KEY POINTS:
I am going to Newcastle in northern England for a wedding in April. On the map it appears to be quite close to Edinburgh in Scotland, a city I have heard is really beautiful. I only have two days and one night to visit Edinburgh after the wedding. How feasible is a visit to Edinburgh, what's the best/quickest way to get there and what should not be missed on a two-day visit?
Don Chandley
It's certainly feasible and definitely worth it, as long as you get an early start on day one and are prepared to get back to Newcastle late on day two.
The best way to get there is by train.
Services are frequent, it's just a one hour trip and it costs around $60 return. Go to nationalexpresseastcoast.com for timetables and tickets.
You should make Edinburgh Castle your first port of call.
The brooding black crags of Castle Rock rising above the western end of
Princes St are the very reason for Edinburgh's existence.
This rocky hill was the most easily defended hilltop on the invasion route between England and central Scotland, followed by countless armies - from the Roman legions of the 1st and 2nd centuries to the Jacobite troops of Bonnie Prince Charlie in 1745.
Walk down from the castle along the Royal Mile (High St), stopping for some sustenance along the way if need be, before visiting the Scottish parliament building.
If you're looking for a great place to eat on your night in Edinburgh, try Daniel's Bistro (88 Commercial St), a top place to sample superbly executed Scottish-French dishes.
After dinner you might like to take in some live music at Sandy's Bell (25 Forrest Rd), a stalwart of the traditional music scene in Edinburgh.
On day two you should visit the Museum of Scotland, then catch the bus to Leith for a visit to the Royal Yacht Britannia, where you can nose around the Queen's former private quarters.
Peruvian bus journeys
We are travelling through southern Peru this year and one leg is from Nazca to Arequipa. Most guide books say not to travel at night, but almost all the buses travelling this route are overnight. Are there any
alternatives? Carolyn & Mark Buckley
Lonely Planet's guide to Peru advises travellers to avoid overnight buses, as muggings and assaults do occur.
Even on the well-travelled Pan-American Highway route between
Arequipa and Lima, and especially from Nazca to Arequipa in recent times, overnight buses have been hijacked and foreign tourists have been robbed and raped.
Having said that, there are a number of travellers who say they have travelled this route overnight and have had no problems at all.
However, if you want to play it safe, there is a service that departs Nazca at 3pm and arrives at Arequipa around 10pm (from $47).
This Cruz del Sur service is more expensive, but more comfortable and
safer than the cheaper alternatives. Go to cruzdelsur.com.pe for more information.
We recommend you buy bus tickets at least a few days in advance.
When travelling by bus you need to take care of your possessions.
Although larger bags are generally stored in a luggage compartment,
many travellers prefer to bring their pack on the bus with them.
Whatever you do, keep your valuables with you on board.
Don't put any luggage in the overhead racks, as they are not secured. Keep it between your legs or on your lap.
For more safety information, be sure to read the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs & Trade's travel advisory for Peru at safetravel.govt.nz.
Happy camping in Italy
My wife and I are planning to go camping in France and Italy in May/June. We intend to focus on the smaller camping grounds, which, we are told by friends, are plentiful in France. We have an excellent map from Camping Qualite that has details of 1006 camping sites throughout France. However, we have not been as successful in finding a similar map or guide for Italy. Can you help?
Robert Barclay
The Touring Club Italiano (TCI) publishes the annual Campeggi in Italia (Camping in Italy), which lists all camping grounds.
The Istituto Geografico de Agostini publishes Guida ai Campeggi in Europa (Guide to Camping in Europe), sold together with Guida ai Campeggi Italia.
They are available in major bookshops in Italy. Lists of camping grounds
are available from local tourist offices or can be looked up on various sites, including campeggi.com, camping.it and italcamping.it.
You will find that most camping grounds in Italy are major complexes with swimming pools, restaurants and supermarkets.
Note that independent camping is not permitted in protected areas but, out of the main tourist season of July and August, if you choose a spot that's not visible from the main road and don't light a fire, you
shouldn't have too much trouble. Get permission from landowners if you
want to camp on private property.
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