Joan Scalesanswers your travel questions
Q I read with interest the recent article on Bologna, as my husband and I are going there for a short break from December 28th to January 2nd. My concern is that it may be difficult to find a restaurant open on January 1st and 2nd (our hotel doesn't serve dinner), never mind shops or visitor attractions. Also, while we are there, we would like to make a day trip to Ravenna or Ferrara by public transport. We are interested in art and architecture as well as good food. Do you have any advice or suggestions?
BK, Dublin
Bologna is a lovely city, and you will enjoy visiting it. On January 1st shops and museums are closed; some restaurants are open, but not many, as their big night is on New Year's Eve. On January 2nd everything is generally back to normal.
Transport never totally stops, but on January 1st services are reduced. So you should probably make the day trip to Ravenna on December 29th or 30th. You can check timetables on www.trenitalia.com. The Ravenna service runs every hour or so.
Take the bus tour of Bologna; it is a good way to get a feel for the city. Also, if you are looking for somewhere nice to eat, try Ristorante Franco Rossi (Via Goito 3, 00-39-051-238818). It is an old-fashioned place with lovely service and great regional cuisine. It is also famous for being in John Grisham's book The Broker.
Q Could you offer any suggestions as to what we could do in New York on New Year's Eve? We will be travelling with our three children, the youngest of whom is 18, so we could be restricted in going to bars. I don't think we would have the energy to wait for the ball drop in Times Square. We are staying on West 57th Street, close to Central Park. Any sightseeing or shopping tips would also be appreciated.
FO'F, Dublin
There is a whole variety of events in New York for New Year's Eve, from concerts and shows to runs, walks, cruises and fireworks. There will be a fun run in Central Park at midnight and a free concert for peace in St John the Divine Cathedral.
The crystal-ball drop in Times Square is the biggest event of the evening, and if you want to see it get there early, as you will be corralled into barricaded areas where you will have to stay for the duration.
Beyond Babylon: Art, Trade, and Diplomacy in the Second Millennium BC is on at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (www.metropolitanart.org). At the American Museum of Natural History (www.amnh.org), you can go ice-skating on the Polar Rink. The museum is a well worth seeing, if only for the posing of animals and people in their natural habitat and, of course, the dinosaurs.
The Plaza Hotel on Central Park South would be an elegant stop on the way to the museums, for afternoon tea in the Palm Court or a drink in the Oak Bar. You can bring 18-year-olds into most bars in New York; they just cannot drink alcohol or stand at the bar.
When it comes to shopping, Broadway from Canal Street uptown has really improved, and you will find many well-known stores as well as the buzz of Chinatown. Take the subway and walk.
For more information about things to do in New York, see www.nycvisit.com and www.gonyc.about.com.
Q My friend and I would like to travel to Costa Rica, Nicaragua or both in early January. We have about three weeks, at the end of which we would like to spend three or four days in New York on the way back. Could you advise on possible routes and recommend any eco-lodges in either country?
MNR, Galway
In January, Explore (www.explore.co.uk) will have two tours to Costa Rica. Quetzals of the Cloudforest will allow you to discover the natural highlights of Costa Rica with wildlife spotting by boat, canopy walks and volcano and beach tours. Land-only price from £1,175 (€1,340).
The other tour is Active Costa Rica, which involves cycling on rainforest tracks, horse-riding, white-water rafting and zipping through the forest canopy. Land-only price from £1,465 (€1,670). It also runs a tour of Costa Rica and Nicaragua, although not in January. You can contact the agent in Ireland, Maxwells Travel, on 01-679 5700.
Caravan Tours specialises in escorted tours. It will have 10-day tours around Costa Rica on a variety of dates in January. The escorted, land-only tours cost from $995 (about €767) for all accommodation, tours and transfers. Fares to New York drop quite substantially after January 6th with Aer Lingus, Delta and Continental. You can fly to Costa Rica from New York for about $380 (€292) with Taca (www.taca.com).
If you plan to make your own arrangements, you can see a selection of eco-resorts on www.eco-tropicalresorts.com.
• E-mail questions, with your name and address, to jscales@irishtimes.com
Will we be able to find a restaurant on New Year's Day?