Do you know the cheapest place to view polar bears in the wild? I know you can see them in Churchill, Canada, but it is expensive. How about Franz Josef Land in Russia? - Helen Sutton, West Midlands

Times travel expert Julia Brookes responds: Franz Josef Land, an archipelago in the far north of Russia, is accessible only on expensive Arctic cruises, so this is not an option.

However, you can usually see polar bears on cruises from Spitsbergen in Norway, according to Discover the World (01737 218800, www.arctic-experience.co.uk), which will run an 11-day voyage next summer with cabin rates starting at £1,915 if you share a triple. Flights are extra.

If you want guaranteed polar bear sightings, Churchill is the location of the bears' annual migration from mid-October to November. Several UK tour operators offer packages, but demand is high since polar bears are in danger of extinction because of global warming.

Discover the World has a few places left for its seven-night departure on November 10, which costs £2,725 sharing or £3,167 single. Next year you could try to cut the cost by booking a return to Winnipeg via Toronto with Air Canada (0871 2201111, www.aircanada.com) and then hooking up with a tour operator such as Muir's Tours (0118-950 2281, www.muirstours.org.uk), which offers a two-day polar bear observation tour on the tundra near the southwest shore of Hudson Bay, overnighting in a cabin in the Tundra Buggy Lodge. Prices this year started at £1,268pp full board, including return flights from Winnipeg to Churchill.

If you're happy to spend just one day on the tundra, Discover the World has a three-night trip for £1,931 (based on two sharing) or £2,104 single, on October 22 and 29 next year, including international and local flights, some transfers and accommodation. Whatever you decide, you need to book early.

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