JOAN SCALESanswers your travel questions
Where’s a perfect spot for a balmy US summer break?
Q We are a family with a 16-year-old daughter, going to the US a week after she finishes her Junior Certificate exams. She would like to go somewhere with sunshine, but not too hot, by the ocean for swimming, and with tennis, cycling and shopping. I thought of New Hampshire or a bit farther north. We could take in Boston for sightseeing and shopping. Are there cycle paths along the coast? Golf would be a bonus for my husband and me. We would be interested in self-catering accommodation in a small coastal town.
DS, Wicklow
My colleague Kate Holmquist went on family holidays to Cape Cod, and I think this is just what your daughter is looking for.
The charming coastal towns of this part of Massachusetts, such as Chatham, Brewster, Falmouth and Hyannis, have lots of great things to do. Barnstable has more than 150km of public beaches. The average temperature in Cape Cod in July is 26 degrees, perfect for enjoying the outdoors without being too hot. In terms of bike paths, you can follow one from Harwich, on Cape Cod, to Provincetown, 100km away; Barnstable also has a number of fantastic trails. Many golf clubs, including Hyannis and Olde Barnstable Fairgrounds, are open to non-members.
Although Hyannis is quite compact, it is a great town for shopping, with Abercrombie Fitch, Gap and Banana Republic. It’s also easy to visit Boston, which is only an hour and a half away by car.
Cape Cod is synonymous with JFK and the Kennedy family; Hyannis is home to a John F Kennedy museum.
The great Outer Beach’s 65km of pristine sandy beach, marshes, ponds and uplands supports diverse species.
Most rental homes tend to be larger houses; it is possible, however, to find smaller houses, apartments or cottages. Try www.cyberrentals.com, www.vrbo.com, www.capecod usarealestate.com and www.homeaway.com. For tourism information try www.massvacation.com and www.capecodchamber.org.
Q I am going to Monte Carlo to see the tennis for two days next month. I’ll then have another week there. Could you suggest good day trips? I have been to Nice and Cannes, so I was hoping to go more towards the Italian Riviera, or indeed look around Monte Carlo. I will probably travel by public transport but may hire a car if having one would be a big advantage. I would not mind staying away one night for something that was worth the travel.
DG, Dublin
When you are in Monte Carlo you should visit the palace, the casino and the Oceanographic Museum, which houses an amazing aquarium. There is also a good range of concerts and events during the year. You can see what’s on at www.visitmonaco.com.
Beyond the commune you have the whole of the Italian Riviera to explore, with fabulous towns such as Portofino and La Spezia, as well as the city of Genoa. Ventimiglia has a great market on Fridays. (See Live it up in Luguria, over the page, for more.)
Travelling around is easy, with a good train service along the coast with SNCF and Trenitalia.
Q Please suggest some destinations for a ski holiday on April 4th. I can’t find a package holiday. A high-altitude resort, accessible by public transport, would be ideal.
HOK, Waterford
Ski packages end in March, although Topflight (www. topflight.ie) has trips to Lillehammer, in Norway, in April using scheduled services. Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) has a good ski area on its website, with details of flights, resorts, transfers and accommodation. The high-altitude resort of Zell am See, in Austria, is easy to get to by train from Salzburg.
E-mail questions, with your name and address, to jscales@irishtimes.com