Q and A
Off to Balmoral
Q.  I believe Balmoral Castle in Scotland is open to the public this summer. Can I take public transportation to get there? -- V. Askerly, Brooklyn, N.Y.
A.  Balmoral Castle, which is Queen Elizabeth's personal property, not state owned, is 50 miles from Aberdeen, the nearest big city. The royal family takes an annual vacation in the castle each August and September and it is open to the public only from May 1 to July 31.
But don't imagine you will have the run of the place. The only parts of the castle building that are open to the public are the carriage hall and the ballroom, where several exhibitions will be staged. One will show paintings, porcelain and other objects from the castle collection.
This year there will also be an exhibition called "Prince Philip -- A Personal Collection," made up of works of arts commisioned or collected by the Queen's husband. The collection, mainly paintings, displays a wide variety of styles and subjects, from animal portraits and seascapes to Australian landscapes. It includes works by John Constable, Sydney Nolan and Salvador Dali.
On display in the carriage hall will be a collection of commemorative china, a wildlife exhibition and a photographic display of carriages used by British royalty through the ages.
Visitors are free to visit parts of the castle grounds and the gardens. There are also three souvenir shops and a large self-service cafeteria serving hot and cold snacks, including venison burgers.
Balmoral is open from 10 A.M. to 5 P.M. Monday to Saturday (the cafeteria opens from 10:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M.). It is closed on Sunday. Admission is $4, calculated at 60 cents to the pound. There is no charge for children. All areas in the vicinity of the castle and gardens are accessible to the disabled. More information: Balmoral Castle, Ballater, Aberdeenshire AB35 5TB, Scotland; telephone (44 13397) 42334.
During the time the castle is open to the public the No. 201 bus operates from Aberdeen Bus Station to Crathie, the nearest town to the castle, about five minutes away. The buses leave Guild Street, opposite the railroad station, at 7:40, 8:30 and 9:45 A.M. and then hourly until 10:45 P.M. The return buses leave Crathie hourly from 10:10 A.M. to 7:10 P.M. The journey takes about two hours.
The fare is $12 round trip and $7.40 one way. More information: Bluebird Buses, Aberdeen; (44 1224) 212266. Tourist information on Aberdeen: (44 1224) 632727. Australian Apartments
Q.  We are planning a trip to Sydney, Australia, in July, staying at least two months. We want to rent an apartment close to downtown. Is there an agent I can contact? -- G. Johnson, Sebring, Fla.
A.  There are at least two companies in the United States that act as agents for properties in Australia, ranging from studio apartments to luxurious villas.
Barclay International Group, which since 1963 has offered short-term apartment rentals in London and Paris, added 2,000 apartments in Australia to its portfolio last year.
Its offerings range from four-bedroom houses at $1,284 a day for up to eight people to studios and one-bedroom apartments in Sydney from $72 to $288 a day, calculated at 71 cents to the Australian dollar. Studios are for rent at three buildings in Sydney, including one on the waterfront at Manly, a close suburb. There is just about everything in between, from Cairns, Queensland, (from $99 a day for a one bedroom) to Hobart, Tasmania (a one bedroom for two people at $69 a day).
More information: Barclay International Group, 150 East 52d Street, New York, N.Y. 10022; (212) 832-3777 or (800) 845-6636, fax (212) 753-1139.
G'day Travel and Tours specializes in villa rentals, most of them two bedrooms and up. The majority are situated in rural areas but a few are in reach of all major metropolitan areas except Perth in Western Australia.
A 30-page brochure shows a color photograph of each property and includes a full descripton, including the prices, which are not all as high as the word villa might imply.
Pond Cottage, in Kyneton, Victoria, for instance, is set among seven acres of landscaped gardens surrounding a pond and costs $150 a night for two people from Monday to Friday. On Saturday and Sunday the price goes to $170. Another property, Comboyne Hideway, south of Port Macquarie, on the coast of northern New South Wales, rents for $325 for the weekend and $800 a week.
Farther north, near Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, the Northcott, a traditional Queensland colonial house on 80 acres of bush, rents for $55 a person a night for up to 8 people. The three-bedroom house offers a weekly cleaning service.
More information: G'day Travel and Tours, 1200 Harris Avenue, Suite 408, Bellingham, Wash. 98225; (360) 738-2939 or (800) 799-4329, fax (360) 671-1550. Memories of Germany
Q.  Back in the 1930's I used to visit the village of Braunlage in Germany's Harz Mountains every winter. Now, 60 years later, I want to make a sentimental return journey. Does the narrow-gauge railroad still run from Goslar to Braunlage? -- Edward Kern, New York, N.Y.
A.  The narrow-gauge line was closed many years ago. Today the most convenient way to get to Braunlage is by train and bus.
The first step is to take a train from Hanover ($17 one way for the 90-minute trip) or Braunschweig ($7.50; 45 minutes) to Bad Harzburg. Service is frequent from both cities and most trains connect with a bus that travels to Braunlage.
Buses leave from outside the Bad Harzburg railway station daily at 7:47, 8:20, 9:20 and 10:50 A.M. and 12:10, 12:55, 1:35, 3:17, 4:47, 5:19, 6:50 and 9 P.M. (the 12:10 P.M. runs every day except Sunday, the 9 P.M. every day except Saturday).
Buses on the return trip leave at 8:30, 9:05, 10:30, 10:55 and 11:27 A.M. and 1:55, 2:45, 4, 5, 6 and 7:40 P.M. (the 10:55 A.M. runs every day except Saturday and Sunday; the 11:27 A.M. runs only on Saturday and Sunday).
A one-way ticket costs $4 and the ride takes about 40 minutes. The Quito Climate
Q.  I am planning a trip to the Galapagos Islands in August and wonder what the weather will be like there and in Quito, Ecuador. -- A. M. S., Chappaqua, N.Y.
A.  Quito has a climate that is often described as a permanent spring. In August average highs will be 73 degrees and the lows 45. Through the year, average highs range only from 70 to 73 and lows from 44 to 47. Extremes are rare in the Galapagos, too, with highs ranging from 80, in September, to 88 in March. The August high is 81, the low 67. Precipitation is zero from May to December. TERENCE NEILAN