Q and A
Cycling in Ireland
Q.  I'd like to tour the west coast of Ireland by bike next year. I can rent or ship my own bike for two weeks. Which would be cheaper? And what would be the best routes and the best season to view the most gardens, public and private? -- J. W. Rommel, New York, N.Y.
A.  According to Aer Lingus, the Irish national airline, if you show up at the airport with only one bag your bike will be shipped to Ireland and back at no charge. If you make the trip with two bags you will charged from $35 to $40 round trip for the bike.
The airline says the handlebars and pedals must "be turned in," or turned horizontal to the frame, and that it will supply a plastic bag to put the bike in. But it recommends that you go to a bicycle shop and buy a cardboard container made specially for shipping bikes.
A shop chosen at random from the Manhattan Yellow Pages, Pedal Pusher Bicycle Shop, 1306 Second Avenue, at 69th Street, (212) 288-5592, says such a container costs $4.95. It adds that the boxes, which are square, allow room for many items besides the bike to be included, like helmets and sleeping bags. The handlebars and saddle must be removed, the shop says, and for $19 it will do that for you and pack the bike, too.
The alternative, renting a bike once you get there, isn't likely to break the bank, either.
The Irish Tourist Board puts out information on cycling in Ireland that includes list of dealers in 23 counties that rent bikes offered by Raleigh Ireland and The Bike Store. All the western counties are represented, including Kerry, Clare, Galway and Mayo.
Rates for all Raleigh models are $11 a day or $50 a week, calculated at $1.60 to the Irish pound. Bike Store rates range from $8.30 a day or $41 a week for a three-speed to $11 a day or $50 a week for an 18-speed mountain bike.
More information: Raleigh Rent-a-Bike Division, Raleigh Ireland Ltd., Raleigh House, Kylemore Road, Dublin 10, Ireland; (353 1) 626 1333, fax (353 1) 675 1770, or The Bike Store, 58 Lower Gardiner Street, Dublin 1, (353 1) 725 931, fax (353 1) 364 763.
Anywhere from early spring to late summer would be a good time to see Ireland's many gardens at their best.
The Irish Tourist Board, 345 Park Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10154, (212) 418-0800, has put together a cycling tour of Ireland that starts and finishes in Dublin. It is broken down into 25 segments, each one suggested as a day's touring by bike (the average length of each is about 50 miles).
Sit down with a four-page list of private and public gardens, also issued by the tourist board, and you can let your fancy wander. California Parks
Q.  Can you tell me where I can write for maps, brochures and other general information about Big Sur, Yosemite National Park and the Redwood National Park? -- Grace L. Dougherty, Glen Cove, L.I.
A.  Big Sur stretches 90 miles along the California coast from Carmel to San Simeon and most of the 192,000-acre area belongs to the federally administered Los Padres National Forest. The area is also home to five state parks and reserves, with the rest owned by some 1,200 residents.
For information, maps and brochures on all the California park areas write to the California State Department of Parks and Recreation, 1416 Ninth Street, Sacramento, Calif. 95814; (916) 653-6995.
For information on Yosemite write to the Superintendent, Post Office Box 577, Yosemite National Park, Calif. 95389; (209) 372-0200.
The address for Redwood is Superintendent, Redwood National Park, 1111 Second Street, Crescent City, Calif. 95331; (707) 464-6101.
A very useful publication for anyone contemplating a visit to the national parks is "The Complete Guide to America's National Parks," published by the National Park Foundation, 1101 17th Street N.W., Suite 1102, Washington, D.C. 20036; (202) 785-4500.
It has a state-by-state listing of the 367 national parks, together with maps, driving directions, climate tables and such information as admission fees and access for the disabled. Staying in Boston
Q.  I have friends from France coming to Boston next summer who would like to rent a furnished two-bedroom home or apartment outside the city proper, even as far away as Plymouth. Could you give me names, addresses and telephone numbers of agencies? -- Jean Piston, Fresno, Calif.
A.  The "Travel Planner," published four times a year by the Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau, is a guide to Boston restaurants, shopping, theater, historical sights and, among other things, accommodations. Twelve agencies are listed under the heading Bed and Breakfast Reservation Services, but don't be misled by the name; a number of them handle the sort of thing you are looking for.
A B &B Agency of Boston, 47 Commercial Wharf, Boston, Mass. 02110; (617) 720-3540 or (800) 248-9262, fax (617) 523-5761. The company, also known as Agency Suites, says it "handles plenty" of apartments and some houses throughout an area west of Boston to Cape Cod. Prices range from $100 to $200 a night.
Bed and Breakfast Marblehead & North Shore/Greater Boston and Cape Cod, Post Office Box 35, Newtonville, Mass. 02160, (617) 964-1606 or (800) 832-2632 outside Massachusetts, fax (617) 332-8572, says it handles many more one-bedroom apartments than two-bedroom, but that March is the best time to ask about availability for next summer. One-bedrooms and cottages rent from $80 to $100 a night, with the seventh night free if taken for a week.
Bed and Breakfast Cape Cod, Post Office Box 341, West Hyannisport, Mass. 02672, (508) 775-2772, fax (508) 775-2884, says a three-bedroom or four-bedroom house on the Cape can be rented for between $1,000 and $1,500 a week.
ABC: Accommodations of Boston and Cambridge, 335 Pearl Street, Cambridge, Mass. 02139, (617) 491-0274 or (800) 253-5542, fax (617) 547-5478, says it has three-bedroom houses on the Cape from about $800 to $1,000 a week. Vegetarian on Bonaire
Q.  My friend and I, both ovo-lacto vegetarians (we eat eggs and dairy products) are traveling to Bonaire in the Netherlands Antilles in January. Are there any vegetarian restaurants there? -- Renee Glessman, Highland Park, N.J.
A.  Just one (there were two until last year). The survivor is Jemar Restaurant, (599 7) 5012, 5 Kaya Grandi, Bonaire's main street. It is open from 7:30 A.M. to 9 P.M. and serves vegetarian dishes at lunch and dinner. The $10 dishes include tofu, soyloaf, rice and fresh vegetables. TERENCE NEILAN