Lonely Planet's Tom Hall offers advice on epic journeys to Colombia and Scandinavia, the wisdom of taking photographs in Tunisia, and flying when pregnant
I'm thinking about a few weeks touring down Colombia's Pacific side. Where do you recommend, and what is security like there these days? It looks beautiful, but I heard some time ago that security could not be assured.
theunknowing
Colombia has made huge strides in recent years to become a safe and increasingly popular tourist destination, and there are few places travellers would want to visit but can't. Areas best avoided are mostly remote and rural areas and borders. The Foreign & Commonwealth Office has very detailed advice and you should pay careful attention to its suggestions, especially to the details about Buenaventura and the whale-watching destination of Bah�a Solano. You should also be wary of travelling anywhere near the Darien Gap, the swampy jungle between Colombia and Panama. Here's a very interesting and slightly worrying thread from travellers seemingly determined to attempt one of the world's most dangerous journeys .
In terms of a route, you could loop south from Bogot�, taking in archaeological sites around Popay�n, then head north for Cali, stop off at nature reserves between here and Medell�n and finish in Cartagena, on the Caribbean coast. Depending on the security situation there are several great spots on the Pacific coast, but this might be better suited to a longer or second trip to Colombia, once you've got a taste for the place and conditions on the ground. Another alternative would be to use the Bogot�-based adventure company Ecoguias, co-founded by a Brit, which offers eco-tourism trips to remote parts of the country, including the remote Pacific outpost of Nuqu�.
I'm going on a photography trip to Tunisia in three weeks time. Is there anything I should be aware of, culturally speaking, while photographing people in the country.
Movilla
While this is relevant to Tunisia it isn't specific to that country. When photographing people it is polite to ask their permission first. You should, of course, be prepared for the answer to be no (in some tourist areas you will be asked for payment, though this is unusual) and this may be the case when approaching Tunisian women and, obviously, police and soldiers. You should be careful if you encounter demonstrations, peaceful or otherwise, as taking photos can arouse suspicion. Regulations vary for entry into mosques and taking photographs ? again, seek advice once there. Tunisia is a wonderful place to come with a camera as it has some incredible scenery, from the colourful flowers and whitewashed walls of Sidi Bou Sa�d to the Saharan sand dunes of Ksar Gilhane. Make sure you have a European style two-pin plug adaptor to recharge your camera batteries.
I'm planning a three-week trip round Scandinavia over Easter. I hope to fly into Copenhagen and travel to Oslo, Stockholm and Helsinki before taking the ferry to St Petersburg. This will be my first solo trip so am fighting a lot of nerves! Is there an overnight train from Copenhagen to Oslo? I've found one to Stockholm but not to Norway. If not, I'll fly. Do you know if it's expensive? The ferry to St Petersburg is relatively expensive (?300) and I wondered how easy it was to catch the train? Do I need a visa if I'm there for less than 72 hours?
GYgal
To get from Copenhagen to Oslo by rail you need to change trains in Gothenburg, Sweden. It's a pleasant journey including the crossing of the �resundsbron Sound on the world's longest cable stay bridge, which links the Danish capital with Malm� in Sweden. An alternative is the DFDS Seaways ferry which travels directly between Copenhagen and Oslo and costs from �34 for foot passengers. There's no need to fly, but connections are offered with SAS and Norwegian. Make sure you fly to Gardermoen rather than smaller, more remote terminals. The cheapest way from Gardermoen to Oslo city centre is by bus (flybussen.no, which costs �15.40 one way). You can check available Norwegian rail connections at nsb.no.
The easiest way to get between the Finnish capital and St Petersburg is train, which takes three and a half hours and costs around �70 one way. With regard to the 72-hour visa for Russia, the Russian embassy's visa information line (0905 889 0149, 55p per minute) says that you will require one, as does the visa information service on the Way to Russia website, but it's always worth double-checking with the embassy before you travel as it would be pretty painful to be refused entry to the country.
My parents have booked flights for a family holiday to Greece in September. I've just found out I'm pregnant and will be 30 weeks gone by the holiday. I know I need a doctor's note to be able to fly after 28 weeks, that has to be issued within two weeks of travel. If I'm refused one, where do my parents stand on getting refunds or being able to change the flights? My husband and I have our own travel insurance, which I'm assuming won't cover flights booked by other people.
squeezed
You're only entitled to make revisions to your ticket according to the terms and conditions of that booking. If you have a non-refundable ticket you may lose it if the situation you outline comes to pass. However, airlines have been known to make exceptions so in the first instance I would get in touch with your carrier, who'll probably consider your situation on a case-by-case basis. It's safe to say some would operate more strictly than others and you can probably work out for yourself which ones these would be. There are, however, no hard and fast guarantees.
It is possible then that you may look to claim any costs back via your travel insurance. Tom Bishop, head of travel insurance at Direct Line, says: "We do not ask whether a customer is pregnant and so, if they would otherwise be covered (for example, if they have declared pre-existing medical conditions) and if the carrier's terms and conditions allow them to travel, then they would be covered."
Bishop also notes: "Customers can buy cover at any time before travelling, but we encourage them to buy when committing to the trip to ensure they have cancellation cover in place." If, when you bought the policy, you had no reason to suppose you would not be able to travel, then you would be covered in the event of having to cancel.
The further into your pregnancy you attempt to travel the harder and more expensive it will be to find cover, so how much you pay will depend on whether you're 30 weeks at the start or end.
Anything that affects your journey is personal to you and your immediate family. If you are unable to travel then other people will not be covered. A European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is a must for your trip but not a substitute for travel insurance.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/blog/2011/mar/09/ask-tom-hall-travel-dilemmas
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