If you had picked a big, mass-market European resort, I would be tempted to tell you to hang on. But Santorini and Mykonos are relatively small, upmarket destinations that are served only by charters, and flights tend to sell out early. If you wait too long, you could miss out.

Could you tell me about age restrictions for travelling abroad without parents? I am 16 and am hoping to go somewhere in Europe with two other 16-year-olds and one 15-year-old. Would this be possible? Or are there certain age restrictions that wouldn’t allow this?
— Tom Woodhouse, via e-mail

There is nothing to stop you leaving the UK as long as you have a valid passport, but how you leave is another matter. Taking a flight on a scheduled airline is fine, although an unaccompanied minors form would have to be completed for the 15-year-old. The same applies on Eurostar.

If you want to go by coach, Eurolines (www.nationalexpress.com) will take 16-year-olds with a signed consent form, but not an accompanying 15-year-old. If you wanted to go on a package holiday or travel on a charter flight operated by a tour operator, you would need to get the booking
form signed by your parents in front of the travel agent. You would not be able to take a 15-year-old with you.

You would have to check with your accommodation for their minimum age requirements and it would be advisable to carry documentation confirming your parents’ consent. It would also be useful to sign up for an international student identity card (www.isic.org). Lastly, make sure that you have comprehensive travel insurance — some annual family policies do not include independent trips.

My husband and I returned from cruising on the Saga Rose almost four weeks ago. The article by Mary Gold (Times Travel, March 4) was interesting but we did not recognise the Saga Rose from her lively piece.

Balconies on the ship are almost as scarce as hens’ teeth and canapés do not arrive in cabins before dinner as a rule. We also had a table for eight and our table companions were charming, but unfortunately our table was rectangular, making it difficult to hear everyone.

We had an outside cabin on the main deck and paid more than £6,000 each. The only light coming into the cabin was from two portholes above one of the beds and the only way to see out was to kneel on the bed and peer.

Fortunately, we read this article after our cruise. If we had read it before embarkation, we would have been very disappointed. We have cruised with other cruise lines in the past, but the Saga Rose gave us the impression of being a rather tired old lady.
— Liz MacKay, via e-mail

Contact us . . .

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