KEY POINTS:
My friend and I (both in our 60s) have two weeks to spend in October in Tasmania. We thought that for at least part of the time we would like to have a group experience, rather than doing it all by ourselves. Can you recommend a company that offers moderately priced accommodation and meals on a coach trip (or similar)?
Christine, by email
Tasmania is a wonderful place to tour by car. Distances are small so you can cover a lot of ground quickly, and traffic outside the major centres is unbelievably light.
Best of all, you'll be able to travel at your own pace as you explore the many historic towns and villages and take in the magnificent scenery along the way.
If you aren't planning on hiring a car, Tasmania has a good bus network connecting major towns and centres, though weekend services are somewhat infrequent. The main bus lines are Redline Coaches (www.tasredline.com.au) and TassieLink (www.tassielink.com.au). Have a browse on the companies' websites to familiarise yourself with fares and distances around the state.
While you're in Tasmania, it might be worth taking short, day or two coach tours as you make your own way around.
Alternatively, if you are travelling by public transport, you might want to take a longer bus tour covering a lot more of the state. Tour operators that offer a wide range of tours include the following:
* Australia Relaxing Journeys (relaxingjourneys.com.au/escorted-tours/tasmania.php) has a variety of tours to choose from, lasting from four to 15 days. A four-day tour including accommodation, buffet breakfast and dinner starts at $1160 per person.
* Tours operated by Groups Tasmania (www.groupstasmania.com.au) include an eight-day budget tour costing $1716. Tasmanian Retreat Tours (www.tasmanianretreattours.com.au) also offers a variety of coach tours, ranging from three to nine days.
Paris escape plan
We are travelling to Europe later in the year and wish to hire a car on the outskirts of Paris and travel towards Belgium and Holland. Can you suggest an outlying town or suburb where we could pick up our hire car and avoid the Paris traffic?
Edward, by email
While hiring a car in central Paris might seem a bit of a nightmare, it might be the better option.
It's really not that difficult to pick up your car at, say, Gare du Nord train station, which is close to the main northern exit of Paris. If you are carrying a lot of luggage, the last thing you'll want to do is drag it to the outskirts of Paris to some out-of-the-way car-hire depot.
It might be best to bite the bullet, throw yourself in at the deep end and go for the Gare du Nord option, which is only a taxi ride away.
If you are arriving by plane, picking up your hire car at the airport would only be a good option if you don't intend to spend time in Paris.
Wherever you decide to pick up your car, make sure to map out your Paris escape route before you travel, rather than relying on picking up free maps when you collect the car.
It's also important to brush up on French road rules and get a feel for what driving is going to be like in France.
Two sites that give general tips on driving in France and Belgium are All Travel France (alltravelfrance.com/France/Car - Rental/Driving - Tips.htm) and All Travel Belgium (www.alltravelbelgium.com/Belgium/Car-Rental/Driving-Tips.htm). Auto Europe (www.autoeurope.com) car hire has a wide list of pick-up locations, including Paris suburbs, train stations and airports.
