as you go into summer, daylight gets longer until you reach the midnight sun.
The 12-day trip from Bergen to Kirkenes and back costs from €4,370 for two sharing, full board. The Northern Lights are best seen in October, February and March. Hurtigruten is offering a five-night Arctic package until the middle of March, costing from €1,559pps if you book before the end of January. Hurtigruten will have a stand at the Holiday World Show this weekend, at the RDS. Trips can be booked with Project-travel.ie, tel: 01-210 8391.
How are holiday discount companies able to offer such savings on the prices offered by both the hotels and the large national and international travel companies? I have a fear of booking with these companies lest I find myself in the worst room in the hotel, or not in the hotel I have booked because of overbooking. Are my fears justified? – AJK, Dublin
There has been an explosion in the number of companies offering hotel accommodation and holidays and it can be confusing. When it comes to hotel accommodation, the most important thing for any hotel manager is to make sure that every room that can be sold will be sold, every night.
Hotels work on a system of inventory management and have a good idea of how many rooms they will sell on any given night and at what price. However, it is the variables that they can then allow to be sold through hotel booking sites, and usually there is a minimum price the room can be sold at.
What the consumer needs to do is make sure that the hotel booking site is a reputable one. There have been difficulties over the past few years with booking sites going out of business and leaving people out of pocket. This has led to a shake up in the business with bigger websites dominating the market. You will find that these bigger websites are part of larger global corporations.
If you have the tiniest doubt, don’t book. When it comes to booking holidays online always make sure that the website you use has a current travel agency licence, whether it is Irish or British. You can check Irish licences onaviationreg.ieand UK licences on abta.com.
My Canadian niece is getting married on April 3rd at the Playa Pesquero resort in Cuba. Family and friends are flying from Toronto. My husband and I would love to go. Please can you tell us the most economical way of doing it from Donegal. We’ve looked online, and most packages seem to involve themes and travelling round the island.We’d love to do that too, but our main purpose in going is obviously the wedding and the reunion with family, including several new arrivals.
– KMC, Donegal
The fact that the trip is over Easter means that flights to Havana are quite expensive. The lowest price I found was with Air France or KLM, at around €1,030 via Paris or Amsterdam. Iberia also fly from Madrid and Air Canada from Heathrow to Toronto and then to Havana; the prices were similar.
However, I have found a holiday with tour operators thomson.co.uk, for around your dates, flying from London Gatwick to Havana and staying in an all-inclusive resort in Playa Pesquero for £1,072 each, about €1,292pps, for a week. It would mean getting to Gatwick, which can be quite reasonable, if you book it soon.
* Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan - January 19, 2013I am in my early 60s and planning a trip to Easter Island. I will be travelling to see the Moai statues which will be the main purpose of my trip. I would like to travel in a group. Easter Island seems generally to be an add-on to a trip to Chile. I might be able to join a trip in Santiago which could work out cheaper as it would be shorter, but I might regret not seeing some of Chile when in that area. – SK, Dublin
It would be a pity to go all the way to Chile and not see something of the country, and on most itineraries, Easter Island is an add on. Easter Island, due to its remoteness, is also an expensive destination to get to.
The principle reason for going to Easter Island is to see the almost 900 Moai monoliths, and most people would only spend a few days there.
Explore.co.ukhas an 18-day tour of Chile which is moderately paced and includes many places such as Santiago, the Atacama desert, walking in the Valley of the Moon, Punta Arenas, the Torres del Paine National Park and Easter Island.
The price is from €4,610, plus flights, which would be about €1,000.
In Ireland, the South America experts are Nuevo Mundo, tel: 0818-204488, and while they do not have a specific tour to Easter Island they can certainly advise on travel there and how to join a tour.
There is a company in Santiago, run by an American couple, that arranges all types of tours, including to Easter Island, if you were prepared to go it alone. Contact them on
santiagoadventures.com.
Could you supply us with the website addresses of alternative accommodation options besides airbnb.com. - RMM, Dublin
Airbnb began as a website for finding hosted accommodation in lots of cities around the world, a grown up version of Couchsurfing. It now also has listings for self-catering accommodation in individual apartments and properties directly booked with the owners.
Other self-catering sites include the international homeaway.comand holidayslettings.com,vacationrentalpeople.comand recently, flipkey.comby Tripadvisor. For US rentals try vrbo.com. For Spain and Italy, see rentalia.com. For Australia see stayz.com.au.
An Irish site is holidayhomesdirect.ie.
For villa-type accommodation, see jamesvillas.co.ukand villarenters.comand Irish site privatevillas.ie. The website booking.com, which was mainly a hotel booking site, now has a good selection of self-catering apartments.
We would like to spend a month or so in the sun, maybe the Canary Islands, but are finding it difficult to locate suitable accommodation. We would like an apartment on a resort with pool. We are on a budget. – GP, Cork
Lanzarote would probably be a good destination from Cork, as there are direct Aer Lingus flights three times per week. Lanzarote also has a good selection of accommodation and this particular property may be ideal for you.
Sun Park Living is at Playa Blanca and is for people over 50 who want a quiet resort and to stay for a month or more. It is an aparthotel complex with fully furnished one-bedroom apartments and the Sunrockers Cafe. It also has the feel of a community, with many Europeans staying for long periods.
There are activities available such as painting, walking, computer and Spanish classes, and the entire complex has free wifi. Sun Park Living also welcomes people on their own.
Prices are £499 (about €612) per month per unit all year round. You can book a trial week for £279 (about €342). Reservations can be made online at sunparkliving.comand payment is made on arrival.
*Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan, January 12, 2013. http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/travel/2013/0112/1224328642629.htmlCould you recommend a quiet hotel for me and my mum in central Dublin (which still has some charm left)? I need to be quite near the Luas green line. We would like to avoid hotels with nightclubs and bad soundproofing as I’m quite ill and need my sleep. On the other hand, we don’t want to be somewhere we can’t go down to the lounge for a drink. KW, Cork
The first hotel that comes to mind is Brooks Hotel on Drury Street. It is charming, well managed and has a lovely bar and guest sitting room. It is in an area that is busy at the weekends, so ask for a room at the back.sinnotthotels.com. Around the corner from Brooks is the Drury Court Hotel and Bar Bia. drurycourthotel.ie. It has excellent rates from €59-€99 per night, again ask for a room at the back. Both of these hotels are a five-minute walk from the Luas at St Stephen’s Green.
On Kildare Street, again about five minutes walk from the Luas, is the famous Buswells Hotel. It is an old-style property with a nice bar where you can people-watch for politicos. The Hilton Charlemont Hotel is two stops from St Stephen’s Green on the Luas and while a modern property, is nice and comfortable. You would also have the benefit of walks along the Grand Canal. See hilton.com/Dublin.
Can you tell me where would be a good area to go for cross-country skiing as a beginner in Europe? I can see lots of articles about downhill but none about the other. KM, Dublin.
Cross-country skiing is available in many resorts across Europe – in Austria, St Johann, Kitzbuhel and the Skiwelt area; Kanderstag in Switzerland; Chamonix and the Les Trois Vallées in France; Lillehammer, Geilo and Trysil in Norway, and Ruka in Finland. Austria is probably the best value for a beginner.
