Ask Joan: A pro-Palestinian holiday, and a classy, cultural trip to Europe

On the way back from a stay in Kenya our family are scheduled to stop off in Amman for almost four weeks to travel in Jordan, Palestine and Israel. When travelling in Israel and Palestine we want to support Palestinian tourism and the businesses of Palestinian citizens of Israel, particularly for accommodation.

Our query would be twofold: 1) a good land route to follow starting and finishing in Amman (November 30th to December 29th) which takes in the main sights of Jordan, Israel and Palestine and having us in Bethlehem for Christmas Day, and 2) information about how we can support Palestinian hotels when travelling in both regions. – OON, Kildare

Last month the Jordanian government eased the regulations on visa fees for international visitors. If you spend three consecutive nights in Jordan there are no visa fees. The principal site of interest to see in Jordan will be the Rose City of Petra. There are many other sites of archaeological, historical and geographical interest. It is easy to arrange tours when in Amman. See visitjordan.com for details.

Consider travelling south to the seaside resort of Aqaba and crossing the border at Wadi Araba to Eilat in Israel and travel northwards along the coast and then to Palestine. You can hire cars on one-way rentals from Amman to Aqaba and from Eilat to Tel Aviv from about $50 per day.

From Amman you can also enter Palestine via the King Hussein/Allenby Bridge border point. You will need to change public transport at the bridge – it is not possible to rent a car and drive in. Transport around Palestine and Israel is generally by shared taxis and buses. If you are going to rent a car, it is probably better to use local car rental firms. The international companies have more restrictions. There are rail services in Israel, mainly along the coast.

As you have a month you could consider numerous places. There are quite a few properties on Airbnb.com and Homeaway.com by locals. There is also the website palestinehotels.com where you will find a variety of hotels at all price ranges. The official tourism website is travelpalestine.ps.

The updated version of the Lonely Planet Guide to Israel and the Palestinian Territories is being published in August, it might be useful to order it. See also this feature from the Guardian on the 10 Highlights of Palestine.

In Israel you should certainly visit Tel Aviv, a lively modern city, stay in a kibbutz and take a seaside trip to Eilat. Israel Tourism on its website goisrael.com has a number of suggested itineraries for different interests. They are detailed, for example the south to north itinerary from Masada to Caesarea, visits national parks, cities, historical sites, towns and gentle hiking.

My husband is 70 in August and I would like to celebrate with a trip to Europe with some beach time and sightseeing. I do not have a huge budget but would like somewhere with a bit of class and culture. – JOH, Dublin

August is the most expensive time for seaside resorts, prices fall a bit in September. My suggestions are Villefranche-sur-mer and Biarritz in France, San Sebastian and Valencia in Spain, Estoril or Cascais near Lisbon in Portugal, Taormina Sicily and Pula in Croatia.

You will get the best deals by booking through a travel agent as they have access to good hotel prices. You can find your local agent on this site itaa.ie.

Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com.