MY HUSBAND AND I ARE PLANNING TO DRIVE NEXT AUGUST FROM BORDEAUX TO CARCASSONNE, BASING OURSELVES IN PRETTY VILLAGES ALONG THE WAY. WHAT VILLAGES WOULD SUIT, HOW LONG SHOULD WE SPEND IN EACH, AND WHAT WEBSITES ARE GOOD FOR ACCOMMODATION?
J. TIERNEY, BAULKHAM HILLS
There is a hard choice to be made with this itinerary. From Bordeaux one possibility is to head south along the coast with stops at Arcachon and nudging into the Basque country around Biarritz before turning east to travel through pretty countryside on the north side of the Pyrenees. The other possibility is east from Bordeaux to the Perigord region as far as Sarlat-la-Caneda then south through the Lot region and meandering slowly towards Carcassonne. I would take the second option but it's a tough decision, and with four weeks you've plenty of time to wander.
For the websites, one great resource is The Most Beautiful Villages in France (les-plus-beaux-villages-de-france.org/en) For accommodation, take a look at Sawdays (sawdays.co.uk), Great Small Hotels (greatsmallhotels.com) and Charme & Caractere Hotels (hotels-charme.uk).
Book your accommodation well ahead as August is peak holiday time in southern France. Make three nights in each location your minimum stay.
'M LOOKING FOR A SMALL SHIP CRUISE FOR MY SLIGHTLY DISABLED WIFE AND I TO EXPLORE CENTRAL AMERICA, VISITING PORTS BETWEEN MEXICO AND CARTAGENA, COLUMBIA, THEN THROUGH THE PANAMA CANAL TO PORTS ON THE PACIFIC COAST?
K. HAWKE, ANNANDALE
Silversea (silversea.com) has a 16-day Panama Canal cruise aboard the Silver Whisper from Fort Lauderdale in Florida to Los Angeles with stops in Cartagena, through the Panama Canal, Costa Rica, Guatemala and Mexico. With a total passenger complement of just 382, Silver Whisper is a mere minnow compared with the megaships of many rival cruise lines, yet in terms of luxury, style, amenities and dining the vessel punches well into the heavyweight league. One statistic that counts when you choose a cruise is the vessel's gross tonnage divided by its passenger capacity. Silver Whisper has a space-to-passenger ratio of 74, which is nothing less than phenomenal. Cabins are spacious and the crew-to-passenger ratio is about 0.8:1, which means a high level of personal service which should make things easier for your wife. They are far from the cheapest cruises, but Silversea ships are a great way to go. See the reviews on Cruise Critic (cruisecritic.com.au). You could also contact Cruise Express (cruiseexpress.com.au) on 1300 766 537, and Cruiseco (cruising.com.au) on 02 9492 8520.
WE ARE TWO COUPLES IN OUR MID-60S PLANNING TO DRIVE FROM NEW ORLEANS TO NEW YORK OVER TWO TO THREE WEEKS. CAN YOU ADVISE US OF MUST-SEE ATTRACTIONS AND A SUITABLE ROUTE?
K. CLARKE, COFFS HARBOUR
The first road I would be taking out of New Orleans is Highway 10 to Baton Rouge, then Highway 61 which more or less runs parallel to the Mississippi River to Natchez. From here, I would set my wheels spinning on the Natchez Trace Parkway (nps.gov/natr) a 710-kilometre route north to Nashville, Tennessee, which will have you whistling Dixie all the way. As well as a beautiful drive, the parkway is one of the touchstones of US history, a natural corridor through the Old Southwest as it was known at the time, and designated as a postal route as early as 1801. America's native people, explorers, traders, missionaries, soldiers and settlers all used the Trace, especially during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, and the route is interlaced with the memories of their passing. The Trace also passes several battlefields from the American Civil War. This is a sensational and relaxing drive, and the names of some of its attractions – Red Dog Road, the Loveless Cafe, Hurricane Creek, Buzzard Roost Spring and not forgetting Browns Bottom – give you an idea of its character. Access to the parkway is free and since speed is restricted to a maximum of 65km/h-80km/h, the two-lane road is used only by drivers who want to enjoy its scenery and history.
After absorbing the music scene in Nashville for a few days, you might head east across the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to Asheville in North Carolina where you pick up the Blue Ridge Parkway (blueridgeparkway.org). This is another humdinger of a drive, taking you on a roller-coaster ride across the high ridges of the Appalachian Mountains with never a dull moment in all its 750 kilometres. The views are incredible, take your time and savour the ride.
The Blue Ridge Parkway ends near Waynesboro in Virginia and don't even unbuckle your seatbelt because at Rockfish Gap just about a kilometre south-east of Waynesboro is the start of another blacktop blockbuster, the 170-kilometre Skyline Drive (visitskylinedrive.org) through Shenandoah National Park.
This drive ends at Front Royal, Virginia, from where you are an easy drive from Washington D.C., and no doubt you will want to explore the national capital and its wonderful cultural and political institutions.
From Washington D.C. I would be inclined to hustle to New York City, although you could also take a detour to the west to drive through Amish country around Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
TIPOLOGIST
The aisle seat of an aircraft makes it easier to get up and move around, vital for combating deep vein thrombosis (DVT) on long-haul flights. Medical experts also advise plenty of water.
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