Go Advice: From dreams of a white Christmas to central London hotels, JOAN SCALESanswers your travel questions
Seeking snow this Christmas
Q: My husband and I would like to have a short break during the Christmas holiday. This year we would love to try Christmas in the snow in Europe, leaving Dublin on December 23rd and returning just before New Year.
We would like a hotel that has a Christmas package, excellent service and traditional in style: perhaps a country house with roaring log fires, country walks and sleigh rides. We would like something along the lines of Reid’s Palace, Negresco or Shelbourne hotels but are not adverse to trying something else.
We do not want to join a house party or go to a ski chalet. I was thinking of the Alps, in Switzerland or Austria. - MP, Dublin
A: This sounds like a lovely idea but the problem with this type of hotel in Austria and Switzerland is that many have a minimum stay of a week to 10 days and in some cases 12 days. All the lovely properties that jump to mind have this minimum requirement.
But the beautiful Beau Rivage in Lausanne may fit the bill (0041 21613330, brp.ch). On the shore of Lake Geneva, this grand hotel welcomes guests over Christmas without minimum stays. The hotel will be dressed for Christmas and will have some special meals and events. It will be possible to explore some snowy scenery around Lausanne with good transport links around the lake and into the Alps.
Another hotel that fits some of the criteria is the Sacher in Salzburg, sister hotel to the Sacher in Vienna. The Sacher is a traditional hotel with great service and food, and Christmas packages.
Salzburg is a beautiful city surrounded by snowy mountains. It is a city that loves Christmas and there will be a whole host of things to do including carol singing in the cathedral, visits to the Mirabell Palace, Advent markets and sleigh rides (0043 663 889770, sacher.com and salzburg.info).
For the best rates in these hotels, I recommend shopping around. Have a look at booking.com, expedia.ie, and hotels.com.
We want to roam in Rome
Q: My husband and I (both in our early 70s) would like a short break in spring, of about three to four nights, in Rome. We would like a package with a guide at all times and would like to leave from Dublin or Belfast. - G Dublin
A: A number of companies arrange short guided breaks to Rome. You can expect to pay about €500-€700 including airfares and accommodation.
The Citiescapes Insiders Tour of Rome and Vatican is a great way to see a lot in a short time. The tour is guided and accommodation is in a nice central hotel.
You can contact them on 01-294 1000, citiescapes.ie.
The Travel Department has a good reputation for guided tours and its tour to Rome, while not fully guided, does include tours that will give you a real feel for the city, 01-6371600, thetraveldepartment.ie.
London: luxury and location
Q. Last year I took my mother to London and we availed of a “Deals of the week” in The Irish Times. We stayed in the Cadogan Hotel for £100 a room and it was excellent, thank you. This time we are a group of eight, all from one family, and will be staying in London from January 27th to 28th. Do you know of a good place to stay that is reasonably priced and central? We would not mind paying a bit more to get luxury but that is not absolutely essential. - JR, Donegal
London hotel rates have been climbing all year and there are few bargains around. The Cadogan in January now costs £175 (€199) a night. If you have not booked flights yet, it might be worth having a look at an inclusive package from the likes of lastminute.com or a travel agent’s website.
The following hotels are well located and, while not cheap, provide some luxury. The Doyle Collection has three hotels in London: the Kensington, Marylebone and Bloomsbury. Rates in the Kensington are from £150 (€170) a night.
In the Oxford Street area the Cumberland Hotel is well placed for getting around the city. It is owned by Guoman Hotels and from time to time it has some very good discounted rates. Check them out on guoman.com.
Otherwise I think trawling the websites of the hotel booking sites is a way to uncover some good rates. Lately I have found that booking.com and roomex.com have had good prices. Also the website visitlondon.com is helpful in planning your trip and has inclusive rates with hotels, theatres, attractions and restaurants.
GO ASK JOAN
Email questions, with your name and address, to jscales@irishtimes.com