Go Advice:From a top spot for the family in Tuscany to horse-riding on the beach in Ireland Joan Scalesanswers your travel questions
Family holiday in Tuscany
I have a young family and we were thinking of going on a summer holiday (July or August) to Italy, perhaps the Tuscan riviera as it is convenient to Pisa airport and also appears to be very beautiful. Can you advise a good location on the coast to stay for a week’s holiday with the family? The preference would be a coastal resort not too far from the airport which has a sandy beach and some general amenities (bars, restaurants, shops, etc). We would also like to stay in self-catering accommodation (apartment/villa/hotel with apartment). What websites are best for seeking an appropriate place to stay?
JG, Armagh
The Tuscan Riviera would be lovely for a summer holiday and services to Pisa airport make it easy to get to from Ireland. There are many more inland properties to rent in Tuscany than beachside. The areas for coastal holidays would be Grosseto, Forte di Marni, Versilia and Viareggio.
There are a number of good websites for holiday rentals. The biggest is holiday-rentals.com, whose website is user-friendly. You can channel your search by location, price, size and facilities. Another good site is holidaylettings.com.
There is another smaller company (totuscany.ie) with a nice selection of rentals and it has some coastal properties. Tel: 01-6633939.
Villa in Croatia or Slovenia
Do you have any recommendations for a villa with a pool in Croatia or Slovenia, beside the sea and large enough to accommodate 10 adults and 10 children for next July?
RMG, Sligo
I have seen some big villas to rent in Croatia on homeaway.com and expect to pay €4,500 to €7,500 in July.
As Slovenia has only a very short coastline, less than 50km, coastal houses there are harder to find. Most people opt for holidays in the Julian Alps when they go to Slovenia.
Horse-riding on the beach
Some friends are visiting from the US next June and they are hoping to go horse-riding on the beach. It’s a mother and teenage daughter. I am not sure how experienced they are with horses, so something suitable for all levels would suit. It would be nice if we could find somewhere that is accessible by public transport or at least easy to find and near some other attractions. Any advice?
IH, Mullingar
There are a number of places around the country that do beach horse-riding. In some places you can hire a horse for the day, join a regular trek or stay for a few days. These are in Connemara, Donegal, Kerry and Louth. See the full list on discoverireland.ie/equestrian.
There are also a number of hotels that can arrange horse-riding: Carrig Country House Hotel near Killorglin; Cashel House Hotel in Connemara; and Rathmullan House Hotel in Donegal.
As your friends are interested in horse-riding, they may also enjoy a day at the races. See goracing.ie for a list of meets.
Cruising the Baltic
My husband and I would like to take a cruise around the Baltic. We would ideally travel next August or September and have about 10 days to a fortnight. Could you give me some idea who would organise such a package and an estimate of the costs involved?
AC, Dublin
Autumn is a popular time for cruising northern Europe and the Baltics, and there are dozens of cruises to choose from. When picking a cruise you need to consider the ship, the right ship will ensure a happy cruise.
The cruise lines of interest to you include P&O, Fred Olsen Cruises and if you win the Lotto between then and now, the Queen Elizabeth with Cunard. A Baltic itinerary is a great way to see the cities of northern Europe.
Most trips visit Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm, Helsinki, and some of the Baltic capitals, Vilnius, Riga or Tallinn. The most popular port is St Petersburg and most ships will allow a couple of nights to explore this beautiful city.
P&O and Fred Olsen begin and end their journeys in England, which would be easy enough to get to. Expect to pay from €1,700pps upwards for a 10 to 14-day trip, depending on cabin choice. The price includes all meals and entertainment.
Guided tours at ports of call are usually extra.
Normally the cruise line will process your visa application for St Petersburg, but there will be a charge for this.
You can get advice and book cruises with Cruise Holidays on cruiseholidays.ie or tel 01-8173558, and E-Travel on e-travel.ie or tel 01-4081999. There are discounts with most cruise lines for booking well in advance.
GO ASK JOAN: E-mail questions, with your name and address, to jscales@irishtimes.com