JOAN SCALESanswers your travel questions
Can we get from Munich to Lisbon for less than 800?
Q I’m planning a trip to Munich, in Germany, with family next month, and then my husband and I are going on to Lisbon for a few days before flying back to Cork. Unfortunately, a one-way flight from Munich to Lisbon is coming in at more than 800. Surely I could nearly buy an around-the-world ticket for that. I can get a flight from Lisbon to Cork for about 60, so the Munich-Lisbon price seems outrageous. What can I do, and can you recommend any hotels in Lisbon?
AL, Kilkenny
The reason for the high price of the flight from Munich to Lisbon is that the route is only served by two airlines, TAP Portugal and Lufthansa, both of which are full-service carriers. If you book a return from Munich to Lisbon but just don’t use the return leg, the price drops significantly. Lufthansa was coming in at about €205 and TAP at about €210 return when I looked.
The top three hotels in Lisbon as rated by users of Hotels.com are the Pestana Palace, a historic building on the outskirts of the city with rates from €222 per room per night on Hotels.com (€100 per night less than on the hotel’s own website); the Tiara Park Atlantic, which has rooms from a good-value-sounding €120 per night, plus fantastic views of the city; and the Clarion Suites, which has rooms from €115 per night.
The Heritage group (www. heritage.pt) has five small boutique hotels in the city. They are in historic houses and small buildings and have a real Portuguese feel. Expect to pay €140-€205 per night.
Also worth considering is the Sofitel Lisbon Liberdade (www.sofitel.com), which, with rates from €130, sounds like good value for a modern four-star hotel, ideal as a base for seeing the city centre on foot.
Q I would like to visit Rouen, in France, next month. What’s the best way of getting to this part of Normandy, and can you recommend places to stay?
HS, Dublin
If you are going to make your own arrangements to get to Rouen, you can take a flight with Air France (www.air france.ie) or Aer Lingus (www.aerlingus.com) to Paris Charles de Gaulle. Then head into the city to catch a train to Rouen from Gare St Lazare. The tourist office in Rouen (www.rouentourisme.com) can recommend hotels and even point you towards weekend offers that start at €179.
Otherwise I know of two other ways to see Normandy and Rouen. The first is a coach tour from Dublin via the UK that visits battlefields in the region and neighbouring Belgium, such as Ypres, the Somme, Flanders, the Island of Ireland Peace Park, the Menin Gate and the Normandy beaches, which includes an overnight stay in Rouen.
The trip, which is run by PAB Tours (www.pabtours.com, 01-8733411), costs from €679pps for seven days.
An alternative way to visit Normandy is to cruise from Paris along the Seine Valley to Rouen. The seven-day trip, which begins with a day’s sightseeing in the French capital, visits Vernon, Honfleur and Rouen. It costs from €1,319pps, full board, including flights from Ireland. See www.citiescapes.ie or call 01-2941000.
Q A German family with two children, aged six and three, who are coming to Ireland in October would like to spend four or five days in the southeast. Can you suggest a suitable location, hotel and activities?
JD, Wicklow
I have three suggestions, for three budgets. In Wexford, Whites hotel has been a favourite with families for many years. It has a good swimming pool and leisure centre. Being in town is ideal for seeing what Wexford has to offer, and it’s also a good base for touring. During October a family room will cost €175 per night, bed and breakfast, but watch out for special offers (www.whitesofwexford.ie).
A holiday on a working farm might appeal to the children. Newtown Farm (www.newtown farm.com), near Ardmore, in Co Waterford, is a good introduction to the countryside. Rates start at €40pps for adults and €20pps for children.
My final suggestion is to rent a house in a popular seaside town such as Courtown, Rosslare, Duncannon, Kilmore Quay, Dungarvan or Tramore. They should find somewhere from €300 to €400 – or €500 on resorts with leisure facilities, such as the mews at Faithlegg House Hotel. Try www.tridentholidayhomes. ie and www.selfcatering.ie.
They should also check out www.discoverireland.ie for places to visit and things to do.
Go contact
E-mail questions, with your name and address, to jscales@irishtimes.com.