Ski tour operators can book any of these places for you as a package. Try topflight.ie, crystalski.ieanddirectski.ie. From the UK, inntravel.co.ukarranges cross-country skiing packages to Austria, Switzerland, Norway and Finland. It also has a three-day package, if you just want to try it out.
We are a family of six with children ranging from seven to 16. I am organising a family holiday in July. We would like to have a holiday where the kids have plenty to occupy themselves on site and an opportunity to meet other children, but are not keen on campsite/mobile home options. We have a budget of approximately €4,000 and would like to avoid very busy resorts. Ideal locations would be the Algarve, Italy or Spain, but we are open to suggestions. KH, Dublin.
July is high season everywhere and prices are quite steep for a family of six. Most of the well-known tour operators are coming in at €850 upwards for a two-week holiday in July. The best value for your family would be in Portugal or Spain.
Clickandgo.comhas two weeks in July at the Vita Sol Park apartments in Lagos on the Algarve within your budget in a two- or three-bedroom apartment. Lagos is busy, but not as busy as other resorts on the Algarve. Vita Sol Park is just outside the town, but close enough to get to the beach. Vita Sol Park has swimming pools, tennis courts and on site restaurants and bar. See clickandgo.com.
I also had a look at what lowcostholidays.iecould provide for your family in Spain, and Nerja would seem a good place for you. It is a lovely resort area with nice beaches and the famous caves of Nerja. It is also an ideal place to hire bikes and to go walking, though watch out for the heat in July. Two weeks in the Las Rosas de Capistrano apartments in the town centre with flights, baggage and transfers will cost in the region of €3,700.
Ask Joan, December 22, 2012Amsterdam highlights
I have an opportunity to visit Amsterdam in May and would like to bring my 10-year-old granddaughter with me to see the sights. What suggestions do you have? – JB, Cork.
Spring is a lovely time to visit Amsterdam and every visit should begin with a canal boat tour. It is a great way to see the quirkiness of the city, colourful painted boats, tall narrow houses, and peek into peoples’ canal-side lives. There are a number of cruises, including a hop-on hop-off one, or a pizza cruise, seecanalcruisesamsterdam.com.
The Anne Frank House has changed its focus to include the friends and lives of the Frank family and is more suitable to a 10-year-old now. The website annefrank.orghelps prepare for a visit with children and the questions they will ask. Most children find it fascinating.
NEMO, the striking green building on Oosterdok, is the interactive science centre and is a real hit with children. They have all sorts of hands-on experiments and demonstrations. See e-NEMO.nl.
At the Van Gogh Museum, vangoghmuseum.nl, youngsters can create their own masterpiece on computers. The Rijksmuseum hasamusing audio tours, rijksmuseum.nl.
Amsterdam has great markets and quirky shops where your granddaughter will enjoy spending her holiday money. Most markets are in the city centre and she may even enjoy buying some bulbs in the Bloemenmarkt.
A visit to the Pancake Bakery on Princengracht 191 would be enjoyable, and it is close to the Anne Frank Huis. The Vondelpark is Amsterdam’s popular open space for walks and playing.
Slovenia to Croatia
In August we would like to spend eight days in Slovenia, staying in the port of Piran, then hiring a car and driving into Croatia, spending eight days in Porec and Rovinj. What is the most convenient way to arrive in Piran, from Dublin, and the easiest way back home from northern Croatia. – BK, Dublin
For this itinerary Ryanair is the best option, with flights from Stansted to Trieste and back from Pula. Piran is only about 40 minutes from Trieste airport; you may have to change bus in Koper.
When hiring a car, the nearest Hertz location is at Portoroz. Ask about cross border drop offs before hiring.
First holiday abroad
I am a single parent with four boys, 16, 14, 12 and 10. We are an active family and love the outdoors. We have never been on a foreign holiday. The two older boys are doing German in school and I thought Germany would be a possibility, or France. We are on a very tight budget. – KC, Dublin.
Germany is a good value destination for families and there are plenty of flights there. I think you should have a look at the youth hostels network in Germany, particularly those within easy access of an airport, so you can keep transfer costs down.
There are hundreds of hostels, many of them have family rooms and are sports oriented. Some are in forests, by lakes, in old period buildings, and generally all are very well run. It would be a good way for your boys to meet other children. Some of the hostels have full board packages from about €30pps per day. Seejugendherberge.de, and germany.travel.
In France the best value for families is the campsite holiday, where there is on-site entertainment, swimming pools, seaside, forests and lots of other children and teenagers to play with.
Keller Campotel in Ireland has been organising family holidays for more than 30 years. It has family camping holidays on a variety of great sites in France for about €800 per week (tel: 0906-48750). The car ferry from Rosslare to France will cost in the region of €1,000 in high season. Flying to the nearest airport may be cheaper.Most companies will allow you to pay off the holiday over a period of months.
Send your questions with name and address to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan - December 15, 2012Augusta for the Masters
I am thinking of taking my husband to the Golf Masters in Augusta next April as a surprise for his 50th birthday. How can I arrange tickets and accommodation for this, and is it better going through a tour company? – NJ, Dublin
Going through a tour operator would be the ideal way to plan this trip as it neatly packages all the elements of flights, accommodation, tickets and transfers. Killester Travel have organised the Magnolia Tour for the US Masters from April 11th for four nights. The four-night trip includes flights from Dublin to Columbia, South Carolina, entry to the Masters on Friday and Sunday, accommodation in the four star Marriott Hotel, full hospitality in the Northwood Club, and transfers throughout the event, with an optional golf day on the Saturday - for €5,500pps, tel: 01-833 6935 or email golf@killestertravel.com.
If you were to go it alone, then you would be looking at the following costs: flights are around €720 each. Official tickets were sold out months ago. Tickets are available from online websites from about €620 each per day, for the lowest priced, but be careful where you buy them.
Most good quality hotels are already booked by tour operators and two- and three-star hotels are looking for €200-300 per night. You will also need a car, or use taxis to get around. So you could shave a bit off the package price.
Culture and sunshine
Myself and a few friends have decided we would like to book a sunshine break for February or March. We are in our mid-20s, on a small budget and would ideally like a place where we can be around locals and experience the culture of the area, rather than just clubs and bars aimed at tourists. - CH, Dublin
Sunshine in February and March limits you to the Canary Islands, Morocco, Tunisia, and Egypt.
Going with a tour operator, an online travel agent or using direct flights will keep the costs down. Most tour operators, such as sunway.ie, thomascook.ie, directholidays.ieand online agents clickandgo.com,lowcostholidays.ieand steintravel.iewill have a week in the sun for about €299pps.
This does limit you to usual mass tourism places. But as you will be a group of friends, you will find fun. Go where the locals go, the old town in many places is usually where the young people hang out.
Book Ryanair or Aer Lingus flights to the Canaries and hire an apartment on booking.comor rentalia.com.
Solo travel for teens
I want to send two 16-year-olds to Los Angeles during their Easter holidays. As they will be travelling unaccompanied I would like them to travel directly from Dublin to LAX and have checked the Aer Lingus website but cannot find any direct flights. I would be willing to travel as far as London Heathrow with them if there is no "non-stop" flight. I have been quoted a fare from Ireland with British Airways of around €625, is this good? Will they have to go through custom clearance in Dublin and London? - FMC, Laois
There are no direct flights from Ireland to Los Angeles so they will have to travel via another airport. If you are able to travel to Heathrow with them, this seems the best idea. Otherwise, they would have to change in a US airport. The fare you have been quoted is good and unlikely to fall any further, particularly as they are travelling at a busy time. If you do book them with British Airways, you can avail of the Skyflyer Solo service for unaccompanied minors for around £50 each way, and they will be assisted to their flight. They will clear US customs and immigration in Los Angeles only. Make sure to leave plenty of time for connecting and tell them it can be a long walk to the gate from the departure area.
