MY HUSBAND AND I PLAN TO TRAVEL TO THE STATES USING ANNUAL LEAVE TO VISIT NEW YORK CITY, WASHINGTON DC AND BOSTON.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
IF POSSIBLE, WE ARE ALSO INTERESTED IN DETROIT, CHICAGO, MILWAUKEE, WHERE EVER THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY ARE AND SAN FRANCISCO. WE ARE THINKING OF DRIVING ACROSS THE US AND MAYBE A TRAIN TRIP SOMEWHERE.
COULD YOU SUGGEST ROUTES, LICENCE AND DRIVING LAWS, ACCOMMODATION, PLACES OF INTEREST AND WHAT YOU WOULD CONSIDER A REASONABLE TIME FRAME?
E. ATKINS, GLENBROOK
Driving across the US plus the other stops you have in mind is ambitious within the timeframe of most annual leave entitlements. What you could do is a drive to take in some of the wonders of the American Southwest. Starting from San Francisco, head south along Highway 1 to Los Angeles, consistently rated one of the best drives in the US, then turn west to take in the Grand Canyon. You could make a longer loop itinerary from here to visit Monument Valley and Mesa Verde, Arches, Canyonlands and Zion national parks before ending your western journey at Las Vegas. A sensible time for this would be two weeks, about a week less if you were to leave out the loop, which would leave you with San Francisco, Highway 1, the Grand Canyon, Zion National Park and Las Vegas.
The East Coast cities are all great but Detroit is a shadow of the boomtown that was America's automotive workshop. Cheap rents have fuelled an artistic renaissance but it feels like a city waking up after a nightmare, with a bad hangover.
Milwaukee suggests an interest in Harley-Davidson motorcycles and if so you can do a factory tour harley-davidson.com and visit the Harley-Davidson Museum.
Madison County is in Iowa, due west of Chicago. You could take a train to Detroit, pick up a vehicle then drive to Chicago and on to Milwaukee and finally Madison County. The other area where covered bridges are found is in New England. The state of Vermont alone has 106 and if you're looking for covered bridges with great scenic backdrops this would be a better choice.
You'd probably need three weeks for the East Coast/Midwest part of your itinerary.
For accommodation, you'd probably be looking at motels in the West and Midwest and I'd be going for an Airbnb in the East Coast cities.
Driving in the US presents no real problems. If you Google "traveller com au driving USA" you'll find an authoritative article with everything you need to know.
WE ARE TRAVELLING WITH A SEVEN AND FIVE-YEAR-OLD TO EUROPE IN SEPTEMBER. WE PLAN TO VISIT PARIS, MY PARENTS IN THE DORDOGNE REGION AND LONDON.
WE HAVE THREE NIGHTS BEFORE LONDON AND WOULD LIKE ADVICE ON WHETHER THE CHILDREN ARE MORE LIKELY TO ENJOY A COASTAL SPOT LIKE SAN SEBASTIAN OR SOMEWHERE IN BRITAIN SUCH AS CORNWALL, SCOTLAND OR IRELAND. ANY SUGGESTIONS?
A. JONES, DEAKIN
Assuming this three nights is to be sandwiched between Dordogne and London, it would be sensible to keep travel time to a minimum. While San Sebastian, Cornwall, Scotland and Ireland are all fine choices, with the time you have in hand they're not practical. On France's Atlantic coast and close to the Dordogne, one place I like a lot is Cap Ferret, a narrow peninsula of sand dunes and forest that forms the western arm of the gorgeous Bassin d'Arcachon, about an hour's drive south of Bordeaux.
Cap Ferret offers a choice of surf beaches and the calm waters of the basin, the local cuisine is based on seafood and influenced by the nearby Basque region, the town of Arcachon has a lively market and it's chic but relaxed since the area has long been a barefoot chill zone for wealthy French. The marina is the second largest in France, you can take boat trips across the bay, and La Coccinelle is the oldest park in Europe dedicated to children and domesticated animals. Together with its surroundings, Arcachon has more than enough to keep you occupied for three nights.
Arcachon is linked with Paris via high speed TGV services, while the nearest airport, Bordeaux-Merignac, is a 45-minute drive.
I AM GOING TO BRITAIN FOR CHRISTMAS, TRAVELLING WITH MY PARTNER'S MUM WHO IS A SPRIGHTLY 78 YEARS YOUNG. WE ARE THINKING OF GOING TO AUSTRIA OR GERMANY TO VISIT THE CHRISTMAS MARKETS BEFORE THE UK FOR CHRISTMAS, SOMEWHERE A COUPLE OF HOURS OUT OF LONDON, WHICH WE WILL DRIVE TO. ANY RECOMMENDATIONS?
D. PASSMORE, HEATHCOTE
Bath would be my first choice. It's an easy drive from London, particularly if you're coming from Heathrow, and it's a really handsome city, a textbook study of the Georgian style with rewards on any number of levels. My personal list of favourites includes the Roman Baths, Royal Crescent, the Jane Austen Centre, the Victoria Gallery, Bath Abbey and Sally Lunn's Historic Eating House and Museum. Right on your doorstep you've got more stately houses and just to the north the picturebook villages and countryside of the Cotswolds. Bath is also a good base for exploring Glastonbury, Wells Cathedral, the Mendip Hills and Stratford-upon-Avon. There's plenty of choice of accommodation and the dining scene ranges from smart cafes to posh restaurants. Take a look at the Visit Bath website visitbath.co.uk for a detailed look at what the city has to offer.
CONVERSATION OVER TO YOU…
The question was "Ever taken a walking holiday?"
From R. Joyce, "We spent a week some years ago enjoying a self-guided walk through the Alsace-Lorraine region of France. The scenery was magnificent, the weather balmy, the vendange was underway and our luggage always managed to arrive at our next destination before we did.
We got as much entertainment from deciphering each day's walking instructions as from the actual walk. They had obviously been translated from the original French by someone for whom English wasn't the first language. But after a day or so we understood the subtle nuances and what the more cryptic instructions really meant. While some days we may have walked a good few kilometres more than the 14 or so scheduled it was always enjoyable and we never felt as though we were lost. I'd do it again in a flash."
From P. Ward, "No cars or trucks for three weeks. The sound of yak bells, a friendly warning. Great people. Trekking to Gokyo in the Khumbu of Nepal. Delightful. Going back in 2017 and can't wait. All you have to do is walk, look, eat, sleep and remember to breathe."
J. Quintal writes, "Walking is the perfect way to absorb the minutiae of our world. Offa's Dyke, Wales (285km) and the pilgrimage route from Le Puy in France to Santiago in Spain (1550km) have been the best holidays we two 60-plus year olds have ever enjoyed. Eat, drink and walk it off!"
J. Peterson writes, "We walked the Kungsleden for seven days in northern Sweden. There are seven huts to stay at, each with a shop attached to buy provisions. You can climb Sweden's highest peak, Kebnekaise, on the second last day. To think you have just walked The Royal Trail on Sami land through the heart of the Arctic Circle in Northern Sweden, meeting up with herds of reindeers and walkers on the way. Priceless, do it all again, soon!"
Next question: What's your preference, road or rail?
Send response to tripologist@fairfaxmedia.com.au. The best response will win a Lonely Planet guidebook.
SEND US YOUR TRAVEL QUESTIONS
Include your name and your suburb or town and send it to tripologist@fairfaxmedia.com.au. All published questions will win a Lonely Planet guidebook.