To Poland by train
My husband and I are trying to organise a two-week trip to Poland by train. We are quite familiar with Poland and are able to arrange our own accommodation, but it has proved difficult to get any simple advice on rail procedure. We want the easiest route via the Channel Tunnel to Katowice or Krakow, with private sleeping accommodation en route. We are in our seventies, and both have senior citizens UK rail cards.
Pam and Joe Adamcek, Corby
The train is an excellent way to get around Poland, and frequent services go almost everywhere you may wish to travel. Though senior discounts can be hard to come by, you can still get good deals. The best route from the UK is via Brussels, Cologne and Berlin, where you can connect for Katowice and Krakow. Deutsche Bahn (0870 243 5363) can offer competitive prices for journeys that pass through Germany - you should be able to do the whole trip for around £180. Getting sleeper berths won't be a problem, though private sleeper compartments will increase the cost of your trip; ask for cost details.
Once in Poland, try a Polrail pass, available from Railchoice (020 8659 7300) which gives you unlimited first- or second-class travel for 8,15, 21 or 30 days. A 15-day pass will cost £120 first-class, £80 second-class.
Cuban flight crisis
I'm seeking authoritative information on flights operated by major US airlines between Cuba and Miami, having been unable to book a seat on any such flight through the usual channels. On my last visit to Miami in November, the check-in staff were evasive and unclear as to whether I, as a British citizen, could take any flight to Havana.
William J. Read, Stafford
To travel on a flight from the US to Cuba you need a licence from the US Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), and getting one is a long and complicated procedure. In any event, licences are not issued to anyone wishing to travel to Cuba for tourism; the accepted criteria for travel are very narrow - for details, see www.treas.gov/ofac/. Though Cuban travel and trade restrictions do not apply to foreign nationals, OFAC won't give you permission to travel if you don't meet their criteria - and without their permission you won't get a ticket. The best way to get into Cuba is either to fly direct from the UK or use a gateway city like Cancún, Mexico, to jump off from with few hassles. Prices from the UK usually start at around £400.
Backpacking in Botswana
I am a (mostly) lone student backpacker wanting to spend up to 20 weeks travelling - maybe working/volunteering with organisations, but mainly sightseeing - through South Africa, Namibia and Botswana from mid-February. I have a fairly tight budget (£70 a week), but a flexible schedule, and am taking a tent with me. Please can you advise on ways of seeing game parks on my budget. Should I take cash solely in sterling or in US dollars as well? What should I take in travellers cheques? I will probably get about £100 of South African rand before I leave. Can I use this in Namibia or Botswana?
Ben Ray, by email
You should manage on your budget in Namibia and (using the current weakness of the rand) in South Africa, but this will be right at the edge of what is feasible. You might consider cutting your trip by a couple of weeks, if it means you can then afford trips to places such as the Okavango Delta in Botswana or the Etosha National Park in Namibia. Good ways to save costs are camping - as you have identified - but also self-catering, using local transport and hitching where possible (be aware that Lonely Planet never recommends hitching, but the choice is yours).
Think about teaming up with other travellers to hire vehicles to reach out-of-the-way places, which is a great way to make friends. In South Africa, there are special backpacker bus services, though check to see how prices compare with regular buses. Dollars or sterling cash and travellers cheques will be fine in all but the most remote places, and take a mixture of denominations. The rand is legal tender in Namibia and is pegged to the Namibian dollar. In Botswana, use the local currency (pula) for almost all transactions.
The sound of sitars
I'm planning a trip to India to learn to play the sitar - like the late George Harrison did. Can you provide any guidance on where and who to contact to make this happen?
Steve Martin, Worcestershire
There are several schools that offer tuition in classical Indian instruments; it depends where in India you wish to go. Lonely Planet readers recommend the Triveni Music Centre (00 91 542 452266) in Varanasi, which offers lessons with professional musicians, and also sells sitars. Try also Prem Musical Instruments (00 91 294 430599) in Udaipur, where you can also learn the tabla and flute. Prices generally start at 100 rupees (£1.40) an hour. There are many others, and it shouldn't be a problem to find a tutor in most large towns and cities. This tuition will probably be no more than a brief introduction to the instrument - proficient players recommend that to complete elementary training you need to practise eight hours a day for five years! Try www.sitar.co.uk to find out about tuition in the UK.
Logis de France
Where can I purchase a list of establishments of Logis de France establishments?
Bob Bishop, by email
Logis de France is a network of 4,000 hotels that have high standards of service and facilities and generally offer good value. The French Government Tourist Office stock this booklet, which you can either pick up or obtain by writing to them at 178 Piccadilly, London W1J 9AL. Check out the Logis de France website for more details.
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