Send your questions with name and address to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan - December 8, 2012
ASK JOAN: Your travel questions answered
St Petersburg to the Baltics : A friend and I would like to visit St Petersburg, with a possible add-on holiday in the Baltic region. We understand that there are experiences to be had from visiting during different seasons of the year. We would appreciate your advice on this, and also about the need (or not) to organise a guide to make the most of the visit.– JC, Dublin
One of the easiest and most comfortable ways to visit St Petersburg is as part of a Baltic cruise. There are a number of cruise companies that have trips during the summer season, which is lively with festivals. The added advantage is that guides are normally provided and you do not need a Russian visa if you arrive by cruise ship.
The following cruise lines have trips from Copenhagen visiting the Baltic and Scandinavian cities: princess.com,seabourn.com, silversea.com, ncl.comand msccruises.com. A good cruise agent can advise on prices, as there are often special deals from Ireland which include the flights. Try e-travel.iecruiseholidays.ie, jgt.ieandkingtravel.ie. The Travel Department organises a number of tours to Russia during the year and over nine days, you get to visit Moscow and St Petersburg with guided tours in each city. The nine-day tours are from €1,450 including flights, accommodation and tours, see thetraveldepartment.com.
The best time to travel to this region would be May to October. Outside of these months, the weather may be too cold or unsettled. The famous White Nights are from around June 10th to July 2nd.
If you would like to go it alone, SAS, Air France, Lufthansa and British Airways have flights for €300-€400 if you book in advance. Leave plenty of time to apply for a visa.
We would like to know the most efficient and cheapest way to travel around the US. Our intended targets are Atlanta, Tampa, Seattle, Vancouver, Chicago or New York in
spring. Is it possible to purchase an air rambler ticket? We would be spending some days and even weeks at each of the destinations and expect to make the trip from Seattle to Vancouver by road – would that break the sequence? Ideally, we’d like to use Shannon airport. – MAM, Limerick.
There is no rambler ticket for the US and to get the best value, you would have to book specific dates and generally buying outside the US is cheaper. From Shannon, there are transatlantic flights with Aer Lingus, United, US Airways, Delta and American Airlines to various gateway cities. There are low-cost carriers on some of the routes such as jetblue.comand flyfrontier.com.
Planning this trip will take time, but you should be able to get all the flights for well under €1,500 per person. Use the multi-city or multiple destinations options on the websites.
Car hire abroad
Our family is visiting South Africa over Christmas. We have hired a car with Hertz. I remember you advising travellers who hired cars in certain destinations, to watch out for extras such as additional insurance being imposed by the car hire
company. You gave the name of an insurance company that covers such eventualities for a nominal premium. Our rate from Hertz includes taxes and, I hope, insurance.
– PM, Clare.
Car hire always throws up questions as the rules vary from place to place and company to company. Generally, rates are quoted with CDW (collision damage waiver) which will be the basic insurance you need to drive in the country you are in. The additional insurance to cover the excess, fire, theft of personal belongings and extra drivers varies widely.
The excess, and you should ask how much it is, will be the amount you have to pay if you have an accident, lose keys, have a blowout, damage the windscreen etc. It can be from €100 to €2,500 depending on the country and the type of car.
Personal items left in the car are not covered under the basic insurance.
You can take out an additional insurance policy to cover all these eventualities and things like an additional driver for around €3.99 per day from carhireexcess.ie.
Ask Joan - December 1, 2012ASK JOAN: A family break to London: Our family would like to go to London for the February mid-term break. We would like to stay in central London and are travelling on a budget. Once the accommodation is clean and safe we are happy enough. Also are there any unmissable family attractions? DD, Dublin.
Last mid-term Steintravel had a family special to London for four that included flights, an apartment, and tickets to Matilda the musical and the London Eye for about €1,300, tel: 1850 408408.
Otherwise, watch out for the flight sales and find budget family accommodation on londontown.com. Things not to miss are the Natural History Museum, Science Museum, Tower of London, London Dungeon, Buckingham Palace, a river boat trip, Emirates Cable Car, red bus tour, and Camden town markets for the teenager. Take a guided walk with walks.com.
A trip with elderly parents: I would like to take my elderly parents to Rome. Dad has some mobility issues and Mam is reasonably fit but she gets tired. My plan is to go for four or five nights to include visits to Vatican and some of the major Roman sights. I am considering options: to try to book us on to a tour or to organise it myself.– JOT, Sligo.
A tour would probably be a good idea as the companies from Ireland that do tours are used to getting people around easily and in comfort. It may also be worth thinking about using a wheelchair for your father, the sheer scale of the Vatican and places to see in Rome mean a lot of walking.
All dates for next year’s tours are not yet finalised but you can contact the following companies,joewalshtours.com, thetraveldepartment.comand citiescapes.ie. The first two have seven-day tours, including over Easter, and citescapes.iewill have 15 departures next year for shorter breaks either Thursday to Sunday or Monday to Thursday.
If you want to plan the trip yourself, I suggest you have a look at sagetravelling.comfor advice on getting around Rome. Sage Travelling can also make all the arrangements for you including hotels and tours.
Darkrome.comorganises private tours of the Vatican and Sistine chapel after hours which might be a good for your parents as it is small group and no queuing.
Lovely La Graciosa
We are interested in going to the island of La Graciosa for a week in january if possible (after reading an article in the Irish Times). Can you suggest a tour operator who would organise travel and accommodation for us or alternatively how we could organise it for ourselves? I presume we would get flights to Lanzarote and a ferry to the island and book accommodation independently. However I am having difficulty finding information on ferries and accommodation. UB, Dublin
La Graciosa is not available through any tour operators so you will have to make your own arrangements to get there.
It is a tiny island, think Inish Bofin in the sun, eight by four kilometres. The main activity is fishing. There are a few shops and restaurants, and no paved roads and no mad nightlife. If you like quiet then La Graciosa will appeal. There are lovely beaches and you can hire bicycles to get around.
It is also in a marine reserve and there are boat and fishing trips.
The ferry runs from Órzola in the north of Lanzarote to La Graciosa and costs about €20 return, seelineasromero.com. Telephone them before you go as times vary during the year. Fly to Lanzarote with Aer Lingus or Ryanair. You can book a taxi transfer on lanzarotetaxi.com, it costs around €52. Find accommodation to rent on La Graciosa on Ownersdirect.co.ukand casa-candido.com.
Send your questions with name and address to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about Ski, sun and Sligo fun
November 24, 2012
Family skiing
Our family would like to go skiing in January but we don’t know where to go. We think Austria? We have two girls, seven and six, and want to get lessons for them. Ideally we would like to be in a busy-ish place because I might not ski myself. Nice food and restaurants are a must and a good hotel. – CPF, Waterford
Austria is a great destination for family skiing with excellent facilities. Austrian food is good but not necessarily haute cuisine. There is an emphasis on hearty eating, with great casseroles, soups and use of local ingredients, however the patisseries are fantastic.
