Joan Scales answers your questions
How can I travel through Africa like Ewan McGregor?
Q Encouraged by 'Long Way Down', the BBC series in which Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman ride from John o'Groats to Cape Town, I am thinking about travelling to Africa next year, to visit Malawi, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia or South Africa. Could you recommend travel agents and companies that specialise in travelling to these countries?
DOR, Dublin
A number of tour operators in England organise tours to Africa. I met Russ Malkin, Long Way Down's producer, recently in Dublin, and he told me they got help from Explore (www.explore.co.uk, or via Maxwells Travel on 01-6779479). The company has a number of trips through Africa; its southwest-Africa tour takes in Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zambia, driving overland for 22 days.
Another company that organises overland trips is Kumuka Worldwide. (www.kumaka.com, 1800-798637). Travel is in a big blue truck, and accommodation is in tents, with everyone mucking in with the chores. It has a good selection of Africa trips, from eight to 63 days, and you will be guaranteed to see a lot.
Q We are travelling to Pisa, in Italy, next summer from Brussels and would like to go by train. Where can we check routes and timetables, and have you any suggestions about which route we should take?
MD, Dublin
You can certainly travel by rail from Brussels to Pisa. It will take about 16 hours and require at least four changes. You can check out the route on www.b-rail.be (choose the international option). You can buy tickets in advance from CIÉ International, Lower Abbey Street, Dublin 1. Tickets may be more reasonable in Brussels.
Q Do you know of any group tours to Palestine or Israel, but not of the pilgrimage variety? I've been dying to go since spending Easter in Jerusalem six years ago, but I don't have any intrepid traveller friends who would come with me, and I'm not that intrepid that I'd go alone.
LH, Dublin
I have not yet come across any companies in Ireland doing tours to Israel for 2009. You can go from England, however. Insight Vacations (www.insight vacations.com) has an eight-day tour running all year that takes in all the major sights. Longwood Holidays (www.longwoodholidays.co.uk) does a similar tour, visiting the highlights of the Holy Land. Prices start at £935 (about €1,075). My colleague Michael Parsons writes about visiting the Holy Land on page 10.
Q I'm trying to organise a trip to Greece as an 80th-birthday present for my parents for next Easter or May. Both are in good health and quite mobile, but I want to find a direct flight from Ireland to Athens or an island. My father has been learning Greek for some years, and I would like to think of them sitting outside cafes somewhere not very busy where there would be something of historic interest not so far away. Do you have any suggestions?
Con, Dublin
Direct flights to Greece begin again in early May. Aer Lingus (www.aerlingus.com) will have scheduled flights to Athens three days a week. Both Budget Travel (www.budgettravel.ie) and Panorama Holidays (www.panoramaholidays.ie) will have services to Corfu, Crete and Zakinthos.
I think Crete would be an ideal place for them to visit. It is a lovely island and has lots of historical sites, including Knossos, the centre of Minoan culture. Tours can easily be arranged while there; any good hotel will be more than happy to assist.
E-mail questions, with your name and address, to jscales@irishtimes.com