My wife and I are planning our first retirement trip next year, hoping to include three weeks in China. However, we have been warned that it is very difficult to travel independently due to the language barriers. We would like to use the railways as much as possible but have been told the trains have poor facilities and make long journeys unpleasant. While fairly robust and adventurous, we do not want this dream trip to turn into a nightmare!
Brian Woods, by email

Robust and adventurous travellers will find much to enjoy in China. Many of the negative observations of China, from pollution to noise, are restricted to large urban centres – in particular Beijing. Take care that a three-week itinerary takes in both urban and rural China – try Hong Kong to Yunnan via the stunning scenery of Guilin and Yangshuo, or an exploration of some of the main historic areas of the country, from Beijing to Xian and on to the stunning Mogao Caves at Dunhuang.

Soft sleeper class on express trains is the most popular option with independent travellers. Tickets should be purchased a few days in advance. Large stations have separate desks for foreigners or you can, for a small service charge, use the travel desk in larger hotels. However, provided you're not travelling around Chinese New Year or the first day of May or October, you should have few problems getting around. Chinese signage is the norm, but if you know your train number, getting on board is straightforward. Seat61 (seat61.com) is an excellent source of clear, practical information. An English-language rail timetable is available at Duncan Peattie's helpful site chinatt.org.

• My wife has always wanted to go to Graceland, and I am thinking of surprising her for her birthday in January with a trip incorporating New Orleans, Nashville and Memphis. Can you suggest an itinerary and places to stay en route? Should we hire a car?
Linden Richardson, by email

The drive from New Orleans to Memphis and on to Nashville is 600 miles by the fastest route. While this is a do-able road trip you may prefer one-way car hire and an open-jaw air ticket so you don't have to backtrack. The easiest route into New Orleans and out of Nashville is with Delta Airlines (delta.com) via its Atlanta hub. In mid-January this comes out at around £400. One-way car hire with Alamo (alamo.co.uk) would cost around £23 a day. You can meander north along the Mississippi from New Orleans, pausing to view the civil war battlefield at Vicksburg and plantation mansions around Natchez, taking in the River Road African American Museum and following the Blues Highway to Clarksdale and then hit Memphis. The Natchez Trace Parkway would add 60 miles to your route from Memphis to Nashville but makes a very scenic detour. Individual states' websites are the best source of maps, routes and listing – you can find a list at netstate.com/states/tables/st_tourism.htm.

• We are travelling to Australia and treating ourselves to business class (with a bed) for the first time. My question is: how to dress at bedtime? Does one change into something more comfortable, and if so, what?
Chris Faulkner, Coventry

The first thing to do is to check if the airline you're travelling with provides pyjamas in business class – carriers such as Jet Airways and Virgin provide natty complimentary sets (which you are free to take away). On others, such as British Airways, you don't earn free PJs till you've graduated to full-on first class. If freebies aren't forthcoming, passengers either take their own and change in the loo, or do what the rest of us do in cattle class and wear loose, light clothing that can be easily layered and removed as required.

• For 25 years we have taken our car to Norway from North Shields, but this ferry connection has closed. Are there any ships travelling between the UK and Norway that would take a car and two passengers?
Kenneth Ross, Forres, Morayshire

Judging by the number of times this comes up it would seem a ferry between the UK and Norway is much missed. But since the withdrawal in September 2008 of the DFDS Newcastle-Bergen service there are no direct sea connections between the two countries.

When I covered this last, in February, several readers wrote in to recommend the weekly freight service from Immingham to Brevik, which will cost £455 one-way for a car and two passengers if there is space. Contact DFDS Tor Line (01469 562988; dfdstorline.com). Tor Line also takes passengers and vehicles on services from Immingham to Cuxhaven (Germany), Gothenburg (Sweden) and Esbjerg (Denmark). To take a conventional ferry means travelling from Harwich to Esbjerg, then driving to Copenhagen and taking a ferry to Oslo. Connections are tight and this will cost about £1,000 for a car and two passengers. For bookings contact 0871 522 9955; dfdsseaways.co.uk.

FEEDBACK
Your correspondent Nick Stone (Letters, 6 September) wants to do something special in Goa for his father-in-law's 60th birthday. Something we have found fascinating, and few tourists discover, is the old mansions owned by Portuguese-Goan families at Loutolim and Chandor, such as Braganza House and Casa Arajao Alvarez. I suggest hiring taxis, doing a tour then finishing at the Palacio do Deao in Qepem (palaciododeao.com). The house is open for visitors (10am-6pm except Fridays) but – here's the key – they will arrange special visits after 6pm and will serve Indo-Portuguese teas, lunches and dinners on a covered terrace. The day would cost nothing like £600, but Nick could donate some of this to help with maintenance and restoration.
Keith and Sue Richards, by email

Having holidayed in Goa last Christmas I recommend a short stay at Backwoods bird watching camp located at the heart of the Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary (backwoodsgoa.com). Staying in luxury tents or small stone cottages in a forest is so different to hotels in resorts and the peace and quiet is a real treat.
Lynn Fomison, by email