Peter's Post: Visiting Robert Graves' Mallorca

Our travel expert answers queries on routes and destinations around the world

I plan to visit the village where Robert Graves spent the last 56 years of his life, Deià in Mallorca. What is the best way to get there from Palma? Is it worth staying overnight in the town? Can one visit or stay in the house where he lived or can you recommend a hotel or guest house? - Marjorie Kemp

"La Casa de Robert Graves" is the main tourist attraction in Deià (also spelt Deya). It is run as a museum, with an entrance fee of 5 euros (R50). This includes a movie about the poet and his life. The house is perfectly preserved, with the original furniture, pictures and books. For more, visit (www.lacasaderobertgraves.com).

You can take an organised tour from Palma to the village. However, if you want to do it independently, you can take a bus (route 210) or rent a car for the 35km journey from Palma. Make sure the house will be open when you want to visit. It is best to go during the week, as opening hours are shorter on Saturdays and it closed on Sundays and public holidays.

Only you can decide whether it is worthwhile staying over for the night. However, it is certainly one of the most picturesque villages in Spain and is home to a number of writers and artists. Hollywood couple Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones have a home on the outskirts of the town. The Graves house does not take guests, but there are a number of excellent small hotels (www.hotel.info/deià). The best of these is the five-star Hotel la Residencia, a manor house with lush gardens and citrus groves on the edge of the village (www.hotel-laresidencia.com).

The Price of Paris

I am going to spend a week in Paris in June and am looking for single accommodation in the price range of 40-50 euros. The area is of no importance, as long as it is near a Metro station. Can you help? - Greta Bunn

You may find it pretty difficult to find good accommodation in Paris on your budget. However, seeing you are staying for a week, you can opt to rent a room or apartment, which will give you far better value for money. There are plenty of websites to try, all offering different standards of accommodation for varying prices.

One website worth trying is www.housetrip.com. I did a quick scan and found that, although most apartments are out of your price range, there are a number of affordable apartments in great locations. For example, you can get a studio apartment near the Moulin Rouge for 49 euros (R494) per night. The apartment can sleep four and offers a 10% discount for stays of more than five nights. Within minutes of a Metro station, this apartment seems to be a real bargain for a room in the heart of old Paris.

Another great deal was a studio in Rueil-Malmaison for 35 euros (R353) per night. It sleeps two and has Internet and cooking facilities.

If you would prefer a hotel, you could try the Au Royal Mad, which is located only 300m from the Voltaire Metro Station and a 10-minute walk from the Place de la Bastille. The rooms are simple but have television. A single room with a shared bathroom costs from 40 euros (R403) on www.booking.com. Another hotel on this website worth considering is the Victory Galou, a 27-room hotel near Gare du Nord. The nearest Metro station is 280m from the hotel. Rates for a standard single room start at 39 euros (R393), including taxes.