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) to Vienna 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 and Essaouira 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