GO ASK JOAN: From booking hotels on the internet to alternatives to travelling by air,
Joan Scalesanswers your travel questions
How safe is it to book a hotel on the internet?
We are hoping to visit Prague in April and I have been checking out hotel prices. There seems to be a big difference between hotel websites, and I am wondering if it is safe to book with travelrepublic.ie, hoteltravel.com, or hotelbooking.com. They are offering very low prices, so I am a bit nervous about booking. IL, Dublin
There are many, many hotel booking sites on the internet and it is always difficult to weigh price against confidence.
Caveat emptor
is never more important than when parting with money online. This year, a number of similar sites have gone, been liquidated or disappeared, along with hard earned money from customers. There are a number of ways you can get good prices for hotels in Prague that I would be happy to recommend. In the first instance, Arrow Tours (041-9831177, arrowtours.ie), an Irish travel company, has been
organising trips to the Czech city for many years. It has a good relationship with hotels in Prague and will be able to book your accommodation. It has some good hotel rates, from €50-€70 per night. Arrow Tours is licensed and bonded in Ireland. My next idea is to book with a hotel group we know, Jurys Inns (jurysinn.com). It opened an hotel in Prague last year and the rates are €89 per night in April. It also has sales from time to time and this rate may go down. Sign up for the e-mail newsletter that gives advance notice of upcoming sales. When it comes to hotel booking sites, hotels.com is one of the biggest in the world. It is owned by Expedia and is a trusted site. It will have a sale in January and you may find a bargain in Prague. At present, it has a good selection of well located hotels from €50-€85 per night. Booking.com is a site that I have been watching for the past year and it has added more properties to its offering. It is part of Priceline.com, a huge US company. The best thing is that you do not pay the site – you pay the hotel when you arrive. There are a good variety of hotels in Prague for under €100 per night. Hotels.com also has reviews from previous guests on the site.
Air travel is out, it’s ferries and rail now
After our most recent experience, my wife and I have had it with air travel. So we are thinking of future holiday arrangements using only rail/ferries, but it seems there is no office where you can sit down and talk to somebody to discuss any such plans. CIÉ does not open its Abbey Street office to the public, and I don’t think it is feasible to make all necessary bookings online. Also, is the Irish free travel pass of any use in Continental Europe? A lady in the Fuengirola station ticket office in Spain laughed at me (in the nicest possible way) recently when I asked for a discount. VT, Dublin
Some countries in Europe give a discount for travellers over 60, but usually you need to show your passport to get it. In
some instances, discounts are only on mainline rail and not on local services. Always ask. You can go and discuss your travel plans with your local travel agent, who is there to help you make all sorts of arrangements. You can find your nearest agent on aviationreg.ie. Getting off the island of Ireland is the easy part. There are five ferry companies that operate services from Dublin to Liverpool and Holyhead, and from Rosslare to Pembroke, Fishguard and Cherbourg. Fares to the UK can be booked to include ferry and rail and are quite reasonable. The websites are irishferries.com, stenaline.ie, norfolkline.com, poferries.com, and celticlinkferries.com. There is a company in the UK that specialises in rail holidays and it has quite a good selection of trips for next year. You could consider city breaks, tours of southern Europe or just lounging around a pool in Lake Garda. Prices are going to be more expensive when you add in the travel from Ireland. A week in the Cote d’Azur will cost from £795 (€940), eight days in Lake Garda from £875 (€1,034) and six days in the Dordogne from £598 (€707). There is added value in that some of the holidays include guided tours and dinners. See railholidays.com.
Travel cover for flying while pregnant
I booked a trip for my husband, infant son and myself for next March to the Canaries. I have now discovered I will be 28 weeks pregnant on the return leg of the journey and am having difficulty getting travel insurance. I have private health insurance and the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). KOL, Dublin
The simple answer to this is that it depends on the air carrier. If you are travelling with Aer Lingus (aerlingus.com) or Ryanair (ryanair.com) you can fly up to 28 weeks, while between 28 and 33 weeks, your doctor/midwife will have to complete an Expectant Mothers Travel Advice form. See their websites for details. You cannot be denied travel insurance once you comply with the air carrier’s policy. The EU Directive on Gender Equality means you cannot be discriminated against because you are pregnant. If you are flying with a charter airline, then you will have to contact the company you are travelling with to ask who the air carrier will be and what their policy is on expectant mothers. If their policy is less than 28 weeks, then you will be unable to fly.
E-mail questions, with your name and address, to jscales@irishtimes.com