Something to declare: Where blank is good, Qantas flash sale, one for the railroad, and the Caribbean

Warning of the week: Where blank is good

Travellers to southern Africa should check their passports to make sure they have enough blank pages, writes Jonny Payne.

According to the Foreign Office, Zambia, Mozambique and Madagascar insist on two empty pages on arrival; Zimbabwe stipulates three. While Namibian and South African authorities state officially that only one blank passport page is required for entry, some visitors to South Africa have been refused entry. "We advise that you have two blank pages in your passport on arrival", says the Foreign Office: "One in, one out."

In addition, make sure the expiry date of your passport will be accepted. For South Africa, "Your passport must be valid for no less than 30 days after the end of your intended visit"; for Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, the minimum before expiry is six months.

Bargain of the week: Qantas flash sale

Australia's national airline has had a tricky month, with the Airbus A380 "engine issue" at Singapore clouding the celebrations for its 90th birthday. But it has now launched a four-day seat sale for the April-June low season that cuts at least £100 from the prevailing fare levels for premier-league airlines.

Fares to Perth start at £590 return, with Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland at £690 through Trailfinders (0845 050 5871; trailfinders.com).

In addition, free stopovers are available at Hong Kong, Bangkok or Singapore. Book by 23 November.

Tip of the week: One for the railroad

One of the greatest architectural outrages of the 1960s was the demolition of Euston station in London. Just a pair of lodges survived. They have been standing, isolated, on Euston Road, with the range of destinations from Aberdeen to Wolverhampton still carved in the Portland stone. But a stylish new beer bar has just been created in the western structure, with dozens of draught and bottled brews. The Euston Tap ( eustontap.com) is a good place to start or end a journey. If the venture proves popular, a second bar may open in the other building.

Destination of the week: The Caribbean, via New York

If you are making a New York connection to the Caribbean, JFK is the airport you need – and jetBlue is the airline. The New York-based budget carrier serves some exotic corners of the Caribbean, such as Aguadilla and Ponce in Puerto Rico, plus St Lucia and no fewer than four airports in the Dominican Republic. In addition, jetBlue serves two Dutch fragments of the Caribbean that are hard to reach without a change of plane in Amsterdam or Paris: the islands of Aruba and St Maarten (strictly speaking, half an island, since the other portion is French Saint-Martin).