✉ Last September my group of seven hired a VW Multivan through Auto Europe from Sixt in Naples. We’d booked this because wide doors and proper luggage space were essential for us but, on arrival, Sixt told us it “didn’t do” Multivans but had a Peugeot 5008 “seven-seater” in the same category. In reality, it was a five-seater with two child seats in the boot. We demonstrated it was impossible to tour in such a car. After protracted discussion, the manager admitted a Multivan was available but it was in Rome. He suggested we spend the night at Naples airport until it arrived but this seemed unreasonable. Instead, we drove the cramped Peugeot 115 miles to our hotel, luggage piled on top of us, my wife folded into a child’s seat. That evening the Multivan was delivered, dented in 24 places and without fuel. Sixt has since charged us for both vehicles. Despite repeated efforts, we remain £590 out of pocket. Can you help?
Philip Trousdell
A Understandably, you thought you’d been double-charged but in fact that hefty amount added to your bill turned out to be for extras. Fortunately, Sixt decided that “in the circumstances” it would refund you for the “choice” upgrade, delivery, fuelling and the “increased premium location fee” as a gesture of goodwill, and only make you pay an additional driver charge. You have now received a total of £483 and have resolved to take the ferry and drive your own car the next time you go abroad.
• Read our full guide to Naples
The bay of Naples and Mount Vesuvius at dawn
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✉ My wife and I would like a week in the Caribbean in January or February. We’re experienced hikers and, not having been before, we’d like to visit an island that has a friendly atmosphere with little or no danger if we stray from the regular tourist areas. We’d prefer a small or medium-sized hotel near a beach and our budget is up to £5,000. Any suggestions?
Tim Wood
A If you’re only going to the Caribbean for a week, a direct flight saves on travel time and you can be relaxing by a pool with a rum punch by teatime. Grenada is a great island for hiking, whether you fancy rainforest paths or trails to crater lakes and spectacular waterfalls, although it’s advisable to hire a guide for challenging or remote treks. Stay at the 80-room Coyaba Beach resort, a two-minute walk from Grand Anse Beach, where a week all-inclusive starts at £2,048pp with Virgin flights from Heathrow (kenwoodtravel.co.uk). If you’re happy with a longer journey time, it’s about 14 hours via Barbados to lush Dominica where you could tackle stretches of the Waitukubuli National Trail, the Caribbean’s first long-distance hiking trail, which runs for 115 miles between the fishing village of Scott’s Head in the south and Cabrits National Park in the north. Stay at The Champs, a seven-room boutique hotel in Picard, a 15-minute walk from Coconut Beach. Seven nights’ B&B in a garden room with balcony and sea views starts at £2,169pp including flights, transfer and car hire (sunvil.co.uk).
• 20 of the best things to do in Grenada
Grand Anse Beach in Grenada
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✉ We’ve been married for 25 years and travelled a fair amount in the UK and further afield but never has it been an issue that my wife books airline tickets under the name she goes by — Jenny Balmer — even though her passport says Jennifer Anne Balmer. Her passport signature is Jenny Balmer too, which the Passport Office happily accepted. So when we recently checked in on the Aer Lingus app for a Birmingham–Belfast flight, I didn’t think twice. But at the gate, the agent said she couldn’t board because the name didn’t exactly match the passport. After a call to a supervisor, they let us on but told us we’d have to pay £122 to change the return ticket name. We didn’t and had no problem flying back. So have I been naive, assuming Jenny is OK for travel? If the Passport Office accepts it, why not airline staff? Is £122 for a minor name tweak outrageous? Or should we just stick to using “Jennifer” as her travelling name from now on?
Desmond Balmer
A You’ve certainly been lucky with your travels over the past 25 years because the name on the passport has to match the name on the booking/boarding card. The passport signature is irrelevant here; it’s just a verification of who signed the document. So your wife should use Jennifer Balmer as her travelling name from now on. The Aer Lingus fee is a rip-off but Ryanair and Wizz Air charge similar prices, and some airlines make you buy a new ticket if you need to change more than three letters in the name.
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Airlines can charge a fee if the name on the passport does not match the booking
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✉ My brothers and I are hoping to organise a surprise 50th wedding anniversary trip for our parents. They went to Lisbon on their honeymoon but I know my mum always wished she’d visited Sicily, particularly Palermo, and we have a budget of £1,500. They are both active, enjoy good food and restaurants, and would happily do some exploring. What can you recommend?
Rory James
A What a great idea. I’d suggest they stay in a lovely hotel in the centre of Palermo, Grand Hotel et des Palmes, once the home of the 19th-century merchant Benjamin Ingham, the richest man in Sicily. It is elegant, friendly and within walking distance of the city’s main attractions, including the Norman Palace and the cathedral, and will be able to book tours and airport transfers. If they go in November or March, when the weather’s mild and better for sightseeing, room rates are reasonable: three nights’ B&B plus BA flights from Heathrow starts at £586pp in November (ba.com). You could also book them on a food tour of the old town and Vucciria and Ballaro markets (£69pp, secretfoodtours.com).
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The historic skyline of Palermo
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✉ My husband and I would like to visit the lavender fields in Provence for four or five days next summer. We’d like a flight from Bristol to Nice rather than Marseille and to stay in some decent modern hotels without driving or walking too far in any one day. Any ideas?
Pauline Gerry
A Late June is a brilliant time to catch the lavender in Provence, as the fields of the Valensole plateau start to turn purple but the hordes don’t descend before July. Fly from Bristol to Nice with easyJet, pick up a hire car at the airport (book through zestcarrental.com) and in a little over two hours you’ll be in lavender country. Fields stretch as far as the eye can see and some of the best are right by the roadside, so you won’t need to drive or walk far to find amazing views and that heady scent. Base yourself in the village of Valensole or nearby; Les Terrasses de Valensole has modern rooms and a pool overlooking the plateau, and serves a three-course dinner at 7.30pm (£25pp; must be booked in advance). B&B doubles start at £86 (lesterrassesdevalensole.fr). If you’re happy to splurge, La Bastide de Moustiers, Alain Ducasse’s 13-room country house hotel, surrounded by lavender and olive trees, is the perfect Provençal gourmet hideaway. B&B doubles start at £356 and set menus in its Michelin-starred restaurant start at £78 (bastide-moustiers.com).
Have you got a holiday dilemma? Email traveldoctor@thetimes.co.uk