A Large Number of Questions Posed by Readers of This Blog Provide an Insight into Current Travel Concerns, Puzzlements, and Desires for Help

The questions keep coming, and they reflect widespread worries or appeals for help by would-be travelers.  Here are some of the latest batch:

Q.  How can I find a cooking class in the Napa Valley area of California where I'll soon be vacationing?
A.  Place the word "Visit" in front of the words Napa Valley--i.e., VisitNapaValley.com--and then punch the resulting longer word into the nearest computer search engine.  Up will come all sorts of touristic information, including the available cooking classes in the area.  Placing "Visit" in front of "[Location]" is often the key to that kind of travel advice.

Q.  What sort of clothing shall I bring along for a trans-Atlantic crossing on the QM2?
A.  Clothing for chilly weather.  Though the QM2 no longer crosses the "North Atlantic", but follows a longer, seven-day itinerary further south, the weather outside is still rather cool, even if you're crossing at the height of the summer season.

Q.  Do I bring Rubles or Euros on a trip to Russia?
A.  Russia doesn't use the Euro, and you will need to have Rubles, best obtained once you are in Russia.

Q.  Where do I go to book a port tour costing less (and with smaller groups) than from the cruiselines?
A.   Go to ShoreTrips.com, PortPromotions.com, PortCompass.com, or CruisingExcursions.com.

Q.  I can't get the time of day from Carnival Cruises.  They won't tell me whether they have cancelled or eliminated stops from an upcoming cruise I have booked.
A.  Phone the cruiseline industry association--Cruise Line International Association (CLIA) in New York--and they'll crack down on Carnival on your behalf.

Q.  I'm anxious to vacation in Italy this coming July, but can't find a round-trip airfare there for less than $2,000?
A.  That's because you're insistent on a non-stop flight.  Go there via another, less favored city and you'll spend at least $600 less.  Fly on TAP Portuguese Airlines via Lisbon, or KLM via Amsterdam, and you'll pay $1,400 round-trip.  Check out such one-stop fares on Kayak.com, Momondo.com, Do-Hop.com, Hipmunk.com, and others.

Q.  Our daughter will be having a Bas-Mitzfah (birthday ceremony) when she turns 13 next year, and we want to take her--as a present--on a trip to France or Italy.  Can you recommend a tour operator for the three of us (myself, husband, and her)?
A.  None of the standard group operators of motorcoach tours can be considered, because your daughter will be bored by their usual assortments of middle-aged and elderly people.  Try a small-group, family tour on Intrepid Travel (maximum of 14 participants, including other children), or go independently on your own without a tour.

Q.  My daughter and I want to spend two weeks in Africa, but only on a volunteer vacation, making a contribution to local communities.  Whom shall we approach?
A.  You can't make any sort of meaningful contribution in two weeks.  What sort of efforts will you offer?  Most of the reputable volunteer vacation operators list stays of up to 12 weeks, and the best among them--like Cross Cultural Solutions--require a three-week minimum in many of the places to which they go.  Stop and consider your skills, and ask yourself truthfully whether you can be of any assistance to African communities in two weeks.

Q.  I will be in South Africa this autumn, but then want to go to Israel.  How can I get there?
A.  Israel's El Al Airlines has been operating non-stop flights from South Africa to Israel for decades--and at relatively cheap prices (say, $400 for the one-way flight).