ASK JOAN:Your travel questions answered
Honeymoon in San Francisco
Myself and my fiance are heading to San Francisco in September on our honeymoon for two weeks. We would like to spend a few days in San Francisco city, then head over to Yosemite National Park (maybe also Lake Tahoe) for a few days and then spend another few days in the wine country.
Can you suggest some nice clean accommodation that isn't too expensive ($130 per night per room approximately). Having spent some time googling, accommodation does seem very expensive! You might also be able to suggest a travel agent over there that we could possibly liaise with to prepare an itinerary? We want to do a lot but don't want to spend too much time travelling. – FNC, Dublin
September can be very busy in San Francisco and that is why the rates are so high, see Sanfrancisco.travel for tourism information and hotel bookings. The Fisherman's Wharf area tends to be more expensive than the Union Square area. You will find more reasonable accommodation as you travel around California.
Yosemite will still be busy in September and as there are only a few hotels in the park you need to book soon. Outside the park in Mariposa County, you will find more reasonably-priced hotels, inns and BBs. See Yosemiteexperience.comfor listings of accommodation in the area.
The wine country is lovely and you will enjoy driving through miles and miles of vineyards. You will see signs everywhere for tours and wine tastings and it is a nice way to while away a few hours. Have a look at the wine area around Sacramento en route to Yosemite. The wine growing regions of Lodi and Amador Counties offer a more personal wine tasting experience and better priced accommodation. Sonoma County is also worth considering for better value accommodation.
For Lake Tahoe accommodation and events, see visitinglaketahoe.com.
Branded accommodation tends to be better value, guesthouses and inns can be quite pricey. Look at rates from Days Inn, Holiday Inn, Courtyard by Marriott, Ramada, Fairfield Inns, Embassy Suites and Travelodge. Many of these brands have rooms with kitchen facilities, ie fridges and microwaves.
It would be well worth your while talking to a travel agent here (try Touramerica.ieand AmericanHolidays.ie) about your trip. They often have special fares with airlines and car hire companies and what you save on travel you could put towards better quality accommodation.
Class trip to France
I am the class representative for the first-year French class in Trinity College Dublin and many people in my class have never been to France.
As I love France and want all the other students in my class to feel the same way I would love to organise a class trip to somewhere in France. The problem is I have no idea where to start. Would you have any advice on what cities are best for students to visit? And how I would find cheap enough flights and hostels that we would all be able to afford? Obviously being students, we would need somewhere with a good nightlife but is as cheap as possible. There are 88 people in my class. - NB, Dublin
There are so many possibilities. It would seem a pity not to go to Paris if so many people have not been there. Accommodation and flights are not too expensive, if you book in advance. I think realistically you will probably be looking at next term to get a trip together.
Cities other than Paris will be more reasonable and from Ireland there are direct flights to Nice, Lyon, La Rochelle, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Biarritz, Nantes, Tours, Marseille, Rennes, Grenoble, Perpignan, and Carcassonne.
Big university towns tend to have good nightlife for students and consider Nice, Bordeaux and Biarritz for the seaside fun. Aer Lingus has a group reservation department and you can email them on Groups@aerlingus.com or tel: 0818 365 007. For Ryanair flights you will have to make the bookings online, in groups of up to 25 at a time, though 10 is probably better. You could also ask a travel company like NST who specialise in group tours for colleges to quote for your trip, see nst.ieor tel: 01-894 0300.
Hostel accommodation is the best value for your group and I suggest that you contact hostelworld.comabout making bookings. You should be able to get accommodation of around €12-€16 per head per night.
Work out a budget for the trip and get the money up front. See tourism information on en.Parisinfo.com, Franceguide.com, Bordeaustourisme.comand Biarritz.fr.
A barge holiday for the family
We are two small families (four adults and one 17 year-old in total) who would love to do a barge trip on one of the canals in France for around two weeks some time between the middle of June and middle of August.
Could you recommend where would be a nice place to go, preferably with lots of little villages along the way for provisions, restaurants etc?
We are not looking for much other entertainment or action, just a relaxing break and some nice food, wine and weather. We would like some comfort and space onboard, and all mod cons. Could you give any idea of prices? We are open to either flying to a nearby airport or taking a car by ferry – though I imagine it might be a very long drive from Brittany.– HR, Dublin
One of the nicest places in France for boating holidays is the Canal du Midi which would fit the bill perfectly for your group. Then canal wends its way through lovely countryside, with small stops and villages along the way. You would be looking at around €2,000-2,500 per week for a suitable barge or boat for five.
Flying to Carcassonne or Perpignan you can pick up a boat in Homps, Castelnaudary or Narbonne. Emeraldstar.ieare members of Le Boat, a European organisation for hiring boats, tel: 071-0627633 and see details on the website.
Also have a look at boatingeurope.comfor more locations. Rick Stein's book, French Odyssey, would be a lovely accompaniment to your trip.
Email queries, with your name and address, to jscales@irishtimes.com