The Hotel Post in Lermoos is a lovely family hotel, very well run, with good food and great leisure and spa facilities. It has a lovely outdoor area with views towards the Zugspitze Glacier. It is also five minutes walk to the ski school and lifts, so ideal for little legs. See post-lermoos.at. Get to Lermoos by flying to Munich and taking the train or hiring a car.
The Gastein valley in the Hohen Tauern mountain range sits above a series of thermal springs. The combination of deep valley and high mountains is perfect for skiing and the ski school at Angertal is great with children.
It is an hour by train from Salzburg – a lovely city and worth a day. The valley is also a spa destination, has a mountain healing gallery, a casino and good shopping. There are two towns, Bad Gastein and Bad Hofgastein, the latter is quieter. The Norica Hotel in Bad Hofgastein includes free entry to the Alpenthereme with great swimming pools and waterslides. See hotel-norica.at. Most of the hotels/holidays I have mentioned can be booked with topflight.ie, tel: 01-240 1700, with flights from Cork too.
Down Mexico way
What is the cheapest way to get a flight to Puerto Vallarta in Mexico in January? I have looked online and am completely confused because of the variety of departure cities. - RS, Cork
The biggest problem getting to Puerto Vallarta is not really the price, there are flights for under €900, but the time it takes. British Airways ( ba.com) has fares in January to Los Angeles and San Francisco from Dublin, Cork or Shannon via Heathrow, for around €580 return, including taxes. From LA or San Francisco you can take an Alaska Airlines flight to Puerto Vallarta for about €335, see alaskaair.com. It will mean a stopover on the way out.
Sligo shenanigans
We are a group of 10 friends in our 20s heading to Sligo for a weekend break at the start of December. We would like to do a bit of surfing, but other than that, we have no plans. Could you please advise us o n anything worth doing while in Sligo, be it food, adventure, nightlife, or just something a bit different! - FMN, Dublin Sligo is a good spot for a weekend away, with lovely scenery and lots to do. The Clarion Hotel has a surf package for two nights that includes accommodation (rooms are huge), dinner one night, and a surfing lesson at Strandhill, for €135pps, clarionhotelsligo.com.
Take to the waters and the wild with sligoadventure.ieand you can try kayaking, biking and horse-riding. Sligo has some great hill-walking, you could climb Belbulben from the south face, or visit Queen Maeve’s Cairn on top of Knockarea. Muddy Boots Trekking has half and full-day outings with a qualified leader, tel: 071- 91 43646, or email franmountainleader@gmail.com.
Stroll the lovely beach at Strandhill, see the megalithic tombs at Carrowmore, walk in Dooney Rock Forest Park, see the sculptures in the Hazel Wood, try to find The Glen and see the Glencar Waterfall.
Ward’s bar on Coney Island is worth a trip, and you can drive out on the causeway, nice for a Saturday afternoon pint.
In town, Furey’s Bar has open mike sessions and there’s live music in Shenanigans on Bridge Street. Shake your booties in Toffs on John F Kennedy Parade, and The Velvet Room on Kempton Promenade.
Send your questions with name and address to jscales@irishtimes.com
ASK JOAN : Could I see the world in eight weeks? Where to stay in San Diego for Christmas and could we swop our lake side house? November 17, 2012
Round-the-world trip I am aged 57, still working, and would like to take eight weeks off work in early 2013. I would like to see as many sights and cities as possible; would eight weeks be too short for a round-the-world trip? I would particularly like to visit India, and prefer English speaking counties. My budget would be under €10,000, and I would not mind staying in low-star hotels/hostels as long as I have my own room. – DB, Limerick.
Round-the-world tickets are available from travel agents such asutravel.ie, sayit.ie, trailfinders.ieand
roundtheworldexperts.co.uk. The price will depend on the routing you choose and fares start at around €1,800. You must travel in a continuous loop, with no backtracking and can arrive and leave from different airports. Don’t forget to take out travel insurance in advance. Countries where English is spoken or reasonably well spoken, could include North America, the Caribbean, Hawaii, Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, Bali, Hong Kong, Singapore, India, the Middle East, South Africa and Egypt.
Most hostels now are a far cry from the flea pits that passed for cheap accommodation in the past. Look athostelworld.comor hostelbookers.comfor places to stay, read the reviews and pay heed to the ratings.
Taking tours in the various places is the best way to see a lot in a short time. With a westerly circumnavigation you are less likely to suffer from jetlag. Try to break up your journey and keep the flights to a reasonable number of hours, I find seven to eight hours is manageable. Trains are also a good way to see a lot in a short time and you can cross most countries by train. See seat61.comfor help in planning train journeys.
San Diego sunshine
My daughter, granddaughter and I are planning to go to San Diego over the Christmas holidays and wonder if you have any information on apartments to rent. - MG, Dublin
San Diego is rated as one of the best places to live in the US due to its pleasant climate. It is also a very popular holiday destination and there are many apartments/condos to rent, though Christmas is a popular time to visit.
You will find a selection of apartments on homeaway.comand vrbo.com, with rates from about $175-$350 per night.
The Embassy Suites at San Diego Bay is a mixture of hotel and suites and as the clientele is usually corporate, the rates fall over Christmas and start at $114 per night.
See embassysuites.com.
Sail and swap
The World Mirror dinghy Championships are being held in Lough Derg, Co Tipperary next summer. We have a summer house there and are considering a house swap for the first time and do not know where to start or what overseas waterside location to consider. We have three teenage boys who are sporty but not into sailing. We would like to keep costs to a minimum by booking flights early, perhaps making contact with local clubs or alternatively joining a house swap site. - AR, Dublin
You can join a home swap website but not necessarily find people who will be looking to come to Lough Derg, so you need a two-pronged approach. Lough Derg Yacht Club is putting up a list of accommodation available in the area to rent and you can contact them at officeLDYC@gmail.com and ldyc.ie.
There are three principle agencies for home exchange. They all work on a fee basis of about €100 a year. You become a member and can swap with other members.
You are looking for a waterfront location, which helps to narrow down your search and the fact that your house in Lough Derg is not your main residence means you can do a non-simultaneous swap.
The US usually tops all the lists, with the most number of people looking to exchange. This is a good time to start looking, the January flight sales are usually the best. See Homelink.ie, Homeexchange.com, andIntervac.com.
Send your questions with name and address to jscales @irishtimes.com
Ask Joan about a useful travel break, winter sun and Athens in spring November, 10, 2012.
ASK JOAN: Grown-up gap: I am looking for advice for a grown-up “gap month”. I work freelance in the arts and my contract is due to end in February.
I would love to take a fortnight or a month away and do something different. I am on a budget and was thinking of short-term intensive courses that lead to a useful fall-back job skill, the type that are often aimed at gap year students such as yoga, cookery, fitness or volunteering. Any suggestions welcome. – TB, Dublin
Using time off to volunteer or to learn new skills is a great idea. The National Trust in the UK has working holidays where volunteers help with various activities.
Holidays are usually at a base camp with simple communal accommodation and shared domestic tasks.See nationaltrust.org.uk.
Off the west coast of Ireland is the Clare Island Yoga Retreat and organic farm. During the year they need helpers to assist with the running of the centre. See yogaretreats.ie.
In Spain you could consider being a volunteer at Vaughan Town, where in return for speaking English with students, you get bed and board. See volunteers.grupovaughan.com.
