✉ I made a booking with Avis on April 7 for a small Renault 5 Electric car (or similar) for pick-up from Toulouse airport on April 24 at a total cost of £489. When my wife and I arrived at the Avis kiosk we were told they had no electric car for us, or anything else in the category we’d booked. All they could offer was a BMW 4 series that would cost an additional £619, considerably more than we had budgeted for. The fact there wasn’t a car available in the class we chose and booked three weeks beforehand suggests Avis’s vehicle management system is deficient. We weren’t offered a refund and felt we’d been conned. However, we had no choice but to pay more to take the car. Can you help us get a full refund of the extra charge?
David Kassner
When you initially complained to Avis it told you that as you’d signed the contract, that was the end of the matter. But in fact, in Europe, if a car rental firm has messed up its bookings, it’s not your problem. Companies are obliged to give you what you paid for and so Avis was in breach of contract: you should have been given that BMW for the same price as a Renault 5 Electric. After I waded in, Avis confirmed that “an error” had been made, refunded you the £619 and apologised for the inconvenience.
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✉ My holiday to Lisbon was cancelled as a result of the power outage at Heathrow in March and I submitted a claim to Axa for the first night of my hotel only (because there was a non-refundable deposit), as British Airways has agreed to refund us for the cancelled flights. This cost £193 but Axa refused to pay out, saying that a power outage was not among the included scenarios for delayed departure cover. Surely it should be?
John Swarbrooke
Given the recent power outages at Heathrow and in Spain and Portugal, we should all be checking our travel insurance policies to see if we’d be covered in this situation. Unfortunately it turned out that travel disruption cover, which would have paid out, was an add-on to your policy that you chose not to buy. An Axa Partners spokesperson said: “We sympathise with Mr Swarbrooke’s situation and were sorry to hear he had to cancel his trip. The travel insurance Mr Swarbrooke purchased does not provide cover for this type of incident. This is explained in his policy terms and conditions, along with a complete list of circumstances for which he would be covered.”
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✉ My mother, who is 91 but still pretty fit and loves swimming, would like to go on holiday with me. She’s suggested we go to a hotel somewhere in Europe next to a lake that has outdoor swimming, some nice gardens nearby and a lakeside promenade, where she can sit in cafés and watch things happening. Meanwhile, I can go walking and we would then meet up in the evenings. Decent weather is a must. Any ideas?
Judith Aldridge
Stay at the family-run Beach Hotel du Lac in Malcesine on Italy’s Lake Garda and you’ll be right on the waterfront. There’s a private beach area, plus sunloungers on its wooden jetty, and your mother could also enjoy the outdoor pool and hot tub. It’s a leisurely ten-minute walk along the promenade to the medieval town centre and there are lovely gardens to explore at the Palazzo dei Capitani. While she’s out and about you can tackle some of the hikes and walks that start in Malcesine. For the best lake views, try the Busatte-Tempesta forest path and, if you want a longer trek, hike on Monte Altissimo di Nago. A week in September, when the lake should be at its warmest but the weather slightly cooler for walking, starts at £1,942 B&B in a family suite with twin beds and a balcony (dulac.it). Fly to Verona.
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✉ My fiancé and I are struggling to decide where to go on our honeymoon in August. We do feel we want to go on a classic honeymoon-style holiday outside Europe. We like the idea of the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean but both areas are prone to rain at this time of year. Can you recommend any other luxury destinations?
Tom Winter
Fiji has great weather in August — it’s about 26C with hardly any rain — and Tokoriki, an adults-only boutique resort in the volcanic Mamanuca Islands, is a fabulous honeymoon hideaway (if you can face a 28-hour flight time). Facing west for the sunset, it has 34 thatched beachfront bures (cabins) and villas, and stays here are full board, which also includes plenty of treats: afternoon tea; cocktail tastings; a couple’s massage; a champagne island picnic on a private, remote beach; a daily snorkel trip; and use of kayaks, paddleboard and Hobie Cat sailing boats. Seven nights’ full board costs from £6,895pp through Audley Travel and includes economy flights to Nadi via Los Angeles and transfers. It is, of course, a long way to fly and if you wanted a longer trip, you could combine this with a week at the small Nanuku Resort in Pacific Harbour, on Fiji’s mainland, beside a two-mile-long sandy beach. Two weeks’ full board at each resort plus flights and transfers would cost from £11,223pp (audleytravel.com).
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Or look at central Vietnam, which has hot and dry weather at the start of August. The Nam Hai, a Four Seasons resort, sits on a glorious stretch of beach, has three gorgeous palm-fringed pools plus a superb spa and is a few minutes’ drive from the Unesco-listed town of Hoi An. A week’s B&B in a one-bedroom villa, including flights to Da Nang and transfers, starts at £3,899pp (turquoiseholidays.co.uk). Flight time is about 16 hours.
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✉ To celebrate a big birthday I’m looking to rent a property near the sea at the start of July next year that would accommodate a family group of at least 12, possibly 15, and is no more than a three-hour drive from Cardiff or Hampshire. I’m hoping to pay about £3,000 but would be prepared to spend more and would also consider glamping. What can you suggest?
Jeannette Lowe
For a big family shindig in July near the sea, glamping is the best option if you want to stick to your budget. Try Secret Valley, an organic farm, vineyard and activity centre near Bridgwater in Somerset and not far from the coast. The fossils and rock formations at Kilve beach are less than half an hour’s drive away. You’ll find loads on site to keep a big family group happy, from raft building, kayaking, canoeing and coarse fishing to wine tastings, a treetop adventure course and a mini zoo. A fun extra feature is the glamping buggy that does its rounds in the early evening so guests can stock up on wine, local cider, marshmallows and electric meter cards as well as wood and coal supplies. There’s a mix of lodges and shepherd’s huts (with bathrooms), wooden wigwams and bell tents, and a mix of these will help you stay within budget. Lodges sleeping up to six start at about £175 a night in July (next year’s prices aren’t available), while wooden wigwams sleeping five cost £64 (secret-valley.co.uk).
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Have you got a holiday dilemma? Email traveldoctor@thetimes.co.uk
