Ask Joan

We are two active friends in our 60s who would like to spend two nights in France, not in Paris or Nice. We 'd like to fly with Aer Lingus in September or October. We like eating out, sightseeing, shopping and markets. – MH, Dublin

In the autumn your choices to France with Aer Lingus will be Bordeaux, Lyon and Toulouse. My first suggestions would be Bordeaux as it is a very manageable city, has lovely restaurants, and the culture of wine to explore.

There are daily guided tours to wine chateaux and regions for quite good prices, plenty of markets around the city and a good range of quality hotels for under €100 per room per night. The main shopping street is the long straight rue St Catherine. See bordeaux-tourisme.com.

Lyon is famous for its gastronomy and many of the markets are devoted to fresh local produce. On two rivers the Rhône and the Saône, there are boat trips, river walks and markets along the banks.

There is great shopping with many major stores having branches here such as Galeries Lafayette at the Part Dieu Shopping Centre. There are also interesting independent shops. One of France’s biggest art galleries is in the city, Le Musée des Beaux Arts. Most three star hotels are under €80 per night, see en.lyon-france.com.

Toulouse is known as the rose city for the pink hued stone used in buildings and is the gateway to south western France. The city of rugby, aviation and cassoulet is compact and you can easily explore it in two days. It is also the city of the artist Toulouse Lautrec and there is a fine museum dedicated to his work.

There are more than a dozen markets both indoor and outdoor in Toulouse every week, so you are sure to find ones to visit. See Toulouse-visit.com. I like the Mercure Hotels in France, they are mostly four stars and have good advance rates, usually centrally located and you will find them in each of the cities I mentioned.

Can you advise about renting somewhere to stay in a forest in Ireland and that is dog friendly? – SJ, Dublin

A number of places around the country would fit the bill perfectly. Fermanagh Lakelands has a 75-acres wooded island, called Lusty Beg. It has a small hotel, spa and self-catering properties to rent. See lustybegisland.com. There are plenty of things to do such as canoeing, kayaking and off-road driving. Prices are from €440-€870 per week depending on property size and week.

The next area was in the news recently as Kim Kardashian and Kanye West apparently honeymooned there. Set in the mountains and forests between Cork and Limerick the Ballyhoura Luxury Forest Homes are lovely. The woodland homes have all the comforts with wood stoves and miles of trails to explore, see ballyhouraluxuryforest homes.com. Prices from €640-€799 per week; pets €25 per week and they will need to know the breed before confirmation.

In the lakelands of Co Cavan at Cornadarraagh on the Shannon Erne Waterway the Fáilte Log Cabins are lovely, traditional style forest houses. Each wooden A-frame has two double bedrooms. A week costs from €300-€500. See failtelogcabins.com.

The new Cottages4you.ie website makes it easy to find pet-friendly homes. There are dozens in Kerry which is famous for its woodlands and prices are very competitive.

Send your travel queries to jscales@irishtimes.com