ASK JOAN:All your travel questions answered
Student break in London
Myself and my boyfriend have just graduated from college and we are thinking about taking a trip to London. Only problem is we are on a pretty tight budget. Just wondering if you have any recommendations for accommodation and things to do in London on the cheap?
– CA, Dublin
London is never cheap but you can find ways of doing it on the cheap. Hostel accommodation is good and there are plenty of them around the city. Expect to pay in the region of €13–€35 per night, with weekends more expensive. See Hostelworld.comand Hostelbookers.com.
University accommodation can be good value, especially if you have cooking facilities and can eat in some of the time, see LondonUniversityRooms.co.uk.
There is also Couchsurfing.org, where you stay in peoples' houses or flats for little or no money. You may also find a good value room in a house or flat on Airbnb.com. Pick one near a bus or tube station for getting around easily.
Buy travel cards or an Oyster card for bus and train travel. See details of transport on TFL.co.uk. Food and drink is cheap in London, away from the main tourist sites.
The area around Shoreditch and Spitalfields also known as Banglatown is the hopping place for students and there are many fun bars and clubs and lots of great curry houses doing meal deals.
At the weekends the markets at Brick Lane and Spitalfields have good ethnic food stalls and entertainment. Camden Town is always a great favourite and the markets are fun to trawl.
There are lots of free things on in London all the time, from galleries, exhibitions, events and gigs. Look at LondonTown.comfor ideas and Timeout has some terrific ideas of free and very cheap things to do, Timeout.com/london/feature/645/cheap-london. Some you book in advance, for others you can just turn up.
If you are travelling to London by air, check out the deals with Ryanair, but take into account rail or bus fares from airports. The tube from Heathrow is about €6.60; the train from Stansted about €30; the bus is about €17.50 return; Gatwick depends on the train you take, but from €15-€32 each way. If you have time, you may find that the cheapest way to travel to London in the summer is by ferry with Irish Ferries or Stena Line, the return ticket is €90 direct to Euston and if you travel overnight, you will save on accommodation.
Four go down to Dorset
My husband, our two teenage boys and I are looking for a self-catering house in Dorset for two weeks in late June/July. Have you any suggestions for a house or website we could use to find a reasonably-priced house near Poole. Also any suggestions for things to do there?
– MM, Dublin
Dorset is a small county with a great coastline, lots of areas of outstanding beauty and the Jurassic Coast world heritage site. You will easily find lots to do over the two weeks. The neighbouring counties of Devon, Hampshire, Wiltshire and Somerset also have great places to explore.
Only a little further afield is Cornwall, an easy journey to take in some outstanding places of interest such as Eden. The boys might also enjoy visiting the TankMuseum.com. Over the weekend of June 30th, Tankfest is on and there will be display of tanks and other military vehicles going through their paces. They might also like to do some surfing on Bournemouth's reef.
Self-catering accommodation in the southwest of England tends to be a bit pricier than here, and you will be looking at paying anywhere in the region of €600- €1,200 per week for a rental property.
Classic Cottages (tel: 0044-1326 555 555, or see Classic.co.uk) offers coastal and country holiday homes in Dorset. For example, Brook Cottage, in the shadow of Corfe Castle in Wareham, overlooks the large enclosed garden and patio.
The famous Swanage Steam Railway is nearby and fun for travelling around this historical corner of Dorset, There are many cycleways and spectacular walks. A two-week stay at the end of June costs €2,500.
DorsetCoastalCottages.comhas a selection of holiday homes around the county and some discounts for late bookings.
The biggest selection is on HomeAway.co.ukwith more than 200 properties in the Dorset area.
Oregon trail
Can you provide some information on travelling to a place in Oregon called Adel. My husband had family connections there and he would like to see the area. We find it difficult to get details on the best route to take. We would hope to use public transport as much as possible in Oregon.
– MM, Dublin
Adel is in one of the remote corners of Oregon and public transport is sparse. I think you are going to have to rent a car to get around, unless the relatives can collect you. The nearest airport is Klamath Falls, and that’s still over 150kms away.
You can book a ticket from Dublin to Klamath Falls with United.comand depending on the time of the year, it could cost from about €850-€1,400. It will take at least three flights to get there. You can see travel and tourism information on TravelOregon.com.
Email queries, with your name and address, to jscales@irishtimes.com