Your Questions A nswered
Is Jersey a good spot for a family holiday?
Q We have three boys aged 13, nine and six and their passports have expired. We cannot go abroad and are considering going to Guernsey or Jersey. Are these destinations okay for children? Do they have water parks, places of interest to visit, reasonable beaches, etc?
SB, Dublin
You do not need passports for travelling to Jersey or Guernsey, just photo identification. Children under 16 do not need to show photo identification. Aer Lingus flies to Jersey on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and prices are around €140 return in August. For Guernsey, you need a flight or ferry from Jersey.
There is plenty for the family to do on Jersey. The island has lovely beaches, great castles, war tunnels, a famous wildlife conservation trust (formerly Jersey Zoo) and Aquasplash.
Jersey Tourism has offers on hotels and self-catering breaks this summer, see jersey.com. You can also try Jersey and the Channel Islands specialist travelnet.ie on 1890-303303.
Q My boyfriend and I are planning on going to San Francisco for two weeks and do not know where to begin. We have €5,000 to cover everything, including some clothes shopping. We would like a romantic, memorable and fun holiday in October. Do you think it would be cheaper to book a package holiday or to do it over the internet? Who should we book with?
SH, Dublin
San Francisco has lots to offer. Public transport is great. There is only a small difference in price between a package and DIY, but a good travel agent can take all the work off your hands and devise an itinerary to suit you. America specialist Touramerica has some special fares and hotel deals (see touramerica.ie or 01-8173535).
If you do book yourself, the cheapest deals in October are with Continental Airlines via Newark and US Airways via Philadelphia.
The best areas to stay in San Francisco are Fisherman’s Wharf and Union Square. There are plenty of hotels to choose from, including a Holiday Inn and Radisson. I have also seen good deals on hotels.com for the Wharf. If you want to splash out, Hotel Vitale (hotelvitale.com) or W Hotel (starwoodhotels.com) are really nice.
Don’t miss a visit to Alcatraz, (book on alcatrazcruises.com). It is worth buying the City Pass, citypass.com/san-francisco, if you are going to see museums and use public transport. It costs about €80 per week. One museum well worth a look is the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park. It incorporates an aquarium, planetarium, rainforest and natural history museum.
Take a one-day wine tour to Napa Valley on a vintage train to St Helena and back. The trip, including lunch on board, is around $120, winetrain.com.
Sonoma County, outside the city, has more than 300 wineries along the rugged coastline of the Pacific. A fun option is to take a cycling trip, with a picnic in a vineyard. See getawayadventures.com.
The tourism websites are also useful for planning your trip. For more ideas, check out onlyinsanfrancisco.com and visitcalifornia.com.
Go contact
Send questions, with your name and address, to jscales@irishtimes.com