What do you recommend for a first-timer in southern France?

November 14, 2025 — 5:00am

My wife and I are flying into Paris in early January and then on to Lyon, then picking up a car and heading south to Marseille, Nice, Cannes, Bordeaux and back around to Lyon over a couple of weeks. It’s our first time to southern France and we enjoy dining out and wandering in interesting towns. Any suggestions?
P. Macourt, Balgowlah, NSW

In Lyon, be sure to visit the Musee des Confluences, the Parc de la Tete d’Or and rue Merciere for food. Mix in a few meals in some of the city’s bouchons, the traditional eating places for the city’s silk workers. From Lyon you might drive south to Avignon but base yourselves a little further south, at Saint-Remy-de-Provence, it’s a lovely little town surrounded by vineyards overshadowed by the limestone peaks of the Alpilles. From there you can make day trips to explore towns and villages, including Les Baux-de-Provence, Gordes, Fontaine de Vaucluse and gorgeous little L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, and be sure to go when the antiques market is in full swing.

Your next base could be Cassis, from where you can take a cruise along the Calanques, tall limestone cliffs that stretch almost to Marseille. From there continue to Nice to sample more of the delights of France’s Mediterranean coast, and head inland to visit the village of Saint Paul de Vence, which hosted most of the greats of 20th-century painting in the post-war period.

You could nip across to Bordeaux, but unless you have a pressing reason to go there, another illustrious wine region that would fit more easily into your itinerary is Burgundy. The region is easily accessible from Lyon, and you need a vehicle to make the most of it. In January, you won’t have any difficulty finding accommodation, and it will be reasonably priced. You’ll also miss the crowds, although the towns and villages and the resorts along the coast will lack the vitality of summer.

I will be spending five weeks in Peru with my husband and another couple. It has been suggested we get an eSIM to use while we are there, but my Galaxy A13 is not compatible. I have tried to find an alternative, but Peru seems out of reach for most SIMs.
B. Sullivan, Elwood, Vic

TravSIM has a physical SIM card for Peru, with prices from $US5.87 ($9) for a 1Gb SIM card valid for 15 days up to a 25Gb card valid for 30 days at a cost of $US58.81 ($91). The price includes worldwide shipping. SimOptions also has a Peru SIM card priced at $US24.90 ($38.50) for 10Gb of data valid for 30 days. There are several retailers selling SIM cards at major airports such as Lima’s Jorge Jorge Chavez International Airport but their prices are scalding. You’re better off buying a SIM card at an official store or kiosk in Lima or other Peruvian cities. Purchasing is simple, and inexpensive. You will need to bring your passport and your new SIM card. The Claro SIM card is recommended for its wide coverage.

We are two senior couples boarding a ship in Japan, arriving at Haneda Airport at 8pm. Our ship sails from the cruise terminal at 5pm the next day, and we need hotel accommodation with rooms available for the day. The ship returns at 6.30am later in the month and we’ll need day accommodation before our return flight, leaving at 10pm.
L. Royle, Worrowing Heights, NSW

Day-use rooms are widely available in Japan especially around Haneda and the Tokyo cruise terminals, and they are often a better option than asking for a very late checkout. Although you’re arriving at Haneda rather late, immigration processing is quite speedy. Since you’re only about 13 kilometres from the cruise terminal you might book an overnight plus-day hotel in that area and take a taxi or a bus from the airport, giving you almost a full day to relax before boarding your vessel.

The Grand Nikko Tokyo Daiba offers overnight plus-day bookings and the location close to Tokyo International Cruise Terminal suits your needs. The Hilton Tokyo Odaiba and the DoubleTree by Hilton Tokyo Ariake are other possibilities, although they’re not quite as close to the cruise terminal. You might need to call or email the hotel after booking to confirm that the day-use slot covers the hours you need. When you return, you might use the same hotel, which offers relatively easy access to metro lines that will take you to Tokyo Station. Hotels can assist with suggestions for short tours.

Next September I would like to have a week each in small, family-run hotels in Sardinia, western Sicily and a Greek island to relax and swim and spend part of the day touring in a hire car. Could you recommend some good hotels?
G. Enright, Alexandria, NSW

On Sardinia’s west coast, Bosa is a beautiful riverside town with pastel-coloured architecture and cobblestoned squares dominated by the hilltop Castell Malaspina, a 12th-century citadel. Hotel Palazzo Pischedda is a small, family-run hotel with a great reputation for its food and cellar of regional wines. It’s also well located for exploring this part of the island. The Lugas family’s Il Borgo dell’Arcangelo is a handsome 18th-century farmhouse in the village of Tuili, 60 kilometres north of Cagliari. It’s ideally placed for excursions to see the wild horses of the Giara plateau and archaeological sites.

In the southern Sardinian village of Mandas, Antica Locanda Lunetta is operated by the descendants of the Lunetta family, offering warm hospitality in their elegant and welcoming inn. On the west coast of Sicily, Hotel San Michele is a small boutique hotel near the historic centre of Trapani, a great base for car day-trips to the Egadi islands, Marsala and the salt pans, with easy access to ferries and local restaurants. In the heart of Chora on the Cycladic island of Tinos, Elena Hotel is a chic, charming family-run hotel close to traditional taverns, cafes and a market.

Travel advice is general; readers should consider their personal circumstances

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