Our holiday in Iceland turned into a nightmare when we were caught in a sudden volcanic grit storm as we drove from Vik to Hofn in the south of the country.

The rental company has billed our credit card for a total of £1,960 for repairs. We think this is unfair. Our argument is that on the back of the Alp/Budget rental agreement it says that "the lessor shall inform the lessee of the content of this agreement, particularly as regards the obligations that the lessee undertakes by signing it".

All the other cars in the fleet had warnings on the dashboard about the dangers of Icelandic driving, but ours did not. Because of this we feel it is unfair that we should have to pay this amount for what was a very frightening act of God.

Unfortunately, I do not think you have a case because you did sign the rental agreement and the conditions of that agreement were clearly set out on its reverse side.

By setting out the booking conditions like this, the lessor is deemed to have informed you of them and the idea is that you read them before signing the contract.

Of course, most renters don't bother to read this small print, believing that all rental agreements are pretty standard. But they are not - as you have discovered to your very great cost.

Because some holidaymakers drive carelessly on Iceland's gravel roads, rental companies have been forced by their insurers to rescind cover for certain types of damage.

This includes damage caused to the underside of the car and its transmission by driving on graded roads, damage from stones thrown up by other drivers and any kind of water damage. Special mention is made of the exclusion for "damage caused by sand, gravel, ash, pumice or other kinds of earth material being blown on to the vehicle".

On a more general note, opt for a car rental company that offers gravel-protection insurance (Budget does not offer this), which covers damage to the windscreen, headlights and bodywork from stones and rocks thrown up by other vehicles, which is a common hazard on Iceland's roads.

We are booked to travel to the Iberostar Tucan in Playacar on the Mayan Riviera on December 11. Our tour operator, First Choice, is saying that we have to go.

I am sure the hotel and surrounding area will not be as it was before Hurricane Wilma and I do not want to pay the full price for something that is no longer as it was.

After a natural disaster such as this, tour operators usually offer only the option to cancel up to one month in advance of travel. This is to ease the administrative burden, because customers are always given refunds or relocated in date departure order.

This week, First Choice has announced that all holiday departures to the Cancun area, including the Mayan Riviera, have been cancelled until December 12.

Customer service staff will be offering the choice of a full refund or relocation to another resort (if the hotel is of a higher standard, then a supplement is payable).

The websites of British tour operators have sketchy information on specific resorts, but the United States tour operator Apple Vacations (www.applevacations.com) gives useful updates on dozens of hotels and some encouraging post-hurricane photographs, especially of resorts on the Mayan Riviera where there appear to be plenty of palm trees, sand on the beach and pristine pool terraces.

"The Mayan Riviera is pretty much back to normal," says Steve Barker, First Choice's overseas operations director, who has just returned from the resort.

"There is still more to do and it is not in the interests of tour operators to take customers to the area until we can be sure they have all the facilities they need for an enjoyable holiday."

Or should we leave it somewhere in Auckland and just check it in with our other luggage (the only problem with this is that it will put us well over the weight limit)?

I spoke to the Auckland office of XS Baggage (0064 9 256 0260, www.xsbaggage.co.nz), which can arrange this for you. You can book the shipment online or by telephone.

On arrival in Auckland, you drop off the baggage at the company's Auckland airport office along with a photocopy of your passport and a "letter of instruction", which can also be downloaded from the website.

My daughter's passport expires on June 8 next year and I understand that many countries require visitors to have at least six months' validity left on their passports. Is this the case with the US?

No. The US Embassy's website - www.usembassy.org.uk - says that a passport must be valid for at least 90 days from the date of entry to the US if you are travelling under the visa waiver programme.

This intimates that you can use a passport right up until its expiry date, but I would always double-check this with the embassy before travel, because this kind of ruling may change at short notice.

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