As you are interested in the arts, check out the festival websites, they usually have an area for recruiting volunteers. See artsfestivals.co.uk. and for European festivals see efa-aef.eu.
Athens in the spring
We would like to visit Athens in the spring, but cannot find flights between Dublin and Athens. We want to visit Athens on a city break basis, but there seems to be nothing available from this country. – ÉÓL, Dublin
The Aer Lingus service to Athens returns on May 2, with flights on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. At the moment flights cost about €230 return. There are flights every day from London Gatwick with easyjet.comand from Heathrow with British Airways and Aegean/Olympic Airways.You may find that booking with a travel agent you can combine flights and a hotel for a better price. Companies such as ebookers.ieand lastminute.comshould be able to do price of about €400pps for flights and four nights accommodation. They can also book flights to Athens via other countries, before May 2nd. The website aerlinguspackages.comalso has city breaks, from May 2nd.
Chasing sunshine
In desperate need of some sunshine before the year is out, we booked flights to Lanzarote in December. We would love your advice on budget accommodation options. We are a family of four, my husband and I and a two-year-old and three-and-a-half- year-old. – AC, Limerick
Lanzarote is a holiday island geared to mass tourism. Small, budget hotels with childcare or babysitting facilities do not really exist there.
There are a few small places, but they are very quiet and not necessarily on the coast, for example the Finca de Las Salinas is beautiful and somewhere you would probably love, if you were travelling without children. The island of Graciosa off the north coast is also a gem of tranquility for laidback adults. You might consider the Fariones Apartments in Puerto del Carmen, part of the Fariones Hotel complex. The hotel has a small beach, children’s heated outdoor pool, playground, restaurants and babysitting service. That week in December it will cost around €740 with breakfast.
You will find private rentals on Lanzarote on rentalia.com. Prices are reasonable, with properties from around €250-€450 per week.
You will find two-star self-catering apartments for less than €300 for the week in Costa Teguise. This is a quieter area of Lanzarote. See a selection of properties on booking.com.
I would love to take a fortnight or a month away and do something different. I am on a budget and was thinking of short-term intensive courses that lead to a useful fall-back job skill, the type that are often aimed at gap year students such as yoga, cookery, fitness or volunteering. Any suggestions welcome. – TB, Dublin
Using time off to volunteer or to learn new skills is a great idea. The National Trust in the UK has working holidays where volunteers help with various activities.
Holidays are usually at a base camp with simple communal accommodation and shared domestic tasks.See nationaltrust.org.uk.
Off the west coast of Ireland is the Clare Island Yoga Retreat and organic farm. During the year they need helpers to assist with the running of the centre. See yogaretreats.ie.
In Spain you could consider being a volunteer at Vaughan Town, where in return for speaking English with students, you get bed and board. See volunteers.grupovaughan.com.
As you are interested in the arts, check out the festival websites, they usually have an area for recruiting volunteers. See artsfestivals.co.uk. and for European festivals see efa-aef.eu.
Athens in the spring
We would like to visit Athens in the spring, but cannot find flights between Dublin and Athens. We want to visit Athens on a city break basis, but there seems to be nothing available from this country. – ÉÓL, Dublin
The Aer Lingus service to Athens returns on May 2, with flights on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. At the moment flights cost about €230 return. There are flights every day from London Gatwick with easyjet.comand from Heathrow with British Airways and Aegean/Olympic Airways.You may find that booking with a travel agent you can combine flights and a hotel for a better price. Companies such as ebookers.ieand lastminute.comshould be able to do price of about €400pps for flights and four nights accommodation. They can also book flights to Athens via other countries, before May 2nd. The website aerlinguspackages.comalso has city breaks, from May 2nd.
Chasing sunshine
In desperate need of some sunshine before the year is out, we booked flights to Lanzarote in December. We would love your advice on budget accommodation options. We are a family of four, my husband and I and a two-year-old and three-and-a-half- year-old. – AC, Limerick
Lanzarote is a holiday island geared to mass tourism. Small, budget hotels with childcare or babysitting facilities do not really exist there.
There are a few small places, but they are very quiet and not necessarily on the coast, for example the Finca de Las Salinas is beautiful and somewhere you would probably love, if you were travelling without children. The island of Graciosa off the north coast is also a gem of tranquility for laidback adults. You might consider the Fariones Apartments in Puerto del Carmen, part of the Fariones Hotel complex. The hotel has a small beach, children’s heated outdoor pool, playground, restaurants and babysitting service. That week in December it will cost around €740 with breakfast.
You will find private rentals on Lanzarote on rentalia.com. Prices are reasonable, with properties from around €250-€450 per week.
You will find two-star self-catering apartments for less than €300 for the week in Costa Teguise. This is a quieter area of Lanzarote. See a selection of properties on booking.com.
Saturday November 3, Malta, Cycling the Canal du Midi and fun Christmas in a hotel.
Which cycle company to use
We are a couple in our mid-30s who cycle a few kilometres every day to work and like to cycle at weekends but not competitively or on racers. Cycling to Howth and back on a Sunday for fish and chips would be our kind of thing, or covering every inch of Phoenix Park in an hour or so.
We want to start going on cycling holidays abroad and, as I have heard a little about it, I wanted to ask if the Canal du Midi was a good first option. More importantly, would you be able to recommend some good agents we can contact for this trip? I can see many online, so I value your opinion on which one to go with. – LOG, Dublin
The Canal du Midi is a great place to start cycling in France as the landscape is mainly flat, the scenery is lovely and there are plenty of places to stop along the way to stay and eat. You also have the train line running near the canal, and can use it to cover a lot of ground. Bicycle carriage is free on the trains.
Start by getting a copy of Declan Lyons’s book, Cycling the Canal du Midi; it is published by cicerone.co.ukand is available in electronic format, or you may find a second-hand copy on Amazon or in a second-hand bookshop.
The next thing is to decide if you will take your own bikes – carriage will be about €100 return – hire a bike, or join an organised tour. The Canal du Midi runs from Toulouse to Sète on the Mediterranean coast. The principal access airports from Ireland are Toulouse with Aer Lingus and Carcassonne with Ryanair.
If you rent bikes you will need panniers to carry your stuff, rentals will be about €65-€100 per week. In Toulouse, see maisonduvelotoulouse.com, and near Carcassonne, mellowvelos.comand carcassonne.generation.vtt.com.
The staff at Mellow Velos speak English and it is well recommended for advice on exploring the Canal du Midi and it also has a holiday home near Paraza, where you can base yourself and explore the region by bike each day.
Discoverfrance.comorganises cycling tours all around the country and has a Carcassonne to Sète tour that might be just a thing for you. You can travel independently and your luggage will be transferred from place to place, or with a group. The itinerary includes bike hire, accommodation, some meals and good maps. Flights are extra.
France has really taken to cycling and there are now 15 EuroVéloroutes all over the country. One of the most recent sections to open is in Aquitaine along the coast from Royan to Hendaye in the Basque country, see velodyssey.com. For the complete list of Véloroutes and Voies Verts (Green Ways) around France, see AF3V.org.
