Your questions answered
How can we best plan a trip to both Capri and Naples?
Q After a wedding in Marseille in September we plan on taking the ferry to Porto Torres in Sardinia. We would like to explore Sardinia, but my wife would also like to visit Capri. We are flying back from Naples. Could you offer any suggestions on how we might plan this trip?
ES, Cork
Exploring Sardinia and Capri, both fascinating and beautiful islands, sounds like a great adventure.
You will need a car from Porto Torres, which you can return in Cagliari before departing for your next leg. You can rent a car from Sardinia Car Hire ( www.sardiniacarhire.co.uk) and return it to Cagliari airport, from where it is just a short taxi journey to the port.
Depending on how much time you have, at Porto Torres you can either travel down the west coast of the island, going through Alghero and enjoying the many lovely sandy beaches, or you can head over the northeast coast and visit the Costa Smeralda, where you can window-shop in the abundant designer stores and ogle the large yachts.
Some places worth visiting are Neptune's Grotto near Alghero; Thanos, the Phoenician-Roman city on the Gulf of Oristano; the Citadel of Castelsardo; and the Cittadella dei Musei in Cagliari.
Sunway Travel (01-2886828, www.sunway.ie) has a good variety of hotels in Sardinia.
Getting to Naples will involve an overnight ferry from Cagliari with Tirrenia ( www.tirrenia.it), which will cost about €170 for two with a cabin. Ferries run frequently from Naples to Capri and the journey takes about an hour. You can check the timetables at www.caremar.itand www.snav.com.
Accommodation on Capri is pricey and best booked in advance. The Blue Grotto is a must-see on Capri. You can explore the Amalfi coast by train or bus from Naples.
Q I have booked flights to Marseille in September for nine nights. We plan to stay in Marseille because of the good transport available for travelling to various places of interest nearby, such as Avignon, Arles and Cassis. I am not sure whether it would be better to stay in the Vieux Port area or the Corniche area of Marseille. I would like access to a beach, but also to be close to a choice of good restaurants.
EON, Tipperary
Marseille is the perfect base for exploring Provence, and Côte de Provence Tourism came up with some ideas for your holiday. The Corniche is right beside the sea and there are some lovely restaurants in that area. The Pullman Marseille Palm Beach Hotel is recommended ( www.pullmanhotels.com).
The Vieux Port is very lively and there are lots of restaurants, bars and shops. It is also good for transport links and considered the place to be in Marseille. Recommended hotels are the Mercure Beauvau Vieux Port ( www.mercure.com) and the Sofitel Marseille Vieux Port (00-33-491-155900, www.sofitel-marseille-vieuxport.com).
There are plenty of beaches along the Corniche. If you stay in the Vieux Port you can take the No 18 bus or, if feeling more adventurous, cycle.
The Calanques les Goudes, an inlet of little fjords on the coast of Marseille, is reachable by taxi. (It is too difficult to get to by bus.)
On the other hand, La Ciotat is a short train journey from Marseille and has beautiful beaches and cliffs. At the Vieux Port, the following restaurants are recommended: Café des Epices, Chez Madie Les Galinettes, Le Miramar, and Une Table au Sud. And on the Corniche, Le Petit Nice-Passédat. If you do make it to Les Goudes, La Grotte is recommended for the pizzas.
Q My wife and I would like to visit Santiago in Spain. We can only find trips connected to the pilgrimage, which we cannot manage. Can you advise the easiest way to get there and where to stay?
AH, Dublin
The main reason people travel to Santiago de Compostela is to take part in the pilgrimages, but it is easy to arrange a trip yourself. Aer Lingus ( www.aerlingus.com) flies to Santiago twice a week, on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
There are lots of good-priced hotels to choose from, with rates from €60 to €160 per night. You can see some suggestions at www.hotels.com.
Also, the Spanish Tourist Office (1-3 Westmoreland Street, Dublin 2, 01-6350280, Dublin@tourspain.es) can advise on accommodation in Santiago. If you want to drop in, the office is open from 11am to 2pm, Monday to Friday.
E-mail questions, with your name and address, to jscales@irish-times.ie