Your questions: How should I spend 10 days in this Pacific paradise?

My husband and I booked tickets to Samoa for 10 days in June. Where and how should we spend our time? We both enjoy regional cultures, but food is our raison d’etre.
M. Blums, Mornington, Vic

To Sua Ocean Trench in Upolu Island, Samoa.Credit: iStock

Samoa consists of nine islands, although for practical purposes you can discount all but the largest two, Savaii and its little brother, Upolu, where the capital, Apia, is located and where most of the population lives.

The sheer physicality of Upolu is staggering. At its centre, the volcanic peak of Mount Fito forms a waistband from which the island falls like a giant skirt, pleated with rainforest and ribboned with gushing streams, descending ever lower to a final frill of beach trimmed with coral reefs. From the top drawer of the island’s accommodation, Coconuts Beach Club & Resort brings a dollop of style to the traditional palm and thatch architecture of Samoa, with bathrooms that open to sun-struck verandahs and a choice of overwater fales or handsome beach villas.

If you feel the need for exercise, there’s the usual hothouse choice of diving, fishing, snorkelling, sea-kayaking and surfing. The pilgrimage to Villa Vailima, the house built by Robert Louis Stevenson at the foot of Mount Vaea, where he dressed his Samoan servants in Stuart tartan, is obligatory.

If you want zippy nightlife, things to buy, beach massages and a local cuisine that will take your taste buds out for a tango, Samoa is not the place. It still feels like the South Seas paradise, and you have to respect the rules. For example, you must never walk past a chief with a raised umbrella. The fine can be as high as two live chickens.

We have booked a train departing the main station in Berlin at 11.30am. How early can we board? We don’t have assigned seating and will each be travelling with one large and one small suitcase which we would like to keep nearby for the 5½-hour trip.
Y. Faym, Malvern, Vic

You can generally board as soon as the train arrives at the station. To find out which platform your train will depart from, use either the Deutsche Bahn (DB) app or website. Make sure you consult either one shortly before the scheduled departure time in case of a platform change. If you want to guarantee a position close to the baggage storage area, you should book seats.

I am planning a family holiday in northern Italy in August 2026 for 11 adults, three young children and a two-year-old. We want to stay in a large house rather than a hotel, not in a city but with access to villages. We want to fly from Singapore non-stop to Italy, any suggestions?
A. Mccall, Frankston, Vic

Piedmont and its Isola Pescatori, the island of fishermen.Credit: iStock

Singapore Airlines has daily non-stop flights from Singapore to Milan. Flight time is 13 hours and the overnight flight arrives in Milan at 6.30am.

What you’re asking for is an extremely large villa with perhaps seven bedrooms and that’s going to limit your choice. There are several websites where you can search for the accommodation you’re looking for, including The Plum Guide, Oliver’s Travels, Interhome and Airbnb. Villas usually rent by the week, typically Saturday to Saturday. Look for somewhere with a pool, and you’re going to need airconditioning. You’ll be in the countryside but preferably not too far from a town. You’ll need to do your own catering, but shopping in local villages and markets is one of the joys of rural Italy.

You will probably want to explore the surroundings and possibly the lakes as well, and therefore you’re going to need a couple of hired vehicles at the very least. If this appeals, don’t leave it too long – villas book up quickly. Either the Lombardy region, which includes Milan and Lake Como, or Piedmont, its western neighbour, would fit the bill. Piedmont is more rugged and mountainous, and also slightly less busy in August, and that would be my choice.

In September, we’re planning a 12-day stay in Greece before a cruise, spending time in Thessaloniki followed by Mount Olympus, Meteora, Delphi and finally Athens by train. Any suggestions for an itinerary and stay options in Athens?
M. Howland, Concord NSW

Arrive in Thessaloniki and spend the first day exploring the city centre, the waterfront promenade and the Ladadika district, the Rotunda, White Tower and the Archaeological Museum. The following day, take a walk around the Old Town of Thessaloniki, also known as Ano Poli, and enjoy panoramic views. Visit some of the city’s Byzantine churches and explore the Kapani and Modiano markets.

The next day, take a train to Litochoro, at the base of Mount Olympus and over the following day you might hike part of the E4 trail or else take a guided tour to explore the Mountain of the Olympian Gods. The E4 goes as far as Prionia, in Mount Olympus National Park, but it’s a tough slog.

The following day, take a train to Kalabaka in the foothills of Meteora, take a stroll beneath the cliffs and over the next couple of days visit some of the monasteries, and Varlaam, Great Meteoron and Roussanou are the standouts. Take a train to Delphi, visit the ancient sanctuary, the Temple of Apollo, the stadium, the Delphi Museum and the nearby village of Arachova, then take another train to Athens. Recommended hotels in the capital include the Perianth Hotel, Monsieur Didot and the Foundry Suites.

Travel advice is general; readers should consider their personal circumstances