The Tripologist
Northern Christmas: The Czech capital, Prague. Photo: Getty Images
I WANT TO HAVE MY OWN CABIN ON MY SHIP TO ANTARCTICA BECAUSE I SNORE AND I DON'T WANT TO SHARE WITH A STRANGER. BEING ALONE IN A CABIN DOUBLES THE PRICE. IS THERE ANY WAY TO GO AS A SINGLE TO ANTARCTICA?
M. KEA, PADDINGTON
The cruise vessels that sail in Antarctic waters are mostly small, ice-strengthened ships that travel long distances with specialist naturalists and a skilled crew, and this makes them expensive to operate. The cruise operators set their price for each person on the basis of two people occupying a cabin. If they allowed just one person to occupy that cabin without a surcharge, they wouldn't be in business for long. Sharing is the way to go, unless you want to pay a ridiculous price for the privilege of your own cabin, and it's not such a drama. You might even get lucky and score a cabin to yourself if it happens that another single woman is not assigned to your cabin. In case that does not happen, you might want to carry earplugs for your cabin buddy. A tired and possibly emotional travelling companion is never a happy proposition.
MY HUSBAND AND I, WITH OUR SONS, 21 AND 15, PLAN TO SPEND CHRISTMAS IN PRAGUE. WHERE CAN WE EXPERIENCE A TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS EVE/DAY LUNCH WITHOUT BREAKING THE BANK? WE HAVE A TOTAL OF FOUR WEEKS AND THOUGHT OF MAKING OUR WAY DOWN TO CROATIA AND PERHAPS FLYING OUT OF ATHENS, OR POSSIBLY HEAD FOR FRANCE. COULD YOU SUGGEST AN ITINERARY?
S. BRACKEN, KELLYVILLE
In the depths of chilly winter, you have two practical options in Europe. The first is the coast deep in the south, where the sea moderates the cold, or the great cities. The problem with the coast is that December-January is well out of season. Much of what gives this part of the world its seductive flavour - the outdoor cafes, the beaches, the crowds of gorgeous people with honey tans - are either muted or absent. However, the cities offer a great opportunity. The cafes and restaurants are fully functioning and populated with locals, rather than tourists; you won't have to queue for art galleries and other cultural wonders, and accommodation comes at a friendlier price. Which cities you might choose depends on your interests, but in the region of Prague, I'd be looking closely at Berlin, Vienna, Salzburg, Venice and Florence, with a possible exit from Rome.
The big meal for Christmas celebrations in Prague is dinner on Christmas Eve, with carp with potato salad the traditional favourite. Restaurants you might try include U Modre Kachnicky 1 (umodrekachnicky.cz), the gorgeous French Restaurant in Municipal House (francouzskarestaurace.cz) and Restaurant V Zatisi (vzatisi.cz).
CONVERSATION
OVER TO YOU . . .
The question "Have you used Air BnB, where, and did it work for you?" received a record number of answers. Edited extracts below, with some cautionary tales.
D. Kelly writes, "Do you mean the apartment in Paris looking across the Seine, or the lovely designer one in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong? But my favourite was a two-bedroom apartment in Venice with a canal view."
S. and D. Low write: "We travelled for six weeks to Britain, France and Italy with children using Air BnB and it was truly amazing. We asked lots of questions of the hosts via email before booking."
T. Pink writes: "The pix were fabulous. Prices were amazing . . . The bombshell hit when the 'owner' asked me to pay into his account to avoid Air BnB fees."
From B. Partridge: "Accommodation for four people averaged $120 a night, in excellent locations in Rome, Naples, Florence, Venice and Paris."
B. Parkin writes: "For less than the cost of a three-star hotel room we get an entire apartment in Hong Kong."
P. Colvin writes: "Out of 15 bookings, 12 were highly recommendable and the other three acceptable."
From J. Smith: "We used Air BnB in Denmark, Sweden and Norway. Two of the three were quite difficult to find; beds in two were inadequate."
Next question: What hotel, guesthouse or B&B is your all-time greatest discovery? Write to tripologist@fairfaxmedia.com.au. The best response will win a Lonely Planet guidebook.
IN JULY, MY GIRLFRIEND AND I ( 27 AND 26) WILL BE HEADING JUST NORTH OF BEIRUT FOR A WEDDING. WE HAVE TWO WEEKS PRIOR AND ARE LOOKING AT ICELAND TO AVOID CROWDS IN EUROPE, BUT FLIGHT COSTS ARE A BIT EXCESSIVE. ANY IDEAS FOR GETTING TO ICELAND CHEAPLY OR AN ALTERNATE, BACKPACKER-STYLE LOCATION?
D. STEWART, DARLINGHURST
One possibility might be WOW Air (wowair.co.uk), which can get you from London to Reykjavik and back for about $450 each. It also has good deals on accommodation, although this is a relative concept in pricey Iceland, where even a cheap hotel room in prime-time July will cost at least $150 a night. Hostel Bookers (hostelbookers. com) and Hostel World (hostel world.com) can find you cheaper dormitory accommodation. There are plenty of less expensive and highly desirable places to stay. Close to Beirut, my pick would be the Greek islands, which are varied, cheap and easy on the eye, as they are on the wallet. Accommodation can be scarce, so you should book ahead, but there are always options for negotiating a homestay when you arrive. The Cyclades are the obvious choice (cycladia.com), a group that includes Santorini, Mykonos, Delos, Ios and Serifos. The first two could be your initial targets.