Solo winter sun
Is there anywhere I can get away to the sun for three to four days for pure rest and relaxation as a single traveller? I have seen lots of offers to Malta for a week, and I believe it is still warm there, but do you know if there are short holidays available for a solo traveller at this time of the year. As my husband is teaching, it is not possible for him to travel, but I just don’t think I can survive until summer. – SM, Dublin
During the winter Ryanair will continue flights to Malta on Mondays and Fridays, ideal for a short break, and the fares are cheap. Average temperatures for Malta in November are 17 to 20 degrees, with about eight hours of sunshine a day.
Malta has plenty of very nice hotels and they are good value at this time of the year. You can stay in a four-star hotel for under €80 per night and a five-star for less than €120 per night. The Fortina Spa Resort is about €300 for four nights in November and the Westin Dragonara is about €470. The Corinthia Palace is a sister hotel to the newly opened Corinthia in London, and a fraction of the price. As you are going by yourself, I recommend staying in a more luxurious hotel with all the facilities of pool, spa and dining.
Lively Christmas ideas
My three single pensioner friends have decided to spend Christmas together and want to stay in a lively hotel in Ireland. They are young at heart and love to dance and have the craic, so need a suitable venue. I’m hoping you can help me as I want Christmas to be special for them. – DB, Dublin
The Gleneagle in Killarney has been running a Christmas package for many years and it is popular. There is entertainment every night, and dancing and meals are included. The Gleneagle has a big leisure centre too. It costs €459pps for three nights. Its sister hotel the Brehon is a bit more expensive, from €569pps.
The Falls Hotel in Ennistymon has a similar type of package for three nights and it costs from €320pps. Travelling with a group of other like-minded people might be fun for you and your friends. Pabtours.comhas Christmas breaks around the country in Killarney, Sligo, Ennis, Donegal and Kilkenny. The tours are by coach and four days in a hotel with all the trimmings will cost from €366pps, tel: 01-871 9819.
* Send your questions with name and address to jscales@irishtimes.com
We are a couple in our mid-30s who cycle a few kilometres every day to work and like to cycle at weekends but not competitively or on racers. Cycling to Howth and back on a Sunday for fish and chips would be our kind of thing, or covering every inch of Phoenix Park in an hour or so.
We want to start going on cycling holidays abroad and, as I have heard a little about it, I wanted to ask if the Canal du Midi was a good first option. More importantly, would you be able to recommend some good agents we can contact for this trip? I can see many online, so I value your opinion on which one to go with. – LOG, Dublin
The Canal du Midi is a great place to start cycling in France as the landscape is mainly flat, the scenery is lovely and there are plenty of places to stop along the way to stay and eat. You also have the train line running near the canal, and can use it to cover a lot of ground. Bicycle carriage is free on the trains.
Start by getting a copy of Declan Lyons’s book, Cycling the Canal du Midi; it is published by cicerone.co.ukand is available in electronic format, or you may find a second-hand copy on Amazon or in a second-hand bookshop.
The next thing is to decide if you will take your own bikes – carriage will be about €100 return – hire a bike, or join an organised tour. The Canal du Midi runs from Toulouse to Sète on the Mediterranean coast. The principal access airports from Ireland are Toulouse with Aer Lingus and Carcassonne with Ryanair.
If you rent bikes you will need panniers to carry your stuff, rentals will be about €65-€100 per week. In Toulouse, see maisonduvelotoulouse.com, and near Carcassonne, mellowvelos.comand carcassonne.generation.vtt.com.
The staff at Mellow Velos speak English and it is well recommended for advice on exploring the Canal du Midi and it also has a holiday home near Paraza, where you can base yourself and explore the region by bike each day.
Discoverfrance.comorganises cycling tours all around the country and has a Carcassonne to Sète tour that might be just a thing for you. You can travel independently and your luggage will be transferred from place to place, or with a group. The itinerary includes bike hire, accommodation, some meals and good maps. Flights are extra.
France has really taken to cycling and there are now 15 EuroVéloroutes all over the country. One of the most recent sections to open is in Aquitaine along the coast from Royan to Hendaye in the Basque country, see velodyssey.com. For the complete list of Véloroutes and Voies Verts (Green Ways) around France, see AF3V.org.
Solo winter sun
Is there anywhere I can get away to the sun for three to four days for pure rest and relaxation as a single traveller? I have seen lots of offers to Malta for a week, and I believe it is still warm there, but do you know if there are short holidays available for a solo traveller at this time of the year. As my husband is teaching, it is not possible for him to travel, but I just don’t think I can survive until summer. – SM, Dublin
During the winter Ryanair will continue flights to Malta on Mondays and Fridays, ideal for a short break, and the fares are cheap. Average temperatures for Malta in November are 17 to 20 degrees, with about eight hours of sunshine a day.
Malta has plenty of very nice hotels and they are good value at this time of the year. You can stay in a four-star hotel for under €80 per night and a five-star for less than €120 per night. The Fortina Spa Resort is about €300 for four nights in November and the Westin Dragonara is about €470. The Corinthia Palace is a sister hotel to the newly opened Corinthia in London, and a fraction of the price. As you are going by yourself, I recommend staying in a more luxurious hotel with all the facilities of pool, spa and dining.
Lively Christmas ideas
My three single pensioner friends have decided to spend Christmas together and want to stay in a lively hotel in Ireland. They are young at heart and love to dance and have the craic, so need a suitable venue. I’m hoping you can help me as I want Christmas to be special for them. – DB, Dublin
The Gleneagle in Killarney has been running a Christmas package for many years and it is popular. There is entertainment every night, and dancing and meals are included. The Gleneagle has a big leisure centre too. It costs €459pps for three nights. Its sister hotel the Brehon is a bit more expensive, from €569pps.
The Falls Hotel in Ennistymon has a similar type of package for three nights and it costs from €320pps. Travelling with a group of other like-minded people might be fun for you and your friends. Pabtours.comhas Christmas breaks around the country in Killarney, Sligo, Ennis, Donegal and Kilkenny. The tours are by coach and four days in a hotel with all the trimmings will cost from €366pps, tel: 01-871 9819.
* Send your questions with name and address to jscales@irishtimes.com
Ask Joan - Oct. 27, 2012
Pre-Christmas ski trip
I was wondering if you would have any advice regarding ski holidays before Christmas. Unfortunately due to work commitments I won’t be able to go after Christmas or in January.
Having spoken to travel agents and looking online, a lot of the bigger operators don’t start their seasons until December 29th/30th or fly out right before Christmas. Ideally I was looking at travelling the week of December 17th and returning before, or on, Christmas Eve. I would be looking for accommodation and ski passes for two people. We don’t mind where we go. – HR, Dublin
The charter market for the ski season only begins for Christmas from Ireland but there are a few places you can get to quite easily. Some of the ski resorts will do discounts on lift passes and in some cases accommodation on that weekend before Christmas. It is also a nice time to go as the slopes tend to be less crowded and nicely groomed in advance of the holiday season.
You will also have to consider altitude as some resorts may not have a good snow coverage before Christmas and smaller resorts will not open before the holiday season. Access will have to be considered and you may have to fly via another airport to get close to where you choose. Salzburg is great for access to the Tyrol but Ryanair flights don’t begin until December 22nd.
Places to consider, based on altitude and opening times, are the Skiwelt in Austria where the season will kick off with a concert and fun events that week. If you look on skiwelt.comyou may find a good package that includes a lift pass and accommodation. Some of the accommodation does not open until Christmas week.
