What is the best way to fly to Australia during conflict in the Middle East?

Simon Calder answers your questions about travel during the Middle East conflict, getting to Venlo and a fortnight in Reggio di Calabria

Q We are about to book flights to visit our son in Sydney for Christmas. In light of the conflict in the Middle East, do you advise us to go ahead or wait? And should we look at flights that go via America instead of the Gulf?

Naomi

A Goodness: six months from now, we will be in the deep midwinter, and celebrating in the sunshine sounds an excellent idea. First, I shall deal with timing. The optimum time to book flights from the UK to Sydney and the rest of Australia is as soon as they go on sale, which is typically at or near the start of the New Year. Sometimes you can grab a bargain much nearer to departure: about six weeks out, ie during the first week or two of November, when some airlines may cut fares to fill remaining space. But that can be touch-and-go, particularly at a time when airlines’ overall capacity is under pressure due to late aircraft delivery and problems with planes such as the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. In addition, the strife in the Middle East may further deplete the number of available seats. So now is a good time to buy.

Second, the optimum route between the UK and Sydney involves going nowhere near the Gulf; it overflies Russia to China, the shortest “great circle” distance. You change planes in the People's Republic, and can stay a few days longer if you wish.

The ideal transfer point and airline combo is Guangzhou on China Southern, though Shanghai on China Eastern and Air China via Beijing are also good choices. Going via the Gulf or a southeast Asian hub means a much longer journey to avoid both Russia and Middle East trouble spots.

Chinese fares are unbeatable for peak days. Going out on the Sunday before Christmas, 21 December, and returning on 3 January, Air China wants only £1,370 from London Heathrow via Beijing to Sydney. I would not countenance taking the US-Pacific route unless the fare were extremely low. Flying from London to Sydney via San Francisco is over 2,000 miles longer, each way, than the journey via Beijing. That’s an extra eight hours in the air on the round trip.

It’s getting more awkward for Britons to get to Venlo in southeastern Netherlands (Getty/iStock)

Q For around 20 years, we have been travelling to visit family in Venlo in the southern Netherlands. Our nearest UK airports in the UK are Liverpool and Manchester. Previously, we have flown to Dusseldorf and Weeze in Germany, and more recently to Eindhoven with Ryanair. However, it appears that this last route is also closed now, leaving us with the only sensible route being a flight from Liverpool to Amsterdam, followed by a two-hour train journey. Can you suggest a more time-efficient and cost-effective route?

Angela Daulby

A The nearest international airport to the Dutch city of Venlo is Weeze, just across the German border, about 20 miles north. This is Ryanair’s version of “Dusseldorf”. But the only UK link I can see at present is from Edinburgh. The next two nearest airports are Eindhoven and Dusseldorf – each about 25 miles away, to the west and east, respectively. Ryanair is still flying from Manchester to Eindhoven three times a week during the summer, though at present the last flight on that route is on 22 October. Some of the fares are excellent; £22 one way on 2 July, for example.

Once Eindhoven is off the list, Dusseldorf remains – with frequent flights from Manchester on the Lufthansa subsidiary, Eurowings. Even through the depths of winter, there are three daily departures each way. Eurowings is generally more expensive than Ryanair, but if you book in advance you will typically pay £53 for a basic fare in winter from Manchester to Dusseldorf. In terms of both time and cost, this looks a better bet than the Liverpool-Amsterdam by air and then a long train journey that requires at least one change.

When you have some time to spare, consider a different approach: make a holiday of the journey. Last month, I took the overnight ferry from Harwich in Essex to Hook of Holland in the Netherlands – an extremely civilised way to travel. You could then meander through some superb Dutch locations, starting with Rotterdam and its charming sister, Schiedam, and take in Dordrecht and Breda along the way to Venlo.

Walking through history: Simon views the ‘Riace Warriors’ in the Italian city’s National Archaeological Museum (Simon Calder)

Q I saw you recommending Reggio di Calabria the other day. Is it good to do two weeks there?

“Moll Doll”

A Reggio di Calabria is the southernmost city of mainland Italy, and the capital of Calabria – the region that fills the “toe” of the nation. Reggio, as it is known, is an underrated city, well worth a couple of days’ stay. The highlight: a visit to the climate-controlled chamber in the National Archaeological Museum where the pair of Riace Warriors reside. These life-size statues of Greek warriors were rescued from the Adriatic in 1972.

Calabria was part of Magna Graecia, “Greater Greece”, and has ancient roots. Reggio’s more recent role as a seaside resort has not been a complete success, as the decaying shoreline facilities reveal. But exploring behind the city is rewarding, and a busy network of trains and buses makes it easy and affordable.

First stop going clockwise: the town of Scilla, draped over an outcrop that soars above the Mediterranean. The eastern tip of Sicily is almost within touching distance. Soon afterwards, the town of Tropea is a welcoming resort where you could spend a fulfilling couple of days enjoying the beaches and the churches by day, and the excellent bars and restaurants by night. I stayed in the Villa Antica Tropea on the main street, which was atmospheric, comfortable and affordable.

Inland, strategic hills are topped by towns, of which my favourite is Badolato, clustering around a spur of rock overlooking the Adriatic. Next along, the resort of Locri. I stayed at the Residence Gnura Momma, another hotel delivering exceptional value. Just south of the town is an archaeological park and museum; invest a morning to rummage through the past.

The southernmost point in mainland Italy is occupied by the village of Melito di Porto Salvo, which at first sight does not seem to have much to recommend it. But venture up to the old town to discover a vast amount of street art concentrated in a small area. Reggio is just 40 more minutes by train.

To me, that looks like a week’s worth of enthralling travel. For more exploration, take the ferry across to Sicily and head for Catania and Syracuse. You may be happy, though, to stretch a stay in Calabria by adding more time on the beach.

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