The world's highest train
We're going to Peru next June and would like to take the 'roof of the world' train from Lima to Huancayo. I've had conflicting reports about the state of this line, either no service as a result of landslides or Shining Path guerrilla sabotage, or a once-a-week service. I know reliable information is hard to come by on these rundown South American rail lines, but do you know the situation?
Andrew J Smithers, Newcastle-under-Lyme
The 'highest train in the world' reaches an altitude of almost 15,700 feet on its journey from the Pacific coast into the heart of the Peruvian Andes, but its fate is still far from clear. The service was halted at the end of the 1990s, but following much local lobbying, a train is running from Lima on 25 July, returning two days later (about £16 return). That journey is a one-off and it will depend on demand and local initiative whether it becomes regular.
An organisation at the forefront of the campaign to have this train restored is Incas del Peru and it's worth checking its website or contacting it for future developments. Incas also has plans to launch special services pulled by old locomotives for rail enthusiasts.
One rail service that does run regularly is the train from Huancayo to Huancavelica, a historic town high in the mountains. The train is faster but the view from the road is better; consider taking the train one way and returning by bus. Trains run daily and cost less than £5 each way.
Following Dostoevsky
At the beginning of October, I plan to take my mother, aged 78, to St Petersburg, where, having read Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, she has always longed to go. Should we travel with a tour or independently?
Kamala Das, by email
St Petersburg retains the feel of the city of 'sublime, universal, ordered chaos' that Dostoevsky immortalised and is one of the best city-break destinations you'll find.
Any visitor to Russia has a few hoops to jump through (flights, visas and hotels are the main ones) and you may wish to use the services of an operator. Russian Gateway (07050 803 160) has a four-night stay including hotels, flights, visas and transfers, from £480; Regent Holidays (0117 921 1711) has a flight and hotel package from £447.
Strolling through St Petersburg should evoke the atmosphere of Dostoevsky's novels. Lonely Planet's St Petersburg guide details a walking tour taking in the possible location of Raskolnikov's lodgings in Crime and Punishment and the flats where the writer lived. There's a Dostoevsky museum in Vladimirskaya Ploschad; check out the Dostoevsky Research Station website.
Cash for long trips
My boyfriend and I are about to go to south-east Asia and India for seven months followed by an extended stay in New Zealand. It seems foolish to carry thousands of pounds in traveller's cheques but he can only access his bank account via his credit card while we are away. What is the best way of carrying cash for the trip?
Jessica McEvoy, by email
On such a long trip, the best thing is to use a variety of methods to carry your funds. First, you can use credit cards to withdraw cash - Visa and Mastercard both have cash machine locators on their websites.
Check any Switch/Solo/ Delta cards you have - if they have a Cirrus or Maestro symbol on the back, you can use many cash machines worldwide. There are ATMs in larger cities in India, throughout the more developed countries of south-east Asia and all over New Zealand. The advantage of this is that you can keep track of how much you've taken out, and don't have to carry large wads of cash. If you can't check your balance from ATMs abroad, someone at home can do it for you.
It is always worth carrying some cash (US dollars are best), especially if you're going off the beaten track. Have plenty of small denominations on hand. Count your cash regularly, but do it in private. For peace of mind, some traveller's cheques (in dollars) will come in handy. When you get to New Zealand, open a bank account. WestpacTrust and ANZ are two of the larger banks.
The best way to carry cash is in an underarm pouch that you can keep out of sight. Nomad Travellers Store (020 8889 7014) has a variety.
Ferries to Spain
We are delivering a friend's 2CV to the south of France in September, and then want to visit other friends in the south of Spain. I have an old map that seems to indicate that there is a ferry from Marseille to Alicante, but I can find no record of this in guides. We could, I suppose, take the train, though that wouldn't be so much fun. Do you have any information about either of these? We need to get down to Malaga.
Mary Ouroussoff, Gloucester
There are no passenger shipping services between France and Spain. If you're determined to sail, you'll have to go to Genoa, from where you can catch the Grandi Navi Veloci service to Barcelona. This runs several times weekly and costs from £80 one-way for the 18-hour voyage. Then pick up a hire car: try Holiday Autos.
Going by sea and road is a long way round, and you can have lots of fun making your way by train. With a rail pass, you can stop wherever you want - an Interrail 12-day pass for Spain offers good value (contact Rail Europe on 08705 848 848). It shouldn't be too hard to work out a route that takes your fancy - www.tourspain.es can help with planning.
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