From visiting gardens in Japan and cruising the Med in the autumn,
JOAN SCALESanswers your travel questions
We want to see Japanese gardens
Three of us want to travel to Japan next year. We don’t know where to begin to research the plan – the idea seems so vast. We want to visit Tokyo briefly and then move outside the capital, particularly to Kyoto. Seeing gardens would be high on our list of priorities. We would like the weather to be warm. We don’t want to go on a guided tour but would like to go with a reputable travel agency whose expertise we could rely on.
KB, Leitrim
The best time to travel for warm weather is April-June and September-November. The end of March and early April is cherry blossom season, but it can also be very crowded everywhere and hotels are more expensive, especially in Kyoto. In May and October, temperatures are a comfortable 15-23 degrees.
Tokyo is a must-see and there is a lot to do, so give it enough time to enjoy, four or five nights would be about right. Alternatively, you could begin and end your trip in Tokyo with a few days.
The main route for tourists covers places such as Kyoto, Hiroshima and Miyajima Island. Gardens are everywhere in Japan and the top three are Kourakuen in Okayama, Kenrokuen in Kanazawa and Kairakuen in Mito. In Kyoto, hundreds of temples and shrines also have spectacular gardens and usually where there’s a castle, there’s a garden.
I can recommend Japan Ireland Travel (01-6787008, and japanirelandtravel.ie) to help plan your trip. It has a mix of Irish and Japanese staff, and has many years experience of the Japanese market. It can help you plan a trip to cover all the things you wish to do.
Cheap hotels in the US are hard to find
We are two retired men planning to spend 10 days in the US in October, dividing our time between Boston, New York and Washington. The flights are no problem, but accommodation is very expensive.
EA, Louth
These cities are the most expensive in the US for accommodation and I am not surprised you are finding it difficult. BB is not so popular there and tends to be very expensive compared to here. However, have a look at lastminute.com and hotels.com, but be careful that you do not end up out in the sticks. The cheapest hotels are usually outside cities or at the airports.
You may find that staying in hostels would be the most economic way to see the cities. Both hostelworld.com and hostelbookers.com have good rates in all these cities and not necessarily in hostels – they also have budget hotels and guesthouses. Many hostels have twin rooms, so there’s no need to share a dormitory.
In Washington, the following hotels are reasonably priced for the city: the Windsor Inn (windsor-inn-dc.com); Gallery Inn (galleryinnhotel.com); and the Allan Lee Hotel (theallanleehotel.com), with prices from $99 (€78) per night. All are within easy walking distance of Dupont Circle. See also tourism information on washington.org.
Boston is a very pricey city and it can be hard to find any reasonably-priced accommodation.
The following guesthouses may suit, both are well located and not too expensive, costing about $150 (€118) per night. John Jeffries House (johnjeffrieshouse.com) is near Charles Street, and the Oasis Guest House (oasisgh.com) is in Back Bay.
See tourism information on bostonusa.com.
New York is only slightly better, with few places for around $100 (€78) per night. One of the better value hotels/hostels is the Broadway Hotel (broadwayhotelnyc.com), located on Broadway at the corner of W 101st Street.
Some of the best-located budget accommodation in New York are the YMCAs (ymcanyc.org) in Manhattan. All three are well located, near the sights and public transport. They have private two-bed bunk rooms from about $112 (€88) per night. See tourism information on nycgo.com.
Cruising the Med in September
I’m thinking of going on a week’s cruise of the eastern Mediterranean in September-October, flying to Venice and sailing from there. Can you suggest companies which do this? Is this a good time of year for a bargain?
FM, Dublin
There are a number of cruise companies that have this particularly journey and the prices can be quite competitive. The Mediterranean cruise season begins to wind down in October and there are some good deals available. You can expect to pay €1,000-€1,200 for the trip including flights from Ireland. This would be on ships from MSC, Royal Caribbean or Norwegian cruise lines. There are a few more luxury trips also available, such as with Azamara and Princess.
The best way to find your cruise is with a cruise specialist, such as Cruiseholidays.ie (01-8173558) and e-travel.ie (01-4081999). Topflight.ie (01-2401700) is the agent in Ireland for Italian cruise line, MSC. Check out my favourite website for cruises, cruisecritic.com.
ESTA from Canada to US: clarification
Last week, a reader asked if they would need an Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) for entering the United States by road from Canada.
The press release from the embassy was unclear. I checked and it verified you do need an ESTA and the cost is $14 (€11). However, two readers have been in contact to say they have travelled this way and only had to fill in the usual I-94W form.
I subsequently contacted the US embassy again and the answer is that you do not need an ESTA, not yet anyway. So if you want to avoid paying the fee, travel via road from Canada.
E-mail questions, with your name and address, to jscales@irishtimes.com