KEY POINTS:
We're planning a trip to London next April and also hoping to take a train up to Scotland (Edinburgh and Glasgow). We'll have onlyaround a week to 10 days but we were hoping to hire a car and drive somewhere in the Highlands. Would this be possible with the limited amount of time we have in Scotland? Thomas Holden
It might be worth flying to Scotland (only one hour from London) rather than losing a day if you travel by train. You could then spend five or six days in Glasgow and Edinburgh, and you'd still have a few days to visit the Highlands.
Edinburgh and Glasgow are only a 45-minute train ride apart, so it's easy to jump back and forth between the two.
Edinburgh's superb architecture ranges from ancient churches to monumental Victorian masterpieces, but the town is dominated by its famously imposing castle on a precipitous crag, slap-bang in the city's heart.
Pick any street to stroll around the Old Town and you'll be wowed by sudden vistas of looming battlements, cold volcanic peaks and hills steeped in history.
For B&B accommodation, try 41 Heriot Row (www.heriotrow.com; doubles from $280) in an elegant Georgian townhouse in the New Town.
Glasgow is the most Scottish of cities, offering a unique blend of friendliness, urban chaos and loads of energy. It boasts excellent art galleries and museums, as well as numerous good-value restaurants, countless pubs and stylish bars.
Although Glasgow lacks the instantly inspiring beauty of Edinburgh, it's one of Britain's largest, liveliest and most interesting cities, with a legacy of appealing Victorian architecture.
For heritage B&B accommodation, try Victorian House Hotel (www.victorianhotel-glasgow.co.uk; doubles from $155).
Although the Isle of Skye is one of the most popular tourist locales in the Western Highlands, with visitors flocking there most of the year, it's still as spine-tingling an introduction to the Scottish Highlands as you are likely to get.
Boasting one of the greatest concentrations of scenic splendour and variety in Britain, Skye's spectacular mountain ranges are a walking and climbing paradise. But it's just as easy to sit back with a wee dram with the locals and soak up the island's magical atmosphere and ambience.
The drive from Glasgow to Skye takes six hours or so and the route's scenic beauty makes just getting there an experience in itself. You'd be mad not to stop for a picnic at the majestic and captivatingly moody Glencoe along the way, so remember to pack a lunch.
Other highlights include Loch Lomond, Oban and Fort William en route to Skye, and Eilean Donan and Dunvegan on the island itself.
For accommodation in the main town of Portree, Viewfield House Hotel (www.viewfieldhouse.com; rooms from $155) is a country-style hotel with landscaped gardens and period furnishings.
Managing kids on planes
My husband and I are travelling to San Francisco with our 2-year-old son to visit family. I'm a bit nervous about flying for the first time with our boy as he can be restless. I was wondering if you had any tips on flying with young children.
Beth Anderson
There are a few basic tips that will help make your trip comfortable and as stress-free as possible.
Firstly, when flying it's important that you are seated in the best position for travelling with a small child.
Airlines will generally seat you in a bulkhead seat, where you'll have more room; it is always best to request this seat just to be sure.
Try to book an afternoon or evening flight so your child can hopefully get to sleep at the normal time.
Use a stroller at the airport. Pack a travel bag and give plenty of thought to everything your child might need over the 13-hour flight to San Francisco from New Zealand.
A basic checklist would include baby wipes and moisturising cream; a couple of favourite toys, storybooks and a few entertaining surprises for onboard distractions; a change of clothes, including something warm as your toddler's body temperature will fluctuate during the flight; pyjamas if you are travelling overnight; food and a supply of snacks; and a spill-safe water bottle for drinks.
It's probably best to avoid drinks with sugar in them if you don't want to be running laps of the aircraft after your 2-year-old.
Take-off and landing can both potentially cause your child to have temporary earache, so make sure you have sweets or a bottle for him to suck on. Swallowing will help your child's ears adjust to the change in air pressure.
A 2-year-old is not going to sit still for the duration of a long-haul flight, so be prepared for plenty of in-flight sightseeing walks and mini adventures.
The flight crew are there to help, so take the opportunity to offload junior every now and again so that you and your partner can both have a break.
