Is there a company that can organise a single trip to visit Japan during the cherry-blossom season, along with the main tourist sites in China?
Hugh Williams, Pembrokeshire
Laura Goulden replies
There are a handful of specialist operators that can organise this epic trip, but it’ll cost you, especially because the cherry-blossom season — end of March to early May — is the most expensive time to visit Japan. Book as soon as possible to keep the price down.
Wendy Wu can combine its 10-day China Experience tour, which ticks off Xi’an, Beijing, Shanghai, the terracotta warriors and the Great Wall, with four days in Japan, taking in Tokyo, Mount Fuji and Hakone. Prices start at £2,980pp, including flights, transfers, tour guides and most meals (0800 988 2888, wendywutours.co.uk).
Trailfinders can arrange a longer itinerary, including Beijing, Xi’an and Shanghai in China, and Tokyo, Kanazawa and Kyoto in Japan. The 18-night trip starts at £3,649pp during the blossom season, including flights and guides (020 7368 1500, trailfinders.com).
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If you want to keep costs right down, you could combine Rickshaw Travel’s eight-night independent tour of China with six nights in Japan through its sister company, Travel Nation; from £1,730pp, plus about £700pp for flights (01273 322399, rickshawtravel.co.uk).
My daughter turns 50 in September next year, and I’d like to take her on a cruise to St Petersburg to celebrate. What are the best companies, and which other ports would we stop at?
Christian Adams, Kingsteignton
Sue Bryant replies
St Petersburg is seen as the highlight of a Baltic cruise, and almost all lines stop there. That said, September is the tail end of the season — for more choice, give her an early present and sail between May and July.
As this is a special occasion, how about an all-inclusive seven-night voyage from Copenhagen to Stockholm on the 458-passenger Seabourn Quest, visiting Tallinn and Helsinki, with two nights in St Petersburg? The ship is small enough to dock at the English Embankment, on the Neva River, a setting far preferable to the industrial docks where the big ships tie up. The trip departs on May 14, 2016; from £3,665pp, including flights (020 7399 7670, mundycruising.co.uk).
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Ponant’s 264-passenger Le Boréal sails from Stockholm to Copenhagen on June 24. You’ll spend three days in St Petersburg during the “white nights” midsummer celebrations, with a day each in Helsinki and Tallinn. Prices start at £2,995pp, including flights (0800 980 4027, ponant.com).
For more ports, try a 12-night trip from Copenhagen to Southampton on Oceania Cruises’ 684-passenger Nautica. Departing on August 28, it visits Helsinki, St Petersburg, Tallinn, Stockholm, Visby, Warnemünde, Amsterdam and Zeebrugge. Prices start at £3,129pp, including flights (0845 505 1920, oceaniacruises.com).