Nearby, the sister resorts of Ischgl also in the Wilder Kaiser mountains is Austria’s Ibiza and it kicks off the season in mid- December with some fun events, and great skiing, Ischgl.com. I skied the Skiwelt in December 2010 and it was excellent but very cold.
In France, the lofty resort of Tignes and its neighbour Val d’Isere are early openers and have the huge Espace Killy to enjoy. There are some special offers on tignes.netand valdisere.com.
Further north where you can be guaranteed some great snow in December is the Lillehammer ski region in Norway. Ski season begins early here and flights to Norway are reasonable from Ireland. Topflight.iecan put together packages for skiers to this former winter Olympics venue.
Graduating to London
We are heading to London for our son’s graduation. We are a party of five or six looking for accommodation in London city centre on November 29th for three nights. – NMC, Dublin
London has lot of new hotels these days and there is a great selection to choose from. Prices however, are not as low as I would have expected at the end of November, which makes me think that there must be a lot of events on that weekend. It is also the beginning of the Christmas shopping period.
The chain hotels are marketing quite fiercely lately. Have a look at premierinn.comwith rates from €150 per night and travelodge.co.ukis cheaper with rates from €86 per night. If you are looking for something a bit upmarket the Marylebone Hotel is in a great location behind Oxford Street, doylecollection.com.
I have also come across Studios2Let.comin London and these are in a few locations around the city. Bloomsbury is one where a room with a kitchenette will cost from around €125 per night.
A family trip to Frankfurt
I’m looking for hotel accommodation for eight sisters aged between 45 and 60. We are heading to Frankfurt in the beginning of November. We are looking for a four or five star hotel or a reasonably priced bed and breakfast for two nights in the city centre. – GD, Carlow
Frankfurt has a lot of very decent four and five star hotels and the prices drop considerably at the weekends. So if you are staying on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday night you will get good value. If you are staying during the week then you may have to drop down a category to get better value.
Top class hotels that are well located and better value at the weekend include the Steigenberger Frankfurter Hof; the Westin Grand; Flemings De Luxe; the Maritim, and the Hilton Frankfurt and rates are under €200 per night. These are all four and five star hotels and generally do not include breakfast in the rate.
However, some of them do, and the easiest way to find out is to use booking.com. This website gives the option of booking a breakfast-inclusive rate. For example two nights in the Flemings DeLuxe with breakfast will cost from €336 per room and Hotel Victoria from €198 per room. If breakfast is not included then I suggest you take breakfast elsewhere, as it is usually very expensive in four and five star hotels.
Send your questions with name and address to jscales@irishtimes.com
I was wondering if you would have any advice regarding ski holidays before Christmas. Unfortunately due to work commitments I won’t be able to go after Christmas or in January.
Having spoken to travel agents and looking online, a lot of the bigger operators don’t start their seasons until December 29th/30th or fly out right before Christmas. Ideally I was looking at travelling the week of December 17th and returning before, or on, Christmas Eve. I would be looking for accommodation and ski passes for two people. We don’t mind where we go. – HR, Dublin
The charter market for the ski season only begins for Christmas from Ireland but there are a few places you can get to quite easily. Some of the ski resorts will do discounts on lift passes and in some cases accommodation on that weekend before Christmas. It is also a nice time to go as the slopes tend to be less crowded and nicely groomed in advance of the holiday season.
You will also have to consider altitude as some resorts may not have a good snow coverage before Christmas and smaller resorts will not open before the holiday season. Access will have to be considered and you may have to fly via another airport to get close to where you choose. Salzburg is great for access to the Tyrol but Ryanair flights don’t begin until December 22nd.
Places to consider, based on altitude and opening times, are the Skiwelt in Austria where the season will kick off with a concert and fun events that week. If you look on skiwelt.comyou may find a good package that includes a lift pass and accommodation. Some of the accommodation does not open until Christmas week.
Nearby, the sister resorts of Ischgl also in the Wilder Kaiser mountains is Austria’s Ibiza and it kicks off the season in mid- December with some fun events, and great skiing, Ischgl.com. I skied the Skiwelt in December 2010 and it was excellent but very cold.
In France, the lofty resort of Tignes and its neighbour Val d’Isere are early openers and have the huge Espace Killy to enjoy. There are some special offers on tignes.netand valdisere.com.
Further north where you can be guaranteed some great snow in December is the Lillehammer ski region in Norway. Ski season begins early here and flights to Norway are reasonable from Ireland. Topflight.iecan put together packages for skiers to this former winter Olympics venue.
Graduating to London
We are heading to London for our son’s graduation. We are a party of five or six looking for accommodation in London city centre on November 29th for three nights. – NMC, Dublin
London has lot of new hotels these days and there is a great selection to choose from. Prices however, are not as low as I would have expected at the end of November, which makes me think that there must be a lot of events on that weekend. It is also the beginning of the Christmas shopping period.
The chain hotels are marketing quite fiercely lately. Have a look at premierinn.comwith rates from €150 per night and travelodge.co.ukis cheaper with rates from €86 per night. If you are looking for something a bit upmarket the Marylebone Hotel is in a great location behind Oxford Street, doylecollection.com.
I have also come across Studios2Let.comin London and these are in a few locations around the city. Bloomsbury is one where a room with a kitchenette will cost from around €125 per night.
A family trip to Frankfurt
I’m looking for hotel accommodation for eight sisters aged between 45 and 60. We are heading to Frankfurt in the beginning of November. We are looking for a four or five star hotel or a reasonably priced bed and breakfast for two nights in the city centre. – GD, Carlow
Frankfurt has a lot of very decent four and five star hotels and the prices drop considerably at the weekends. So if you are staying on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday night you will get good value. If you are staying during the week then you may have to drop down a category to get better value.
Top class hotels that are well located and better value at the weekend include the Steigenberger Frankfurter Hof; the Westin Grand; Flemings De Luxe; the Maritim, and the Hilton Frankfurt and rates are under €200 per night. These are all four and five star hotels and generally do not include breakfast in the rate.
However, some of them do, and the easiest way to find out is to use booking.com. This website gives the option of booking a breakfast-inclusive rate. For example two nights in the Flemings DeLuxe with breakfast will cost from €336 per room and Hotel Victoria from €198 per room. If breakfast is not included then I suggest you take breakfast elsewhere, as it is usually very expensive in four and five star hotels.
Send your questions with name and address to jscales@irishtimes.com
Oct. 20, Christmas markets in Berlin, Rome for New Year and the Northern Lights in Scotland
ASK JOAN: All your travel questions answered
What to see, where to stay?
I would love to travel to Berlin for the Christmas markets during November. Can you recommend things to do and restaurants to visit? Also, please suggest a suitable place to stay near the centre so that we can walk to the main attractions and ideally with the Best Western Hotel group as I have points on a loyalty card that I would like to cash in. – SH, Dublin.
Getting to Berlin is easy – and good value in November. Aer Lingus has flights every day and Ryanair has flights four days a week. The Best Western Hotel am Spittelmarkt is in a good location, at Neue Grünstrasse 28, and is within walking distance of Unter den Linden, Gendarmenmarkt and the eastern Berlin Christmas markets. Rates are from €85 per night in November, bestwestern.com.
There are dozens of Christmas or Advent markets in Berlin and they usually begin around the last weekend in November. Some of the better ones include the market at the Staatsoper behind the opera house on Unter den Linden, the one at Gendarmenmarkt and across town the market at Charlottenburg Palace (Schloss Charlottenburg) is classy and atmospheric when it begins to get dark.
