From 40th birthday celebrations to a tour of Europe's great galleries, JOAN SCALESanswers your travel questions
Adventure to celebrate our 40th birthdays
Three friends and I will be celebrating our 40th birthdays in the next six months and would like a great trip to mark it. We all like sports, the outdoors and think we are still fit. We would like a trip where we would maybe do some activities, but nowadays we also like good food and a comfortable bed too. Any ideas in Ireland or Europe would be great, probably four to six days is about all we could spare from wives and girlfriends.
DD, Kildare
One of the first places I think you should have a look is at Extreme Ireland, the adventure travel company (01-4100700, extremeireland.ie). Why not try exploring the middle of Ireland with a canoeing trip down the River Barrow, which also includes some hiking and hillwalking. The mixed activity week will be led by an experienced guide and you will be sure to have a good time. Accommodation will be in nice hotels and guesthouses along the way.
Alternatively, early next year Extreme Ireland will be taking groups to Norway for some snowy activities. Heading first to Oslo for a few days before travelling north to Kirkenes to engage in some Arctic Circle adventures, including a husky safari, snow hiking, king-crab fishing and survival skills, you may even get to see the Northern Lights.
Carrauntoohil, Ireland’s highest mountain, is a difficult but not impossible peak to consider conquering, and a fitting challenge to mark your birthdays. One of the best guides in Kerry is Con Moriarty, and a few days in the Kingdom would be memorable. Con would show you some serious outdoor activity along with great places to stay, good food and craic along the way. You can contact him on 087-2214002 and at hiddenirelandadventures.com.
Some friends of mine marked their 40th with a whitewater rafting trip in France. It was fun, tough and exhausting – and they loved it. Based in Aude, the Roc Aqua adventure company (rocaqua.com) has a range of water-based and land activities such as rafting, canoeing, hydrospeeding, rock-climbing, and caving. You would also have the benefit of tasting some fine French food and wine.
What about learning a new skill and having a great time doing it? Kitesurfing is taking the world by storm and is the perfect sport for active men. One of the best places to learn is in Tarifa in the south of Spain, where you can also enjoy some fine weather and good food. Tarifa High Flyers (highflyerstarifa.com) runs courses most of the year with accommodation included in the price.
My dad wants to see Europe’s great galleries
I write on behalf of my father (early 70s) who wishes to take an escorted coach tour to see the great galleries of Europe. He does not fly but will join a tour in London. As a single traveller, supplements are a concern. He would like to travel in autumn, while the weather is still mild.
GR, Wicklow
One of the longest established companies in the tour business is Trafalgar Tours (trafalgar.com), which has a range of excursions that may suit your father. None of them are specifically gallery tours, but they do take in many of the finest cities in Europe, where he will have an opportunity to visit the galleries he would like to see.
Prices depend on the length of the tour and places it goes to, and the cost of single supplements varies. Trafalgar has a range of “cost-saver” tours and also discounts on last-minute offers.
Cosmos Tours (cosmostourama.co.uk) also has a good variety of trips to Europe over the autumn. In some cases they offer a single share option where your father could team up with another single to keep the cost down.
How can we be sure internet booking is safe?
My husband and I are going away for a week in October to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary. I have booked flights to Tenerife and we are interested in staying on La Gomera. My question is in two parts. Firstly, we have found what looks like lovely apartments but cannot find any reviews of them on the internet – how safe is it to book apartments that dont have any reference to them elsewhere, and what kind of bonding/guarantee should we be asking for?
Secondly, is there a culture of booking hotels close to check-in dates for a reduced price in Spain? We’d love to stay in a posh hotel such as the Parador, but the prices are too dear for us (penniless parents, first trip away in 10 years without children!). We’d be interested in waiting another week or two to see if prices do come down, but don’t want to be left without accommodation.
MD, Dublin
In reply to your first question, much of this type of accommodation is rented directly by owners and people are in the main reliable. Pick up the phone and call them if you need reassurance. There are different rental terms and conditions, but it is usual to pay up to a 25 per cent deposit with the balance due either within a month of arrival or in some cases on arrival.
As to booking later rather than sooner, hotel prices generally increase the closer to the date you get – however, at this time of the year prices are unlikely to go up. I have seen four-star hotels in Tenerife for under €80 per night. Have a look at roomex.com for good deals.
As to staying in the Parador, you can get a discounted price by booking with the agent in Ireland, Lorna Roberts, at 095-23511. The Paradores run various promotions through the year and she will have details. You may be able to manage a night or two.
I also asked Andy McCarter, who is based in La Gomera and runs a walking company, Gomerawalking.com, and he came back with a few suggestions for you. The Hotel Torre del Conde (hoteltorredelconde.com) in the centre of San Sebastián is close to all facilities. Price start at about €35 per night BB.
Quinteros Apartments (00-34-922141744) are centrally located and offer spacious twin-bedroom apartments with en-suite bathroom, kitchenette and sitting room overlooking the harbour. Prices are about €45 per apartment.
Tapahuga Apartments in Playa de Santiago (00-34-922895159) are priced about €40 to €45 per room per night. In Valle Gran Rey, there is a lovely pension (pension-candelaria.com) overlooking Vueltas harbour and within easy walking distance of the ferry at about €35 per night for a twin room.
E-mail questions, with your name and address, to jscales@irishtimes.com