Escape’s Doc Holiday, Dilvin Yasa, answers your travel-related questions.

It’s a little-known fact that many airlines offer complimentary hotel stays in situations where your stopover is in excess of eight hours and no other flights with a shorter connection time are available (little-known because they refuse to advertise the service). 

Airlines which offer this service include Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, SriLankan Airlines, Emirates, Air China and Etihad Airways, but conditions to qualify vary between airlines. 

Turkish Airlines, for example, requires Economy Passengers to have a connection time of 12 hours or longer and Business Class passengers to have a connection time of nine hours or longer, to qualify. 

Qatar Airways requires stopovers to be between eight and 24 hours, in which case they’ll not only organise accommodation, but airport transfers and meal vouchers. This can be booked within 72 hours of departure, or you can pop by the transfer desk at Hamad International Airport to organise your mini visit on the spot.

My suggestion? Speak with your airline about what they can offer you. A single phone call could save you hundreds of dollars on your return trip.

The term “budget-friendly” has a tendency to freak me out since everyone’s got a different idea of what that looks like. As a general rule, family tours to Japan aren’t quite what most Australians would place in the “cheap as chips” category.

Japan Holidays has a package that would suit your needs, offering a 10-day Japan Family Leisure tour which includes a visit to Disneyland. The great thing about this package is that the agents can tailor the itinerary, and thus the price point, to your needs, so it’s well worth giving them a call on (02) 6674 4185.

G Adventures has an 11-day Tokyo to Kyoto tour priced from $7399 a person (a little less for kids) and a minimum-age requirement of seven years, while Intrepid Travel has a 12-day Japan Family Holiday priced from $8330 a person with a minimum-age requirement of five and a 10 per cent discount for kids.

There’s no doubt these two tours are convenient, with the attractions (excluding Disneyland which neither G Adventures or Intrepid Travel includes), accommodation and many meals locked in for you. But for a family of three, you’re looking at parting with $25K to $30K, and that’s before you add flights to the equation.

If budget is more important than convenience, I recommend having a look through the child-friendly suggestions at JNTO and planning your own itinerary. The public transport system is efficient and largely easy to navigate and, provided you book soon, hotels can be found at around the $200-per-night mark. Children under the age of six travel for free on all Japan Rail transport, including the Shinkansen (bullet train), so this is going to be a far cheaper option.

It’s a sad fact that “universal” adaptors are nothing of the sort since they rarely cover many parts of Africa (including South Africa) and Asia.

One that claims to buck the trend is the universal travel adaptor from Love Nightshift, which works in over 200 countries, including all the ones listed in your email. At $99 per unit, it’s pricier than the average “non-universal universal” adaptor, but the device has three USB ports, one USB-C and a plug, allowing you to safely charge multiple devices at once, no matter where you are on your travels. The company also offers free shipping.

Another option at a lower price point is the Lencent Universal Travel Adaptor, which has garnered plenty of solid reviews online. This one works in more than 200 countries, yet sadly excludes South Africa, which means you’ll have to buy an extra adaptor.

This lightweight adaptor has interchangeable UK, US, European and Australian plugs and features three USB ports to allow you to charge your laptop, iPhone, electronic reader, tablet or digital camera. You can buy it on Amazon for $33.99 with free delivery on your first order.

As mentioned, you’ll need a separate adaptor for South Africa. Korjo is a well-respected brand and you can buy this from the likes of Big W, Myer or Harvey Norman at a cost of $12 or so. This can often be a cheaper option than buying individual adaptors at the airport.