My husband and I are planning a trip over October half term, when I will be five months pregnant. An initial idea was to have four to five leisurely days in Rome, treating ourselves to a good hotel. I have heard hotel prices in Rome are extremely steep and we have some concerns about how much will be open at that time of year. We had thought we could stay outside the city and travel in if there was a big difference in price.
CPB, Manchester
Though the weather in October is generally good in Rome, by the end of the month you could be running into the rainy season. I had a fantastic few days of sunshine here in October a few years ago and recommended it to a colleague who returned cursing me because they had drab and drizzly weather. Expect temperatures to be between 17-22C. You do have to look hard for good-value hotels and you should book as far in advance as you can. Two I've enjoyed are Daphne Inn (doubles from £125) just off Via Veneto and the Trastevere B&B Arco del Lauro (doubles from £120). There are options for staying outside Rome and travelling in, but given your condition I'd suggest you seek to minimise travel and conserve energy for exploring the city.
I hope to travel to India to visit a friend who is working in Delhi for nine months. What would be the cheapest way to get there flying from Manchester, or if substantially cheaper one of the London airports? Also will I need a visa to get into the country and how much money would I need to take for a one-week trip?
Michael Hunt, by email
Try to avoid flying during December and January if you want to get the best rates. You should be able to fly for under £500, and this can go lower if you can wait until February or March. Flying with Etihad would involve only one change, in Abu Dhabi, and bypasses Heathrow, while many other cheaper flights involve changing in London and the Middle East.
All UK nationals travelling to India require a visa, which costs £30 plus a £9.05 processing fee for a tourist visa valid for six months. Postal applications require at least 10 days to process. See http://hcilondon.in/visa.php for full details. How much money you take depends on whether you are paying for accommodation or not. Expect to pay £20 a night for a mid-range hotel room, and to spend the same again on eating out in upmarket restaurants and getting into attractions in Delhi. For £50 a day you could live very comfortably in the city, though many people spend much less than this on a visit.
We are travelling to Bali in July and would like to do some island hopping, mainly to go to Komodo island to see the Komodo dragons. What is the best way to get there – not necessarily the fastest but the safest? Is there anything you would suggest we should see or do while making the journey? We are not on a budget holiday but do not have a lot of money, but comfort is important.
Regina Harrington, by email
As much as I would love to, this is one trip that I have yet to make. However, expert travel sites like East Indonesia (east-indonesia.info) outline the basic route through the islands of Nusa Tenggara, which includes Lombok, Komodo and Flores. There is an overland route through another island, Sumbawa, but most of the relatively few visitors who make the journey east from Bali do so by organising a sea charter from Lombok to Flores via Komodo.
What to expect on board will be familiar to anyone who has done a backpacking trip: at some point public transport runs out and you need to join a small group tour to reach distant attractions, and in doing so form a small group for a few days. The success of these trips depends on the individuals who make up the group, quality of the tour leader and standard of transport, accommodation and food provided. Quality varies between operators and you should certainly seek recommendations from other travellers.
One company whose trips get good reviews are run by local tour company Perama (komodo.peramatour.com). Their two-night, three-day adventure tour – it's not a luxury cruise – costs £193 including meals and cabin accommodation, though you can also sleep on deck for less. Any other suggestions or advice for this part of the world are welcome.
Can I get roubles before I travel to Russia? If so, should I bother or wait until I get there? Also, are pounds or dollars a better currency to take?
Alex Masterson, Glasgow
You can get roubles from bigger currency exchange outlets. Travelex offers roubles at a rate of nearly 43 to the pound if you order online, which is worse than the Interbank rate quoted by the likes of Oanda and worse than you'll find once there. So why get some in advance? If you are travelling somewhere unfamiliar it can be useful to purchase currency in advance so that you can familiarise yourself with it.
If you don't pick up your currency in advance you'll need to change at least some at the airport, and should bear in mind that you'll usually get better rates once in town. Dollars are the most accepted but pounds can be widely exchanged in big cities. You'll also only be making one transaction rather than losing money twice. If you're planning to use ATMs, which will usually give you the Interbank rate, check the fees levied by your bank as these vary greatly and can cost you more than any commissions or unfavourable rates at exchange desks, especially if you're making several transactions. A backup credit card is a helpful addition to your wallet. Oanda also offer currency cheat sheets to help you calculate how much you're paying.
