GO ADVICE:From something special in Iceland to deals for seniors in Spain and a 40th away JOAN SCALESanswers your travel queries
Iceland in September
My husband and I wish to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary by going to Iceland in mid-September this year. Can you tell me the easiest way to get there and what type of weather we can expect at this time of the year? We would like to stay somewhere special so any ideas would be welcome.
FC, Dublin
Getting to Iceland was to be easier this year with plans for a direct flight from Dublin, but it never happened. The nearest flights are from Heathrow, Manchester and Glasgow with Icelandair.com and from London Gatwick with Icelandexpress.com. Prices will be around €350 return.
In the capital Reykjavik there are lots of hotels/apartments to choose from. Most hotels are modern with smallish rooms but very clean. The Reykjavik Centrum (hotelcentrum.is) and the Radisson Blu 1919 (radissonblu.com) are central – expect to pay around €200 per night. The weather in September is five to 10 degrees, so bring warm outdoor wear.
Irish travel agents have two trips to Iceland from Ireland in the autumn. The Travel Department has a trip from September 29th for four nights with direct flights from Dublin staying in three/four-star accommodation in Reykjavik. It costs from €529-€629pps. Tel: 01-6371600 or see thetraveldepartment.ie.
There is a trip from October 27th to 31st with Wallace Travel. The price from €617pps includes flight, accommodation and airport transfers.
Places to see in Iceland include the Blue Lagoon, an outdoor geothermal lake in the lava, the waterfall at Gullfoss and the Great Geyser. If you go in October there is also the chance you will see the Northern Lights, Aurora Borealis. Tel: 01-8347888 or wallacetravelgroup.com.
Silver holidays in Spain
My wife and I (over 55) are thinking of booking a holiday in autumn and hoping to avail of the Spanish government initiative on holidays for older people. Can you suggest a hotel and location? We like food, wine and quiet places.
PH, Dublin
The “Spanish Seniors” holidays became a victim of its success and the Spanish government has withdrawn them from the market. However, a number of tour operators and travel agents now provide similar good value holidays in the off season.
Rathgar Travel has a programme of holidays to the Costa del Sol from October 1st to April 30th, 2012. In Benelmadena it offers Hotel Vistamar and Hotel Los Patos. In Fuengirola, stay at Hotel Lago Rojo and in Benidorm the Hotel Gran Bali. Prices are from €410pps and you can stay up to four weeks. Tel: 01-4909311 or see rathgartravel.ie.
The Travel Broker has a similar programme for over 50s holidays to Portugal this winter. See travelbroker.ie or tel 01-8333921. Many of its holidays have half or full board options and free excursions.
Travel247.ie and Shandon Travel has holidays to popular resorts in Spain, including the Costa del Sol, Majorca and the Costa de la Luz. Prices are the same as last season, tel 0818-333331. Hotels on the Costa de la Luz and Estoril tend to be quieter than those in the Costa del Sol.
40th birthday trip for twins
My twin sister and I will be 40 in November and we are looking for something exciting to do to mark the occasion. She has had a hip replacement so her leg gets tired very easily, but she still wants to do a bit of shopping. Four days away is what we would like.
LW, Dublin
A milestone birthday is always a good reason to travel.
Somewhere exciting? It depends on your budget but one thing that comes to mind is the Orient Express: take it from London to Paris or from Venice to Paris, but it’s not cheap.
The London to Paris leg is a day trip and the Venice to Paris is an overnight. Prices are from £545pps (€619) – see orient-express.com. The Orient Express only operates until the first week of November.
If you did this you could combine it with a few days in London, Paris or Venice and there would be plenty to do and shopping to enjoy.
The last week of November is when the Christmas markets begin in cities all around Europe. The markets are lovely, very pretty and you could combine a citybreak with shopping. Cities that are particularly nice for the Christmas markets are Prague, Vienna and Krakow. Citiescapes.ie has three and four-day trips to a selection of European cities with prices from €400-€500pps including flights and accommodation.
A shopping trip to New York or Boston is also possible in November and if you leave it until after Thanksgiving Day, there will be sales on. Most of the main tour operators have shopping trips – expect to pay around €650-€900 each for flights and a good quality hotel. See touramerica.ie, sunway.ie and americanholidays.ie.
If you have an interest in music, dance, theatre, cooking, art, photography or eating out then consider a holiday that includes one of these. For example, gti-ireland.com has cooking holidays in Italy and the Basque Country in November. At Ballilogue Country Inn near Kilkenny there will be a photography master class in November (see kilkennycountryretreat.com), and you could combine this with shopping in Kilkenny.
There is great value in London theatre breaks with visitlondon.com where you can combine theatre tickets and hotel accommodation, and the prices are great.
The rates for November have yet to be loaded on the system but you will get an idea from what is there now.
Or blow the budget on one night in a fabulous five-star hotel like the Mandarin Oriental in London, the Ritz in Paris, the Cavalieri in Rome, the Danieli in Venice, Adlon Kempinski in Berlin or the Beau Rivage in Geneva.
Go ask Joan: E-mail questions, with your name and address, to jscales@irishtimes.com