Your questions answered by JOAN SCALES
How easy is it to get around London in a wheelchair?
Q I am planning to go to London for a long weekend with my friend who is a wheelchair user. We would be grateful if you could provide us with information on wheelchair-accessible accommodation and activities in London.MF, Dublin
London is a very accessible city, and great changes have been made in recent years to improve facilities for wheelchair users. Choose a hotel that is centrally located, in the West End perhaps, to make it easier to get around.
The biggest drawback is that the easiest form of transport, the Underground, is not completely accessible; see tfl.co.uk. The Docklands Light Railways is more accessible, and almost all the buses have easy-access ramps.
The Visit London website (visitlondon.com) has a full section devoted to accessible theatre, attractions, restaurants and accommodation.
The newest version of T he Rough Guide to Accessible Britain(Rough Guides, €9.10), which has just been published, has good ideas for days out.
Q I am an 18-year-old student travelling to Arizona at the beginning of August. I want to purchase a one-way ticket to Tucson airport. Can you help me find the most economic and direct way to get there?SMR, Dublin
Economic, August and one-way air tickets rarely go hand in hand. And unless you are a US citizen, US immigration officials do not like to see young people travelling on one-way tickets, either.
That said, the cheapest way to get to Tucson is with American Airlines (aa.com) from Dublin via Chicago; the fare is about €560. You can also check with Usit (01-6021906), as it has some special fares for students.
Q I am planning to visit Puerto Banús, in Spain, with some friends after the Leaving Cert. I am trying to find inexpensive accommodation. More importantly, I need to find transport from there to Lyons around July 9th to join my family.AF, Wicklow
Accommodation in high season in Puerto Banús is expensive. The cheapest option is to rent an apartment. Expect to pay about €500 per week for one with two bedrooms. See holidaylettings.co.uk.
Otherwise, Hotel Pyr (hotelpyr.com) has rooms with kitchenettes that sleep four from €160 per night. The Apartamentos Señorio de Aloha, a 20-minute walk from Puerto Banus, have self-catering suites for four from €123 per night on the booking.com website.
You can get to Lyons via Madrid or Barcelona with easyJet (easyjet.com). Plan your trip on skyscanner.net for the best routing and fares.
Q I am having great difficulty deciding on an itinerary for a holiday in France for last two weeks in July, preferably with our own car. We are two adults, 54 and 53 years, with a son of 15 and a daughter of 13. My husband cannot take the extreme heat and is happy with the quiet life, but I like company. We would love a holiday with some water sports, sunshine and mild activities for all four of us. We would like a place where the teenagers could attempt to use their limited vocabulary, or perhaps some French lessons for all of us.AOD, Dublin
I think you should have a look at the options from Stein Study Abroad (steinstudyabroad.ie), which offers courses for teenagers and over-50s in Brittany, Montpellier and Biarritz.
If you are taking your car, then Brittany or Biarritz could be the best option for learning French. Biarritz has surfing schools where the teenagers could also improve their French.
Staying in hotels rather than self-catering offers more options for meeting other people. See suggestions on franceguide.com.
Travelling to Biarritz would also allow for city visits to Nantes, La Rochelle, Bordeaux and even across the border to San Sebastian.
Go contact:E-mail questions, with your name and address, to jscales@irishtimes.com.