Tripologist: How long do I need to make my domestic connection at LAX?

I’m flying Qantas into Los Angeles, land at 8.50am then have a connecting flight to Seattle at 11am on the same ticket. From Seattle I fly to Spokane on another booking. I could miss my Seattle flight as you have to collect your luggage on arrival in the US plus clear security and immigration. Qantas assures me all I need is 90 minutes.
R. Green, Ocean Grove VIC

Even two hours is tight, however if it’s all on the same Qantas ticket then the airline is responsible for ensuring that you get to your destination at no extra cost. The Spokane flight adds another complication, and that’s at risk. Book a seat as far forward in the aircraft as possible so you can get off at LAX in minimum time. Also, alert the cabin crew that you have a tight connection, they might assist you to a forward position.

I am 82 and I’d like to take a snorkelling holiday. Looking at Coron Island in the Philippines. Who might do an itinerary with flights to include a houseboat in Twin Lagoon on Coron Island? J. Kirkwood, Willoughby NSW

Coron is a limestone island between the islands of Palawan and Mindoro, known for its excellent snorkelling and diving. While there are a few travel operators such as Travel Triangle that have package holidays to Coron, they’re rather short. You might be better off organising your own trip. The only accommodation on the island is Paolyn Houseboats. The location is ideal, you can jump straight off your deck into the water, the reviews are five-star, although Paolyn is expensive at close to $400 a night. Most visitors stay on Busuanga Island, only about three kilometres from Coron, where a cluster of resorts and inns is located around Coron township, with prices that vary from $40-$250 per night. From here it’s easy to take boat trips to Coron and neighbouring islands and these can be arranged through local hotels. See guidetothephilippines.com

Busuanga is home to Reyes Airport which is served by Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines. To help plan your trip, it might be worth contacting the local office of the Philippines Department of Tourism at 92 Pitt Street, Sydney, (02) 9279 3380.

My husband and I are 65 and in good health. We are looking to travel to Europe in July or August 2025 for six to eight weeks, our first trip overseas. The list of what we would like to see is getting ridiculously long and the more we research tour options the harder it is to decide. What would you suggest? T. Francis, Mullaloo WA

I hope there might be some flexibility in your timetable because the best months to see Europe are starting from early September to mid-October. In July and August, Europe is going to be packed to the gills. Your starting point could be London. It’s user-friendly, there’s heaps to see and do, it’s reasonably familiar, there’s no problem with language and you can use your usual credit or debit card on London’s Underground trains. Give yourselves three nights to look around and get over your jetlag then join a guided tour. Take a look at the Bunnik Tours website and see what appeals, and about 10-14 days is ideal, too much longer and touring becomes exhausting. Your fellow travellers will be a mine of information but consider their advice on what to see and how to travel with caution. You can’t see everything.

Next, you might base yourselves in a large town or small city for a week, possibly in an Airbnb, and get to know an area well. Saint-Remy-de-Provence in southern France, Bath in western England, anywhere between Lenno and Menaggio on the western shores of Italy’s Lake Como, Padua near Venice, the Greek island of Hydra and Ortigia in Sicily are just a few examples. You can see a lot more if you’re prepared to get behind the wheel but if not, take a few guided day tours. With the time you have available you could include three such stops.

You might want to do something active so take a look at the Utracks website, there are really wonderful experiences on offer, from an eight-day electric bike ride from Salzburg to Vienna to barge and bike trips along the French canals. Most of the trips you can do either on a guided tour or self-guided, they’re short and sweet and accommodation and gear transfers are included on the self-guided tours. I like the hiking trips in the Dolomites region of northern Italy, the finest alpine walks on the planet in my book. You have plenty of time to plan and airlines release their tickets 11 months in advance. That’s the time to score a bargain.