KEY POINTS:
We are intending to travel to Portugal next year in late August/early September. For the first week we will be staying at a timeshare near Faro but after that we would like to spend a week looking around Portugal. Could you give us some suggestions as to an
itinerary? We would like to travel by bus or train and perhaps cruise the Douro River.
Peter & Anne Mahon
As you'll be spending time in the Algarve, a good one-week itinerary would be to follow the Atlantic coast route north from Lisbon to Porto, finishing with a cruise on the Rio Douro.
Kick start your week in Lisbon with its wide, tree-lined avenues graced by Art Nouveau buildings, mosaic pavements and street cafes. Highlighted by its cultural diversity, laid-back feel and architectural time warp, you'll find Lisbon is one of the most enjoyable and affordable cities in Europe.
From Lisbon, you can swap the city streetscapes for the dreamy hillsides of Sintra with its palaces, Moorish castle and Unesco World Heritage-listed historic centre. Continue on to the hilltop walled village of Obidos and enjoy magnificent views and leisurely walks.
Delve a little further into Portugal's historic and architectural past with a side trip to Alcobaca, where the Abbey of Santa Maria founded in 1153 is the country's largest church, and Batalha whose stunner of a Gothic abbey built in 1388 is World Heritage-listed.
Leiria is a good base to explore Alcobaca, Batalha and surrounds and if you are a lover of natural spaces then a tranquil stroll in the Pinhal de Leiria, a 700-year-old pine forest is a must.
Next stop could be the colourful university town of Coimbra, abuzz with modern-day student life centring around its magnificent 13th-century university. Spend some time exploring Coimbra's lively maze of picturesque medieval streets before heading off on a day trip to Conimbriga, home to Portugal's best preserved Roman ruins and mosaics.
Portugal's second-biggest city Porto has a beauty all its own. Built on granite bluffs above the Rio Douro, its heart is a tangle of World Heritage-listed lanes tumbling steeply down to a medieval waterfront dotted with old port-wine boats.
The Rio Douro, Portugal's best known river, flows through the rural heartland and is navigable right across the country. In the upper reaches, port-wine grapes are grown on steeply terraced hills punctuated by remote stone villages. You can take a one- or two-day river cruise with Douro Azul (www.douroazul.com).
The easiest and most efficient way to get around is by bus. It's also fairly inexpensive and the national network Rede Expressos (www.rede-expressos.pt) has connections throughout the country. If you prefer travelling by train, the statewide train network operated by Caminhos de Ferro Portugueses (www.cp.pt) is fairly efficient but can be slower than bus.
Paris of the East
I'm going to be travelling overnight from Riga (Latvia) to St Petersburg and I'm trying to decide whether to travel by train or bus. Although I'll be on a budget, price isn't really a factor unless the difference is substantial. Also, would I need to book my ticket in advance?
Anne Howell
With its bewitching skyline of castle turrets and church steeples, crumbling remnants of Stalinist architecture and winding medieval streets alive with a bar and cafe society, Latvia's capital city has been reborn as a tip-of-the-tongue tourist destination.
Once known as the Paris of the East, Riga is drawing an increasing number of travellers, captivated by its allure. Riga's rich architectural heritage is capped by an array of Art Nouveau buildings, a testament to the city's early 20th century prosperity when it was a major trading hub.
Train is the best option if you want to travel from Riga to St Petersburg. It may be more expensive than catching a bus but it's a lot more comfortable as you can book a couchette and get a decent sleep. The express sleeper train between Riga and St Petersburg offers a choice of two- and four-berth cabins. For seating options, have a look at the Latvian train website (www.ldz.lv). The journey takes around 15 hours and a ticket in a four-berth sleeper will cost around $95. Tickets can be booked at the station.
If you decide to travel by bus, Ecolines (www.ecolines.lv; one way from $56) runs services from Riga to St Petersburg. Tickets can be booked online.
Have a read of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trades travel advisory for Russia before heading off at www.safetravel.govt.nz.
Navigating canals
We are heading to France this September and will be canal boating in the Aquitaine area, from Agen to Valence sur Baise. Can you please tell me the best method of transport from Valence sur Baise to Barcelona? Also, where can I get a map of the Aquitaine waterways?
Kay Foley
The lovely Aquitaine region in southwest France is a canal-boating hotspot, known for its wines and gourmet produce, prehistoric sites, fortified towns and gorgeous villages. The region runs from the Atlantic coast at Bordeaux, south to the Basque country and inland to Perigord. It's in good company, surrounded by the rich green hills and fields of Limousin, the ancient heritage of the Dordogne, the Mediterranean feel of Quercy and the vineyards and lush countryside of Gascony, Armagnac, the Languedoc and Toulouse. For detailed information about the region, have a look at the online France Guide (http://uk.franceguide.com) and the region's tourism websites (www.tourisme-aquitaine.fr and www.lot-et-garonne.fr).
An invaluable and highly regarded guide to travelling the Aquitaine waterway is EDB Waterways Guides Aquitaine (around $40), published by Editions De Breil (EDB) and available through the DBA Barge Association (www.barges.org).
Toulouse is the region's major rail hub and your best bet for catching onward connections to Spain. Valence sur Baise overlooks the unfortunately named town of Condom, which has bus connections to Toulouse (2 1/2 hours) and Auch (50 minutes), from where you can catch a train to Toulouse (1 1/2 hours).
The train trip to Barcelona is a comfortable 5 1/2 hour trip from Toulouse. The route runs to Narbonne, where you'll need to change trains and then follows the coast down to Perpignon, Girona and on to Barcelona. You can book online through a company such as Rail Plus (www.railplus.com.au - 1st/2nd class from $184/$137) or once you're in France.
