Ireland: Jokes are free at friendly B

“WE spent two nights at Tom & Eileen’s Farm, a destination B&B; in Castlemaine. If only we had planned a week! Phena and Gerry Buckley are quintessential hosts who make you feel like one of the family. It’s a working farm that includes livestock, dogs, cats and kids. Driving directions from Gerry included stories and jokes as well as a detailed explanation of the nuances of Celtic football.”

Double rooms from $81.

Tom & Eileen’s Farm, Castlemaine, County Kerry; 011-353-66-976-7373, www.tomandeileens.com.

HODDY AND SUSAN RUPP

Manhattan Beach

Poland: Booking with no hassle

“THE problem of accommodating many people arriving on different days in sold-out Krakow was expertly solved by Visit.pl, a lodging website in Poland. I thought twice before transferring all the money by wire in advance, but there was no need to worry. Even a last-minute hotel cancellation resulted in a personally delivered cash refund the day we left the city.”

Visit.pl, 1 Stawach, Krakow, Poland; 011-48-12-294-11-36, www.visit.pl.

MICHAEL NEKORA

Pacific Palisades

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