Other things to do in the city include a visit to Checkpoint Charlie (now owned by Nama) and see the new attraction, a massive 360 degree panorama showing the wall as it was. Skip the museum here and instead visit the Tränenpalast (Palace of Tears) beside Friedrichstrasse station. This was the former border crossing for people arriving by train.
The passport inspection hall has been turned into a small museum about the partition of Germany and the old passport control cabins are still there. The Holocaust Memorial near the Brandenburg gate is also worth a visit.
The boat trip on the Spree from near the Dom cathedral heading towards Museum Island is a great way to see the modern and reinvigorated architecture of Berlin. Museum Island is also a place to spend a good few hours exploring some of the great collections on view.
The food court at the KaDeWe department store on Kurfürstendamm (Ku’Damm) is a busy place to enjoy lunch. The Oyster Bar has a great selection from all around Europe, delicious with a glass of Champagne.
For a charming coffee house Cafe Einstein on the Ku’Damm is perfect for Wiener Schnitzel. Paris Moskau, on Alt-Moabit serves a lighter version of German food and the Ritter Sport chocolate shop on Französiosche Str is great for a hot chocolate pitstop.
A short trip to Scotland
I have a 28-year-old son coming home for a month in December from Oz and we’d like to take him away for a few days so we can catch up with him before he sees the pals. I had thought of a few days in Scotland maybe – and be lucky enough to see the Northern Lights – but I haven’t a clue where to go in Scotland and whether to bring the car, go on the train or fly? Failing that any suggestions for Ireland or elsewhere would be great. We want to keep the budget as tight as possible. – MMB, Dublin.
Getting to Scotland is the easy part; Ryanair has daily flights to Edinburgh and Glasgow Prestwick. Aer Lingus flies to Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen in the far north of Scotland. Prices are reasonable, under €100 if you book in advance, and maybe even less if you pounce on some sale fares.
You can rent a mid-size car from around €35 per day, less for a small vehicle.
Stena Line has a service from Belfast to Cairnryan and a car and three passengers will cost around €320 return and you would need to consider the cost of petrol. Or take the ferry to Holyhead and drive or take the train from there.
The most likely places in Scotland to see the Northern Lights are the Northern Highlands, the Isle of Skye and the Shetland Isles. There is no guarantee that you will see them, but this year is the peak of the solar cycle and if you have Twitter you can follow @AurorawatchUK for sightings.
The following bed and breakfasts are in potentially good places, Ashaig BB in Skye, skye-bed-and-breakfast.co.uk. Sharvedda is in Caithness, sharvedda.co.ukand Vadsdal on Shetland, vadsdalbedandbreakfast.shetland.co.uk.
Otherwise my suggestion is to go to Edinburgh and enjoy the city. There is lots to see and do, like the Royal Mile from Holyrood Palace and the Parliament Building to Edinburgh Castle. Maybe take a walk up to Arthur’s Seat for views over the countryside.
Jurys Inn in Edinburgh has rooms for three adults and is well located for exploring the city.
Rome with friends
Three friends are going to Rome on December 29th for three nights – any suggestions for accommodation? – MC, Dublin.
Rome for new year
What to see, where to stay?
I would love to travel to Berlin for the Christmas markets during November. Can you recommend things to do and restaurants to visit? Also, please suggest a suitable place to stay near the centre so that we can walk to the main attractions and ideally with the Best Western Hotel group as I have points on a loyalty card that I would like to cash in. – SH, Dublin.
Getting to Berlin is easy – and good value in November. Aer Lingus has flights every day and Ryanair has flights four days a week. The Best Western Hotel am Spittelmarkt is in a good location, at Neue Grünstrasse 28, and is within walking distance of Unter den Linden, Gendarmenmarkt and the eastern Berlin Christmas markets. Rates are from €85 per night in November, bestwestern.com.
There are dozens of Christmas or Advent markets in Berlin and they usually begin around the last weekend in November. Some of the better ones include the market at the Staatsoper behind the opera house on Unter den Linden, the one at Gendarmenmarkt and across town the market at Charlottenburg Palace (Schloss Charlottenburg) is classy and atmospheric when it begins to get dark.
Other things to do in the city include a visit to Checkpoint Charlie (now owned by Nama) and see the new attraction, a massive 360 degree panorama showing the wall as it was. Skip the museum here and instead visit the Tränenpalast (Palace of Tears) beside Friedrichstrasse station. This was the former border crossing for people arriving by train.
The passport inspection hall has been turned into a small museum about the partition of Germany and the old passport control cabins are still there. The Holocaust Memorial near the Brandenburg gate is also worth a visit.
The boat trip on the Spree from near the Dom cathedral heading towards Museum Island is a great way to see the modern and reinvigorated architecture of Berlin. Museum Island is also a place to spend a good few hours exploring some of the great collections on view.
The food court at the KaDeWe department store on Kurfürstendamm (Ku’Damm) is a busy place to enjoy lunch. The Oyster Bar has a great selection from all around Europe, delicious with a glass of Champagne.
For a charming coffee house Cafe Einstein on the Ku’Damm is perfect for Wiener Schnitzel. Paris Moskau, on Alt-Moabit serves a lighter version of German food and the Ritter Sport chocolate shop on Französiosche Str is great for a hot chocolate pitstop.
A short trip to Scotland
I have a 28-year-old son coming home for a month in December from Oz and we’d like to take him away for a few days so we can catch up with him before he sees the pals. I had thought of a few days in Scotland maybe – and be lucky enough to see the Northern Lights – but I haven’t a clue where to go in Scotland and whether to bring the car, go on the train or fly? Failing that any suggestions for Ireland or elsewhere would be great. We want to keep the budget as tight as possible. – MMB, Dublin.
Getting to Scotland is the easy part; Ryanair has daily flights to Edinburgh and Glasgow Prestwick. Aer Lingus flies to Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen in the far north of Scotland. Prices are reasonable, under €100 if you book in advance, and maybe even less if you pounce on some sale fares.
You can rent a mid-size car from around €35 per day, less for a small vehicle.
Stena Line has a service from Belfast to Cairnryan and a car and three passengers will cost around €320 return and you would need to consider the cost of petrol. Or take the ferry to Holyhead and drive or take the train from there.
The most likely places in Scotland to see the Northern Lights are the Northern Highlands, the Isle of Skye and the Shetland Isles. There is no guarantee that you will see them, but this year is the peak of the solar cycle and if you have Twitter you can follow @AurorawatchUK for sightings.
The following bed and breakfasts are in potentially good places, Ashaig BB in Skye, skye-bed-and-breakfast.co.uk. Sharvedda is in Caithness, sharvedda.co.ukand Vadsdal on Shetland, vadsdalbedandbreakfast.shetland.co.uk.
Otherwise my suggestion is to go to Edinburgh and enjoy the city. There is lots to see and do, like the Royal Mile from Holyrood Palace and the Parliament Building to Edinburgh Castle. Maybe take a walk up to Arthur’s Seat for views over the countryside.
Jurys Inn in Edinburgh has rooms for three adults and is well located for exploring the city.
Rome with friends
Three friends are going to Rome on December 29th for three nights – any suggestions for accommodation? – MC, Dublin.
Rome for new year