KEY POINTS:
To improve my Arabic, I plan to spend four to six months in Syria and would like to know of a reputable language school in Aleppo or Damascus. After I have "mastered" some of the language, I plan to tour for, say, two months through Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. Do you have any information about railways in these countries and which cities I can reach by rail? Alternatively, is there a bus company operating in all three countries and what travel passes are available? Karl Lieffering
The Arabic Language Centre at Damascus University (www.damasuniv.shern.net, click on "Language Institute") offers two-month courses in Arabic. Go to www.arabicindamascus.edu.sy for further information. The British Council (www.britishcouncil.org/syria) in Damascus and Aleppo runs courses in modern standard Arabic (MSA) and Syrian colloquial Arabic (SCA), although these are mostly aimed at diplomats and businesspeople.
There are also a number of independent language schools, such as the Damascus Language School for standard Arabic (www.standard-arabic.com) and Arabesk Studies (www.arabeskstudiesindamascus.com) in Damascus and Aleppo.
There is no railway in Lebanon. While there is a limited railway network in Syria, it's not the best way to get around.
Having said that, the overnight service between Aleppo and Damascus is a sensible way to cover ground and saves on a night's hotel accommodation.
There is a railway network in Jordan and you can travel between Damascus and Amman but the service is slow - nine hours compared with four hours by bus - and you must change trains at the border.
Bus is the preferred method of travel and you can travel between Syria and Jordan with Jordan Express Travel & Tourism (JETT) buses.
You can get around Syria and from Syria to Lebanon with Karnak Bus Company. At present, there are no travel passes valid for travel within all three countries.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is advising against all tourist and other non-essential travel to Lebanon.
Russian for beds
My parents are travelling to Russia and are running out of time to research cheaper hotels to stay in in Moscow and St Petersburg. They have to book accommodation before they can obtain a visa. Kelly Wilkinson
Moscow and St Petersburg occupy opposite sides of the same Russian coin. Moscow is thoroughly modern, fast-paced and in love with change. Dubbed the Venice of the North, St Petersburg really is the stuff of dreams. It's full of 18th-century palaces, grand mansions and elegantly laid-out canals that will have your parents waxing lyrical all the way home.
Before visitors can apply for a Russian visa, they need to have their accommodation booked.
Inexpensive hotels are quite hard to find in Moscow, with hostel and high-end hotel accommodation being much more prevalent. A full listing of Moscow and St Petersburg hotels can be found on Lonely Planet's website (hotels.lonelyplanet.com). You could try the Helvetia Hotel & Suites (en.helvetia-suites.ru; two-person three-night package $500) in St Petersburg, next door to the Swiss consulate, or the old-world charm of the Hotel Budapest (hotel-budapest.ru; $285 per double) in Moscow, just a short stroll from the theatres of Petrovka and Red Square. Both can help with visa support services.
For more accommodation suggestions, have a look at Hotel Inspector (www.hotelinspector.com/moscow.htm), with an alphabetical list of hotels in Moscow and reviews from travellers who have stayed there, and Palladium Travel Agency (www.safetravel.govt.nz.
An alert reader has pointed out a mistake in advice given by Dr Latitude to a question about Michigan (published on March 25). The Mackinac Bridge doesn't actually link Mackinac Island to the shoreline, as suggested, but spans the Straits of Mackinac, connecting Michigan's upper and lower peninsulas. To get to car-free Mackinac Island, take a ferry from Mackinaw City or St Ignace.
