Tripologist: What’s the best way to get around Spain?

My wife and I plan to travel to Portugal and Spain in May and June for six weeks. We’re flying into Madrid and then travelling through northern Spain, Portugal, Granada and back to Madrid. What’s the best transport between cities, staying three to four days in each? Tossing up between hiring a car or using trains.
T. Antoniou, Balwyn North, Vic

A hire-car can get you to little towns like Cudillero, Asturias.Credit: Getty Images

If you plan to see only the great cities you don’t want a car. Local transport and your own two feet are by far the best way to get around in European cities, with trains for inter-city transport. However with six weeks in hand you’ll want to explore more than just cities, and the experiences you’ll have in rural Spain and Portugal will be high among the memories you take back home. After exploring Madrid what you might do is pick up a hire-car and head north to Basque country, Bilbao, the superb province of Asturias, Oviedo and Santiago de Compostela before turning south through Portugal and back into Spain. There are not too many cities along this route that qualify as problematic for any foreign driver. In Bilbao, Porto, Lisbon, Seville and Granada you’ll probably want to leave your vehicle in a parking station but the advantages of being able to go when and where you like far outweigh the slight inconvenience of a vehicle. You could also do this in the opposite direction, and given the temperatures southern Spain has experienced over the summer of 2024, that would be my advice. Since you might be hiring for an extended period, take a look at the deals from Renault Eurodrive and Citroen EuroPass.

We are a group of eight friends meeting in Sorrento in September 2025. Travelling to the island of Ischia for seven nights, looking for accommodation at about $200-$250 a night. Which area is best to stay in? What transportation is available? And what are the must-see or do attractions?
J. Butt, Bulli, NSW

Forio, the largest of the six main towns on Ischia, is a great choice. The beaches please, especially Baia di Citara, it has a historic centre with several noble palazzi, art shops and small artisan boutiques, there’s a good choice of dining and the port has direct ferry connections to Naples. You can also take ferries from here to Capri and towns and villages along the coast, such as Positano and Amalfi. Finally, there are bus connections from here to other parts of the island. Palazzo Bonaventura 1906 Forio would be my pick of the local hotels in Forio, with Queen Suite in second place. If you want something by the sea, Relais Villa Raffaele by Emilia. Local attractions include the Saracen watchtowers which were built along the coastline centuries ago. The most famous is the squat Torrione, but there are many more that keep watch over the Bay of Naples. Another must-see is La Mortella Gardens, a “garden museum” created by the English Walton family, often the site for summer concerts. Giardini Poseidon is a popular thermal park just behind Citara beach, ideal for a lazy day in the sun. In the south of the island, the Bay of Sorgeto is known for its hot springs that bubble up from the seafloor, where you can enjoy hot and cold bathing.

My wife and I are travelling to Northern Europe next May, staying in Amsterdam for six days and Bruges for three days. Could you advise of some highlights?
G. Goodwin, Parkes, ACT

In Amsterdam, take a canal cruise and then head for Museumplein for a full immersion in some of the world’s greatest galleries of art. The Rijksmuseum has the best collection of works by Dutch masters Rembrandt and Vermeer while the neighbouring Van Gogh Museum has some of the best-known works by the legendary Dutch Post-Impressionist. Anne Frank House is a tribute to the young Jewish girl who hid for over two years with her family and their friends in a secret alcove until they were betrayed and sent to concentration camps. The city’s bruin cafes are actually pubs, convivial and historic watering holes full of character where locals gather in the evenings to enjoy a beer or a jeneve, a traditional juniper-flavoured gin. The huge Vondelpark is Amsterdam’s green lung, 37 lush hectares of English-style gardens with winding paths, ponds and sculptures. Running from the main railway station through Amsterdam’s heart, tram number 2 takes in the Van Gogh Museum, the splendid Rijksmuseum, the Royal Palace, the city’s famous flower market and the canal belt. Buy a day ticket for €9 ($14.80) and hop on and off as you please. With six days, you might want to explore some other parts of The Netherlands. Possibilities include Kinderdijk, famous for its windmills, Haarlem, which looks like something out of a fairytale, and the lakeside village of Volendam, celebrated for the colourful timber houses clustered around its harbour.

In Bruges you might start off with a boat trip along the canals, preferably on a sunny day. Next explore the Markt, the old market square lined with pavement cafes beneath step-gabled facades. The Groeninge Museum has an outstanding collection of pre-Renaissance works from the 15th century, a time when Bruges was one of the great trading ports of Northern Europe. The Museum Sint-Janshospitaal is one of Europe’s best preserved medieval buildings. The museum’s chapel houses some of the masterpieces of the Flemish primitive artist Hans Memling, a 15th-century master of hyper-realistic scenes. Belgian beer is a matter of national pride and there are several beer tasting tour operators. A tour of the family operated Halve Mann brewery is another great option.

My husband and I are planning a holiday in Indonesia and we are looking for an island with a strong culture where we can relax and explore. Does Flores fit the bill, and how do we get there?
D. Simmons, Dee Why, NSW

Flores, the largest Indonesia island in the archipelago east of Bali, is a great choice, especially for independent-minded travellers looking for something out of the ordinary. The island’s volcanic spine rises to 2500 metres, falling to lush, terraced valleys and a coastline rimmed with pink and white beaches. In the island’s east are villagers who still follow a traditional lifestyle, yet outside the peak mid-year holiday period, tourists are few. The island is spanned by the 670 kilometre Trans-Flores Highway, stretching from the heart of the tourist scene in Labuan Bajo in the island’s west to Maumere in the east, with scenic and cultural rewards for the intrepid traveller. Western Flores is also the gateway to the island of Komodo, about a two-hour boat ride away, famous for its giant flesh-eating Komodo dragons. Komodo also has great diving, with a choice of land-based dive operators as well as liveaboard dive/adventure vessels, some of which begin and end in Bali. Accommodation is a mix of luxury resorts, dive resorts and inexpensive lodges. The main airports are Labuan Bajo, Maumere and Ende, all with frequent services to Bali’s Denpasar.

Travel advice is general; readers should consider their personal circumstances.