Diving spots that aren’t too far from home, short-cuts to getting a US visa and hedging your bets on post-Brexit exchange rates are among the issues that have foxed the holiday guru this week…
We are a family of four and would like to explore the Amalfi Coast, including Positano, in early July, basing ourselves at an apartment with a pool near Sorrento with good public transport links. We don’t want to have to rely on a hire car. Can you help?
Joanne Brown, Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire
Breathtaking: The village of Positano, on Southern Italy’s famous Amalfi Coast
Apartments with pools in Sorrento are few and far between (and not cheap), but HomeAway has some on the outskirts that would fit the bill (homeaway.co.uk).
For example, Oasis Star sleeps four people in two bedrooms and is set in pretty gardens with a shared 10 m pool. It has a kitchen, dining room and terrace.
The village of Sant’Agata is 400 m away and regular buses run to Sorrento, only four miles away. The price is from £146 a night. Also you could try holidaylettings.co.uk or naplesvillas.co.uk.
To get to Sorrento, fly to Naples from £103 return with British Airways (ba.com) and catch a Circumvesuviana train, which takes 70 minutes and costs £3.10 each way.
We are in our 60s and love to snorkel, normally going to Egypt from April to June, or in September. Is there somewhere you can recommend for a change of scenery that is not long haul? We prefer to snorkel from a beach or jetty.
Lynn Clayton, Harlow, Essex
Croatia is blessed with crystal clear waters, secluded beaches and 2,500 miles of coastline for snorkelling.
The Healthy Holiday Company has a seven-night break at the waterfront Hotel Odisej Mljet, on the quiet island of Mljet, from £595 per person half-board, including flights and transfers (thehealthyholidaycompany.co.uk). It also offers snorkelling trips in Gozo, Madeira and Turkey.
Alternatively, Jordan has great beach snorkelling at the Red Sea resort of Aqaba. Dive Worldwide offers a nine-night holiday with flights, transfers and B&B at the Marina Plaza Hotel from £1,295 per person, with an optional excursion to see the desert at Wadi Rum (diveworldwide.com).
My husband and I are planning to visit Las Vegas for my 50th birthday in August. We have not been to America before and don’t want to get in a muddle. How does the U.S. visa system work? And would it be easy to add a couple of days in San Francisco after visiting Las Vegas?
Karen Millward, Brotherton, West Yorkshire
Bright lights: The famous Las Vegas strip with its hotels and casinos
British citizens and those from countries signed up to America’s visa waiver programme need to apply for an ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorisation).
This can be booked online at esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta — it costs £10.60 and should be done ideally before buying flights or packages, according to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, although it can be purchased afterwards as long as it is 72 hours before travel.
Getting to San Francisco is quite straightforward: United Airlines has 90-minute flights from Las Vegas from about £55 (united.com). See skyscanner.net for best international flights.
Should I purchase euros and dollars now, or after Brexit — whenever that happens? We are going on trips later this year where they will be needed, but we are worried about the pound’s performance.
Billy Falco, Brentwood, Essex
City traders would like to know the answer to this question, too! For peace of mind, if you are concerned about turbulent times ahead, it might be prudent to change some cash before March 29.
James Burton, the Daily Mail’s chief City correspondent, recommends changing half now and half after March 29.
My husband and I want to celebrate his 80th birthday away on August 19, but we do not like hot beach holidays. Do you have a suggestion for the UK, perhaps a cruise?
Maureen, by email
How about a cruise to Norway and back? The Magellan cruise ship sails from Liverpool on August 18, calling first at Dublin, then Lerwick on the Shetland Islands, before stopping at Bergen, Geiranger and Stavanger, with trips to magnificent fjords along the way.
Blue Water Holidays has 12-day trips from £959 per person in an inside cabin (cruisingholidays.co.uk). It also offers a cruise to the Canary Islands, covering your husband’s birthday, departing from London’s Tilbury port.
- If you need advice, the Holiday Guru is here to answer your questions and provide tips on how to make the most of your precious time off. Please send questions to holidayplanner@dailymail.co.uk or write to Daily Mail Travel, Northcliffe House, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT — and include your contact details. We will do our best to answer your queries but we can’t reply to every enquiry. Please do not send in any original documents. We look forward to hearing from you.