YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
How can I see Oberammergau’s passion play?
Q At some point next year I am hoping to go to the passion play that is staged every 10 years in the Bavarian village of Oberammergau. I can only find tickets and accommodation as part of a seven-, 10- or 14-day package, taking in lots of other places I have already visited or have no interest in – and costing a lot. Where can I get hold of tickets for the play and accommodation in Oberammergau or Ettal, nearby? I think I’ll need two or three days. Also, where is the nearest airport in this part of Germany?
LP, Dublin
Next year’s dates for Oberammergau’s passion play, which only villagers have been allowed to appear in since the tradition began, in 1634, are May 15th-October 3rd. International Festivals Bureau has a two-night package from Dublin from €789pps. The package includes the best seat for the performance and two nights in a four-star hotel in Obermühle, with breakfast and dinner on the night of arrival and dinner during the performance. Details from ifbarts.com, 01-8887809.
Topflight has a similar two-night package, on a variety of dates between June and September, from €1,199pps, topflight.ie, 1890-240170.
The nearest airport to Oberammergau is Munich, about 90km away. See passionplay-oberammergau.com for details about the play. Unfortunately, tickets are only available to international visitors through tour operators and travel agents.
You can buy a package from the official operators in Germany for one night from €349pps or two nights from €419pps, depending on the choice of accommodation.
The price includes some meals. See der.de.
Q My boyfriend and I are looking to go away late this month or early next month. We are looking for somewhere still fairly hot and within reasonable flying distance. A friend mentioned Crete or southern Spain as still being quite warm at that time of year. It would be great if there were beaches nearby, and if the area were not overdeveloped.
AOD, Limerick
Greece, southern Spain and Portugal will all still be nice and warm at the end of this month. As you are based in Limerick, your choice of package holidays from Shannon for the final week of September is the Costa del Sol and Majorca, in Spain, Lanzarote, in the Canary Islands, and the Algarve, in Portugal.
Budget Travel (budgettravel.ie) has a week in Majorca from €301. Panorama (panoramaholidays.ie) and Direct Holidays (direct holidays.ie) have a week there, too, from €269 and €275. Budget also has a week in the Algarve from €256.
The final charter flight from Dublin to Crete is also at the end of September; a week costs from €370 with Panorama and Budget Travel.
If you are prepared to make your own arrangements and be a little flexible about dates, then you could fly with Ryanair to Palma, in Majorca, and Malaga from Shannon. Palma is a fun city for a young couple, with great nightclubs and good-value restaurants. The city has easily accessible beaches nearby.
With flights to Malaga you have a great selection of places to go on the Costa del Sol. Some are less developed than others. Just a few places I can suggest are San Pedro de Alcántara, Sabinillas, Manilva, Benahavis, Ronda, Bolonia and Zahara de los Atunes, but you would need a car. See andalucia.com. You can book accommodation on hotels.com and booking.com.
You should also take a look at Lorraine Courtney's article about the Costa del Sol in today's Go.
Q We are trying to plan a weekend in London on a budget with three teenagers. I was really impressed with the offer you mentioned some time ago at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, and would love to stay there, but that deal has finished. Can you suggest anywhere nice in the city centre?
AW, Carlow
The good news is that the Royal Lancaster is having a promotion on Wednesday to mark changing its name to the Lancaster London. Log on to lancasterlondon.com at 09.09am for a chance to win an overnight stay, using the promotional code 090909.
Alternatively, I can suggest some other hotels that will not break the bank. Jurys Inns (jurysinns.com) has an advance-purchase rate of £79 (€90) per night; you would need two rooms.
The Hoxton Hotel (hoxtonhotel.com), on Great Eastern Street near Liverpool Street Station, has offers from £59 (€67) per night. Every so often it has a £1 (€1.15) sale.
Go contact: E-mail questions, with your name and address, to jscales@irishtimes.com