Your questions answered by Joan Scales.
Q A small group of us are planning to walk a fair part of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage trail, through northern Spain to Santiago de Compostela. Then we want to go from there to Lourdes, which is celebrating 150 years since the apparitions there. But I can't find any air service. Could you let me know about a bus or train journey?
TK, Cork
There are no direct air services from Santiago de Compostela to Lourdes; the only routes would be via Madrid or Barcelona, and they would also be quite expensive. It is a very long journey, almost 900km, but it can be done by bus. A service leaves Santiago at 11am and gets into Tarbes, very close to Lourdes, at 3am the following day. It costs about €100; see www.alsa.es. Or you can take the train from Santiago to San Sebastián,
then change for the service to Lourdes. You can plan the route on www.renfe.es and then www.renfe.com/ cercenias.es and www.sncf.com. The journey will take about 12 hours and cost less than €100.
Q I am a lone parent with a five-year-old son. Would you know of any companies specialising in holidays for people travelling alone with small children? I know there are the standard package holidays, but I would prefer one geared towards parents travelling alone with children.
MH, Co Dublin
There is a company that does specialise in exactly what you are looking for. Small Families, which is based in the United Kingdom, has a good selection of holidays from the traditional bucket-and-spade seaside trips to Mediterranean islands and cruises. You have to add the cost of additional flights from Ireland, but the strength of the euro works in your favour at the moment. You can contact Small Families at 00-44-1763-226567and at www.singleparent.travel.
Q We are a family of seven - two adults and five children, the youngest eight - going to New York on November 26th for a week. Can you suggest accommodation for us, either a reasonably priced hotel or self-catering? We would like to be close to or in Manhattan, as we would like to see the major tourist attractions. We will also be doing some shopping.
Joe, Galway
The first thing I will say is to book now. You are going to New York at one of the busiest and most enjoyable times of the year, Thanksgiving, so spaces fill up quickly. That said, there is availability, and, because of the weak dollar, some reasonably priced hotels - they're still not cheap; this is New York, after all. Last year I stayed with my family and some cousins at the Beacon Hotel on the Upper West Side. We had a two-bedroom suite with plenty of room for everyone. It had a double bedroom, a bedroom with two double beds, a double sofa bed in the living room and a fully fitted kitchen area with fridge-freezer. You have to call to book one. The rates are about $650 (€420) per night. The phone number is 00-1-212-7871100.
Most hotels of a reasonable standard will cost about €220 per room per night. Some hotels do have double doubles, which can sleep up to four per room. Some you can look at that are centrally located are www.milfordplaza.com, www.holidayinn.com and www.hotelpenn.com.
When it comes to apartments to rent, self-catering is not as big in New York as you would expect, but there are a few sites where you will find some, although prices can be a bit steep. Try www.travel-library.com, www.holidayletting.com and www.ownerdirect.com.
As for the shopping, Black Friday, as it is known, is the day on which all the sales begin after Thanksgiving. Macy's gives an additional 10 per cent discount to Irish passport holders.
E-mail questions, with your name and address, to jscales@irish-times.ie