ASK JOAN:Your travel questions answered
Boston Celtics ticket sales
My 13-year-old son and I are planning to travel to the USA for the first time next Easter. We plan to visit relatives in Washington, and visit New York and Boston. An absolute requirement is to go to a NBA game in Boston. While I know there are issues with the new season starting, we are hoping these will be resolved before we travel. Could you help us with some advice on how tourists can obtain tickets for NBA games from Boston Celtics, and also some ideas on what sights a teenager would enjoy most in Boston, Washington and New York? CD, Belfast.
Boston is a great sports city and the official way to buy Celtics tickets is via Ticketmaster (ticketmaster.com). When you go to the NBA website for the Celtics (nba.com/celtics) and you go in to "purchase tickets", the link will open a new window in Ticketmaster. StubHub is another way to buy tickets (stubhub.com). It's the "Official Fan to Fan Ticket Marketplace of redsox.com" – so it's officially recognised by the Red Sox as a fan-to-fan marketplace, but the Celtics/NBA don't seem to call them that. But you can definitely buy Celtics tickets on StubHub, and many do, especially locals. It's an online ticket marketplace where anyone can buy or sell any ticket to any event nationwide and is the largest ticket marketplace in the world, based on sales.
Ace Ticket, based in Boston (aceticket.com). is a ticket broker selling tickets to sports, concerts and theatre events nationwide. You can buy tickets for all kinds of sporting events.
Those are the three most recognised venues for purchasing tickets for sporting events in Boston. So you should be able to get tickets through any of these routes.
Other things worth doing in Boston are the Duck Tour of Boston Harbour, or take whale-watching trip. See details on bostonusa.com.
In New York, some things that might appeal to your son are the Museum of Natural History, particularly if he has seen the Night at the Museum films, and the IntrepidSea Air Space Museum, which is housed in a former aircraft carrier (intrepidmuseum.org). The views of New York from Top of the Rock at the Rockefeller Centre, the Empire State Building or the Statue of Liberty may also be of interest (more information at nycgo.com).
Get to know Washington by taking a trolley bus tour which will identify the famous landmarks. Washington has more than a dozen national museums and entry is free. Your son may enjoy the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. The International Spy Museum is always a hit with teenagers, though there is a fee for this one (washington.org).
One thing to consider for this trip is to take the train between some of the cities. It is a great way to see the countryside and good value (amtrak.com).
Gearing up for Gallic break
We are almost 60, have returned to leisure cycling and are interested in a cycling holiday abroad either at Easter or early in June. Nervous of traffic, we have thoroughly enjoyed the Greenway in Mayo and the Newry tow path and we often enjoy the cycle path between Sutton and Fairview. However, strong winds defeat us. Ideally we would love to cycle in France, on very quiet roads or preferably specific paths. Some of the websites seem to focus more on the social side with much emphasis on the après dinners and wine sampling. Non-drinkers, we are not particularly interested in sitting around discussing food. We don’t want to have to keep up with a group but would appreciate an organised route with gear hire, suggested stop-offs and baggage transfer. Having succumbed to the “go-fast clothes” we would welcome any suggestions. GF, Dublin.
France is a good place to continue your cycling. Headwater Holidays, a British-based company, has a range of cycling holidays that would fit the bill. These are hotel-to-hotel trips, with your luggage carried between properties. They are independent, in that they provide the bicycles and detailed maps and a guide to send you on your way. The price includes bike hire, accommodation, breakfast and dinner each day. Tours are reasonably gentle with time to stop to visit sites of interest and enjoy lunch. Prices are from £807pps (€950). See headwater.com.
The region around La Rochelle and the Ile de Ré is a very popular place for cycling, and hiring bikes is easy there. You could take a Ryanair flight to La Rochelle and base yourself in this area, taking different trips each day. Ile de Ré has 100kms of cycle tracks and around La Rochelle there are 140kms of tracks. See also discover-poitou-charentes.com.
Group travel in Cuba
I am single and in my 50s, and have always wanted to go to Cuba. I was hoping to go this March, and was wondering about a small group I could join, or travelling with someone who needs a companion.
ML. Galway
Joining a group is a good way for you to see a lot of Cuba in comfort and company. I met a group of Irish people who travelled to Cuba with a company called Explore via the UK and loved it. Some were lone travellers and in your age group. The agent in Ireland for Explore has retired, so you would have to book direct, online at explore.co.uk. During March the company has two tours of Cuba. One is for seven days and is titled "Backroads and Beaches of Western Cuba". It begins in Havana and visits Viñales and sites of historic interest. The price is from €875, including a single supplement. Airfare is extra. The other trip is for 15 days and covers a lot more ground. Cuba Libre will bring you from one end of the island to the other, for €1,350, airfare extra. It will explore the colonial and revolutionary history of Cuba.
Email queries, with your name and address, to jscales@irishtimes.com