Ask Joan: Day trips in Italy, under 16 travelling alone, and a holiday for five

We are planning to spend two weeks in Bergamo, northern Italy this summer. Could you recommend any day trips we could do from there into the surrounding countryside? FB, Chicago.

Bergamo itself is an interesting town with medieval walls, Roman ruins, busy piazzas, ancient alleys and buildings. The Citta Alta, the old town can be reached by funicular and is worth exploring. You can also take another funicular to Castello San Vigilio to enjoy the peaceful park and great views over Lombardy. There is also a museum in Bergamo dedicated to the composer Gaetano Donizetti.

You can buy a tourist transport card at the tourist office at the airport and it costs about €7 and will allow 72 hours usage of local buses, trams and funiculars, and the airport bus.

Milan is less than an hour from Bergamo by train. The trains are very frequent and cost about €12 return, see trenitalia.it for times.

Explore also Lake Iseo by taking a bus from Bergamo to Sarnico (less than an hour) and taking the ferry to Monte Isola, the largest lake island in Europe. Spend the day enjoying lake scenery and having lunch in a local restaurant.

We are a family with three children under 12 and looking to go on a two-week holiday abroad at the end of June. Destination wise, we would be quite flexible as long as we can have sun and a pool. I would prefer all-inclusive but it looks like it is going to cost a lot. MB, Dublin.

The price certainly changes when you have five for holidays. The Falcon Splashworld Hotel Sun Palace in Rhodes has great facilities for all the family. The children will love the water park where they can spend hours enjoying the slides, tubes, wave pool and more.

A week all-inclusive with all meals, drinks, and snacks and ice-cream will cost from €4,169 starting on June 24th. Falconholidays.ie. In Ibiza from July 1st, two weeks with Thomson Holidays staying in the Fiesta Cala Nova resort with two interconnected rooms, half-board would cost from €5,499, thomsonholidays.ie.

New tour operator from Ireland Red Sea Holidays has some special prices for Egypt with big discounts for children. A week all-inclusive at the Sharm Plaza resort in a family suite is from €3,063 and for two weeks it would cost €3,871 at the end of June. Flights are direct from Dublin, redseaholidays.ie.

I am 15 (Irish) and I want to fly to England alone to see friends. I am aware some airlines do allow people my age to fly alone but even if I do get a flight to take me, I'm not allowed to enter the country without an adult present. What can I do to side step this without taking a family member? AOB, Dublin.

You can fly with Aer Lingus on your own without an adult accompanying you. Aer Lingus has an extensive network of flights around England. You will just need to have a form of indemnity signed by a parent or guardian. You can download the form from the Aer Lingus website; it is under “Travel Questions, Before You Fly”.

On the British Airways services to Heathrow and London City you can fly unaccompanied from age 12 and also on Flybe.com services to Bournemouth and Exeter. Ryanair does not allow unaccompanied children under 16. You are allowed to enter the UK without an adult and will need a passport or student identification photo card. It is also useful to carry your birth certificate.

Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com