Holidays close to home

Why staying in Britain is best; the joys of train travel; taking time in France; an invigorating view; and inspired by Philly

could apply anywhere. I have been enjoying the new South West Trains from Waterloo to Yeovil Pen Mill; with the good weather, people should take the train and, on arrival, look for an old railway footpath that will lead you into a rather delightful town centre, not a 10-minute walk away. ANDREW EDWARDS

France without tears

Travelling through France by car can be relaxing and enjoyable (“Drivers asked to take the scenic route in France”, July 30). Simply remember that you have only two deadlines: the ferry times at the start and end of your holiday. It does not matter if you are a bit late for any intermediate stops, etc. As long as the wheels keep turning, all will be well. No “Barcelona or bust”. DAVID HILL

Cold comfort

Mervyn King’s account of his cold disappearing after an unexpected dip in Pevensey Bay (Travelling Life, July 22) stirred memories of an experience during a holiday in the charming seaside town of Carantec, Finistère.

Despite my streaming cold, we decided to drive to France’s most westerly point via the old sardine fishing town of Douarnenez, enjoying the landscape and pretty villages of the Armorique Regional Park

A taste of Samos

When we married in 1963, we bought one bottle of wine a week costing 6s 9d (about 34p).

It was from Samos and was delicious. Four years later we moved house and adopted a kitten from a doctor friend; we called it Samos, in memory of the wine we could no longer afford because of the increased mortgage. along the way. Douarnenez proved a worthy lunch stop, perfect for lovers of fish. We walked steep cobbled alleyways, past traditional fishermen’s houses before continuing to Pointe du Raz.

As we drew closer, wind buffeted the car, and arriving to its stark, wild beauty took our breath away – literally. We forced our way as close to the edge of

In the Eighties, we started to travel to a different part of Greece each year and loved the country more every time we visited. But we didn’t visit Samos until five years ago.

Why had we waited so long? Samos is the most beautiful and interesting island and the people are exceptionally friendly and welcoming; we loved every minute of our stay the cliffs as we dared, fearful of being carried away to the sea beneath us. Invigorated, we returned to the calm of Carantec, my cold cured. ELIZABETH SWINNERTON

Philadelphia freedom

I appreciated Kathy Arnold’s two-day plan for exploring Philadelphia where political history was and is still being in Ormos and returned to Kokkari (above) the following year.

Since reading Chris Leadbeater’s fascinating article (“Why Samos has not lost its charm”, July 30) we are determined to try to return next year – and we urge other readers to do the same. The islanders deserve our support. SUSAN DUFF WINS A £250 RAILBOOKERS VOUCHER made today (“Weekend in Philadelphia”, July 23). Our anniversary is this month and we aim to explore the three museums mentioned.

The hotels and the restaurants with locally sourced contemporary food she recommends sound enticing. We are looking forward to our trip – even more so now. CHRISTINE HYDE