GO ASK JOAN: All your travel questions answered by JOAN SCALES
Visiting a new grandchild
We are expecting a grandchild in Japan in early December and I need to go and help immediately after the baby is born for two to three weeks. My problem is how I travel from Dublin to Tokyo (with an open return) at the last minute without it costing the earth. Obviously, I could decide a return date when I actually book the outward journey if that helped. I would appreciate any advice. – JN, Dublin
An open return ticket is the most expensive way to travel and I would urge you to try and put specific dates on your ticket. Some airlines do not charge too much for changing tickets, Air France and Turkish Airlines, for example, have reasonable change fees. There are many options to get to Tokyo, via London, Europe and the Middle East.
The later you book the more expensive it will be. But long-haul tickets in December to Tokyo should not rise too quickly. You should be able to wait until closer to the time. I think the best thing you can do is work with a travel agent who will be able to check the specific fare rules with each carrier and keep an eye on the prices for you as the date gets closer. You can find your nearest travel agent on Itaa.ie.
Irish wine and food tour
My husband and I usually make a wine trip to Europe in November each year with six Canadian friends, taking a luxury staffed house, driver and guide. Trips have included Bordeaux, Madrid and Lucca. The group is coming to Ireland this year. I’d like to have a tour guide book this luxury trip to Ireland – probably stay outside of the city/visit Titanic in Belfast, go to a race meeting and have great food. Any ideas? – MM, Dublin
There is a company that specialises in the type of visit you are hoping to do with your friends called adamsandbutler.com. John Colclough the proprietor has great experience in organising all type of visits to Ireland. They also have some very fine staffed residences on their books and experienced tour guides. A house some where in the northeast may be a good location.
Titanic Belfast is certainly one of the things your friends would enjoy and also exploring the city of Belfast, if you go on a Sunday you can book afternoon tea by the Grand Staircase (see titanicbelfast.com). There are some fine restaurants worth visiting.
As your friends are interested in wine, they might like to discover the roots of Irish whiskey while in Ireland. Heidi Donelan is an Irish Whiskey expert and leads tours and tastings to the various distilleries. You can contact her through irelandwhiskeytrail.com.
The Kilkenny Food Trail is one of the first mapped for restaurants and food producers, you can see details on trailkilkenny.ie. fabfoodtrails.ierun food tours in Dublin and Cork and there is a new food trail of the northeast. For a taste of Irish music and song by traditional musicians, a night at the Merry Ploughboy Pub in Rathfarnham is a good night out, with a dinner show, mpbpub.com.
A race meeting is always good fun, even if you don't know a lot about horses. I like the country race meets, where everyone mingles and you get a real feel for the fun of racing. Early in November, the Down Royal Festival will be on and that has a very long history. See the racing calendar on goracing.iefor details.
You could also bring your visitors to the gourmet village of the northeast, Carlingford, to see the birthplace of Thomas D’Arcy McGee, one of Canada’s founding fathers. There is a memorial to him in the village.
Exorbitant travel insurance
I have a query about travel insurance. I was diagnosed with cancer last autumn, had surgery and chemotherapy which finished in February. I have since returned to work and lead a normal life. My oncology team has recommended I travel whenever I feel like it, but I have been quoted exorbitant prices for travel insurance, eg €1,200 for a week in the US from a company that specialises in cancer travel insurance, and €600 for a week in Spain from another company. It seems when you mention the word “cancer”, alarm bells ring. Can you recommend a company that has a realistic price please as I plan to go to Las Vegas in the spring? – BA, Limerick
Those prices are very expensive and would prohibit anyone travelling if insurance costs more than the trip. Every case involving a medical issue is different and each company has its own policy.
I talked to aoninsure.ieabout this and there may be a possibility that you can get travel insurance for everything except a pre-existing condition. It would involve you giving a full medical history over the telephone to a screening service. They will then let aoninsure know what the risk would be. If the assessment is fine then you would be looking at a very reasonable cost of insurance. You can contact Fiona Murphy at fiona.murphy@aoninsure.ie and tel: 01-293 2300.
Email queries, with your name and address, to jscales@irishtimes.com